your highness' extraordinary kindness manifested to myself—and, most eminent sir, since your favour of product, I have sent on shore one of my captains to wait upon your highness with the presentment of this my grateful letter, and withal to certify to your eminence that I did, and do expect, a salute to be given by your highness to my Master's flag which I carry, correspondent to the salutes which you give to the flags of the King of Spain and the King of France, which are carried in the same place, it being the expectation of the King my Master.

Formerly your eminence was pleased to make some scruple of my command as admiral, which I humbly conceive your highness is fully satisfied in, since you received the last letter from the King of Great Britain.

Sir, I have, since my arrival at your eminence's port, often employed the Consul Desclaous to wait upon your highness concerning the salutes, but have not received any satisfactory answer thereto, which I now humbly desire may be returned unto me by my officer; and withal, that your eminence will be pleased to honour me with your commands wherein I may serve you, which shall be most cheerfully embraced, and readily performed by,

That the complaints of Sir John Narbrough, with reference to the Grand Master's refusal to salute the English flag, were, in the end, satisfactorily explained and removed, will be seen by the following extracts taken from the Diary of Henry Teonge, published in London in 1825. The reverend writer was serving as chaplain on board H. M. S. "Assistance" at the time (1675-76) his notes were written.

"August 1, 1675.—This morn wee com near Malta; before wee com to the cytty, a boate with the Malteese flagg in it coms to us to know whence wee cam. Wee told them from England; they asked if wee had a bill of health for prattick, viz., entertaynment; our captain told them he had no bill but what was in his guns' mouths. Wee cam on and anchored in the harbour betweene the old towne and the new, about nine of the clock; but must waite the governour's leasure to have leave to com on shoare, which was detarded because our captain would not salute the cytty, except they would retaliate. At last cam the Consull with his attendants to our ship (but would not com on board till our captain had been on shoare) to tell us that we had leave to com on shoare six, or eight, or ten, at a time, and might have anything that was there to be had; with a promise to accept our salute kindly. Wherupon our captain tooke a glasse of sack, and drank a health to King Charles, and fyred seven gunns: the cytty gave us five againe, which was more than they had don to all our men of warr that cam thither before."

"August 2.—This cytty is compassed almost cleane round with the sea, which makes severall safe harbours for hundreds of shipps. The people are generally extreamly courteouse, but especially to the English. A man cannot demonstrate all their excellencys and ingenuitys. Let it suffice to say thus much of this place: viz. Had a man no other business to invite him, yet it were sufficiently worth a man's cost and paines to make a voyage out of England on purpose to see that noble cytty of Malta, and their works and fortifications about it. Several of their knights and cavaliers cam on board us, six at one time, men of sufficient courage and friendly carriage, wishing us

good successe in our voyage, with whom I had much discourse, I being the only entertainer, because I could speak Latine; for which I was highly esteemed, and much invited on shoare again."

"August 3.—This morning a boate of ladys with their musick to our ship syd, and bottels of wine with them. They went severall times about our ship, and sang several songs very sweetly; very rich in habitt, and very courteous in behaviour; but would not com on board, though invited; but having taken their friscs, returned as they cam. After them cam, in a boate, four fryars, and cam round about our ship, puld off their hatts and capps, saluted us with congjes, and departed. After them cam a boat of musitians, playd severall lessons as they rowed gently round about us, and went their way."

"August 4.—This morning our captain was invited to dine with the Grand Master, which hindered our departure. In the mean time wee have severall of the Malteese com to visit us, all extreamly courteous. And now wee are preparing to sail for Tripoly. Deus vortat bene.

"Thus wee, th' 'Assistance,' and the new Sattee,

Doe steare our course poynt blanke for Trypoly;

Our ship new rigged, well stord with pigg, and ghoose a,

Henns, ducks, and turkeys, and wine cald Syracoosa."

The Rev. Mr. Teonge, having returned to Malta on the 11th of January, 1675-6, thus continues:—

"This morning wee see the famous island of Malta; coming under Goza, a small island adjoyning to Malta, wee discover a sayle creeping closse to the shoare; we hayle her with a shott—she would not budge; we sent a second, and then a third, falling very neare her; then the leiuetenant cam aboard us, and payd for the shott; it proved a pittifull Frenchman."

"January 12.—A little after one a clock wee are at anchor in Malta harbour, and have many salutes. But we have no prattick by reason of the plague, which is begun heare."

"January 15.—This morning wee warp out of the harbour with six merchantmen and a doggar, which wee are to convoy towards the strait's mouth. Here also wee took in two mounths' provisions and fresh water. And as wee goe out wee meete six gallys of Malta coming in in all their pompe, and they salute us, and wee them, and part. And heare at Malta (which was very strainge to mee), at this time of the year, wee have radishes, cabbiges, and excellent colly flowers, and large ones for a penny a-piece."

On the 29th January, 1675-6, the reverend writer again returned to Malta, and made under this date the following note:—

"This day David Thomas and Marlin, the coock, and our master's boy, had their hands stretched out, and with their backs to the rayles, and the master's boy with his back to the maine mast, all looking one upon the other, and in each of their mouths a mandler spike, viz., an iron pinn clapt closse into their mouths, and tyd behind their heads; and there they stood a whole houre, till their mouths were very bloody, an excellent cure for swearers."

"February 4.—This day dined with us Sir Roger Strickland, Captaine Temple, Captaine Harrice, and one gentleman more. Wee had a gallant baked pudding, an excellent legg of porke, and colliflowers, an excellent dish made of piggs' petti-toes, two roasted piggs, one turkey cock, a rosted hogg's head, three ducks, a dish of Cyprus burds, and pistachoes and dates together, and store of good wines."

"February 5.—God blesse those that are at sea! The weather is very bad."

"February 11.—Sir John Narbrough cam in from Trypoly, and four more ships with him. The noble Malteese salute him with forty-five gunns; he answers them with so many that I could not count them. And what with our salutes, and his answers, there was nothing but fyre and smoake for almost two hours."

The great length of this communication prevents my taking other extracts from a "Diary" which contains much interesting information, and is written in a quaint and humorous