midnight
Here also he saw towers , steeples , and turrets , but they were those of the churches and public buildings beneath his feet , reflected from the dazzling piece of water which formed the harbour of Constantinople , and which , from the abundance of wealth which it transported to the city , was well termed the Golden Horn . In one place , this superb basin was lined with quays , where stately dromonds and argosies unloaded their wealth , while , by the shore of the haven , galleys , feluccas , and other small craft , idly flapped the singularly shaped and snow-white pinions which served them for sails . In other places the Golden Horn lay shrouded in a verdant mantle of trees , where the private gardens of wealthy or distinguished individuals , or places of public recreation , shot down upon and were bounded by the glassy waters . On the Bosphorus , which might be seen in the distance , the little fleet of Tancred was lying in the same station they had gained during the night , which was fitted to command the opposite landing ; this their general had preferred to a midnight descent upon Constantinople , not knowing whether , so coming , they might be received as friends or enemies . This delay , however , had given the Greeks an opportunity , either by the orders of Alexius , or the equally powerful mandates of some of the conspirators , to tow six ships of war , full of armed men , and provided with the maritime offensive weapons peculiar to the Greeks at that period , which they had moored so as exactly to cover the place where the troops of Tancred must necessarily land . This preparation gave some surprise to the valiant Tancred , who did not know that such vessels had arrived in the harbour from Lemnos on the preceding night . The undaunted courage of that prince was , however , in no respect to be shaken by the degree of unexpected danger with which his adventure now appeared to be attended .