Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/690

654 land the troops that are required for this open4ion, and no cavalry. You will give orders that directly the convoy enters Marsa Scirocco bay they shall commence to water and secure forage for the horses. You must be ready to leave again in three days. You will make bread and feed your troops in the villages of Zabbar, Zeitun, Gudia, and Tarsehien. You must prepare everything for your landing to-night, but you must do nothing hostile until you receive fresh orders. You will tell the inhabitants that the French do not come to change either their customs or their religion, that the strictest discipline will be maintained, and that the priests and monks shall be specially protected. The general commanding-in-chief will issue a proclamation for the whole island.”

An order was also addressed to General Vaubois, who was to undertake the attack of the fortress from the north, and was to extend his force after landing at St. Julian’s, so as to connect with the left of that advancing from the south under General I)esaix. Further instructions were also issued to General Regnier, who was to land in Gozo and take possession of that island. In all these much stress was laid upon the necessity of informing the inhabitants that the French had no desire to change their customs or religion, and that all priests and monks would be specially protected.

Meanwhile, within the convent no one talked openly of surrender, and yet no prompt measures of defence were taken. Von Hompesch himself was perfectly useless in the crisis, not prepared indeed to yield, but at the same time unable to take the most ordinary precautions for the general safety. Without the walls of the palace treason stalked openly and undisguisedly. The emissaries of the republic were to be seen everywhere discouraging the loyal, seducing the vacillating, and pointing out to all the folly of attempting a resistance when no preparations had been made, and when the feelings of the garrison were so divided on the point.

On the evening of the 9th June Bonaparte gave his final orders to the generals who were to effect the landing, and on Sunday, the 10th June, at four o’clock in the morning, the disembarkation of the French army began. Eleven different points were selected for this operation, and the towers of St.