Malta is a great Naval and military arsenal strong by nature and art as a fortress - here the brave Knights in former times made a gallant stand against the Turks - the british military now occupy the inns and palaces of the grand master and his brother Knights in the palace are their arms and armour and also trophies of victory taken from their Mahomedan (Mohammedan) enemies and among them the sword Dragut the Algerian general killed at the seige of Malta the year 1565 - in the church of St. John are their tombs - covering the pavement of the church in beautifull marble mosaics as well as monuments of the grand manastus in the side chapels -

Four of us took a singular Maltese carriage or rather covered gig with the driver running along side instead of sitting in front and went to the citta Notable - six miles from Valetta and the center of the island - the city is very small surrounded by a wall and ditch and mostly occupied by convents and churches - the view from this point extends over the whole island which is covered with villages the houses are square with flat roofs and have somewhat the appearance of large tombs -

The Island of Goza is close to Malta, and as the day was find and clear the coast of Sicily could be decerned, and the could topped Etna tho near a hundred miles off - the Grand master had a country palace and fine gardens called St. Antonio some three miles from Valetta - the English governor now generally occupies there but at present and illustrious stranger is there - the Emir of the Druses - brought as prisoner from Syria -

As it was evening when we went to the Garden (by special permission) we saw the princess and her attendants walking about the garden, their heads and part of the face were covered after the Turkish fashion - the eyes were coloured black which I did not admire the children were playing about and they all appeared to enjoy themselves the men were smoking their long twisted pipes and smoke was bubbling thro the water - in the garden was the cachiauc (caoutchouc) or indian rubber tree and in an adjoining court were some Gazelles -

Arrived in the city in time for the opera - the price to the pit is 1/L and the piece performed L'Esule di Roma - many of the ladies were English with a sprinkling of bright eyed Maltese - as it is now 12 O'clock I return to bed

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