Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/279

Rh unopposed, but found the country deserted, everything carried away, and the inhabitants whom he would have seized as slaves secure from his grasp. Whilst his troops were scattered in disorganized bands engaged in a fruitless search for plunder, a sudden descent was made on them by a body of knights. They were taken completely by surprise, numbers were killed, and the remainder driven back in confusion to their ships.

The pasha, disgusted at this humiliating repulse, sheered off from Rhodes and steered for the island of Telos, where was a fort garrisoned by a body of Hospitallers. This, after a few days’ battering, he attempted to carry by storm, but once more met with a bloody repulse. The fort was evidently not to be taken by a coup de main, and the Capoudan Pasha, crestfallen and defeated, was fain to retire to Phineka, there to await the arrival of his army. A bad beginning this to so great an enterprise, and an evil omen for its ultimate success.

One morning, towards the latter end of April, in the year 1480, the sentinel posted on the top of St. Stephen’s hill, descried the hostile fleet passing within view of the island. The alarm was at once given, and the Grand-Master, with his principal officers, assembled on the spot to watch its onward progress. The eventful hour was not yet come, and the fleet, which was bearing the artillery and other stores from Constantinople, made for Phineka, the pre-arranged port of rendezvous: Having there been joined by the remainder of the force, the army was embarked, and the expedition, which numbered 70,000 men (some accounts say 100,000) with 160 large vessels, exclusive of small craft, arrived within sight of Rhodes on the 23rd of May, 1480. The warnings which had been given on so many previous occasions had enabled the knights to make every preparation for this critical moment. The inhabitants had all taken refuge within the town, whither their property had also been conveyed. Nothing capable of removal was left to become the spoil of the invaders; even the unripe corn was cut and carried away. An attempt was made to impede the landing, without producing much effect, the magnitude of his force and the numerical strength of his fleet enabling the pasha to effect a disembark-