MALTA AND SICILY. 
129 
these most interesting voyages has not thought 
it necessary to inform us of the cause of 
their detention at Syracuse? Bryant accord¬ 
ingly pronounces the whole account to be 
“ very unsatisfactory, not to say unintelli¬ 
gible,” and he declares that he can see u no 
reason for their stay at Syracuse, nor for 
their taking such a circuit to get to Rhe- 
gium.” But 44 the child with a chart before 
him,” just now brought forward by Bryant, 
would have informed him that Syracuse lies 
directly in the track of a vessel sailing from 
Malta to Rhegium. And it is easy to ima¬ 
gine many reasons which might have in¬ 
duced them to put into Syracuse; as tem¬ 
pestuous weather, or a wish to land or take 
on board passengers or cargo. 
Several circumstances might be brought 
forward to show that it is highly improbable 
that St. Paul was shipwrecked on Meleda. 
£ 
