usands upon thousands of men with an absolutely
callous indifference. In no chapter of the bloodstained history of their
Empire was this trait more in evidence than it was at the siege of Malta.
There was, however, a reason for this, which developed itself more and more
as the ceaseless assaults on the positions of the Knights went on. From a
military point of view, all the operations which took place were those of
the siege of a fortress; as when at length St. Elmo fell the Turks turned
their attention to the fortress of Il Borgo. The time-honoured method of
the attack on a fortress, of approaching it by sap and mine, was here
almost an impossibility, as the island of Malta is composed of solid rock
through which it was practically impossible to drive trenches. It is true
that the rock is of an exceptionally soft nature, easily cut through with
proper tools; but you cannot cut through rock, no matter how soft it may
be, when your operations are opposed at every step by a brave and vigilant
enemy. Mustafa and the council of war had, as we have said, decided to
begin operations by the siege of the fortress of St. Elmo. This place had
been built from the designs of the Prior of Capua, an officer of the Order,
and was situated at the extreme end of the promontory of Mount Sceberass,
which juts out between the Great Port and the harbour of Marsa Muzetto. The
fort was in a commanding position and dominated the entrance to the two
principal harbours in the island. It was admirably adapted for repulsing an
attack from the sea; but, owing to the proximity of other points of land
upon which artillery could be mounted, was easily capable of attack by such
an enemy as that by which it was now assailed.

The principal preoccupation of the militant Prior of Capua had been to make
it formidable on the side facing the sea; perhaps the designer had never
contemplated the possibility that the day might dawn when it would be
attacked from the landward side! However this may have been, Mustafa
decided that it could and should be carried on this, its weakest face, and
made his preparations accordingly.

As far as it was possible to open trenches this was done, at the most
prodigal expenditure of the lives of the pioneers. Where the rock proved
absolutely impossible of manipulation redoubts were constructed of massive
beams on which thick planks were bolted, the whole covered with wet earth
which had to be collected with incredible toil from