If the Turks and Tartars hare frequently hurt Chriftendom, the Genoefe felt it not; for, being mailers of the fea, they could attack the infidels, and had always fifty galleys and large fhips guarding the iflands of Rhodes, Cyprus, and Candia, and the fhores of Greece, as far as Turkey, where they poffefs the handfome town and caftle of Pera, fituated on the fea-fhore op-pofite to Conftantinople, which is garrifoned at their expenfè, and fupplied with proviiion and flores three or four times a year. The Turks and Tartars have often attempted to win it, but have always failed, and loft more than they gained; for Pera isfeated on a rock, with only one entrance, and this the Genoefe have well fortified. The Genoefe have alfo Jaffa, which is a ftrong place, profitable both to them and to all Chriftendom ; for, did they not poffefs Jaffa and Rhodes, the infidels would invade Naples and attack Gaietta and Rome : but the ftrong garrifons of men at arms in thefe two' places, and their galleys on the fea, hold them in check. Thefe reafons prevented the infidels making any excurfions, except from Conftantinople to-wards Hungary ; but if that noble king of Cy-prus, Peter de Lufignan, had longer lived, he would have found the fultans and Turks more employment than they had met with fince the days of Godfrey of Boulogne. Having con-quered the cities of Alexandria and Satalia, the infidels, ' knowing his prowefe and enterprife, and fearful of further kffeffrom him, bargained with 329