difficulty and peril their march had little more than begun, for they
had just entered the countries of the infidels. Months had to roll on,
and many battles to be fought, ere the pinnacles of the Holy City
should greet their longing eyes.

19. The route of the crusading armies lay in a southeasterly
direction, through Asia Minor, and then southward to Jerusalem, along
the shores of the Levant. Their march along this route, counting from
the time of their crossing into Asia Minor, May, 1097, to the time
when they came in sight of Jerusalem and laid siege to it, June, 1099,
occupied upward of two years. Countless were the dangers to which the
crusaders were subject in this trial. Of the many sieges two are
especially memorable, that of Nice and that of Antioch.

20. The siege of Nice was the first exploit in which the crusading
armies were engaged. During these six weeks the slaughter of the
Christians, by the arrows of the Turkish garrison, and by the bolts
and large stones which they discharged from mangonels and catapults,
was immense. The city surrendered at last, not, however, to the Latin
chiefs, but to an envoy of the Greek Emperor Alexius, who contrived to
enter into communication with the besieged and induced them to
capitulate. Angry and dissatisfied, the crusaders left their
encampment and resumed their march, not in one mass, but in several
bodies. At length the scattered armies reunited for the siege of
Antioch toward the end of October, 1097. All the known means of attack
were put in operation; movable towers were constructed from which to
discharge missiles into the city. The walls were battered, and the
sallies of the besieged bravely met, still without any effective
result. At the end of ten days famine stared them in the face, so
extravagant were they in the use of their stores. Pestilence joined