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Updated: June 29, 2025
In the morning the old woman brought her some water in a bowl, but nothing more; no soup, no bread. Another day went by. Semillante, exhausted, was sleeping. The following day her eyes were shining, her hair on end and she was pulling wildly at her chain. All this day the old woman gave her nothing to eat. The beast, furious, was barking hoarsely. Another night went by.
She lived there alone, with her son Antonia and their dog "Semillante," a big, thin beast, with a long rough coat, of the sheep-dog breed. The young man took her with him when out hunting. One night, after some kind of a quarrel, Antoine Saverini was treacherously stabbed by Nicolas Ravolati, who escaped the same evening to Sardinia.
Then, as a reward, she would give her a piece of sausage. As soon as she saw the man, Semillante would begin to tremble. Then she would look up to her mistress, who, lifting her finger, would cry, "Go!" in a shrill tone. When she thought that the proper time had come, the widow went to confession and, one Sunday morning she partook of communion with an ecstatic fervor.
If it had not been for that, they declared they would have taken the Semillante, and of this there seemed little doubt. They had had two seamen killed, and the master and nineteen seamen wounded. We afterwards learned that the enemy had had twelve killed and twenty wounded.
Then, as a reward, she would give her a piece of sausage. As soon as she saw the man, Semillante would begin to tremble. Then she would look up to her mistress, who, lifting her finger, would cry, "Go!" in a shrill tone. When she thought that the proper time had come, the widow went to confession and, one Sunday morning she partook of communion with an ecstatic fervor.
Had the gallant commander alluded to, Sir Nathaniel Dance, yielded when the French Admiral Linois, and his squadron, consisting of the Marengo, a line-of-battle ship of 84 guns, and the Belle Poule and Semillante frigates, each of 44, bore down on the China fleet, not less than six millions of English property, and some of the noblest trading ships that float on the ocean, must have been carried into the Isle of France.
In her yard she had an old barrel, which acted as a cistern. She turned it over, emptied it, made it fast to the ground with sticks and stones. Then she chained Semillante to this improvised kennel and went into the house. She walked ceaselessly now, her eyes always fixed on the distant coast of Sardinia. He was over there, the murderer. All day and all night the dog howled.
Her people told us that they had had an action, which had lasted the best part of three hours, with a French frigate of forty guns, the Semillante; and that, though they had suffered sharply, the Frenchman had been much more knocked about.
It was, in fact, the well-known squadron of Admiral Linois, who had scoured the Indian seas, ranging it up and down with the velocity as well as the appetite of a shark. His force consisted of the Marengo, of eighty guns; the famed Belle Poule, a forty-gun frigate, which outstripped the wind; the Semillante, of thirty-six guns; the Berceau, ship corvette, of twenty-two, and a brig of sixteen.
Then, putting on men's clothes and looking like an old tramp, she struck a bargain with a Sardinian fisherman who carried her and her dog to the other side of the straits. In a bag she had a large piece of sausage. Semillante had had nothing to eat for two days. The old woman kept letting her smell the food and whetting her appetite. They got to Longosardo. The Corsican woman walked with a limp.
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