444 
THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
which: form the water bearing strata of the islands, 
and the porosity of the limestone that was left as 
the surface deposit rendered the rocks of the district 
unsuitable for the 'formation of natural reservoirs. 
The water supply was therefore very small, and 
entirely dependent upon the rainfall. To remedy 
this defect large tanks were constructed in the 
vicinity of the temples, and the rains of winter 
were stored in then. 
Sf/haret Med&uiet was probably only one of 
many that were erected to supply this very im- 
portant defect. 
Like the other edifices of the Phoenicians, it is 
built of clyclopean blocks which are placed the one 
on the top of the other without mortar or a bind- 
ing medium of any kind; and like them too they 
are rudely fashioned and unornamented. 
In the course of the excavation which were 
made about fifty-three years ago in the precints of 
Rag tar Ghem some most remarkable relics per- 
taining to the Phoenician religion, were unearthed. 
Among these were seven statuettes, or idols, each 
of which has been carved out of the freestone 
which is in use at the present day for sculptural 
and architectural purposes. 
They are exceedingly rude and grotesque in 
outline, every limb, and every part of the trunk 
being globose in form; and they therefore present 
an eccentric not to say ridiculous appearance. 
Yassallo has suggested that they are intended 
to represent the seven Cahiri, the most highly 
venerated of all of the Phoenician deities, and to 
whom temples, similar in construction to those 
found in Malta, were erected by the earlier 
Id enician settlers in Carthage and Beyrout. The 
signification of the word “Cabin” is “powerful 
and it is interesting to note that the Maltese 
still preserve the word with its original meaning 
in their vernacular. The Maltese word “Kbir” also 
signifies “powerful”. 
Four of the figures are supposed to represent 
males, as they are perfectly nude; but the remain- 
ing two have their lower members enveloped in 
a garment, a fact which has led archeologists to 
regard them as representing the goddesses Axieros 
and Axiokersa (Ceres and Prosperine.) 
One of the two is in a better state of preserva- 
tion than the other; and it has a long tress of 
hair hanging down the back, 
The seventh figure has lost the lower portion 'of 
its legs, and it has a belt or girdle round the body: 
it is difficult to say whom it was intended to repre- 
sent. 
Ail of the statuettes are without heads, but in 
the nepk of each there is a circular hole in which 
it is supposed that the heads, which were made of 
more precious materials, were fixed on. 
What their appearance then was. we have no 
means of ascertaining, but from the account which 
Herodotus gives of them, the, impressions made 
upon him were evidently much thesame inciiaracter 
as thoseexperienced by the more modern sightseer. 
“Cabirorum” he says ‘simulacra erant Vulcani 
simulacris similia; forma nimirum et species utriu- 
sque ridicula... Cambyses. Memphiticum Vulcani 
templum ingressus, statuam ejus excepit niulto 
risu.”— (The images of the Oabiri resembled those 
of Vulcan, both being very ridiculous in shape and 
aspect. When Cambyses entered the. 'temple of 
Vulcan at Memphis lie laughed heartily »at the 
statue of the god). 
All of the specimens of handicraft which these 
ancient people have left behind them in the Mal- 
tese Islands are characterized by two prominent 
features, the first of which is the omnipresence of 
the circle, as being symbolical of the universe, and 
the second is the marked partiality that they 
showed for the figure seven. There were seven 
chambers in Hagiar Chem, and seven statuettes; and 
a close examination of the temple shows that in the 
minor features of construction and arrangement, 
the figure seven occupies a prominent position. 
The difficulties of comunication between Malta 
and Gozo which existed until within the last few 
years, have been the cause of the latter island re- 
ceiving much less attention at the hands of the 
archeologist than has the sister isle, and therefore 
the number of the Phseuician relics that has 
been found there is comparatively small. 
Diodorus writes. “ Melitam altera insula est, 
quae Gaulus vocatur in alto peiago et ipse por- 
tuumque commoditate prsestans Phoenicium 
colonia” from which, Caruana concludes that it 
is probable that several important Phamician 
colonies settled down in it, and made it their 
home. : : 
The most notable of these ruins is the; Torre 
tal Gigant or Giant’s tower, a large megalfthic 
