'I left off at the point where I determined to interfere and start for the shore in my boat. It was fortunately a fine night, a few low light clouds floated in the atmosphere, the roar of artillery, so close that the ship shook at every discharge, the roaring hiss of the shot, the beautiful bright fuse of the bomb-shell, as it formed its parabola in the air, sometimes obscured as it passed through a cloud and again emerged, gave an active and anxious feeling to my mind. I could not but feel that I had a great and a good work in hand, I was soon on shore, the only gate in the city that was guaranteed to be open I pulled for; it was directly under the fire of the Boys' Home, two round shots struck the ground as I landed passing close over our heads. Desiring my coxswain to pull the boat back among the shipping and out of the line of fire, I walked to the gate and beat against it with the butt end of my sword; it was opened by one of the few officers of the Civic Guard who now wore his uniform. Saying a few civil words to him I passed on up the street to the ducal palace. This city was at this moment worth contemplating. 'Usually crowded with both sexes in rapid motion and gay laughing conversation, it now was like the city of the dead, its silence only disturbed by the explosion of the shells or a wall struck by shot, and the occasional reports of musketry in quick succession. 'I had to pass three barricades before reaching the Palace, the two first were deserted, on passing the third a bayonet was presented to my breast. On looking up I found the other end was in the hands of a pretty delicate woman. I pushed the weapon aside and giving her a military salute, passed on. I got easy access to the Municipal Body. 'It is not easy to give in writing a perfect idea of this night's scenes. You must carry in your head the state of Genoa; the people who formed the municipality were persons who had only read of war, they had never seen its terrors before; they were fathers and husbands, men of property, all within the city walls; they were the heads of the revolts in the first instance, about soon to become the followers or slaves of the armed rebel, or die. 'The present state of things favoured my plan. I was received by four of the good people who sat quietly waiting for others, and about twenty people, among whom was the Bishop of Genoa, were soon in the room. I opened my mission to them and drew as strong a picture as I was able, obliged to speak French, of the position, and then asked them if they agreed to my view of that part of this case. They concurred in all I said. 'It was to the effect that the military power was outside and inside. That the one inside was most to be feared, and that no question existed at this moment to warrant a resistance which would destroy the city, give the wives and children to rapine, and their homes to pillage, without a chance of success on their side.