METHOD OF TEANSPOET OF SHIPS 275 overland voyage of the sultan's fleet. Between seventy and eighty vessels had been selected from those anchored in the Bosporus. 1 A road had been carefully levelled, probably following the route already indicated, from a spot near the present Tophana to the valley of The Springs. Stout planks or logs had been laid upon it. A great number of rollers had been prepared of six pikes, or about thirteen or fourteen feet, long. 2 Logs and rollers were thoroughly greased and made ready for their burdens. The ships' cradles, to the side of which poles were fixed so as to enable the ships to be securely fastened, were lowered into the water to receive the vessels which were then floated upon them, and by means of long cables were pulled ashore and started on their voyage. A preliminary trial was made with a small f usta, and this having been successfully handled, the Turks began to trans- port others. Some were hauled by mere hand power, others Transport required the assistance of pulleys, while buffaloes served to shipf hty haul the remainder. The multitude of men at the sultan's overland - disposal enabled the ships to start on their voyage in rapid succession. The strangeness and the oddity of the spectacle, the paradox of ships journeying over land, seems to have im- pressed the Turks, who always have a keen relish for fun, as much as did the ingenuity of the plan. The whole business had indeed its ludicrous aspect. The men took their accustomed places in the vessel. The sails were unfurled as if the ships were putting out to sea. The oarsmen got out their oars and pulled as if they were on the water. The leaders ran backwards and forwards on the central gangway or histodoke, where the mast when not hoisted usually rested, to see that they all kept stroke together. The helms- men were at their posts, while fifes and drums sounded as if the boats were in the water. The display thus made, 1 Crit. says 68 ; Barbaro, 72 ; Tetaldi, between 70 and 80 ; Chalcondylas, 70 ; and Dueas, 80 ; Heirullah says there were only 20 ; the Janissary Michael, 30 ; the Anon. Expugnatio, edited by Thyselius, sect. 12, says not less than 80. 2 ' Lacertus ' is the word Leonard ingeniously uses for the Greek irvxvs, t 2
