The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-05-03

the eaf, not only greatly adds TO its beauty, bul
tends to preiervc the air in rate of i;Iuhrity.
The greate6 part OF the country is planted
with cotton, which 10 protected from the vicif
iitudcs of the weather, by walls OF above five o,
fix feet high, placed at fmalI diftamce from each
other. The grain produced ON the iiland is
fcarccly futlicient to fubnR the inhabitants du.
ring three months but there is in the city oil
Vaiette an establishment, called the Univer6ty,
on which they depend for fnppy, and from,
which they are obliged to pnrohaie it. The
grain which is imported, is laid up in pits hol-
lowed out of the rock, in the form of truncated
| cones Theoretically clofed, where it can be pre-
fervcd feverai years; and there is ufualy con.
tanned in theie flores fuficient quantity for one
years coniumpton. The foil, which has been
moRly brought from Sicily, is very fertile du-
ring the ip:ins and autumn, but in fummerit be-
comes dry, arid, and fterile. The French fol-
diers, however, during the blockade, afforded a
PROOF to the native. what may be done on flch
foil by judicous culture, as during the greatel,
heats or iummer, they RATED every fpecies of lc-
guninous plants and other vegetables.
Iheie artiHed gardens produce the fame fruits
and vegetables as thoie ofthe country we found
IN them abundance of caulifower, water-mel-
ons, aud every fpecies Of grape, but not in fuf-
mott common trees are the orange, the citrcn n,
the fie, the pomegrante, the peach and apricot (;
we ALTO fometimes obierved pear, apple, cherry,
and walnut trees. The fruits of all thefe trees
are OF the very bel qualities. There are ALTO,
principally in the Cotonnei. fomc fields Town
with wheat, barley and cottoa.
The Botanical Garden might eafily be rem
dered very valuable in Malta, as nothing more
is neceiiary, in order to naturalfe the different
plants, which grow in the four quarters Of the
globe, but to expofe fuch as fourth under the
line to the mott intenie heat of the fun, and
carefully to protect from its influence thofe that
are indigenous in colder countries.
In this incloiure they already cultivate mott
of the plants ufed in medicine, and among o.
theirs fqull, and the .fungm meFtenEt, of fuch
ooai'ed efficacy in h9norrhages.
The hog is the NOT common animal in this
city, and a,so the dog, great number of which
the traveller encounters in every freet; hence
the Italian proverb, Hi,meS&o del gioyna non e
eeAe nellie frade ebe EraneeG, cant, borci: At
midday nothing is to be feen in the treets but
frenchmen, dogs, and hogs. Horfes are very
rare in this Hand; as BEATS of burden, ales or
mules are molly employed, which are exceed
ingly hardy, and of a very large fze; goats are
alto numerous, but there are few black cattle !;
the OK is brought either from Barbary or Sicily,
and is fsttened with the feed of the cotton,
which renders the fiefh delicate. The poultry
coniitts notify of hens, and great abundance
OF pigeons; game is eXquifite and very plenti-
full, particularly at the time of their patiage !;
rabbits abound in the illand.
Malta is well fupplied with great variety of
fith. The infetts are numerous, and the ants
and muiquitoes prove extremely troubefome
during the fummer. Lizards are obferved in
great numbers, but they are perfectly harmless,
and all kinds ofreptiles, fucb as the ferpent, are
very numerous Oh the ifand.
The influence produced by the itatc of the
atmofphere on the life, the health, or the diff
cafes of mankind, is generally acknowird
AT Malta the qualities of the air vary according
as tie wind proceeds from different points Of
the compass (; and as it frequently changes fe-
vera times day, an al.nof continual varia-
ton of temperature IS thus produced. The
north winds are always cold, and thofe from
the fouth war; 1. it is fomewhat angular that
when the nc. n or north welt winds prevail dur
INK the d., their force is diminithed during
thF night, whiiif on the contrary, the fouth
wild becomes fenfiby increafed at that period
lile winds from the north wet are colder and
mPe pure, becaufe they blow over large ex-
tett of fea, than thofe from the wet, which
tohch little on the African coat. The north
witd is efficiently pure from traverfing Italy &
Sicily, where vegetation is abundant, as well
al that from the north caft and eaft, which
blows over comfortable fpace of fea. The
forth and fouth eat winds, are the mott I'M
who!efome, and the leaf pure, as they pats o.
ver the continent of Africa; and the frat,
" lch feparates this burning and arid country
l7in Malta is not efficiently broad to produce
III them any amelioration in their courfe.