CIIAP. III.]

ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

215

me; but I am a little so, that there were not, or atleast they are not mentioned, for the Mahometanshad them before that time—not indeed musketsor light artillery, but heavy guns for sieges—andused them at Algesiras and other places in Spain. 1However, these exterior batteries, though so huge,and three hundred in number, were only secondary,and rather to cover the attacks of the soldiery thanto breach the defences; for which they relied on whatwas more deadly sure, though somewhat slower andfar less noisy. And by degrees their sappers andminers had driven the Christian from all his out-works and fairly demolished them. And now, mur-derous moles, they had passed under the ditch andundermined a great portion of the main wall itself,and that mine had only to be sprung by firing thewood that sustained it.; operation awaiting themoment the sultan should arrive to order it.

It was on the 4th of April, 2 that the new sultanarrived at Acre, and that the siege really began;though several divisions had been already there abovea month; so that those who during it had been ac-customed to see masses of soldiery,when they looked

1 In. 1249, and even earlier. Hallam : Middle Ages, i. 254.—The Arabs had gunpowder, and fired it from cannons first ofwood, next of metal, in 1230, Mines de l’Orient, Kum. i. 248,

2 ' Arab. Chron., 570.