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SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
CHAPTER I.
Preliminary Matters relative to the Geology, Mineralogy, Climate, Produce, and
Resources of Sicily.
i^ICILY is so endeared by classical, historical, and scientific asso-
ciations, that its very name inspires a romantic prepossession, nor is
it the magni nominis umbra usually imagined, being the largest, and
still the richest and most civilized of all the islands in the Medi-
terranean Sea. From its favourable geographical situation, mild
climate, and great fertility ; from its strong mihtary positions, secure
harbours, and innumerable resources, it has ever been an object of
eager contention, and must always continue to be the scene of
pohtical struggles and important events.
Geology. — From many peculiarities observable in the stratification
and direction of its mountains, it has been inferred that Sicily was
once joined to the Continent, and that it was separated by some
dreadful convulsion of nature, beyond the reach of history or
tradition : and, as some suppose, before the craters of Stromboh,
iEtna, Vesuvius, and Lipari, gave vent to the subterraneous fires.
The whole of Sicily, its adjacent islands, and the south of Italy,
SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
being still subject to frequent and destructive earthquakes, and
other volcanic phenomena, adds much to the probability of the
supposed ancient connexion between the Apennine and Neptunian
ranges.
Next to iEtna, the principal mountains of Sicily are the Madonia
and Pelorean or Neptunian ranges, forming the north and north-
eastern coasts, and from thence gradually shelving down to the
south-west part of the island, with inferior chains diverging in
various ramifications. These are of a primitive formation, more or
less covered with a calcareous stratum, intermixed with pyrites,
schistus, talc, and marine deposits, and abounding with mineral
riches, and organic remains.
The soil aiFords great variety, being loamy, argillaceous, alumi-
nous, siUceous, or calcareous ; and of considerable depth. By the
genial influence of the climate, vegetation is rendered quick and
abundant, and the country is altogether one of the most productive
spots on earth.
This fecundity may also be owing, in part, to a volcanic influence,
for lava, scoriee, and ashes, are not confined to the neighboui'hood
of Mtna, but extend from that mountain to Cape Passaro. Masses
of pozzolana ^ccur at Lentini, Vizzini, Palazzolo, and Pahca ; and
various substances, that have also evidently undergone the action
of fire, are observable in several parts of the interior, where the
superincumbent strata have been riven by torrents. The central
divisions of the island contain large tracts of bitumen, and though
sulphur is rather a cause than a product of volcanoes, it may be
noticed, that it is found in immense quantities at Mussumeh,
Cattohca, Girgenti, Naro, Mazzarino, and Ahcata.
Mineralogy.— In the neighbourhood of Regalmuto, Fiume di Nisi,
Caccamo, Savoca, and San Giuseppe, are found silver, lead, copper,
cinnabar, marcasite, emery, and antimony. Auriferous pyrites, lapis
MINERALOGY— CLIMATE. 3
lazuli, mercury, alum, and coal, similar to that from Bovey, in Devon-
shire, abound in the hills and valleys of Nicosia, Ali, Tortorici, and
Messina. Kock-salt, bitumen, and gypsum, particularly the latter,
abound at Castro-Giovanni, ]\Iistretta, Caltanisetta, Eagusa, and other
places ; while marbles, agates, chalcedonies, and jaspers of great va-
riety, occur at Palermo, Gaghano, Busacchino, Cappizzi, Naso, Taor-
mina, and many other parts, intermixed with asbestos, asphaltum, a
saponaceous stone consisting principally of argil, possessing strong
detergent qualities, and alabaster ; and specimens of ostracites, echi-
nites, cardites, and various other organic, dendi'itic, and amoi*phous
remains, are frequently found imbedded in the calcareous strata.
Petroleum and naphtha are found on the surface of several springs
at Palagonia, PetraUa, Girgenti, Leonforte, Bivona, Caltanisetta,
and Segesta. Amber is found in small quantities, washed up by
the sea at the mouth of the river Giarretta. Around Ragusa, in the
county of Modica, there abounds, moreover, a bituminous rock,
used for building-stone, that produces a great proportion of hydi-ogen
gas, far better for ignition than that extracted from coal.
Mineral waters, both hot and cold, abound in every part of Sicily,
and have for ages been celebrated for their efficacy in reheving various
chronic, paralytic, and cutaneous disorders. Of these the sulphu-
reous are to be met with at Ah, Cefalu, Sciacca, Termini, Segesta,
and Mazzarino ; the ferruginous at St. Vito, Noto, Messina, Scla-
fani, and Mazzara ; and the vitrioUc at Palermo, Corleone, Gianis-
sileri, Petraha, Gratteri, and Bissuna.
Climate.— The temperature of the climate may be pronounced
excellent, except that from there being few running streams, many
morasses and pools of stagnant water are formed, the effluvias of
which corrupt the air around, and render it unhealthy. The
medium height of the thermometer is 62°. 5, of the barometer
29°. 80, and of the phmometer twenty-six inches. The thermometer
B 2
4 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
in the hottest days rises as high as 90° or 92°, and very seldom falls
lower than 36°, even in the depth of winter. The highest baro-
metrical index I have observed in very severe weather, and light
westerly airs, was 30°.47 ; and the lowest, in gloomy weather and
south-east gales, 29°. 13. In the year 1814 there were one hun-
dred and twenty-one overcast and cloudy days, on eighty-three of
which rain fell ; thirty-six misty days ; and one hundred and fifty-
nine fine bright days.
AVhilst the sun is in the northern signs, the sky, although it seldom
assumes the deep blue tint of the tropics, is, nevertheless, beauti-
fully clear and serene ; but after the autumnal equinox, the winds
become boisterous, and the atmosphere hazy and dense ; the dews
and fogs increase, particularly on the coasts, and the rain falls in
frequent and heavy showers.
In summer it is generally calm early in the morning, but a breeze
springs up about nine or ten o'clock, freshens until two or three, and
gradually subsides again into a calm towards evening. The winds
are variable both in their force and their direction. The most pre-
valent are the northerly and westerly, which are dry and salubrious,
producing, with the clearest sky, the most refresliing sensations.
Those from the east round to sovitherly are heavy, and loaded with an
unwholesome mist, often accompanied with heavy rain, thunder,
and lightning, during wliich the luminous meteor, called by seamen
compasant, (a corruption of Corpo Santo) is sometimes seen, and
hailed with similar ideas to those wliich inspired the ancients on the
appearance of their Castor and PoUux.
About the time of the vernal equinox, the force of the south-west
wind is very sensibly felt along the shores of Trapani, Marsala, Maz-
zara, and Girgenti ; but as the sun advances the winds blow more from
the northward, with fresh gales at intervals, which, however, are sel-
dom experienced Avith violence in bays or harbours, and their power
rarely continues longer than forty hours. The most experienced.
CLIMATE. 5
pilots say, that storms which commence in the day-time are more
violent, and of longer duration than those wliich spring up during
the night.
The most annoying wind is the sirocco or south-east, which
coming from the deserts of Africa, is moderated by its passage over
the sea, to a tolerable degree of temperature ; and on the east coast,
where it first arrives, its effects are inconsiderable ; but seeming to
acquire additional heat in its progress over the land, becomes a
serious inconvenience as it advances. At its commencement the air
is dense and hazy, with long white clouds settling a little below the
summits of the mountains, and at sea floating just above the horizon,
in a direction parallel to it. The thermometer does not, at first,
experience a very sensible change, though it rises with the con-
tinuance of the wind to 90° and 95°, which last is the highest I
have observed, though the feelings seem to indicate a much higher
temperature; but the hygrometer sheAvs increased atmospheric
humidity ; and the barometer gradually sinks to about 29°. 60. The
sirocco generally continues three or four days, during which period
such is its influence, that wine cannot be fined, or meat effectually
salted ; oil paint, laid on whilst it continues, will seldom harden, but
dough can be raised with half the usual quantity of leaven, and though
bliffhtina; in its general effects in summer, it is favourable to the
growth of several useful plants in winter. This wind is peculiarly
disagreeable at Palermo, a city situated in a plain in the north-west
part of the island, surrounded on the land side by mountains, which
collect the solar rays as if to a focus. Although inured to the heat
of the East and West Indies, and the sands of Arabia and Africa,
I always felt, during a sirocco, more incommoded by an oppressive
dejection and lassitude than in those countries. At such times the
streets are silent and deserted, for the natives can scarcely be pre-
vailed on to move out while it lasts, and they carefully close every
window and door of their houses, to exclude it. Notwithstanding
6 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
it possesses so unpleasant and relaxing a quality, and may be trou-
blesome to people of a plethoric habit, yet I believe no danger or
contagion is to be apprehended from it. In spring and autumn, it is
more frequent than in summer ; and in winter possesses no dis-
agreeable quaUties, except to invalids.
Waterspouts, and various singular meteoric phenomena, occur.
Among the latter, on a warm, cloudy, hazy day, the 14th of jVIarch,
1814, it began to rain in large drops, that appeared muddy, and they
deposited a very minute sand of a yeUowish-red colour. The wind,
on the day before, had been blowing strongly from the south-south-
west to the north-east, and dui'ing the time the rain fell was from
the south-west, which leads to a supposition that it was transported
from the deserts of Africa, though the first impression on the minds
of the people in Messina, was, that an eruption of Mount vEtna
had occurred. The thermometer at noon on that day was 63|°, and
the barometer 2 9°. 43.
Sicily has ever been subject to alarming and desolating earth-
quakes, of which it is remarkable that thirteen of the most de-
structive on record have occurred, though in different years, between
the 10th of January and the 28th of March. These appalling
visitations usually happen after heavy rains, and may be owing to
the pores of the earth being thereby closed, and preventing the
escape of subterraneous vapour, or possibly to the excessive hu-
midity causing a decomposition of certain strata of pyrites and
sulphur. Earthquakes are undulatory or concussive in their motion,
and those I have particularly noticed were generally preceded by a
pecuhar density of the atmosphere, the winds were variable, and the
waters turbid. They however frequently happen also in fine weather,
when nothing remarkable is indicated by the eudiometric instru-
ments. I have more than once experienced their effect on board a
ship, and from the sudden electric nature of the shock could scarcely
believe that we had not struck upon an unknown shoal.
CLIMATE. 7
The country sometimes labours under a di'ought from April to
September, to the serious detriment of the harvest and vintage,
particularly in the interior where the atmosphere is less humid than
on the coasts. There are a few showers in autumn, but the regular
rains do not usually commence until November, between which month
and JNIarch, besides occasional snow-storms, they fall, at different
periods in very heavy torrents, often accompanied with vivid and
very dangerous lightning. During this season, therefore, the effects
of cold and humidity are very sensibly experienced, owing, in a great
measure, to the principle on which their comfortless houses are
constructed, for scarcely one of their numerous doors or windows
shuts properly, so that there are strong di-aughts of air in every
direction. The apartments are large and scantily furnished, lofty?
vaulted in groins from the corners ; the floors are paved with stone,
tiles, or a kind of rubble-work, and there is no fire except a few
charcoal embers in a metal dish called a brasiera, exactly after the
manner of the ancient Romans. Some may imagine that the climate
requires no other, but no one can think that the social comforts
of a good fire and a snug room would be unacceptable, who has
witnessed the cheerless and gloomy winter evenings of a Sicilian
family in the country.
The violent rains that deluge the island at tliis season swell the
rivers, damage the roads, and set the Fiumare running ; these are
torrents, occasioned by the waters descending from the momitains,
into deep ravines, through which they rush Avith impetuosity to
the sea, carrying every thing before them. Their strength, however,
soon exhausts itself; and when di'y, their channels become tolerable
roads to the distance of three or four miles inland, exhibiting
pecuhar picturesque beauties. The boisterous force of the Fiu-
mare while flowing, the badness of the roads, and the want of
bridges, render travelling in the winter dangerous, and at times
wholly impracticable.
8 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
Travelling in Sicily is by no means an easy undertaking at any
season ; the mode of proceeding being either on mules, or on horse-
back, but more generally in a lettiga, (a corruption of lectica,) a kind
of narrow chaise, with room for two persons to sit opposite to each
other, mounted on two long 'poles, and carried by mules at the
average rate of three miles and a half an hour. The tourist should
be prepared to fare coarsely in the cheerless inns of the island,
where- miserable beds, bad wine, dirty cookery, and inconveniences
of every kind, are unavoidable, and the only remedy for a valetudi-
narian is to be provided with a servant who can cook, and a spare
mule for carrying bedding, coffee, tea, sugar, wine, and other neces-
saries, for none of these wiU be found on the road. The inns called
Fondaco, are baronial property, and farmed more for the purpose
of accommodating beasts of burthen and their drivers, (who, from
there being no inland navigation, and no roads for wheel carriages,
are extremely numerovis,) than for the reception of a higher de-
scription of travellers. The latter, however, after lodging their
animals, can generally procure a shelter, though often a wretched one,
in some neighbouring convent, which is the principal reason that
the improvement of the inns is neglected.
In the towns a distinction is made between a locanda and a
fondaco, the former being more deserving the name of an inn ; and
in the cities the best inns are dignified wth the stiU superior
epithet of Albergo.
People generally travel with one or two campieri or guards, who
are weU armed, and may make themselves useful as guides; but they
are often very troviblesome, and the fear they, in common with aU
Sicilians, entertain of rain and of wetting their feet, occasion fre-
quent delays and interruptions on the road.
Inexperienced travellers expect no cold weather in Sicily, in
which, however, they will find themselves greatly mistaken, though
the severity of the winter is not such as to deprive the country of
o
CLIMATE. 9
that pleasing aspect, which it derives from the variety of evergreens
richly spread over it. Of these, the most conspicuous are the lemon
and the orange trees, loaded with their golden fruit. The cold lasts
hut a short period ; for the spring qviickly advances, and a profusion
of verdure is displayed around. This is the pleasing season that
renders the island so dehghtful, and has drawn forth so many poetic
strains in celebration of its charms. The summer is oppressively
warm, and precludes the exercises necessary for health; whilst the heat
scorches up the vegetation, and engenders innumerable reptiles and
insects. Then the autumn arrives ; when a few showers, and some
variable weather, occasion thsease in debihtated constitutions, under
various symptoms, but chiefly under those of acute inflammations.
