an island in the Mediterranean Sea, forming the chief of a group, now a portion of the dominions of Malta. Great Britain. In ancient times it was known by the name of Melite, and is by some supposed to be the island upon which St Paul was shipwrecked. It afterwards bore the name of Malta, which name was changed by the Arabs to that of Malta, which it has ever since borne.
According to Boisgelin, these islands were, in the fourteenth century before our era, possessed by a colony of Tyrian Phoenicians, and by a few small societies of Ionic Greeks. These, under an aristocratic constitution, maintained their independence till the fourth century before Christ, when they were assailed by the Carthaginians, to whom, after a feeble resistance, they submitted. When the Romans had conquered Sicily, they took possession (216 B.C.) of these islands, and maintained their authority till, upon the dissolution of the western Roman empire, they were expelled by the Goths, in whose power they continued till the formidable forces of Arabia had been concentrated under the banner of Mahommmed, when, in 828 A.D., their dominion was established. The successful invasion of Sicily by the Normans led to the occupation of Malta by the troops of Roger the Norman, who added it to his newly-acquired dominions in the year 1090. It continued in this state till Naples and Sicily fell under the power of Charles V., emperor of Germany, who granted the islands, as a fief of his empire, to the knights-hospitallers, who had been driven by the Saracens from Jerusalem, and had taken refuge in the town of Acre. They had gradually become a military body, and ably defended that city against the Saracens in 1290; upon which the king of Cyprus gave them Lemisson in his dominions, where they remained till the year 1310. Having then increased their numbers and military skill, they seized upon the island of Rhodes, and gallantly maintained it against the whole power of the Mahommmedans, upon which they assumed the title of Knights of Rhodes. That island was, however, wrested from them by the Turkish emperor Soliman in 1522, upon which they withdrew, first to Candia, and soon afterwards to Malta. They were finally established in that place as independent masters, and were only bound to defend Sicily against the Turks, but voluntarily constituted themselves the unceasing enemies of all infidels.
On taking possession of the spot thus conferred upon them, the knights found the island with little or no cultivation, and with a scanty population of various races, chiefly subsisting on fish; the persons employed in taking which were the occupants of the huts. There was indeed a castle in which the grand master of the order established himself with a few of the higher officers, but the remainder were miserably lodged. It was not contemplated by the knights to fix themselves permanently in Malta; but they had resolved on attempting to take a strong port on the continent, and to retain Malta as a place of refuge in case of a repulse. In this view they began to fortify it in some of the most assailable parts; and when satisfied with the security of their works, they despatched a force to take possession of Modon, a town of the Morea, and in the vicinity of their former establishment in the island of Rhodes, to which they felt a strong attachment and an eager desire to return. They accordingly sailed and obtained possession of Modon in the night; but the next day, beginning to commit acts of violence and of plunder, the inhabitants rose against them before the whole of the galleys had arrived, and, though the Maltese fought with desperate valour, they were compelled to retire, but not until they had secured a part of their plunder, and had seized upon 800 females, whom they carried with them to their islands.
This disastrous adventure having convinced the knights that their existence as a body was restricted to the islands, and that their security depended on the fortifications with which it was defended, they addressed their principal attention and efforts to the construction of works of such strength as would defy all attacks which could be made upon them by the Saracens.
More than ten years were incessantly occupied with this labour. Though the crusades had terminated, the spirit which had animated them still survived in the bosoms of many chivalrous Catholics in every part of Europe, and secured to the knights the aid of men, arms, ammunition, stores, and money. Most of the Christian monarchs of Europe were in some degree supporters of the order, which at length was divided into eight langues or nations. Each of these divisions had a chief, with a determinate title. Thus the first was Provence, called the grand commendator of religion; the second, Auvergne, was marshal of the order; the third, France, was grand hospitalier; the fourth, Italy, was chief admiral; the fifth, Aragon, was grand conservator; the sixth, Germany, was grand bailiff; the seventh, Castille, was grand chancellor; and the eighth, England, was grand commander of the cavalry. Each of these dignitaries drew from his respective country large revenues, which were for the most part derived from lands; and as those lands increased in monied value, so the revenues of the chiefs of the several langues kept pace with that increase, and enabled the knights to maintain the most splendid appearance, and to indulge in the most expensive luxuries.
The rules by which admission into the order was established, and by which its internal affairs were arranged, had been settled soon after they became fixed in Malta, and were continued with only slight alterations up to the time of their final dissolution. None were admitted into the order but such as could prove a nobility of birth of four generations, both on the paternal and the maternal side, unless they were sons, either legitimate or illegitimate, of kings or of sovereign princes. The knights were formed into two classes. The first were called Grand Crosses, and such only were eligible as candidates for the dignity of grand master. All were equally bound by vows of celibacy, and by oaths of obedience to their superior, of adherence to the Catholic church, and of unceasing hostility towards the infidels and all pirates. These conditions might be dispensed with, either by the power of the pope or by a chapter of the order; and such dispensations were allowed chiefly in cases where the nobility of the candidate, or of his ancestors on the maternal side, was deficient or doubtful, and in a very few cases where, on the paternal side, the pedigree was not satisfactorily ascertained.
