Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-07-07
The ISLE OF MALTA.
Has Been Likened to a Cheese,
Being Round and Yellow.
QUEER BUSINESS STREETS.
They Are Inordinately Narrow and
Excessively Steep.
QUEER BUSINESS STREETS.
MALTA CATS ARE A DHLusIoN.
only the Common backward spe-
Giles Found ON the iainnd-The
Patient and Useful Donkeys,


lantern. stayed several hours, then II
was gone. and we have sailed away
and left 1t behind in the middle OF the
pecan.
saw an account OF Malta which
llkened It to a cheese, and the de-
scription is perfect-it Is SO round and
yellow. The effect is most peculiar
with the intense blue water Of the
Mediterranean lying all around It and
running into the bays and canals. II is
a treeless island, except for few palm
trees and the cactus abounds. The
harbor is a horseshoe, and the view
out through the opening Is exquisite.
Fortress walls rise on either hand
directly above you. with the waves
breaking on the rocky foundations.
Our vessel was surrounded by little
boats. gaily painted and rowed by the
,wnrthy descendants OF old pirates, who
had however, no chance to show
whether the traits were still In the
blood. for a relocated Tommy Atkins
was waiting at the landing steps 20 tell
us the exact fare 1.-TWO cents) and TO see
that no more was demanded. British
law makes itself quickly felt wherever
that race holds sway,
Valetta is all hills. Whenever you
are not going up stairs you are coming
down. Long flights Of steps lead up.
and seem endless as you toll up the
steep ascent on a hot day. The dear
ntue donkeys, though. trot beside you
laden down, but miracles OF patience
/ love the donkeys. They are my
faVorite mode OF conveyance, ana
have tried them ALL as | have an IN
Vestigaling mind, and have ridden on
everything, even a camel, WIN whlen
last / had notifying experience by
the way, 1t was in Egypt, Wheh We
were going about the pyramids, MY
beast was named Rnmscs and great
show was made of giving me the Buld-
ing rope, but RQmsos. though loNable.
was a triae plg-headcd. and l could
not exercise the slightest influence over
his movements and soon discovered
that he was being stcercd by small
boy in the rear who pulled hts tail.
The Arab saddle Is made with two
straight pommels, one at each end, ana
is exactly alike both ways, When we
came out from the Temple OF the
Sphinx | told the Arabs with dignity
that | knew how to mount and would
get on by myself Accordingly l
vaulted into the saddle, put my foot
into the stirrup, my knees over the
pommol and said to the boy; NOW tell
him to get up There was shout
from the Arabs. and | discovered that
was sitting with my face the wrong
way l had been so occupied with the
SADDLE that ! had failed to notice any
minor matters. II ! had had presence
OF mind | should have told thcm that
Americans always ride that way. but
did not think of 1t In time, aud then.
perhaps It would have been trying
10 proceed Tar In that manner But I
am sure they would have believed it:
they think the 'frlulNIlt' ladies' are
all crazy, anyway, I mink my nrgl-
nality made an impression on the sheik.
though, FOR he presented me, at part
ing, with his visiting card, which
seemed n strange pofses9iOn for Il
sheik OF the desert. But In Malta one
only rides ON donkeys, and there Is
safety In the humble beast. Through
long narrow lane we came, and into
the market. Quantities OF fruit and
vegetables were hoapcd up FOR sale,
but we particularly noticed the mann
moth pumpkins, the fresh olives, tho
figa strung on twigs and fastened Into
a frame rather like Tyre or musical
instrument Of some sort, ana pecu-
Harry hideoua sort OF eel. which must
have been better than II appeared from
its evident popularity us an article OF
diet. The Inhabitants speak a very
queer patois. the "lingua franca." q
mongrel tongue composed OF Arabic,
Italian and scraps OF one sort and an
other
The barbarous people did us no lit
tie Kindness" said ST. Paul In CRATE
full memory, as he recorded how they
made fire and warmed and fed the
Hhipwrecked, weary men The bar.
barous people have relapsed into some
OF their original bnrbarity since then
ana the beggara pursue one with a
perunaoity that outdocs even the Ne.
apolitan gamins, st. paul's Bay Is
pointed out. ana the cathedral stands
on the traditional site OF the house
OF Publius. In the cathedral are buried
the knights OF Malta under the lovely
m9saies and arches, like carved ivory
Mhen these old crusaders started on
their Journey to the holy scpulchre They
donned their coats OF mail took their
weapons, called together their troop,
OF followers and fought their waA
through the inndel hosts. Then they
came home covered with wounds and
sears, and when they died their figure,
We're sculptured. 10 lie upon theil
COMMISSIONERS. with legs crossed, IA Z
Sign az pilgrimage. We nin0tocptl
century pilgrims are making II differ
entity, In great ocean greyhound, witt
every luxury of modern clvilizn ton
But perhaps the old days held cumpen
cation In their simple. unquestIoninl
Iallh ana reverence. Their wonderful
archives, preserved In PRletta, tell hoy
they fought against Turkish an,
Moorish pirates. rescued slnNes nurse,
the sick and buried tho dead thruucl
the long centuries. Driven from Jeri
Tripoli. and then 10 Malta, they hei
their headquarters here until Bona
parte, on his way to Egypt, stoppe
Ions enough to suppress their institu
lions and confscate their property.
Malta falls short In one particular
there are no Maltese cats, Some wear
ago 1 made the discovery that thing
are never TO be found in the nlare
Tor which they are named. Neitbe
l.cghorn hats or hens could be bourh
at Leghorn, the waiter at Weisbads
had never heard OF Weishnden urf
serves, bologna sausage was not forth
cominH IN Eologna, though they apol
ogeucully murmured something nbou
shop at the station; and following i
the traiu another disinusionnnen
awaited me at Malta, which Is n
uncomfortable IN cats az Chcahire. onl
felines are black or yellow ana OF III
sort TINT haunt back fences and mai,
night hideous ut home.
The colcring OF the country IA yer
briliant with It's contrasts OF yelio,
earth, blue water. green cactus m
the painted and frescoed houses O
our way through the town W. ,ns
most of our fellow passengcrs In III, ~,
OF me shops IN search OF lace and M
YER our time was SO short that
could only view the articles from IN
windows, and prices had evidently bee
s'sed for the occasion. but / wa