HISTORY OR MALTA.

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wounds, the hapless remnant of her famished children vainlystriving for sustenance from a breast which, dreadful to thinkof! would yield none untinged with blood.

There, the wretched father; deprived of his children’s aid;motionless from his wounds, in which the noxious vapours fromthe earth on which he lay had generated fungous substanceswhich no kind hand had been stretched forth to remove.

Onward, the heart-breaking sight of children, half-buriedin ruins, whom the imperious want of animal food had con-strained to attack themselves, inflicting with their teeth woundswhich threatened a more painful and more lingering deaththan that from which they had escaped.

Those whose duty obliged them to visit the dwellings ofthe unfortunate inhabitants, were still more painfully affectedby the profound silence which reigned throughout some, thanthe deep groans which issued from others; knowing the pro-bability of its cause—that death had already precluded allhuman aid.

Provisions, as has been already mentioned, were at firstprivately distributed among the sufferers: but this assist-ance could not be long concealed; and so great was themultitude of people who continually presented themselves topartake of it, that it was absolutely necessary to decide onsome plan to prevent so great an inconvenience. The galleysnear the quays were constantly assailed by crowds who bravedthe strictest prohibitions against approaching them. These

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