The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-22 00:00:00

MALTA.

Malta, in its soil and climate, belongs to Africa—in
its population, perhaps, to Italy—in its garrison and
commerce, to Europe—Lnd in its manners and habits,
to the East. It is a medley of the three quarters of the
Old World ; and, for the time, a medley of the most
curious description. The native carriages, peasant
dresses, shops, furniture of the houses, and even the
houses themselves, are wholly unlike anything that has
before met the English eye. Malta, in point of religious
observances, is like what St. Paul said of Athens—it is
overwhelmingly pious. The church-bells tolling are
all day long. W herever it is possible, the cultivatioti
of the ground exhibits the industry of the people.
Every spot where earth can be found, is covered
with some species of produce. Large tracts are era-.
pleyed in the cultivation of the cotton plant—fruit
trees fill the soil—the fig tree is luxuriant—pomegra-
nate, peach, apple, and plum, are singularly produc-
tive. Tines cover the walls, and the Maltese orange*
have a European reputation. The British possession
of Malta originated in one of those singular events by
which short-sightedness and rapine are often made.
their own punishers. The importance of Malta, as a
naval situation, had long been obvious to England,
and when, in the revolutionary war, the chief hostili-
ties of the war were transferred to the Mediterranean,
its value as a harbour for the English fleets because
incalculable. Yet it was still in the pos•
session of the knights ; and, so far as England was
concerned, it might have remained in their hands
for ever. A national sense of justice would have
prevented the seizure of the island, however
inadequate to defend itself against the navy of Eng-
land. But Napoleon had no such scruples. In his
expedition to Egypt, he threw a body of troops on
shore at Malta; and having either frightened or
bribed its masters, or perhaps both, plundered the
churches of their plate, turned out the knights, and
left the island in possession of a French garrison.
Nothing could be less sagacious and less statesman.
like than this act; for, by extinguishing the neutrality
of the island, he exposed it to an immediate blockade
by the English. The result was exactly what he
ought to have foreseen. An English squadron was
immediately despatched to summon the island ; it
eventually fell into the hands of the English, and
now seems destined to remain in English hands so
long as we have a ship in the Mediterranean.—Ths
Overland Passage.

SALE OF VAN AMBURGII'S STUD, &C.—A sale by
auction, of a rather novel description, took place in the
arena of the Roman Amphitheatre, Cooper-street, Man-
chester, on Monday, when the whole of the well-known
stud of Van Amburgh, an elephant, giraffe, several
lions, harness, vans, &c., were disposed of by Messrs.
Lucas, of Liverpool. The attendance (admission to the
theatre being obtained by the purchase of a catalogue)
was very numerous. The sale commenced with the dis-
posal of the harness, the greater part of which was
beautifully mounted with silver, and which brought
pretty fair prices ; and we understand that the vans, Sec.
sold tolerably well. There seemed to be no disposition
to bid high for the trained animals—a fine black-maned
African lion, said to be unequalled in England, having
sold for 350/. Mr. Cobbold, of the Edinburgh Zoologi-
cal Gardens, purchased a male lion cub, about eight
months old, for 121 10s. ; and a female cub of the same
age was sold for 35/ Another lion, about six years
old, went for 3101. The elephant Bolivar went for "501.;
and a very fine giraffd for 4001. The horses
wasg forrai generally
sold at fair prices. The competitiongreatest.
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Guardian:
THE GAME NUISANCE. At the Nottingham
County Hall Petty Sessions, on the Ist inst., all the
penal cases, in number four, were under the game•lawa,
and in each case the accused were unable to pay the
penalty and costs, consequently sent to prison ; and thus
becoming a charge upon the county purse, and probably
one or more of a family thrown upon the parochial
rates. Does not this tell another " great fact" against
the game-preserving system awl the game-laws ?