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Young Knights of the Empire

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Maltese Cross, which all of them wore. This cross was eight-pointed in shape, and was originally derived from the skull and crossbones; it came from the crossbones, and served to remind the knights that it was their duty to fight to the death and never to give in. [Illustration: A notice on the walls of the fortifications of Malta, where caper-plants grow plentifully, says: "No one is allowed to cut capers here except the Commanding Royal Engineer." This is how I picture him.] Their motto might well have been that which the Boy Scouts use to-day: _Never say die till you are dead_--struggle on against any difficulty or danger, don't give in to it, and you will probably come out successful in the end. * * * * * THE MALTESE CROSS. Most of the Oversea Scouts wear, in addition to the Scout's badge of the fleur-de-lys, the badge belonging to their country. For instance, the Canadian Scouts wear the maple leaf, and the New Zealanders wear a leaf of the tree fern. If the Maltese Scouts want a badge of their own they could not do better than adopt the Maltese Cross of the knights, and then stick to, and act up to the meaning of it. * * * * * HOW MALTA CAME TO BE BRITISH. When Napoleon was trying to conquer the whole of Europe a hundred years ago, he proceeded to take Malta. But the Maltese people rose, and held the rest of the island against him, and sent and asked the British under Lord Nelson to come to their assistance. This was promptly done, and the British Fleet laid siege to the French in Valetta, so that no supplies of food could be brought to the French, and some British troops were landed to help the Maltese. Thus the French were defeated, and the Maltese handed themselves and their island over to become a colony of the British Empire. One celebrated officer who largely helped to defeat the French in Malta was Admiral Troubridge. Someone was condoling with Nelson once on his losing his right arm in action. The gallant seaman replied cheerily: "My good sir, I have got three right arms. Here is one (raising his left arm), and there are my other two (pointing to Capt. Ball and Capt. Troubridge)." At the time of the British investment of the French in Malta, the Maltese themselves were suffering from famine, and their state was so deplorable, and the British authorities so slow to help them, that Commodore Troubridge could bear it no longer, and to ease their sufferings he caused some grain ships at Messina to be seized and brought to Malta and their contents to be given out to feed the starving people. Commodore Troubridge began life as a ship's boy at fifteen, and rose from seaman to be an officer through his steady attention to his duty, so in all ways he was a good example for a Scout to follow. Malta remains to-day a British colony, small in size--not much bigger than the Isle of Wight--but having a numerous population of people speaking their own language, and at the same time loyal to King George and the British Empire. Malta is chiefly valuable as having a harbour, dockyard, and coal stores for our Mediterranean Fleet, and is therefore strongly fortified and garrisoned by British troops, both infantry and artillery. The Maltese themselves supply some companies of Fortress Artillery and two battalions of Infantry Militia. * * * * * MALTESE BOY SCOUTS. Now, also, they have their Boy Scouts, whom I saw during my visit. For Sea Scouts it is an ideal place, with its fine harbours, and its coasts with their numerous creeks and landing places. The warm climate also induces much to bathing, and the Maltese are naturally good swimmers and handy men in boats. Their boats are very graceful in shape; they are called "daisas," which is spelt "dghaisa," but I never could see the use of the letters "gh" in the word; it sounds all right without them. [Illustration: A MALTESE "DGHAISA."] * * * * * MY DGHAISA. Long ago I was quartered in Malta for three years, and I greatly enjoyed my life there, especially the boating and the bathing. After the South African War the people of Malta very kindly sent me a

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