to witness a triumph which he considered certain and which he
thought would reduce his enemy to despair. The Greeks crowded the walls
of the city, offering up prayers for their friends and trembling for
their safety in the desperate struggle that awaited them. The Christians
had several advantages which their nautical experience enabled them to
turn to good account. The good size of their ships, the strength of their
construction, their weight, and their high bulwarks were all powerful
means of defence when aided by a stiff breeze blowing directly in the
teeth of their opponents. The Turks were compelled to row their galleys
against this wind and the heavy sea it raised. In vain they attacked the
Christians with reckless valor, fighting under the eye of their fiery
sovereign. The skill of their enemy rendered all their attacks abortive.
In vain one squadron attempted to impede the progress of the Christians,
while another endeavored to run alongside and carry them by boarding.
Every Turkish galley that opposed their progress was crushed under the
weight of their heavy hulls, while those that endeavored to board had
their oars shivered in the shock, and drifted helpless far astern. The
few that succeeded for a moment in retaining their place alongside were
either sunk by immense angular blocks of stone that were dropped on their
frail timbers, or were filled with flames and smoke by the Greek fire
that was poured upon them. The rapidity with which the best galleys were
sunk or disabled appalled the bravest; and at last the Turks shrank from
close combat on an element where they saw that valor without experience
was of no avail. The Christian ships, in the mean time, held steadily on
their course, under all the canvas their masts could carry, until they
rounded the point of St. Demetrius and entered the port, where the chain
was joyfully lowered to admit them.

The young Sultan, on seeing the defeat of his galleys, lost all command
over his temper. He could hardly be restrained from urging his horse into
the sea, and in his frantic passion heaped every term of abuse and
insult on his naval officers. He even talked of ordering his admiral,
Baltaoghlu, to be impaled on the spot; but the janizaries present
compelled even Mahomet to restrain his vengeance. This check revealed to
Mahomet the extent of the danger to which his naval force was exposed
should either the Genoese or Venetians send a powerful fleet to the
assistance o