8 THE HISTORY OE THE ORDER OF [book iv.

nor even later, when they saw a pitiful remnant ofthat splendid expedition return without havingeffected any part of the projects for which itw r as sent.

At last Pasha Mustapha resolved to investigatethe state of his armament, and it now consisted ofthirty-eight thousand three hundred, all tolerablygood, hut not all select troops, without countingany of the great number of strangers, and hangerson of every description.

On Friday, 18 th of May, their ships wereclearly visible at sunrise, about fifteen miles to thesouth-east of Marsa Sirocco, at which St. Elmo andSt. Archangelo fired each three cannons, precon-certed signal for the enemy in sight. Then wasthere a popular disturbance, which increased atthe terrible advance of the infidels. In thememory of no living man any such thing had beenseen. Hnw grand, how numerous, how wellordered were those multitudes of sails! What sub-lime energy in those armed ships!

The dread signals being returned by other threecannonades from Citta Yecchia (Notabile), andby three from Gozo, roused the inhabitants ofboth islands to a loud clamour of drums andtrumpets, sounding and beating to arms every-where. A violent commotion ensued, some labour-