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436 DESTEUCTION OF THE GEEEK EMPIEE APPENDIX II WHEBE DID THE SEA-FIGHT OF APBIL 20, 1453, TAKE PLACE? The late Dr. A. D. Mordtmann, 1 and Dr. Paspates, 2 followed by M. Mijatovich, 3 and M. E. A. Vlasto. 4 answer, that it was to the west of the Marmora end of the landward walls : that is, off Zeitin Bournou. In favour of this view they give the following reasons : (1) Because during the fight the sultan rode into the water, and he could not have done so if the fight had been on the north shore of the Golden Horn, as the shore there is too steep. The answer to this is, that the Galata shore four centuries ago was like that of the Golden Horn outside the walls of Constantinople now, and consisted of a low flat of mud, now built upon. The present Grande Eue de Galata is really the 1 Strand ' of Galata, and is all land reclaimed from the sea. This is even now obvious ; but Gyllius observed the growth of this flat land and gives a curious description of it. 5 This argument therefore fails. (2) Because Barbaro mentions that the wind dropped when the ships were ' per mezo la citade,' which Dr. Mordtmann con- sidered to mean halfway along the length of the city between the end of the landward walls and Seraglio Point, or, as he puts it definitely, at Vlanga Bostan. But ' per mezo ' means here simply alongside or opposite or abreast of the city. It is used as meaning ' through the midst ' in the same paragraph, when Barbaro states that he is going from the city on board certain galleys ' per mezo la citade.' It is undisputed that a southerly wind had been blowing four days : a strong wind which had brought the ships from Chios. There would therefore be a current running northwards. Con- sequently if the wind had suddenly dropped opposite Vlanga 1 Belagerung und Eroberung Constantinopels im Jahre 1453. 2 TloKiopKia. 3 Constantine, the last Emperor of the Greeks. 4 Les derniers Jours de Constantinople. 3 Book iii. ch. x.