136 



CHANGE IN PUBLIC OPINION. 



Chap. VII. 



every few days, the success, such as it was, being 

 sometimes on the one side and sometimes on the 

 other. Mines were dug and sprung, breaches were 

 made in the walls and as quickly repaired, and it 

 seemed as if the siege was likely to last for an in- 

 definite period of time. But public opinion began to 

 waver, and then changed altogether ; it was found 

 out at last that the bands who had taken and held 

 possession of the city were not patriots fighting 

 for their country's good, but merely a set of land- 

 pirates, whose brethren we had been taking means 

 to destroy on the high seas. The commanders of 

 the French ships of war in the port, who had 

 never viewed them with a friendly eye, and who 

 had had some disputes with them on various occa- 

 sions, now took a decided part against them and 

 in favour of the Imperialists. A breach was made 

 in the city wall and the rebels attacked in their 

 stronghold, which they defended with much skill, 

 and eventually forced the French to retreat after 

 having lost some of the best and bravest of their 

 officers. 



But this trifling success was unavailing. The 

 imperial government, having frequently remon- 

 strated with the foreign consuls against their settle- 

 ment being used as a communication with the city, 

 was at length listened to, and allowed to build a 

 high wall in order that this connexion might be 

 cut off. The insurgents thus hemmed in on all 

 sides and likely to be eventually starved, bom- 

 barded by the French ships, having to repulse the 



