M A L T A PAIN TED BY V ITTO RIO BO RON DESC R IBED BY FR EDERIC K W . RYAN 48 8 7 42 3 CL 3 . LO N DON " ADAM 69 C H ARLES BLAC K 1 91 0 C OUNT GIROLAMO TH IS I S PREFACE TH E following text is intended to give no more n ’ than a slight sketch , aided by Sig or Boron s ff e ective pencil , of the manifold interests to be found in Malta . While the archaeology o f the island and its con o f nection with the Order of St . John Jerusalem have from time to time attracted attention , English writers seem regrettably to have neglected o ther topics presented by this unique Imperial posses - of sion, such as the folk lore and literature the Maltese language ; the growth ofthe early Christian Church of Malta ; the nature o f the Consiglio P opolare — that gleam of constitutional govern ment in the Dark Ages quite as interesting as the Wittenagemote ; or the social and economic condition of the Maltese people under the Knights and in the early days o f British rule— all ofwhich have engaged the attention of Italian and Maltese historians . PREFACE Circumstances have not allowed more than a passing allusion in the following pages to such subjects : they are here mentioned to indicate the fruitful field of research embraced by the Malta Historical and Scientific Society, formed last year o f in Valletta , which proposes , under the guidance its President , Professor Napoleon Tagliaferro, to study ‘ the history and archae ology o f the Maltese Islands and other scientific subjects oflocal interest —an association well worthy o f the support of British residents in Malta. The vast contents o fthe Record Office in Valletta and oral tradition— the latter nowhere stronger than in these islands — may on examination co n tribute many valuable additions to literatu re and history . Two volumes in this direction have recently ap ear ed o f : p , considerable Imperial and local interest A History of Malta during the Period of the 1 98 French and British Occupations, 7 com of piled by the late William Hardman, Valletta ; and the Historical Records of the Maltese Corps ’ of the British Army, compiled by Colonel A . G . Chesney. The writer begs to acknowledge his large in PREFACE vii d ebted ness o f Sed d all to the standard works Porter, , and Bedford in connection with the Order of St . John and the Great Siege ; to the writings of Miss Simmons , Judge De Bono, Signor Busuttil , Mr . G . A . Page, Mr. A . S . Flower, Dr. A . A . Caruana, and Dr. A . Bartolo, and also to the many Maltese friends who have kindly supplied him wi th information . E Mr. dward Reynaud has kindly revised the names of places in the map . F E E A . R D RICK W. RY N 1 3 CL E ROAD , YD , DU LI B N, Se tember 8 1 10 p , 9 . C o ntents C H APTER INTRODU CTORY MALTA I N EARLY DAYS TH E ER O F ST JO OF JE USALEM ORD . HN R MALTA U NDER TH E KN IG HTS MALTA A CR OWN COLONY SOME MANNERS AN D C USTOMS SOME RANDOM I MPRESSIONS SOC IAL LIFE ’ BYRON S FAREWELL To MALTA CLIMATE O F MALTA C HRONOLOGY A LIST OF TH E GRAND MASTERS WH O GOVER NED B RITISH CIVIL COMMISS IONERS AN D GOVERNORS o r CO N STITUTION o r MALTA IN DEX List o f Illu str at io ns I Ma tese o m en i n a C ur c a etta . l W h h, V ll FACING PAGE 2 . Fo r t Ri cas o i a etta 8 l , V ll Ci c Ma ta 1 3 ttz). e c i a 7 . V h , l 4 H a i ar Kim Ma ta 24 . g , l 5 Eenin at i ct or ia Go z o 4 1 . v g V , 6 Co mino s and 48 . I l A Co un r H in z o 5 7 . t y ouse Go 7 8 . i az z a Re ina a e tta at Suns et 6 4 P g , V ll , A Co r n r o fth Ch u r o f an Fr ancesco in a etta 3 9. e e ch S V ll 7 A M d f a 10. altes e Ro ad u n er th e Walls o V lletta 8 0 1 1 . o r ta Re a e a e tta 7 P l , V ll 9 1 2. Sli em a 104 1 3 S er anz a a e Ma ta 1 1 3 . p V ll y, l 1 4 . Th e r o c e ssi o n o fth e Festa d i San Gi o anni a etta 1 20 P v , V ll 1 5 A So itar a e Go z o 1 2 . l y V ll y, 9 