The morning call., 1892-03-27

suddenly filed with bowed and dark-robei
neures for moment, and again as snd-
denly become lifeless. dark and still.
The ca'ac0mbs beneath Citta Fecchia and
the prehistoric rock-hewn tonibs Of Mnaidra
are almost a welcome relief from the sol
emnlty and solemn shades Of This old place.
The passages aud chambers If the cata-
combs are lacking mural decoration, but
they are Of the same character as those at
Syracuse, and are much larger than any
single examples to be found at Rome. They
are bewn out Of the soft stratum Of the
upper limestone on which Citta Y cecilia
stands. \ GU reach them through perpen-
dlcular shalt, and few steps bring you
into perfect maze OF tunnels leading In
every direction, with crYpts on each Side
and at every possible level.
These tunnels and their branch tunnels
seem interminable. | counted upward of 500
separate sepulcherS. ana there are no doubt
many thousands. One passage or gallery
OF very large proportions was found which
opened into capaclous squares or cham ers,
where the crypts were fashioned as though
for the more distinguished dead. Their
proportions were more ample, and they
were better formed in every respect. In
MANY a rest for the head and neck was
was raised and followed in excellent con-
tour; and by the side Of others were exca-
waited inches for urns and the lamp for
votive and other sepuIehral off es.
However ancient was the race that ex-
CdNattu OF TeQuITeu SncN vast area Tor
burial. il is certain that these crypts were
equally as extensive i'll the days of the
Romans, 2000 years ago. They are COM
pletely barren of all remains, as they were
Tor long time used as abOdes for the liy-
ing, the primitive Christians having flea to
them for refuge; and they have bean on
various occasions the abodes Of the early
Maltese when flying from the swords of the
Goth, Nandal, Moor and Turk. Noone has
ever fully explored them, and find from
the natives that the belief among them is
universal that subterTanean passages lead
TO Valetta and 10 other remote points in the
island.
These ara not the only prehistoric rema aims
OF great Interest to be found Oh the islands
DlminutlVe catacombs and rock-hewn tombs
are accessible in nearly every Important
valley, Tayine or rocky gorge in both Malta
and GoZO. Extensive catacOmbs are found
at biicabba. Tower Nadur, ST. Paul's and
Melliha bays, and Mnaidra, " lie at Hhagiar-
Kim and Mnaidra in Malta and at the
Giants Tower. in Coco, l saw megalithic
monuments rivaling in massiveness all d
mystery the Stonehenge Of England and
the vast pagan monument OF New Grange,
on the Boyns in Ireland. l was shown a
great and solitary monolith Standing near
Har HaSsan cave, on the south coast of
Malta. There is dolman-like ruin on
Cgrdino Hill overlooking Valetta. And
measured upright blocks in the Hhagiar-
Kim ruin "a feet high, while in the cyclo-
pean Giants Tower / found severa with a
height of % and 80 feet. Their additional
length beneath the debris surrounding
them must have been considerable. All of
these tremendous monoliths were put in
place thousands of years ago by a people
capable Of quarrying aud Transporting them
from sandstone beds nearly mile distant,
for the purpose of some form of alteration.
They did their work so we'll that. while all
other traces of their race are lost, these
mute monuments have brought the story
true from almost unrecorded time of the
eternal principle Of worship in the heart OF
man.
From my habit of wandering alo ne, and
| much in the country, in foreign lands,
| have come to regard their birds as my most
| charming chance acquaintance Absolute
| ly without trees, save those ransplanted