slowness at the foot of that great rock, which made a natural defence in this part of the island, where it presents a perpendicular wall of great height. The continual breaking of the waves in a gigantic surf was full of wild and grand simplicity. The rugged and bare rock was relieved against the rich blue sky of Andalusia; its base disappeared in the midst of a cloud of snowy froth, always dashing up with a thunder-like sound, caused by the incessant and enormous mountains of water which break against the shore.

The bright sun of Spain, in the full meridian of its strength, cast a dazzling torrid light on the granite mass: there was not the slightest cloud in the sky. In the horizon appeared simultaneously the mountains of Barbary and the sierras of Iberia:

Europe and Afric on each other gaze.

At some distance from the shore where the waves dashed so furiously the sea was calm as a mirror, and of a rich blue, recalling the tint of lapis lazuli. As far as the eye could reach, we beheld the glorious waters of the Mediterranean rolling onwards in calm and tranquil beauty; but it was more interesting to watch the billows dashing against the rock. We observed one spot where the force of the water had dashed away an immense natural grotto. The waves engulfed beneath this vault with terrific clamour, then fell in a cataract into a lower basin-wide, hollow, and deep. After some undulations, the waves became appeased, and formed in the midst of the rocks a small lake, which looked like a pure and lustrous gem; the overflow of the lake was forced into the sea by some secret hole. Who would fail, when gazing from the summit of Gibraltar on this glorious view, to remember the lines which Byron has addressed to the vast and boundless main, so peculiarly applicable to this region of the globe!—

Roll on, thou dark and deep blue ocean-roll!

Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain.
Man marks the earth with ruin-his control
Stops with the shore; upon the watery plain
The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain
A shadow of man's ravage save his own,
When for a moment, like a drop of rain,

He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan,
Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined, and alone.
Thy shores are empires, changed in all save thee.
Assyria, Greece, Rome, Carthage, what are they?
Thy waters wasted them while they were free,
And many a tyrant since; their shores obey
The stranger, slave, or savage; their decay

Has dried up realms to deserts: not so thou,
Unchangeable save to thy wild waves' play.

Time writes no wrinkle on thine azure brow:
Such as Creation's dawn beheld, thou rollest now.

A DAY AT SYRACUSE IN SEPTEMBER, 1847.

BY WILLIAM ROBERTS HARRIS, ESQ.

We had

My dreams of sometimes being on old Etna, at other times in the cave of Polyphemus and encountering numerous adventures with the Cyclops, were suddenly dispelled by Placido, who, roughly awaking me, and half blinding me with the lamp he carried, told me our carriage would be shortly ready for us. I immediately crept from under the mosquito curtains, which had proved but a sorry defence against those insidious parasites, and, after a bucket or two of cold water had been poured over me, dressed, and joined my friend at breakfast. partly engaged on the previous evening a muleteer to take us to Syracuse, but by the advice of our host Abate, and both my friend and myself feeling rather tired, stiff, and sore, from the ascent of Mount Etna and Sicilian saddles, we had countermanded the mules, and contracted with a voiturier to take us to Syracuse before sunset, at which time the gates are closed for the night. At six o'clock, having taken leave of our American friend, who was slightly unwell from the heat and fatigue of the last three days, we jumped into our vehicle, and amidst the addios and bows of Placido and his master Abate, who was anxious to load us with provisions, drove off, and were soon out of the town, and on the long straight dusty road that leads to Leutini. The morning was a lovely one, though at first rather chilly; and, as we lolled back in our really comfortable carriage with all that feeling of lassitude and love of repose which men have after much fatigue and exertion, we amused ourselves with talking over our adventures of the last few days, and laughing at the odd costumes and appearance of priests, farmers, peasants, and women, as, mounted on all sorts of quadrupeds, and at the usual shuffling pace, they hastened on their way to Catania to be in time for the market. Now was to be seen a fat, jolly-looking priest with an enormously large-brimmed hat, and that covered with a still larger umbrella, who, seated on a little bit of a donkey, the only parts of which that were visible being the head, ears, and legs, ambled quickly along, and jocularly addressed the various black-eyed damsels that he passed. Now came a fine handsome-looking man-proprietor, farmer, or perhaps something worse-who, dressed in black velvet and black slouched hat, and his legs protected by long boots, his face almost hid by an enormous pair of moustachios and long flowing beard, his gun slung on his back, down which streamed his long black hair, his pistols and knife stuck in his girdle, pricked his way among the crowd, mounted on a spirited Calabrian pony, which, notwithstanding that it carried, besides its master, two well-filled saddle-bags, a small portmanteau, and a whole heap of cloaks, journeyed along at a half-walk, halftrot, at a good six miles an hour. Now we passed a rough-looking peasant, wrapped in his black Sicilian cloak, and his head covered by the hood; who likewise carried his gun, and who, nearly hid by the quantity of clothes and household utensils that were piled around him, goaded on with his long spiked pole his wretched donkey, which seemed ready to drop with the weight it carried. Again was met a party of gentlemen, who, dressed in white jackets and trousers, with Leghorn hats on their heads, which were

