me to the front
with one of his ingenious devices that the fortune of war changed. The
Earl Meldritch, in whose regiment Smith served, having heard from
some Christians who escaped from the town at what place there were the
greatest assemblies and throngs of people in the city, caused Captain
Smith to put in practice his "fiery dragons." These instruments of
destruction are carefully described: "Having prepared fortie or fiftie
round-bellied earthen pots, and filled them with hand Gunpowder, then
covered them with Pitch, mingled with Brimstone and Turpentine, and
quartering as many Musket-bullets, that hung together but only at the
center of the division, stucke them round in the mixture about the
pots, and covered them againe with the same mixture, over that a strong
sear-cloth, then over all a goode thicknesse of Towze-match, well
tempered with oyle of Linseed, Campheer, and powder of Brimstone, these
he fitly placed in slings, graduated so neere as they could to the
places of these assemblies."

These missiles of Smith's invention were flung at midnight, when the
alarum was given, and "it was a perfect sight to see the short flaming
course of their flight in the air, but presently after their fall, the
lamentable noise of the miserable slaughtered Turkes was most wonderful
to heare."

While Smith was amusing the Turks in this manner, the Earl Rosworme
planned an attack on the opposite suburb, which was defended by a muddy
lake, supposed to be impassable. Furnishing his men with bundles of
sedge, which they threw before them as they advanced in the dark night,
the lake was made passable, the suburb surprised, and the captured
guns of the Turks were turned upon them in the city to which they had
retreated. The army of the Bashaw was cut to pieces and he himself
captured.

The Earl of Meldritch, having occupied the town, repaired the walls and
the ruins of this famous city that had been in the possession of the
Turks for some threescore years.

It is not our purpose to attempt to trace the meteoric course of Captain
Smith in all his campaigns against the Turks, only to indicate the large
part he took in these famous wars for the possession of Eastern Europe.
The siege of Alba Regalis must have been about the year 1601--Smith
never troubles himself with any dates--and while it was undecided,
Mahomet III.--this was the prompt Sultan who made his position secure
by putting to death nineteen of his brothers upon his ac