The discourse of Mustafa prevailed in the council of war, and the siege of St. Elmo was decided upon and immediately begun.

CHAPTER XX

THE SIEGE OF MALTA

  The siege of Malta by the Turks; The capture of the fortress of St.
  Elmo; The death of Dragut-Reis

[Illustration:  JEAN PARISOT DE LA VALETTE, GRAND MASTER OF THE KNIGHTS OF MALTA, AT THE SIEGE OF THAT ISLAND BY THE TURKS IN 1565.]

There was an entire disregard of human life among the leaders of the Ottoman Turks at this time which is almost incredible; to attain their end in war they sacrificed thousands 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.