HISTORY OR MALTA.

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without sacrificing numbers of troops; since the climate ofAfrica is still more inimical to an European, than the scymitarof the mussulman, or the balls and arrows of the Arabs andMoors.

People of a more moderate way of thinking, who are wellacquainted with the difficulty of taking such a variety of fortsextending the whole length of the coast of Barbary, and themuch greater one of establishing colonies in those countries,are still of opinion, that nothing could be more easy than toblock up their ports; but they do not consider, that, inde-pendent of the considerable squadron which must always bemaintained to preserve a coast extending from the straits ofGibraltar to Egypt, the navigation is well known by seamento be particularly dangerous. Even the nations which havebeen regarded as the most formidable at sea, have no longerany rowing vessels; and the Mediterranean being subject toflat calms which frequently last several days, the best dis-ciplined fleet would be of small avail against galiots and half-galiots rowing four or five knots an hour, and only drawingsix feet water.

Were it even possible to carry such a plan into execution,

, it could never take place without the unanimous consent of allthe Christian powers; and this, their different political andcommercial interests must ever prevent. Such an agree-ment could never be lasting; since it must infallibly bebroken the moment war was declared between any of the