Part I 
Travels into the hEv ant. 
5 
CHAP. ly. 
From Meflina to Malta.. 
WE parted from before Mejfina, Thurfday^ the Twenty fourth of Jme^ From Me/ma 
with a contrary Wind, fo that do what we could with our Oars, we to Malta. 
were obliged to come to an Anchor again near the Port of Mejfim^ three hours 
after we had weighed from it ; however we weighed an hour after, though the 
Weather was ftill the fame, and the Sea a little rough, Friday ^ towards the 
Evening, we came to an Anchor before Agonfia^ but we went not a Shoar j I was Agonfla. 
told for' my comfort, that it was no more but a very ordinary Street, as 
indeed it feemcd to me to be. The Countrey about it produces excellent Wine, 
which has a ftrong flavour of Violets ; we weighed Anchor from before that 
Town next morning being Saturday, the Eleventh of June, and coafted along 
hdor Q Syr acufe, called at prefent, by corruption, Saragonjja, the Countrey of Sytucufe. 
Archimedes, which was formerly the Metropolis of Sicily : The Countrey about 
Saragouffa produces excellent Mnfcadine Wine ; we ftopp not before that Town, 
but continued our courfe with the diverlion of Dolphins and Tunnys, which 
leaping out of the water in great numbers, followed the Gallies. Sunday, the 
Twelfth of June, about Six a clock in the Morning, we had an Eaft North Eaft 
Wind, which drove us fo faft, that about Eleven a clock the fame Morning we 
made the Ifle of Malta, and about Four in the Afternoon entered into the Port 
of the Town : All the Guns were fired from the feveral Caftles of Malta in ho- 
nour of the Pope, who was newly Eledted, and to falute his Galleys, which 
returned the Salute, by feveral difcharges of all their Canons. 
CHAP. V. 
OftheljleofMàksL. 
THE Ifle of Malta ViQS in the African Sea, betwixt Sicily 2ind Tripoly, of The Situation 
Barbary, it is Threefcore Miles diftant from Sicily, and an Hundred of the Illeof 
from Africa ; in the Latitude of eight and thirty degrees, and the Longitude of 
four and thirty ; it reaches from Eaft to Weft twenty miles in length, and is 
about twelve over, fo that it is threefcore miles in compafs. The ancient 
Name of this Ifland was Melita, from the Greek word Meli, which fignifies 
Honey, becaufe it affords good Honey ; at prefent it is named Malta, from 
the word Melita, though thofe of Barbary draw the Etymology of it from a 
Story of theirs : They fay. That heretofore the Moors of Tripoly being di- 
vided into two Fadions, under two Scheiks, or Captains, and being in con- 
tinual Wars one with the other, thofe of the weakeft fide refolved to forfake 
the Country, and golive feme where elfe ; and that for that end theyfent men 
out to Sea to find feme proper place for their Habitation : Thefe Men finding 
the Ifle of Malta, judged it to be very convenient for them, and upon their 
return, their Scheik^ having asked them if they had found any place, they 
anfwered in their Language, Lakeinadgeire elediafiel ma on tah, which is to fay. 
We have found an Ifle where there is Water and Plains, and of that ma on tah, 
they fay, that by corruption it is called Malta. There was an ancient King ^^ttus, King 
of this Ifle, called Battm, a Rich and Powerful Prince, who was a great Friend o{ Malta. 
to Dido, Queen of Carthage. ^ It was afterwards fubjcded to the Carthaginians, 
and 