The evil to be most dreaded at this time of the year is the
mal' aria, or bad air, probably the solstitial disease of the ancient
Romans ; a kind of less inveterate yellow fever, usually beginning in
June, and increasing in virulence till after the first rains in Septem-
ber, and probably arising from the excess of moisture hastening the
production of putrid fermentation in decayed vegetable substances.
It is generally found on the banks of rivers, near stagnant pools, on
the borders of the numerous fiumare, and in low or marshy plains,
where it is greatly promoted by the culture of rice, flax, and all
those productions that require copious irrigation. This deleterious
air sometimes reaches high lands, but rarely except in instances
where there are higher in the vicinity. Its effects have been so
accurately observed, that the precise extent of its influence is now
tolerably weU ascertained in most parts of the island, and may there-
fore be avoided by a careful tourist, especially as the smell and
atmospheric density of the miasma assist in detecting it, when it
prevails with the greatest intensity, though it is sometimes also dele-
terious when the indications of its presence are not perceptible. The
subtle vapour acts on the constitution chiefly in the night, and during
sleep, with an effect more fatal to foreigners than to the natives ;
c
10 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
the patient becomes drowsy and feverish, feels a severe head-ach,
assumes a paUid aspect, and wastes rapidly, until a dropsy terminates
a painfid existence, or leaves liim an invahd for the rest of liis life.
The goitre, an excrescence in the throat, prevalent in some dis-
tricts of Sicily, has been also attributed to the effects of raal' aria ;
but, I believe, from prejudice, rather than from authority.
Aspect. — The appearance of the coasts of the island is romantic,
and formed, by nature, into strong positions of defence ; wliile the
interior presents a combination of mountains, ravines, and valleys,
the latter of which, in many parts, branch out into extensive plains,
presenting a pleasing assemblage of rural scenes, possessing a soil
exuberantly fertile, and animated by numerous flocks and herds
scattered around. The liiUy regions presenting, alternately, undu-
lating slopes, bold crags, and rugged elevations, with woody decHvities
abounding ^\ith elms, chestnuts, pines, oaks, ash, and other timber,
complete the prospect. The most extensive woods are those of ]Mount
xEtna, Gibel-Manna, Caronia, Traina, Noto, Biscari, and Corleone.
The horses are descended from those of Barbary, but are not very
good. The mules are strong and handsome, and the great utihty of
these animals induces the Sicdians to procure the finest asses possible,
to breed from ; but the gimerro, a monster between a horse and a
cow, or a bull and a mare, though reared in Italy and Africa, is not
esteemed here, having proved more sluggish and obstinate than the
mvde.
Cultivation appears general over the face of the country, but is
conducted with more industry than skill ; for though there are com-
paratively few waste lands, and much labour is lavished on the fields
and vineyards, yet the study of agriculture is very much neglected,
owing to the aversion in which a country Hfe is held ; a proof of the
strength of which is, that the nobles are sometimes, as a punish-
ment, ordered by the King to retire in exile to theii- estates.
ASPECT. 11
Notwithstanding the SiciUans boast the invention and first applica-
tion of iron to the ploughshare, the plough of the present day is
but a very imperfect instrument, that merely skims the soil ; their
carts, hoes, and rakes, are equally rude ; and a bunch of brambles,
drawn by an ox, supphes the place of the harrow. The primitive
method of treading out corn with cattle is still preserved, notwith-
standing all its disadvantages.
Owing to the negligent management of pasturage, and the want of
extensive irrigation — to the neglect of roads, rivers, bridges, and
di-ains — to the inattention to gardening and rural ornament — and to
the not planting of hiUs and wastes, it is impossible to estimate what
would be the resources of this fine country, if more energetic exer-
tions were applied to it. From the causes above enumerated, every
bhght proves unusually destructive, and an unprofitable harvest
thi'eatens min to wholp families ; for though it has been supposed
that land in Sicily is held only by the Crown, the Church, and the
Nobility, there is a very great proportion of small landholders ; as,
from the want of commercial spirit and public credit, purchases of
the portions which are continually offered for sale, are the only
secure way in wliich the industrious can invest their savings.
The usual process from agriculture, after clearing the stones from the
ground, is, to commence with sowing wheat, of which the best kinds
are, the farro, or triticum spelta, a long grain, and nearly twice the
size of the common English wheat ; it is generally boiled whole, as a
substitute for barley or rice, — and the Majorca, or triticum sativum,
an oval, soft wheat, of which the flour is remarkably white, and
used only for the best bread, biscuits, pastry, ^c. The crop of
wheat is succeeded by hemp, maize, lentils, or other pulse ; and in
the ensuing seasons generally by barley and beans, followed by mixed
escvdents and a fallow. The harvest begins in the latter end of June,
and continues through July and August ; nor are there two successive
crops of any one thing in the year, except what are forced in such
C 2
12 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
grounds as are artificially irrigated, called ortaggi. Indeed, in many
parts, from the scarcity of manure, the peasants are reduced to the
necessity of leaving their fields fallow every other season.
Produce. — It is customary to sow a salm of wheat on a salm
of land, but the quantity of seed is lessened in proportion as
the soil is more fertile. The usual produce is from ten to six-
teen salms, and in the most favourable years, twenty-eight for
one ; but no part of Sicily can pretend to the once boasted
hundred fold, which I am inchned to receive merely as a poetical
metaphor. The hedysarum coronarium, or red clover, by the
Sicihans called sudda, is sometimes sowed with wheat, and the
following year, together with the avena sativa- and erba-metUca,
forms excellent hay ; but the culture of other artificial grasses is httle
known, the spontaneous graminous production of nature being most
frequently mowed for hay.
The brigghia di favi, broom rape, or orobanche major, is allowed
by its parasitical attachment to usurp the nourishment and destroy
great quantities of leguminous plants.
The grape vine is one of the chief objects of agricultural atten-
tion, and from the care taken in its cultivation, proves abundantly
productive, affording comfort and profit to the farmer, and con-
siderable revenue to the state. The vines are commonly planted
about four feet from each other ; but in very fertile plains, rather
wider asunder, in order to admit of the use of the plough instead of
the hoe. The ground is turned up three times a year ; first in
January, immediately after the pruning, when the buds that will bear
fruit are already distinguishable ; secondly, in April, when the
branches are sufficiently grown to show where the support of reeds
will be needed, and which are placed accordingly ; and lastly, in
June or July, when it is advisable to expose the grapes to the sun,
by tying up the leaves, but not taking them off, as that would force
PRODUCE. 13
the plants to throw out fresh shoots at an improper season. Some
farmers give an additional hoeing in the course of the spring, for the
purpose of raising a crop of pulse between the vines. The grape is not
produced until the third year after the planting of the vine, but then
begins to ripen in July, and is plucked for the vintage in September.
The produce of a thousand vines varies from about a pipe and a
quarter to four pipes of wine, according to the season, to their situa-
tion, age, and culture. On planting a vineyard, olive trees are
sometimes intermixed, in the proportion of one to fifty, and in
other instances they are more thickly strewed, because the vine
begins to bear, as before stated, after the third year, but the olive
tree not until after the tenth yeai-, by which time the vine is already
past its prime ; thus oil is made to succeed to wine, and the land
continues eqvially profitable without any loss of time. There are
nineteen diiferent species of grapes, of which the most esteemed are,
the zibibbo, the carniola, the Greek, the muscatel, the canicula, the
diy, and the winter grape, and from the greater part is expressed a
great variety of rich-flavoured wines of every kind.
The currant vine is cultivated in the adjacent islands of Lipari,
nearly in the same manner as the grape, and the fruit is gathered
towards the latter end of August, when it is exposed to the sun for
seven or eight days, sprinkled with a lye, that absorbs the acidity,
and is then packed up for exportation.
The ohve is a tree that grows on most soils, but as it prefers the
calcareous, which is the most common one, its culture is very profita-
ble, and both its fruit, and the oil expressed from it, form staple
articles of sustenance, as well as of commerce. The young trees
are planted at such a distance from each other, as is supposed will
allow room for the branches to spread to their full growth, their
expansion being generally equal to their height. Ungrafted trees
bear a very delicate fruit, too small, however, to yield much oil ; if
a slip is taken from an old plant, above the graft, its j^roduce
14 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
will be equally valuable ; but if taken from below it, or if it be the
shoot from a seed, it requires ingrafting from the old plant, and in
either case, the fruit, during the first ten years, is too trifling
to be taken into calculation. The value of the tree increases with
time, and its duration is from a hundred and fifty to three hundred
years. Its fruitfulness then gradually dechnes, until, at an advanced
age, it becomes entirely barren. A great quantity of common oil is
made in aU parts of the island. The olives are crushed, sUghtly
heated, and pressed in baskets ; the produce is generally of a dead
colour, and from allowing the fruit to ferment, and from not assort-
ing it, or changing the baskets annually, the oil is apt to be pungent,
rancid, and fetid. Some few farmers, however, are more careful,
and the produce is, in consequence, not only pleasant and nutritious,
but also more copious ; for by these the fruit is picked from the
trees before it has quite lost its green shade, instead of being shaken
or beaten ofi" with sticks, when it has become black, or waiting until it is
blowTi down by a strong wind. While the oHves are in the baskets
under the press, hot water is thrown upon them, for the purpose of
assisting the disengagement of the oily particles from the pulp and
mucus of the fruit, and the whole falls into a trench round the
press, in wliich the oU naturally soon rising to the surface, is put into
large jars, which are generally preferred to casks, for its preservation.
Manna is extracted from the fraxinus ornus, a species of ash tree,
of moderate height and pleasing appearance, which succeeds best Mhen
exposed to northerly breezes ; the greatest produce, therefore, is in the
neighboui'hood of Castellamare, Carini, Cefalu, and Caronia, where
it yields an annual revenue of upwards of forty thousand pounds
sterling. In July and August, horizontal incisions are made in the
bark, from whence a frothy, glutinous, light-coloured hquor exudes,
and is received on the leaves of the dry prickly-pear, where, by
the warmth of the sun, it quickly condenses into a stalactitic mass ;
this is of the finest quality, and is carefully taken to the stores in
PRODUCE. 15
baskets, and then packed in boxes for exportation. From the same
tree, a higher-coloured manna is extracted, which, though more
cathartic, is heavier and less valuable. A decoction of the wood of
the frassinus ormus is esteemed efficacious for the dropsy, and some
other disorders, on account of its pecuharly aperient qualities.
The rich vegetable salt of the bariUa is a profitable commodity,
but the cultivation of the plant, the salsola-kah, is troublesome and
expensive. After repeatedly turning over and breaking the soil,
(always in a situation near the sea, for the advantage of saline
influence,) the seed is sowed in February or March, and from the
time the plant rises above the ground, until it has acquired its full
size, it is necessary to keep the ground well cleared of weeds, which
would otherwise stint or entirely prevent the growth of the barilla.
There is an insect called masone, the brucus salsola-kah, which
seems to be generated on this plant after rain, which is also very inju-
rious to it. It is cut in October, and placed in convenient heaps, on
grates over cavities, where, when dry, or nearly so, it is set on fire,
and the lixivious ashes faUing through and adhering together, are
taken out in as large lumps as possible, for the smaller pieces and the
dust are of inferior value. The soda of Ustica is esteemed the finest
in Europe, and its pecuhar goodness is supposed to arise from the
plant being burnt in a certain stage, before it is thoroughly dry.
Saffron is an article of exportation, of which the best is that
produced in the neighbourhood of S. Filippo d'Argir6. It requires
a sandy soil, to be well ploughed and manured, and may be planted
all the year round, except in the months of November and De-
cember; it is placed at small distances from each other, must be
carefully weeded as it springs vip, and, with attention, lasts about
three years, producing a crop after the first eight or ten months.
The cultivation of sumach is attended with considerable profit.
It is planted in a hght sandy soil, in rows, each shrub at the dis-
tance of about two feet from the next, the intervening earth being
carefully Aveeded and hoed two or three times within the year.
16 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
generally during the autumnal rains, at Christmas, and in March, at
which last period it commences budding. The shoots are cut in the
di-y days of August, and are threshed on a corn-floor, to separate the
dark green leaves, which are then crumbled and sifted for exportation.
A trade is also carried on in the fruit, the spirit, and the syrup
of the carubba, or locust, a species of bean, the fruit of a beautifid
indigenous tree, the ceratoria sihqua, that sweeps the ground with
its fine-arched branches. It is of a hardy nature, and flourishes in
most parts of the island, but particularly in the country of Modica
and the Val di Noto. The pods are long and hard, not unhke those
of the tamarind ; and are used not only for cattle, but as an alte-
rative and stomachic food by the peasants, who are prepossessed with
an idea, that it is in this bean, and not in the insect, that they
ought to recognise the locusts, on which, with wild honey, St. John
fed in the wilderness. Many have imagined the carubba to have
been the favoui'ite diet of the Lotophagi, and, perhaps, it was so ; but
its occasional use in the present day can bear no comparison to
the claims of the rhamnus lotus, a shrub I have met with in such
abundance in Africa, as to indicate it likely to have been the general
food of a primitive people. It is certain that both are still eaten in
the Levant. My late Moorish pilot, on the coast of Eg)"pt, used
to eat the insect frequently.
