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always in the presence of the captains, that no shot might be wasted. On May 29 a frigate came from Candia, bringing hopes of succour, and giving great encouragement to all. The enemy had won the counterscarp after a sharp fight and losses on both sides : thereon to meet our five batteries they began to take the earth round the walls of the counterscarp, and to throw it into the ditch ; while we carried off by night within the walls all that soil and the wreckage of the walls caused by their fire ; we were all at work on this until the enemy opened some loopholes in the wall, through which their arquebusiers swept all the ditch, and prevented our approaching it any more without great risk. But M. Gio. Mormori, an engineer, invented a plan of joining planks which were carried so as to protect the workers from musket fire. Earth was still brought in, but a little only, and Messer Giovanni himself was killed : he had rendered excellent service in all our needs. The Turks had now thrown up enough earth to reach the top of the ditch : they made an opening in the wall of the counterscarp, and piling up the earth before them they gradually made a traverse up to the wall on both sides of all our batteries, and strengthened it later with woolpacks and fascines, to protect themselves against our flanking fire. They now held the ditch so that they could not be molested except from above, and that only by chance, and they began to dig mines at the ravelin, at the great tower of St Nappa, at those of the Andruzzi and Campo Santo, at the curtain, and the great tower of the Arsenal. As we could make no more use of our few flanks we cast fireworks among the enemy which worked great havoc ; the woolpacks and fascines were set on fire, and to those who managed to destroy the packs Bragadino gave a ducat for each. Counter-mines were laid in all directions under the orders of Cav. Maggio, an engineer, who worked throughout with all possible diligence and energy. But they crossed only with those of the great towers of St Nappa, of the Andruzzi and Campo Santo, 180 The Siege of Famagusla

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