Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-05
WAKEMAN'S TRAVELS.
A Pleasant Trip From Palma to Malta
on a Maltese Brigantine.
A TYPICAL TUNISIAN MERCHANT.
Marvellous Morning Scene in the Beautiful
Harbor of Valetta.
SOME VERY PRETTY PEN PICTURES
rcoRREspoNprNcF oF THE n1spArcH :,

NALETTA, MALTA, FEB. 1S-The Iatll
races dwelling to the north of the Med
iterranean and all those of Oriental e1trac
tion to the south and east, look upon tn,
English occupation of the island of Malt;
and the two contiguous lesser islands o
Comino and Coco in much the same spiri
as they regard the occupation of Gibraltar
by the English.
That is in an evil and vengeful spirit
The fact could have had no clearer illustra
tion than in the sentiments expressed by
the Captain of the coaster upon which
made my way from Majorca to Malta, AND
by the only other passenger besides myself
upon the odd little brigantine upon which
we sailed.
My companion passenger came aboard at
Tunis, where we touched to land Majorcan
wine, making up our part cargo of wine for
Malta with Tunisian hides and wheat in
curious little brown sacks which were tied
in the middle and slowed away in tie hold
criss-cross, as YOU would lay dumb-bells
each upon the other.
Our crew comprised six half naked and
barefooted Maltese sailors, with cotton
trowsers crimson scarts certainly 30 feet
long wound about their waists, ugly sheath
knives in these, and no other clothing what
ever save tiny tasseled caps resting jauntily
upon the crisp and curly hair of their hard
little heads. They were little, wiry fel-
lows, the best sailors in the world, it is
said, with swapping, beady eyes, sharp, short
noses, thick lips, splendid teeth, and alto
gether as merry and sunny-natured a lot as
you could fad sailing upon any sea.
A Family Like Nincpins.
The Captain was of Spanish extraction
and Maltese birth He had been fisher
man OF Valetta had saved his money; had
got an education at the free English schools
of Malta; and from the vocation of port
pilot had come to own the craft which he
commanded. In his little cabin were many
good books. both in Spanish and English,
and his surroundings in his tiny sea home
were so pleasant, and certainly more evil
dent of education, refinement and good taste
than you will often find in cabins OF the
most pretentious American sailing vessels.
His wife, Teresa, and nine children, the
latter grading in size from an infant in arms
10 lad of IL as regularly as set of ten
pins, and nearly as naked, cooked for and
waited upon us, lending hand at light sea-
mems duties whenever required with won
dertul agility, adding pleasantly to the pic
turesqueness of the everyday life of the
tiny vessel, and providing those blessedest
of all sounds at sea, the voice OF woman
and the prattle of children, ceaseless, tune
tul and winsome as ever make melodic the
sunniest home OF city, hamlet or vale.
Not the least picturesque object on board
our brigantine was our other passenger who
with the dried hides, which he resembled in
visage. had been taken on at Tunis He
was Tunisian merchant trading between
Tunis and Malta. We all treated him with
much consideration because his flowing
robes and white burnoose, which took up a
good deal of room, gave this otherwise
measly looking man most important ap-
pearanee. and, unconsciouslv, 1 presume,
because he owned the hides and wheat.
Then, too, he was very bland and agreeable,
a peculiarity of all Moslems when they are
found cne mile away from home.
The Mediterranean's Gammons.
You will notice this Characteristic if you
travel much about the Mediterranean. In
their own homes, streets and shops there |
are no more imperiously grave, imperturb- |
able and sodden humans than Turk, Arab |
and Moor. But let them once turn their |
faces toward Christian ports and profit, and |
their manner and bearing at once change. |
Thev seem to have suddenly become ready |
creased with graciousness for all trade and |
social exigencies. Their striking habila- |
ments no longer comport with their reputed |
dignity of character. The bags on their |
heads and their ample robes and sandals |
suggest the harlequin. Neither Yankees |
nor Hebrews are match for them in the |
subtle shutfiings and diplomacies of trade
In fact they are the 'Oily Gammons" of |
the Mediterranean.
In the long, languorous days and glowing
evenings of our lazy sailing they were both,
he Maltese captain and the Tunisian
merchant, more to me than weeks of desul-
tory meetings of their kind in their own
ands. They were both intelligent COM
and both spoke English fluent
" Their true feelings and opinions came
gradually and surely out of the confidential
sea voyages universally
mpeL They represented in heredity, edu-
cation and feeling the implacable and end
ess religious and race war between the peo-
pie of the Crescent and the Cross. The fore
sthers of each had doubtless been slain de-
ending the banners of one or the other |
They typifed Christian Europe pitted
.gainst Infdel Africa and Asia
But all race and religious hatred was
,lent in common hatred of the English
masters of Malta
The Greed of Gold in the Heart.
To reach the sentimental reason of this
constantly espoused the English cause
L |
wn successful career, and reminded him
that he would have remained an
gnorant and impoverished fisherman but
or this very English rule which he re-
ented.
t'Si, 81, senor," he would sadly reply; ssbut
Would not have had the devil of greed set |
o work in my heart. 1 am now more hun
~ for great ship than was at first for a |
title felucca.'
'But has not the condition of your $50. 900
elbow countrymen of the islands been
astly improved?"
my fellow countrymen grieve over the
assing away of the old things they loved.
| little higher wall to ones patch of
round, another room or two added to ones
ONE, a little more finery in ones ears or
n ones back, or little more coin clink-
lg between the fingers, do not make peasant :
blk better or happier. They cannot be- !
ome like their masters. They learn only .
, envy them and to be ashamed of them :
lives and each other. L would give nv .
rigantine and all but-but Teresa and the :
mas (children)," the captain would con- =
ude with an indescribably pathetic and !
wing gesture of protective fondness, which =
lcluded all the romping curly heads on &
lipboard, 'to live in a hut by the shore
I'd see the red-coats no more foreyerp'
The grief of my Tunisian fellow passen-
n was of a different sort, though it was t
one the less real and poignant; but it was p
itigated also by the fsnatical belief that t
me time the Mussulman faith and folk o
i'll prevail and rule all lands. o
Profit Under Pious Pretense.
christian pillage and despoilation, he b
ould feellngly say, shave been the real. Fl
olive of every so-called holy crusade and
Il