MALTA. The Maltese Islands are situated between Europe and Africa, in the central channel which connects the eastern and western basins of the Mediterranean Sea. The group belongs to the British Empire and consists of Malta, 91 sq.m., Gozo (q.v.) 20 sq.m., Comino, r sq.m., and the uninhabited rocks called Comi notto and Filfia. Malta (lat. of Valletta Observatory 35° 53' 55" N., long. 14° 3o' 45" W.) is about 6o m. from the nearest point of Sicily, 14o m. from the mainland of Europe and i8o m. from Africa; it has a magnificent natural harbour.
Malta is about 171 m. long by 8i- broad; Gozo is 81 by m. This chain of islands stretches 29 m. from northwest to southeast. On the southwest the declivities towards the sea are steep, and in places rise abruptly from deep water some 400 feet. The general slope of these ridges is towards the northeast, facing Sicily and snow-capped Etna, the source of cool evening breezes. The Bingemma range, rising 726 ft., is nearly at right angles to the axis of the main island. The geological "Great Fault" stretches from sea to sea at the foot of these hills. There are good anchorages in the channels between Gozo and Comino, and between Comino and Malta. In addition to the harbours of Valletta, there are in Malta, facing northeast, the bays called Mellieha and St. Paul's, the inlets of the Saline, of Madalena, of St. Julian and of St. Thomas ; on the southeast there is the large bay of Marsa Scirocco. There are landing places on the southwest at Fomh-il-rih and Miggiarro. Mount Sceberras (on which Val letta is built) is a precipitous promontory about r m. long, point ing northeast. It rises out of deep water; well-sheltered creeks indent the opposite shores on both sides. The waters on the southeast of Valletta form the "Grand Harbour," having its en trance between Ricasoli Point and Fort St. Elmo. The series of bays to the northwest, approached between the points of Tigne and St. Elmo, is known as the Marsamuscetto (or Quarantine) Harbour.
series appears to be in line with similar formations at Tripoli in Africa, Cagliari in Sardinia, and to the east of Marseilles. To the southeast of the Great Fault (already mentioned) the beds are more regular, comprising, in descending order, (a) Upper Coral line Limestone; (b) Yellow, Black or Greensand; (c) Marl or Blue Clay; (d) White, Grey and Pale Yellow Sandstone; (e) Chocolate-coloured nodules with shells, etc. ; (f) Yellow Sand stone; (g) Lower Crystalline Limestone. The Lower Limestone probably belongs to the Tongarian stage of the Oligocene series, and the Upper Coralline Limestone to the Tortonian stage of the Miocene. The beds are not folded. The general dip of the strata is from west-south-west to east-north-east. North of the Great Fault and at Comino the level of the beds is about 400 ft. bringing (e), the Marl, in juxtaposition with (g), the semi crystalline Limestone. Mammalian remains found in Pleistocene deposits are of exceptional interest. Among the more remarkable forms are a species of hippopotamus, the elephant (including a pigmy variety), and a gigantic dormouse. In the Coralline Lime stone the following fossils have been noted :—Spondylus, Ostrea, Pecten, Cytherea, Arca, Terebratula, Orthis, Clavagella, Echinus, Cidaris, Nucleolites, Brissus, Spatangus ; in the Marl the Nautilus zigzag; in the Yellow, Black and Greensand shells of Lenticulites complanatus, teeth and vertebrae of Squalidae and Cetacea; in the Sandstone, V aginula depressa, Crystallaria, Nodosaria, Brissus, Nucleolites, Pecten burdigallensis, Scalaria, Scutella subrotunda, Spatangus, Nautilus, 0 strea navicularis and Pecten cristatus. (See Captain Spratt's work and papers by Lord Ducie and Dr. Adams.) The Blue Clay forms, at the higher levels, a stratum imper vious to water, and holds up the rainfall, which soaks through the spongy mass of the superimposed coralline formations. Hence arise the which run perennially, several of which have been collected into the gravitation water supplies of the Vigna court and Fawara aqueducts. The larger part of the water supply, however, is pumped from strata at about sea-level.