Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-13

Moslems that it was determined by com
blned Turkish, Arab and Algerian powers
To extirpate them from the earth. Accord
ingly one Of the most magnificent Turkish
| ornaments ever known. consisting of Isl
war vessels and $4,000 select troops, began
| the Investment of Malta on May IS, 1865
| Jean Parisot de Ia Valetta, the grand mas
ter, with but coo knights and 800 Maltese
militia, for four months sustained with I'm,
| paralleled heroism the most savage and per
sistent seige since the seige of Troy. 1t ha;
| been fifty said that only Homer was lack
! ing TO render this historic event as memo
| rial and its heroes, Christian and Moslem.
as immortal
The decline of Moslem power really dates
from this great Turkish defeat at Malta
All the Christian powers, though failing to
aid the knights in their extremity, now
that they were victorious. INDUCED in de-
| hrious rejoicings, and royal, princely and
private gifts poured in upon Malta's
| heroic defenders. The city and fortifica-
tions, named Valetta in honor of the
glorious defender, were entirely rebuilt, as
you will find them now. The great church
of ST. John, the Westminster Abbey of
Malta, was erected. Palaces termed ''au-
berges'' for the entertainment of the visit
| ing Languages, arose on every hand; and
it seemed that new and even more
lustrous era of splendor and power had be-
gun.
But the success of the French revolution
was the death blow to the Knights of Malta.
All their property in France was annexed
to the republics demesnes, and French
members of the order were deprived of
citizenship. Bonaparte on his way to
Egypt seized the islands through treachery,
pillaged Valetta'S treasures, and garrisoned
the fortress with 1000 men. These finally
surrendered to the Maltese and their En-
glish allies, having been literally starved
out, on September 4, 1900 By this time
the famous order was distracted and al
most destroyed. It was proposed to restore
it at Malta by the treaty of Amiens. The
Maltese people strenuously opposed this.
The order was never re-eStabliShed; and
thus faded from existence the most heroic
band of knighthood, bulwark of Christian
ity to the limit of its need, that ever made
Respondent the most glorious days of cbiv-
airy. The seventh article of the treaty of
Paris, signed May 80, 1911. was as follows
''The island of Malta, with its dependen-
cles, will appertain in full authority and
sovereignty to his Britannia majesty" and
Sir Thomas Maitland was Malta's first
English governor.
The three islands contained a population
of about l50, 900 souls, of which fully 100-
600 are found in the city and suburbs of
Valetta. INTELLECTUALLY, Valetta is place
of extraordinary interest. The shore for
selves worthy of months study. Their
tremendousness, intricacy and even beauty
constantly provide new and impressive sur
prises. Nothing approaching their remark
able proportions can be found in Christen-
dom. Then the old palaces, or auberges,
and the great church of St John, with
countless public and private struct ures of
minor Importance, are massive and princely
in character. The treasures of medieval
Europe were open to their knightly build
ers. And l doubt if there is another spot
accessible to civilized man where there is
massed within the same area an equal evil
dence of outlay of labor and treasure. In
contemplating the proportions, extent, mas
SlveneSS and richness of this single stone
monument to the ambitions of regal chiv-
airy, the mind constantly gropes for equal
examples of lavish utilization of wealth and
labor, and as constantly recalls the great
pyramid at Jeezah.
The city proper lies along the "tongue''
before alluded to, withmost beautiful har-
bors at either side, each in turn faced by
the splendid Notifications and the magnif-
cent suburbs rising to the right and left
along the Mediterranean, and back towards
the interior of the island. The tongue
or peninsula on which was built the origi-
nal city is about two-thirdS of mile in
length and a fourth of a mile broad. Its
central length line marks its highest alti-
<
side harbors and towards the peninsula's
point, where the great fort of St. Elmo
with its splendid lighthouse confront the
Maltese channel in northeasterly direction
towards Sicily.
Eight splendid streets, the chief of which
is Strada keale at the summit, extend the
whole length, from ST. Elmo to the inner
lines at the great royal gate; the eleven
shorter streets intersect these, reaching the
waterside at the east and west beneath ire
mendous fortified archways. All these
streets comprise series of stairwayS as
cending and descending to and from the
highest level of Strada Reale, hewn out of
the solid rock; and it was these massive and
beautiful adjunctS to the picturesqueness of
Valetta which secured from Byron, to whose
unfortunate crippled feet many other of his
bitter lines may be attributed, the pardon
able profanity of:
"Adieu. We joys Of La Valette,
Adieu, sirocco, sun and sweat;
Adieu, We cursed streets OF stairs,
Sure everyone who mounts you swears."
Splendid rows of buildings face the works
along the entire shore of Valetta, with a
carriage-way between forming one of the
most characterful and interesting thorough
fares of the city; while the views from the
countless angles of the bastions-over the
city with its hugh fat roofs and domes
over the shipping of the harbors beneath,
the waterside folk with boats of high
peaked stern and prov provide as quaint
groupings as can be found at Venice; upon
the fair villas of distant Sliema, where the
rich of Europe pass their winters in
oriental luXuriance; or over the blue Medi-
terranean towards Sicily, where often old
glittering crests may be SEEM
stir and thrill the stranger wondrously. =
All houses of Valetta are of solid stone.
Scarcely any wood has been employed in
or interior decoration.
Marvels in stone in all adaptations of utility
and establishment have resulted. Indeed
Valetta in all of its most massive or fragile
aspects, seems to have been hewn and
chiseled from one immovable solid rock.
The lower stories of most structures are
by less wealthy classes, or are
used for shops and stores. Between the |
first and second floors is middle floor |
called here ''mezzanino." It is low, and |
is used generally for offices, alcobas or |
small cafes and private or household |
eating apartments; the main suites of |
apartments being on the first floor.
But every house in some portion pos |
sesses the charming Moresque-Spanish |
patio or court This is supplied with tank, |
well or fountain, often in most curious and |
,ostiy patterns; while balustrades. CALLER |
es, arches and stairways furnish tho most |
exquisite examples of Byzantine art in 1
stone. Strada Reale, looking upward |
rom near the walls of st. Elmo, is in my
Judgment the most beautiful and dream
street in the world. It is as
hough your eyes rested upon broad stairs,
lalt shut in and shaded by films of lace