Accidental Wizard and The 2nd Crusade

 

 Accidental Wizard released this week. From the back jacket:

Chris and Kenny wanted an adventure. They should have been more specific.

One step through an old fallen log and the twins are hurled into a kingdom at war--where a dying wizard has just spent his life summoning them. Now Chris is a blood mage, and every spell he casts tears his own skin. Kenny gets a sword that never loses and a shirt that turns blades aside. They'll need both.

A dragon-sorceress is coming. Her army is already crossing the desert, and the only thing that can stop her is a staff hidden since Merlin's time--guarded by blood wolves, trolls, and a traitor who wants the boys dead.

Two brothers. One impossible quest. No way home until it's finished.

It gives away a little more of the story than I would've, but it should arouse interest in the story.

You can get it here: ACCIDENTAL WIZARD is on sale this month. (Note this is an affiliate link whereby I or Rac Press or someone may receive some commission on qualifying purchases).

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FUN FACT: (From Chapter 14 of Crusaders by Dan Jones)

Edessa, one of the first Crusader states to be established, came under attack in the fall of 1144 by Imad al-dinn Zengi. The city fell to the besiegers on Christmas eve. Hugh, Bishop of Edessa, was trampled to death in the onslaught. Naturally, the Crusaders looked to Europe for aid.

Hugh, Bishop of Jabala, envoy for the Crusaders, found the papal state in turmoil. The newly elected pope, Bernardo Paganelli, had taken the name of Eugenius III; he needed something behind which Christendom could unite. Eugenius leaned heavily upon his mentor, Bernard of Clairvaux. December 1, 1146, Eugenius issued a call to the faithful to rescue their brethren in the Holy Land by a new crusade.

March 31, 1146, King Louis VII and Bernard of Clairvaux mounted a wooden platform outside Vezelay in northern Burgandy to stir the audience to righteous fervor. While the French King prepared for the crusade, Clairvaux went on to Brussels and elsewhere to spread the good word for action. He persuaded Conrad III of Germany and that king's greatest rival, Welf VI of Bavaria to join the crusade. 

Easter, 1147, fifty years after The First Crusade, and more than two years after the fall of Edessa, The Second Crusade set out for the Holy Land.

 

 

 

 

Melisende

 

 The unboxing continues at Xanadu. It's nothing like the Battle of the Pyramids pictured above, except for the chaotic nature of the job. I unloaded three boxes in the garage and another three in the basement. I'm finding books and filling the bookcases that surround me in my writing den. I do read and resort to them from time to time when I'm looking for something specific, or just to spark my imagination. It feels good to have the familiar covers gather round again.

Fun Fact:

In 1131, Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem, was on his deathbed. He summoned his 26 year old daughter Melisende. He had taken religious vows and become a monk, hoping to secure a seat in the eternal palace above.  Although Melisende's husband Fulk had taken her on the understanding that he would succeed Baldwin as king, Baldwin announced that Melisende and Fulk would rule together, along with the young Baldwin (III) as soon as he was old enough. Baldwin died and the couple were crowned in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

Fulk tried to exclude Melisende from the government and got rid of Baldwin's experienced administrators in favor in his own men, causing great disaffection. Additionally, Melisende's sister Alice, whose husband, ruler of Antioch, had also died, decided the time was right to again to do what Baldwin had prevented before--to rule Antioch in her own right. She declared herself Princess of Antioch and received support from Pons of Tripoli and Jocelin II, Count of Edessa. 

Fulk put down that rebellion only to find on his return to Jerusalem another rebellion in progress trying ot put another woman in charge: Melisende. The Count of Jaffa, Hugh le Puiset, and Romanus of Le Puy, lord of the lands east of Jerusalem spearheaded this movement. The tall and handsome Hugh was the second cousin of Melisende--and was said to be having an affair with her. Hugh was accused of plotting against Fulk's life. Instead of appearing for the duel he had demanded to preserve his honor, he made a treaty seeking Muslim aid against the King of Jerusalem. Fulk defeated the Muslim raiders and besieged Hugh, who was forced to surrender and exiled for 3 years. Before he left, another knight stabbed him nearly to death. Hugh recovered only to die a short time later. 

