NEWS
1. The collaboration between the Alexandro Malaspina Research Centre
in Nanaimo and our
Centro is developing in more and more focused and useful ways. In particular,
we should like to mention that the site
http://www.mala.bc.ca/~black/amrc/amrc.htm
has been enhanced with a section devoted to images, in which are included:
- portraits of Malaspina;
- material regarding vessels and navigation;
- views of places visited by the Malaspina Expedition
(sketches made at the time and contemporary photographs).
The Alexandro Malaspina Research Centre wishes to announce that anyone wishing to be included in its electronic distribution list is asked to communicate with John Black, whose e-mail address is: black@mala.bc.ca.
2. The family of Roberta and Camillo Giovannacci,
of Mulazzo, has donated to the Centro di Studi Malaspiniani a very rare
image of the battle-flag that the Commune of Mulazzo gave in 1940 to the
submarine Malaspina of the Italian Royal Navy. As is well known,
that vessel was lost in action during the war: the photo of the flag is
all that remains. For that reason we thought it might be interesting to
reproduce the photo here.
PUBLISHING NOTES AND COMMENTS
Volume LI (1999) of the magazine Archivio Storico
per le Province Parmensi [Historical Archive of the Provinces of Parma]
has just appeared. It contains an article by D. MANFREDI, "Spigolature
malaspiniane [Malaspinian Gleanings]." In this work are presented numerous
recent small discoveries and insights regarding the life of the Navigator.
A QUESTION - A REQUEST
The Canadian researcher Nick Doe is seeking
some information.
Nick Doe (Gabriola Island, British Columbia,
Canada) is trying to discover (so far without
success) the origin of the name of the island on which he lives, and
he would like to know if anyone has any ideas to put forward.
The name "Gabriola" clearly derives from the
"Punta de Gaviola", so-called by the expedition of Francisco de Elisa to
the Strait of Georgia (1791). Some have supposed that "Gaviola" derives
from "Gaviota", but this explanation is hardly very convincing.
Another possibility would be that "Gaviola"
or "Gabiola" were Basque surnames, but
the search for such surnames, among Spanish government officials or
officers of the Royal Navy deserving of having a geographical landmark
named after them, has so far yielded no result.
To contact Nick Doe directly: nickdoe@island.net
BEST WISHES
This news-bulletin is the last of the year 2000. We hope to be able to continue in 2001 - first year of the third millennium - with contents more and more useful and interesting. Best wishes to all.
