74 
LETTERS FROM 
can speak our language. The convenience 
for foot-passengers is more attended to here 
than in many foreign towns, for almost all the 
streets have footways, which are formed into 
wide, easy steps, where there is much accli¬ 
vity. In some parts the paving is composed 
of hard black lava from the neighbourhood 
of Mount Etna, but the common soft free¬ 
stone of the island is generally used for this 
purpose. This soon wears away, and makes 
a great deal of dirt and dust. 
A stranger soon becomes acquainted with 
the geography of Valetta, as the streets 
cross each other at right-angles, and pre¬ 
serve the same name from end to end how¬ 
ever long they may be. In some parts of 
the town are pretty little fountains of clear 
water, spouting up out of a low wall enclos¬ 
ing a small reservoir, and these little jets, 
which are about the size of a large quill, are 
