Letters of an Invalid from Italy, Malta, and the South of France

Front matter

COPIES PRINTED. Number . . LETTERS OF AN INVALID LETTEBS OF AN INVALID FROM ITALY, MALTA, AND THE SOUTH OF FRANCE. UY ALEXANDER MALCOLM. LONDON : PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES & SONS, Limitep, Stamford Street and Charing Cross. 1897. LONDON: TRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, Limited, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS. Alexander Malcolm was born at Glasgow on 21st March, 1795, and was the second son of Alexander Malcolm,* a merchant there, by Elizabeth Steel, the only daughter of Captain Bobert Steel, a shipmaster of Greenock, who represented, through an immediate ances tress, the old Ayrshire family of Monfode of that Ilk, and who had himself espoused Miss Mary Hastie, the only daughter of James Hastie of Kameshill, near Kihnarnock. Born with a delicate constitution, it was not without difficulty that he passed through a feeble and very precarious infancy : yet, by the judicious nurture and training of a mother who was ever anxiously careful of her offspring, he became gradually a stout active boy.

Even at five years of age his health and strength had so much improved that he was sent to a public school, where he gave early promise of that diligence and activity, * Alexander Malcolm was the son of Walter Malcolm, the only child of George Malcolm, a sheep farmer in Row, Dumbartonshire, who died young. Walter Malcolm was educated in the manse of the Kev. Mr. Allen, at that time the well-known and highly respected minister of Row, and married Ann Gillies, one of a family long settled at Bonhill, Dumbartonshire. He became a timber merchant in Greenock. He and his wife are buried in the churchyard of Govan, near Glasgow. as well as mental acuteness, which distinguished him at every stage of his future career. When only eight years old, he lost his father ; but his elder brother, who was about fifteen years his senior, took charge of his education, which was committed to teachers of merit and experience, Glasgow being, at that period, remarkable for eminent instructors of youth, in almost every department of knowledge.

His education was not materially different from that which is usually given to the sons of persons in the middle rank of life all over Scotland; but in his particular case it combined the advantages of both a public and a private system of tuition, under the most competent instructors, with this further and perhaps still more important advantage to a youth under age, that of constant residence beneath his mother's roof. His elder brother combined with a taste for literature, habits of reading and study, which were eminently useful as an example. And he fell almost naturally into the same habits, and thus very early became an indefatigable reader. Accordingly, long before his educational course was completed, he had acquired such a stock of various and multifarious knowledge as enabled him to take a decided lead amongst his youthful compeers.

Letter I

Voyage from England to Naples in a Merchantman — Impressions on reaching Gibraltar — Island of Sardinia — View of the Bay of Naples from Shipboard — Mole of Naples, its inconveniences — Passport — Appearance of the Common people of Naples ........ 1

Letter II

State of the weather in Naples in tbe month of January — Vesuvius — Pompeii — Baiæ — Courts of Law in Naples ■ — Cases of Robbery and Murder — The Neapolitan Press — Literature of Naples — English Merchants — State of Private Society — Steamboat there ...... 12

Letter III

Climate of Naples — Museo Barbonico — Theatre of San Carlo — The Italian Opera — King of Naples — Manners of the People — Charitable Institutions ...... 26

Letter IV

Departure from Naples — View of that City, Bay, etc., from the neighbouring mountains — Road from Naples to Terracina — Pontine Marshes — Effects of the Malaria upon the human appearance— Arrival in Rome — Carnival there — Public and private Masquerades — Tableaux, etc 38 I PAGE 88

Improvisatori of Italy — Signor Sgricci — Character and Manners of the Italians — Jews of Rome — MorniDg cries there — Forenoon's Walk among the Antiquities — Priests — Reflections, etc. ......... 75

Letter VIII

Register of the winter weather in Naples, and of the sprint weather in Rome — Observations on climate in general — Superior efficacy of sea air in pulmonary complaints — Danger of sight-seeing to Invalids — The Coliseum during moonlight — The malaria at Home in certain seasons, and causes of the insalubrity of the Maromrna of Italy

Letter IX

Journey from Rome to Civita Vecchia — Description of Civita Vecchia — Its Population — A depdt for Convicts — Account of tho Prisons — Galley Slaves of the Papal States— Gasparoni, tho Baudit Chief — Imbecility of the Government of his Holiness — Anecdotes .... PAGE 113 151 1G5

Letter X

Some further accounts of Civita Vecchia— Character of his present Holiness in early life — Robbers of this part of the country — Route from Civita Vecchia to Viterbo — Compania of Rome — Malaria there in ancient and modern times — Causes — Reflections — Aqueducts of the old Romans — Approach to Viterbo— Arrival— State of Religion there, etc.