The Sicillians are extremely partial to the Indian fig, or prickly
pear, the fruit of the cactus opuntia; whole families subsist on it
during the time it is in season, and find it wholesome, refreshing,
and nourishing. Being a very hardy plant, it is found in every part of
the island, in the greatest profusion, forming hedges and enclosures,
and clothing the fissures of walls, rocks, and ruins, wliich would other-
wise be barren. The facility of multiplying this plant increases its
value, for by merely sticking a single leaf into the ground, it takes
root, grows to a considerable size, one leaf shooting out of another
without any stem ; only as it becomes old, a sort of bark forms
round the oldest leaves by their getting hard and brown. The fruit
ILIEAF OF TBIE CACTUS OFIUNTIA.
PRODUCE. 1-7
armed with innumerable minute prickles, grows to the number of
ten, or even twenty, on each of the thorny pvilpy leaves, ripens in
August, and continues fresh until December, but may be kept
throughout the year, by gathering a portion of the plant with it. In
the process of converting lava into soil, tliis plant is found highly
efficacious, as its roots insinuate themselves into the fissures, and
hasten the pulverization of the previously-barren mass.
Hedges are hkewise formed of the aloe, or agave Americana, which
being also of a hardy nature, will grow even on the sands, exposed
to any winds. In the spring the flowering stems rise with as-
tonishing rapidity, to the height of from fifteen to twenty feet, and
when in fuU bloom, they have an unique and handsome appearance,
arising from the richness and pecuhar beauty of its thyrse of flowers.
The aloe requires five or six years to make this astonishing effort,
and dies a few months afterwards, throwing up several suckers to
fill its place. A thread, called zambarone, is extracted from the
deciduous parts ; but it is very coarse, and the process of obtaining
it extremely troublesome, for it requires to be soaked nearly a fort-
night and then pounded, after which the transversal fibres are
cleared off, and the remainder well washed and beaten. It is much
used, however, for halters, for soldiers' tufts and cockades, and in
making up miUinery. Both the aloe and the cactus opuntia form
impenetrable pahsades for fortifications, and in the plains they
present very serious obstructions to the operations of cavalry.
Besides the zambarone, there are several other substitutes for
hempen ropes. One is the funa (or rope) di disa, the arundo am-
pelodesmos, of which a great quantity is used for various purposes.
Another is, the funa di giunco, the j uncus acutus or scirpus romanus,
which abounds on the southern shore, from whence the rest of the
island is provided. A third is, the funa di giumarra, the chimoerops
humihs, wliich plant is also used for plaiting the seats of common
chairs, and for making brooms. Lastly, wooUen, horse hair, and
18 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
goat hair ropes, are found very useful for particular purposes, es-
pecially the machinery vised in the silk manufactories.
Pistacio nuts, an article of exportation, considered indigenous, are
produced both by the male and female plants, though the latter
would be barren, but for the aspersion of the farina from the former,
which is distinguished by its smaller and darker leaves, and more
compact blossoms. Fecundity, therefore, is generally promoted by
planting trees of different sexes near each other ; though it is some-
times accomphshed by grafting, and also by gathering, the male
flowers called scornabecco, drying them, and sprinkling the dust
over the female tree, which always bursts into bloom later than the
male. These nuts are of a green colour, and of a delicate and
grateful flavour, forming an ingredient in many preserves, and used
profusely in ices.
Fig trees are also of both genders, and the female is often
rendered prolific by conveying insects from the male, with the
pollen adhering to them, which produces the impregnation of the
female tree, but this practice is not always necessary, though it is
supposed to ensure the finest fruit. The figs of Sicily are extremely
delicious when fresh, but owing to want of care, and a bad method
of drying them, they generally become tough, dry, and dirty.
The graft or shp of the tree wiU grow in almost any soil, but
succeed best in hght lands, or in stony grounds, besides which the
trees appear to sow themselves, being often seen growing out of
the fissures of walls, among ruins, and on rocks nearly barren. Some
kinds are covered with fruit before there is any fohage : the figs
bursting from the brown bark, are apparently produced without
any flower, though closer observation discovers it in the eye of the
fruit. The tree is but of a moderate size, though the leaves are
reckoned among the largest of those of any fruit tree.
The date, another sexual tree, was once very common in Sicily,
and was planted in stately groves near aU the Saracen palaces and
PRODUCE. 19
castles, but the pious Normans, in their zeal to destroy all the symbols
of jMahoraetanism, burnt or cut down the greatest part of them ;
though others account for the loss, by accusing the Saracens them-
selves of felling the males during their retreat before Count Eoger.
As fructification cannot take place without the communication
of the farina to the female, the present trees are mostly barren, or
their fruit an immature product ; notwithstanding that this most use-
ful plant, affording at once food and drink, furniture and fuel, might
be raised with success, were but a httle attention directed towards
its cultivation.
The cotton plant is an object of agriculture at ]\Iazzara, and other
places where the influence of the westerly breezes is most felt. It is
sowed in April, in land that has been well ploughed two or three
times, is carefully weeded, and the tops pruned ofl^. It is a small
shrub with a yellow flower, and attains the height of from one to
two feet ; it blooms in July and August, the pods are the size of a
large walnut, which when ripe, burst open, and expose the dehcate
down within, which is gathered for store in September and October.
A second shoot takes place towards Christmas, the pods of which
are very inferior, and are used by many farmers as an unusually
nutritive diet for cattle, though it is thought by others to have
an injurious effect on the quahties of the milk and meat.
The almond trees form numerous groves throughout the whole
island ; they bud in February, and when covered with their delicate
tinted blossoms, present the most beautiful objects in the vegetable
kingdom. The well-known fruit, the finest of the amygdalus species,
ripens in July, and is produced in abundance for domestic con-
sumption ; and both the nut itself, as weU as the oil extracted from
it, afford staple articles of exportation.
The sugar-cane formerly abounded in Sicily, and the refining of
it continued for a long time to be a source of profit ; but on the
introduction of Brazihan produce, that trade suffered from the
D 2
20 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
competition, and is now nearly lost. A small plantation still exists near
Avola, the canes of which are very slender and low, yielding only
a small quantity of indifferent rum, and will probably be abandoned
altogether.
The Hquorice plant, glycyrrhiza glabra, is found growing in spon-
taneous abundance on the plains of Milazzo and Catania, and in
the south-west parts of Sicily, where a considerable quantity of
liquorice is manufactured for exportation. The roots are cut into
shps and bruised in a press, then thrown into a caldron and boiled for
several hours to soften and moisten them; they are afterwards placed on
a strainer, through which the juice trickles into a trough ; this liquor
is again boiled until it condenses to a thick black paste, when it is
packed up in bay leaves for sale. The roots of the olive are
esteemed the best fuel for the operation.
The ricinus palma christi grows luxuriantly in most parts of the
country, and bears innumerable clusters of the bean, as pregnant of
castor oil, as any I have observed in tropical regions ; but from the
Sicilians being unacquainted with the proper method of expressing
it, they are only able to procure a trifling quantity for immediate
use, the seeds being bruised and pressed when wanted, in a manner
similar to that by which the oil of almonds is prepared.
Many plants of the most dehcate nature flourish in the open air,
of which the principal are some species of the musa, the lotus, the
antholyza, the zizyphus, the nymphaea, the cannacorus, the cassia,
and the euphorbia ; and many rare species of the cactus, the acacia,
the cyperus papyrus, and other botanical productions, more espe-
cially in the luxuriant grounds of Palermo, Girgenti, Syracuse,
Carini, and the /Etnean regions.
Such declivities as are too steep for cultivation, but have the ad-
vantage of a northern aspect, produce an abundance of brush-wood,
consisting of the arbutus, the myrtle, the coronilla, several spe-
cies of heath, the Spanish-broom and the evergreen oak. These
PRODUCE— RESOURCES. gi
luxuriant beauties are cut down every third year, as in tliat time
they attain a sufficient size to form fagots.
Eesources. — Besides the riches of her mineral and vegetable
products, Sicily boasts the finest fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea.
These afford several species of the scomber, xiphius, coryphaena,
mullus, mursena, gadus, raia, triglia, zeus, pleuronectes and clupea ;
and of the secondary in value may be mentioned, the ophidivun,
ammodytes, anarchichas, gobius, squalus, sparus, labrus, and cottus,
the various species of which are enumerated in the Appendix.
The scomber thynnus, or tunny, seems to have preserved its
former estimation ; for, according to Oppian's Halieutics, it was in
the highest request with the Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans,
who made the favourite sauce, called garum, from it, and it is now
one of the principal sources of profit to individuals, and of revenue
to the government *. Its average length is from four to eight feet,
with a girth of nearly the same dimensions ; yet there are many of
still greater size, and the females are always the largest ; but not-
withstanding its coarse appearance, the flesh is nutritious food, and
esteemed pecuharly beneficial in di'opsical complaints. This fish is
gregarious ; the shoals enter the Mediterranean early in the year ;
with an extended base for the tides to act upon, as they swim
broad, deep, and in a conical form. In the progress of the shoal to
the eastward, it inclines over towards the European coasts, and
the tunny is caught in great abundance during the months of May,
June, and July ; but the fishing establishments of Sicily, called
Tonnare, are more lucrative than those of more northern parts ;
because, though the fish usually return along the African shore,
great numbers are taken in October and November on the Sicilian
* Pliny, xxxi. c. 9., describes the mackerel garum as of great price. The sauce made
from the thymius was of an inferior kind, called muria ; and accordingly Martial says,
that the garum was for the rich, and the muria for the poor.
22 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
coast. The manner of catching them is similar to that practised by
the ancients ; large nets are spread out in the shape of a parallelo-
gram, about fifteen hundred feet long, three hundred wide, and
from forty to a hundred deep, divided into four quadrilateral
spaces, called rooms, having channels of communication with each
other. These nets are moved east and west, at about a mile distant
from the shore, across the known route of the fish, with each of the
spaces at right angles, and secured vertically, by a number of anchors
and stones at the bottom, while the upper edge of the net is floated
by large logs of the cork tree, and other Hght wood. The whole is then
connected with the shore by a stout single net of very wide meshes,
called the wall, or by others " il codardo," that arrests the progress
of the tunny, and induces them to enter the outer room, called the
" bordonaro," which is thereupon raised a httle, and closed by the
boatmen on the look-out. The fish, alarmed, and seeking to escape,
then swim from side to side, and thus enter the next room, or
" bastardo," when their retreat is again prevented, and thus suc-
cessively into the " piccolo," until they finally enter the fatal part,
called the " corpo," or chamber of death, where the meshes are
smaller and stronger, and made of rope superior in quality to that of
the rest of the net. When by these means the chamber is filled,
which sometimes occupies two or three days, large flat-floored boats,
pecuHarly constructed for the purpose, assisted by many smaller
ones, close round, and weighing the net, secure the prey with har-
poons, and another species of sharp hook on a wooden staff, that is
struck into the head to prevent the fish from floundering, and in the
management of which weapon the fishermen display an active dex-
terity. There are often many other fish taken with the tunnies, all
of which, except the sword-fish, the alalonga, and palamita, become
the property of the labourers.
The xiphias gladius, or sword-fish, passes by the shores of Sicily,
on its route to the Archipelago and Black Sea, in the vernal equinox,
RESOURCES. 23
and is often taken with the tunny in nets ; but, in the Straits of
Messina, there is a particular fishery for them, in which more activity
is displayed than in any other Mediterranean establishment. A sort
of sharp-sterned whale-boat, called a " luntra," attends a vessel with
a high mast, on which a man is placed to look out for the ap-
proach of the fish ; and, on notice being given, the luntra, furnished
also with a mast (on wliich a man is stationed to direct the chase), is
despatched to the attack. The harpoon is thrown, and when the
fish is struck it immediately dives, and the staff quits the blade of
the instrument ; the long coil of fine is then allowed to run out
freely, to play with the animal till it becomes faint, but it is some-
times so vigorous as to obhge the fishermen to cut it adrift. The
length of this fish is from seven to thirteen feet, exclusive of a sword
projecting from the snout, about three feet long, and three or four
inches broad, and their weight varies from eighty to upwards of two
hundi'ed and fifty pounds. Notwithstanding this magnitude, the
flesh is esteemed delicate food, and when broiled in slices resembles
veal. Besides tliis mode of fishing, great numbers of the young are
very improvidently taken in nets, called Palamidara ; in fact, the
preservation of the fry of fish of every kind is too little attended to,
and there is a destructive method of fishing practised, called the
Bilancella, in which two latine-rigged vessels, with a fresh breeze,
di"ag an immense net by means of hawsers, wliich draws in every
tiling in its course.
A very large species of dog-fish is taken in the same Straits, which
from its appearance, and many of its habits, I should consider to be
the same with the innoxious squalus maximus of Tropical Seas ; but
that, either from this or some other species, accidents to swimmers
occasionally occur. Some of these monsters are at least twenty feet
in length, and, among those that have been taken, some have weighed
upwards of twenty hundi-ed weight, though the greater part are
small. It is curious that they make their appearance about the same
24 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
time with the cicirello, a small and dehcate fish, not unhke the
wliite-bait of the Thames.
The clupea encrasiocolus, or anchovy, is taken in shallow water,
during the months of March, April, and INIay, by means of nets
ten or twelve feet wide, and very long. The curing occupies about
a month. The fish are first thrown into brine to give the salters
time to nip off their heads with the thumb and finger, and pack
them regularly with alternate layers of salt in the barrels designed
for their exportation, which generally contain about two hundred
and fifty pounds each. When the cask is filled, a round board some-
what smaller than the head-piece is placed over the whole, and
loaded with stones, by which the contents are sufficiently compressed
in a few days to allow of the casks being properly coopered for
exportation.
The mugil cephalus, or muUet, is taken in weirs made of canes,
enclosing a circular space, nearly in the manner described by Op-
pian. Of the roe of this excellent and abundant fish a considerable
quantity of the best botarga is made, and forms an article of com-
merce at Lentini ; whereas, in other parts of Sicily, the roe of the
alalonga, the tonno or tunny, and the pavoro, are preserved in a
similar way.
