CHAP. II.] ST. JOHN OP JERUSALEM. 59

nail the guns, and boats to receive them and all,for St. Elmo lost, every hope of having succourfrom Toledo was lost also. And grand master andcouncil decided likewise to name three commis-sioners to take an ocular view of St. Elmo, aSpaniard, a Frenchman, and an Italian—all threegrand crosses of the order—to give in a regularreport. These found the soldiers ready to depart,having already sacked the ammunition and publicstore of every kind of arms, and in the very act ofthrowing all the spades, shovels, and pickaxes intothe cistern, when stopped by Colonel Mas, whohad still some authority with them; which rebel-lious misconduct caused more surprise and terrorin the commissionaries than if they had seen theTurks in possession. As to speaking in private toMiranda, Mas, Eguaras, or Broglia, it would notat all be allowed by the mutineers. These not-withstanding, returned in a short time to theirduty. Whoever liked to leave the place, might;since for every one who returned, four offered tosucceed him; on which all resolved to stay, norwould an individual of them undergo the shameof being the first to retire. All determined toremain and ask the grand master’s pardon; thatthey would lay down their lives willingly, and