the garrison under General Elliott.

Since that time it has remained

an uncontested possession of the English.

The Rock of Gibraltar first comes in sight at the distance of about 10 m. Rounding Point Carnero, and breasting Europa Point, the spacious but exposed bay 6 m. wide and 10 m. deep is entered. The defensive strength of the place is not at once perceptible. Two tiers of batteries are concealed in galleries hewn out of the rock half-way up, or lie so near to the sea-line that they are hidden by the vessels moored around. Gibraltar is a vast rocky promontory, which on the N. side rises in a perpendicular precipice 1200 ft. high, and ascends in the centre to 1408 ft. It is 3 m. in length, and from m. tom. in breadth. It is joined to the mainland by a low sandy isthmus, 14 m. in length. On all sides but the W. it is steep and rugged, but on that side there is a general slope from 200 to 300 ft. from the rock down to the sea. On this side the eye catches three high points: N. is the Rock Gun, or Wolf's Crag, 1337 ft.; in the centre the Upper Signal Station, or El Hacho, 1255 ft. high; and S. is O'Hara's Tower, 1408 ft. Here the rock descends to Windmill Hill Flats, a level plateau m. long, which ends in a still lower plateau from 100 to 50 ft. above the sea, called Europa Flats. The new mole, landing-place, and dockyard are on the W. of O'Hara's Tower.

Passports are rigidly exacted on landing from all but British subjects, and sketching is, under all circumstances, strictly prohibited. The hours of gun-fire vary according to the time of year, but are easily ascertained; a few minutes later all gates are shut and not opened again till sunrise.

Walk or drive up Main Street as far as the Alameda, where the band plays; it was the parade-ground until 1814, when Sir George Don made a garden of it, and it is now really lovely. Notice a column brought from the ruins of Lepida, surmounted by a bust of the Duke of Wellington, also a bust of General Elliott, the hero of the great siege. Half-way is the Exchange, containing a commercial library, with the Club House to the W., and the King's Arms Hotel to the E. The English Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, built in the Moorish style in 1832, stands near the centre of the town. Returning through the South Port Gate, look at the dockyard, and passing by the South Barracks, take the lower of two roads to Europa Point, N.E. of which is another range of barracks. Beyond these, on the E. shore, is the summer residence of the Governors, called "The Cottage," built by General Fox. The Governor's official residence in South Port Street, which is still called "The Convent," once belonged to Franciscan friars.

Those remaining several days will have time to explore the Heights and fortifications, for which purpose an order from the military secretary is necessary. From the Rock Gun there is a fine view of the Ronda Mountains and the Sierra Nevada; the Moorish Castle is on

the way (746 A.D.); under a massive tower, called the Torre de Omenaga, are some well-constructed tanks; and beyond, the wonderful galleries excavated by convict labour. At the Signal House refreshments can be obtained, and from it is a noble view, which includes the Atlas Mountains, Ceuta, and Barbary, ending with the Bay of Tangiers. Between Rock Gun and O'Hara's Tower live a few monkeys, which are jealously protected. S. of the Signal Station, and 1100 ft. above the sea, is the celebrated St. Michael's Cave, open twice a week; an entrance only 6 ft. wide leads into a hall 200 ft. long and 60 ft. high supported by stalactite pillars like Gothic arches. Beyond are smaller caves, which have been traversed to a distance of 288 ft. In Windmill Hill are the four Genista caves, where many bones of men and animals have been discovered.

Beyond the Land Port Gate is a causeway leading into Spain, with the sea on the left, and the "Inundation," a sheet of water so-called, on the right. Beyond these is the North Front, where are the cemetery, the cricket-ground, and the race-course. The eastern beach, called "Ramsgate and Margate," is the general afternoon resort. Across the isthmus is a line of English sentries, then the Neutral Ground, and then the Spanish sentries. 6 m. from Gibraltar is a small hill, on the top of which is the town of S. Roque, and 1 m. beyond the ruins of the ancient city of Carteia are passed. 4 m. from S. Roque is an inn, and then a ride through the cork woods of about 4 m. brings the visitor to the Convent of Almorainia and the Long Stables. from Gibraltar by land, and beyond the rivers Guadarauque and Palmones, is the town of Algesiras, where there is good anchorage, and steamers to various ports in Spain.

10 m.

