Malta : the island of sunshine & history

Abstract

MALTA - the prehistoric « Sacred Island » of the Mediterranean ; « the sea of civilization and all history » ; the « Golden Apple » in the struggles of the powers of ancient and modern times ; the haven of storm-tossed sailors ; the last home of the Knights of St. John; the centre of Napoleon's shattered dream of world domination; the premier naval station in the British Empire and the hub of the air traffic of the future is undoubtedly one of the most interesting spots in the world. « Malta has great memories » said the Prince of Wales on a recent historical occasion. He was undoubtedly right. In ages long past the Maltese Islands formed part of one of the landbridges that united Europe to Africa. In those days the hippopotamus swam in the rivers that flowed down the sides of the mountains now submerged; the elephant roamed about the groves in the valleys; the bear hunted the deer, gigantic swans and other aquatic birds lived in the lakes which swarmed with huge tortoises. Then a cataclysm took place ; pinnacle after pinnacle disappeared beneath the waves, landslide followed landslide, and the large animals found themselves in surroundings ill-adapted to their development. They diminished in size and disappeared altogether. The now extinct pigmy elephant became a native of Malta. Man also appeared early in these islands. Apart from the valuable, but rather baffling, evidence of his early migrations furnished by the cart-ruts which cross the island in every direction, the existence in Malta of Neanderthal, one of the earliest types of man, has been definitely established.