TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 37 



* the rocks, which is often prepared, or fetched from 

 a distance, with great labour. 



The most agreeable part of the island is the 

 Boschetto, a small valley, cooled by the sea breeze, 

 and watered by a stream, with an orange grove, 

 which flomishes in all the luxuriance of southern 

 vegetation. The adjoining country house, built in 

 a chaste style, and belonging to the king, affords a 

 delightful prospect of the sea and the environs. 

 On our return from Citta Vecchia, we visited the 

 country seat of Sir Thomas Maitland, near St. 

 Antonio. We here saw a very fine African ostrich 

 and a lioness, curiosities which are more common 

 here, because the Maltese, as is well known, carry 

 on a trade in live animals. His excellency's gar- 

 den, which is laid out in the French style, extends 

 on one side to the sea, and is adorned with many 

 fine plants from the Levant and from the Cape, 

 which thrive as in their native soil. Perhaps no 

 part of Europe, even the most southern provinces 

 of Spain and Portugal not excepted, affords a more 

 favourable climate than Malta, for the establishment 

 of a botanic garden, where all the productions of 

 the vegetable kingdom might be successfully culti- 

 vated. For this reason the public garden of the 

 city, which existed when the island was in posses- 

 sion of the order, is especially protected by the 

 present government. It is under the direction of 

 Fra Carlo Giacinto, a very obliging Carmelite, who 

 communicated to us much interesting information, 



D 3 



