1. 1969.Speronava467–9. The note by A.F. Tilley, ‘A Phoenician Survival’, M.M. 55, and his article ‘The Survival of Ancient Mediterranean Boat Designs’, 59 (1975), 373–84, are interesting but it is rather difficult to accept the theory of a Phoenician origin or the least connection of the Maltesedghajsawith the Venetian gondola. His references to the Gozo boat and the will be clarified in a future work. In my opinion Lucien Basch, ‘De La Survivance de Traditions Navales Phéniciennes dans la Méditerranée de nos Jours’, 61 (1975), 229–53, is correct in his arguments and needs no further amplification
2. Camenzuli, P. G. 1968. London: Science Museum. ‘Is-Sengha tal-Bini tad- Dghajjes f'Malta u f'Ghawdex’ (unpublishedB. A. thesis, University of Malta, 15–17, gives at length his idea about the possible relation of thedghajsaand the Venetian gondola but he fails to give one contemporary reference. In the, there is a model of a boat which is indicated as a ‘Valletta Gondola’. This boat has nothing to do with the Venetian gondola, the word ‘gondola’ being used in its general sense. The information about this model seems to suggest that this boat was a forerunner of thedghajsa.This is unlikely because the gondola type of boat was used only by the Governor of Malta, the highest ranks of the Admiralty at St Angelo, and by top-ranking Customs officials. My interviews with local boatmen and builders suggest that this gondola was not a local type of boat but was introduced in Malta as part of Admiralty ceremonial. Such features as the scroll-type stemposts both fore and aft, the rudder with a tiller yoke, and the whaler-type build are sufficient to class the boat as a creation of the services and not a Maltese type of craft. One can see a model of the Admiralty gondola in the Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa