The historicity of Maltese seafaring knows its origins from the earliest of times; whether exploring, pirateering or indeed migrating in search of brighter days. The great migratory waves however began towards the middle of the nineteenth century when literally tens of thousands sailed beyond Maltese horizons for the Mediterranean littoral. Most of these headed for the north African coastal fringes of the Middle Sea. But many others too headed for the levant, namely Greece and Turkey.
In those days fortunes were struck but alas some encountered only woe. This latter group is often ignored by raconteurs. The saga of this account's protagonist's experience, being that of a hard working family from Gozo which migrated to Algiers towards the turn of the nineteenth century features both good fortune as much as determination and success.
The protagonist in this case was a one year old boy from the Gozitan village of Xaghra who never again set foot upon his beloved island home. But his fortunes were not of the material kind. While his family fell on hard times materially, he was fortunate enough to win the favour of having been given a good schooling. Although as a young lad in Algeria (Bona) he too shared in the family rural responsibilities, his inclination towards the finer levels of human endeavour saw him through college. He eventually, after serving in the French armed forces and being decorated for bravery with a Croix de Guerre, after leaving the armed forces of colonial France, followed a career in teaching until his retirement.
It was this intellectual inclination which saw him shine amongst the French intelligentsia as a poet and novelist of some standing. His never ending love for Malta (Gozo) drew him to an immersion into the best Maltese literature of the times. This culminated in him becoming a virtual mouthpiece for the Maltese 'cause' amongst his fellow countrymen both in Algeria as much as in France. His reputation further extended along the Mediterranean coastal extremities, both south and north, as well as much further afield engulfing the entire Maltese diaspora even beyond the pillars of Hercules in the USA.
Despite not having had the facility to formally study Maltese, his familial upbringing in Algiers enabled him to read and translate into French a number of Maltese poets of the time with particular emphasis on Dun Karm's Il-Jien u Lilhinn Minnu (The Self and Beyond) as well as Non Omnis Moriar (Not Everything Dies at our Demise). Through his thirst for Maltese cultural affairs he managed to cultivate fervent correspondence with Malta's national poet as well as leading intellectual figures such as Guze' Aquilina, Pietru Pawl Saydon and Ninu Cremona.
Upon his passing away the powers that be in Gozo showed their appreciation of Ropa's contribution to the good name of Malta generally by erecting a plaque honoring his name at Xaghra. More to the point, his literary endeavours in praise of Malta's contribution to the intellectual literary life as well as that of disseminating Malta's good name overseas, is incorporated within this fresh approach to his life and works in this new publication.
May other Maltese expatriots take the same cue from him in promoting the good name of minuscule Malta and its people to the wide expanses out there and amongst the choleidoscope of ethnic groups within our human existence.