Conclusion.--A Picture of Sunrise at Malta.--The Upper
Baracca of Valletta.--A Favorite and Sightly Promenade.
--Retrospective Flight of Fancy.--Conflict between the
Soldiers of the Cross and the Crescent.--A Background
Wanting.--Historical and Legendary Malta.--The Secret of
Appreciation.--Last View of the Romantic Group.--Farewell.
Travelers in foreign lands learn to rise betimes, stealing from sleep an
hour full of intoxicating beauties. There is an interval between the
soft mellow light of the breaking day and that of sunrise, so full of
promise, of dewy fragrance, and of heavenly incense, that only poets can
truly describe it. As one stands upon the upper Baracca of Valletta and
faces the east at such a moment, the gradually advancing light seems to
melt away the darkness, while angel hands swing wide the golden gates of
day. The sky then dons its deepest blue, the encircling sea glows in
violet blushes beneath the rosy light of the dawn, while the air,
freshened by the dew, is clear and crisp even in this semi-tropical
island. At first a dim uncertainty reigns over all things, but slowly
the weird and phantom-like forms assume their real shapes. The
picturesque town, with its diversified architecture, the tall, isolated
lighthouses, the sleeping islands of Gozo and Comino, the delicate
tracery formed of the rigging of the ships in the harbor, and even the
lonely sentinels upon the battlements come out one by one in bold relief
against the background of mingled gold and silver radiance. The heedless
world still sleeps, and one cannot but feel half guilty at the
selfishness of appropriating alone such an hour of glowing inspiration,
while walking hand in hand with Nature.
The Baraccas were originally roofed, consisting of arches facing the
sea, but the wooden coverings were long since removed, and they now form
favorite promenades, open to the sky.
Yielding to the fancy of the moment, while standing upon this elevated
point, remembering the vivid historical tableaux which had been enacted
upon the landscape outspread before us, imagination peopled the scene
once more with myriads of grim, warlike, contending forces arrayed
against each other. One was closely following the standard of the
crescent, the other was ranged beneath the emblem of the
cross,--standing breast to breast, ready to meet the fierce onslaught.
The clash of arms was heard upon the ramparts, the shrill braying of
trumpets sounding the charge, and the steady roll of the drum. In fancy
we watched the hordes of frenzied Turks storming the high walls of Fort
St. Elmo, hastening up the scaling ladders by scores. We saw them
repulsed again and again by the stout arms and flashing weapons of the
gallant Knights of St. John; the ditch was piled with the lifeless
bodies of the Ottoman foe. The atmosphere trembled with the booming of
cannon, the wild shouts of the Mussulmans, the cheering battle-cry of
the Christians, and the pitiful groans of the dying, while the
surrounding waters were red with human gore. Now clouds of smoke
encompass both Turks and Christians. A mine explodes, scattering death
among the invaders. Hark! That trumpet sounds the retreat. The Ottoman
forces fall sullenly back from before the irresistible power of the
Christian arms, leaving half their brethren slain upon the ground. The
enemy goes down under the terrible sweeping blows of battle-axe and of
mace, like grass before the scythe. Loud rings the shout of victory from
the walls of St. Elmo, echoed by forts St. Angelo and St. Michael, while
deadly missiles are swiftly launched after the retreating foe.
One was fain to ask, "Is this actually the noise of contending armies,
or is it the trick of an overstimulated fancy?" Here, amid such
suggestive surroundings, how natural and real it seemed to be!
It is only as regards its great antiquity that one would contrast Malta
with our own country. What we are most deficient in is a background in
America,--a background to our national scenery, which in itself is
hardly equaled, and nowhere excelled. By the word "background" we mean
the charm of far-reaching history, legend, classic story, and memories
of bygone ages. We have no such special inspiration as is presented in
the associations of southern Europe and Asiatic localities,--the Bay of
Naples and its surroundings, for instance, or the land of Palestine.
America is still in the youth of its civilization, while in this
isolated Mediterranean group, so circumscribed in space, we have
monuments which may nearly equal the Pyramids in age. These tokens
exhibit here a tangible page of Phoenician and there of Punic history,
together with ruins of Roman and Grecian temples, besides which there
are footprints of many Asiatic tribes. How one's imagination is awakened
by the sight of these half-effaced mementos of races dead and buried so
long ago! Crumbling ruins are milestones, as it were, on the road of
time. What region would not become interesting to an appreciative
observer, under such circumstances?
Traveling and sight-seeing, let us remember, are like hospitality, the
stranger must freely contribute his share, or the result will surely be
naught. "You will find poetry nowhere, unless you bring some with you,"
says Joubert.
Our last view of the romantic group was under a sky of blue and tranquil
loveliness, bathed in a silvery sheen of moonlight, as seen across the
azure and limpid waters from the deck of a P. & O. steamship, bound
westward to England. We left the harbor of Valletta just at sunset.
While the light was fading away, that of the moon and stars was
hastening into life. The lofty ramparts overhanging the sea cast purple
shadows upon the silent surface of the water. The terraced town stood
out in strong relief, here a dome and there a tower overlooking the tall
stone warehouses, while the slender tracery of the shipping appeared
like spider's webs. The town stood there firm and stately, as though cut
out of the solid rock.
