236 General Sir Richard Church's Narrative of the [March, 



persuaded the captain of the flotilla to accompany him. He found the 

 boats at anchor close to the shore near the tower of St. Vito, the 

 greater part of the crev/s on shore in a state of the greatest confusion. 

 As soon as the commandant arrived alongside the gun-boat, wishing to 

 question him without being overheard by all the sailors of my own boat, 

 I was going to step into his boat, but my own captain and some of the 

 sailors immediately remonstrated, saying, " remain Avith us, excellenza ; 

 it is better the commandant should come into our boat, we can give him 

 some wine, and you may talk to him as much as you please without our 

 hearing you, as we can all go forward." This faithful man at the same 

 time gave me a look, which I Immediately comprehended. The com- 

 mandant of the strange boats then entered ours ; he seemed a man out 

 of his senses, and exhausted with fatigue and anxiety ; he was soon 

 however refreshed by a goblet of Mr. Wodehouse's excellent wine, and 



then seemed more at his ease ; his name was ; he refused to 



eat, saying that he was too much agitated. I now begged him to describe 

 the scenes at Palermo ; he informed me in a few words, " that all was 

 lost I (the literal translation of his words ;)* thht the galley slaves had 

 been all liberated ; that the gun-boats had fired on the prisons of the 

 mole until their ammunition was expended, and until they were obliged 

 to retire from the coast ; and finally, that the viceroy had, with diffi- 

 culty, escaped on board the corvette II Tartaro, and had sailed for 

 Naples ; and that he and his boats were without ammunition or provision, 

 and were going to Trappani." I had already made known to this officer, 

 who I was when he came on board the gun-boat where I was ; and 

 I now recommended him to join me with his three gun-boats, and 

 proceed together to Naples, or look again into Palei-mo, if he thought 

 that possible. He declined the first proposition Immediately; and 

 with regard to the second, said that the Palermitans had armed a 

 number of boats, and that it was Impossible to remain on that coast 

 without "falling, inevitably, into their hands. There was something 

 evidently labouring In this man's mind, besides the disasters of 

 Palermo : he said " these were times in which every man must think 

 for himself, and nobody could either give or receive advice." He then 

 told the captain of my boat, " that his boat was under his orders ;" to 

 which Captain La Rocca immediately replied, " I tms under your orders 

 before I left Palermo, from thence I have been sent on a particular ser- 

 vice by His Excellency General Naselli, and by General Staiti (com- 

 mandant of the marine), and I can obey no orders but theirs, or his 

 excellency's the general's, who is embarked in my boat, and I will answer 

 for his safety with my life." The other shev*-ed discontent at this reply, 

 and taking leave of me, got Into his small boat to return to his gun-boats. 

 '' I do not like the manner of that man," said La Rocca as the other 

 rowed off". 



The sailors nov/ began to converse about the gun-boats, which, they 

 observed, had got up their anchors, and v/ere sailing cut of tlie^little 

 port of St. Vito : " they are almost all Palermitans !" said they ; " we 

 are much better without them !" " the sooner they leave us tlie better !" 

 In the mean time the commandant had rejoined his boats, and they were 

 all formed together, as if receiving orders or communicating with one 

 another. 



* That the troops, after two days siding with the mob, had fallen out, fought with 

 the populace, and were all prisoners. 



