had passed through before, dashed boldly forward, as if intending to dispense with their assistance. length, after repeatedly taking in vain the name of the Saviour, the emblem of whose cross was suspended about their necks, they were glad for a reasonable compensation, to conduct us to our anchoring place on the evening of November 4. Besides the watch lights on the shore, a brilliant spectacle was exhibited by the torches of hundreds of fishing boats through which we made our way into the harbor.

Yesterday, when the morning dawned, we found that we were in a land, which had "forgotten her Sabbaths." Being summoned on shore to exhibit ourselves before the health officer, we saw multitudes following the ordinary and unnecessary calls of business, or yielding to the solicitations of curiosity or pleasure. If christianity be a system of faith which purifies and restrains, how little, alas, do these countries deserve the name of christian! Our guardiano, an old man who had seen his wife and children swallowed up in the great earthquake of 1783, is an affecting instance of depravity, while himself just ready to sink into the grave. But I forbear remark, remembering what might be the first impressions of a stranger, on visiting the seats of commerce on our own more favored shores.

Though Messina has suffered much from earthquakes and the plague, it still continues a populous city. From the place where we now lie near the Lazaretto, its appearance is one of surpassing beauty. The town is built at the foot, and on the acclivity of a range of high and broken hills that run parallel with the shore. Two buildings have been pointed out, as worthy of notice. One called "the mother church," is a vast

pile covering several acres, and was quite uninjured by the great earthquake that destroyed nearly the whole city. The other, is the remains of a turret, in which Richard 2d of England, lodged, when like ourselves on his way, (though as we trust, with different weapons,) to the Holy Land.

Malta Harbor, Nov. 16.

For a few hours, we straits, gazing on the

Our captain did not wait to finish the three weeks quarantine, which was required of him at Messina, but sailed thence on the 7th Nov. glided pleasantly through the rich scenery of orange groves* and olive yards, intersected by the deep dry channels of mountain torrents. Besides the classical interest which is attached to these shores, and their natural beauty, so often celebrated by travellers, we remembered that we were passing by lands that had been coasted by the first great missionary voyager. Scarcely, however, had we "fetched a compass and come to Rhegium," still a considerable town on the Italian side; when a violent thunder storm swept down upon us from Etna. This drove us so far to the east, that we had not even a sight of "Syracuse." Then it was that "neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay upon us."

We had during our passage from Gibraltar to Malta, a number of these sudden and terrific blasts. What a scene is presented on board in the first moments of their coming! The vessel lies over on its side, so that its masts seem almost to touch the water. Every sail

* The "Sicily" oranges, which are sent in such quantities to America, come mostly, we are told, from the main land.

is let go, and vain attempts are made to furl them. The master stands near the helmsman, to whom he continually repeats some word of caution. His hoarse,

loud voice echoes from the trumpet, and mingles with the wild roar of the wind. The waves increase each moment, and come sweeping the deck. If to this be added, a drenching rain, the constant peals of thunder, and incessant flashes of lightning, a scene more grand and awful, can then scarcely be conceived.

But we did not remain tempest tossed as long as the Apostle, for when only the fourth "night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight, the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; and sounded, and found it" forty "fathoms; and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it” thirty "fathoms. Then fearing lest they should have fallen upon rocks," they stood away from the land, and "wished for day." Being awakened by the change in the vessel's sailing, Mr. G. and myself arose, and read from our Greek Testaments, with an interest never before felt, the narrative of Paul's ship-wreck and voyage to Rome. And when it was day, we knew the land, that it was the island once called Melita, and discovered not "a certain creek with a shore," but a harbor, "into the which they were minded if possible to thrust in the ship." Yet a longer trial of patience awaited us. For while we were con gratulating ourselves on speedily experiencing the kindness of our brethren, and anticipating how grateful would be the kindling of a fire "because of the present rain, and because of the cold," a land breeze and strong southerly current drove us off again to sea, and it was not until three days after, on the evening

of November 13th, that we came to anchor in the lesser harbor of Valletta.

As our quarantine is to be short, we perform it on ship-board, in preference to landing at the Lazaretto. I have had a slight attack of fever, and it has been feared by the company, that this would delay the vessel in obtaining pratique. Since however the rain has ceased, and we are quietly at anchor in this secure retreat, I find myself recovering.

On approaching the island, we could discover little else than a brown naked rock. Upon the more gently sloping sides of this deep and narrow harbor, there are some most refreshing spots of verdure. From them, were I on shore, I might cull a flower for your herbarium, as from the quarantine ground at Messina. We have had a distant interview with our missionary friends at the Lazaretto, and have been bountifully supplied by them with the various fruits of the island -pomegrantes, melons, fresh-figs, and large chesnuts, but the oranges are not yet ripe.

CHAPTER IV.

MALTA.

Extent and population-History-The knights of Malta-Language-Valletta-The country-Curiosities and antiquities.

Malta, Dec. 1, 1826.

In attempting a hasty description of this place, there is no want of materials, from which to make a selection. Indeed, Malta, like almost every other island Vol. I.

3

or city in the Mediterranean, could, of itself, furnish a traveller, with sufficient to fill a volume.

You know that it is low and rocky, and exclusive of the smaller islands of Gozo and Cumino, sixty miles in circumference. The population is now about eighty thousand in Malta, and fifteen thousand in Gozo. These are distributed in the towns of Valletta, and Citta Vecchia, and twenty or thirty casels, or villages. When first offered by the Emperor Charles V. to the knights of Malta, (after they had been driven by the Turks from the island of Rhodes in 1522,) Malta contained but twelve thousand inhabitants, and Gozo five thousand.

With some hesitation, the knights, (then called the knights of Rhodes, and at first, the knights of St. John of Jerusalem,) accepted the Emperor's offer. Tripoli, which was also included in the gift, was soon lost to them, and they sustained several furious attacks from the Turks. Yet for a period of seven hundred years, from the time of their establishment in Palestine, through the successive stages of their residence at Jerusalem, Acre, Cyprus, Rhodes and Malta, and until the waning of the Turkish power, they continued to stand the advanced guard of Christendom. Their gallies, which formed their chief dependance, were manned mostly by the native Maltese, and slaves whom they had taken in war. The proportion of the knights in each vessel, was little greater than that of the officers in modern times. Indeed, their whole number was but small, but it was a part of their oath when admitted into the order, "never to reckon the number of the enemy. They were divided into eight classes, or languages, according to their national origin. These had their respective arms and officers, but