still further protected from the sun by large red silk umbrellas, urged on their little ambling mules, evidently anxious to reach Catania before the sun had become very powerful. Now was to be seen a bevy of blackeyed and black-skinned damsels, who, covered with their veils and carrying their baskets of fruit and market-produce before them, pressed on their donkeys, and seemed to vie with the others of the passing throng as to who should go the fastest, and favoured the Inglesi with laughing glances. Now was met a long string of gaily-caparisoned mules, heavily laden with the dirty-looking pig-skins, distended by the wine which they contained, and whose bells jingled merrily as they were hastily driven forward by the jaunty muleteer. Again, these were followed by a gaudy yellow-painted cart, on which were bedaubed red and blue figures of the Virgin and a whole host of saints, and which was filled with the rich produce of a vineyard. All of this motley crowd seemed goodtempered and cheerful; and many of them, as we passed by, greeted us with the "Come state, signori !" which we of course returned. Altogether, this was one of the most picturesque and animated scenes-backed, too, as it was by lofty Etna and gloriously white Catania—that I have ever seen of the kind. In about half an hour we had passed the motley throng, and I was just pointing out a small field of cotton to my friend, when he suddenly exclaimed

"I say, H, have you got those piastres ?"

"What piastres ?"

66

Why, the piastres you asked me for, and which I put out for you." "Me!-no, I have not got them."

"Then I must have left them on the table! What shall we do? Here!-hie!-stop!-arretez! Fermate, cocchiere !" these two last words brought our voiturier up, and my friend then explained the matter to him; and he was in the act of turning round to drive back to Catania, when he shouted out, "Vedete, signori!" and looking back, we saw a man with nothing on but his trousers and a belt round his waist racing after us and flourishing his right hand high in the air. As he approached I recognised in him the "Boots" at Abates, and on his coming up, he handed to my friend, with an air of triumph, the missing piastres. Honest Placido had found them shortly after we had left, and immediately despatched Boots after us with them, who grinned with delight as we handed him a few carlini for his trouble.

Our cocchiere now drove on; and we, standing up and leaning against the back of the carriage, enjoyed the beautiful scenery about the base of Etna. The plain we were now traversing is one of the best points from which to gain a view, and be able to judge of the immensity of the base of Mount Etna, and its exceedingly rich and fertile appearance. It is this grandeur of size of the base which gives such a peculiarly noble and solid appearance to the mountain, rising as it does so completely from the plain, and takes off greatly from the steepness of the ascent. could easily distinguish the different zones or regions into which the mountain is divided, and the numerous villages which lie around the lowest one.

We

We now crossed by a rickety wooden bridge the river Giaretta, the ancient Simetus, supposed to be the one into which the nymph Thalia was changed after her amour with Jupiter; and shortly after met for the

first time the gay letiga. This is a kind of sedan-chair, without wheels, most gaudily painted and decorated; but instead of being carried by men, two mules, covered with gay trappings and small bells, are harnessed to it, one in front, the other behind; but as they seldom, if ever, keep an even pace, I should think the motion must be horrible, and quite pitied the occupant of it-who, however, seemed tolerably at his ease.

Continuing our route, sometimes walking up the steep hills, which evidently formed the inner ridge of mountains which I had before observed appeared to surround Etna, we shortly after arrived at Leutini, one of the most ancient cities in Sicily. The soil about here is remarkably fertile, but the town itself is unhealthy, owing to its vicinity to the lake of Biveri. As our horses slowly dragged us up the steep streets, we passed a number of women just coming out of church from high mass. Two or three of the younger ones had bright eyes, and, notwithstanding their very dark complexions, rather pleasing features. They all wore the long black Spanish mantilla, which gave them a very sombre appearance. Ascending the steep mountains that rise behind Leutini, we arrived at Carlentini, a small town on the top of this ridge of mountains. The surrounding country is very pleasing, particularly when, looking back over the vast plain we had just traversed, we saw Catania in the distance, and the horizon bounded by cloud-capped Etna, the Straits of Messina, and the coast of Calabria.

