The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-09-24
DESCRIPTION OF MALTA.
Bl- II MODERN WRITER.

gygia, and called by the Greeks Melita, from
winch the Saracens formed its efent name,
IS an Hand IN the Mediterranean fea and tho
much nearer the cotf of Sicily, it is reckoned
part OF Africa. Il is nearly of an oval figure,
about 20 miles long, Il broad, and the VIII ,'e
circuit Co. TITS en- rely rocky, and produce no
more corn than ferv>s its inhabitants for .ix
mon rs, and it yields an incoa iderable quanti-
~ OF wine what it wants Of thefe arti les, it
imports from Sicily. The rock IS white and fof;
having only a foot depth offol, producing en-
ty OF Peaie, beans, and other pulle, with melons
and garden Vegetables there is no wood bui
that Of their fruit tress. II likewife produces
indigo, cotton, honey, grapes, olive lemons,
oranges, figs, and all forts of good fruit
Here are excellent Failures, comfortable filher-
les, plenty Of iea falt, and coral fi.hery. The
nnm5er OF its inhabitants amount to above
100000 and the annual revenue near 10000
crowns. The ollea inhabitants of Malta, of
whom we have any accounts, were the Phi
cians whom the Pho aicians drove our, who in
their turn gave place TO the Greeks then the
Carthagenians, who were fucceeded BY the Ro-
mans. Upon the decline of the Roman empire,
1t hrlt fell under the dominion of the Goths,
then the Saracens who were driven out by the
Normans, under Roger, Count of Sicily, in tn
year 1000 from which time it was lubiest to
the fame princes as Sicily, til the emperor
Charles v. gave it, bsfdes the III md of Cozzo,
in the year 1929, by perpetual gran. con6r.
med BY the Pope, to the fugitive knights Of ST.
John of Jerulalem, after having lot the Iaand
Of Rhodes, which, from the year 1903 they had
very CALAMITY defended for the fpace Of zI3
81 a.. r.
thence they were ALTO tiled the knights of
Rhodes. In 1856 Solyman the Turkih En-
perer, attacked them in the Hand of Malta,
but he was obliged to dsfia after Icing upwards
Of 20 900 men in the attempt. The order for
merv confi9ed Of eight nations, the princpa
Of which were the Frsnch, Italian, Epglih, Spa
Nth, and Germac. This order has LOFT con.
| fiderably by the reformation, and the accidents
Of war. The number Of knight are iuppoled
60 Be 5000 IN all. Thele mutt be Of ancient IA
miles. The heads ofeach nation, or the Grand
Cro1es, are called Grand Priors, having each
their REFLECTIVE converts Of knights, and efa,es
appropriate for their maintainanre in every po-
pin country where they It'll have footing, and
| thefe are Filled commentaries. The principal
of thefe is the Grand Priory Of Germany, or
Teutorcorder, who in 1916, was created a
prince of The holy Roman empire by the En-
peror Charles above mentioned and has afeat
& vote among the princeiy sbbots in the general
Diet.--Hs reiidence is at Kei.er1eim, in the
| Brifgaw, country of Suabia. The leveral Pri-
ors chuf- Grand matter, and in Gpirituals they
are all fubjed TO the Pope, living according to
the rules Of St. Auguaine, and they ALTO depend
! pr city much on thole princes where their lands
4 - n lie PEI 1rtb
| gsgements, they are obliged TO maintain a con
tinual war with the Turks, Algerines, and 9th
er Mahomedans, and alto with pirates. The
knights take vows If celibacy, chaRity, &C.
With regard to matrimony they indeed general
| ly keep their vow, but they introduce great
number Of Greek girls, who ferve them as con
cubines.
The capital Of the Inand IS ranad Malta afo
1t is likewfe called Vsetta, from having beer
repaired by the grand matter Veletta, 1000
1t ftands on hill that Rretches i.ielf out like
neck of land into the fca and about the middle
Of this Hand Il conGls Of three towns, of which
the Citta Veccahia, or Cd town, otherwife call
ed Medina, is one. Thefe are feperated by
channels that { rm 70 many pepinfalas Of fold
rock, which rife to a coniiderable height above
the lea having fecure harbours within them ca
pabe ofreceiving whole fleets; and as the Gtua-
ton IS thus natu ally RrOng, no art is wanting
to render the Notifications impregnable. It's
frong walls are Of large freeRone, partly hewn
out Of the rocks, and Penifully furniihed with
cannon. Forwards on the neck Of land towards
the lea, Rands The cattle Of St. Elmo, which is
fortified in the modern ayle, and defends the
entrance into both harbors the one lying as
Won come from The fea into It on The right hand
OF the town is called Maria Mufcietta, and en-
clofcs little IG1nd, upon which is partly a fort
and partly Laztretto. The other harbour is
on the left hand, and called GmPly Malca, or
the great harbour which is the mott capacious
fecuIe and CONNEXIONS In al this liant, with