MALTA. On the way from Gibraltar to Malta, Algiers may possibly be seen, its white buildings stretching like a triangle with its base on the sea, and the apex on higher ground. Cape Fez, and the promontory of the Seven Capes, jagged, irregular headlands, are passed on the starboard side, also Cape Bon, the most northern point of Africa, and the Island of Pantellaria, the ancient Cossyra, between Cape Bon and Sicily. It is 8 m. long, volcanic, and rises to a height of more than 2000 ft. There is a town of the same name near the sea-shore, on the western slope, where there is much cultivation. It is used by the Italians as a penal settlement, and is rather smaller than Gozo. The Maltese group of islands consists of Gozo, Comino, and Malta, and stretches from N.W. to S.E., the total distance from San Dimitri, the most W. point of Gozo, to Ras Benhisa, the most S. part of Malta, being about 25 m. From the nearest point of Gozo to Sicily is 55 m., and Africa is 187 m. distant from Malta.

Malta lies in N. lat. 35° 53′ 49′′, E. long. 14° 30′ 28′′. It is 17 long and 8 broad. Its area, together with that of Gozo, is 116 sq. m., and the population of the three islands is about 150,000. It

m.

is a calcareous rock, the highest point being 590 ft. above the sea-level. Towards the S. it ends in precipitous cliffs. It has a barren appearance, but there are many fertile gardens and fields, enclosed in high walls, where fine oranges, grapes, and figs, and other crops, returning from thirty to sixty fold, are grown. The Maltese language is a mixture of Arabic and Italian, but most of the townspeople have sufficient knowledge of Italian to transact business in that tongue. The port of Malta is situated somewhat to the E. of the centre of the northern shore of the island. It consists of two fine harbours, separated by the narrow promontory called Mount Xiberras, or Sciberras. The western or quarantine harbour, protected by Fort Tigna on the W., is called Marsamuscatta; the other is Valetta, or the great harbour,—it is there that the men-of-war are moored. The entrance to the great harbour is protected on the W. by Fort St. Elmo at the end of Sciberras, and on the E. by Fort Ricasoli, both very formidable. At Fort St. Elmo is one of the finest lighthouses in the Mediterranean. The great harbour runs away into numerous creeks and inlets, in which are the dockyard, victualling-yard, and arsenal, all of which could be swept by the guns of St. Angelo, which is a fort behind St. Elmo. The mail steamers are moored in the quarantine harbour, and the charge for landing is one shilling for a boat, which will carry four people. On landing, a long flight of steps is ascended to the Strada San Marco, which leads to the principal street, Strada Reale,

m. long, in the town of Valetta, so-called from Jean de la Valette, Grand Master of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, who built it after the Turkish armament sent against Malta by Sultan Sulaiman II. had been repulsed. The foundation stone was laid on the 28th of March 1566, and the whole town, designed by one architect, Girolamo Cassar, was completed in May 1571. On the E. side of the great

harbour is the town called Citta Vittoriosa.

· Left of the Strada Reale is St. John's Cathedral, a remarkable church, both historically and architecturally, designed by Cassar. The floor is paved with slabs bearing the arms of scores of knights who have been interred in this church. In the first chapel on the right, the altar-piece represents the beheading of John the Baptist, and is by M. Angelo Caravaggio. In the next chapel, which belonged to the Portuguese, are the monuments of Manoel Pinto and Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena, which latter is of bronze. The third, or Spanish chapel, has the monuments of Grand Masters Perellos and N. Cotoner, and two others. The fourth chapel belonged to the Provençals. fifth chapel is sacred to the Virgin, and here are kept the town keys taken from the Turks. On the left of the entrance is a bronze monument of Grand Master Marc Antonio Sondadario. The first chapel on the left is the sacristy. The second chapel belonged to the Austrians, the third to Italians, and here are pictures, ascribed to Caravaggio, of

The

St. Jerome and Mary Magdalene. The fourth is the French chapel, the fifth the Bavarian, and hence a staircase descends to the crypt, where are the sarcophagi of the first Grand Master who ruled in Malta, L'Isle Adam, and of La Valette and others.

