portion of the work, and gain fully our share of honour. There
is no fear of your having much time on your hands, for it is quite
certain that there will soon be open war between Mahomet and the
Order. In spite of the nominal truce, constant skirmishes are
taking place, so that, in addition to our fights with pirates, we
have sometimes encounters with the sultan's galleys.

"Seven years ago, a number of our Order took part in the defence
of Lesbos, and lost their lives at its capture, and we have sure
information that Mahomet is preparing for an attack on the Island.
No doubt he thinks it will be an easy conquest, for in '57 he
succeeded in landing eighteen thousand men on the Island, and in
ravaging a large district, carrying off much booty. Since then,
however, the defences of Rhodes have been greatly strengthened.
Zacosta, our last grand master, laboured diligently to increase the
fortifications, and, specially, built on one side of the entrance
to the harbour a strong tower, called Fort St. Nicholas. Orsini
has carried on the works, which have been directed by D'Aubusson,
who is captain general of the forces of the Island, and who has
deepened the ditches and built a wall on the sea front of the town
six hundred feet in length and twenty feet in height, money being
found by the grand master from his private purse.

"At present we are not sure whether the great armament that Mahomet
is preparing is intended for the capture of Negropont, which
belongs to Venice, or of Rhodes. Unfortunately Venice and Rhodes
are not good friends. In the course of our war with Egypt in
'58 we captured from some Venetian vessels, in which they were
travelling, several Egyptian merchants with a great store of goods.
The Venetians protested that as the ships were theirs we had no