Sat 25. [25 January 1902] Drove off at 11.30 to Crendi [Qrendi]. It is a
great festa today - the Conversion of St Paul. Reached Crendi in
about an hour, got out and walked to Hagiar Kim where we lunched.
We are on the other side of the island just above the sea, with the
island of Filfila [Filfla] opposite. Most extraordinary place. Lunched in
a shady corner for there was a good deal of wind. The ruins are
something of this ground plan. [Diagram with letters A to E and O] O
is a bactylic stone, there is another fallen. The niches are roofed in
with great monoliths split in the centre supported by rough piles of
stone to prevent their falling. AA are windows in upright slabs like this
[sketch] B is composed of upright slabs with layers of big stones set
lengthways on top - this [sic] stones overlap towards the inside,
narrowing the opening to the sky. The shape of the bactylic stone is
this [sketch] a big mushroom square topped. C is a niche outside
evidently for a sacred stone. D and E are great upstanding monoliths
with curious cups in them. We went on to Mnidra nearer the sea. It is
much more perfect the ground plan being [diagram with letters A to E]
in the niches A the bactylic stone was standing supporting its great
unbroken monolith. The stones at B were covered with tiny cups. The
enclosure C very perfect at D a little hole in the wall, upright slabs with
lengthways stones on them. At E a curious recess with an inner
upright at one side a slab all very finely finished stone work. B is the
picture in the Hellenic Journal. I have made the large enclosures too
oval. They are much rounder and the chapels of A are too big. The
tiny green arum was growing all over, narcissus, the asphodel just
coming into flower. Got back about 5 visiting on our way the curious
cup of Tal Maclubba which looks like a quarry but is I believe natural.
After tea Hugo and I went for a brisk walk about the town and so in to
write letters. We had a dinner party - the Callaghans Caesar, Captain
Leveson (Canopus Commander) Captain Farquhar (Diana) Mrs
Evans Thomas (he is Captain of the Pioneer and came in later to
fetch her) I sat between Captains L. and F and was much amused.
The evening went very well. Talked to Captain Callaghan afterwards
who told me Hong Kong gossip.