Our vessel moved at half-speed until St. Elmo was passed, and before we
had fairly laid our course for Gibraltar the clear atmosphere was filled
with the floating strains from a military band in St. George's Square. A
spirit of rest and peacefulness hung over the picturesque old city of
the Knights. Mentally we bade farewell to its curious streets, its
palaces and churches, its grim fortifications and teeming population,
its beautiful gardens and marvelous antiquities. The cool, delicious
fruits and shade of San Antonio lingered in the memory, then Malta,
Gozo, and Comino faded into a vignette, until finally the low-lying
group dipped into the blue surface of the water and was seen no more.
_BOOKS BY MATURIN M. BALLOU._
THE STORY OF MALTA. A New Book. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
A description of the island of Malta, its history, scenery,
and inhabitants.
EQUATORIAL AMERICA; descriptive of a Visit to St. Thomas, Martinique,
Barbadoes, and the Principal Capitals of South America. Crown 8vo,
$1.50.
Nothing worth seeing seems to escape his eye, while all that
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AZTEC LAND. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
Mr. Ballou has made an excellent book out of his visit to
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what is not elsewhere accessible in a single
volume.--_Boston Herald._
ALASKA: THE NEW ELDORADO. A Summer Journey to Alaska. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
_Tourists' Edition._ With 4 Maps. 16mo, $1.00.
A charming book of travel, full of information concerning
our great northwestern territory.--_Boston Budget._
DUE WEST; or, ROUND THE WORLD IN TEN MONTHS. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
It is a book of books on foreign travel.--_Boston
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DUE SOUTH; or, CUBA PAST AND PRESENT. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
Full of information concerning the Bahama Islands, the
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DUE NORTH; or, GLIMPSES OF SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. Crown 8vo,
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It is as useful to read him as it is enjoyable to travel
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UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS; or, TRAVELS IN AUSTRALASIA. Crown
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Few persons have traveled so extensively, and no one more
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_EDITED BY MR. BALLOU._
A TREASURY OF THOUGHT. An Encyclopaedia of Quotations from Ancient and
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The most complete and exhaustive volume of the kind with
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NOTABLE THOUGHTS ABOUT WOMEN. A Literary Mosaic. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
Full of delicious bits from nearly every writer of any
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PEARLS OF THOUGHT. Choice Sentences from the Wisest Authors. 16mo, full
gilt, $1.25; half morocco, $2.50.
The first noticeable thing about "Pearls of Thought" is that
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EDGE-TOOLS OF SPEECH. Crown 8vo, $3.50; half calf or half morocco,
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A remarkable compilation of brilliant and wise sayings from
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GENIUS IN SUNSHINE AND SHADOW. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
Mr. Ballou displays a broad and thorough knowledge of men of
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*** _For sale by all Booksellers. Sent, post-paid, on
receipt of price by the Publishers_,
_HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY, 4 Park St., Boston; 11 East 17th St.,
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_GUIDE BOOKS._
NEW ENGLAND. A Handbook for Travelers. A Guide to the Chief Cities and
Popular Resorts of New England, and to its Scenery and Historic
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PRIME, in _New York Observer_.
THE WHITE MOUNTAINS. A Handbook for Travelers. A Guide to the Peaks,
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Adjacent Railroads, Highways, and Villages; with the Lakes and Mountains
of Western Maine, also Lake Winnepesaukee and the Upper Connecticut
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Map. 12th Edition, revised and enlarged annually. 16mo, $1.50.
Worthy of rank with the best books of its kind. It is
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maps are voluminous. It is not only a good thing for a
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York).
THE MARITIME PROVINCES. A Handbook for Travelers. A Guide to the Chief
Cities, Coasts, and Islands of the Maritime Provinces of Canada, and to
their Scenery and Historic Attractions; with the Gulf and River of St.
Lawrence to Quebec and Montreal; also, Newfoundland, and the Labrador
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annually. 16mo, $1.50.
By its intrinsic value, copiousness of information, and
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You should take a good guide-book (Sweetser's Maritime
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the various parts of the Provinces).--_British American
Citizen._
DICTIONARY OF BOSTON. By EDWIN M. BACON. New Edition, revised.
With Introduction by GEORGE E. ELLIS, D. D., and Map. 12mo,
flexible cloth, $1.50; boards, $1.00.
One cannot conceive of a more handy book of its kind. For a
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BOSTON ILLUSTRATED. An Artistic and Pictorial Description of Boston and
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The aim has been to present much information in small
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SATCHEL GUIDE. For the Vacation Tourist in Europe. Annual Edition,
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The book is indeed a model of perspicacity and brevity; all
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_HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY,
4 Park St., Boston; 11 East 17th St., New York._
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| Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the |
| original document have been preserved. |
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| Typographical errors corrected in the text: |
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| Page viii Nesciar changed to Nasciar |
| Page 35 stanch changed to staunch |
| Page 78 Espagna changed to Spagna |
| Page 175 boatman changed to boatmen |
| Page 201 asigned changed to assigned |
| Page 231 Nesciar changed to Nasciar |
| Page 279 belligerants changed to belligerents |
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