They continued to cruise about and signal, but as the rebels were forced by the presence of M.de Montrevel to keep away from the coast, and could therefore make no answer, they put off at length into the open, and rejoined the fleet.

As M.de Montrevel feared that their retreat might be a feint, he ordered all the fishermen's huts from Aigues-Morte to Saint-Gilles to be destroyed, lest they should afford shelter to the Camisards.

At the same time he carried off the inhabitants of the district of Guillan and shut them up in the chateau of Sommerez, after having demolished their villages.

Lastly, he ordered all those who lived in homesteads, farms, or hamlets, to quit them and go to some large town, taking with them all the provisions they were possessed of; and he forbade any workman who went outside the town to work to take more than one day's provisions with him.
These measures had the desired effect, but they were terrible in their results; they deprived the Camisards of shelter indeed, but they ruined the province.

M.de Baville, despite his well-known severity tried remonstrances, but they were taken in bad part by M.de Montrevel, who told the intendant to mind his own business, which was confined to civil matters, and to leave military matters in his, M.de Montrevel's, hands; whereupon the commandant joined M.de Julien, who was carrying on the work of destruction with indefatigable vigour.
In spite of all the enthusiasm with which M.de Julien went to work to accomplish his mission, and being a new convert, it was, of course, very great.