The Governor's Palace, formerly the Grand Master's, close to the Strada Reale, is a noble range of buildings, containing marble-paved corridors and staircase, and many portraits, and armed figures carrying the shields of all the Governors from the first Grand Master to the present day. The armoury is full of interesting relics, including the original deed granted to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem by Pope Pascal II. in 1126, and the deed when they left Rhodes in 1522. The Library, close to the Palace, contains 40,000 volumes, and some Phonician and Roman antiquities. The highest battery commands a fine view of both harbours and of the fortifications. There are several statues of Grand Masters and Governors in the walk on the ramparts. The Opera House, the Bourse, the Courts of Justice, once the Auberge d'Auvergne, and the Clubs (the Union Club was the Auberge de Provence), and the statues of L'Isle Adam and La Valette, are all in the Strada Reale. The Auberge d'Italie is now the engineer's office; the Auberge de Castille has become the headquarters of the Artillery; the Auberge de France, in the Strada Mezzodi, is now the house of the Comptroller of Military Stores; and the Auberge d'Aragon is where the General of the Garrison resides. The Auberge d'Allemagne was removed in order to erect St. Paul's Church on its site. The AngloBavarian Auberge is the headquarters of the regiment stationed at St. Elmo. The Military Hospital has the largest room in Europe, 480 ft. long, erected in 1628 by Grand Master Vasconcelos. Below the Military Hospital is the Civil Hospital for Incurables, founded by Caterina Scappi in 1646. Where the Strada Mercanti joins the Strada S. Giovanni a large hook may be observed, which formerly served as the Pillory. For further information consult the Guide to Malta, included in Murray's Handbook to the Mediterranean. The island on which the Quarantine House stands was captured by the Turks in 1565. The Parlettario there is a long, narrow room near the anchorage, divided by a barrier, where the gold and silver filigree-work, the cameos, bracelets and brooches in mosaic, and other bijouterie for which Malta is famous are sold. Maltese lace and silk embroidery should be bought under the advice of an expert, for the vendors in general demand extravagant prices. In the wall of a house in Strada Strella and Strada Britannica is a stone with an Arabic inscription, dated Thursday 16th Shaban 569 A.H. = 21st March 1174 A.D., for which see Journal Roy. As. Soc. vol. vi. p. 173.

Five m. beyond the landing-stairs is the Governor's country Palace of S. Antonio, where is a lovely garden with creepers of astonishing beauty, and cypresses 40 ft. high, as well as many luxuriant orange

trees. About m. farther to the S.W. is Citta Vecchia, which stands on a ridge from 200 to 300 ft. high, affording a view over nearly the whole island. There is a fine church here, St. Paul's; near it are some curious catacombs. This is all that it is possible to see during the short stay steamers usually make, but those who have more leisure can visit St. Paul's Bay at the N.W. extremity of the island, with the statue of bronze erected on an islet at the mouth of the bay. Also the Carthaginian or Phoenician ruins at Hagiar Chem, properly Hajar Kaim, "upright stone," near the village of Casal Crendi, 11⁄2 hour's drive from Valetta. These ruins, excavated in 1839, consist of walls of large stones fixed upright in the ground, forming small enclosures, connected with one another by passages, and all contained within one large enclosure. The building is thought to have been a temple of Baal and Astarte. The main entrance is on the S.S.E., and a passage leads from it into a court, on the left of which is an altar, with the semblance of a plant rudely sculptured on it. Similar remains are found in other parts of Malta and in Gozo.

Malta is said to have been occupied by the Phoenicians in 1500 B.C., and by the Greeks in 750 B.C. The Carthaginians got possession of it in 500 B.C., and the Romans took it after the sea-fight of Putatia in 215 B.C. The Goths and Vandals invaded it in 420 A.D. In 520 A.D. Belisarius made it a province of the Byzantine Empire, the Moslems conquered it in 730 A D., and Count Roger, the Norman, captured it in 1100 A.D. It then passed to Louis IX., to the Count of Anjou, and to the Kings of Castile, and then to Charles V., who gave it, in 1530, to the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem. On 18th May 1565 the Turks attacked St. Elmo, St. Angelo, and Sanglea, but the siege was raised on the 8th of September (see Major Whitworth Porter's History of the Knights of Malta, Longmans, 1858). The Knights had their own mint, fleet, and army, and accredited ambassadors to foreign Courts. In the archives are letters from Henry VIII., Charles II., and Anne, addressed to them as princes. On the 7th of September 1792 the French Directory commanded the Order to be annulled, and seized all its French possessions. On the 7th of June 1798 Bonaparte arrived with a fleet of 18 ships of the line, 18 frigates, and 600 transports, and Malta was surrendered. A tree of liberty was planted before the Palace, the decorations of the Knights were burned, and the churches, palaces, and charitable houses at Valetta and Citta Vecchia were pillaged. On the 2d of September 1798, when the French tried to pull down the decorations in the Cathedral, a general revolt took place, and Nelson sent Captain Alexander John Ball with a frigate to aid the Maltese, and himself blockaded Valetta. The French were reduced to such extremities that a rat sold for 1s. 7d., and on the 5th of September 1800 their commander, General Vaubois, surrendered. Over the main guard-room in St. George's Square is written :