The admission into the order was under no restriction as to the age of the candidate, as even infants were eligible; but their admission was only allowed when they had completed their sixteenth year. They then entered upon their noviciate, which lasted until they had completed their eighteenth year. Those under sixteen were called the pages of the grand master, and, as such, were prepared to enter upon their noviciate. The grand master had sixteen of such pages, who served him as a kind of honourable domestics.
The knights wore, on the left side of their cloaks or their vests, a cross of white waxed cloth, with eight points, that having been their distinguishing badge; but in some cases, and at a later period, the cross was of gold. When they made war upon the Turks, they were dressed in a red cassock, on which, before and behind, was a large white cross without points, as an emblem of their religion. The customary dress of the grand master was a flowing garment of tabby, fastened about the waist by a girdle, from which was suspended a large purse, denoting the charitable nature of the institution of the order. The government of the society was of a mixed description. The grand master was a sort of sovereign. He coined money, par- Malta.
doned criminals, and nominated to the offices and digni- ties of the order; but he was assisted by the grand master, who, with him as their president, determined on all the more important concerns of the association.
The education of the noviciates was sedulously attended to. Besides the strictest attention to the forms of their re- ligion, they were carefully taught whatever related to mi- litary tactics, both on sea and on land, and accustomed to those severe exercises in arms which, whilst they tended to render them expert and daring, strengthened their limbs, and hardened their whole frame. The attention which the construction of defensive works, and the train- ing of healthy, strong, and disciplined soldiers, required, did not withdraw the knights from the formation of a naval force. The islands supplied none of the elements of naval warfare; but the increase of the revenues extracted from the Christian powers, who rivalled each other in what they considered as a common cause, and the war with the in- fidels, supplied both the pecuniary means and the material to equip, in a short time, what in that age may be viewed as a powerful navy.
The fleet of Malta consisted chiefly of galleys, impelled by oars, and manned with soldiers provided with fire-arms, but chiefly dependent on the operation of boarding the vessels of their enemies; they had, besides, some brigantines, and one vessel called the Great Carrack, mounted with cannon, and whose force was estimated to be equal to that of a whole squadron. The naval power of Malta was first employed in full force in the year 1532. It then joined the confederated Christian fleet under the com- mand of Andrew Doria, the celebrated Genoese warrior. The victories gained by that officer were in a great de- gree attributed to the valour of the Maltese knights, and induced Doria to plan the capture of Modon; but the bad results of their former attempt on that part of the Morea had so disheartened the Maltese soldiers, that they refus- ed to join in the expedition; though they aided in another against Coron, not far from Modon, which proved success- ful. In the midst of these events, the Maltese forces were suddenly recalled by the grand master to defend their own possessions, which were threatened with an attack by the celebrated Turkish corsair Barbarossa, who had obtained the superiority at sea, and maintained it with a fleet of more than eighty large galleys. The invasion did not, however, take place at that time; and Barbarossa car- ried on successful operations upon the coast of Africa, where he captured both Algiers and Tunis, and besieged Tripoli.
At the earnest entreaty of the new grand master, De Ponte, who had succeeded to that dignity on the death of Villiers de l'Isle Adam, who died in 1534, and at the urgent suggestions of Muley Hassan, the deposed king of Tunis, the Emperor of Germany, Charles V., was induced to under- take an expedition into Africa upon a vast scale. The forces of Malta joined the emperor, and though, as regard- ed him, the expedition was a complete failure, yet the cre- dit of the Maltese warriors was so raised by the part they took in the storming of Goletta, which led to the capture of Tunis, that the emperor, when he abandoned his pro- ject, conferred on the knights many valuable and extensive privileges, accompanied with large grants to the society. One that was afterwards found to be of the utmost value, was the right of drawing corn and other provisions from his dominions in Sicily without paying any impost.
After the death of De Ponte, his successor in the dig- nified office of grand master, Didier de Tolon de St Jalle, made an excursion to the coast of Africa, with the view of relieving Tripoli. Much bravery and skill was displayed on that occasion; the siege was for a time raised; the army of Haynadin, which carried it on, was completely defeated, with the loss of all its stores and baggage; and the Mal- tese returned in triumph, which was increased by the cap- ture of a valuable Turkish galley when on their passage homewards. Solyman, the Turkish emperor, continuing the war with the Christian powers, was so successful in many parts, that Ferdinand, then emperor of Germany, was in- duced, in 1562, to enter into a treaty of peace, or rather a truce, for eight years; but he dying soon afterwards, hosti- lities were again resumed between the empire and the Turks, for the commencement of which, each party threw the blame on the other. The Mahommedan forces advanced into Styria in 1584; and, though they were successful in taking Erden and some other towns, they were ultimately, after a severe conflict, totally defeated by Charles, archi- duke of Austria. In some other parts of the frontier the success of the two parties was continually varying, and nothing decisive took place.
In this state of doubtful warfare, Solyman had his at- tention called to the island of Malta, by Kossum, the son of Barbarossa, and by his great officer Dragut. They per- suaded him that he could never become master of the land until he had gained command of the sea. This naturally drew the views of Solyman and his council to the island of Malta, and an expedition for its capture was resolved upon. Piata was appointed commander of the fleet, which consist- ed of one hundred and forty-two galleys, seventeen galliots, twenty-three ships of heavy burden, and several other transports. On board this naval armament were embarked thirty thousand of the best soldiers of the Turkish army, commanded by Mustapha Pacha, an experienced officer more than seventy-five years old. This vast force ap- proached the island, and the land troops were disen- baired in the latter end of May 1565, at Porto Majore, on the north-western part of the island. The chief strength of the territory consisted of the castles which defended the ca- pital, known then by the names of Saint Michael, Saint Angelo, and Saint Elmo, the last of which was fixed on as the first object of attack.
