“January 10th: Left Messina about 7:30 A.M. in rain. Came over to Reggio and lay there all day. Commander Belknap heard from the Italian cruiser, ‘Napoli,’ that they wanted stores there, so we had a hard and busy day getting them out. Officers and boats came about three P.M. to fetch them. So rushed had hardly time to look at coast and Reggio, but it did not seem so badly damaged as one would expect from the newspaper accounts. The ‘Napoli’ is to distribute our stores to the small towns along the coast. Tired out and bruised by fall. Thick wet evening. At dark got all boats on board and got up anchor and went back to Messina, and lay there for the night about a mile off shore (there is no anchorage at Reggio). Woman said to have been taken out alive from debris at Messina but to have died later.” J.’s letter for the same date says: “I only got a squint at Reggio for a moment, just as we were leaving, when the rain let up a little and we had sent our last boatload ashore. I spent all the morning getting up the stuff from the hold and keeping track of it, and most of the afternoon. What did not go into the boats went into the forward hold. I hunted among hundreds of bales and things for two bales of tent canvas, which I found and got on deck. Chanler had been down there with a gang in the morning and arranged things in a way that made it possible. The last time I was down there it was in a terrible mess with everything together. You see the after holds are where I have been since the first day, and in my part I know where to find everything they ask for, though some things--the white beans for instance--I can’t get at, as there are two layers of sacks on top of ’em, which will have to be removed first. It is raining like mad most of the time; I never saw such rain as we had last night. I believe I have said so already; anything more dismal it is hard to imagine.” In Captain Belknap’s report of this day he says: “We were unable to see General Mazzitelli (in command at Reggio), as he was ill, but Captain Cagni, commanding the ‘Napoli,’ senior Italian naval officer present, received us in his stead. He showed much satisfaction in having our supplies to draw upon, especially for women and children’s clothing, oil stoves, tent canvas, cooking and table utensils, tools and nails. About four-fifths of the ‘Napoli’s’ crew had been sent away on relieving expeditions among the outlying small villages, and our supplies were in good time for use in a second expedition which was being prepared. We were cordially thanked for our supplies (about 25 tons), which we were able to transfer that afternoon. The ‘Bayern’ then returned to anchor overnight at Messina, there being no good berth at Reggio. The ‘Culgoa’ remained off Reggio to deliver provisions next day.” Remember Captain Cagni! We shall hear of him again; a live man, with red blood in his veins! Extract from Mr. Thompson’s diary.