The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-09-17
BLOCKADE OF GENoA-FAMINE.

ed from famine in the blockade of Genoa by the
Austrian army after the last sorte of Massena
in the year 1900, is from the history of Italy
during the Consulate and Empire of Napoleon
Bonaparte by Carla Botta :
"Having here to describe the aspect of
Genoa in these latter days of the seige, |
cannot but deplore the fate of an Italian
! people reduced to the EXTREMIST misery,-
not in a struggle decisive of misery or slave
| ry, but to determine whether a city, desc
lated by rapine, slaughter, famine, and pes
thence, should, in the end, be subject to
Austria or France! Keith prevented the
entrance of supplies by sea, Otto by land
Provisions became scarce-scarcity grew
into want. When this deficiency was first
dreaded, food was dealt cut in scanty por-
tons; it was then adulterated and, finally,
every thing most disgusting was devoured /;
not only horses and dogs, but even cats,
mice, bats, and worms and happy was he
who could obtain these. When grain fail
ed, other seeds were sought to supply its
place: fax-seed, millet, cocoa, and almonds,
were first put in requisltion, for rice or bar
ley there was none and these substitutes
were roasted, mixed with honey, and bak-
ed, and were considered delicacy. Hap
2y were now, not those who lived, but those
who died The day was sad from hunger,
and the lamentations of the furnishing the
night sadder still from hunger, accompanied
by deliIious fancies. When every kind of
seed had been exhausted, recourse was
next had to herbs monks rhubarb, sorrel,
mallows, wild succory, rampions. were dill
gently sought for, and as readily eaten as if
they had been pleasing TO the palate. For
a time sugar, and every kind of CONNECTION
were in general use. Women of plebian,
as well as those of noble birth, who were
alike seen to feed on what was most loath-
some in the morning, ate of the most deli
cate CONNECTIONS in the evening. Before all
was over, a bean was sold for two sodi, and
biscuit of three ounces weight for twelve
francs, and none were at last to be had.-
Neither Massena, nor the other Generals.
would allow themselves greater ndulgen-
cies than private individuals; they Jared
like the plebians "a laudable instance of
selfdenial, and highly efficacious in ena-
bling others to bear up against their priva-
tions. A little cheese and few vegetables
was the only nourishment given to the sick
and wounded in the hospitals. Men and
women, in the last agonies of. starvation and
despair, filled the air with their groans and
shreks. Sometimes, while uttering these
dreadful cries, they strove with furious
hands to tear out their agonized intestines,
and fell dead in the streets. No one re-
lieved them, for no one thought but of him
self; no one needed them, for the frequen-
cy of the circumstance had made it cease to
seem horrible. Some in spasms and conyul-
sions and contortions groaned cut their last
amidst crowds of the populace. Children,
left by the death or despair of their parents
IN utter restitution, with mournful gestures,
and heart-hroken accents, implored the pity
! OF the passing stranger; but none either
ptied them, or aided them the excess of
his own suferings extinguished in each
mans breast compassion for the misery of
others.
These innocent deserted beings searched
in the cutters of the streets, in the common
sewers, in the DRAWINGS of the wash-houses,
Tor chance morsel of some dead animal,
or any remains of the food of beasts, which,
when found, was greedily devoured. Many
J who lay down alive in the evening, were
found dead in their beds in the morning,
and children more frequently than adults
fathers accused the hardness of death
some FASTENED its approach by the violence
OF their own hands-Ctizens and soldiers
alike. Some of the French, preferring
death to the anguish of hunger, destroyed
themselves others disdanfully flung down
those arms which they had no longer
strength to carry; and others, abandoning
a habitation of despair, sought in the camp
of the enemy, English or Austrian, that food
and that pity which were no longer to be
found amidst the French and Genoese.
. But cruel and horrible beyond all descrip.
ton, was the spectacle presented by the
German prisoners of war, confined in Ger.
tain old barges anchored in the port fol
such was the dire necessity at last, that
some days they were left without nutriment
OF any description. They eat their shoes
they devoured the leather of their pouches
and scowling darkly on each other, THEN
sinister chances betrayed the horIid fear o.
being at last reduced to more fearful re.
source. In the end, their French guards
were removed, under the apprehension thai
they might be made the sacrifice of raven
/ ing hunger: so great. at last, was their des
peration, that they endeavored to pierce
, holes in the barges in order to sink them
preferring to perish thus, rather than any
longer to endure the tortures OF hunger.
AS commonly happens, II mortal pestience
was added to the horrors of famine the
worst kinds of fevers carried off crowds
from the public hospitals, the lone novels Of
+ the poor and the superb palaces of the rich
Under the same roof, death might be seen
in different shapes: one died maddened by
hunger, another Supplied by fever: some
pallid from extenuation, others lived with
febrile spots. Every thing brought grief
u every thing fear; for he who was still liv-