eaking, the islands of Malta and Gozo were joined together by the
island of Comino. Deep wheel-ruts worn in the rocky surface on the
opposite shores of the two nearest islands, visible even at some
distance under the water, afford what is considered to be unmistakable
evidence that the intervening straits have been formed recently, or that
the sea was once so shallow here as to be easily fordable by wheeled
vehicles. These wheel-tracks are particularly observable at Marfa,
whence passengers take boat for Gozo, but they are also found in other
places, where the connection is wholly obliterated. On the edge of the
shore, to the north of the Bay of Fom-er-Rich, wheel-ruts are to be seen
terminating abruptly at the brink of a cliff one hundred feet high,
which rises sheer from out of the sea. This shows clearly that some
tremendous upheaval, subsidence, or both, must have taken place here
within historic times.

Though the Straits of Freghi are now many fathoms deep, navigation is
somewhat intricate. A first-class British iron-clad was wrecked here in
1889, by striking upon a sunken rock. In very stormy weather
communication between the islands is wholly cut off, but this rarely
occurs. The shore in this vicinity is fringed by long, black, straggling
ledges, the most dangerous portions of which are exposed only in stormy
weather, when the dark, sea-worn rocks raise their heads and stoutly
resist the onslaught of the waves, sending aloft transparent masses of
white spray. When the sun escapes from the clouds and penetrates this
watery ebullition, momentary rainbows bind the moistened atmosphere
together with a lovely arch of prismatic hues.

Careful soundings show that the Maltese group stands upon a submarine
plateau, which stretches entirely across the Mediterranean from Sicily
to Africa, thus dividing the sea into two parts, known to geographers as
the eastern and western basins.

Malta, so far as an unscientific person may speak, shows no signs of
volcanic action, though there is a powerful agent of this character so
near in Sicily. At the present writing AEtna is in a condition of wild
physical turmoil, forming new fissures near its summit, out of which the
much-dreaded fiery lava is flowing rapidly, while the main crater is by
no means idle. Nothing can stem the tide of these rushing rivers of
molten rock, which have cut themselves fresh channels for miles,
extending to the sea. The last outbreak occurred in the earl