volume one

HISTORY OF TUE CEUSADES. 463
of Ptolemais, and protected the disembarkation of the Chris-
tians who arrived from Europe by aea.
Such was the disposition of the Christian anny belore Ptole-
niais, and this order was preserved during the whole siege.
The Christians dug ditches on the dechvities of the hills whose
heights they occupied ; they raised high walls round their
quarters, and their camps were so inclosed, says an Arabian
All the
historian, that the birds could scarcely find entrance. _
torrents which fell from the neighbouring mountains overflowed
their banks, and covered the plain with their waters
and the Crusaders, having nothing to fear from surprise by the
army of Saladin, prosecuted the siege without intermission.
Their machines battered the walls night and day, and with
each morning their assaults were renewed. The garrison,
which opposed them with obstinate bravery, could not much
longer defend itself without the aid of the IMussulman army.
Every day pigeons bearing letters under their wings, and
divers, who threw themselves into the sea, were sent to warn
Saladin of the imminent dangers of Ptolemais.
At the approach of spring, several Mussulman princes of
Mesopotamia and Svria came to range themselves and thentroops
under the standards of the sultan. Then Saladm
quitted the mountain of Karouba, and his army descending
towards the plain of Ptolemais, defiled m sight ot the
Christians, with colours spread and drums and trumpets
sounding. The Crusaders had soon fresh contests to maintain.
The ditches they had dug,, to employ the expression
of a Mussulman historian, became their own sepulchres, and
were often fiUed with their dead bodies. The hopes they
had fondly entertained of getting possession of the city,
vanished at the sight of such formidable enemies. They had
constructed during the winter three rolling towers, similar
to those which Godfrev of Bouillon had erected at the
takino- of Jerusalem, these three towers arose above the
walls°of Ptolemais, and threatened the city with destruction.
Whilst the Crusaders were engaged in repelling the attacks
of Saladin, inflamed arrows and pots filled with burning
naphtha were hiu4ed on their machines, that were left unprotected
at the foot of the ramparts. All at once the Chris-
tians saw flames arise in the air, and their wooden towers,
;