Malta

People.

The upper classes have Norman, Spanish and Italian blood. The knights of St. John, commonly called "of Malta," were drawn from the nobility of Catholic Europe. They took vows of obedience and celibacy. At the time of the British occupation there were about two dozen families bearing titles of nobility granted, or recognized, by the Grand Masters, and descending by primogeniture. No government has ever recog nized papal titles in Malta. High and low, all speak among them selves the Phoenician Maltese, altogether different from the Italian language ; Italian is only spoken with a limited vocabulary and peculiar intonation by about one-sixth of the population. Maltese now speak English.

In appearance the Maltese are a handsome race, about the middle height, well formed and sturdily set up; they have escaped the negroid contamination by former importations of black troops noticeable in Sicily, and their features are less dark than those of the southern Italians. The women are generally smaller than the men, with black eyes, fine hair and graceful carriage. They are a thrifty and industrious people, prolific and devoted to their offspring, good-humoured, quick-tempered and impres sionable. The Maltese are adherents to the Roman Catholic Church.

The phenomenal congestion of population gives interest to records of its growth; in the loth century there were 16,767 inhabitants in Malta and 4,514 in Gozo; the total population in 1514 was 22,000. Estimates made at the arrival of the knights (1530) varied from 15,000 to 25,000; it was then necessary to import annually io,000 quarters of grain from Sicily. The popu lation in 1551 was, Malta 24,000, Gozo 7,00o. In 1582, 20,000 quarters of imported grain were required to avert famine. A census of 1590 makes the population 30,500; in that year 3,000 died of want. The numbers rose in 16ot to 33,000; in 1614 to 41,084; in 1632 to 50,113; in 1667 to 55,155; in 1667, II,000 are said to have died of plague out of the total population. At the end of the rule of the Knights (1798) the population was esti mated at 100,000; sickness, famine and emigration during the blockade of the French in Valletta probably reduced the inhabi tants to 8o,000. In 1829 the population was 114,236; in 1836, 119,878 (inclusive of the garrison); in 1873, 145,605; at the census in 1901 the civil population _ was 184,742. Including Gozo and Comino the population on April 26, 1931 was 258,40o; according to the census of 1911 it was 219,311. The death-rate in 1924 was 23.22 per i,000 as against an average of 22.57 during 1910. Economic conditions became critical after the cessation of the war. The number of unemployed was swollen in 1919 by the discharge of about 15,000 men by the naval and military es tablishments, whereupon organized emigration was necessarily resorted to in order to ensure a suitable outlet for surplus Maltese labour.

The teaching of Italian in the infant schools and in the first and second year of the elementary schools was entirely abolished in 1923.

Towns and Villages.

The capital is named after its founder, the Grand Master de la Valette, but from its foundation it has been called Valletta; it contains the palace of the Grand Mas ters, the magnificent Auberges of the several subdivisions or "Langues" of the Order, the unique cathedral of St. John with

the tombs of the Knights and magnificent tapestries and marble work; a fine opera house and hospital are conspicuous. Between the inner fortifications of Valletta and the outer works, across the neck of the peninsula, is the suburb of Floriana. To the south east of Valletta, at the other side of the Grand Harbour, are the cities of Senglea, Vittoriosa and Cospicua ; this group is often spoken of as "The Three Cities." The old capital, near the centre of the island, is variously called Notabile, Cita Vecchia (q.v.) and Medina, with its suburb Rabat ; here are the catacombs and the ancient cathedral of Malta. Across the Marsamuscetto Har bour of Valletta is a considerable modern town called Sliema. The villages of Malta are Mellieha, St. Paul's Bay, Musta, Birch ircara, Lia, Atterd, Balzan, Naxaro, Gargur, Misida, S. Julian's, S. Giuseppe, Dingli, Zebbug, Siggieui, Curmi, Luca, Tarxein, Zurrico, Crendi, Micabbiba, Circop, Zabbar, Asciak, Zeitun, Gudia and Marsa Scirocco. In Gozo the chief town is called Vic toria, and there are several large villages.

Industry and Trade.

As a rule the tillers of the soil live away from their lands, in some neighbouring village. The fields are small and for the most part composed of terraces by which the soil has been walled up along the contours of the hills, with enormous labour, to save it from being washed away. There are about io,000 farms averaging four acres and intensely cul tivated. The grain crops are maize, wheat and barley; the two latter are frequently sown together. The principal fodder crops are green barley and a tall clover called "sulla" (Hedysarum coronarum), with beautiful purple blossoms. Vegetables of all sorts are easily grown, and a rotation of these is raised on land irrigated from wells and springs. Potatoes and onions are grown for exportation at seasons when they are scarce in northern Europe. The rent of average land is about £2 an acre, of very good land over £3 ; favoured spots, irrigated from running springs, are worth up to £12 an acre. Two, and often three, crops are raised in the year; on irrigated land more than twice as many croppings are possible. The presence of phosphates accounts for the fertility of a shallow soil. There is a considerable area under vines, but it is generally more profitable to sell the fruit as grapes than to convert it into wine. Some of the best oranges in the world are grown, and exported; but sufficient care is not taken to keep down insect pests, and to replace old trees. Figs, apri cots, nectarines and peaches grow to perfection. Some cotton is raised as a rotation crop, but little care has been taken to im prove the quality. The caroub tree and the prickly pear are extensively cultivated. There are exceptionally fine breeds of cattle, asses and goats; cows of a large and very powerful build are used for ploughing.