e Sultan called a conference
of his fighting men, which was held on horseback in the open-air. The
inclination of the Sultan being known, most of the generals, like good
courtiers, voted for immediate war with the Knights. At this conference was
present that Ali Basha, or Occhiali, or Uluchali, as he was indifferently
called, of whom we shall have more to say later on. Upon this occasion he
was present as the representative of Dragut, and urged, on behalf of his
master, that the time was not yet ripe for an attack on Malta. First, he
contended, it was necessary to recapture the Goletta and the Penon de
Velez, and to defeat the Moors of Tunis, who were feudatories of the
Spanish king and avowed enemies of the Ottoman Empire. Ali was supported by
one Mahomet, an old warrior who had grown white in the service of the
Sultan, who strongly opposed the contemplated campaign on the ground that
the Knights would in all probability have the full strength of Europe at
their backs.

Numbers, however, added to the personal inclination of the Sultan, carried
the day. The die was cast, the memorable expedition was decided upon, and
all the Sultan's vast Empire soon rang with the note of preparation. The
Capitan Basha, Piali, was in command of the fleet, and the direction of the
land forces was confided to Mustafa, an old officer sixty-five years of
age, a severe disciplinarian, and of a sanguinary and cruel disposition to
any of his enemies who had the misfortune to fall into his hands.

Once again did Europe lose itself in speculation: against whom, all men
were asking, was this new expedition to be directed? Spain feared for her
African possessions, as the Goletta was the key to the kingdom of Tunis,
while the Penon de Velez was one of the bulwarks of Algeria. In consequence
Don Garcia de Toledo passed over from Sicily to confer with the Grand
Master of the Knights. Garcia de Toledo was by no means a favourable
specimen of the illustrious race from which he sprang, and was a complete
antithesis to La Valette; he was to prove himself in the terrible days that
were to come to be sluggish, incompetent, a ruler who could not rule, a
person for ever letting "I dare not wait upon I would." Just as long as
Spain considered this new expedition was directed against herself
considerable activity was shown; when the attack developed and it was seen
that the objective of the Turks was Malta, the procrastinating Spanish king
and his incompetent