At that time the dignity of grand master was occupied by the celebrated Valette. Having maintained such com- plete intercourse with Constantinople, that he had full in- formation of the designs of Solyman, and likewise of the means available for their execution, he made such prepa- rations as were within his power. He had but three thousand good soldiers, and, besides, about five thousand of the inhabitants, who had fled for refuge to the capital, upon whom he could place but little reliance. The Turks soon attacked St Elmo with great vigour, and were brave- ly repulsed in their first two efforts; but, in the third at- tempt, they were so far successful as to effect a lodgement, by which they were encouraged to attempt a storm. By the invincible courage of the knights and their followers, the assailants were at length repelled, leaving behind them two thousand of their men, with their gallant leader Dra- gut. Their vast quantity of artillery, and their powerful en- gines, encouraged the Turks to renewed exertion. The can- nonading was incessant, till the walls of St Elmo were bat- tered down quite to the rock on which they stood; many of the garrison had been cut off, and the remainder, though not dispirited, were nearly exhausted. The grand master offered to withdraw them, and replace them by volun- teers, who had tendered their services for the purpose; but they all resolutely declined the offer, with the firm deter- mination to resist as long as any remained alive. They prepared for the death that awaited them, by passing the night in confession, prayer, and taking the sacraments, and then, embracing each other, repaired to their respective posts. The Turks, who knew the weakness of the garri- son, advanced as to certain victory; but their opponents, though destitute of hope, were not deprived of courage, and exhibited such proofs of it as amazed their enemies, and dealt death in their ranks to numbers far exceeding their own numerical force. The combat upon the platform, which had been surrounded with walls, continued four hours, till every knight and every soldier, except two who escaped by swimming, was left dead amongst the ruins, when the Turkish colours were planted on the ramparts.
The capture of this castle had been attended with such severe loss, that the Turkish commanders were compelled to desist from further attacks; and it was asked by the commander, Mustapha, "What will it cost us to take the father (the city), when taking only the son has cost us such a number of our best troops?" The possession of St Elmo gave to the Turks admission into the harbour; and though they had lost great numbers of their men, they had inflicted on the defenders the loss of fifteen hundred men, including one hundred and thirty of the bravest knights.
Whilst Mustapha was waiting for his reinforcements, the grand master made pressing applications to the Christian princes for their assistance. Spain was the most interested in the preservation of Malta, and messengers were despatched to her viceroy in Sicily, requesting succours. But no other was afforded than that of granting to the knights, who were in that island, to repair to Malta with a few galleys, and the inconsiderable number of soldiers they could collect. This small force, however, found the whole of the ports of Malta so closely blockaded by the Mahomedans, that it was impossible to land, and they returned to Messina.
The Turks, as soon as the reinforcements, amounting to more than 10,000 men, reached them, commenced the siege of the castle of St Michael, and carried it on with all the destructive effect which could be produced by artillery, engines of every kind, mining, sapping, and unwearied intrepidity. The defenders had the advantage of greater coolness, and consequently more true courage; and in proportion as the attacks of the Turks were more fierce, the greater was their loss of men, for they were so effectually repelled at every point, that Mustapha already began to think of abandoning the siege. The grand master had means of receiving some slight reinforcements; and Mustapha had received, by means of deserters, accurate information that the viceroy of Sicily, with a powerful fleet, was ordered to sail for the relief of the island. By the same means he had been informed that the castle of St Michael was but slenderly garrisoned, and that it might probably be carried by one other resolute attack. This determined Mustapha, who had already begun to embark some of his troops, to re-land them, and recommence the siege. He attacked both the castle and the town with a fury akin to madness, and they were defended with a courage that did honour to the Christians. Every person in the forts and the city, from the grand master to the youngest individual of both sexes, ran to the walls, and used such implements as they could best manage; till at last, after seven assaults with all their army and artillery, each one being more desperate than the preceding, they were completely beaten back with prodigious slaughter.
The attack on what was called the New Town was renewed on the following day in a similar manner, and would perhaps have succeeded, if the grand master himself had not flown to its defence, and there forced the infidels to retire with the loss of two thousand of their best men. Mustapha then attempted the breaches of the castle of St Michael, but courage prevailed over despair. The assailants found new works run up in the night behind the breaches they had made in the day; and though they repeated their storming with increased fury, they were not only repulsed, but suffered severely by salies from the garrison.
By the various attacks and repulses, the physical powers of both assailants and defenders became exhausted, and the efforts of both were for a short time suspended. In the interval Mustapha attempted to treat, but his attempts were all rejected with contempt by the grand master; and he, in consequence of numberless inhuman actions committed by the Turks, issued orders that in future no quarter should be given to them. Mustapha was making preparations for a general and dreadful assault, when he received intelligence that the Spanish fleet, which had been long detained in Sicily by contrary winds, had arrived near the island. He then in haste broke up the siege in confusion, before the Spanish troops, which amounted to ten thousand men, had been landed. When that had been accomplished, the viceroy returned with the vessels to Sicily. Mustapha was misled by false intelligence, which had stated that only three thousand Spaniards had been landed. He therefore landed seven thousand men to intercept them before they could reach the capital. This body of men was attacked and routed with the loss of two thousand of their men, when the remainder were embarked on board the vessels, and the whole force returned to their own ports. In this memorable siege, which lasted four months, the Turks are said to have lost twenty-four thousand of their best men, and twenty-four pieces of ordnance. The loss of the Maltese had been two hundred and forty knights of the order, and five thousand men.