Hugh was dead, but Fulk's problems weren't over. In 1135 he relented and agreed to share the throne with Melisende. The pair worked together. In 1141 they had the Temple of the Lord (Dome of the Rock) for its reconsecration as a Christian church. They also established a nunnery at the Convent of St. Anne where Melisende's sister Yvette became the abbess. The most impressive construction they did was on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. They also engaged in a castle building program. One of these castles was far outside Jerusalem and was conferred to the Hospital of St. John--thus beginning the military order of the Hospitaliers, the first of five castles they controlled. The Templars likewise were trusted with control of several other castles. The two orders became the primary castle guardians in the Crusader states.

Meanwhile, Alice in Antioch again tried to assume power but was outmaneuvered and Raymond of Poitier came to take over that city. The Muslim leader Zengi to the east was casting his eyes on Antioch, as was Byzantine Emperor John II to the west. Raymond got a reprieve in the west when John died of infection resulting from a boar hunting accident. Fulk met a similar fate in a less noble contest when he horse stumbled and rolled on him, as he was trying to lance a hare, crushing his skull. Melisende finally had all the authority. She was crowned queen again, on Christmas day 1143 with the young Baldwin III beside her. 

-The above is summarized from Chapter 13 of Dan Jones' Crusaders. 

 

Founding of the Knights Templar

 

Fun Fact:

Acre and Jaffa in 1125 were the most important ports for the Crusaders. Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem, visited Acre in May and awarded a charter to Domenico Michiel, Doge of Venice, to establish a Venetian colony at Tyre. Baldwin was endeavoring to establish overseas connections to call on for military support. The witnesses to the charter included Hugh of Payns, founding master of the Knights Templar. Hugh was from France and by 1119 had settled in Jerusalem. At that time, the area around Christ's tomb was a meeting place for pilgrim soldiers seeking service in the crusader states. Hugh and many others decided that they would devote themselves to a strict communal life, devoting themselves to poverty, chastity, and obedience to the patriarch of Jerusalem to keep the roads safe and protect the pilgrims to Jerusalem. Hugh appealed to every fighting man to join the order for a life of service to the Lord.

Baldwin leased apartments at Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount to Hugh and from thence the Templars took their name. Baldwin remained a staunch supporter of the Templars ever after. He sent Hugh back to Europe to petition the princes for assistance--planning an assault on Damascus. Hugh was also to assist William of Bures in offering Baldwin's daughter Melisende in marriage to Fulk of Anjou at Le Mans. Hugh and William persuaded Fulk to move to Jerusalem to marry Melisende. He would leave Anjou in the hands of his fifteen year old son Geoffrey "Le Bel." Geoffrey was to be married to Matilda, daughter of Henry I, who also contributed treasure to the crusader endeavor. Hugh gathered support in recruitment and funding wherever he went, and the Templars also received papal recognition, becoming the church's first military order. Among the new supporters was Bernard of Clairvaux--who become Saint Bernard.  

Although the expedition for support was a fabulous success, the succeeding campaign was not. Waiting for the Hugh and Fulk to arrive, Baldwin passed up an opportunity to attack Damascus when Tughtakin, ruler of Damascus died and the transfer of power to his son Taj Al-Muluk Buri. November 1129, Baldwin at last rode out with 2,000 knights and many infantry and other crusader nobility. The force setup at at a wooden bridge near Darayya, about six miles south of Damascus. 

When the crusader knights split into foraging parties, Taj saw his chance. He sent out a contingent of Turks and other allies who fell on a force of knights near al-Buraq and slaughtered them.  The avenging counterattack met a storm of rain, thunder, and lightning that made the roads impassable. Unable to recover from the the setback, Baldwin had to retreat. 

The above is condensed from chapter 12 of Crusaders by Dan Jones.

 

Hard Time in Kharput

 

The sequel to Accidental Pirates has been sent to the publisher for consideration. Chris and Kenny are thrown into a kingdom in turmoil facing treachery within and enemies without. Chris has been drafted to replace the blood mage - and he finds the job has a serious downside. Kenny wields enchanted steel against a host of enemies. Together they are the kingdom's only hope against a new evil.

