226 General Sir Riehm-cl Church's Narrative of the [March, 



that every thing must yield or be swept away by it. It was evident 

 that the viceroy's orders to me to go instantly to Trappani arose from the 

 conviction in his mind, that my presence would have incensed the popu- 

 lace to further acts of violence, and that the troops either would not or 

 could not defend me and the other authorities from being massacred. 



These and many other reflections crowded into my mind, and though 

 I had determined not to serve the revolutionary Government beyond 

 what I deemed my duty to the King's cause required, I still thought that 

 my presence in Palermo might assist in restoring order, and determined 

 to attempt returning there. I therefore wrote to the viceroy, stating my 

 intention to land that evening about dark, or sooner if possible, at his 

 house, which was on the Marina, and protected at all times by a strong 

 guard of cavalry and infantry. I wrote at the same time to Marshal 

 O'Farris, Chief of the Staff, directing him to assemble the general officers 

 in the viceroy's house at night, to concert measui-es and receive orders. 

 When I wrote these letters I was ignorant of what had occurred after 

 I quitted Palermo, of the state of the troops, or of any of the measures 

 taken to restore order. I only knew that the populace, unopposed by the 

 troops, were seeking me in every direction, with the determination of 

 effecting my murder. 



As it was out of my power to disembark without its being immediately 

 known, I sent my letters for Palermo by a sailor, who landed at one of 

 the health-office posts, three or four miles from the town. In order 

 not to attract suspicion at this place (as our captain pretended to belong 

 to the Cordon of the Sanita), the gun-boat kept standing in and out for 

 some time. The captain then proposed to me to go into the small 

 harbour of Sferra-Cavallo, a little farther along the coast, but about the 

 same distance from Palermo by land. This proposition was agreed to, 

 and the gun-boat anchored in this port a short distance from the 

 shore : at this place there was a custom-house, military guard, and 

 a health-office, and a good many inhabitants. It was about twelve 

 o'clock when the gun-boat anchored in this place ; the captain went 

 on shore and shortly after returned, alarmed at the conversation of 

 the people of the village, who seemed to suspect that he had some object 

 in view ; they had been talking over the disturbances in Palermo, and 

 wondering what had become of the General. He, however, was deter- 

 mined to await here the return of the courier sent to Palermo ; at length 

 several men, waving handkerchiefs from an unfrequented part of the 

 shore, were recognized as sailors of the gun-boat, and the captain went 

 on shore, and in a quarter of an hour returned with them on board. One 

 of these was the sailor whom I had despatched to Palermo ; he brought 

 me a verbal order not to remain an instant where I was, but to go off 

 immediately to Trappani. This was the fourth time I ha^ received 

 tills order, but still I could not persuade myself to obey it : I deter- 

 mined to write again to the viceroy to remonstrate, and prepared another 

 letter. In the mean time, the sailors arrived from Palermo, and stated that 

 they had with difficulty escaped with their lives, being accused by the 

 populace of having received me on board ; that the mob had attacked 

 the inn where I lodged, killed and wounded some soldiers of the 

 guard, searched the house for me, plundered it, und, returning after a 

 short time in increased numbers, burnt every thing belonging to me in 

 , the square of the Marina, amidst repeated shouts of " Viva Vlndepen- 

 jlenza" and furious threats against my" person — robbed every individual, 



