Conclusion.—A Picture of Sunrise at Malta.—The Upper Baracca of Valletta.—A Favorite and Sightly Promenade.—Retrospective Flight of Fancy.—Conflict between the Soldiers of the Cross and the Crescent.—A Background Wanting.—Historical and Legendary Malta.—The Secret of Appreciation.—Last View of the Romantic Group.—Farewell.
Conclusion.—A Picture of Sunrise at Malta.—The Upper Baracca of Valletta.—A Favorite and Sightly Promenade.—Retrospective Flight of Fancy.—Conflict between the Soldiers of the Cross and the Crescent.—A Background Wanting.—Historical and Legendary Malta.—The Secret of Appreciation.—Last View of the Romantic Group.—Farewell.
Travelers in foreign lands learn to rise betimes, stealing from sleep an hour full of intoxicating beauties. There is an interval between the soft mellow light of the breaking day and that of sunrise, so full of promise, of dewy fragrance, and of heavenly incense, that only poets can truly describe it. As one stands upon the upper Baracca of Valletta and faces the east at such a moment, the gradually advancing light seems to melt away the darkness, while angel hands swing wide the golden gates of day. The sky then dons its deepest blue, the encircling sea glows in violet blushes beneath the rosy light of the dawn, while the air, freshened by the dew, is clear and crisp even in this semi-tropical island. At first a dim uncertainty reigns over all things, but slowly the weird and phantom-like forms assume their real shapes. The picturesque town, with its diversified architecture, the tall, isolated lighthouses, the sleeping islands of Gozo and Comino, the delicate tracery formed of therigging of the ships in the harbor, and even the lonely sentinels upon the battlements come out one by one in bold relief against the background of mingled gold and silver radiance. The heedless world still sleeps, and one cannot but feel half guilty at the selfishness of appropriating alone such an hour of glowing inspiration, while walking hand in hand with Nature.
The Baraccas were originally roofed, consisting of arches facing the sea, but the wooden coverings were long since removed, and they now form favorite promenades, open to the sky.
Yielding to the fancy of the moment, while standing upon this elevated point, remembering the vivid historical tableaux which had been enacted upon the landscape outspread before us, imagination peopled the scene once more with myriads of grim, warlike, contending forces arrayed against each other. One was closely following the standard of the crescent, the other was ranged beneath the emblem of the cross,—standing breast to breast, ready to meet the fierce onslaught. The clash of arms was heard upon the ramparts, the shrill braying of trumpets sounding the charge, and the steady roll of the drum. In fancy we watched the hordes of frenzied Turks storming the high walls of Fort St. Elmo, hastening up the scaling ladders by scores. We saw them repulsed again and again by the stout arms and flashing weapons of the gallant Knights of St. John; the ditch was piled with the lifeless bodies of the Ottoman foe. Theatmosphere trembled with the booming of cannon, the wild shouts of the Mussulmans, the cheering battle-cry of the Christians, and the pitiful groans of the dying, while the surrounding waters were red with human gore. Now clouds of smoke encompass both Turks and Christians. A mine explodes, scattering death among the invaders. Hark! That trumpet sounds the retreat. The Ottoman forces fall sullenly back from before the irresistible power of the Christian arms, leaving half their brethren slain upon the ground. The enemy goes down under the terrible sweeping blows of battle-axe and of mace, like grass before the scythe. Loud rings the shout of victory from the walls of St. Elmo, echoed by forts St. Angelo and St. Michael, while deadly missiles are swiftly launched after the retreating foe.
One was fain to ask, "Is this actually the noise of contending armies, or is it the trick of an overstimulated fancy?" Here, amid such suggestive surroundings, how natural and real it seemed to be!
It is only as regards its great antiquity that one would contrast Malta with our own country. What we are most deficient in is a background in America,—a background to our national scenery, which in itself is hardly equaled, and nowhere excelled. By the word "background" we mean the charm of far-reaching history, legend, classic story, and memories of bygone ages. We have no such special inspiration as is presented in the associations of southern Europe and Asiatic localities,—the Bay of Naples and itssurroundings, for instance, or the land of Palestine. America is still in the youth of its civilization, while in this isolated Mediterranean group, so circumscribed in space, we have monuments which may nearly equal the Pyramids in age. These tokens exhibit here a tangible page of Phœnician and there of Punic history, together with ruins of Roman and Grecian temples, besides which there are footprints of many Asiatic tribes. How one's imagination is awakened by the sight of these half-effaced mementos of races dead and buried so long ago! Crumbling ruins are milestones, as it were, on the road of time. What region would not become interesting to an appreciative observer, under such circumstances?