I've been doing a lot of reading about Enoch - Genesis 6, Moses 7 & 8, as well as The Book of Enoch, a long with A Brief History of Time and an Alan Dean Foster novel. I may post about these at some point, but at I haven't yet finished any of the books, so I'll post a fun fact from something I did finish - or at least I think I did. This is condensed from chapter 11 of Crusaders by Dan Jones:

Fun Fact:

During an expedition to Egypt, King Baldwin I died after eating a breakfast of fresh fish. His body was salted, spiced, and transported back to Jerusalem to be buried beside his brother Godrey at The Holy Sepulchre. Baldwin of Bourcq raced to Jerusalem, beating the other contenders, to be anointed king and was later crowned in Bethlehem. Nearly sixty, he had been Count of Edessa for almost twenty years. Frankish power and Crusader confidence had been dealt a severe blow at the Field of Blood. The fate of the Crusader kingdoms depended on European help.

Ilghazi, the victor of the Field of Blood, died in 1122--his death probably wasn't from the fish--and the Franks looked to Aleppo again with greedy eyes. September 13, 1122, Joscelin, Count of Edessa, was captured by Balak, Ilghazi's nephew who had stepped in to fill his uncle's slippers. After being transported, sew inside a camel skin, Joscelin was locked up in the fortress of Kharput. Then Baldwin himself was also captured and locked up with Joscelin. The Crusader fortunes seemed fated never to recover from the defeat at the Field of Blood.

A year later, Ilghazi's son Timurtash succeeded Balak after the latter's death in May 1124. Baldwin arranged to pay Timurtash a ransom for his release. However, Baldwin had built up some ill will about his capture; he failed to pay the ransom as agreed, preparing to attack Timurtash instead. The other good news for the Crusaders was the capture of Tyre.

Baldwin II arrived at the walls of Aleppo in October with his Timurtash tax in the form of an army at his back. Additionally, he had among his forces the troops of a Muslim ally, Dubays Ibn Sadaqa, whom he had promised to install as the commander of Aleppo in place of Timurtash. Baldwin laid siege to the city until January 1125, when Muslim forces began raiding Antiochene territory. Baldwin returned to Jerusalem. A stalemate between the Franks and the Muslims had developed and could only be broken by an influx of new warriors from the west or a uniting of Islamic forces.

 

Next week I'm scheduled for a podcast interview. I'll post a link when it's available. 

 

 

Field of Blood

 

Speaking of Accidental Pirates, I was on The Spaceman and the Hafling podcast/show Saturday. We recorded yesterday; the show should go up on youtube in a couple weeks. Naturally, I will post a link when I get it.

I finished reading Sharpe's Sword. The end made up for the slow middle. The end reflects the ending of the first book in the series with the hero slaying and taking the overalls of the French Imperial Guard cavalry colonel. -- Foreshadowing Sharpe fighting at Waterloo as a colonel? I don't know. I can't remember if he was a colonel at Waterloo, but I think he was. I used to have a very nice matched set of the original series but parted with them during one of our moves when I thought I would never read them again--that was 20 years ago. Now I read them in ebook if I find one that's an exceptionally good price and I feel the yearn to revisit Sharpe and the light company.

Fun Fact History:

During the summer of 1111, a Muslim coalition under Mawdud, atabeg of Mosul, laid siege to Turbessel near Edessa and forced the crusader leader there, Joscelin of Courtney, to pay tribute. The following year, King Baldwin failed in besieging Tyre after the siege machines were burned and a relief army threatened. The next year, 1113, Mawdud and Tughtakin briefly captured Baldwin. The crusader king escaped, and in October, Mawdud was assassinated by one of the Nizari Ismaili sect--also known as the Hashashin. In fighting among the Muslim leaders prevented organized action against the crusaders for a few years. 

Ilghazi ibn Artuk commanded an army of Turcoman warriors and controlled the fortress town of Mardin, between Aleppo and Mosul. Aleppo and Edessa bordered his region of influence. Roger of Salerno was the regent of Antioch on behalf of the 11 year old Bohemund II. Battles for succession in Constantinople left Roger free of potential hindrance from the west. He seized the opportunity to take control of Aleppo's satellite castles. The citizenry made pleas to Ilghazi for help against the invader. Ilghazi, with his father-in-law, Tughtatin of Damascus, began assembling a huge army.

Roger's fb page began to fill with warnings of the massive hostile build up and he responded with #livingmybestlife and began raising his own army. His force even included Armenian mercenaries and light cavalry from Northern Syria and Asia Minor. 

