154

HISTORY or MALTA.

rather diminished than encreased, as will be perceived by thefollowing table. The troops in the garrison, before the depar-ture of the Guillaume Tell , consisted of four thousand men.

BUI of mortality from

the month of Sept

1799, to Sept. 1800.

Months.

Soldiers.

Inhabitants.

September

• • *

. 33 . . .

. 102

October .

.30...

. 100

November

• 19 • • •

• 99

December

. 11 . . .

. 60

January .

. 23 . . .

44

February

. 13 . . .

. 42

March

. 6 . . .

. 30

April . .

. 14 . . .

27

May . .

6 . . .

. 19

June . .

. 3 . . .

. 16

July . .

. 7 . ■ .

. 25

August

. 5 . . .

22

-

Total

. 170 . . .

. 596

The moment at last arrived, when no further means of subsist-ence remained, and when a surrender became indispensably ne-cessary. But before such an event took place, general Vauboisand admiral Villeneuve, thought it their duty to endeavour tosave the two frigates lying in the port; they were thereforeequipt, and immediately set sail. Two days afterwards theFrench perceived the Diane frigate in the midst of the Englishsquadron. A council of war was then assembled, to consult