At about one o'clock we stopped at a small village to rest our cattle for an hour; and in order to get out of the merciless heat of the sun, entered a small cottage, the owner of which set before us some of the largest grapes I ever saw, and some very passable wine. With these, and a

crust of bread Abate had given us, we made a very tolerable luncheon. Resuming our journey, we sometimes passed over vast tracts of moor, covered with flocks of small black sheep with long hairy wool; at other times we descended into the steep ravines, which continually presented the most romantic landscapes imaginable. In one in particular, the road wound down the almost precipitous side of the hill to the bottom of the ravine, through which ran a clear rapid torrent, whose banks were clothed with the beautiful oleander, and a number of flowers and shrubs of great beauty whose names we knew not. In the stream stood the timehonoured buttresses of an old bridge, which had evidently been swept away by a storm. Crossing the stream higher up, the picturesque character of the scene was heightened by a party of gensd'armes, some of whom were watering their horses in the stream, whilst others were passing up the steep sides of the ravine, their glazed cocked hats and bright arms glistening in the sun among the luxuriant foliage that covered the hillside. Now we came in sight of Agosta, situated on a narrow peninsula jutting out into the sea, and passed not far from the column of Marcellus. Still further on we passed through a country in which is cultivated the sugar-cane-the oleander and the castor-oil plant lining the side of the road. Now we traversed a road hardly yet laid out, and which nearly shook us to pieces; and then ascending a ridge of high rocks, we obtained from the summit a fine view of Syracuse, which once spread over the face of the country for some distance, but is now confined to the small island of Ortygia. With the appearance of few towns have I been more pleased at first sight than with Syracuse. It is peculiarly dissimilar from most

others that I have seen: not a tree appears near it; and it has a very Asiatic appearance, particularly when seen from the ridge on which we then were. Below us extended a vast sandy plain, bounded on the right by a lofty range of hills, on the left by the Mediterranean; and Syracuse rising from the sea, by which it is surrounded, appearing before us. This scene was greatly enhanced by the sun, already declining, throwing its golden rays on it.

Arrived at the outer gates, we could hardly make our way through the crowd of peasants, who, seated on their donkeys, kicked up a tremendous row as they chattered to each other, and pointed out the Forestieri. They all had a very Oriental cast of countenance, and were much darker than the people of Catania. Passing through the triple, or I believe quadruple, line of fortifications, we arrived at the inner gate, when we were stopped by the doganiers, or rather octroi officers: we saw at once that they wanted to extract some tari out of our pockets, but, determined to amuse ourselves with them, we at once took out our keys and proceeded to open our traps to show that we had no provisions, when they said, "Si! si! signori, tutti vestiti! tutti vestiti!" "All clothes! all clothes !" and looked very knowingly at us. Pretending not to understand the look, we told the voiturier to drive on, which he did, much to the discomfiture of our friends, who stared with astonishment at our coolness, and whose discomfort we still more increased by being unable to stifle our laughter, in which the bystanders heartily joined. Arrived at the hotel, an exceedingly good one, and in which we were the only guests, we took possession of two comfortable rooms, and immediately threw open the windows and enjoyed the lovely prospect as the sun sank beneath the Mediterranean. Whilst mutually expressing our pleasure at the superb sunset, my friend suddenly exclaimed,

66

Why, H.

one of the doganiers, who stopped us at the gate, is in my room! I wonder what he wants ?"

"To arrest you for having insulted his dignity."

I then heard my friend blustering away with his Irish at him, and he answering in his Sicilian patois. At last,

“I say, H——, he keeps putting his hand to his mouth as if he was eating maccaroni, and wants something to drink. I'll send him to you." 66 So, do, and we will have some fun with him."

Accordingly the fellow came into my room, but, as I was leaning out of window, I did not take any notice of him until he had repeated" Signore ! signore!" some dozen of times, when, turning round, I asked him, "What the dl do you want?"

"Ah! signore," said the fellow, and began muttering his unintelligible dialect, the only words which I could understand being "mangiare, bere ;" he, however, made himself intelligible by grimacing as if he was eating and drinking, and by holding out his hand.

My friend now called out, "Send him in again to me;" I therefore told him that my friend wanted him, and he had better go back to him, as he was very rich. Back accordingly he went, and I heard his whining tone, and my friend roaring with laughter, in which it was impossible to do otherwise than join.

In another minute in came my friend, followed by our persecutor, who, in the same whining tone, and with the same grimaces, begged for some