days the citizens resisted all the efforts of the besieging Saracens; and, but for bigotry, the issue might have been successful. This ray of former renown, faint though it may be, becomes interesting, for it is the last; at the end of three centuries more, an historian declares its extinction. "The ancient virtue of Syracuse expires in poverty and solitude."

Note.-Fearful that those who have never visited Syracuse will scarcely credit the beauties of this view, I subjoin the authority of Reidesel and de Borch. "J'ai passé avec la plus grande satisfaction deux jours entiers a l'examiner ; c'est un des coups d'œil les plus pittoresques que j'aie rencontrés en Sicile, et que je regrette le plus de n'avoir pu faire dessiner par un artiste habile et exact." De Borch is still more rapturous. "La vue se perd dans l'immensité de ce vaste théâtre, partout emaillé de fleurs, et offrant de tous les côtés les plus beaux coups d'œil. Ce sont les Champs Elysées, c'est la vallée de Tempe, c'est le séjour le plus ravissant; et si l'on ne voit point les bosquets d'Alcinous, l'œil n'en est que plus satisfait."

CHAPTER VII.

SYRACUSE TO MOUNT ETNA.

"The kingdom of the two Sicilies offers certainly the fairest field for observation of this kind of any in the whole world: here are volcanoes existing in their full force; some in their decline, and others totally extinct."-Hamilton, page 93.

June 19.-We departed from the great port of Syracuse in one of those quick sailing boats a speronara. We rapidly passed the town of Augusta; but in entering the bay of Catania found the wind against us, and a heavy sea running on the shore: all struggles were vain, and we were obliged to shelter our speronara among some rocks off the cape of St. Maria della Croce. After taking some refreshment, we made another attempt: the speronara lay within four points of the wind; but, from the clumsiness of its sail, was, in tacking, always driven to the leeward. After beating up till three o'clock, we were forced to return to our

old port. At six a third and last attempt was made the wind had fallen, but the sea still ran very high; however, about eleven o'clock at night, our sailors brought us into a small harbour within Capo della Bruca. A ruined fort was just visible on the left through the darkness of the night: all around was deserted and solitary. We wrapped ourselves up in our great coats, and were soon asleep. The morning of June 20th we found ourselves, on waking, half over the bay of Catania, a light wind carrying us on, and the sombre mountain rising before us, its dark oak woods and dreary lava just checkered with some morning clouds. We entered the white handsome town of Catania at nine o'clock, rejoiced at being released from the faithless ocean.

Our first care, after breakfast, was to present letters to the consul, and prepare for our journey to the great Etna. We deferred all inspection of the town till after our return, much as its regular, airy appearance delighted us. We could think of nothing else but the proceedings of the morrow and the following days. In the evening, however, we were enticed, by an advertisement of a play, into a sort of a barn, nearly in ruins, where the