BOOKS OF THE DAY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 143, 23 July 1914, Page 5

BOOKS OF THE DAY.

MALTA AND THE MALTESE.

"THE ODD MAN IN MALTA."

Before the P. and O. boats, bound to and from Australia and London, ceased calling at Malta, not a few New Zealanders spent, a pleasant day ashore at the historically famous and picturesque old port of Valetta. Nowadays, Only the Indian-bound P. and O. steamers <?all there, Homeward-bound colonists being hurried direct from Port Said to Marseilles, thus missing acquaintance ■with a port a visit to which, however Tsrief, cannot fail to be interesting. In Ms "Odd Man in Malta" (G. Bell and Sons) Mr John Wigilancourt, who was for some years a resident of the island -r-he was that Maltese rara avis, a British civilian —has written a very interesting and amusing book. He devotes special attention to the native Maltese &nd the curious social habits and customs which have survived the influences of the alien British military element. The women of the richer classes have succumbed to the fascination of French fashions —a long way off —but they still wear the ancient faldetta when they go to church, and by the poorer women it is, always worn. The faldetta is a black hood' arched over the head with a strip ©f whalebone, and held in place by a hand carrying all the jewellery that is available. '' Its appearance,'' says the author, "is-somewhat sombre and depressing, and the efforts to look round the corner of it cause a great number vf the women to be cross-eyed. Still, It is a thoroughly ineradicable fashion, and has great possibilities, since it is difficult to tell who IS underneath it.'' ■The true Maltese language, not the seaport jargon of Valetta, but the toiigue spoken by the peasants, is, Mr Wignancourt contends, pure and ancient Semitic, but the Maltese are, he says, a-purely Hamitie type —they are of the same as "the people who built Stonehenge and our long barrows, and covered- Europe with neolithic monuments. " Maltese English.

Mr Wignancourt has a very amusing ■chapter on the King's English as it is spoken in Malta. The Maltese journalist is given*to a certain floweriness of metaphor, which at times bears curious -fruit. Thus, one Yaletta reporter, describing a gubernatorial reception, let Mmself go as follows: Up those hallowed steps, there crowded. beauty, wit, industry, pride, modesty, :and desert in commotional enthusiasm to catch a glimpse of semi-royal favour. - . . Nor were the viands and decorations of a mean order; in the bounteous generosity of his heart his Excellency had bidden the walls be hung with verdure, flower-pots to be arranged upon the tables, which groaned beneath their Weight of delicacies, the sausage-roll and the quivering jelly vying with eaeh other for selection. . . . On his Excellency's right hand stood his able Lieutenant and Deputy, Sir Augustus Wigjgins Montgomery, shortly, alas! about to quit his .place in our midst, but not in-our hearts; so long awaited and vouchsafed to us in the fullness of time; like a Messiah he came amongst us," ■etc.

The lady reporter of the same organ equally distinguished herself: "Lady ■Jones shimmered in a perspieuous se•quinned gown of lace; Lady Ingram reiulged in peacock blue; Mrs Mifsud wore her pink." " 'Refulged' is .good, " as Polonius would have said. In view of the large British population, "the local tradesmen often affect bilingual capacity in their signs 'sometimes with rather odd expression. Thus, one ■Joseph Bulligieg announces himself as * 'Butcher and Purveyor," and offers •''Beef, Mutton, Rabbits, and all sorts ■of Fowlery.''

A Curious Dictionary. Mr Wignancourt made a rare philological find in a copy of a Maltese-Eng-lish Dictionary, compiled by a Mr Busutell. Some of this gentleman's "English" equivalents for the words and phrases of his native tongue are curiously exemplificative of the peculiar pregnancy .of the language. Thus, it is hard to'conceive of one single (Maltese) word meaning all this, and in such a picturesque way: - "He who pulls the hair, or seizes by the hair, he who admonishes, he who makes an admonishr*tnt," or "Spat out, spat out a little at a time," or such widely different things as Sculpture, "cawing." Other instances of this character are, "When lie saw him he remained flabbergasted •for utterance," or "I found all the papers jumbled together, or in a mingle inangle. V In some phrases Mr Wignancourt detects a '' high, even sententious pitch." Thus:— "Keep that book fibulated, or else it will be spoiled;" "I found that this place is really mobific;" "Sudden (subitaneous or subitary) death," which leads naturally to Mr Lloyd -George—-"There is nothing certain in this life but death (and taxes!)"; "They took him with the accompaniment of music" (a local touch—l suppose the police are referred to); "A measure of dry or arid goods;" "Did you hear of the murder (manslaughter or homicide) that took place at Gozo yesterday?" which shows that he is at least no lawyer. The Maltese People. The Maltese are proverbially keen traders —"no Jews can live there"— and their commercial morality is of a very low order. Nevertheless, the people themselves live decent, moral lives, are kindly-hearted, and have many social and private virtues. The Maltese, as a people, must not be judged by the oily-tongued rascals who pester the steamer passengers to buy imitation lace. They have all the Oriental love of bargaining, and quite expect the customer to beat down the price. '' So,'' says Mr Wignancourt, "the fisherman who intrudes his smiling face through the window while you are at breakfast will set a price of five shillings on a fish which has perhaps given him some trouble, to catch, but if you do not wound his sensibilities by too steep a descent you may finally acquire it for fourpence halfpenny." There is a good field for antiquarian and archteological research in Malta, and the author has much to say on the history of the island and the origin of its people, which will interest the student of history and ethnol%T- The Maltese of to-day is, however, not greatly concerned with the Jhe peasant is a hard-working xellow, but in the towns there is an intense love of amusement, and the

numerous religious festivals afford wel come opportunity for,agreeable idling. The Maltese "Movies."

The omnipresent kinematograph is greatly patronised, which is not surprising, seeing the usual price of admission is but the Maltese equivalent of the British penny. The popular taste favours very blood-curdling scenes, and the fiery nature of the south finds grim satisfaction in the portrayal of burnings at the stake. From the advertisement of one very popular "picture drama," "The Evil Fascination,'' I take the titles of the pictures in Part Third: —

17. "The New Servant at Work." 18. "The Only Way to Disembarrass from Ransom is to fulminate him to-night .when he is at work in his studio!" 19. "Your betrothed is an adventuress, and to-night tries to kill you for your heredity.'' 20. "The Robbed Testament." 21. "The Deceit." [Will follow other Scenes.]

Mr Wignancourt's entertaining studies of Maltese life and character are accompanied by a large number of excellent illustrations of Maltese scenery, of peasant and town life, etc. (Price, 10/6.)