I am a regular follower of the interesting historical articles by Giovanni Bonello, and his series on duelling in Malta in the early British period is no exception.

However, in 'Paltry reasons for challenges and death' (The Sunday Times, June 6) there is a small paragraph with which I disagree. Dr Bonello wrote that John Corcoran was buried 'in the Rock Gate cemetery in the Floriana bastion overlooking Marsamxett'.

The first two cemeteries created and used by the British after 1800 were Rock Gate in Cottonera and Quarantine Bastion in Floriana. Rock Gate was located where the breach was made in the curtain between Firenzuola Bastion and the later Verdala Barracks. It was more of a sally port, and so named because it was mostly excavated from the live rock.

I remember seeing an old photograph of it once, with a karozzin passing through it and a lady wearing a faldetta pushing herself to the side.

Rock Gate cemetery was situated in the ditch between the glacis and the Margherita Lines approximately in part of the area currently occupied by the roundabout. When, circa 1935, the ditch from the Vittoriosa enceinte leading to Zabbar Gate was developed into the Silver Jubilee Road in honour of King George V, the cemetery was destroyed and most of the headstones placed against the walls of the only remaining section beneath the orilion of the Firenzuola Bastion.

The war continued to wreak havoc on the area and, if I am not mistaken, the site was then passed to the Cospicua Scouts as a camping area.

The area is now derelict, and for a time served as a dump for rubbish and unwanted items and is wildly overgrown. Considering the numerous projects planned for Cottonera, it would be fitting for this wall to be demolished, the area rehabilitated and if any remains of the old headstones are found, to be placed in a suitable location.