e we went ashore again, called on various
friends before luncheon, and went over the palace and through the
armoury. Then we took a walk down the Strada Reale, the shopping
street of Valetta, until it was time to go on board to receive some
friends to tea. The shops are full of coral, lace, gold and silver
filigree work, and a new sort of lace they make in Gozo, of white
silk, in beautiful patterns. It has been manufactured only during the
last few years, and varies much in quality and design. Some forty or
fifty friends came on board and amused themselves looking at our
curiosities and photographs until long past the dinner hour. We had to
hurry on shore to dine, and go afterwards to the Opera Manoel. The new
Grand Opera House is not to be opened until next October. It had been
blowing fresh and strong from the westward all day, but to-night, as
we rowed across the harbour, the breeze had dropped to a flat calm,
and Tom is most anxious to be off at daybreak.

_Thursday, May 10th_.--I was up before sunrise. A fresh fair wind was
blowing, and as soon as the children could be got ready we all went
ashore to the market, which was crowded with people, and full of fish,
meat, and all spring vegetables and fruit. We were to start at 6.30,
so there was no time to lose, and laden with lovely bouquets of
flowers we hastened on board; but it was nine o'clock, after all our
haste, before we were fairly off, through some mistake about the bill
of health.

Malta is certainly the most delightful place for yachting winter
quarters, with its fine healthy harbour, charming society, very cheap
living, and abundance of everything good. It is in proximity to many
pleasant places, and most interesting excursions can easily be made to
Sicily and Italy, or the coast of Africa. To-day we glided along the
coast, past the strongly fortified little island of Consino, standing
boldly out in mid-channel between Malta and Gozo. The Mediterranean
appears to us a highway after the lonely oceans and seas we have been
sailing over. Within one hour this morning, we saw more ships than in
the whole of our passage from Valparaiso to Tahiti and Yokohama.
Towards the evening we could see the island of Pantellaria in the
distance. We retain a lively remembrance of it from having been
becalmed just off it in the 'Albatross' for three weary days and
nights. It was after this and a long series of other vexations and
delays that Tom and I registered a vow never