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Hot police pursuit of Paul Verne

From: Ian Thompson <ithompson~at~geog.gla.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 20:48:44 +0100
To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
Cc: "Valetoux" <valetoux~at~wanadoo.fr>

Here is a second "official" document relating to Verne's visit to Malta. It consists of an inquiry into "breach of Quarantine Regulations by two passengers of French Yacht "St Michel" ". Reports with observations.
The British Governor acknowledged receipt of the original report from the Port Superintendent (already posted) and marked it "refer to Police". The report contains local detail which will not mean much to those who do not know Malta or who have not access to a large scale map, but I think that I should post the report integrally. Place name spelling has changed since 1884 so I have inserted modern equivalents to permit reference to maps.

     Chief Secty [to the Governor]
The presence of this yacht was not detected by the Police at Torri l'Alimar [ i.e. watchtower] till early in the morning of the 19th.
After enquiring into the matter, however, and after carefully examining the map and then the ground itself, I cannot fairly attribute this fact to any neglect on the part of the men there stationed. The yacht did not anchor in any part of the "Redum il Quammieh" commanded by the Torri l'Alimar, but along the North side of the little Creek beyond Ras in-Niexfa called "Il Prajjet". Torri l'Alimar does not command a full view of this creek and can only see the beach along its South side. So that a ship of ordinary tonnage lying close to the North side of this creek has only the top of her masts more or less visible from the tower and her presence can with difficulty be detected by an unpracticed eye especially towards evening. On the morning of the 19th when the men went out for their usual round the yacht was discovered, and one of the patrol went straight to Melleha to report to the Sergeant while the other went down the cliff towards the yacht. By the time he got there (1/2 an hour's walk over very rough ground) the parties [ie Paul and his son] had landed and had already proceeded a good way towards Melleha without his knowing of it, but the timely report sent to the Segeant at the latter place prevented their communicating with the people.

Signed, 28.6.84

As usual, a police inquiry on the police by the police finds in favour of the police! but probably quite rightly.
The location of the anchorage is approximately a mile and a half west of Mellieha in an area that in 1884 was totally deserted and where although the inlet gave overnight shelter offered no hope of finding a pilot. My belief is that Verne navigated the Gozo Channel unaided but probably had a pilot to enter the Grand Harbour at Valletta.

A final document concerns the Port Department List of Passengers on board the St Michel [inserted by hand] arrived at Malta from Tunis [ inserted by hand]
It then lists Mr J Verne
                 Mrs "
                 Mr P Verne
                 Maurice Verne French
                 Mich Verne
                 Robt. Godfroy

The name list is signed by the captain Ollive.

Ian Thompson.
Received on Fri 12 Aug 2005 - 22:33:35 IDT

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