Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-03-26
wAKEmAN,s wANDERINGs.


Malta and tho Maltese-Coast and In
terror Scenes in the Island of the
sword and Coyyl-St. Paal's bay
and Citta Veechia-amprsssiv Pre-.
historic Remafns-Wand Sing.
ers.
VALErrA, Malta, Feb. %.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
The visitor to Malta Is a long while in
firing of the historic, architectural and
social attractions of Vsletta, especially in
the sunny winter time whom day and night
seem filed with an endless round of bril-
liant scenes and gayety. But if interest
in the splendid old city of the knights
should begin to wane, there would still be
found an extraordinary charm In the easi-
ly-made excursions to various points of in
terest in Malta and the adjoining islands,
and q most pleasing study of the peasan-
try under their curious conditions of en-
vironment.
From Valetta one can reach the reno
test points in Comino and Gozo, even by
row or sail boats, with donkeys for the in
terror lettering, and return to the city
within daylight hours; and as to Malta it
self-whose length is no more than eight
cen miles with an extreme breadth of less
than twelve-I have often walked from
Valetta to Fort St. Lucian on the south
east coast, to Citta Vecchis, the ancient
capital of the island, to St. Pauls bay,
and to sunny, silent Dinglion, the extreme
southwestern coast, arriving still in time
for Maltese breakfast, which, if not a
meal of dainty perfection, always possess
es the aristocratio quality of interminable
delay.
The coast scenery of western Malta and
all of Coco is very beautiful indeed, while
occasionally it reaches positive grandeur.
For the Bible student there are the scene
of the shipwreck of st. Paul and several
places made famous by the apostles stay
upon the island. For the simply curious
traveller there are the many ruined sum
mer palaces of the grand masters, ancient
and interesting fortalices and palaces of
the Isquisition. The antiquarian will dis
cover larger number of prehistoric re-
mains than upon any other equal area.
with catacombs as fine as those of SYRIA
cuse and greater than those of Rome. Ge-
ologists find extraordinarily favorable con-
litions for researches, owing to the bare,
denuded condition of the island, with its
rocky seashores and noble cliff exposures.
And naturalists haunt the islands in win
ter for studies of its rich and winsome
tenantry of migratory birds.
The most beautiful examples of coast
scenery are to be found upon Coco. 1t is
so near that days excursion in little
felucca, manned by two or three pictur-
-sque and necessarily chattering bostmen,
will give one continuous feast of change
tul scene, and almost a complete survey of
all coast points of interest. The shores of
Malta are com pletely lined with fishermen
or women and children gathering seaweed
for enriching the scant soil of the island,
and every little cove is alive with color
and soundful with song.
Even in winter the sparkling and phos-
phorescent waters of the Mediterranean
are here bland and warm to the touch, and
the young Maltese disport in the waves
during their arduous labors like bevies of
playful seafowl while the most dangerous
cliffs and precipices are so crowded with
them in their quest for eggs, the young of
the seafowl inhabiting the crannies of the
cliffs, and for the various forms of vege-
tation which are stored with miserly care
FOR fuel and manure, that, at some dis
tance, the blending of colors of costume
with the grays and green's of the island
crags, often gives the curious illusion that
the ssawalls are aflame with gigantic trop-
ical flowers.
Gozo, which is called Gaudisch by the
native Maltese, contains no town, although
the tiny island, which is but six miles
broad and eight miles long, is thickly in
habited. 1t has six villages or cssals
These with the outlying farms, for it is a
very fertile island and under the highest
degree of cultivation, are, or were in the
old times, protected by an ancient though
massive fort called Rabato. 1t is most
picturesquely situated at a great elevation
IN the center of the island. From its
walls, with field-glass, 1 have looked
upon the splendid panorama of Malta with
Its terraced fields, its old walled villages.
Its massive palaces and the far white city
# Valetta; to the north viewed Sicily with
the glistening cone of Etna above its dark
and slender thread of horizon line; and
seen to the southwest, like purple dots
upon the shimmering Mediterranean blne,
the lonely islets of Linosa and Lsmpedu-
"a, half way to the Tunisian shores of At
RIGA.
The topography of Goza is very baauti-
full. 1t is charmingly diversified by hill
and dale. Many of its sunny valleys are
natural and artificial gardens of wondrous
luxuriance. l have nowhere seen their
equal, save in those marvellous garden
wales behind beautiful Palermo in Sicily
Tne shores present, save at a very few
points, perpendicular sea walls; and on
the western and northwestern coasts they
often rise straight from the waters edge
to height of over two thousand feet
These abound in caves of great size and
splendor; their sides and brows are the
haunts of myriad sea-fowl; their heights
hero and there show stunted and lonely
palms; and the air about them with the
sky above are often almost white with
millions of the slowly sailing and exqui-
sitely beautiful little Adriatic gulls
cannot vouch for the emotions of 9th
ers, but as I first tramped over the heights
of Nasciar, descending into the valley be-
yond, and saw spread before me the Bay
of St. Paul, a sense of awe mingled with
glorious elation came with the stiffness and
beauty of the spot where the heroic apos-
tie WAS shipwrecked. The bay, which is
about two miles long and one in breadth,
10 ShSuotOu oh LILO hoi tuCih IL COasO VI MAI
ia, and is hardly distant brisk two
hours walk from the city of Valetts.
Countless excursions are made hither by
water from Malta's capital, and often the
roads are filled with all manner of vehi-
cles conveying pious or curious pilgrims.
I preferred coming in the early morning
and alone.
AS stood on Nasciar heights the sun
WAS just rising above the promontory of
Ras el Ksura. Its rays fell softly upon
the sleeping waters. They gave the lit
tie memorial chapel a bright and smiling
face. They deepened the shadows on the
eastern shore, where fishermen were lazily
spreading their nets. They pierced the
copses and chimes of the Melliha slopes.
disclosing their huts and cabins of the
lowly folk who are nearly as naked and
quite as listless of civilization as were
| their barbarian" forefathers among whom
| St. Paul was cast nearly two thousand
years ago. They mellowed the grays of
| the massive walls of the ancient SaImona
palace, which crowns the Mellihs rocks
| to the northwest. And where the little
island of Gzeier, like bit of the cliffs
tumbled into the sea, at the north showed
its saffrony surface between the blue of
/ L,x <ba