Letter XI

Journey from Viterbo to Florence — Environs of Florence — First Impressions on entering the City — The Gallery — The Venus de Medicis — Pitti Palace — Gabinetto Fisico — Laurentine Library — Dante and Machiavelli — Their literary characters — Alfieri — His rural retreat in the neighbourhood of Florence, etc. ........ 125

Letter XII

Arrival in Pisa — Travelling in Italy — Character of the common people — Curiosities of Pisa, etc. ..... 140

Letter XIII

Leghorn — Amusements there — Preparations of the Turks — Egyptian slaves — English burying ground — House in which Smollett died — Reflections — Episode — Italian servants

Letter XIV

Departure from Leghorn— Land at the Island of Elba — Leave Elba — Overtaken by a storm — Anecdote of the loss of the Athenian and Captain Rainsford — Driven into Syracuse — Modern city — Antiquities — Leave Sicily — Arrival at Malta — Description of the Harbours, etc. ..... XX PAGE 193

Letter XV

General view of Malta — Historical retrospect — Heat of the Island — Sir Thomas Maitland — Anecdotes of him — Account of Valetta — Its public buildings and churches — Anecdote of Carravaggio — Libraries — Maltese females — Politics of Malta — Soldiers stationed there — Mr. Sheridan's opinion of its value to Great Britain ...... 180

Letter XVI

Climate of Malta — General effects of the Sirocco — Quarantine laws — Proposal to make Malta a depot or expurgation warehouse for goods exposed to quarantine and bound to England — Character of the Maltese — The Knights — Epitome of the History of the Order — Governor Ponsonby — Nature of his government — Sinecure offices — Priests and Nobles

Letter XVII

Hotels of Malta — Lodging accommodations — A believer in Ghosts — Anecdote of a little Greek — Greek piracy — Adventure of the Master of a London brig — Means of preventing piiacy — Impolicy of certain mercantile restrictions — Importance of Malta to British merchants — Its advantages to the young mercantile adventurer — Banks of Malta — Its banking system contrasted with that of Italy . . . 205

Letter XVIII

Rains of Malta — Their effect on Husbandry— Mode of forming soil — Cultivation of the Mulberry and introduction of Cochineal — Cotton of Malta, its rise — Flourishing state of the trade at one time — The corn trade of Malta — Account of the Universita or corn Monopoly — Present mode of managing the corn trade — Suggestions for its improvement — Shameful interference of tho British with the College funds of Malta ....... PAGE 269

Letter XIX

Climate of Malta in November — Arrival of the combined fleets after the battle of Navarino — Feu de joie in honour of the occasion — Wools the Missionary — His arrival and reception on the Island — Church accommodation for the Protestant residents — Politics of the Island — Importunity of the beggars — Alarming increase of pauperism . . . . 232

Letter XX

Courts of Law in Malta — Judges Zammit and Wright — Attorneys — Police cases — Story of a Bavarian Officer — Duelling — Laws of Malta on this subject in the time of the order — Opinions of Smollet — Johnson — The Turks, and Bacon upon it — Rabbit hunting and Quail shooting in Malta, and the practice of using owls and puppy-dogs as articles of food ........ 241

Letter XXI

Effect of the battle of Navarino upon the trade of Malta — Rejoicings after the arrival of the combined fleets — Ball given to the admirals and others by the officers of the garrison — National characteristics — Politics of Malta — Abuses iu the quarantine department, etc. — Extraordinary cases of official extortion ...... 258

Letter XXII

Difficulties of the stray traveller in obtaining accurate information — Description of the Capuchin convent in Malta — The Miseries of Malta — Wretched condition of the people — Measures adopted for their relief — Public subscription — Mode of its application, and meanness of the subscribers

Letter XXIII

Further observations on the pauperism of Malta — Conduct of the Governor — Causes and cure proposed — Quarantine regulations — Post-office departments — Treasurer — Amount of the PAGE 301 salaries of various sinecurists — Botanic gardens of Floriana — Saltworks of Malta — Sober and abstemious character of the Maltese — Price of bread, etc. — Reductions suggested in 11.22 279

Letter XXIV

General climate of Malta — Opinion of Dolomieu — Greek piracies — Loss of the Cambrian — Trial of nine pirates at Malta before a jury and special commission — Address of Sir John Stoddart to the Jury — Verdict and other proceedings which followed — State of weather in the Mediterranean — L'ghtning, etc., and shipwreck off Cape Colonna . . . 289

