History of Malta Ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks have also inhabited the Maltese islands. In 533, Byzantine general Belisarius briefly landed at Malta while on his way from Sicily to North Africa, and by 535, the island was integrated into the Byzantine province of Sicily. During the Byzantine period, the main settlements remained the city of Melite on mainland Malta and the Citadel on Gozo, while Marsaxlokk, Marsaskala, Marsa and Xlendi are believed to have served as harbours. The relatively high quantity of Byzantine ceramics found in Malta suggests that the island might have had an important strategic role within the empire from
White Island, Isles of Scilly is covered by the sea, as there are strong currents across it. This White Island should not be confused with a much smaller island of the same name, which lies off the coast of Samson. The uninhabited island lies off the north coast of St Martin's. It is about and until comparatively recently was part of St Martin’s. In 1814 the area of the island was estimated as fifty acres. At the north-east end of the island a fragment of altered killas, which at one time covered a much wider area, could be seen in 1911. In common with the