The former inspector of the health office being displaced, a gentleman from the medical staff of the army has been appointed: it is of the greatest importance, that, in a place so likely to be attacked with the plague, this officer should be obliged to remain constantly on his post; there are, however, many other reasons for his personal attendance; the salaries of his subalterns are so small that they are obliged to become traders; hence every species of partiality, and a great variety of practices which go to endanger the public safety. While on the subject of Quarantine, I cannot help shortly noticing that part of the internal police which relates to cleanliness: from the peculiar position of Valetta, having a gradual descent on each side towards the water, nothing would be more easy than to keep the streets constantly clean; yet with the exception of one or two of the principal ones, they are in general remarkably filthy, a circumstance which, in other parts of the Mediterranean, is known to have often been the cause of pestilence: it is more to be wondered at here, as the situation of inspector of the streets is one of considerable emolument. Much, however, cannot be said in praise of the person who occupies that place at present; his name is Satariano during the governments of Sir A. Ball he was removed from an office of trust, and even underwent a regular process, which ended in disgrace and exile to Tripoly in the West; he was at the same time declared incapable of filling any

office whatever under government. How this gentleman has contrived to get into favour a second time is another point which I am by no means competent to answer, and can only add, that the duties of his place might be infinitely better discharged for the public good.

There are two post-offices in Malta, whereas one properly administered would answer the purpose of distributing letters much better than both these, and save an expensive establishment to the revenues of the island. The agent for packets, or in other words English post-master, is, by a highly improper arrangement, a merchant having very extensive concerns; the facility with which such a person, if so inclined, might considerably hurt the interests of his contemporaries, is very great; this is, happily, not the case at present, although the circumstance of his appointment is far from being agreeable to any of the trading people here. To the other numerous objections of the public to this place being in the charge of a mercantile man, it might be added that his own avocations prevent him from paying the least attention to sorting letters and forwarding them to individuals.

LETTER IV.

"Le plus importante maxime est de travailler avec beaucoup plus de soin a prevenir les besoins qu'à augmenter les revenus. Les gouvernements anciens faisant plus en effet, avec leur parcimonie, que les notres avec tous leur tresors."

ROUSSEAU.

National Character of the Maltese-Love of Liberty-Social Customs-Amusements-Maltese

Ladies--Assassinations--Anecdotes-British and Maltese Intercourse-English Resident Manners-Opera-House, Theatres, &c.-Public Service of English Worship-Literature and Fine Arts-Pictures-Public Libraries-Biographical Sketches of the Natives-The Bishop, &c. &c.-Observations on Future Political Measures, Amelioration, &c. &c.

Malta, 1812.

It is now time to dilate a little on the national character, manners, and customs of the Maltese. Upon these topics I shall not detain you very long as several other writers have treated the subject much more ably than I can possibly attempt to do. It seems a singular ordination of the Divinity, that wherever sterility prevails in any country, so the love of liberty increases amongst the inhabitants. This principle is probably derived

from the necessity of limiting their wants, and from the still more powerful incentive to independence, a slow progress towards luxury, that never-failing bane of civilized society; it requires, however, a very discriminating judge of human nature rightly to distinguish between a genuine feeling of virtuous freedom in a people, and that species of insolence and pride, which are the usual offspring of a defective system of government; both the above impulses operate very strongly on the natives of this island, so that when you hear a Maltese speak of liberty or treat his superior with a degree of sang froid bordering on contempt, you are at a loss whether to impute it to his natural love of being free, or to that relaxation in the laws, which enables him to insult you with impunity. Upon their mental qualifications little more can be said, than that a pure atmosphere and warm climate have given the Maltese in general a quickness of perception and ardency of passion not unlike that which characterize their Sicilian neighbours. A man's own country is not, however, always the place most favorable to the display of his talents; so that if you wish to know the capability of the Maltese, whether in the fine arts, or more abstruse sciences, it will be necessary for you to visit the continent, particularly Paris, Vienna, and Naples, where there are many distinguished Maltese who have risen to the head of their profession in various departments. But there are several men of talents still remaining in

the island. Nothing can exceed the avidity with which the natives of every description frequent social meetings these are principally confined to their own relatives, mixed companies being rather discouraged; but a feast day, which are almost ▾ numberless throughout the year, is hailed by a Maltese as his principal source of happiness: on these occasions he sallies forth arrayed in his best cloaths, and with a segar in his mouth, which is only taken out for the purpose of chanting a verse relative to the charms of his brunette, or of some place of public resort; he hastens to the scene of J rural festivity, and joining the dance forgets all the cares of this world. During the summer season, those who can afford to hire boats, pass whole days and nights on the water, and it is really gratifying sometimes to see all the members of a family regaling themselves in those excursions; for a greater degree of undisturbed domestic harmony is, I believe, no where more enjoyed than in Malta; but their sobriety, which was proverbial previous to our arrival, will not, I am inclined to think, bear quite so much scrutiny as heretofore, There are a great number of popular airs which you continually hear sung by boatmen and other labourers; the music, without possessing much scietific re finement, is remarkable for a considerable degree of primitive simplicity; the country dances of this island are also of a very peculiar style of composition, and extremely pretty.

Amongst the prejudices handed down from the