There are many varieties of testaceous and crustaceous fish, afford-
ing dehcate food ; these are usuall}' taken towards the full and change
of the moon, when, from the spring tides carrying more sustenance than
the neap, they are generally much better than at other times. The
principal kinds of the former in request are, the buccinum, cardium,
patrella, ostrea, murex, chama, nautilus, and pinna marina ; among
the latter the lobster is rare, but the sea abounds in gigantic prawns,
in shrimps, in crabs, and particularly in the echinus esculentus, with
which the shallow sandy bottoms are often covered. With regard
to the murex purpura, I could not understand how so beautiful a
dye was ever obtained from it, having examined the fish strictly,
RESOURCES.
25
until I met with an intelligent remark in Polwhele's Devonshire,
which suggests, that the crafty Phoenicians assisted the process by
their intercourse with our shores, using tin in fixing the colour, as
the trade in that metal was solely under their own management, and
the leading character of that celebrated die was its unfadingness. But
Reaumur thinks that the Tyrian purple was obtained from a slender
white vein behind the head of the buccinum lapillus. This te-
nacious matter, on exposure to air, and still more on exposure to
the rays of the sun, successively becomes yellow, green, blue, and
finally settles into a durable purplish red, or crimson, which resists
both acids and alkahes.
The sepia and hydra are also much esteemed; and among the
most curious of the mollusca and the zoophyta? may be noticed
the holothurai, salpa, tethys, doris, and medusa, with the tubipora,
gorgonia spongia, madrepora, and tubularia. Coral is fished for in
many places, but yields the greatest profit to the seamen and mer-
chants of Trapani, on the western shore of the island.
It may be proper to add, that, exclusive of the articles already
enumerated, Sicily derives important advantages from her exports of
Argols
Bees-wax
Bullocks
Brandy
Canary seed
Cantharides
Capers
Cheese
Coral
Cork
Cotton
Cream of tartar
Essences
Flax
Hemp
Pulse
Hides
Raisins
Honey
Rice
Lemons
Salt
Lemon-juice
Silk
Linen rags
Skins of various animals
Linseed
Snow
Linseed oil
Soap
Lupins
Squills
Macaroni
Timber
Madder roots
Tobacco
Nitre
Wheat
Nuts of various kinds
Wool
Orchill
26 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
CHAPTEE II.
Of the Inhabitants, their Domestic Habits, Literature, Amusements, Prejudices, and
Religious Customs.
Nobles. W ITH the united advantages of climate, situation, and
produce, detailed in the preceding sheets, Sicily ought to possess a
corresponding population ; but this is far from being the case, for
the number of people, now on the whole island, does not exceed what
the cities of Syracuse and Agrigentum jointly have boasted in an-
cient times. The disproportion of nobles is great, there being in
this small kingdom, exclusively of the Royal Family, the Arch-
bishops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, and other .church, dignitaries, no
less than one hundred and twenty-seven Princes, seventy-eight
Dukes, one hundred and forty Marquisses, with Covuits, Barons, and
Knights almost innumerable. Many of these titles, however, never
were the honourable badges of power and trust, but simply marks
of distinction, conferring httle more than local importance, and be-
stowed by the Crown for various services. The baronial peers alone
possess any influence in the country, and are entitled to sit in the
Upper House of Parliament.
A few of the nobles attend to public affairs, and shew a considerable
share of talent and sagacity ; but, from defective education, and from
being deprived of the advantages of traveUing, the majority have nar-
row and contracted ideas, which lead them to prefer the dissipation and
the heartless pleasures of the capital, to rural, literary, or scientific pur-
suits. So far from enjoying the varied beauties of Sicilian landscape.
NOBLES. 27
their country excui'sions, called Villeggiature, are confined to a resi-
dence, of about a month in spring and autumn, at a small distance
from the great towns, where the time is passed in the usual routine
of paying and receiving visits, in those monotonous assemblies called
conversazioni, and in gambling. In their deportment they are
obliging, affable, and attentive, though very ceremonious. Those
\dolations of truth and morality that so frequently cloud the brightest
titles, may be attributed to the neglect of the domestic ties, to their
indolence, and to the effects of bad example.
In this elevated class the rights of primogeniture are so strictly
exercised, that the eldest son alone is well provided for ; the others
being retainers for life, on a small pension, called " I) piatto," or
dinner-cover, at the father's or elder brother's table, are diiven to
mean habits ; and, as they are not allowed to marry, and are gene-
rally deficient in mihtary or civil enterprise, they abandon them-
selves to idleness, vice, and debauchery.
There is also a class of nobility miserably poor, whose honours
never had any patrimony annexed to them, and who are yet too vain
to permit themselves or their progeny to engage in commercial or
professional undertakings ; and it is this class that, by its misdeeds,
has lowered the respectability of the whole Sicihan peerage.
A pompous affectation of title is, indeed, the principal trait of
the Sicihan character, and is as observable in the vain inscriptions
which their pubUc edifices, fountains, and statues display, as in the
metaphoric superscriptions of letters in use among all ranks ; for
even tradesmen address each other Most Illustrious, and a letter to
any gentleman, scarcely ranking with an esquire in England, is ad-
dressed as pompously as to the first peer of the realm — " A Sua
Eccellenza, ITllustrissimo Signore Stimatissimo, e Padrone Collen-
dissimo, Don ;" here follows the Christian name, and then the
title, surname, ^x. (^'c.
Most of the nobles have a palace of their own, which goes by
E 2
28 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
their name ; but very few, if any, have an establishment sufficiently
numerous to occupy the wliole building, and many let even the
" appartamento nobile," or second floor, restricting themselves to an
inferior suite of rooms. They are proud of having a taU robust man
as porter at the gate, decked out in more gorgeous hvery than any
of their other servants, \\ith mustachios, a huge cocked hat and fea-
ther, broad cross-belt and hanger, and a large silver-headed cane.
In Sicily every house is a palace, and every handicraft a profes-
sion ; every respectable person is addressed as his Excellency, and
even a servant on an errand is charged with an embassy. This at-
tachment to ostentation is so inveterate, that the poorer nobihty and
gentry are penurious to an extreme in their domestic arrangements,
and almost starve themselves to be able to appear abroad in the
evening with an equipage, often mean, and calculated rather to indi-
cate poverty than comfort.
Community. — The Sicihans are of a middle stature, and well
made, with dark eyes, and coarse black hair; they have better
features than complexions, and attain maturity, and begin to dechne,
earher than the inhabitants of more northern regions. In conver-
sation they are cheerfid, inquisitive, and fancifid, with a redundance
of unmeaning comphments, showing themselves not so deficient in
natural talents, as in the due cultivation of them. Their dehvery is
vehement, rapid, full of action, and their gesticulation violent ; the
latter is so significant as almost to possess the powers of speech, and
animates them mth a pecuUar vivacity, bordering, however, rather
on conceits than ^^it, on farce than humour. But the principal
characteristic is an effeminate laziness, among those of easy circum-
stances, which they attempt to excuse, by alleging the intense heat
of the chmate, without taking example from the warmer regions of
Eg^'pt and India, or the energy of the British colonists in the torrid
zone; in fact, they have a practical illustration close to them, in
COMMUNITY— ARMY. 29
the hardy labour and patient industry of the peasants, calessiers,
and porters of Malta.
Notwithstanding the sarcasms of Montesquieu, and the more
dangerous admission of Milton, the idea, that the energies of the
mind are circumscribed by the influence of climate, must be con-
demned, not only as a hasty prejudice, but as a position highly
pernicious to intellectual exertion. It is freedom, emulation, and
pubhc spirit that stimulate genius and mature talent ; and Milton's
own immortal strains, together with the works of an illustrious
galaxy of philosophers, poets, historians, painters, and warriors of our
own empire, sufficiently refute the theory. The cHmate of Greece
is still the same that Homer, Pindar, Pericles, Phidias, Praxiteles,
ApeUes, and Demosthenes breathed, but with her liberty and her
glory her genius fled. Nor can it ever be forgotten that historians,
legislators, and poets, flourished in the remote, barren, and frozen
Iceland, and that in hyperborean regions, letters found an asylum
during the dark ages of Europe.
Army. — The army is in a neglected state, and owing to the
slowness of promotion, few can aspire to preferment ; professional
emulation is therefore crushed, and the thirst for renown and glory
is almost unknown. Local prejudice usurps the place of patriotism,
and instead of the virtuous impulse that inspires true military
honour, a phantom is introduced that permits the exercise of various
obliquities, and only shews itself ii-ritated on their detection. The
engineer and artillery officers are instructed in mathematics as a
part of their professional studies, but all officers, except those pos-
sessing the most powerful interest, must serve a long cadetship.
Their uniforms are neat, simple, and appropriate, and no soldiers
in Europe keep their arms and accoutrements in better order than
those of Sicily.
30 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
Navy. — There are resources for the formation of a navy, sufficient
to estabUsh the respectabihty of the island, but from circumstances
unexplained, they have hitherto equijoped only flotilla vessels, and
the gun-boats in commission, are principally employed in the service
of the health office. The sailors are cheerful, hardy, and daring,
and from my service with them, I can bear testimony to their tem-
perance, sobriety, and personal courage. They are, on the other hand,
very superstitious, for every vessel has its tutelary saint, and every
sea-port its churches and chapels hned with votive pictures of mira-
culous escapes from the perils of the sea.
Artists. — The modem Sicihan painters discover but httle of the
elevated conception of art, by which the energetic productions of
such masters as Alibrandi, Novelli, Antonello, Kodriguez, and
Rasihba, are so eminently distinguished from the cold academic
studies of the day. Excepting in Riolo, Patania, Velasquez, and
the brothers Subba, painting at present seems rather a trade than
an art, and in their stiff landscapes and monotonous figures, a florid
style of colouring is substituted for feehng, for taste, and for
sentiment.
The art of sculpture at present is in so very languid a state, that
I cannot recoUect a specimen worth particular notice, though the
works of Gaggini, Tipa, and other natives of the island, who had
made some progress in this art, are in sufficient number to stimulate
exertion. Engraving has never flourished, it is as yet in a very
humble state, and many of the most valuable pubhcations of Palermo
and Catania, are extremely disfigured by the scratchings of Antonio
Zacca.
Mechanics. — The various mechanics are ingenious as copyists,
but being too observant of the numerous holidays of their rubric,
MECHANICS— PHYSIC— LAWYERS— PEASANTS. 31
and indulging in the indolence fostered by them, they do not rise
above mediocrity in their respective branches ; nor do they appear to
entertain any idea of the advantages to be derived from constant
employment, or the benefit of working for a moderate profit. Shop-
keepers, although from the little business they transact, they appear
scarcely able to subsist, are mostly so sluggish, as rather to permit a
customer to depart than reach a parcel from an upper shelf, or
unpack many articles for his inspection.
Physic. — Fortunately for the pubhc, though medicine has made
but little progress, no person can practise physic, or sell drvigs,
withovit acquiring the requisite qualifications, and the previous
approbation of government after due examination.
Lawyers. — Though they are free from quacks in the heahng
art, they are pestered with a very numerous tribe of pettifogging
empirics in the law, nicknamed " paglietti," or men of straw, by
whose wakeful chicanery, that bane of civilized society, litigation, is
rendered quite unavoidable. The profession of the law, being
almost the only road to distinction, is so eagerly embraced, that
in Palermo alone, the advocates, sohcitors, notaries, clerks, ^-c,
are said to amount to four thousand, and such is the venal ad-
ministration of the penal and judicial codes, that in the constant
cavilHng of their courts, large fortunes are reaped by men of but
inferior talents. There is no person of the most moderate income,
Avho does not find it necessary, regularly to pay an annual retaining
fee to one or more sohcitors.
Peasants.— The peasants are distinguished by a pecuhar dress, in
which the most remarkable parts are a broad leathern belt, a white
cotton cap, or a silk net for the hair, (not unHke that on some of the
32 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
ancient Syracusan coins,) and very large silver buckles to the shoes.
They are industrious and sober, with better domestic feehngs than
the citizens, and frequently exliibit considerable intelhgence through
a cloud of that pecuhar and suspicious cunning called " scaltrezza.''
Owing to their general ignorance, they are extremely credulous and
superstitious. They are, however, rather bigots than fanatics, shew-
ing acts of civihty and kindness to such heretical strangers as are
thrown in their way.
Marriages. — Weddings are generally managed by the friends of
the parties, who arrange the affairs, and settle the bride's dota, or
dowry, which, in famihes of rank, is often a daily stipend from the
patrimony, and some jewels, effects, and presents, which used all to
be returned to her father if she died without issue, though by the
new code, introduced in 1812, some alterations are made in this
arrangement. They hold that an early marriage is the pledge of
industry and moraUty, and such are common ; but a man cannot en-
ter into the nuptial state, without the consent of his parents, until
he has attained the age of thirty ; though, if he should elope with
a female, and apply to a bishop, the prelate cannot refuse to unite
them, without incurring the odium of the consequent immorahty.
Bans are pubHshed for three Sundays, but may be dispensed with
on proper appUcation. If the ceremony takes place in the morning,
it is previously necessary for the parties to confess, hear mass, and
receive the sacrament, all wliich may be avoided by being married
in the evening; the sooner afterwards, however, they accomplish
these devotions, the better it is considered.
In many parts it is customary to give a spoonful of honey to the
bride and bridegroom on their leaving the church, and to throw
wheat on them, as presages of happiness and fertihty ; and if the
sun shine at the same time, it is esteemed auspicious. At the
MARRIAGES. 33
feast which follows, it is usual to throw nuts and almonds on them
as of old, and in various country towns, each of the guests is
expected to dance.