Traveling and sight-seeing, let us remember, are like hospitality, the stranger must freely contribute his share, or the result will surely be naught. "You will find poetry nowhere, unless you bring some with you," says Joubert.
Our last view of the romantic group was under a sky of blue and tranquil loveliness, bathed in a silvery sheen of moonlight, as seen across the azure and limpid waters from the deck of a P. & O. steamship, bound westward to England. We left the harbor of Valletta just at sunset. While the light was fading away, that of the moon and stars was hastening into life. The lofty ramparts overhanging the sea cast purple shadows upon the silent surface of the water. The terraced town stood out in strong relief, here a dome and there a tower overlooking the tallstone warehouses, while the slender tracery of the shipping appeared like spider's webs. The town stood there firm and stately, as though cut out of the solid rock.
Our vessel moved at half-speed until St. Elmo was passed, and before we had fairly laid our course for Gibraltar the clear atmosphere was filled with the floating strains from a military band in St. George's Square. A spirit of rest and peacefulness hung over the picturesque old city of the Knights. Mentally we bade farewell to its curious streets, its palaces and churches, its grim fortifications and teeming population, its beautiful gardens and marvelous antiquities. The cool, delicious fruits and shade of San Antonio lingered in the memory, then Malta, Gozo, and Comino faded into a vignette, until finally the low-lying group dipped into the blue surface of the water and was seen no more.
THE STORY OF MALTA. A New Book. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
A description of the island of Malta, its history, scenery, and inhabitants.
A description of the island of Malta, its history, scenery, and inhabitants.
EQUATORIAL AMERICA; descriptive of a Visit to St. Thomas, Martinique, Barbadoes, and the Principal Capitals of South America. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
Nothing worth seeing seems to escape his eye, while all that would delight others to know is portrayed in a rich, graphic style.—New York Observer.
Nothing worth seeing seems to escape his eye, while all that would delight others to know is portrayed in a rich, graphic style.—New York Observer.
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Mr. Ballou has made an excellent book out of his visit to Mexico. He furnishes what everybody desires to know, and what is not elsewhere accessible in a single volume.—Boston Herald.
Mr. Ballou has made an excellent book out of his visit to Mexico. He furnishes what everybody desires to know, and what is not elsewhere accessible in a single volume.—Boston Herald.
ALASKA: THE NEW ELDORADO. A Summer Journey to Alaska. Crown 8vo, $1.50.Tourists' Edition.With 4 Maps. 16mo, $1.00.
A charming book of travel, full of information concerning our great northwestern territory.—Boston Budget.
A charming book of travel, full of information concerning our great northwestern territory.—Boston Budget.
DUE WEST; or,Round the World in Ten Months. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
It is a book of books on foreign travel.—Boston Commonwealth.
It is a book of books on foreign travel.—Boston Commonwealth.
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Full of information concerning the Bahama Islands, the Caribbean Sea, and the island of Cuba.... Mr. Ballou is the ideal traveler.—Boston Traveller.
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It is as useful to read him as it is enjoyable to travel with him.—Journal of Education(Boston).
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Few persons have traveled so extensively, and no one more profitably, both to himself and the public, than Mr. Ballou.—Edwin P. Whipple.
Few persons have traveled so extensively, and no one more profitably, both to himself and the public, than Mr. Ballou.—Edwin P. Whipple.
A TREASURY OF THOUGHT. An Encyclopædia of Quotations from Ancient and Modern Authors. 8vo, full gilt, $3.50; half calf or half morocco, $6.00.
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The most complete and exhaustive volume of the kind with which we are acquainted. The literature of all times has contributed to it, and the range of reading necessary to its compilation is the widest.—Hartford Courant.
NOTABLE THOUGHTS ABOUT WOMEN. A Literary Mosaic. Crown 8vo, $1.50.
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A remarkable compilation of brilliant and wise sayings from more than a thousand various sources, embracing all the notable authors, classic and modern, who have enriched the pages of history and literature. It might be termed a whole library in one volume.—Boston Beacon.
