Page 540 But the King not contented to assault the City only from the Mole, girt the Town round with his whole Fleet, and diligently view'd all parts of the Walls, as if he resolv'd to besiege the Place both by Sea and Land. The Tyrians not daring to engage him at Sea, he destroy'd three Ships, that were then by chance in the Mouth of the Harbour, and then return'd to his Camp. But the Tyrians, that they might make their Walls as strong again as they were before, rais'd another Wall ten Cubits broad, and five Cubits distant from the former, and fill'd the empty space between the two Walls with Earth and Stones.
Alexander likewise made a Battery, by joining many of his Ships together, and planted upon them all sorts of Rams and Battering Engines, whereby he beat down an hundred Foot of the Wall, and attempted to break into the City over the Ruines: Upon which, the Tyrians discharg'd a shower of Darts and Arrows, and with much ado repuls'd the Enemy, and the Night following repair'd that part of the Wall that had been batter'd down.
But after that the Passage to the City, by the joining of the Mole close to the Walls, was made, as if it had been a Peninsula, there were many and sharp Contests both to get and defend the Walls. For though they had imminent Destruction before their Eyes, and the Miseries that attend upon a Town's being taken by Storm, yet they so resolv'd to go through all Dangers, that they despis'd Death it self. For when the Macedonians approach'd with Towers of that height that they equall'd the Battlements, and cast out Planks, whereof one of the ends lay upon the Top of the Ramparts, and so by a Bridge mounted the Walls; the Tyrians by the ingenuity of the Artificers, were supply'd with many sorts of Engines and Weapons for their effectual Defence. As amongst others they had very great three Fork'd Hooks, which they cast close at hand, and therewith wounded them in the Towers (to which were fastned Cords, one end whereof they held themselves) and by these fixing in their Enemies Targets they pluck'd them out of their hands: For to this Necessity and Streight the Macedonians were brought, that they must either stand naked, and expos'd (without defensive Arms) to a multitude of Darts and Arrows, and so be wounded to Death, or else out of a point of Honour stick to their Arms, and so perish, by being pluck'd headlong out of the Towers. Others threw Fishing Nets upon them that were engag'd upon the Bridges laid to the Walls, and so intangled their Hands, that they drew them off and tumbled them headlong to the Ground.
Another wonderful invention they found out against the Macedonians, whereby they grievously plagu'd the chiefest of their Enemies, which was this, they fill'd their Iron and Brazen Shields with Sand, and heated them so long in the Fire till the Sand was scorching hot, which by an Engine they threw upon them that were chiefly engag'd, whereby they were cruelly tormented; for the Sand getting within their Breast-plates and Coats of Mail, and grievously scorching their Flesh, no Remedy could be apply'd for the curing of the Malady. So that (though they made most bitter Complaints as Men upon the Rack) yet none there were who were able to help them, insomuch, as they grew mad in the Extremity of the Torture, and dy'd in the height of unexpressible Torments.
In the mean time, the Phaenicians never ceas'd casting Fire-darts and Stones at their Enemies, so that they were scarce able to endure, the Multitude was so excessive. Moreover, with long Poles with sharp Hooks at the end, they cut the Cords of the Battering-Rams in pieces, (which forc'd them forwards) whereby the Force of the Engine was lost; and shot out of Machines for the Purpose, great massy pieces of red hot Iron into the midst of great multitudes of the Assailants, which by reason of the number of them, against whom they were discharg'd, were sure to do Execution. They pluck'd likewise Men in Armour from off the Rampiers with Iron Instruments, call'd Crows, and others shap'd like Mens Hands. And having many Hands at work, they eluded all the Enemies Engines, and kill'd multitudes of them. And although the Service was so amazing, and the Conflict so sharp, that it was scarce to be endur'd, yet the Macedonians remitted nothing of their ancient Valour, but made their way over the Bodies of those that were slain, not at all discouraged by the Misfortunes of others. In the mean time, Alexander batter'd the Walls with massy Stones shot out of his Engines, and grievously gall'd the Defendants with Arrows and Darts, and all sorts of shot from the Wooden Towers. To prevent which mischief, the Tyrians plac'd Marble Wheels before the Walls, which were turn'd round by certain Engines, and with these they either broke the Darts in pieces, or so threw them off that they were ineffectual. And to allay the Force of the Stones shot against the Wall, they sow'd together Hides and Skins oil'd over to receive them, which meeting with what was soft and pliant, their Force was thereby much abated.