On June 28, 1119, Ilghazi posted #lightyouup and attacked at a location that became know as Ager Sanguinis: Field of Blood. He triumphed after a battle of only an hour, in which Roger suffered a sword thrust through the nose and into his brain. Having left his Excedrin behind, he expired with a splitting headache. One chronicler reported that the Christians who were not flayed or beheaded on the spot were chained like dogs and led away. Many of those lucky prisoners were tortured the next day and slain, while others were taken to Damascus for ransom, death, or slavery. Ilghazi had destroyed Antioch's regent, army, and regional dominance in a single battle.

The above is summarized from Crusaders by Dan Jones.

Wikipedia indicates that Roger had camped in the pass of Sarmada at a wooded valley with steep sides and few avenues of escape; Ilghazi surrounded him during the night.  Roger's 700 knights, 500 light cavalry, and 3,000 infantry assembled in a V formation and initially prevailed in an archery duel and attacked on their right. However, the crusader left collapsed under an aggressive attack, confusing the rest of the force at the same time a dust storm blinded them. The slaughter followed.

 

 

 

Dangers of reading Accidental Pirates

 In case you thought reading was a safe activity:

 

Here's the interview with me about Accidental Pirates -- paperback available Nov 26 - Get your boys reading for Christmas.

The sequel is half finished with 15 of 30 chapters already filled with slam bang action and adventure.  

I think I've been remiss in sharing some fun facts lately, so here's a helping of history:

FUN FACT: 

In 1111, Al-Mustazhir bi-Allah served as Caliph of the Abbasid Empire and spiritual leader of the Sunni branch of Islam. He married Ismah Khatun. In March, she headed for Isfahan to take her place in the Caliph's palace. In February, a delegation of Sufi's, disgruntled merchants, and lawyers from Aleppo had arrived in Baghdad to complain that they had lost that lovin' feeling of support from the Caliph, and they were tired of fighting the infidels who continued to storm, besiege, kidnap, and kill. With the recent loss of Sidon to King Baldwin, they feared Tyre, Damascus or Aleppo could be next dominoes to fall. 

With a total abandonment of gruntle, the delegation went to the sultan's mosque and disrupted the service, driving the speaker from the pulpit and breaking it to pieces. They proceeded to do the same at the Caliph's mosque. The arrival of Ismah Khatsun provided them with another opportunity to totally lose their cool. The Caliph wanted them arrested, but Sultan Muhammad, brother of Ismah Khatun, declared jihad on the infidels.

Meanwhile, the crusader states had their own problems. They were dependent on Europe for their supplies and manpower, and knew that if their enemies ever united against them, they could not hope to hold. 

(The above is summarized from parts of chapter 11 of Dan Jones Crusaders) 

 

 

Viking Cruise to Jerusalem

 

Fun Fact:

Sigurd I became king of Norway at 13 when an Irish axe ended his father's life. He received the crown jointly with his two half brothers, Eystein and Olaf, the latter being a toddler. At 17, Sigurd agreed to lead an expeditionary force to the Mediterranean and Eystein agreed to rule the kingdom while Sigurd was away. In 1177, Sigurd took 60 longships and sailed away (without meeting any extra-terrestrials who sang for him to Come Sail Away.) 

Sigurd spend some months in England before sailing south and put in at Galicia for another winter. The Norwegians had difficult times when the supply arrangements with a local earl fell through and they had to forage for provisions. Sigurd plundered the offending earl's castle and set sail again. They soon encountered a fleet of Muslim pirates--seizing eight of the galleys and scattering the rest. Sigurd then stopped off in Portugal to plunder a Muslim castle at Sintra and executed the occupants. The fun continued with a raid on a castle south of Lisbon and a battle with Muslim corsairs near Gibraltar. 

He followed that by bringing a taste of Norway to the black pirates at Formentera in the Baleric Islands. The pirates taunted Sigurd from their walled caves, and Sigurd responded by throwing a housewarming party. He had two small boats hauled to the clifftops, where he filled them with men and had them lowered into the mouth of the caves. While the Norwegians gifted the pirates with stones and arrow, Sigurd led a climbing expedition from below. On arrival, they tore down the walls and set fires to smother the caves with smoke. They killed the pirates and took more loot there than at any other rest stop.