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Mr. Ballou displays a broad and thorough knowledge of men of genius in all ages, and the comprehensive index makes the volume invaluable as a book of reference, while—a rare thing in reference books—it is thoroughly interesting for consecutive reading.—The Journalist(New York).
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NEW ENGLAND. A Handbook for Travelers. A Guide to the Chief Cities and Popular Resorts of New England, and to its Scenery and Historic Attractions. With the Western and Northern Borders from New York to Quebec. With 6 Maps and 11 Plans. 13th Edition, revised and enlarged annually. 16mo, $1.50.
It is a small compact volume, with maps and plans and tours; with history condensed, and such illustrations as make it a constant help and pleasure to the tourist. It is admirably put together, and is a vast labor-saving guide for one who wishes to know what to see and what he is seeing.—Rev. Dr.Prime, inNew York Observer.
It is a small compact volume, with maps and plans and tours; with history condensed, and such illustrations as make it a constant help and pleasure to the tourist. It is admirably put together, and is a vast labor-saving guide for one who wishes to know what to see and what he is seeing.—Rev. Dr.Prime, inNew York Observer.
THE WHITE MOUNTAINS. A Handbook for Travelers. A Guide to the Peaks, Passes, and Ravines of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and to the Adjacent Railroads, Highways, and Villages; with the Lakes and Mountains of Western Maine, also Lake Winnepesaukee and the Upper Connecticut Valley. With 6 Maps and 6 Panoramas, including the new Appalachian Club Map. 12th Edition, revised and enlarged annually. 16mo, $1.50.
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Worthy of rank with the best books of its kind. It is complete and exhaustive, its information is exact, and its maps are voluminous. It is not only a good thing for a satchel, but deserves a place in the library.—Outing(New York).
THE MARITIME PROVINCES. A Handbook for Travelers. A Guide to the Chief Cities, Coasts, and Islands of the Maritime Provinces of Canada, and to their Scenery and Historic Attractions; with the Gulf and River of St. Lawrence to Quebec and Montreal; also, Newfoundland, and the Labrador Coast. With 4 Maps and 4 Plans. 9th Edition, revised and enlarged annually. 16mo, $1.50.
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DICTIONARY OF BOSTON. ByEdwin M. Bacon. New Edition, revised. With Introduction byGeorge E. Ellis, D. D., and Map. 12mo, flexible cloth, $1.50; boards, $1.00.
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BOSTON ILLUSTRATED. An Artistic and Pictorial Description of Boston and its Surroundings. Containing full descriptions of the City and its immediate Suburbs, Harbor, and Islands, etc., with numerous Historical Allusions. New Edition, byEdward M. Bacon, revised to date, and containing additional Illustrations and Map. 12mo, paper, 50 cents.
The aim has been to present much information in small compass; to make a ready reference book as well as a handy pocket guide.
The aim has been to present much information in small compass; to make a ready reference book as well as a handy pocket guide.
SATCHEL GUIDE. For the Vacation Tourist in Europe. Annual Edition, revised to date, with additions, and printed from new Plates. A compact Itinerary of the British Isles, Belgium, and Holland, Germany and the Rhine, Switzerland, France, Austria, and Italy. With Maps of Great Britain and Ireland, Continental Europe, Switzerland, Street Plans of London and Paris, Tables of the Comparative Values of United States and European Moneys, a Traveler's Calendar of Ecclesiastical and Popular Festivals, Fairs, etc. 16mo, roan, flexible, $1.50,net.
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The book is indeed a model of perspicacity and brevity; all the advice it gives will be found of immediate service. The "Satchel Guide" tells the readerhow to travel cheaply without a sacrifice of comfort, and this feature of the book will recommend it to many tourists.—Pall Mall Gazette.
No voyager to Europe for the first time should fail to take the "Satchel Guide" with him.... The work stands approved by long experience.—New York Evening Post.
It will prove an invaluable companion to any one who wishes to travel quickly, economically, and to the best advantage.—New York Tribune.
It is the first book we should put in the hands of one going abroad, with an assurance that it might be implicitly trusted.—Boston Transcript.
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Transcriber's NoteSome inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original document has been preserved.Typographical errors corrected in the text:Page viii Nesciar changed to NasciarPage 35 stanch changed to staunchPage 78 Espagna changed to SpagnaPage 175 boatman changed to boatmenPage 201 asigned changed to assignedPage 231 Nesciar changed to NasciarPage 279 belligerants changed to belligerents
Transcriber's Note