When a marriage is about to take place, instead of waiting for the
congratvilations of friends, the parents or guardians communicate
the intelligence to each acquaintance by a compUmentary card,
requesting approbation thereof. The prospect of reciprocal and
permanent happiness, fovinded on mutual attachment, ought to be
the basis of the engagement ; this, however, though matrimony is one
of their sacraments, is far from being the object in the generality
of families of rank, among whom love is rather a physical than a
moral affection, conjugal attachment but a mere name. The detest-
able presence of a cicisbeo, or cavaher-servente, vmder the pretence of
relationship or platonic attachment, is allowed to offend morahty, and
estrange a husband and wife, not only from each other, but even
from their offspring. The prevalence of this indelicate vice, (an odious
memento of the immorality and degi'adation of the seventeenth cen-
tury, in which the Sicihan Vespers occurred,) may be imputed to the
neglect of sentiment in their unions, and to the substitution of the
sordid motives that frequently produce a match. In these the female,
of twelve or fourteen years of age, is often just released from the
trammels of a cloister, iU calculated to form a girl for maternal duties,
and compelled to accept of a man, with whom she has scarcely had
any previous acquaintance, and in some instances without having
even seen the object of her parents' choice. Sicilians have been
accused of connubial jealousy ; but of this their universal practice
will fully acquit them, and the defence that has been set forth, by
superficial observers, in behalf of their domestic arrangements, only
proves, that nothing can exist, however monstrous, absvuxl, or despi-
cable, but may find its admirers and panegyrists.
It is the practice with the middle and lower classes to appraise all
articles given with the bride, a few days before the nuptial ceremony
F
34 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
takes place; on which occasion all the relations and friends are
invited, and each is expected to bring a present for the lady, after
the manner of the Epauha and Anacalj-pteria of the ancient Greeks.
When they are assembled, a sheet is spread out on the ground in
the middle of the room, for the reception of the things, and a re-
spectable dealer, in whose probity mutual confidence is placed,
values the articles, and draws up the inventory.
Births. — On the approaching birth of a child, great satisfaction
is demonstrated throughout the family, and the midwife, attired in
gay apparel, is conducted through the streets in an open sedan chair,
ornamented \viih flowers, to which every carriage gives way. The
new-born infant is swathed Hke an Egyptian mummy, and taken to
the church for baptism as soon as possible, and thenceforward, in
the upper and middle classes, is usually consigned to a nui'se. Par-
turition is divested of much of the sufferings and danger experienced
in more northern countries, the period of confinement being only
eight or ten days ; and even within twenty -fovu- hom-s after the
birth of the cliild, the mother receives visitors of both sexes in her
bed-room, which on such an occasion is rendered very showy ; the
bedsteads being of iron or bronze, with silk damask furniture, mos-
quito curtains, pillows ornamented with lace and ribands ; and
an expensive silk, or satin quilt, covering the bed and reaching to
the floor.
The Host. — When a patient is despaired of by the physicians, it
is deemed necessary to administer the sacrament of extreme unction ;
and accordingly, the host is carried in state through the streets to
the house of the dying person, preceded by banners, incense burning,
and a bell ; as it advances, every one kneels until the procession is
past, while those in the houses, on hearing the bell, instantly run to
the windows, (shewing a hght if at night,) and fall on their knees in
THE HOST— BURIALS— DWELLINGS. 35
prayer. I was one evening at the Carolina Conversazione rooms at
Palermo, when most of the principal peers of Sicily, were playing
at rouge et noir, and the deal having run several times, the stakes
had increased to a considerable amount, and every one was anxious
for the next turn up ; yet when at this critical moment, the tinkhng
of a bell was heard, away went the cards, the banker swept his
money into a handkerchief, and down went princes, and duchesses,
and dukes, and princesses, on their knees, in promiscuous confusion,
until it had passed by.
BuRiALs.^-The dead are generally conveyed to sepulture, attended
by a procession of priests chanting hymns, with Hghted torches,
and preceded by a crucifix and bell, on hearing which, people take
off their hats until the corpse has passed. The deceased is decorated
with flowers, and borne along, sometimes imcovered, full dressed,
and on an open bier adorned with embroidery; but those of the
common class, are put into a sedan chair with cross bones and a
skull painted on the pannels.
Dwellings. — The apartments of the gentry are commonly large
and airy, but comfort is a term ill understood in any rank, and
cleanhness a quahty not in general requisition. Most of the do-
mestic offices, even to the making of beds, are performed by a set
of dirty men-servants, for the proportion of female servants is very
small, and all are so miserably paid, that honesty is not even expected
from them. The furniture in general is more splendid than useful,
paintings, gold cornices, mirrors, and marble tables abound, but to
the same rooms there will be miserable windows, ill-made doors,
and dirty brick floors, and the ascent is by large but filthy public
stairs, often crowded with beggars, and offensive to more senses
than one.
F 2
36 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
Females.— Inattention to cleanliness may be in great measure
owing to the females of the family having scarcely any domestic
charge, and no authority whatever in money transactions; it is
indeed to be regretted, that few of the numerous employments, for
which the sex seems properly calculated, are here practised. Heading,
writing, drawing, and the study of languages, are neglected ; rural
pursuits they have an aversion to ; their best hours gUde away in
acts of exterior devotion, petty intrigue, and insipid conversazioni.
To this idleness may be partly attributed their rapid change from
pretty Hvely brunettes, to languid, sallow, and unwieldy matrons ;
for Sicihan beauty fades almost as soon as it blooms, although it
is not very uncommon to meet those whose praises have been so
elegantly sung with :
" Gli occhi i5tellanti, e le serene ciglia
" La beUa bocca angelica, di perle
" Plena, e di rose, e di dolci parole*.'"
They are too inattentive to the charms of simple and neat attire,
for at home, and particularly in summer, they indulge in the most
slovenly costume, and too often evince by their conduct the forcible
association between mind and manners; while in pubhc they are
injudiciously loaded with a profusion of ornaments, and dressed in
ill-assorted colours.
The females of Sicily, in former times, however, proved themselves
capable of the most generous and exalted sentiments, and have on
several occasions distinguished themselves by an heroic constancy in
defence of their country ; as, amongst others, may be instanced the
ancient sieges of Motya and Sehnus ; that of Palermo, when they
made bowstrings of their tresses ; and the stiU more modern defence
of Messina against Charles of Anjou, on which occasion their
* Trans. Tlie beaming eyes and brow serene,
Th' angelic beauteous mouth, with pearls,
And roses and sweet words replete.
FEMALES— DIET. 37
devotion and patriotism were so conspicuous as to be the admira-
tion of all ranks, and to ensure the preservation of the city.
The knowledge of Sicilian ladies is very limited, and their
acquirements extremely superficial; nor can the indiscriminate admi-
ration they profess for the fine arts screen them from a charge of
ignorance, as their visits to galleries are but rare, and even then
only fashionable lounges ; and, unfortunately for the fair sex, col-
lections of painting and sculpture, by exhibiting such subjects as
Lot and liis daughters, Samson and Delilah, Susannah and the
Elders, and nudities of every description, seem intended to exclude
the female of deUcacy ; while the disgusting representations of the
broiling of St. Lawrence, the flaying of St. Bartholomew, the mas-
sacre of the Innocents, the decollations of Holofernes, Sisera, and
St. John, \vith hundreds of other revolting murders, that abound
every where, can only instil gloom and cruelty, fanaticism and
disgust. Another inroad on modest decorum (as apphcable, by
the by, to other parts of Europe), is the practice of placing girls
under the tuition of men, no matter what their moral character, for
the acquirement of music, dancing, and various other accomplish-
ments, that seem, by nature, to be much better adapted for the
superintendence of well-educated women. For the sake of expres-
sion and eclat, theatrical freedoms are not only allowed but encou-
raged, and taught to dilettanti.
Diet. — In their modes of life, the SiciHans do not differ materially
from other southern Europeans. Except in the higher circles, they
are early risers, particularly in svimmer, when they take a sUght
unsocial breakfast, and dine at noon ; after wliich, dui'ing the greater
part of the year, they retire to rest for two or three hours ; and it is
customary with both sexes to he quite naked. After the siesta
succeeds the principal toilet of the day, for only then visiting and
amusement begins. They sup heartily, at various hours, according
38 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
to their rank ; this meal, like the coraessatio of the Romans, is
the most social ; and fish, particularly the murana, still forms the
favourite fish.
In their diet, the Sicilians are generally temperate, though there
are many exceptions ; and when an entertainment is given, the
guests are expected to taste of all the dishes, which are, therefore,
successively handed round by the servants, after ha\'ing been carved;
the old adage of " Siculus coquus et Sicula mensa," is still apph-
cable. At the feasts of the great, the head of the table is opposite
the door where the servants enter, and is appropriated to the most
honoui-ed of the company, wliile the dependants are ranged at the
opposite end, around the family chaplain, who is, too often, the
butt of the party. The meal commences with soup, which is fol-
lowed by maccaroni, vegetables variously dressed, and shell-fish,
called " frutti di mare." The table, during the changes, remains
garnished with small plates of raw ham, anchovies, olives, and fresh
figs, and melon when in season ; then come bouilli, huge fish, made
dishes, roast meats, salad, luscious pastry, and lastly, fruit and
coffee. Wine is plentifully drunk during the repast, sometimes
accompanied with " brindisi," a kind of toast, expressed in an
extemporaneous comphmentary couplet, ending with, and rhyming,
either to the name of the guest or that of the host, and latterly,
the EngUsh custom of pledging has been frequently adopted.
When the dessert is finished, every one rises with the ladies, a
measure that contributes greatly to prevent excess. From the
jealousy of their government, they are deprived of that fertile topic
of conversation, poHtical discussion.
The habit of pilfering at entertainments, is a singular meanness
derived from the Romans, and still in full practice, as is also that
of placing good wine at the upper end of a table, and bad or indif-
ferent among the dependants. The rage to excel in the size of
fish for their grand entertainments yet exists, and I have seen the
DIET. 39
late Prince of Buteia, than whom nobody better understood good
cheer, place a whole tunny, garnished round with mullet, like a
leviathan, in the centre of his festive board.
Besides the usual fare, snails, ink-fish, frogs, hawks, jackdaws,
and small birds of every kind, are eaten ; but maccaroni, with
cheese grated over it, is the standard and favourite dish of all
classes ; and there are not a few, even of their pubhc characters,
renowned for their prowess in its attack ; a kind of honour cor-
responding to that enjoyed by our five and six bottle men. Their
bread is very fine, and of good quality, with the sweetish seeds of
the " giugiolina," an indigenous Sicihan plant, strewed over it. They
eat a greater quantity of salads, fruit, pulse, and other vegetables,
than, perhaps, would be wholesome, were they not quahfied by
numerous culinary ingredients, among which cinnamon and other
spices, sugar, oil, and garlic, form a prominent feature.
The usual diinks are fight wines, lemonade, and orgeat; beer
and tea they are strangers to, except medicinally. Iced creams are
a favourite luxury, with wlfich tliey daily regale themselves, besides
drinking iced water at their meals, sometimes corrected by a few
drops of " zambCi," a spirit distilled from aniseed.
It is strikingly singular, that so many peculiarities of the ancients,
domestic, civil, and religious, should remain in force in this island,
notwithstanding its frequent change of masters, and that such
strong simifitude should still be observable in the details of the
table. The livers of geese and fowls are still enlarged by adminis-
tering peculiar food, and are considered as articles of great luxury.
A strong, though not universal, prejudice exists in Sicily against
eating the turkey, for which I once heard a reason, that did no
honour to the narrator.
The food of the peasants consists chiefly of brown bread, eaten
with cheese, onions, garhc, or salt-fish. The truly Koman dish,
" polenta," is a very cheap sort of pudcUng, made of the flower of
40 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
maize, flavoured with grated cheese or oil. The " ministra verde"
is a national, and, perhaps, the most common, dish ; it is an olio of
vegetables or pulse, (including, besides the kinds commonly used in
England, lentils, lupins, calavanses, ciceri, and the carubba pod,)
eaten either hot or cold ; when in the former state, it is boiled with
oil, lard, meat, or fish ; when in the latter, it is simply boiled, and
then dressed with oil and vinegar as a salad. It is curious that the
potato, which thirty years ago was considered poisonous, is now a
favourite food in many parts of the island.
On Fridays, and other fast days, all those persons who do not
take out an indulgence, abstain from eating flesh, and feed on
vegetables and fish, except on the Sundays of Lent, when eggs,
cheese, and milk, are allowed. Soldiers and sailors on service,
sick people, and all who are rich enough to take out the " boUa"
of the parish priest, are permitted to indulge themselves. Lent is
ushered in by the intemperate mirth of the carnival, which closes
with a profuse and extravagant feast, that for its voracity and glut-
tony, fully establishes the claims of the goddess Addephagia to the
worship of the descendants of her votaries.
Literature. — As military honours are scarcely within their reach,
the pursuits of the Sicilians differ from those of more enterpris-
ing people ; and as an apathy exists on pohtical affairs, a greater
proportion of literary characters is fostered, than would be expected
from a population amounting to little more than a million and a
half of souls. The learning of many of these hterati, however, is
rather the varnish of a base metal than the pohsh of a true gem,
and many of the inane attempts of insipid egotists, at satire, wit,
and science, find vent in cowardly pasquinades, and tasteless pedantic
essays.
Although there is a manifest decay in the genius of their Utera-
ture, some expressive sonnets and pastoral poems of merit, with a
LITERATURE. 41
few works on jurisprudence, ethics, mineralogy, mathematics, natural
philosophy, and arcliEeology, however disguised in diffuse and inflated
language, prove that talent has not fled from amongst them ; but
statistics are neglected, and reviews, travels, romances, tales, plays,
and other lively productions, are almost strangers to their press.
