An Immense Fleet, Even Compared With The Fleets Of Modern Times.
On
board of this fleet there were 35,000 seamen and soldiers, and 5000 horses,
besides arms, engines, stores, and an adequate supply of water and
provisions, for a period, probably, of two or three months.
Such were the
transports: they were accompanied and protected by 92 light brigantines,
for gallies were no longer used in the Mediterranean; on board of these
vessels were 2000 rowers. The celebrated Belisarius was the
commander-in-chief, both of the land and sea forces. The course of this
numerous and formidable fleet was directed by the master-galley in which he
sailed; this was conspicuous by the redness of its sails during the day,
and by torches fixed on its mast head during night. A circumstance occurred
during the first part of the voyage, which instructs us respecting the mode
of manufacturing the bread used on long voyages. When the sacks which
contained it were opened, it was found to be soft and unfit for use; and on
enquiring into the cause, the blame was clearly traced to the person by
whose orders it had been prepared. In order to save the expense of fuel, he
had ordered it to be baked by the same fire which warmed the baths of
Constantinople, instead of baking it twice in an oven, as was the usual and
proper practice. In the latter mode, a loss of one-fourth was calculated on
and allowed; and the saving occasioned by the mode adopted was probably
another motive with the person under whose superintendence the bread was
prepared.
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