 Sigurd continued the pillage party at Ibiza and Menorca before reaching Sicily in 1110. On his arrival in the waters of Palestine, Sigurd took aim at the Fatimid city of Ascalon. The Muslims refused to come out to party, so Sigurd has his crew drop him at Jaffa while they sailed on to Acre. At Jaffa, he met Baldwin I and the two of them headed for Jerusalem. 

Although the crusader state holdings has expanded, there were places like Ascalon, Tyre, and Sidon which continued to hold out. Sigurd took his fleet to blockade Sidon from the sea, and Baldwin brought his army by land to storm the walls. Sidon surrendered on December 4. 

Sigurd seemed to feel like he had done his part to liberate the holy land, and left for Norway. He stopped in Constantinople where he was feted extravagantly by Emperor Alexios. Sigurd traded in his ships for horses and made his way across country to Denmark, where he was given a ship for a happy return to Norway. Although he was later subject to hallucinations and panic attacks, he governed peaceably with his brothers and outlived them both.

--The above information was condensed from chapter 10 of Dan Jones' Crusaders. 

I found Dan Jones' history podcast this weekend on Amazon. Although I enjoyed them, the ones I've listened to so far lack the the depth and detail to make them really great.

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This week took us to Coeur d'Alene, the homestead, and back to Byzantium. We passed through the other fabled land where I almost accepted a job offer and my traveling companion assured me that I had made the right choice.

I finished a short story and got it off to my Skirmish Team, and I trimmed two hundred words from another story and also sent it to the team. We're on the road again next week and the week after.

 

Goblin Souk

 

 Goblin Souk has finally materialized from shimmering mirage on the sands into solid form in paperback and ebook. Quaff from the many flavors of the Near East, ancient and otherwise, with this anthology of stories set in mysterious marketplaces. My story, "A Soldier's Bargain," sees three of Napoleon's infantrymen under attack and looking for refuge find their way to a bazaar that will effect their fates in this life and the next.

Fun Fact:

Before Christmas in 1099, Bohemond of Antioch and Baldwin of Edessa made a miserable 250 mile trip to Jerusalem, plagued by cold, rainstorms, hunger, and bandits. They arrived at a city ruled by Baldwin's brother Godrey and smothered in stench of the dead. Godrey had taken the title of Defender of the Holy Sepulchre. On receiving his appointment, Godrey had marched out to Ascalon where Al-Afdal was assembling the army that had failed to relieve Jerusalem from the crusaders' earlier assault. He defeated the Fatimid army and put Al-Afdal to flight. He also had acquired a shard of the True Cross from the priests who had guarded it at the Holy Sepulchre. 

Bohemond and Baldwin brought with them Daimbert, the archbishop of Pisa. In Jerusalem, he was appointed Patriarch in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At Christmas he blessed Bohemond as Prince of Antioch and struck down Byzantine claims to Antioch. Bohemond had made promises to the Byzantine Emperor Alexios that he would turn Antioch over to him. Daimbert retroactively sanctioned Bohemond's violation of the promise. 

Although he had received holy blessings and had his repudiated oaths sanctioned, all would not be well for Bohemond. In August of 1100 he was taken prison while on campaign in northeast Asia Minor and not released until nearly two years later on payment of a tremendous ransom. In late 1100, Godfrey died, and Baldwin of Edessa was crowned King of Jerusalem on December 25. Baldwin campaigned against the Fatimids and began building a genuine crusader kingdom.

The above information was taken from chapter 9 of Dan Jone's Crusaders. 

--Truth in Flames is sale on now for the 4th of July. 

 

 

Waiting for al-Afdal

 Fun Fact:

Najm al-Din Ilghazi Ibn Artuq was a daring general, competent emir, and co-ruler of Jerusalem under the Seljuk Empire of Sultan Malik-Shah, of the Sunni Muslim persuasion. His weakness for wine or fermented mare's milk was matched only by his penchant for cruel violence. Ilghazi and his brother Sokmen became co-rulers of Jerusalem after their father's death. 

