1826.] Revolution at PaUrme, in the Year 1820. 127 



I rejected as being more impracticable than the other, for the mob 

 would have suspected where we had gone, and would have stormed the 

 house ; nor could I think of endangering the safety of General Cog- 

 litore's relation on my account : the event proved the justice of my 

 objection to this house, as the mob actually went there. We deter- 

 mined, as time was precious, to drive down to the shore, about half 

 a mile from Palermo, and from thence endeavour to proceed by water 

 to the other side of the town, where the troops were quartered. We 

 accordingly drove along the beach, until the carriage, by General Co- 

 glitore's orders, stopped at a small house opposite to the battery " del 

 Sacramento ;" here we entered the house, where we found a soldier of 

 the corps of Veterans, and his wife. 



(General Coglitore determined on going to his sister's house in the 

 suburbs, and told me that he would send from thence clothes for us to 

 disguise ourselves, and in this way get to the viceroy's, or to the Mole, 

 or some other military position. He also proposed sending or going to 

 General Naselli, in order that military dispositions might be made for 

 escorting me back to the town, or protecting my embarkation and dis- 

 embarkation if I returned to the town by water. He then shook hands 

 with me, and assuring me that I might rely upon him, drove ott". From that 

 moment nothing more was seen of him ; but, by subsequent accounts, it 

 appears that he was obliged to conceal himself for several days. 



In the meantime myself and my two aides-de-camp remained above 

 an hour and a half in expectation of succour, either by land or water, 

 but none arrived. W^e now thought some accident must have happened 

 to General Coglitore. We accepted Lieutenant de Nitis's offer to dress 

 himself in the uniform of the soldier of local artillery, and thus endea- 

 vour to get to the habitation of the viceroy. Lieutenant de Nitis, on 

 entering the town, found crowds of people, and many now armed with 

 muskets in the Piazza della Marina, and round the General's lodgings, 

 and grouped in various directions — all intent on my capture ; and, as he 

 passed by the back streets, he was narrowly examined by the by- 

 standers. At the viceroy's he found General Pastore (the next in 

 command to me), to whom and to the viceroy he explained my critical 

 situation, and demanded the aid of the troops. 



General Pastore saw the attack on me from the senate-house window, 

 where he remained very quietly until he went to the general-in-chiefs 

 lodgings, and ordered the guard there to let the mob in to plunder my 

 house. The viceroy informed Lieutenant de Nitis that he had already 

 heard of the attempt to murder me from General Coglitore's coachman, 

 whom his own master, being himself wounded and concealed, had sent, and 

 that he had immediately ordered a gun-boat to go to the battery where 

 I was, and to convey me forthwith to Trappani. He desired Lieutenant 

 de Nitis to go to Marshal Staiti, commanding the navy, to hurry off the 

 boat, and go in it himself, bearing the orders for me to go to Trappani. 

 Why this measure was adopted in preference to military dispositions, and 

 why I was ordered to Trappani, the viceroy can best explain. Mean- 

 while dawn was approaching, and people passing between Palermo and 

 the Bagaria. As it was necessary to get into the battery opposite the 

 place of concealment before daylight, Lieutenant Quandel and myself 

 passed from the house across the road, and entered the battery, which 

 was merely enclosed with a loop-holed wall and open-railed gate, without 

 so much as a lock : the artilleryman, already mentioned, remained in 



