_Dion_, whom _Zonaras_ quotes, reports, that the Walls of _Byzantium_ were exceeding strong, the Copings of which were built with Stones three Foot thick, cramp’d together with Links of Brass; and that it was so firmly compacted inwardly, that the whole Building seem’d to be one solid Wall. It is adorn’d with numerous and large Towers, having Gates in them placed one above another. The Walls on the side of the Continent are very lofty; towards the Sea, not quite so high. It had two Ports within the Walls, secured with Booms, as was their Entrance by two high Forts. I had then no Opportunity of consulting _Xenophon_ in the Original; however I was of Opinion from the _Latin_ Translation, that a Passage in that Author, which is as follows, has a Relation to one of those Ports: _When the Soldiers_, says he, _had passed over from_ Chrysopolis _to_ Byzantium, _and were deny’d Entrance into the City, they threaten’d to force the Gates, unless the Inhabitants open’d them of their own Accord; and immediately hastening to the Sea, they scaled the Walls, and leap’d into the Town, hard by the Sides of the Port, which the_ Greeks _call_ χηλαὶ, that is by the Piles; because they jet out into the Sea, winding into the Figure of a Crab’s Claw. But afterwards meeting with that Author in _Greek_, I found no Mention there of the Port, but only τὴν χηλὴν τοῦ τείχους, that is, near _the Copings of the Wall_, or rather the Buttresses that support it. Had it been in the Original χηλὴ τοῦ λιμένος, it ought rather to have been translated the _Leg_, or the _Arm_. _Dionysius_ a _Byzantian_ mentions, that the first Winding of the _Bosporus_ contains three Ports. The _Byzantians_ in their time had five hundred Ships, some of which were two-oar’d Galleys; some had Rudders both at Stem and Stern, and had also their Pilates at each, and two Sets of Hands aboard, so that either in an Engagement, or upon a Retreat, there was no Necessity for them to tack about. The _Byzantians_, both in the Life-time and after the Death of _Niger_, when besieged for the Space of three Years, acted Wonders; for they not only took the Enemies Ships as they sail’d by them, but dragg’d their three-oar’d Galleys from their Moorings; for diving under Water they cut their Anchors, and by fastening small Ropes from the Stern round their Ancles, they hall’d off their Ships, which seem’d to swim merely by the natural Tyde of the Sea. Nor were the _Byzantians_ the first who practis’d this Stratagem, but the _Tyrians_ frequently, under a Pretence of gathering Shell-Fish, would play the same Trick; which _Alexander_ had no sooner discover’d, than he gave Orders that the Anchors of his whole Fleet, instead of Cables, should be fasten’d to Iron Chains. In this Siege the _Byzantians_ being reduced to great Straits, still refused to surrender, making the best Defence they could with Timber taken from their Houses. They also breeded Cables for their Ships out of their Womens Hair; nay sometimes