Antioch had fallen, and the Fatimids of Egypt, Ismaili Shi'ite Muslims, sent and army with 40 trebuchets under vizier Malik al-Afdal to attack Jerusalem in August of 1098, following the death of Malik-Shah. The barrage of stones brought down a portion of the walls. Ilghazi and Sokmen surrendered, turning over the business of running Jerusalem to al-Afdal, who released them and their supporters. The brothers went to Damascus and al-Afdal went back to Egypt after placing Iftikhar al-Dawla in charge of the holy city.

Meanwhile, the crusaders experienced division and strife after the fall of Antioch as Bohemond claimed that as the first lordly entrant into the city, he should rule it. Although Raymond of Toulouse objected strenuously, Bohemond refused to be swayed; he thus established the second crusader state after that of Baldwin at Edessa.

A reduced and divided army departed Antioch for Jerusalem in November. They marched south, conquering towns, taking tribute from those emirs caught between Seljuq and Fatimid rule, and fighting among themselves. Bohemond returned to Antioch while the rest continued toward the goal, bickering all the way.

On June 7, 1099, the crusaders, some 15,000 strong, about a third of the force that had departed from Constantinople, came within sight of Jerusalem, a city guarded by thick walls, gatehouses, and watchtowers. For the first month of the siege, the defenders waited for al-Afdal to send a relief force. The crusaders constructed heavy equipment.

The crusaders opened the attack on July 14 with three mangonels to drive the defenders from the walls and then brought in the battering ram. After breaking through two walls, they opened the way for a massive siege tower covered in skins and crowned by a gold cross. The tower advanced as the defenders hurled pots of Greek fire. Godrey rode atop the tower and the man next to him received a stone hurled from the city which crushed his skull and neck. 

Frankish flaming arrows sent the defenders for cover long enough for the tower bridge to be lowered to the wall. Godrey and his men stormed across to fight their way down to the city streets, where they opened the gates for the whole army to charge through. Since the Christians had been expelled on the approach of the crusaders, all inside were subject to the sword. However, al-Dawla and his chosen made a deal to preserve themselves, and Raymond of Toulouse ushered them from the city to the Fatimid stronghold at Ascalon.

Jerusalem had fallen to the Franks. Al-Afdal never showed.

The above information was taken from chapter 9 of Dan Jone's Crusaders.

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Books 5 and 6 of the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire Series are only 99 cents a piece. Get them now while you still can.

Is There No Hope?

The Patriot Cause is in jeopardy. The commander’s minions and King George’s troops are victorious on all fronts.

Can Lucette save Washington and his army? Will Alex be able to stand against Roberts’ devastating new weapon? Iago and Atu confront old enemies and encounter new ones. Rip and Antonio must help in a crucial mission to save the Cause.

Join them in the fight for a new nation.

 

 Fun Fact:

 

Bohemond and his Norman troops scale the walls of Antioch, 

in an engraving by Gustave Doré

Gather round and hear the tale of the taking of Antioch in the spring of ten-ninety-eight. A fair Norman prince, Bohemond was--although of the generic sort as far as that title goes. During the first crusade, it was, that gathered princes stormed the gate. For many long months the knights and their armed kith had laid siege to their Turkish foes. Another Iliad it was, with the conquerors held long at bay. No Trojan horse did breach the wall, but an armorer willing to betray. 

Fayruz succumbed to promises of gold made by Bohemond the bold. The host of Christendom feigned a retreat from impregnable Antioch. It was but a ploy to terminate the lengthy deadlock.

Bohemond and his chosen returned to clandestine ropes lowered by Fayruz in the dark of night. The revenants climbed into the tower, keen to engage in the fight. They threw open the gates and broke the lock, inviting their host into Antioch.

They took the city and put a portion to the slaughter, slaying many, sparing neither son nor daughter. Yet the elation was short lived as a new enemy approached. The besiegers became the besieged, surrounded by a numerous host.

With city stores exhausted from their own successful strangle, the princes scrounged for food and sustenance in every corner and angle. Amid this desperation, pilgrim Peter had a vision of a holy lance. Deep in a hole within the church he found the relic that would provide a fighting chance.

Driven to desperation and instilled with religious ardor, the soldiers sallied forth with ambition to conquer. The Frankish army charged the stunned enemy, who divided by their factions to escape and to flee.

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If you gathered from the above that I'm reading Dan Jones' Crusaders, you would be right. The poetic mayhem--for how else can the inconsistent meter and roving rhyme be described?--is entirely of my own manufacture.