Page:Travels & discoveries in the Levant (1865) Vol. 1.djvu/221

Rh the site itself, is corroborated by the testimony of Caoursin, the Vice-Chaucellor of the Order, whose contemporary history of the first siege was printed at Ulm as early as 1496. "When describing the building of Fort St. Nicholas, he states that it was placed in " molis vertice Septentrionera spectante—ubi priscis temporibus collosus ille ingens Rhodi (unum de septem miraculis mundi) positus erat."$77$ On the other hand, it may be objected that from Pliny's account of the overthrow of the Colossus we may infer that it fell on the earth, whereas, if thrown down from the extremity of the mole, it could hardly fail to have fallen into the sea. It may, however, have been split open by the earthquake, and afterwards been hauled down, so as to fall along the mole. The notion that its legs bestrid the entrance to either harbour, as is commonly believed, is not based on any ancient authority.$78$ The mole of the great harbour on which the windmills stand is also an Hellenic work, with massive foundations, which, however, cannot be seen from the inside of the harbour. To the east of the great harbour is a small bay, called Archandia, protected on the east by a ridge of rock, on which, as has been already noticed, are the remains of an ancient mole. This bay is unsuited for a harbour, as it is exposed to the north, and contains rocks; but it may have served as a place of refuge for vessels beating up against a strong north wind.

So far as I have been able to ascertain, no foundations of ancient buildings have been discovered within the walls of the fortress; but it is probable