Saladin’s headquarters were at Tell-Ayadiyeh, at the foot of the hills, some seven or eight miles east of Acre, on the direct road to Damascus. Twice within the last two days the besieged had warned the Sultan that unless he relieved them at once, they must surrender, with his consent or without it.[685] The two kings, knowing that his forces were unequal to coping with the united Christian host, were at the same time negotiating with him in the hope that the city might meanwhile fall into their hands; and he could only endeavour to stave off its surrender by spinning out the negotiations till the reinforcements which he was expecting should arrive.[686] No sooner, however, had these begun to come up than on July 8-10 he took the significant step of cutting down the vineyards and orchards around Acre and levelling most of the towns and smaller fortresses in the neighbourhood;[687] and on the 11th the besieged intimated their readiness to make peace “at the will of the Christian [Sidenote: _July 12_] kings.” Next morning (12th), in a great assembly at the Templars’ quarters, the kings “by the counsel of the whole host” made an agreement with the two emirs.[688] Acre was to be surrendered immediately, and its garrison were to be kept by the Franks as hostages for the fulfilment of three conditions to which the emirs pledged themselves in Saladin’s name: the restoration of the Holy Cross, the release of sixteen hundred Christians who were prisoners in the Sultan’s hands, and the payment of two hundred thousand bezants (or, according to another account, dinars) to the kings and fourteen (or forty) thousand to Conrad “because the treaty had been made by his mediation.”[689] The emirs returned to the city; a herald proclaimed throughout the host that all molestation, injury, or insult to the Turks must cease at once; the gates were opened, the garrison, unarmed, were brought out[690] and placed under guard in the Christian camp,[691] and the kings sent representatives to take formal possession of Acre for them by planting their banners on its [Sidenote: _July 13_] walls and towers.[692] Next day (July 13) they made an equal division of the city and all its contents, and also of the prisoners (or hostages), and then, seemingly, cast lots for the two halves. The royal palace fell to Richard’s share, the Templars’ house to Philip’s; but neither king appears to have taken up his abode in the city for several days. The prisoners were sent back into lodgings assigned to them within the walls, and the greater part of the host also found quarters there.[693]