944 
epoch, been driven ont of Rhodes 
by the Turk, and in whose posses- 
sion it remained till’ the month of 
June, 1798, when Bonaparte, partly 
through the incautious negligence of 
the grand master, and partly by the 
treachery of the knights compa- 
nions, seized upon the forts, the 
magazines, treasures, &c. and of 
which the French remained in pos- 
session, until compelled to submit to 
the united forces of the native Mal- 
tese, Neapolitans, and British, on 
the 5th of September, 1800. Under 
the government of the latter staté 
has it remained to this hour: and 
the detention of which, has proved 
eventually the ostensible cause of 
the renewal of the war, for the am- 
ple discussion of which we beg to 
refer our readers to the historical 
part of this volume. 
Captain Walsh supposes that the 
value of Malta was not justly ap- 
preciated by Great Britain, before 
the period of her having acquired its 
possession ; and that previously to 
that event, its safe and commodious 
harbour, its advantageous situation, 
its immense population and impreg- 
nable fortifications, were by no 
means estimated according to the 
pre-eminence they hold, if not in 
the world, at least in the Mediter- 
ranean. Before the calamitous in- 
vasion of the French, this spot of 
rock, was supposed to contain the 
almost incredible number of 100,000 
inhabitants. 
But it is time to give. the reader a 
specimen of the style and manner of 
this lively and instructive writer ; he 
thus describes the seat of govern- 
ment, and also the principal town of 
the island. 
«¢ La Valette, isa very regularly 
built town. Its principal streets 
are wide and straight, well paved, 
1 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
and furnished with good foot paths. 
The buildings are all of free-stone, 
with which the island abounds; and 
the numerous superb edifices and 
hetels, formerly belonging to the 
knights of the order, give to la Va- 
lette, a superiority over any town of 
equal size in the world. The two 
palaces of the grand master, adjoin- 
ing each other, are fine struétures. 
Their interior seems to have been very 
magnificent, and still retain several 
marks ef splendour, though they 
are much injured by delapidation, 
and the greater part of the costly 
furniture has been taken away or 
destroyed. The council chamber is 
lined with the most beautiful go- 
belin tapestry, and the other apart- 
ments are adorned with paintings of 
the different actions and valiant ex- 
ploits which occurred during the 
memorable siege of the island by the 
Turks. Adjoining ‘to the palace, 
and communicating with it, is the 
armoury, which was found in the 
best possible state on our taking 
possession of the place. 
It contains eighteen thousand 
stand of fire arms, independently of 
a variety of swords, spears, and 
other ancient weapons, all of which 
are very tastefully and neatly ar- 
ranged. 
The churches are extremely nu- 
merous, and all very fine buildings. 
That of St. John, the patron of the 
order, is, however, far superior to 
the rest. The roof is most beauti- 
fully sculptured, and adorned with 
some good paintings. ‘* The grand 
altar,” says Brydone, “is a piece 
of very curious and elegant marble 5 
the pavement, in particular, is the 
richest in the world. It is composed 
entirely of sepulchral monuments 
(of persons belonging to the order) 
of the finest marbles, porphyry, and 
a variety 
