principium petens. What account can then be given of the expression. The nearest approach to it is Euroclydon, given in a citation of Baisson, which seems to mean violently tempestuous. Several other writers have shown that the Epoxλudwr was a kind of hurricane or whirlwind, often shifting its quarters and tossing poor mariners backwards and forwards.* This exactly coincides with what the Italian sailors call a tuffone, and the English a Levanter which blows from the north-east and east, and is the most boisterous and tempestuous wind in the Mediterranean, especially during the autumnal equinox, the time St. Paul

was at sea.

III. The ancient Egyptians,† Greeks and Romans considered all other nations barbarians, because they did not understand their languages. Hence St. Paul also says, "If I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian to me."‡

IV. Another assertion contrary to fact. as six feet are often seen in the island,

Snakes as long and of smaller

dimensions are very common here. It is true they are harmless; whether they always were so, I will not take upon myself to say. I do not see any improbability that one of those creatures should have fastened on the Apostle; and perhaps the uncommon way in which it laid hold on him induced the natives to come to the conclusion they did.

V. It is a well-known fact that the very disease with which Publius was afflicted is by no means uncommon in

* See Badger's "Description of Malta and Gozo."

+ Herodotus, lib. II.

‡ 1 Cor. xiv. 11.

Malta during autumn.
and force of the arguments. Let us now, my Lord, follow
St. Paul on his voyage from Melita to Rome. We read
that he first went to Syracuse, then Rhegium; now
Reggio is on the southern point of Calabria, and next to
Puteoli, in the vicinity of the present Naples. This is a
straightforward course in going from Malta to Rome; but
if Meleda in the Adriatic be meant, then the course of the
vessel was a most unnatural one; first to have gone down
to Syracuse, and then have turned back again to Reggio.
The above considerations, when taken together with the
tradition which existed amongst the natives, are too
powerful not to have upset the scepticism which beset my
mind before I came here. I trust I succeeded in con-
veying to your Grace an explicit statement of my views.
on a subject respecting which you did me the honour to ask
my humble opinion. The accompanying little map, I trust,
will be found an interesting auxiliary to the consideration
of the question. I, therefore, enclose it herewith.

So much for the conclusiveness

I shall now take the liberty to add, of my own accord, my opinions respecting some of the antiquities of this island. A short time before my arrival at this place, a discovery was made of an antiquated subterranean temple near Citta Vecchia. It was excavated under the direction of William Winthrop, Esq., American Consul at Malta, and Walter Lock, Esq., an English officer. I consider these gentlemen entitled to the best thanks of all those interested in archæology. The discovery consists of a triple cave, hewn out in the solid rock, into the side of the descent to a valley, which forms part of the garden of the Roman Catholic Bishop of this island. The cavity consists of three large compartments, each penetrating into the other by parallel quadrangular rectangular excavations. Through the kindness of Mr. Winthrop, I was enabled to examine the chambers leisurely for several days, and that by the morning sun-light. I will first give your Grace a simple description of the contents of the respective chambers, and my opinions respecting the same. The masonic symbols were put up by the two gentlemen who cleared the chambers of the débris and rubbish with which they were stopped up. The following drawing will give your Grace an idea of the ground-plan of the interior of the respective chambers.

I begin with the one to the left, by which I always entered. This compartment contains an oblong square altar, surrounded by four trenches. The centre chamber contains two rows of seats-in the passage leading to the right-hand chamber-one above the other; and the vestiges of a carved human figure, with a long branched wand in its hand, as well as a representation of the moon, all of which can be traced on a column which occupies the left-hand inner corner. The right-hand chamber contains the vestiges of a human figure, and a fish-tailed goat. These

traces of carving I did not observe for several days; but a couple of days ago, the morning sun was so auspicious as to send me a brilliant beam of light to illuminate that wall and to brighten my eyes; and then it was that I first traced the faint vestiges of those figures, of which I am very glad, as it opened quite new views to my mind respecting the original use of this temple.

The chamber A, I consider to have been the place where sacrifices were offered up. The altar (No. 1) seems to have been constructed on the principle Elijah constructed his, when he confronted the prophets of Baal. Probably the idolators thought that there was some peculiar virtue in such a style of altar-building, and imitated it.* There can be no doubt that the trenches were intended for water, for even now there is always some water in them. It moreover appears very plainly that there was once a running spring into them, which was probably subsequently intercepted by excavating for water in the garden above.

N 2

A

little water still exudes from the left-hand inner corner of the chamber, (see No. 2.) The chamber B, I consider to have been an oratory for the people. I have already stated that this chamber contains the vestiges of a human figure, with a long branched wand in its hand, as well as the representation of the moon, which was carved on a column occupying the left-hand inner corner, (see No. 1). That figure I consider to represent a priest in the attitude of consecrating the idol, Ashayrah, to the moon. You see, my Lord, I do not adopt the translation of the English Bible for that word. I agree with the learned Hebrew author of by ma, "Bamoth Baal,"* that the TN of the Scripture does not mean a grove of trees, that it had no correspondence with the groves of sacred trees mentioned by Eschylus, Sophocles, Lucan, &c., as having stood in the vicinities of the sacred edifices of Greece; by which our translators evidently appear to have been influenced in their translation of the Hebrew word

,במות בעל

It is to be regretted that our translators אשרים or אשרה

were not a little more acquainted with the Canaanitish or Chaldean mythology. The word Ashayrah might then probably have obtained its full value in the English Bible. It must be confessed, however, that this could not have been done without a considerable amount of circumlocution. But it would have been far more preferable than to have introduced such incongruities, as the translators have done, by a false translation.

* A Hebrew work of great research, written by a young Italian Jew. The author gives his title-page in Hebrew and Latin. The following is a copy of the title, in the latter language :-“ De Culte Baal seu de Origine et Progressu Idolatriæ de qua in Sacra Scriptura præcipue agitur tractatus, additur Lexicon in quo continentur Nomina Idolorum quæ in Veteri Testamento inveniuntur cum interpretatione et significatione rerum." The author makes good the promises of his title-page.