320 
under a burning fky, their beauty, which 
3s neither Grecian nor majeftic, but ra- 
ther languifhing and modeft, is not the 
Refs feducing on that account. The coun- 
fry women are generally faithful to their 
hufbands; but the ety ladies can no 
more refiit the gold of the bailies, than 
the love-fick fichs of the youthful 
knights; and the:efere the utmoft licen- 
tioufnefs of military celibacy prevails 
here. Elegance and neatnefs charaéterile 
their drefs, furniture, &c. and they fhave 
like the men, but fo artfully and dex- 
teroufly, (this voluptuous operation is 
performed with broken gla/s), that a 
itranger muft be very near to difcover the 
effect of this pra€tice. 
Perhaps Malta was the only country 
im the world where duelling was autho- 
riied by law. ‘They had laid it, how- 
ever, under fuch refiri€tions as greatly to 
diminifh its danger. The duellifs are 
obliged to decide their quarrel in one par- 
ticular ftreet of the city, and were, more- 
ever obliged, under the meft fevere pe- 
nalties, to put up their iwords, when or- 
dered fo to do, by a woman, a prieft, or 
aknight. A crofs was always painted 
on the wall oppofite to the {pot where a 
knight had been killed, and between 
twenty and thirty of thefe croffles were to 
be counted there about a dozen years ago. 
The police, however, was much better 
regulated here than in the neighbouring 
countries, affaflinations and robberies be- 
ing very uncommon. 
The only kind of vehicle the ifland af- 
fords, is coaches drawn by one mule each. 
‘The horfe-races here are of a very fingu- 
Jar kind, being performed in the ancient 
Numidian manner, without either faddle, 
bridle, whip, or fpur ; and yet the horfes - 
run at full fpeed, and afford abuadance 
of diverfion. They are commonly accuf- 
tomed to the ground for fome weeks be- 
fore, and although the courte is entirely 
over rocks and pavement, it is very fel« 
dom that any accidents are known to take 
place. They have races of affes and 
mules, performed in a fimilar manner, 
four times every year, with this differ- 
ence, that the rider is allowed an inftru- 
ment like a fhoemaker’s awl, to prick on 
his courler if he is tardy. The affes here 
have 1ong been tamous for their ftrength 
and fize, and it appears that the Romans 
fet a high value cn the long haired dogs 
of this ifland, the {pecies of which is now 
degenerated.—It is a fingular fa&, that 
Mo venomous creatures are to be found in 
Malta, and vipers, which have been 
brought there from Sicily, expired almoft 
§nitanily on their arrival. 
Hiffory and Defeription of Malta. 
[Feb, 
In fair weather, one half of Mount 
fEtna way be clearly difcovered from 
Malta, although the diftance is computed 
at nearly 200 Italian miles. In the great 
eruptions of that mountain, the whole 
ifland is illuminated, and from the reflec- 
tion in the water, there appears a gteat 
track of fire in the fea all the way from 
Malta to Sicily. The thunder of the 
mountain is likewile diftin&tly heard*. 
The fortifications of Malta, both na- 
tural and artificial, are indeed a moft ffu= 
pendous work. ‘Fwo thirds of its coaft 
(on the other extremity of the ifland, op- 
pofite to the northern coaft of Valetta), 
are lined with rocks, feep and painted 5 
and as this rock extends in continuity 
for feveral miles, and is abfolutely per- 
pendicular from the fea, befides being of 
an enormous height, Malta may be con- 
fidered as inacceilible on that fide, being 
fo completely fortified by nature, that 
nothing is left for art to fuperadd+. 
In other places, where the coaft is more 
acceflible, 1t is defended by an infinite 
number of fortifications. The rock, in 
many places, has been floped into the form 
of a glacis, with ftrong parapets, intrench- 
ments and batteries running behind it, 
fo as torender a landing, if not altoge- 
ther impracticable, yet extremely dan- 
gerous. : 
There is one particular kind of ord- 
nance, invented by: the Maltefe, which 
excites the amazement of itrangers, and 
is unknown to all the world befides. The 

* During the month of June, or for fome 
weeks before and after our Midfummer, the 
weather at Malta is perfectiy clear and ferene, 
without a cloud in the hemifphere; the 
beauty of the fetting fun alfo is much fupe- 
rior to what is obferved in Italy, or indeed 
any other country; and for fome time after 
funfet, the whole of the eaftern part of the 
heavens exhibit a moft beautiful appearance, 
being that of a fine rich deep purple. The 
weftern hemifphere is the true yellow glow 
of Claude Lorrain, fo much admired-by con- 
noifleurs. ‘This phenomenon very generally 
takes place at the above feafon of the year. 
The weather, however, is not intolerably 
hot, as the thermometer commonly ftands 
between 75 and 76. 
fT It is very fingular, that on this fide 
there are ftill the veftiges of feveral ancient 
roads, with the tracks of carriages worn deep 
inthe rocks; thefe roads are terminated by 
the precipice with the fea heneath, and feem 
to indicate that this ifland has if former ages 
been of much larger extent than 4t is at pre- 
fent. The conyulfion, however, \that ecca- 
fioned its diminution, appears to be much be- 
yond the reach of any hiftory or tradition. 
rocks 
