Tuesday, the 12th of January, was a busy day; the men in the holds worked from early morning till late night, getting out stores as they were wanted. Here at last was a demand for their wares. In desperate, stricken Messina General Mazza’s policy was to discourage the few survivors from remaining. The military authorities wished to get rid of them as quickly as possible, and they were shipped to all parts of Italy by steamer or train. The entry in Mr. Thompson’s diary for January 12th is briefer than usual, but the quality and color of it brings the whole scene vividly before us. “January 12th: In Catania harbor all day unloading goods. A long hard day. Crowd of soldiers, sailors, representatives of various hospitals, priests, sisters of charity and others, all standing about, asking for ‘goods’ and getting in the way. Had a party of thirty men from Italian warship to help load the lighters. The hardest day of the expedition, nearly knocked out by night. A beautiful day, especially towards sunset. Admiral Gagliardi from the ‘Garibaldi’ came aboard with officers and the committee from Taormina arrived; Miss Claxton, one of the nurses, left us. German Consul and friends to dinner. Two quite dirty men kissed Gay on each cheek as a slight token of their gratitude.” The committee from Taormina included Miss Mabel Hill, Fräulein Gasser, Mr. Harry Bowdoin, and Mr. Charles King Wood. They brought with them a letter from the Sindaco of Giardini, a fishing village on the coast, at the foot of the hill on which Taormina stands. Captain Belknap’s report of the Taormina Committee’s visit says: “Upon their representations of conditions in their district, work already done and still in hand, and cases of need still unrelieved, about twenty tons of clothing, sheets, blankets, provisions, medical dressings and miscellaneous articles were given into their care for shipment by rail, and 10,000 _lire_ to be spent at the discretion of the committee in their work in these two places. We also sent with this shipment all clean linen remaining on board. The services of a nurse were also wanted at Taormina and Giardini, and Miss Claxton was sent with this party on their return there. A letter since then has been received from Miss Claxton, saying that she is engaged as a district or visiting nurse, and that all the supplies sent have proved very useful. A further sum of money was entrusted to Messrs. Bowdoin and Wood, both members of the American Red Cross, who undertook to arrange for the expenditure for the relief of the small villages outside Giardini and Taormina, between there and Messina.