VI

CONTENTS.

ferent members of the administration suspended. The French soldiers makekitchen gardens in different places. Capture of transports with their convoy.Stoppage of the soldiers’ pay. The officers receive a mere trifle for theirsubsistence. General Vaubois has an interview with the Portuguese admiral.Departure and capture of the Guillaume Tell. The ration of bread dimi-nished. Wine, brandy, and vinegar, likewise curtailed. The houses in LaValetta visited by order of government, and an enumeration taken of the in-habitants, who take the oath of allegiance to the new consular constitution.Price of provisions at that time. Table of deaths from September 1799 toSeptember 1800 . Departure and capture of two frigates. Capitulation andsurrender of Malta. - - - - - - - - - 141

CHAP. X.

The principal motives which induced the French to undertake the expedition toEgypt, and the taking of Malta. Contradictions which appear in the pro-clamations of the directory and the declarations of the French generals. Thedirectory destroyed by Bonaparte. Deplorable situation of the Malteseunder any other government than their ancient one. The Christian powersinterested in preserving the order. Means of re-establishing the navy. Im-possibility of destroying the Barbary pirates. The knights alone capable ofkeeping up a continual \yar against them. Exhortation to the knights toreturn to their original character of simple hospitallers, in the different coun-tries where they may happen to take up their abode. - - 157

APPENDIX.. 173

INTRODUCTION