MALTA AND SICILY. 
65 
the truth, this locking up is rather irritating 
to my feelings, by continually reminding me 
that I am a prisoner. 
As we are allowed to row about the har¬ 
bour, I thought there could be no harm in 
trying to catch some fish from the boat, and 
accordingly I bought some lines, but 1 was im¬ 
mediately informed that fishing could not be 
permitted without special leave from the super¬ 
intendent of quarantine. Upon applying for 
this permission it was refused, for what reason 
we cannot imagine, unless it was supposed 
that a fish, having taken a bait which had 
been touched by a person in quarantine, 
might escape, and communicate an infectious 
disease to all the other fish in the harbour. 
One day I went over to the town with our 
servant and guardian to fetch our dinner. 
On landing, we went into the Parlatorio, or 
speaking-place , where those who are in 
F 
