designed for the mail
steamships is also here. The lazaretto is the most perfect of any
arrangement of the kind in Europe. The tongue of land upon which the
city stands is a narrow, rocky peninsula, dividing, as we have said, the
two harbors, so that Fort Ricasoli at the entrance of Grand Harbor, Fort
St. Elmo upon the point of the peninsula, and Fort Tigne at the mouth of
Quarantine Harbor are all on a line at the sea front, and are capable of
repelling the approach of any ship afloat. A bird's-eye view of the
topography of the port of Valletta is at first a little confusing to a
stranger, but its plan soon becomes clear, and the object of its
arrangement is realized. It is then seen that the natural facilities
have been admirably adapted to the general purpose by skilled engineers.
We do not hesitate to say that there is not a more complete system of
fortifications extant, in any part of the world, than the cordon of
defensive structures at Malta. The forts of the harbor, however, form
but a portion of the vast system of fortifications which completely
surround Valletta. Such a gigantic amount of heavy stone-work as they
represent could only be erected where the material was abundant and the
labor cheap. The stone excavated in sinking the deep ditches was used in
raising the escarps; and as to the necessary labor, that was done by the
army of slaves retained on the island by the Knights. When they were not
confined at the oars of the galleys, they were compelled to labor in
erecting these elaborate defenses. Like the Egyptian builders of the
Pyramids, the order was obliged to feed these workmen; but beyond that
expense their services cost nothing.

While the Maltese capital bears, appropriately, the name of the Grand
Master who originated and promoted its construction, these defensive
works, so remarkable and so perfect in their character from a soldier's
point of view, should perpetuate the name of Jerome Cassan, the
accomplished engineer of the order, who designed them, and under whose
able superintendence they were erected. No wonder they call forth the
admiration of all military officers who visit the place. Immense sums of
money and incalculable toil were lavished upon the undertaking,
regardless of any probable necessity for the expenditure. So far as the
science of military defense goes, it would seem as though perfection had
been reached when Chevalier Cassan finished his original plans; but each
new Grand Mas