Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/711

Rh after the battle of the Nile. These three vessels were almost the only relics of that glorious fight, and they had fled to Malta for protection as soon as the issue of the conflict, so disastrous to the French cause, had become decisive. It was, therefore, with very gloomy forebodings that General Vaubois found himself blockaded within his works by the Maltese at a moment when the utter annihilation of the French fleet in the Mediterranean had cut him off from all hope of succour. A strict examination was at once instituted into the resources of the fortress, when it was found that 36,000 salma of wheat were contained within the stores, a supply considered sufficient for the whole island for seven months; should, therefore, the country remain in a state of revolt, it was, of course, ample for the town requirements for a much longer period. Every effort was, nevertheless, made to recall the insurgents to their allegiance, but in vain. An amnesty was even offered to the leaders; but the people were not to be cajoled, and sternly rejected all offers of compromise.

One of the earliest steps taken by the Maltese, after they had surrounded the French and completed the investment of the towns, was to appeal to the king of Naples, as their sovereign, for protection. In consequence of this request, a Portuguese squadron was despatched to the island, under the command of the Sicilian admiral, the marquis de Niza, who was joined by Captain Ball, with the British man-of-war, Alexander. This force; which, together, consisted of four ships of the line and two frigates, arrived before Malta on the 18th September, and at once established a blockade. It was joined, on the 24th October, by the British fleet, consisting of fourteen sail, in a very shattered condition, having undergone no repairs since the desperate battle in which it had been engaged in Aboukir bay. On the day of his arrival off Malta, Nelson wrote a letter to Lady Hamilton, of which the followed extracts affect our narrative:—

“After a long passage we arrived, and it is as I suspected; the ministers at Naples know nothing of the situation of the island. Not a house or bastion in the town is in the possession of the islanders, and the marquis of Niza tells me they want arms, victuals, and support, and it is very certain, by the marquis’s account, that no supplies have been sent by