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miseries they endured, together with the destitute situationto which the garrison was reduced in so short a space of time,I should most possibly be accused of exaggeration. The num-berless requisitions which had taken place, and all upon credit,had robbed the inhabitants of their furniture, and even of theirbeds, to supply the wants of the troops. They had likewisestripped the merchants, not only of the provisions in theirstorehouses, but of cotton, ropes, leather, different kinds ofstuff, and every article they could possibly find. They did noteven spare the poorest little shopkeepers, who were equallysubject to contributions. These forced loans had entirelydrained the purses of all the inhabitants: which, joined to nointerest being paid for funds placed in the university, Mont dePUte, and the treasury of the order; to the scarcity of all pro-visions, except corn and oil (every imported article being re-served for the use of the garrison); and to the frequent denun-ciations and suspicions which disturbed the peace of mind ofthe most respectable families in the island, will give somefaint idea of the miserable situation of the unfortunate Maltese,whose fate depended on that of the French.

The whole of the wood in the storehouses and basinsbeing consumed, and the troops, nay the bakers, being in wantof that article, but one resource was left, which was, to breakup all the old trading vessels which were judged in the least fitfor service; and this they did without attending, in the smallestdegree, to the complaints of the different proprietors. The

VOL. III.

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