Perhaps the custom of submitting manuscripts to the inspection of
supervisors and censors, has contributed to clog the flights of fancy,
and occasioned the suppression of many an elegant treatise ; for even
their " Opuscidi, Effemeridi, Notizie Letterarie," and various other
journals, have severally existed but for a short period. From the
causes before enumerated, female readers are few, and writers of that
sex unknown. Of private libraries there is a great dearth. Pubhc
hbraries are numerous, though but littlp attended; and foreign authors,
except a favoured few, (those principally German, that have been
translated,) are interdicted ; for the least reference to freedom of opi-
nion, in religion or politics, is sufficient to prohibit their introduction
into the country. Scarcely any Enghsh works, except Young's Night
Thoughts and Hervey's Meditations, are in circulation. The names of
Milton, Dryden, Pope, Thomson, Goldsmith, and other British bards,
have barely pierced the gloomy atmosphere of Sicilian prejudice ; and
even Shakspeare was only latterly introduced to public notice, by a
ballet founded on Macbeth. Scott, Crabbe, Byron, and other orna-
ments of the present day, have found a few admirers ; some of our
new works on chemistry and mecUcine became known and esteemed,
during the occupation of the island by the British troops, when many
students were received as assistants into our mihtary hospitals.
Many hterary associations have been estabUshed under the osten-
sible name of " GU Ebbri," or drunken ; " Kiaccesi " or re-ignited ;
" Addolorati," or grieved ; " Geniah," or sympathetic ; " Animosi,"
or intrepid ; " Periclitanti," or in danger ; " Buongusto," or good
taste ; and others. These societies, however, have all dwindled
down to a few writers of macaronics and improvisatori, or extempo-
raneous poets ; who, indeed, amidst extravagant rhapsodies, and
42 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
verbose dulness, sometimes emit sparks of a poetic imagination.
Improvisatori neither require the exercise of thought in themselves,
nor in their hearers, their whole mystery being a facihty and volu-
bihty in uttering a profusion of sonorous aUiterations and rhymes.
But it is obvious, notwithstanding their popularity, and the high
encomiums of Menzini, on these " gems of Parnassus," that the
composition of madrigals and sonnets is a style of writing which,
when resorted to by men of high talents, has been aptly compared
to Raphael or Michael Angelo painting miniatures. They con-
tribute but httle to the developement of sublime genius ; and
neither poetical license, luxvu-y of words, nor harmony of numbers,
can conceal the dearth of sentiment and invention, so visible in the
works of all the Sicilian popts of thp pi-esent day, except the melo-
dious Meli, who, in his Seasons, descriptive of Sicilian scenery and
manners, and other smaller poems, shews what an inexhaustible
source of variety may ever be recurred to by studying nature.
Though greatly addicted to colloquial argument, the public
orators in parliament, at the bar, or in the pulpit, display little to
be admired in their harangues, having generally a monotonous
delivery, penury of ideas, extravagant gestures, and absurd grimaces.
Their allusions are rather pedantic than classic, and the neglect of
general reading, together with their seldom or never travelling, de-
prives them of the advantages of an acquaintance with the most
imposing and briUiant exertions of genius.
Language. — As Latin never exclusively prevailed in Sicily, the
dialect differs both in extent and phrase from the ItaHan. A
number of Greek and Arabic expressions have been retained, and
many Norman and Spanish words have crept in, while the profusion
of vowels and open sounds renders it as harmonious, sportive, and
pastoral, as the Syracusan Doric of Theocritus. Though in some
instances there may be a similarity, it completely differs from the
vulgar and cacophonous jargon of Naples. It abounds with
LANGUAGE.
43
diminutives, superlatives, and metaphors, to a degree that facihtates
the composition of poetry. On the whole, it is so much better
adapted for light and amatory effusions, than for scientific and
noble objects, that, with very few exceptions, Sicihan authors write
in pure Itahan. So many contractions are used in the Sicihan dialect,
that it requires some practice before it can be read with ease. In
illustration of what has been said, it may be acceptable to many
readers, to submit a few stanzas from the Idyls of Meli, of which,
however, the literal translation subjoined can only convey the
meaning, without imparting the playful ease, the richness, and the
euphony of the original.
Dametu canta.
Sti sUenzii, sta vii-dura,
Sti muntagni, sti vallati,
L' ha criati la natura
Pri li cori inamxirati.
Damon sings.
This silence, this verdure.
These mountains, these vales.
Nature has created them
For hearts that are in love.
Lu susurru di li frundi
Di lu sciumi lu lamentu
L'aria, V ecu chi rispundi,
Tuttu splra sentimentu.
The rustUng of the leaves,
The lament of the river.
The air, and echo who answers,
All inspire sentiment.
Dda farfaUa, accussi vaga ;
Lu muggitu di li tori ;
L' innocenza, chi vi appaga ;
Tutti parranu a lu cori.
That butterfly, so beautiful ;
The lowing of the cattle ;
Innocence, that is doubtless ;
All speak to the heart.
Stu frischettu insinuanti
Chiudi un gruppu di piaciri,
Accarizza T alma amanti ;
E ci arrobba li suspiri.
Coa r armuzza li soi porti
Apri tutti a lu dilettu,
Sulu e indignu di sta sorti,
Chi nun chiudi amuri impettu.
This insinuating cool zephyr
Encloses a group of pleasures ;
It fondles a loving soul,
And steals away our sighs.
Here the soul opens
All its avenues to delight ;
Only he is unworthy of this fate,
Who has not love in his bosom.
G 2
44
SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
Sulu e reu chi po guardari
Duru e immobili sta scena,
Ma lu stissu nun amari,
E' delitto insemi e pena.
Donna bella, senza amuri,
E'. una rosa fatta in cira ;
Senza vezzi, senza oduri,
Chi nun veggeta, ne spira.
Only he is criminal who can look
Hard and immovable upon this scene ;
But the not loving, is in itself
Both crime and punishment.
A handsome woman, devoid of love.
Is a rose made of wax ;
Without charms, without perfume,
It neither vegetates nor breathes.
Tu nun parri, o Don mia,
Stu sUenziu mi spaventa;
E' possibili, ch' in tia
Qualch'' aifettu nun si senti?
Thou dost not speak, oh my Dora,
This silence alarms me ;
Is it possible that in thee
Some affection is not felt ?
O chi r alma, imbriacata
Di la duci voluttai,
Dintra un estasi biata
Li soi sensi a confinati ?
Or is it that thy soul, inebriated
With sweep voluptuousness.
In a blest ecstasy
Has confined all its senses ?
Lu to cori senza focu
Comu cridiri purria.
Si guardannati pri pocu,
Vennu vampi all' alma mia ?
Vampi, oime ! chi V occhiu esala ;
Ch'' eu li vivu, ch' eu Y anelu,
Comu vivi la cicala.
La ruggiada di lu celu.
Sti toi languidi pupiddi
Mi convincinu abbastanza
Chi r amuri parra in iddi ;
Chi c' e focu in abbundanza.
Thy heart without fire,
How could I believe it ;
If, in gazing at thee a moment,
Flames rushed to my soul ?
Flames, oh me! that the eye exhales-
That I drink, that I inhale.
As hves the grasshopper
Upon the dews of heaven.
Those languid pupils of thine
Convince me sufliciently
That love speaks in them.
That there is fire in abundance.
Oh chi fussiru in concertu
L' ocelli toi cu li labbruzzi !
Oh nni fussi fattu certu
Cu paroli almenu muzzi !
Oh that thy lips
Were in concert with thine eyes.
Oh, were I assured of it.
Though only by syllables !
LANGUAGE.
45
Fussi almenu stu gentili
Grazziusu to russuri
Testimoniu fidili
Veru interpreti cP amuri.
Dimmi ; forsi fa paura
A lu cori to severu
Un affettu di natura ?
Un amuri finu, e veru ?
Were at least that soft
Becoming blush of thine
A faithful witness,
A true interpreter of love.
Tell me ; is thy severe heart,
Perhaps, startled
At an impulse of nature .f*
A pure and true love ?
Ah ! mia cara pasturedda,
Li dei giusti, ed immortali,
T' avirrianu fattu bedda,
Si r amuri fussi un mali ?
Ah ! my dear shepherdess,
Would the just and immortal gods
Have bestowed on you beauty,
If love were an evU ?
E^ r amuri un puru raggiu
Chi lu celu fa scappari ;
E eh'' avviva pri viaggiu,
Suli, luna, terra, e mari.
Love is a pure ray
Emanated from heaven.
That gives life on its way
To sun, moon, earth, and sea.
Iddu duna a li suspiri
La ducizza chiu esquisita,
Ed aspergi di piaciri
Li miserii di la vita.
It confers on sighs
The most exquisite sweetness.
And strews with pleasures
The miseries of life.
Mugghia r aria ; e a so dispettu,
Lu pasturi a li capanni
Strinci a se V amatu oggettu,
E si scorda di T afFanni.
The sky lowers ; in spite of it
The shepherd in his cottage
Presses his beloved object to him,
And forgets his misfortunes.
Quann' unitu a lu Liuni
Febbu tuttu sicca, ed ardi ;
Lu pasturi 'ntra un macchiuni
Pasci r alma cu li sguardi.
When combined with Leo,
Phoebus parches up all things :
The shepherd under a coppice
Feeds his soul upon glances.
Quannu tutti T elementi
Poi cospiranu a favuri ;
Oh die amal)ili momenti !
Oh delizii d' amiui !
But when all the elements
Conspire in favour ;
Oh what ravishing moments !
Oh the delights of love !'
46
SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
Quannu provi la ducizza
Di dui cori amanti, amati,
Chiancirai T insipidizza
Di li tempi gia passati.
Esti pianti, e sti sci uriddi
Che pri tia su stati muti
A lu cori ogn'' unu d' iddi
Ti dirra : jorna, e saluti.
Ch' a lu focu di V affetti
Ogn' irvuzza chiacchiaria ;
Un commerciu di diletti
S' aprira ntra d' iddi e tia.
Credi, o Clori, miu cunfortu,
A sta liggi chiu suprema,
Ah nun fari stu gran tortu
A la tua biddizza estrema 1
Si spusassi cu Tamuri
Di natura ssi tesori
L' anni virdi, ed immaturi
Ti dirrevanu a lu cori :
Godi, o Don, e fa gudiri
Stu momentu, chi t' e datu :
Nun e nostru V avveniri ;
E pirdutu lu passatu.
When you know the sweet bliss
Of two amorous hearts beloved,
You win weep the insipidity
Of the time that has fled.
For these plants, and these flow'rets.
That to thee have seem'd dumb,
Will each exclaim to thy heart, —
Hail to thy new life f
For to the flame of the aifections
Every blade of grass is eloquent;
An interchange of pleasure
Will be opened between them and thee.
Cede, oh Dora, my comfort
To this supreme law ;
Do not be unjust
To thy extreme beauty !
If thou wouldst unite love
To those treasures of nature,
Thy green and immature years
Would say to thy heart :
Enjoy, oh Dora, and let enjoy
This moment, that is given thee ;
The future is not ours ;
And the past is lost.
Drama. — The drama, though originally fostered in Sicily, has
fallen into disuse, and in its true dignity is almost unknown.
Public attention is devoted to its successful rival, the opera, an
extravagant and puerile amusement, wliich while it relates an
intrigue, or a tale of fancy, may inspire pleasure by its impassioned
airs ; but when it affects historical subjects, and introduces frivolous
heroes, with a drawhng recitative, or a screaming bravura, in
addition to anachronisms of dress and scenery, and the intrusive
DRAMA. 47
jDresence of a noisy prompter, illusion must naturally be destroyed and
contempt excited. In fact, the merits of an opera are confined to
the music and language, for though the sense is monotonous and
bombastical, there is a pecuhar phraseology used by composers, the
true Nugae Canorae of Horace, that renders the songs harmonious
and sonorous ; their theatrical singing is more the result of system
and mechanical efforts, than of natural impressions, or expressions
of the dignified animation of the soul.
The best theatres are too spacious, every sacrifice being made
of convenience to extent, so that ballets and shewy spectacles are
best adapted to their boards. These representations are often well
imagined and fascinating, though, from the same being repeated
almost every evening for six weeks or two months, they tu'e the
audience. Attention, after the first night of a performance, is not
a trait of the character of the Sicihan amateurs, as they make the
theatre a rendezvous, where they receive and pay visits, take coffee
and ices, and even play at cards.
Public amusements are very cheap, and the custom of dividing
the pit, so that each spectator sits in a kind of armed chair,
effectually prevents the audience from being too much crowded.
The theatres being illuminated only on great festivals, there prevails
in general a sombre effect ; the more so, because the boxes being
all private, those only who choose, hght up one or two candles,
wliich are placed at the back of the box, so as to throw light only
on the occupiers of it, tending very httle to improve the general
effect. There are no galleries for the reception of the lower orders,
nor have they permission to enter the pit, though the back of it
is often crowded with the servants of those in the boxes. Detach-
ments of soldiers attend in all the theatres, and sentinels are placed
not only on the stage, but in various parts of the house. Even pri-
vate famiUes apply for sentinels, when they give large entertain-
ments ; in short, the jDolice being very deficient, the aid of the mih-
tary is resorted to on all occasions.
48 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
The pleasing operas of IVIetastasio, set to music by Cimarosa
and Paisiello, and the comedies, or rather farces, of Chiari, Algarotti,
and the prohfic Goldoni, as well as translations from Kotzebue, are
sometimes performed ; but the most popiilar pieces, besides frequent
improper allusions, spoil the actors for written performances, by
admitting of a great deal of extempore amplification and latitude
in language. In the class of comic actors, resembhng the atellanae
or mimes of the ancients, a Sicihan called Lapanio, who has a small
summer theatre at Palermo, echpses all competitors ; and in the hap-
piest vein of humour, lashes the singvdarities of his countrymen,
in their tridy Doric dialect, to crowded audiences, in whom even
liis significant looks alone, are sufficient to excite peals of laughter.
