, 1878-04-26
Cincinnati Boys Cruise in the Med
itterranean.

After mingling with the sacred memo
ries of the Holy Land, and sailing past
the beautiful islands of the LeYant, we
sighted Malta, and our ship ran into La
Vallette, the principal port of the island.
Continuous lines of Notifications protect
both sides of the deep and narrow har-
bor. The high, somber walls, the deep
moats and bristling battlements make
this second only to Gibraltar in
point of impregnability. The town
has been fortified one ever since its oc-
cupaion by the PhGneclans, nearly a
thousand years before the Christian era.
After the PhGnecians came the Greeks,
Carthagenans, Romans Goths and Sara
Gems. Later days saw it held, with GER
tain other islands as fefs to the houses of
Aragon and CASTLE. Finally it passed
to the crown of Germany. In 1880
Charles the Fifth gave it to the order Of
the Knights of st. John of jerusalem
During the two succeeding centuries
Malta was the strongest outpost of the
Christians held against the ever vigilant
and aggressive Moslem.
The knights held the island till the 9th
of June, 179S, when Napoleon, ON his way
to Egypt, t,capturedit. The French did not
long enjoy in peace their citadel island.
From November, 1893, till September,
1SOO the English aud Portuguese fleets
lay before the town besieging and harass-
ing and isolated garrison, till from
sheer starvation, the gallant French sur
rendered. Since then the English, with
their far-seeing, steady pertinacity, have
held the island. The Notifications since
then have been kept in steady repair, and
many very extensive improvements have
been effected. Besides the high walls
surrounding the town proper, there
are three magnificent lines of outworks
protecting this naturally impregnable
city from the land side.
The siege of Malta by the Saxon in the
beginning of this century had yet
blOodier and more memorable example in
1865 by the Saracen. The knights had
for many years made the Maltese cross
the btterest foe the crescent found. An
especial act of epredatiOn--the capture
of several Turkish galleys laden with
costly stuffs for the beauties of the Sui
tan's harem-spurred the Turk to its i'm
mediate capture. An overwhelming force
under the Seriaskier, Mustapha Pasha,
and the celebrated Admiral Dragut, ap-
peared before the town and demanded its
immediate surrender. The little garrison
counted TOO knights and $500 soldiers.
So overwhelming was the force of the
enemy, and so renowned their prowess
that Christendom little hoped success
full issue. The event illustrated the won
derful and almost miraculous influence
of an abiding determined effort on the
part of one old man. John DE La Val
lette was their Grand Master. He gath
cred about him in the chapel his little
band Of chivalry, and addressed them with
the following inspiriting words: "a for
midable enemy is coming like thunder
storm upon US, and if the banner Of the
cross must sink before the rnbelievers
let US see in this sign that Heaven de-
msnds from US these lives which we have
soemnly devoted to its service. He who
dies in this cause dies happy, devoted
death, and to render ourselves worthy to
meet it, let us renew ut the altar those
VOWS which ought to make us not only
fearless but invincble in the fight" Fear.
less in the fight they were, for when the
siege was raised, after four long months
of bloody struggle, 5000 Of the brave
defenders and $4,000 Of the enemy me-
death. The Turk sailed off with the tat
tered remnant of that once invinciblC
feet, and left behind them an almost de
molished town, but which still was un
cOnquerable while the soul Of La VallettC
inspired its defenders. From that day
they called it La .yallette, after their ole
Grand Master.
hired one of the small double ended
boats which lay alongside, and wen
ashore. By dint of good fortune and {
vigorous choice of epithets, | escaped
from the vociferous medley of hackmer
and guides, and passed over the moat
through the massive iron gates into tn,
town. There are but three of these gates
and each is very diligently guarded. Tht
streets ascending from the harbor ar,
very steep, the sidewalks are almost stair