About noon came in sight of cape Matapan the most southern extremity of the Morea there are some snow capped mountains - the coast has a very barren appearance - but in the vallies are some green spots with patches of small white houses - these are villages of the Maniotes a people that have the character of robbers - we counted as many as six villages -

Leaving Cape Matapan the shore receded and to the southeast saw the island of Cerigos (Aphrodite) the Cytherea of the ancients and the favourite abode of the Goddess of love, but alas to what a different purpose I serves - being the botany bay of the Ionian Islands, of which it is one - as evening came on could not see much of it , but appeared to be of the barren nature as the Morea - after dark passed the other southern extremity of the Morea - Cape Malea - which is high and bluff - and understand is alone inhabited by a hermit -

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The sea presents the same appearance as yesterday - saw in the distance a British man of war and frigate which we suppose is the Benbow that left Malta for Corfu on Sunday last - passed the day in pacing the deck and reading the Handbook - there is also a lady passenger with a very rattling tongue who affords some amusement - was surprised to find she was an american Mrs going to join her husband at Constantinople - there are three English ladies also - bound to Athens they are single - neither very young nor very handsome but apparently of good mutual accomplishments - understand they are on some such a pious mission as establishing a school for poor greeks at Athens - with the 2nd one played at chef's in the evening - as it got rather late the youngest (miss Rebecca) - puemtorily stopped us by upsetting the chessmen - which the other bore with a good deal of good nature -

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A Voyage to Athens and Constantinople

Embarked early this morning on the French Steamer bout to the island of Syra (Syros) one of the islands of the archipelago as this is no longer a tour round the island of Sicily - I therefore change the title to soon got aquainted with my fellow travellors on board the Sycurgue for they did not exceed 10 or 12 in the first cabin - the greater number being in the other parts of the vessel - and consisof Greeks - Turks - french and English as there is also a great stout Musselman and his son from Algiers who speaks Arab and enquiring of the boy where they were going - replied Stamboul - on asking him about Abdel Kader (Abd al-Qadir) he seemed not to know to whom I referred, but replied such things were not to be spoken lightly of - the words I understand, mean one sent by God -

Leaving the quarantine port of Malta we rapidly receded from the fortifications, and the barren looking coasts of the island - the weather find and the sea calm - all on board were far from the scourge of a sea voyage - the captain is a surly looking man with epaulets - as also the other officers - as they are in the pay of the government - they do not think it worth while to be polite to the passengers but the vessel is kept in good order, and is defended by two large guns and a number of brass swivels (guns) - as between Malta and the Southern extremity of the Morea is an uninterrupted sea this days sailing is as on the wide Atlantic, nothing in sight but sea

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Rose this morning almost free from the pain of yesterday and was very thankfull - after breakfast enjoyed passage on board french steamer Sycurgue to Athens price 180 francs - the vessel is in quarantine ground where I have to go at five O'clock tomorrow morning to embark -

At the recommendation of Capt. Clegg bought Murray's hand book (pictured left) for the east which have no doubt is full of usefull information - today went to the public library and found it highly interesting for the books mostly old and rare works formerly the property of the Knights - spent several hours in reading an old Italian folio - the antiquities of Sicily - most of the books are latin, french and Italian it is open 6 hours every day -

Dined at the table l' hote (guest) of Madam Goubow and was much amused with a young miss who spoke fluently English, french, Italian and Maltese - only nine years old, a native of Palermo in Sicily - in the evening waled in the garden Floriana whilst admiring the flowers came accross of a pair of glorious black eyes - real luminaries - and under a black silk hood - afterwards came to my hotel - prepared my trunk and wrote this far in my journal

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Spent most of the fore part of the day in writing letters to Mr. R. Hoole and sister Sarah. The air of Malta in the shade is yet quite cool from sitting with my coat off and the door my room open

Was suddenly seised with a violent pain in my back which did not get rid of all day - in the evening went limping to embark on the Vesuvio to pursue the voyage around Sicily but had to remain behind for from neglect my passport was not signed by the health officer - therefore thought best to discontinue the tour and pursue my voyage to Athens -

Came back to the hotel in rather an ill humour - but considering the mutable nature of all humans affairs reconciled myself to the change - retired to rest with a bad pain the back - query am not these stone chamber floors the cause of it in part -

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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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On the deck of the steamer at day light this morning, before us at a distance was a barren looking shore, as we approached buildings and for fortifications became visible but not a tree or the verdesse to be seen - we entered a port under the guns of immense fortress - inside were lying at anchor 11 line of battleships this is Malta - and am now writing this at the hotel Clarence in the Strada reale of the city of Valetta - the steamer Oriental has just come in from England, and hear of the death of president Harrison and sorry to learn that the New York steamship President had not yet been heard from

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