MALTA AND SICILY. 
3 
But I must not forget your parting injunc¬ 
tion, to send you not only a description of 
the natural productions I might meet with in 
the course of my land wanderings, but also 
a relation of anything remarkable that might 
occur during our voyages from place to place. 
Though the distance to Malta is only about 
half accomplished, we have already met with 
an adventure which threatened a most dis¬ 
astrous termination to our voyage, though, 
happily, it has only occasioned a few days’ 
delay, by obliging us to put back to this 
port to repair our damages. The date of this 
letter will show you that something unusual 
must have happened to have detained us 
here so long, for you may remember that the 
packet left Falmouth on the sixth of this 
month. 
That day was so dismally cold, and wet, 
that it was quite consoling to think that 
b 2 
