488 
MALTA. 
about three thousand of them were under the command of Sir Alex- 
ander Ball. They are as good seamen as any in the Mediterranean, 
and are rapidly improving by their connection with the English. 
During the voyage, I found them lively and good-humoured, and was 
frequently entertained by the different games which occupied their 
time in moderate weather : they did not often quarrel, and when 
they did their shirts suffered more than their bodies. Their attach- 
ment to their religion is bigotted, and, consequently, their reverence 
for their priests. It ,was by plundering their churches, that the 
French roused them to resistance, after they had quietly submitted 
to the yoke which the treachery of their Grand Master had brought 
upon them. If this should prove a warning to Great Britain, she 
runs no risk of losing the island. The priests, indeed, are, doubtless, 
some of them attached to the French, and would wish a Catholic 
to possess the island ; but, in general, they are satisfied with the 
respect with which their religion is treated, and would hesitate to 
accept a nominally religious despotism, when united with civil 
slavery, which they have too much reason to believe would be the 
case, were they again to become the subjects of Bonaparte. 
August 24. — A fleet of transports having arrived from Sicily, 
where they had landed troops, and being about to return, nearly 
empty, to England, Sir Alexander Ball procured for me the cabin 
of the Diana, Captain Lamb, and an order for the conveyance of all 
my baggage. She was said to be the best sailer among them, and 
the Captain was a very civil, worthy man. My preparations were 
soon made, and this day we all embarked, after having parted whh 
regret from Sir Alexander, who had, by his uniformly kind atten- 
tions, added greatly to the satisfaction I experienced at again finding 
