File:Journal of the late campaign in Egypt- including descriptions of that country, and of Gibraltar, Minorca, Malta, Marmorice, and Macri; with an appendix; containing official papers and documents (1803) (14783943933).jpg

Identifier: journaloflatecam00wals (find matches)
Title: Journal of the late campaign in Egypt: including descriptions of that country, and of Gibraltar, Minorca, Malta, Marmorice, and Macri; with an appendix; containing official papers and documents
Year: 1803 (1800s)
Authors: Walsh, Thomas, fl. 1801
Subjects:
Publisher: London T. Cadell, jun. and W. Davis
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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ips could be procured to transport themto Toulon. The population of the island, before the over-throw of the order in 1798, was computed atone hundred thoufand inhabitants; a numberalmost incredible for so small a surface. Ofthese several have fallen in the field ; many haveemigrated; and a considerable portion was em-barked with the French army under Bonaparte,at the time of it s sailing for Egypt. Its fortifications are far too numerous to be de-scribed in a work of this nature. Sufiice it to say,that the castles of St. Elmo and Ricasoli, whichdefend tne mouth of the great harbour, the for-tifications surrounding la Valette, &c., do notyield in strength or beauty to those of any forti-fied place in Europe. In the middle age Malta was wrested by theFrench from the Saracens: it afterward became afief of the kingdom of Sicily, and was tranferredto Lewis the Xllth at the time of the conquest ofNaples. The knights of St. John of Jerusalem,being driven from Rhodes in 1523, received it
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EXPEDITIONTOEGYPT. 21 as a fief from the emperor Charles the VtK,They did homage for it to the king of Sicily. The French fleet, destined for the conquest ofEgypt, appeared off this island on the 10th ofJune, 1798. Permission was immediately requestedof the grand master, to allow the ships o-f thesquadron to enter the harbour of Malta, and thevessels of the convoy to water at the differentanchorages of the island. This was, of course,pro forma, refused. The refusal seemed to haveoperated as a signal for disembarkation, whichwas effected immediately, and at different points.This object accomplished, the French advancedclose to the walls, without allowing a moment forhesitation. Still might they have been opposed,and probably with success; but, in their admira-tion of the bravery of the assailants, the Malteseappear to have forgotten that they were enemies;and this place, strongly fortified by nature andart, which might have sustained a siege memora-ble as that w^hich in 1565 immortaliz

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