After this spirited defence, the Turks, the only enemies of the order, were so impressed with the impregnable strength of Malta, that they neither made nor contemplated any further attack on the island.
The only operations, therefore, which could occupy them were of an inconsiderable kind, such as that of sending out their galleys to protect the coasts of the Mediterranean against the roving cruisers which issued from the ports on the African shore. In this state of inactivity the knights naturally became indolent and voluptuous. The strict rules of their order were scarcely ever enforced, and many of them spent their time in the gay pleasures of the continental cities. Their military duties were slightly performed, and their naval forces were so reduced that it amounted only to four galleys, three galliots, four ships of sixty guns, badly appointed, a frigate of thirty-six guns, and a number of quick-sailing small vessels, known by the name of scamparinas. The fortifications of the island were not neglected. One side of it is so completely fortified by nature, that no aid is required from art, the rock being of great height, and quite perpendicular from the sea for several miles. The ancient defences thus grew up to be a prodigious range of works with excavations, compared with which, the boasted catacombs of Rome and of Naples appear insignificant. The ditches, of vast size, were cut out of the solid rock, and, extending for many miles, excite surprise that a state so small should ever in two centuries have been able to execute them. The government of the grand master was, however, a simple despotism as soon as he was elected, which was done by a committee of twenty-one knights, nominated by the several Catholic powers who had langues. He had the appointment of all officers, civil and military, and presided in all the councils which governed the island, as well as the knights of the order. His court was splendid and expensive; and he had the patronage of a great number of commanderies and priories in the several states of Catholic Europe. Mr Brydone, who visited Malta a few years before the dissolution of its independence, remarks, "that it was an epitome of all Europe, and an assemblage of the younger brothers, who are commonly the best of its families, whence it is probably one of the best academies for politeness in this part of the globe; besides, where every one is entitled by law as well as by custom to demand satisfaction for the least breach of it, people are under the necessity of being very exact and circumspect, both with regard to their words and actions." It is difficult to conceive that society can be in a very refined state from which females of good character are excluded, and where, as with the knights of Malta, though marriage was prohibited, concubinage was undisguisedly practised.
Malta was continued as an independent state, and a member of the great European family, till the year 1799. At that time, Bonaparte, with his vast armament for the invasion of Egypt, appeared before the island, and, after a short parley, it was delivered up to him. This hasty surrender has been commonly attributed to treachery and bribery, not being accounted for upon any other principle; for assuredly the knights could have made some defence, and the French were in too much haste to avoid the fleet of Nelson to have spent the requisite time in capturing it, if any resistance had been made. In consequence of this French occupation, the island was surrounded by a British naval force, and a strict blockade was established. This produced a degree of famine and distress to which the garrison was at length compelled to submit, and, after a year and a half of suffering, it was given up to the English. After the capture of Malta, and the expulsion of the French from Egypt, a peace was concluded between England and France; and one of the conditions of that treaty was the restoration of Malta to its former state of independence. The grand master was to be nominated by the pope, and the knights were to be restored to their former rank and dignity, and the king of Naples was to be the guarantee for the independence and neutrality of the island. France demanded the surrender, and England declined to give it up. The existence of independence in Malta could only arise from the possession of the commanderies and priories in the several Catholic countries, as it had no other revenues. These had been seized upon by the governments of France, Spain, and Bavaria, and thus diverted from their application to the finances of Malta. It also became known to the British government that a grand master had been nominated at the instigation of France, who was a decided creature of Bonaparte. It was thought that Naples was too weak a power to be trusted to as a security against the design which France had avowed of again occupying Egypt, in which case Malta would have been an almost indispensable possession. It is needless here to enter into the negotiations which were carried on upon this subject, because they were mixed up with the other objects which were then causes of dispute, all of which led to a renewal of the war in 1803, and to leaving Malta in the hands of the British. It may, however, be observed, that the refusal of the British government to restore Malta to the knights, gave a great advantage to that of France in the discussions which preceded the renewal of hostilities. The stipulation in the treaty was so express that it could not, by any construction, be eluded; and accordingly the government of France demanded its unconditional fulfilment. This threw the British ministers upon the defensive. As far as regarded the treaty, the obligation on the part of Great Britain to restore the island to its former state of independence was undeniable. In refusing compliance, therefore, the government of the latter had to justify an apparent breach of compact, and consequently found itself reduced to a situation which is at all times questionable and embarrassing, whatever be the nature of the grounds upon which such a refusal is rested. The demands of France were answered by criminations against the conduct of her ruler in regard to other countries, particularly Switzerland; and, as might have been foreseen, the war recommenced with increased fury upon both sides.
