74

HISTORY OF MALTA.

more than fifteen hundred infidels. The grand-master had at firstpermitted this kind of combat in order to familiarise his soldiery tothe manner of firing, and cries of the Turks ; but he now put a stopto it, and placed all his forces in the different fortresses. Solyman sgeneral determined first to attack St. Elmo, situated on a point ofland which divides the two great ports. The garrison usually con-sisted of only sixty men, and was committed to the care of a knightnamed Broglio, an old Piedmontise officer. But such was the im-portance of this post, that the bailiff of Negropont with sixtyknights and a company of Spanish infantry were sent to support it.The grand-master was still more anxious for its safety, because theviceroy of Sicily had promised relief from the king of Spain on con-dition only of this fort remaining in the possession of the knights.

The bashaws Mustapha and Pioli were so expeditious in theirattack, that, on the 24th of May (1565), the Turkish artillery beganto batter in breach, and the fort was immediately fired upon fromthe land side by ten eighty-pounders, two culverins (sixty-pounders),and an enormous basilisc, carrying stone balls weighing one hundredand sixty pounds. This was followed by an attack from the sea-side, on which occasion the infidels made use of long culverins, whichgreatly distressed the fort. In a few days the breach was opened,and the most bloody actions took place. These must have soondestroyed a garrison consisting, at most, but of three hundred men,had not the grand-master continued sending re-inforcements. Boatsarrived every day from the convent with fresh troops, and carriedback, during the night, all the wounded. Lacerda, a Spanish