AT MALTA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17098, 22 February 1916, Page 3

AT MALTA.

SEEING THE SIGHTSLETTER FROM CONVALESCENT OFFICER. The following extracts are taken from a letter received by relatives in Chris-tchurch from an officer of the Canterbury Battalion, Main Expeditionary Force, who has "now been invalided home. The letter is dated from the Blue Sisters' Hospital, Malta, January 4.

" I arrived here safely on Boxing Day and as I am not now confined to bed I manage to get a*bout and do a little sight-seeing. This hospital is on the opposite side of the harbour from Valetta and to get there I have to take a cab (' carrosri') to the ferry, then a ten-minute trip on the ferry to the town. Malta itself, is full of historic interest. There is an old city several miles out called ' Citta Vecchia.' winch was the Greek capital and was built in 700 B.C. It is still inhabited. There are also a number of very old churches here.' Yesterday I spent the afternoon seeing St John's Cathedral and St Dominic's and St Paul's churches. Ihe paintings inside are magnificent and are centuries old. The floors are all inlaid with mosaic and the altars are genially made of marble, silver and gold. " 1 also saw a place called the Chapel of Bones. The interior is decorated with skulls and bones of soldiers who were killed when the lurks invaded Malta some hundreds of years ago. It is a gruesome place. There is only one other place in the world like it, and that one is 'at Rome, but it is on a smaller scale. "I have had my old uniform, which was almost worn out on the Peninsula, replaced bv two new ones, but I am keeping the old one as a relic. English money is used here and prices are much cheaper than in Egypt. There are trams and ' one train service—seven miles to the Citta Vecchia. Boats can he hired to run across the harbour. They are very like Italian gondolas, and are called 'aahaisa' (prououueed 'disa'). They arc very light, and are generally rowed bv two Ixmtmen. There is an Italian opera company playing here. I have been twice. The first time I saw 'Lucia di Lammermoor,' and last night 'La Boheme.' The operas begin at S 30 p.m. and generally end about midnight The weather is perfect, and the days very hot, although it is almost midwinter. The streets in, Valetta are very narrow and there does not seem to be any speed limit for either motor or horse vehicles. T get -the best or food. Tin's hospital is for officers only. *md there have been as many as 150 here nt one time. It is kept by the nuns and they are very kind to everyone." ' .