At the general pacification Malta was formally ceded to us by all the powers of Europe, and has continued under our government to the present time. The group of islands, comprehending Malta, Gozo, and Cumino, whose history has been narrated, occupy an extent, from south-east by east to north-west by west, of eight and a half marine leagues; Cape St Demitri, the north-west end of Gozo, being in east longitude 14° 10' and in latitude 36° 3' north; Malta and Point Benhisa, the south-east end of Malta, being in east longitude 14° 33' 30" and in north latitude 35° 49' 30". Malta is irregular in figure, and its surface is composed of small valleys, defiles, and hills. It has been conjectured that the three islands, Malta, Gozo, and Cumino, are the remains of a large tract of land, which once extended towards the south-west, and which resisted the violence that caused the destruction of the country of which they formed a part. To have a just idea of Malta, we must figure to ourselves an inclined plane, extending from south-west to north-east, in such a manner that the calcareous strata of which it is composed rise towards the south and south-east 200 fathoms above the sea, which dashes against the bottom of these declivities; at the same time, on the opposite side, they are of considerable length, and decline insensibly till they become level with the sea. The broadest part of the island, though sufficiently elevated, is that to the east of the city of Valetta; this part is consequently more densely peopled, and better cultivated, although there, as in all other places, the rock is entirely naked, except where the hand of industry has placed a layer of earth to encourage cultivation. The principal defiles and valleys run from south-west to north-east, and all of them seem as if formed out of the rock by the violent currents of water rushing from the heights.
Malta contains two cities and twenty-two casals or villages, the original capital being Citta Vecchia, the old or notable city, though called by the inhabitants Medina. It is the see of a bishop, and contains, besides the cathedral, which is large and commodious, several other churches and religious houses. The town is so elevated, that from it may be seen the whole island, and sometimes the coasts of Africa and Sicily, both about seventy miles distant.
The catacombs in this place are very extensive, and of great celebrity. They contain streets in all directions, which are formed with such regularity that they have been called the subterraneous city. Near to Citta Vecchia, on the south, is the grotto of St Paul, which is used as a church. It is an extraordinary cave, divided into three parts by iron gates. The sepulchral grottos of the Benjema Mountains, two miles west from the city, are ranked amongst the curiosities of Malta. In the craggy rocks around Malta are many spacious caves or grottos, into some of which, being on a level with the sea, the waves dash in when in an agitated state, and resound most tremendously. The mouths of others are at different heights, and the access to them difficult and dangerous, according to their situation. One of the most considerable of these, near Benhisa, the south-east point of Malta, extends more than two hundred paces under ground. All these grottos are full of stalactites and stalagmites, produced by the water filtering through the calcareous rocks.
Malta is generally considered as divided into two unequal parts, the one to the east and the other to the west of Citta Vecchia. All the casals or villages are in the eastern division, which is much larger than the western, the latter containing only detached houses, amongst scenery which is commonly picturesque, but, the air towards the coast being very unwholesome, and there being a scarcity of land capable of cultivation, farmers are not tempted to reside in it. The whole of this part abounds in odoriferous plants, and has in it some very considerable salt-works.
Gozo stands much higher than Malta, and is entirely surrounded by perpendicular rocks, the highest of which are to the west and south, where they are tremendously steep. The country is not so uneven as that of Malta, consequently it is more easily cultivated; and it appears that the surface was originally nearly horizontal. The pasture-land of Gozo is fine, and great numbers of cattle are fed on it for the use of Malta, with which there is dai- The grapes of this island are peculiarly fine, and so highly esteemed by the Maltese, that almost the whole of them are bought up for their consumption. Cotton and corn are cultivated with success; the air is particularly healthful, and the country presents many agreeable prospects. It contains six casals or villages. One castle stands upon the summit of the island, and another, Fort Chambray, on the south-east coast. The interior fortress is on a solitary rock, of not more than 300 yards in diameter. In the heart of a mountain on the north-west, near Zabug, is a quarry of alabaster. There are some salt-works near Port Migiarro, on the south-east side. At half a league from thence, towards the west, is a shelf, celebrated for producing the *Fungus Melitensis*, or Maltese mushrooms; and farther on is a coast formed of caverns and vertical rocks, from 150 to 160 feet in height above the water, which rocks are buried in the sea to a very great depth, but are of so white a colour, and the water so translucent, that they can be easily distinguished at a great depth under the waves. Cliffs continue all round the western coast, but they are not so high as those of the south, and are broken in several places.
Cumino is a small island in the channel which separates Malta from Gozo, and partakes mostly of the character of the latter. The two channels which are formed by this island have a depth of water from twelve to twenty fathoms, and consequently are safe for the largest vessels, keeping the middle of the channel, in which, too, is good anchoring ground of fine sand. The greatest length is two miles, and at the north-west end are three small caves of the depth of from two to three fathoms. There is a tower on a height at the south end, to the westward of which is the islet of Cuminotto, and some rocks.