The actors in general are better adapted for pecuhar imitations
of manner, than lofty conceptions of character : nothing more, how-
ever, can reasonably be expected, as there is Httle encouragement
given to the profession ; and at their benefits, they are obhged to
submit to the degrading habit of going round, and presenting a plate
to each of the spectators, to receive their contributions. The
singers are usually more liberally rewarded, and next to them, the
first dancers, or " primi baUarini," whose efforts are seldom pleasing ;
for though the false taste that reigns even in the larger theatres
of Europe with regard to ballets, has made many proselytes, it
will be readily conceived that poor, and in many respects caricatured,
imitations, are not to be endured. Burlettas, and burlesque dances,
though nonsensical, vulgar, and obscene, not only dehght the
citizens, but those also of the higher ranks ; and I have observed
many of their most exalted characters in ecstacies at the vulgar
indecencies of buffoons.
Amusements. — Music is not so universal an accomphshment in
these southern regions as it is usually imagined to be; for that eager
desire that prevails in England for excelling in an acquirement
comparatively so insignificant, to the neglect of nobler pursuits,
AMUSEMENTS. 49
is here restricted to professional people. Their compositions are
generally too redundant, compass and execution being more at-
tended to than melody. The guitar is the favourite instrument;
and the lower orders are very partial to serenades, in which they
sing airs that are often more characteristic than either their
theatrical or sacred music. The songs in the SiciUan dialect, though
sometimes of a filthy description, are otherwise sprightly and
pleasing ; and several of their dances, as the " barubba," and the
" tarantella," display some fanciful figm-es, pleasing changes, and
animated evolutions, accomjDanied by the castanets or a peculiar
snapping of the fingers; degraded, however, by indecent postures.
The " barubba" is also called the " Jana tuba," and is peculiar to
the season of carnival ; those who dance it are strangely dressed,
have their faces painted, and exhibit aU sorts of contortions, imi-
tating savages, to the sound of the drum and trumpet-shell, or
" tuba ;" in this will immediately be recognised the feast of Janus,
which was also celebrated in the winter. The waltz is a great
favourite in certain circles ; notwithstanding which, I must agree
with honest Goethe the German, that none but husband and wife
can, with any propriety, be partners in this dance.
The peasants are fond of noisy instruments; and, on many of their
festivals, it is not unusual to hear ten or twenty tambovxrines beating
the " tarantella" together, accompanied by vioUns, guitars, and
" mandolini," a kind of small guitar, strung with wire, and played
with a quiU. They produce very melodious airs on rustic flutes
made of reeds ; and the mountaineers, who are tolerably expert
players on the bagpipes, accompanied by a kind of flageolet called
" ciaramela," parade the streets for nine days before Christmas,
playing to every image of the Virgin and Child they meet with,
and are even called into the houses, by the devout, to propitiate their
respective idols, corresponding to the lares, or household-gods of the
ancients.
H
50 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
Gambling extends its pernicious influence over all classes of
society, and is the chief amusement of both sexes, in every town
and village ; though numbers of its victims are continually reduced
by it, from affluence and respectability, to ruin, disgrace, and derision.
The games most general, and on which the greatest sums are risked,
are " macao," " riversino," " bassetta" or " faro," and " rouge et noir,"
in which latter I have, at pubUc conversazioni, seen noblemen in
all their decorations, and peeresses of the highest rank, engaged
with degrading avidity, and continue their baneful pursuits until
the morning. Petty gambhng, and cheap pubhc lotteries, are esta^
blished in aU parts of the island, and every art of superstition is
practised to obtain lucky numbers in the latter ; the tickets of Avliich
are drawn by an orphan, who is previously blessed by a priest, and
decorated with various amulets, of high interest to the anxious mob
assembled.
Among the few riu-al amusements of the Sicihans, may be enu-
merated hunting, shooting, and fishing; the practice of each, how-
ever, if we except the " roccolo," or taking of birds by a decoy and
nets, is greatly inferior to our acceptation of the terms. Be-
sides the game usual in England, red- legged partridges, and the
deHcate " francoHni," are in great request ; but their sportsmen are
too severe on songsters, that race being nearly extinct, except in
the wilds of the large forests. They place a high value on EngUsh
horses and dogs ; the latter, however, always degenerate, from their
instruction being neglected, and the horses are broke in and trained
with great cruelty. The chase of the wild boar, the wolf, and the
fox, is conducted with some spirit ; and as those animals, on account
of their immoderate fondness for grapes, occasion considerable
damage to the vineyards, they would, no doubt, soon be exter-
minated, were it not for the baronial and royal preserves. Hares,
as in the time of Arrian, are freqviently beat for among a liigh
close grass, called " jazzu," but coiusing is very uncommon. Par-
AMUSEMENTS. 51
tridges and plovers are decoyed by the call. Birds of passage are in
great number and variety, and afford infinite sport. Quails are
abundant during April, May, and September; wild ducks, cranes,
geese, and swans, are shot from November to IVIarch ; larks are in
great number in April and May, September and October ; fieldfares
abound in October and November ; and the delicious " motacilla
ficedula," or " beccafico," is taken from March to September.
There are also horse and carriage races, and various athletic
games, of which that requiring the greatest exertion is the " pal-
lone," in which a leathern ball about a foot in diameter, filled with
air, is thrown backwards and forwards between two parties of men?
each having one arm furnished with a kind of shield made of hard
wood called " bracciale," instead of a bat, and the utmost dexterity
is used in preventing the ball from falling, as every time this
happens, a mark is stuck into the ground. This is but the first
part of the game, for then the parties change places, and standing
in front of their respective marks, or " caccie," endeavour to defend
them from the ball of their adversaries. Another popular amuse-
ment used to be the " cuccagna," a pyramid formed of boards, or
a lofty pole made smooth and greasy, hung round the summit
with provisions, and apparel, which were the reward of those who
possessed agility enough to climb up and reach them, — an enterprise
attended with many awkward falls. This was generally the con-
clusion of great festivals, and the signal of attack was given by
the lord of the manor; but owing to the freqvient quarrels that
ensued, it has grown gradually into disuse, and, as a substitute
for it, a butt of mixed wine and water is introduced, to which the
crowd help themselves gratis ; still under the old name of the " cuc-
cagna." The noisy Eoman game called " micare digitis," is in great
repute with the common people, under the name of " morra," and
is played by two persons alternately clenching the fist and extending
the fingers, the united nmnber of which is to be instantaneously
H 2
52 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
guessed at by each other. The more domestic sports are, forfeits
of various kinds, bhiid-man's buff, and cross-purposes. The Sunday
is a day of general recreation, but not held sacred either in pubHc
or in private ; for it is then that, after the short service of mass, they
have most recourse to amusements of every kind, and even all the
theatres are open.
Disposition. — Good fellowsliip prevails at most of their pastimes;
but notwithstanding a generally cheerful disposition, the Sicihans
are so violent and irritable, that they will not scruple, on an angry
word, a trifling jealousy, or a drunken quarrel, to plunge into crime,
and take the most summary and sanguinary revenge ; a vice pro-
moted, perhaps, by the mal-administration of justice. Unhappily,
a murder may be committed in open day, and yet the assassin
escape ; because, from a superstitious fear, rather than an impulse
of humanity, (for that ought to be directed to the sufferer,) no
spectator will assist to apprehend him, under the plea that it is
the duty of the police. As atrocities of this nature are not inserted
in the gazettes, the pubhc are not aware of their occurrence, and
it is therefore difficult to ascertain the number of such tragical
events ; but, from many circumstances, I do not beheve premeditated
murders are very common in Sicily, although several atrocious and
harrowing instances of this kind have come under my personal
knowledge.
«
Festivals. — Gaudy spectacles of devotional pageantry, as in
ancient days, occupy a very considerable share of pubhc attention
in Sicily. During such exhibitions, labour of all kinds is prohibited,
and large sums are annually spent in fireworks, tinsel, and mummery,
that could be so much better employed in charity and pubhc
undertakings. Such amusements have a tendency to desecrate and
ridicule, rather than promote Christianity ; for nothing can be more
FESTIVALS— RELIGION. 53
profane and absurd, than the general celebration of Corpus Christi,
the " presepj," (or representations of the Nativity, by puppets placed
in appropriate scenery, often occupying a large room,) and other
ceremonies of Christmas ; as well as the peculiar festivals to tutelary
saints in Palermo, Messina, Catania, Syracuse, Modica, Girgenti, and
the other principal towns. The carnival appears to be the time, when
the whole population shakes off restraint, and revels in a ludicrous
mixture of superstitious devotion, intemperate uproar, and grotesque
extravagance. This season of gaiety begins on the 18th of January,
after the fete of St. Anthony, and lasts until the beginning of Lent ;
at Messina only, they wait till the 5th of February, the melancholy
anniversary of the great earthquake in 1783, is over, many having
vowed to observe that day ever after, in strict penance.
The pohtic Pope Benedict XIV., aware how such numerous
hohdays interfere with the avocations of the operative classes, and
tend to the introduction of idleness, indigence, and consequent
immorality, would gladly have abolished them aU except the Sunday ;
this, however, by an opposite extreme would have deprived the
populace of too large a portion of their recreations and useful pas-
times, but a judicious medium would undoubtedly promote the
general prosperity.
Religion From the holidays, the mind naturally, turns to the
state of religion in this interesting country, particularly as so
large a proportion of the population is consecrated to the celebra-
tion of its rites. Unversed in the subtilties of theologians, I am
aware that some of my conclusions may be deemed erroneous, and
my judgment misled; but my speculations, although fallible, have
arisen from a long intercourse with the SiciUans, and in all theo-
logical arguments, so far from indulging protestant prepossessions,
I have ever respected their scruples when honest, however differing
from my own opinions. My object is rather to mark the innovations
that have so widely separated churches, emanating from a common
54 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
primitive faith, than attempt to disparage the catholics ; nor will I
assert that many of their most absurd rites are reverenced by any
but the lowest and most ignorant classes.
The estabUshed rehgion of Sicily is the Roman CathoHc, which
differs in one grand point from most of the protestant sects, by
inculcating on its votaries that it is the manner of a man's death,
rather than the actions of his hfe, on which his hopes and fears
of futurity are to be founded. This, though not an estabhshed
dogma, has a very general influence, and combined with the privilege
of sanctuary, the practice of auricular confession, indulgence, and
absolution, lessens the susceptibility of conscience, engenders scep-
ticism and infidelity, and finally leads to the commission of many
of the crimes that disgrace this island. Cicero, though a Pagan, has
observed, " Maxima illecebra est peccandi immunitatis spes." The
hope of sinning with impunity is the greatest incitement to guilt.
Character of the Clergy. — The dignitaries of the church have
often proved themselves worthy of their high trust ; and among their
mitred benefactors, the SiciUans must ever record, with the warmest
gratitude, the names of Testa, Alagona, Lucchesi, and Ventimigha,
as well for their beneficence through hfe, as for their magnificent
bequests at their deaths. Some of the parochial clergy are intelligent
and moral ; but certainly too large a portion of them are slothful,
iUiterate, intolerant, presuming, and beggarly, and only preserve an
influence among their parishioners by their artful management in
family intrigues.
Religious Ceremonies. — Their celebration of church rites and
ceremonies is externally imposing, though too often pharisaical, pre-
senting an absurd association of spiriutal humihty and temporal
pride ; yet the sprightly music of viohns, flutes, and clarionets, the
fragrance of incense, the noise of drums and bells, the firing of
crackers and pateraroes, with the ghttering pageantry of hghts,
PREACHING— CELIBACY OF THE CLERGY. 55
embroidery and tinsel, are certainly more calculated to aflPect the
capacities, feelings, and prejudices of the uneducated vulgar, than
our spiritual homage and solemn dirges ; though, possibly, such
enthusiasm partakes more of personal gratification than of subHme
adoration. It must, nevertheless, in candour be admitted, even by
the most rigid Protestant, however he may condemn the doctrine,
that the elevation of the host is a solemnity very much in unison
with devotional feeling, and a spectacle that few can view without
correspondent emotions.
As the bell tolls for evening prayers, every one is saluted with
Ave-Maria, a rational and pleasing instance of affectionate piety,
which though a Cathohc custom, must be gratifying even to Protes-
tants ; at the same moment, all who have not time to kneel down
and unite in prayer, still repeat a short hymn in an under tone.
Preaching. — The language of the most popular preachers is
chiefly Sicilian, interspersed with frequent Latin quotations from
the Scriptures. I witnessed one of the favourite pastors who, with
a black cross suspended round his neck and stuck in his girdle, was
extremely vehement both in gesture and tone ; frequently breaking
out into affectionate apostrophes to a large crucifix in the side of the
pulpit, until by degrees liis congregation (consisting chiefly of
females) began to sob violently. He represented our Saviour as an
anxious shepherd, who, on missing one lamb out of a hundred,
scrambled over rocks, ran down precipices, leaped over ravines, and
left nothing untried to recover it; being at last successful, he desired
the angels to rejoice " e perch^ 1" " Why," inquired the sacred choir,
" because," replied the Kedeemer, " aju truvatu la mia cara pecu-
redda !" I have recovered my dear lamb !
Celibacy of the Clergy. — The celibacy to which the clergy,
both regidar and irregular, are condemned, must occasion sad inroads
56 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
on integrity, morals, and decorum, especially as from being dispensers
of the sacred wafer, they are beyond the pale of secular jurisdiction,
and cannot, in general, be supposed to restrain the natural lubricity
arising from want of employment, when assisted by the free access
afforded them, under the cloak of religion,'to women of not the most
rigid virtue. It has even been remarked by some of their jocular
wits, as well as by the chaplain of one of the Dukes of Norfolk, that
prohibiting priests from having wives, is not prohibiting wives from
having priests.
