MALTA AND SICILY. 
263 
A day or two ago, we witnessed a grand 
procession in honour of St. Joseph. The 
most singular part of the ceremony, was the 
manner in which the populace testified their 
joy on the occasion. In some of the open 
parts of the town, were laid long rows of 
small cannon, or mortars, which were about 
three inches in height, and half an inch in 
the bore, with the metal very thick and flat 
at the bottom, so that they would stand up¬ 
right on the pavement. Some of these rows 
contained several hundreds, and when the 
figure of St. Joseph arrived opposite the spot, 
they were fired by a man with a port-fire, 
walking along the line, producing at a 
very small expense, exactly the effect of 
a running fire of musketry. There was ano¬ 
ther procession of penitents , as they were 
called. They were dressed in white robes, 
covering the head and body, with holes for 
