130 
LETTERS FROM 
Bryant himself has furnished us with one 
argument. In his eagerness to establish the 
fact that the inhabitants of Malta were not a 
barbarous people, while those of Meleda 
richly deserved this appellation, he goes 
rather further than he intended. He proves 
that the latter were such atrocious pirates 
and robbers, that the Romans had found it 
necessary in self-defence to attack the island, 
and had destroyed nearly all the inhabitants. 
Now we cannot believe that the remnant of 
these piratical wretches would have treated 
the poor half-drowned company with such 
kindness and hospitality; on the contrary, 
there can be no doubt that they would have 
%J 
murdered them as soon as they landed for the 
sake of their clothes, or any goods that 
might be recovered from the wreck; for in 
whatever place the vessel was cast on shore, 
it is evident that the crew were first disco- 
