shippes carie away yeerely, there remaine heapes like
hilles, some heapes able to lade nine or tenne shippes, and there are
heapes of two yeeres gathering, some of three and some of nine or tenne
yeeres making, to the value of a great somme of golde, and when the ships
do lade, they neuer take it by measure, but when they come at Venice they
measure it. This salt as it lyeth in the pit is like so much ice, and it is
sixe inches thicke: they digge it with axes, and cause their slaues to cary
it to the heapes. This night at midnight we rode to Famagusta, which is
eight leagues from Salina, which is 24 English miles.

The 29 about two houres before day we alighted at Famagusta, and after we
were refreshed we went to see the towne. This is a very faire strong holde,
and the strongest and greatest in the Iland. The walks are faire and new,
and strongly rampired with foure principall bulwarkes, and bettweene them
turrions responding one to another, these walks did the Venetians make.
They haue also on the hauen side of it a Castle, and the hauen is chained,
the citie hath onely two gates, to say, one for the lande and another for
the sea, they haue in the towne continually, be it peace or warres, 800
souldiers, and fortie and sixe gunners, besides Captaines, petie Captaines,
Gouernour and Generall The lande gate hath alwayes fiftie souldiers, pikes
and gunners with their harnes, watching thereat night and day. At the sea
gate fiue and twenties upon the walles euery night doe watch fifteene men
in watch houses, for euery watch house fiue men, and in the market place 30
souldiers continually. There may no souldier serue there aboue 5 yeres,
neither will they without friendship suffer them to depart afore 5. yeres
be expired, and there may serue of all nations except Greekes. [Sidenote:
Morenigo.] They haue euery pay which is 45 dayes, 15 Morenigos, which is 15
shillings sterling. [Sidenote: Solde of Venice] Their horsemen haue only
sixe soldes Venetian a day, and prouender for their horses, but truth I
maruell how they liue being so hardly fed, for all the sommer they feede
only vpon chopt strawe and barley, for hay they haue none, and yet they be
faire, fat and seruiceable. [Sidenote: Castellani] The Venetians send euery
two yeres new rulers, which they call Castellani. The towne hath allotted
it also two gallies continually armed and furnished.

[Sidenote: Saint Katherens Chappel in old Famagusta.] The 30. in the
morning we r