The great value of this group of islands, whether in a military or a commercial view, depends on the excellence of the numerous harbours to be found on its shores, in the facility of entrance to them, and in the excellent anchorage on almost every part of the surrounding coast, except in the south-west part. The first to be noticed is the Marsa Musceit, and the Porto Grande, or great port of Valetta, separated by a rocky peninsula or tongue of land, on which stands the city, with its suburb Floriana. At the extremity is Fort St Elmo, which serves to defend the entrance into both ports. On the south side of the great port are two other peninsulas of rock, pointing towards Valetta, and forming inlets which serve as excellent harbours. On the first of these is the castle of St Angelo and the town of Victorioso; on the second, the town of Isola or Sanglaea; and southward of both is that of Burmola, surrounded by the fortification called the Cottonera. The inlet on the eastern side of Victorioso is the Porto della Renella; that between Victorioso and Sanglaea, Porto della Galera; and that on the west of Sanglaea, Porto dell' Isola Sanglaea. The promontory which forms the north side of Marsa Musceit, as St Elmo and Valetta form the south side, is named Point Dragut, and exhibits on its extremity Fort Tigné, which defends the harbour. Over the south point of the entrance to the Grand Port is the more extensive Fort Ricasoli.
The approach to the harbour of Valetta is exceedingly picturesque and interesting; and the fortifications, close to which every ship has to pass, seem sufficient to annihilate the most powerful naval force that could be brought against it. Without the harbour, the water is from sixty to eighty fathoms in depth, but the bottom is good holding ground; and as the wind is commonly variable outside, and the entrance rather too narrow to attempt to work in, the larger ships of war commonly anchor there, and are warped in, for which there are great conveniences. The entrance is not more than 250 fathoms, but is safe and commodious, and large enough to contain, in its several ports, the whole British navy. Water for shipping may be had in any quantity. It is filled with a hose alongside the wharf, from pipes laid down for that purpose. The houses are built with flat roofs, plastered with pozzalana, with pipes conducting to the cisterns, so that all the rain-water is preserved. There are also many public cisterns, and likewise a fountain, the source of which is in the southern part of the island, from which the water is conducted by an aqueduct to fill the cisterns when the winter rains do not furnish a sufficient supply.
There are other harbours, which our limits do not admit of our describing, and without description their names would be of small use to navigation; they are scarcely used for purposes of commerce, as nearly the whole trade is carried on in Valetta.
The Maltese islands are calcareous rocks, containing some petrifications and concretions. This rock is mostly of a porous nature, and a great proportion of it is covered with earth brought originally from Sicily and other parts. The ground so formed is never suffered to rest, but is cultivated every year. The colour of the soil varies in different districts, and it is seldom more than a foot in depth on the surface of the rock: in summer it is irrigated chiefly by the night dew; but the rock being porous, retains the moisture, and keeps the earth constantly fresh. The earth is always removed once in ten years, in order to clear the rock of a thick crust which forms on it, and prevents the moisture from penetrating sufficiently.
When the ground is properly prepared, it produces in the first year water-melons and garden-plants; in the next year, an excellent fruit, preserved through the winter, called Malta melons; and after that, barley, the straw of which forms fodder for the cattle. The ground is ploughed in the third year, and then planted with cotton; and in the fourth, it is sown with corn. The land afterwards bears three different crops successively, but particular care is taken to prepare the ground the year in which the cotton tree is to come into bearing, when it is necessary to reduce the earth to a kind of powder.
The greatest part of the land is planted with cotton, of which three species are cultivated. One is natural to the country, another was brought from Siam, and the third, which is of a cinnamon colour, known by the name of *attlas*, was brought from the West Indies. Wheat is sown in November, after three ploughings, and is cut in the beginning of June. Barley is sown in the same month, and harvested in May. A grain called *tommon* is grown in the poorer soils, but most of it is mixed with wheat, sometimes with rye, and the crop collectively is called *meschiato*. Every field is enclosed with stone walls five or six feet in height, in order to shelter the plants from the effects of wind, rain, and storms, during the spring and the autumn.
The islands both of Malta and Gozo produce various fruits of exquisite flavour, with excellent roots and very fine flowers. The roses especially are described as smelling more sweetly than those of any other country. They likewise yield cummin, aniseed, laricella, and lichen; the last grows on the rocks exposed to the north, and is used for dyeing the amaranthine colour. The gardens in Malta are numerous, especially towards the east. They are generally ornamented with groves of orange and lemon trees. The greatest attention is paid to them, and they are commonly watered twice a day, the water being constantly kept for their use in cisterns hewn out of the rock, with trenches dug round them to collect the rain.
Bees are kept in great quantities in some parts, in horizontal hives. The honey is of the most delicious flavour, and always remains in a liquid state. There are many asses of a strong race on the islands. The sheep are very prolific, and in number about 12,500. There are about 6500 horned cattle, and 5570 horses of all kinds.
The appropriation of the land, and the crops produced from it, in 1832, may be seen by the following statement: These islands may be considered as one of the most densely peopled spots upon the globe, certainly the most of any portion of Europe. The whole land, it will be seen, does not exceed nine tenths of an acre to each human being; and reckoning only that part which is cultivated, and all that is susceptible of being so, it is scarcely five eighths of an acre to each.