Af n h i nt F o r i a a 1 6 . ter S u s e t at th e Ca u c n Co n e n 1 36 p v , l 1 7 A Typi cal Co r ner i n a Po pu lar Quar t e r OfValletta 1 45 1 8 iaz z a Rea e a etta 1 5 2 . P l , V ll 1 A Fo untain in a o u ar u ar te r a ett a 16 1 9 P p l Q , V ll 20 A r o c es s i o n at Suns e t at Ci tta e cch ia Ma ta 1 6 8 . P V , l Sketch-Im o Malta and Gaz a wi th Valle tta on p f , lar er s cale at end o vo lume g , f . M A LTA CHAPTER I I N T R O D U C T O R Y ALTA d ot M , a mere upon the map Of Europe, creates in the minds ofthose who know it or its history an interest out of all proportion to its size. The Grand to o u r Harbour, big enough hold Mediterranean of fleet , the dockyard , the garrison men , and to the fortifications , make good its claim be described ’ ‘ o u r i as the key to Empire in the East . Its m portance , however, is scarcely suggested by the first View as o ne approaches the island . This broad o f rib yellow rock, rising abruptly from the sea, gives little indication of its power as an outpost of empire, or a place rich in human interest, and a visit Of a few hours only will exhaust the casual ’ attention of the tourist . By the ship s side , crowd the traditional sunburnt urchins diving for coppers , but he has seen these in many parts if he has ll trave ed at all . The bastions and redoubts raised 2 MALTA by the Knights in defence of Christendom against the Turk will attract him if he knows anything of In history . the town there is lace to buy from ’ Borg, and cigarettes from Marich , the Governor s to . Palace gaze at , and the beautiful interior of St ’ for . John s Church a hurried visit Then , when his steamer sails away, the tourist will probably carry with him as the dominating impression o f his visit Of t r to Valletta a climb in a hot sun of a street s ai s , about which Byron has written some profane verses . n But this is not to k ow Malta , for it has many interests beyond that Of a British fortress or a port f o call . By reason of its secure anchorage and its position between the African and European seaboard , lying as it does sixty miles from Sicily and two hundred from Tunis , Malta has been , even from early o f classical times , the coveted prize those nations who sought to extend their commerce and increase their possession by maritime power. It has been , - in consequence, the meeting place and the battle ground Of such various protagoni sts as the Gartha inians g , Romans , Arabs , and Normans , to name only a few of the races which have directed the destinies of the island . A bout equal in area with the Isle of Wight , INTRODUCTORY 3 o f Malta has a population , roughly, The r Maltese are a homogeneous race, distinct f om their African o r European neighbours in language and of character, and with national customs which they tenacious and proud . They are descended from oe the Ph nicians , who colonized the island a thousand years before Christ . From this stock they inherit their native tongue , which is neither English nor ' atozs of n Italian , but a p Arabic aki to the ancient Hebrew. Many races have ruled Malta since the n o fthe oe comi g Ph nician, but few have sent settlers to the island in sufficient numbers to crush o u t the primitive inhabitants , and so down to this day the Phoenician strain predominates . Some ancient families, indeed , especially among the nobility , are o f foreign extraction , bearing Italian, French , Spanish , or other surnames ; they came to the n island lo g ago, intermarried with the natives , and are now more Maltese than the Maltese them selves . Environment has , no doubt, in part done of this, as well as the use from infancy the Maltese n a of tongue, u ivers l as the language domestic life : by both high and low in the island hence, the Maltese present a study in national development i .