THE ' BASTION ' DESTEOYED 295 built near the walls, which was intended to serve the double purpose of deceiving the besieged into supposing that its object was to facilitate the actual scaling of the walls, while at the same time it rested on a bridge of logs beneath which excavation was being made. It contained the earth and stones which were taken out. The ruse was, however, sus- pected, and the counterminers found and destroyed the mine. The last mine dug by the Turks was found on May 25. This, says Barbaro, was the most dangerous of all, because the miners got under the wall, and if powder had been em- ployed, it would have brought down a portion, and have made an opening into the city. 1 Altogether, says Tetaldi, the Turks had made fourteen attempts to undermine the walls, but the Christians had listened, had heard and detected them, and had either smoked out the Turks, destroyed them with stink pots, let in water on them, or had fought them hand to hand underground. 2 In all cases they had succeeded in preventing any dangerous explo- sion. The attempt to gain an entrance by mining had failed. In the words of Critobulus, Mahomet was now convinced that mining was vain and useless labour and expense, and that it was the cannon which would do everything. 3 On the 23rd bad news reached the city. The small brigantine which had been sent out on May 3 returned. Once more, flying the Turkish flag, she ran the blockade of the Dardanelles and the entry of the Bosporus, her crew disguised as Turkish sailors. The Turks, however, near the city recognised and tried to catch her, but before they could bring their vessels to the boom, it was opened, and the brave little ship was once more safely in the Golden Horn. Unfortunately, her crew had to report their failure to Keturn of find the Venetian fleet. They had, nevertheless, done their Faiiureto work gallantly. Like the men, forty years later, under v ^ etian 1 Barbaro, under dates of May 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25. fleet> 2 As to the question whether there was water in the foss, see Professor Van Millingen's Byz. Constantinople, pp. 57-8. 3 Crit. xxxi. 'AAAct tovto /xev vGTtpov irepiTTov e5o£e, /col fxa.Ta.ia oairdvr], toov iii)X av ^ v ro 7r " l/ KaTepyao~afi4v(av
