Impressions of Malta.

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 152, 24 December 1903, Page 12

Impressions of Malta.

A« we approach the shore, Valetta's moss, dotaahes from burrounding promontories. Vapoury clouds, chased by the moist sirocco float vogue shadows over its dazziing houses, emphasising first one silhouette, then, another. Six British ooldiers, in khaki, ou the forward deck, watch their future home with interest. Two openings in the coast present themselves, one on each side of Valetta, and our steamor, heading betweon tho casoinales of St. Elmo and Fort llicaeoh, enters the Great Harbour. The spacious bay seems narrow, so towering are the masses of construction that surround it>. Nature is buried under mountains of masonry. On all sides ramparts, and bastions, houses and arcades, and yet more houses, press one upon another's shou.ders up to the very heavens. Tho mind is appalled at this colossal work of man, at tlioso piles of buildings whoso powdery whiteness dazzles the eyo. Behind each crenelated headland lurks a man-of-war. In the smaller bays around tho Borgo, troopships and training-ships, cruisers and gunboats, transports and colliers, crowd round naval arsenals and dockyards. Down the centre of tho bay line England's biggest battleships; — a- dozen of them— their bands playing for morning parade, their decks swarming with "Jackies." And tho animation upon the water 1 How can one depict it? Tho dghaisas f;ivo the dominant note — native boats ike gondolas, not black, however, and blender like their Venetian sisters, but stocky, and striped and painted in many colour*. T<heir rowers stand facing th© prow, and propel their heavy craft with surprising rapidity. These boats, everywhere, dart in and out among putting launches from tho warships and gigjs, manned by trim bluejackctu; among fishing-smacks with lateen sails, aud tugs towing long linea of coal barges. Under the protecting guns of the Upper Barracca lie the (perehant craft, moored calm and quiet, as befits »uch vossols, their cranes swinging to and fro. After on hour's delay our luggage is lowered > over the sid« into a stout dghaisa. Two sun-baked sons of Malta speed us over tho ruillod water. . Tho aun peepa in and out behind the scurrying clouds. We dodge around tho larger craft, and in a few moments aro ac tho landing-steps, where the bustle iB indescribable. Crowds are clamouring to be ferried over to tho Borgo and tho navy arsenal ; other crowds, equally impatient, await their turn to land, The boatmen yell and gesticulate, while trying to keep their craft from ■craping on the bis stono steps. After the usual formalities at tho Customhouse, we aro given over to tho mercy of a horde of squabbling cabmen. In a daze wo rattlo past the fish market, with its motley crowd of •very nationality, then rumble over a drawbridge and through the Victoria Gate. Valetta's streets are busy — almost as busy as tho waters of tho bay. The main thoroughfares aro nearly level, running straight along tho crest of the hill, but tho cross-streets pitch steep down to the harbours on each side, and are _of ten disposed in steps, their incline is so rapid. Tho houses are high, ffaU roofed, wid provided with tho balconies that form the leading characteristic of Maltese architecture — balconies roofed over and enclosed by windows and shutters, so arranged as to control the currents of air let in to refresh tho inner apartments— a sort of Moorish monchurbui, behind whose blinds the. quick glance of a pair of black eyes is often caught. Th© Malteso women still wear tho faldott<v, a garment whose sombre shadow imparts to them a, certain demureness and sobriety. Imagino a groat hood of black Bilk falling \o the knee, gathered fanwise on ono side of the head and whaleboned out on tho other 1 into a full sweeping curve. In this mantle tho women drape themselves — gather it round them in tho wind, tilt it to ward off tho flun'fl hot rays, or to screen their dark glances ; in its ample) folds they carry the market-basket or a child whose face peeps out from its black depths. No Malteso woman ever is seen without it. Several came over on our steamer from Sicily, and: donnod their faldotta. ag coon ns we entered port. The Maltese men wear no distinctive costume, but the streets present the usual ''mixed population of Mediterranean ports; Sicilians in yellow korchiefs and embroidered belts ; Arabs and Bedouins from Tunis and Tripoli in bournous and gandurah; Greeks and Turks and Neapolitans. Our carriage swings round a corner and enters St. George a Square, with tho Governor's palace on ono sido and the guardhouse on th© other. Before the sentry-box, in tho blueing sun, (stiff as though mad© of wood, out neat and smart, a red*coat sentinel stands guard for tho King. Under tho portico on a stone seat lounge a half-dozen of his comrades. The titrada Rcale, broad and straight, leads hence to the Porto R©ale, Valetta's main gate, and its only exit' to the country. Th© Strada Real© is a busy street, and in ita attractive shops wo admire exquisite Maltese lace renowned for centuries and now coming much into vogue. Valetta is not the only considerable town in Malta. Tho original capital, Citta Vccchia, still crowns its hill-top some, eight miles away. It can bo reached by tho carriago road or by a little railway running across the island. Citta Vecchin «till justifies its second appellation, La Notabile, for ©yon today it presents an imposing appearance girdled with rampart* and crowned with tho spires and dome* of the ChurcJh of St. I'nul. It is entered by crossing a deep moat now cultivated n« n vegetable garden. Tho streets vie wide, for a medievKl city, nnd iti liou-es, of a warm, golden hue, retain n certain air of grandeur, with their iown of upaoious windows, their cuvonetod poitals, , and j<reat iLnrs onmniHitcd with finely I chilled ljiun/.t) knocker* — K. C. l'cixI otto, in the New York Outlook.