Letter XXV

State of society in Malta — Pride of the military — Story in illustration — Byron's opinion of them and his adieus to Malta — Byron versus Brougham — Introduction of Libraries in the army — Governor Pousonby — His private character — Count Porro of Lambertoni — Carbonarism of Italy — A Sicilian Barone — Love affair — Politics of Malta— Portrait of a Maltese Beggar — House of Industry in Malta — Scheme of Colonel Balnevis for the relief of the poor — The use of the Colonial yacht there— An additional list of sinecurists — Retrenchment — Reflections — Ordnance management — Duty on bread — Free trade — Opinion of Dr. Franklin

Letter XXVI

Carnival of Malta — Masquerade at the Palace — Tournament in tho square and grand procession — Amateur theatricals — S»ng — English theatre first established in Malta in 1810 — Malteso theatricals — Comedy composed by a blind man —Advocates of Malta — Doctor of Goza— Sir Frederick llankey's levee — A specimen of his humour — Maltese Judges —Political management of Sir Frederick Uankey — Character of tho Marquis of Bastings and Sir Thomas Maitland — Anecdotes and remarks ...... ;;l'2

Letter XXVII. Page

Catholic ceremonies after Lent — Procession of the Host — More observations upon the political condition of the Island — Folly of filling civil offices with military and other unqualified persons — Intrigues of the Natives — Piætors before the Admiralty Court — Captain Symonds on the bench — Anecdote — Value of Malta in a commercial point of view . 340

Letter XXVIII

Excursion to the Island of Gozo— Description of it — Population of Gozo and Malta in 1827 — Brydone's allusion to Gozo — Fate of his Telemachus — Colonel Fullarton, as contrasted with General Picton — Accommodation for travellers at Rabbato — Inhabitants of Gozo — Their poverty — Priests and Robbers — Fungus rock — Giant's tower — Clockmaker's well — And Grotto of Calypso — Revenue and expenditure of Gozo — Return to Malta — St. Paul's Bay .... 353

Letter XXIX

Occurrences in Valetta after arrival — King's birthday — Colonel Kivarolla — The late Queen — Sketch of an eccentric attorney — Amusements of the Maltese — Horse-races, etc. — The Basquetto — Civita Vecchia — The Catacombs — Public institutions of Malta — The Hospitals — King's Bakery — The Maltese Library — Monti de Pieta — State of the country when taken by the French, and conduct of Buonaparte on that occasion — Proceedings of the Malta patriots — Unpopularity of the Knights — Revenue of the Island during the last years of their government — Cheap articles of exportation at that period — Maltese asses — Sir Frederick Hankey — Reflections 368

Letter XXX

View of Society in Valetta — Amusements of the middle ranks — Gambling — Liberality of the merchants in Malta — Claims of the Maltese as an independent nation considered — Objections to the Universita or corn Institution— Its advantages TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE 384 428 438 — Proclamation of the Marquis of Hastings on this subject — Striking coincidence in the political condition of Malta and of Sicily when in the possession of the English — Stipu lations with regard to Malta in the treaty of Amiens — The demand of the Maltese founded on these stipulations — Opinions expressed in Parliament on the subject during the debates on the treaty — Preparation to leave Malta

Letter XXXI

Voyage from Malta to Marseilles — Society there — Amusements of the people — Climate ....... 401

Letter XXXII

Trip to Toulon — Arsenal and convicts there — Farther observations upon Marseilles — Impracticable to maintain Steam Packets on the Mediterranean — Route from Marseilles to Bordeaux by land and water — Abuses in the French Government ........ 415

Letter XXXIII

Departure from Marseilles — Aix in Provence — Baths there — Greoulx among the Basses Alpes — Its fame and accommodations as a watering place — Strange adventure — Tarascon ■ — Beaucaire — I'onte du Garde — Arrival in Nismes

Letter XXXIV

Antiquities of Nismes — The Temple of Diana — Maison Carree — Amphitheatre — French Soldiers on Parade — Protestants of the south of France — Smollett and Lord Chesterfield foretell the French Revolution thirty years before it is effected

Letter XXXV

Route from Nismos to Toulouse— Montpellier — Beziers — Tho famous canal of Languedoc — Paul Riquet — Carcas.one — Castlenaudary — Arrival iu Toulouse — School there — Marinoiitol — Murat — Field of battle . . . . .117 PAGE

Letter XXXVI

Departure from Toulouse — Agen — Voyage down the Garonne — Wines of this part of the country, and quantities produced — Travelling in France — Marmande — French steamboats — ■ Different views of Bordeaux — Arrival there — Napoleon's bridge ......... 461

Letter XXXVII

Climate — Public buildings of Bordeaux — Promenades — Amusements of the French — Napoleon — Preparations to return home — Reflections, etc. ....... 472 c LETTEKS OF AN INVALID.