Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Maltese Islands, with special reference to their geological structure

1890; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 6; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/14702549008554551

0036-9225

John W. Murray,

Historical Astronomy and Related Studies

WHEN, in the year 1530, the Emperor Charles v. of Germany handed over the sovereignty of the Maltese Islands to the Grand M,~ster of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, a commission was despatched by L'Isle Adam to examine and report on the new possession.The report is said to have been to the following effect :--"That Malta, about sixty miles in circuit, was but an arid rock, covered h~ many places with sand, and in a few with a light scattering of earth brought from the neighbouring continent, or from Sicily ; that it had neither river, nor rivulet, nor spring, nor any other fresh water for the most part, save rain preserved in tanks or cisterns, except .~few wells, rather brackish ; that it produced a little corn, not half enough of anything to feed the scanty population ; that it would be a very unpleasant residence, particularly during summer ; violently, nearly intolerably hot, with not one forest tree, hardly a green thing to repose the eye upon ; and a sort of ill-walled town, called its capital, in the middle of the island, at a considerable distanee from the sea ; that, however, the stone is not hard, but rather tvfo, or soft, and easy to cut into any shape; that the people speak a dialect of Arabic or Moorish, and are noted for their frugality of living ; that, for the rest, the harbours may be rendered good, and that what are termed casali are miserable villages or shocking huts, r.~ther befitting fishermen and pirates than the renowned Hospitallers ; that as to Gozo it was too little, though, in comparison of Malta, fertile and pleasant."Seddall, 1 after quoting the above condensed report from the writings of Lieut.-Col.Porter, says :--" This description of the islands and their inhabitants holds good in nearly every particular even in the present day."While the islands are said by this writer to be interesting from their association with great events in ancient and modern history, they are represented as presenting few attractions beyond the walls of Valetta ;