28

MALTA ISLANDS OF GALETA, GOZO AND COMENO.

of Galeta this morning about ten o'clock. It is a barren rock, and apparently the effect of a volcanic eruption. The coral fishers use it as a station, and here leave their wives and children while they pursue their adventurous mode of life. At other times a few goats are the only habitants.

Monday, 8th Nov.-Arrived at Malta late at night.

Wednesday, 10th Nov.-We are to sail this evening, and the short period of our stay has prevented me from examining with accuracy this very remarkable island. I shall therefore content myself with a cursory description, inasmuch as many opportunities, I am told, will occur, for a more minute inspection. We are to return here every six months.

Malta and the adjacent islands of Gozo and Comeno (which for the present I shall pass) have a singularly barren and unprepossessing outline. They are solely rocks, without one single prospect of verdure as they are beheld from the sea when examined internally they improve but little. The great value of these places arises from their situation in the Mediterranean, and the impregnable fortresses which

MALTA LA VALETTA-GOVERNOR'S PALACE.

29

they form. The harbours of La Valetta* may

be termed natural excavations of the solid rock, and are secure and convenient basins. The houses rise on each side one above another, being built upon the declivity of the rock with the stone hewn from it; this is a kind of freestone, extremely soft and porous. The streets are for the most part remarkably precipitous, but the houses are regular and uniform, square built, and in some instances white-washed, with wooden balconies projecting from the higher part. They have commonly iron gratings over the lower windows, and in this, as in other instances, reminded me of Cadiz, especially in the intolerable smell of garlick which mostly issues from them. The fortifications excel probably every thing of the kind, and though they deserve the utmost attention, are of too technical a character for description.

The governor's palace (once that of the grand masters) is a large building. It exhibits some very beautiful specimens of ancient tapestry, and a number of paintings by the first artists, principally, however, portraits of

La Valetta is the metropolis of Malta.

30

MALTA-CHURCH OF ST. JOHN.

the grand masters of the order of St. John of Jerusalem. The armoury is an extensive apartment, comprehending the whole length of one side of the square. Here are upwards of seven

teen thousand stand of arms, besides a great variety of ancient weapons which belonged to the knights of St. John. Three suits of mail armour worn by Wevercourt, a celebrated grand master (of whom there are many portraits), are reposited in this place; one of them is inlaid with gold, and in this he is usually represented.

The church of St. John is a magnificent building, though somewhat the worse for the various mutations of fortune which it has seen. The walls and ceiling are of carved work gilded throughout. The pavement is wholly composed of monumental insignia described by vari coloured marbles; and there is an inlaid altarscreen of the same materials, but representing wreaths of flowers, &c. of the most exquisite order. The tombs of the grand masters are scattered about the building; they are of beautiful workmanship, and well deserving inspection. An embossed silver railing before an oratory here was saved from the rapacious

MALTA-PUBLIC LIBRARY OPERA HOUSE.

31

hands of Buonaparte only by stratagem. It was painted in imitation of wood, and thus escaped the crucible. The outward structure of this building is oddly, not to say grotesquely contrived.

The public library of Malta contains many thousand volumes, and is in a progressive state of improvement: there are, however, few manuscripts, and the printed volumes are almost entirely modern editions.

The opera-house is a poor affair, and the music and acting, so far as I am able to judge, many degrees worse.

Thursday, 11th Nov.-Early this morning we set sail for Naples, under a quarantine of ten days, including the voyage. The wind has been unfavourable, and such delay is not to be regretted, since it will shorten the term of our imprisonment when we arrive.

Friday, 12th Nov.-This morning afforded us a first glimpse of Mount Etna, at a distance of about forty miles. We observed it during the day emitting volumes of smoke, but there was no visible flame. As night approached we were driven over to the coast of Calabria,

32

NAPLES-MOUNT ETNA.

which exhibited its bold and rocky shore in all the solemnity of a serene twilight.

Saturday, 13th Nov.-Towards evening we stood nearer to Etna, which presented a most magnificent appearance. The whole mountain was of an intense blue, save that a broad belt of white clouds girded its centre; presently they ascended to the summit, and formed themselves into a wreath, one point of which touched the apex of the mountain, resembling the circle of thin smoke vulgarly termed a shroud, which arises sometimes from a burning candle. This gradually died away as the night advanced, and was soon lost in the shadowy outline of the volcano. A momentary gleam of fire shot up after the night set in, but it was not again discoverable.

Sunday, 14th Nov.-We entered the strait called the Faro di Messina at an early hour. The mountains on each side were enveloped in purple mist, and crowned with white fleecy clouds. As day increased these last assumed a brighter tinge, while the sun's rays thrown across the eastern barrier of the mountains, coloured the dark pile opposite with a rosy hue.