"On 5th August General Bragadino, Accompanied
By His Lieutenants Baglioni, Martinengo, And Quirini,
Went To The Turkish Camp, And Was Politely Received
By Mustafa.
After the delivery of the keys, and
when General Bragadino had risen to take leave, the
vile Turk asked
Him for special hostages for the safe
return from Candia of the Turkish vessels which were
to convey him and his men thither; Bragadino refused
this, as not having been stipulated in the accepted
conditions of his surrender. Then Mustafa accused
him of bad faith, and of having put to death fifty
Turkish pilgrims after he had surrendered, which was
indignantly denied by Bragadino. The pasha, becoming
enraged, ordered the four Venetians to be put to death,
and in a few minutes Generals Baglioni, Martinengo,
and Quirini were executed in the presence of Bragadino,
for whom a more terrible death was reserved.
The executioner cut off his nose and ears; three times
he was made to lay his head upon the block, as if
to be beheaded, then, heavily chained, was thrown
into a dark dungeon, and left for nine days in that
miserable condition.
"On the tenth day, by order of Mustafa, Bragadino
was brought out of prison and made to carry earth
for the repair of the fortifications during several hours,
after which, more dead than alive, the heroic soldier
was tied to a stake, and, in the presence of the ferocious
Mustafa, was flayed alive. His skin, stuffed with hay,
was sent with the heads of the other three Venetians
as presents to the Sultan."
The two most important conquests of Cyprus have thus commenced from the
port of Limasol, which is destined to become of primary importance as
the great commercial representative town of this now poor island.
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