; the beams of the rising sun glancing on their polished
weapons,--their bows of delicate workmanship, their scymitars from the
forges of Alexandria and Damascus, their muskets of Fez.[1340] "It was a
beautiful sight to see," adds the chronicler with some _naivete_, "if
one could have looked on it without danger to himself."[1341]

In advance of the squadron came two or three boats, bearing persons
whose venerable aspect and dark-colored robes proclaimed them to be the
religious men of the Moslems. They seemed to be reciting from a volume
before them, and muttering what might be prayers to Allah,--possibly
invoking his vengeance on the infidel. But these soon dropped astern,
leaving the way open for the rest of the flotilla, which steered for the
palisades, with the intention evidently of forcing a passage. But the
barrier proved too strong for their efforts; and, chafed by the musketry
which now opened on them from the bastion, the Algerine commander threw
himself into the water, which was somewhat above his girdle, and,
followed by his men, advanced boldly towards the shore.

Two mortars were mounted on the rampart. But, through some
mismanagement, they were not worked; and the assailants were allowed to
reach the foot of the bastion, which they prepared to carry by escalade.
Applying their ladders, they speedily began to mount; when they were
assailed by showers of stones, hand-grenades, and combustibles of
various kinds; while huge fragments of rock were rolled over the
parapet, crushing men and ladders, and scattering them in ruin below.
The ramparts were covered with knights and soldiers, among whom the
stately form of Antonio de Zanoguerra, the commander of the post, was
conspicuous, towering above his comrades, and cheering them on to the
fight. Meantime the assailants, mustering like a swarm of hornets to the
attack, were soon seen replacing the broken ladders, and again
clambering up the walls. The leading files were pushed upward by those
below; yet scarcely had the bold adventurers risen above the parapet,
when they were pierced by the pikes of the soldiers, or struck down by
the swords and battle-axes of the knights. At this crisis, a spark
unfortunately falling into the magazine of combustibles, it took fire,
and blew up with a terrific explosion, killing or maiming numbers of the
garrison, and rolling volumes of blinding smoke along the bastion. The
besiegers profited by the confusion to gain a footing on