The people of Malta, though subjugated from time to time by different nations, retain the peculiarities of an original character, and many countenances indicate an African origin. They are commonly strong, short, plump, with curled hair, flat noses, turned-up lips, and the colour of their skin is the same as that of the inhabitants of the coasts of Barbary. Their language is a kind of Italian, mixed with many Arabic words; but it is intelligible along the northern shore of Africa, to which quarter of the world Malta was often considered as belonging, till an act of parliament caused it to be treated as a part of Europe. These people are generally industrious, active, faithful, economical, and courageous, and their temperance is exemplary; but, with these good qualities, they are said to retain the defects attributed to the Africans, being mercenary, passionate, jealous, and vindictive. They are vehemently attached to the Catholic church, and not a little superstitious and fantastic in practising the several ceremonies which that system of religion inculcates. They drink coffee and chocolate more than wine or spirits, and their food consists chiefly of vegetables and fish; but on festivals they eat much pork, and consequently many pigs are kept. Though much of their former character has been retained, yet, since they have become British subjects, sources of profit have been developed, which have increased amongst them industry and the spirit of enterprise, and they are converted into the best seamen of the Mediterranean.
Malta is, from its situation, remarkably salubrious; epidemic affections rarely occur, but the same diseases return every year with greater or less violence, according to the nature of the season, and all partake, more or less, of a bilious character. Genuine inflammatory disorders are seldom present, but during the spring bilious intermittent fevers prevail.
The four seasons are regularly and well defined. The spring is delightful, and accompanied with a sweet and temperate air. In June, the heat is considerable, and it continues to increase during the whole summer. The winds, which are almost imperceptible, mostly blow from the east; the sea is then calm, and no country can appear more delightful. In September, the sky begins to be obscured by clouds; towards evening the atmosphere is charged with electricity, which produces frequent lightning, often attended with violent peals of thunder; and sometimes even violent shocks of earthquakes are felt. From December to March the sky is covered with clouds, and the rains are very abundant. The sea is in a constant state of agitation; the winds are cool, and blow from the north, from the north-west, or the north-east, with great violence. The siroccos, or south winds, never blow more than three days. They are frequently succeeded by a calm, during which the heat is very great, but much less oppressive and suffocating, though the thermometer frequently shows a much higher temperature than on other occasions.
The commerce of the Maltese islands has greatly fluctuated since it has been in the possession of the British. During the war, and especially after the issuing of the Berlin and Milan decrees, they became the great depot for all the commodities produced within the British dominions in the several quarters of the globe. At that time, ships from the ports of Turkey repaired in great numbers to Valetta, and returned with valuable cargoes of coffee, sugar, and other tropical articles, as well as British manufactured goods. These were landed in the ports of the Archipelago, and
| Nature of Crop | Number of English Acres | Quantity of Produce | |----------------|------------------------|---------------------| | Wheat | 8,499 | 77,739 English bushels | | Meschiato | 10,275 | 218,640 ditto | | Barley | 8,110 | 157,672 ditto | | Beans and other pulse | 4,484 | 57,091 ditto | | Cotton | 11,236 | 3,445,211 lbs. | | Vegetables, fruit, &c. | 6,163 | 27,556,875 lbs. besides 102,211 lbs. of green peas | | Forage | 8,445 | 164,311 somas, or loads of 10 bundles | | Sesamum | 159 | 4,769 somas | | Cummin seed | 474 | 209,128 lbs. | | Pasture | 3,550 | | | | 61,395 | |
Besides the food produced from the soil, there are in the islands 285 boats employed in the fishery on the coast for the daily supply of the markets, who take large quantities, and, especially from August to October, catch a particular kind of fish, something resembling the dolphin, called at Malta the lampoukago.
The population, births, marriages, and deaths, in 1832, were as follows:
| Inhabitants | Males | Females | Births | Marriages | Deaths | |-------------|-------|---------|--------|-----------|--------| | Natives | 47,991| 51,968 | 3,238 | 597 | 2,445 | | British residents | 737 | 458 | 6 | 2 | 11 | | Foreigners | 1,060 | 431 | 19 | 7 | 13 | | King's troops | 2,293 | | | | | | Wives of ditto | 280 | | | | | | Children of ditto | 297 | 285 | | | | | Persons connected with the troops, not soldiers | 22 | 11 | | | | | Children of ditto | 22 | 18 | | | | | Total | 52,352| 53,441 | 3,263 | 606 | 2,469 |
The deaths thus appear to be one in 44½ of the whole population, and the births one in 32¾. thence conveyed, by contraband trade, to the towns in Austrian, Prussian, and other German states, and at times into France itself. That vast trade has ceased with the return of general tranquillity, and the only commerce now is that of the exchange of the productions of the islands with those of other countries which are required for consumption. The chief article imported is corn, as the islands scarcely produce more than half of what is re- quired for that kind of food. It comes partly from Sicily, and partly from the Russian ports of Odessa and Tagan- rock in the Black Sea. It is made a principal source of revenue, being charged with a duty varying from 12s. to 1s. the quarter, according as the price is lower or higher. In the year 1834 the value of the imports was,
Goods from British colonies in North America... L.2,005 Other British colonies.................. 27,260 United States of America.............. 9,786 Great Britain.......................... 182,982 Foreign countries....................... 369,633
L.591,666
The exports in the same year amounted to L.403,377. These consisted of a great variety of small articles, the chief of which was cotton yarn spun on the islands and sent to Naples, Sicily, and Lombardy.
