14

HISTORY OF MALTA.

The unfortunate inhabitants of a small village near Silla, think-ing to escape the dangers which threatened them on everyside, put to sea; but were presently swallowed up by the rag-ing waves, which, rising mountains high one moment, sankdown with equal precipitation the next. These terrible ac-counts were sufficient to alarm the knights, rvliose galleys wereanchored near the land, in a place which scarcely afforded anyshelter. A moment afterwards their ears were struck by criesfrom the shore, imploring assistance; at the same instant thesea was agitated in the most extraordinary manner, and thegalleys experienced a motion entirely novel, but which wasoccasioned by the shocks felt on land. They immediately re-moved to as great a distance as possible, without, however,weighing anchor. The rest of the night passed without anyfarther alarms, and they impatiently waited the dawn of day,in order to disembark the different articles intended for the re-lief of Reggio after which they purposed quitting this peril-ous coast. The morning at last appeared, and with it themost dreadful spectacle imagination can possibly portray. Theheart-rending scene is still imprest on my memory, and I feelmyself totally unequal to describe the horrors it presented.

The shore was lined by a great multitude of men, women,and children, half naked, pale, and worn out with fatigue. In

* Reggio, likewise called D'Olomieu, stands at the very farthest end of Calabria, in amost delightful situation, surrounded by mountains overgrown with shrubs almost constantlyin bloom, which have a charming effect, and which in France are planted in flower-gardens,as very ornamental.