tand; that
is, the "Village of Roses." _Casal_ in Maltese signifies village. There
is also Casal Luca, the "Village of Poplars," and still another, Casal
Zebbug, the "Village of Olives," a natural and appropriate system of
nomenclature. It is extremely interesting to visit the armory of the
Knights of St. John, to see the rusty lances, dimmed sword-blades, and
tattered battle-flags which were borne by the Crusaders in the days of
Saladin and Coeur de Lion. A visit to Fort St. Angelo, perched upon
the summit of the island, enables us to look far away over the blue
Mediterranean, dotted by the picturesque maritime rig of these waters.
It is pleasant to stroll about the bright, cleanly streets of Valetta,
to chat with the smiling flower-girls who occupy the little kiosks
(flower-stands) on the corners of the Strada Reale, and to enjoy a
cooling ice in the gardens of the cafe adjoining the Knights' Palace.
But we must not linger here, whence we sail for Gibraltar, a thousand
miles away, at the other end of this great inland sea.

Arrived at the famous Rock, we are at once impressed upon landing with
its military importance. Every other person one meets is in uniform, and
cannon are as plenty as at Woolwich or West Point. The Signal Station is
fifteen hundred feet in height. The zigzag path leading to the summit is
lined with wild-flowers, though we come now and again upon embrasures,
whence protrude grim-muzzled guns. Further up we stoop to gather some
daphnes and disclose a battery screened by fragrant and blooming
flowers. From the top the view is magnificent; the white wings of
commerce which sprinkle the sea look like sea-gulls, and steamships are
only discernible by the long line of smoke trailing behind them. Far
below us, on the Spanish side, lies the town, a thick mass of yellow,
white, and brown houses; and nestling in the bay is the shipping,
looking like toy-boats. The mountain ranges of Ceuta and Andalusia, on
opposite continents, mingle with soft, over-shadowing clouds, while over
our heads is a glorious dome of turquoise blue, such as no temple raised
by the hand of man can imitate.

We find that England has thus established and maintains a line of
outposts from the Mediterranean to the far East, beginning at Gibraltar,
thence to Malta, Aden, Ceylon, Penang, Singapore, and Hong Kong,
completely dominating the South of Asia, and giving her a clear route to
her extensive possessions in India.

CHAPTER X