Vessels that cleared from the ports in the same year:
| Ships | Tons | |-------|------| | British | 16 | | British colonies | 29 | | United States of America | 4 | | Foreign states | 1,459 |
Total............. 1,508 181,031
The civil government of Malta, since it became a de-
pendency of Britain, has been such as to reconcile the in- habitants generally to the dominion of a foreign power, and to excite no regret for the loss of a precarious, uncertain independence. The religious establishment is supported as before the conquest of the island, and as much indulgence and even complaisance is exercised towards the habits of the people in holidays and processions as they can possibly desire. The system of municipal law has been but little altered; for though there is an English chief judge, the nu- merous inferior native judges remain in possession of their offices, and decide causes as formerly, only subject to an appeal to the supreme court. The education of all classes is cared for. There is a university, with its due number of professors; and in the year 1834 a lyceum or grammar school was established in connection with the university. The professors in both receive salaries from the govern- ment, as do also the tutors of the numerous local schools for primary instruction. The hospitals, and other institutions of a charitable nature, which cost annually from thirteen to fourteen thousand pounds, are, upon the whole, well con- ducted, and prove highly beneficial to the objects of dis- tress.
Though the taxes are light, and the duties on all import- ed commodities are fixed at a low rate, the revenue more than defrays the expenditure; for, excepting the salary of the governor, which is L.5000 per annum, and those of the secretary and chief justice, who have L.1500 each, the sa- laries of the other offices, which are mostly filled by na- tives, are fixed at a low rate, commensurate with the cheap- ness of the means of subsistence. In this respect, Malta presents an exception to most of our colonial establish- ments.
The following statement shows the revenue and expen- diture of Malta in the years 1833 and 1834.
Statement of the yearly Revenue of Malta in the Years 1833 and 1834.
| Rent and dues of the land of the crown | 1833 | 1834 | |----------------------------------------|------|------| | Transfer duty on real property | 1,315 | 790 | | Miscellaneous dues | 2,369 | 2,377 | | Customs | 8,253 | 9,699 | | Excise on wine and spirits | 16,106 | 16,750 | | Duties arising from the grain department | 37,313 | 37,897 | | Tonnage dues on shipping | 3,029 | 3,624 | | Dues on gunpowder | 86 | 42 | | Quarantine dues | 4,212 | 3,717 | | Fees of the chief secretary's office | 586 | 519 | | Printing-office and government Gazette | 554 | 514 | | Public registry of contracts | 99 | 95 | | Auction duty | 136 | 173 | | Fees of the supreme council of justice | 118 | 139 |
Carry over........................................... L.96,187 15 L.99,573 4
Brought over........................................... L.96,187 15 L.99,573 4
Fees of the supreme courts of law.............. 1,957 18 2,068 10
Fees and incidents of the inferior courts and of the police........................................... 898 10 856 3
Dues of the charitable institutions............ 150 15 132 7
Fines and forfeiture of every kind, deducting the share of the informers....................... 250 6 196 5
Arrears of the ceased notarial duty on marine insurances.......................................... 51 5 117
Interest of money advanced to the government grain concern....................................... 656 0 1,415 2
From small incidental resources.................. 1,173 2
L.102,039 19 L.105,079 10 ### Statement of Expenditure in the Years 1833 and 1834
| Item | 1833 | 1834 | |----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------|----------| | Salaries and charges of the governor's establishment | £6,362 | £6,352 | | Chief secretary's office | 3,314 | 3,315 | | Post-office | 550 | 493 | | Printing-office | 799 | 787 | | Treasurer's office | 1,770 | 1,782 | | Audit-office | 873 | 858 | | Customs | 1,127 | 1,137 | | Quarantine department | 4,755 | 4,727 | | Marine police | 3,373 | 3,500 | | Land revenue | 2,552 | 2,503 | | Public works and repairs | 8,822 | 8,371 | | Excise on wine and spirits | 477 | 444 | | Judicial departments | 15,114 | 15,246 | | Markets | 751 | 751 | | Grain department | 1,555 | 1,540 | | Charitable institutions | 13,892 | 14,767 | | University, and lyceum in 1834 | 632 | 1,006 | | Public library | 237 | 239 | | Government schooner | 400 | 400 | | Subsidy in aid of the Italian opera | 166 | | | Pensions and gratuities | 6,772 | 6,630 | | Burden on the crown property | 3,640 | 3,679 | | Maintenance and passage of distressed persons | 477 | 298 | | Stationery of the offices in general | 572 | 494 | | Military pensions | 1,601 | 1,435 | | Incidental expenditure | 1,294 | 271 | | Colonial agent in London | 2,000 | 2,500 | | Interest of the government loan | 778 | 540 |
Total: £84,699 11 L.84,076 14
Brought forward: L.87,038 19 10
Commissariat pay and passage allowances: 1,660 1 3
Pay and allowances of barrack department: 718 0 0
Provisions, forage, and fuel, commissariat, incidents, stores, and freight of specie: 20,352 0 0
Contingent expenses of military departments, and special allowances and pay of pioneers: 511 10 7
Transport of troops and stores: 2,119 15 5
Provisions and stores sent from England, with surplus stores delivered from transports: 2,475 5 8
Deductions for stoppages from ordnance and officers' servants, for rent of military lands and buildings, for premiums on bills and payments from colonial resources: 15,081 6 0
Actual cost to Great Britain: L.100,500 6 9
The accounts at Malta have been of late kept in English money, abundance of silver having been introduced, though Spanish dollars and Italian silver coins are still in circulation. There are no gold coins in circulation. The silver currency is estimated to amount to L.150,000, and there are in the island two banks which issue notes, amounting together to about L.20,000.