12.
The sites of their towns were generally such that, being placed on extreme points
[of land] and on promontories, they neither had an approach by land when the
tide had rushed in from the main ocean, which always happens twice in the space
of twelve hours; nor by ships, because, upon the tide ebbing again, the ships
were likely to be dashed upon the shoals. Thus, by either circumstance, was the
storming of their towns rendered difficult; and if at any time perchance the
Veneti overpowered by the greatness of our works, (the sea
having been excluded by a mound and large dams, and the latter being made almost
equal in height to the walls of the town) had begun to despair of their
fortunes; bringing up a large number of ships, of which they had a very great
quantity, they carried off all their property and betook themselves to the
nearest towns; there they again defended themselves by the same advantages of
situation. They did this the more easily during a great part of the summer,
because our ships were kept back by storms, and the difficulty of sailing was
very great in that vast and open sea, with its strong tides and its harbors far
apart and exceedingly few in number.
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