They had now been joined by all the vessels left behind at
Rhodes, and it was found that only a few were missing, and that the
great storm, terrible as it had been, had inflicted less damage upon the
fleet than was at first feared.
Two days' sail brought them within sight of the white walls of Acre, and
it was on June 8, 1191, that the fleet sailed into the port of that
town. Tremendous acclamations greeted the arrival of the English army by
the host assembled on the shores.
Acre had been besieged for two years, but in vain; and even the arrival
of the French army under Philip Augustus had failed to turn the scale.
The inhabitants defended themselves with desperate bravery; every
assault upon the walls had been repulsed with immense slaughter; and at
no great distance off the Sultan Saladin, with a large army, was
watching the progress of the siege.
The fame of King Richard and the English was so great, however, that the
besiegers had little doubt that his arrival would change the position of
things; and even the French, in spite of the bad feeling which had
existed in Sicily, joined with the knights and army of the King of
Jerusalem in acclaiming the arrival of the English.
Pages:
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191