1799.) 
Elmo, fituated between the two ports; 
and although the front on the land-fide is 
thought to “be too extentive, it is reckoned 
one of the beft and moft perfect works 
which the art of defence affords. ‘The 
accefs, both te Florian and the Lower 
Town, is moftly over precipices and iteep 
rocks; befides ‘which, Florian itfelf is 
completely overlooked by the city of Va- 
Jetta, whole batteries effectually prohibit 
all approach to it. The works of Florian 
alfo, on the covered ways, are mined and 
countermined to a confiderable extent ; 
and as this citadel is the only point on 
which it is poflible to dire&t an attack on 
Valetta from the land-fide, it is ealy to 
conceive what a number of obftacles mutt 
be furmounted ere an enemy could effect 
the reduction of the city: and after all, 
even if Florian were taken, it would He 
impoflible to keep undifturbed pofleffion . 
of it, on account of its being commanded 
by Valetta, which muft neceflarily be be- 
fieged. 
Tt is a fortunate circumftance for the 
Maltefe, that their ifland is fo dificult of 
approach, infomuch that (as the Chevalier 
Folard obferved) 10 or 12,000 men are 
fufficient to hinder a defcent, although 
30,000 would barely {fuffice to defend the 
works alone (in the cities and other parts 
of the territory); which works, daily aug- 
menting, confequently become weaker, 
and require more reops to defend them. 
If adefcent be once accomplifhed, the 
principal dependance of Malta will be ‘in 
the works which encompa({s and defend 
the port. From what has been. already 
obferved, it is evident that nature defigned 
the execution of each of thefe works, and 
that nothing has been neglected by art to 
improve her advantages. 
the world, of fuch finall extent, abounds 
with fo many various works; a thirit for 
fortification, carried almoft to a pitch of 
extravagance {conlidering that they could 
never fupport a fuficient number of fol- 
diers to maintain them) has conftantly 
pervaded the Grand Matters and the 
whole order ; yet thefe very works, if left 
defencelefs, would, in cafe of an attack, 
only prove fo many intrenchments tor 
the:r enemies.—The whole territory of 
Malta is furrounded, as it were, with 
fortifications, mortars, and cannon. Of 
theft lait there is a vatt number ; in one 
place only, the great circumvallation, 
near Vaietta, called La Cotoxera, (from 
the name of the Grand Mafter who built 
it), there are upwards of 1500, of which 
s02are of brats; yet the Maltete were 
continually purchaiing or caiting new 
Fiffory and Defeription of Malta. 
No country in~ 
ones. All their fhips and galtlies likewife 
were well fupplied with excellent ar- 
tillery. 
Indeed, it muft raife the aftonifhment 
of a ftranger to conceive how this nation 
has ever been able to execute fuch great 
and noble undertakings, than which no- 
thing can be bolder, or wrought in a bet- 
ter ityle; at once fimple and dreadful! 
Thefe immenfe and truly mafterly con- 
ftvuctions are more like the works of a 
mighty and powerful people, than of fo 
petty a ftate. To form, however, a 
proper idea of them, and give them all 
the admiration they delerve,it 1s abfolutely 
neceflary to fee and obferve them on the 
fpot. All the boafted catacombs of 
Rome and~Naples are trifles compared 
with the immenfe excavations that have 
been made in this little ifland. Valetta, 
in particular, is wonderiully rong, both 
by nature and art, and has certainly been 
planned in the fineft fituation imaginable, 
betwixt two of the fineft harbours in the 
world. The artillery allo which defends 
their coaft is immenfe. Although the 
greater part of the works on the ifland 
have been conftruéted or repaired after the 
manner of Vauban, there are yet fome 
remaining, which ferve to evince the im- 
provement eh the art of fortification 
has undergone during the laft 200 years. 
The city of Valetta, properly fo called, 
with the citadels of Florian and St. Elmo, 
require no more than about four or five 
thoufand men for their defence. If the 
Maltefe, from various caufes, were com- 
pelled to abandon their other works for 
the defence of thefe places, it would be an 
eafy matter for the enemy, being mafters 
of the ifland and the fea, to ioc up.the 
garrifon by land, with a body: not much 
fuperi ior in faye ; and by forming en- 
trenchments, fupported at each port, and 
out of the reach of the cannon, would at 
length force them to furrender merely fer 
want of provifions, 
In thefe forts there are exceedingly good 
and f{pacrous magazines hewa in the rocks, 
fufficient to contain provifions, &c. for 
three years, and fheltered from all exter- 
nal anfioyance ; cenfequently the furren- 
der of the forts can only depend on the 
quantity of provifions contained in the 
magazines. 
Befides the cifterns which every inha- 
bitant is obliged to have in his houfe, 
there are water-houfes cut in the rocks, 
which, when filled, contain fufticiency of 
water for three years; it is kept very 
good, and ufed at alltimes. Little ad- 
yantage would, therefore, be derived from 
cutting 
137. 
SS SS ee a ee eee 