Nuns. — The seclusion of the females, who, from parental bigotry
or avarice, are shut up in the numerous nunneries with which every
large city abounds, may be here noticed. They are more hberally
treated in Sicily than elsewhere, being allowed country-seats, and
latticed balconies in the principal streets, communicating with their
convents, for the purpose of witnessing festivals and processions ;
yet, in spite of every indulgence, this Ufe of melancholy monotony
frequently brings on convulsions, palsies, and premature old age.
The ceremony of a young lady taking the veil is solemnized about
noon, previous to which all the friends and acquaintances invited,
assemble in the " parlatorio," or parlour of the convent, where ices,
coffee, and other refreshments are provided, while the victim, attired
in all the gaiety of the newest fashions, appears at the inner door to
receive the congratulations of the company on her happy and
laudable turn of mind. The party then adjourn to the church,
where high mass is celebrated, during which the devoted girl appears
at an open window breast high, near the great altar, generally
with a vacant smile on her countenance, accompanied by the abbess
and some old nuns, who after the sacrament, supposed to unite her
to our Kedeemer, has been administered to her by the bishop,
publicly tear away the jewels and ornaments with which she is
decorated, and cut her hair short beliind; then taking her aside
■s\
X
1
X
V ^
;^ ^=>
■& V
ta
3 S
^
^
NUNS— GREEKS— RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS. 57
for a moment, reproduce her amidst the deafening clamour of
pateraroes, bells, and a noisy orchestra, in the sacred habiliments of
a novice, which, from the bad taste and profusion of the previous
finery, seemed to become all those that I saw undergo the meta-
morphosis better than the modish dress. If, at the expiration of
a year, the young lady has not changed her mind, she is confirmed
a nun by a nearly similar ceremony ; the principal difference being,
that she then only changes the coloured veil of a novice for the
black one of a nun, and is laid under a pall, while the burial service
is read over her, as being dead to this world.
Greeks. — A few Greeks remain in various parts of Sicily, of whom
the largest establishment is at the " Piano de' Greci," in the vicinity
of Palermo. They are tolerated in the exercise of their rehgion,
but as they are less severe in their Lent ordinances than their
brethren to the eastward, they do not in some essentials differ so
much as them from the Koman Catholics. Their rites present objects
tangible and visible: they equally use the symbol of the cross, and
worship saints ; they practise confession ; they disbeUeve the doctrine
of pm-gatory ; and though they respect paintings, will not suffer
images : they use bread and wine in the communion, but beHeve in
its transubstantiation at the moment only in which they receive it.
They vnW. neither kneel at the elevation of the host ; allow of the co-
equality of the tritheistical union ; nor of the unfitness of a married
man to take holy orders, although a man is not permitted to marry
after he has devoted himself to the church, and its higher dignities
are not granted to married men. The prayers and forms of worship
are very numerous, and the ordinances are severe ; but genuflexion
takes place only once a year, and that on Whitsunday, at which
time, lights and incense are burnt on the sepulchres of relations.
Eeligwous Institutions. — Monasteries and religious institutions
58 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
were introduced into the island by Gregory the Great, in the fifth
century, and were nearly destroyed by the Saracens ; but having
been re-established by Count Roger, with every encouraging cir-
cumstance, they greatly increased, and are now excessively numerous,
and, from possessing great landed property, perhaps engross more
of the population and riches of the country than is compatible with
sound poUcy.
The ascetics are divided into two classes, the monks and the
friars. The former consist of the Benedictines, Celestines, Ber-
nardins, Carthusians, and some others ; the members of which, but
particularly of the first, are usually younger branches of noble and
rich houses, compelled to take the vows, either to extinguish their
patrimonial claims, or to indulge the superstition of weak parents,
many of whom, by such a measure, seek to propitiate Heaven in
behalf of their own ill-spent lives. As these orders bestow great
largesses in charity, and are generally indulgent masters to their
tenants, the magnificence and luxury of their estabUshments may
be viewed with less severity; though the time of the young men is
sadly mispent, for instead of improving their natural gifts by the
opportunity presented to them in their splendid libraries, they
content themselves with scholastic disquisitions, and miraculous
legends, drawn from such sources as St. Ambrose, Theodoret,
Abdias, and the Bolandists. Even the several orders are at variance
on casuistical topics, and the never-faiUng themes of grace efficient,
and grace sufficient, with the mists of the maculate or immaculate
conception, always affiard them ample matter for syllogistical
wranghng. Owing to this perversion of talent, though they have
borne the ostensible credit of having been the preservers, I will not
say, cultivators of the arts and sciences, the monastic institutions in
Sicily have rarely produced a distinguished mathematician, painter,
or poet.
The Jesuits, indeed, are an exception to the remarks made on the
RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS. 59
other orders, for notwithstanding their alleged numerous obliquities,
their mysterious political relations, and their strenuous support of
papal influence, their institution was the most active, learned, and
comprehensive of aU the cathoHc estabhshments. They have been
reinstated several years in Sicily, and as they are superintending the
education of some hundreds of youths, it is to be hoped they will
never practise those mischievous intrigues, the imputation of which
occasioned their downfall, and there is little doubt but the country
will then derive great benefit from their talents.
Confraternities are estabhshed in most of the great cities, the
professed objects of which are to reheve the imprisoned, comfort
the sick, and succour the distressed ; for wliich purpose, on all pubHc
occasions, they sohcit charity of the passers by, often frightfully
disguised with a white mantle entirely enveloping them, with only
two holes for their eyes, a crown of thorns on their head, and a rope
round their middle. Many of the clergy also, who attend particular
oratories, or that assist in the education of youth, congregate
together, and observe the various obhgations of monachism, without
taking the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience; these com-
munities bear the several names of the holy cross, of redemption,
and of St. Filippo Nero, with the Hieronomites, the Theatines, and
some minor companies.
The Dominicans, Franciscans*, Carmehtes, Augustines, Capuchins,
Minorets, and others of the mendicant societies, are a race who,
by their devotional zeal and capricious penances, seem to hold, that
a scrupulous observance of their ritual is as conducive to salvation,
as the purest practice of morahty. In strict convents the regu-
lations are very severe, particularly towards the acolytes and lay-
brothers, whose oifice it is to clean the church, cultivate the gardens,
and go on begging-errands to the towns ; for though most of these
* Capuchins, Recollects, and Cordeliers, are all of the order of St. Francis, though
differing essentially in ordinances, and in habits.
I 2
60 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
establishments possess land, and gain profit by masses, they receive
voluntary contributions of every kind of food.
Some few of the friars alleviate affliction, and soothe the pangs
of sorrow with a compassionate and unwearied attention ; some visit
the sick in hospitals and prisons, and others practise various branches
of useful ingenuity: but from such as compose the mass, even
alloAving them to lead a harmless hfe, what talent, knowledge, or
theology can be expected ? Yet this is the class that, by the various
devices of rehcs, amulets, and confession, acquires an influence
over the lower orders, draws them into superstitious worship, and
fans the dying embers of religious animosity. Many of those in
the small and less strict confraternities are even absolutely drones,
taken from the dregs of the people, who being too lazy to work,
by embracing an order, become licensed to prey vipon the pubUc,
and extort the hard earnings of the peasant. These are the
bigots, who bring contempt on the whole system ; and habitual
disrespect for ecclesiastics must have a pernicious effect on the
morals of a people. In their defence it has been asserted, that these
men, being plebeians, have been serviceable to the friends of order,
in quelling popular tumults ; but the same influence may be directed
to stir up commotion, and it is not the least part of the opprobrium
attached to them, that they readily engage themselves to form a
part of the espionage of the police, where, under the colour of
sanctity, they can be more mischievous than any other agents.
There is another class equally as ignorant as the friars, but poorer
and more absurd, called hermits and anachorets, who pretending to
despise the laxity of the cenobites, inhabit small caverns or hovels
among the mountains, with a view of indulging in unsocial fanaticism,
apathy, and self-denial. Their vacant hves pass in indolence and
filth, their habits being more those of swine than of human beings ;
and, in their unnatural indiflference, they seem to imagine that all
those acts which are most disgusting to mankind, are most acceptable
ANALOGIES. 61
to the Supreme Being, or at least to their tutelar saint; each
devotee, like the pagans of yore, paying his adoration to the one
of his own choice.
Analogies. — On this head it is curious to observe, in Sicily more
than elsewhere, the striking analogy apparent in the mysteries of
Pagan and Roman Cathohc polytheism ; the external observances
of which, in representing sacred objects to the senses by human,
rather than by divine attributes, are alike destitute of true sublimity,
and exliibit alternately a degrading ecclesiastical influence, popular
superstition, and a sensuahzing ritual, instead of real piety.
It is a glaring fact, that the two first commands of the Divine
Decalogue are virtually rejected by the Roman Catholics, for several
Pagan heroes have been canonized, and statues of heathen gods are
daily adored as saints under other names, with the reputation of
working miracles. The numerous images and pictures of the Virgin
and Child appear but substitutes for those of Venus and Cupid ; and
what is yet more strange, many paintings represent the former
standing on a crescent, the peculiar emblem of chastity among
the heathens.
The idolatrous worship of the Virgin has almost superseded that
of the Almighty himself, and greater reUance is placed on her media-
tion than on any other. Indeed, according to the monstrous legends
of the priests, it would appear that, by her courteous attendance to
the meanest of her votaries, she is fully entitled to their gratitude.
Among other absurdities, she is pubhcly represented, in sculpture,
in Palermo, leaning on the clouds, and squeezing milk from her
breasts into the gaping mouth of St. AUan, who is on his knees
below to receive it.
Imploring saints and guardian angels is but a revival of appeals to
Penates, Genii, Junones, and the gods of the Lararium ; and the Pagan
worship of the SiceUdes is replaced by that of the army of Virgins.
62
SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
Confraternities, cryptic worship, changing of sacred vestments, and
processions ; sanctuary, tonsure, and burning incense ; lustral water,
philacteries, sacred lamps, and votive offerings, with the custom
of decorating paintings and statues with garlands, rings, neck-
laces, ribands, and the nimbus, are all decidedly Pagan. The appella-
tions of Amnion, Stator, Pistor, Pater, Olympius, Ultor, Tonans,
and similar agnomens, are not only imitated in Stemmata, del Car-
mine, Sette dolori, Addolorata, del Pianto, &c., but St. Mercurio
and Santa Venera have actually resumed a station in pubhc churches,
and most of the saints are supposed to possess some pecuUar influ-
ence ; as, for example, St. Placido presides over those possessed by
an evil spirit ; St. Lazzaro, over the diseased ; St. Antonio, over
horses ; Santa Barbara, over fire ; Santa Lucia over the sight, &c.
Let us compare this system of idolatry and its canon, with the
express precepts of Holy Writ, and we cannot but deplore the
monstrous innovations on the beautiful simplicity of Gospel worship.
DECALOGUE.
Thou shall have none other gods but me.
— Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven
image, nor the hkeness of any thing that
is in heaven above, the earth beneath, or in
the water under the earth.
TWELVE TABLES.
Honour tlie gods of the heavens, not
only those who have always been esteemed
such, but those likewise whose merit has
raised them thither, as Hercules, Bacchus,
jEsculapius, Castor, Pollux, and Romulus.
As obvious a similitude is observable in the numerous festivals of
the Catholic church. The Eogation ceremony corresponds in many
respects with the rites of Terminus ; for while the former consisted of
prayers for a blessing on the fruits of the earth, the purpose of the
latter was to fix beyond dispute the boundaries of their land, that
so they might enjoy without contest, in the fruits of the opening
spring, the reward of the labour they had bestowed on the earth.
Candlemas, in which the offering of wax-candles, or torches, forms so
conspicuous a feature, occurs within a few days of the time when the
Romans also bore torches in procession to Juno Februa, and both are
ANALOGIES. 63
equally connected with the churching of women. The Carnival is a
species of Anthesteria, or Cotyttia ; and as, in the latter, people
dehghted in carrying about branches of trees hung with fruit and
sweetmeats, to which every body was welcome, so every one that
masks provides himself with a basket of cakes and sweetmeats to
present to all he meets ; the moderns, indeed, add a provision of
large sugar-plums, wherewith to pelt every one they wish to notice.
The Grand Jubilee is but another name for the secular games.
WTiile the Martinaha is a palpable substitute for the lesser Dionysia,
by which St. Martin has succeeded to the devotion heretofore
lavished on the jolly Bacchus.
In the worship of bones, and the kissing of relics, a kind of pa-
rallel may be found among the savages of North America; but, in
their adoration of the Host, I beheve the Roman CathoHcs are quite
unique, and have thereby inspired the Turks with their contemptible
idea of — " those dogs who make a god and eat him" — a species of
superstition that Cicero had long before pronounced men incapable
of committing.
Many of these remarks may appear severe, but they are, never-
theless, the result of actual observation, nor are they dictated by any
unfriendly or intolerant feeUng ; but why should we shut our eyes
to facts that stagger the well-informed CathoUcs themselves ? I am
aware the degradation is not equal, in the different countries where
that faith is professed ; and, it may be asserted, that the genuine
principles of the Roman Cathohc church neither recognise nor
authorize these superstitions. If it be so, such fallacies should be
corrected, and the pure practices and disciphne of the primitive
worship be restored in the various Christian churches. However
innocent the intention may originally have been, of introducing
rehcs, paintings, and statues, into their devotional exercises, it
cannot be denied that, with numbers of the ignorant, who, of
course, form the majority, they have become objects of actual
64 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
idolatry; and that the crucifixes, portraits of saints, and conse-
crated amulets, are preserved in famiUes as Avell as in churches,
with the same care and devotion as the tutelary Penates were wont
to be by their Pagan ancestors.
Oratories on hills and road-side chapels were general long before
the Christian era ; and the devotion of nuns is not dissimilar to that
of the vestal virgins, except, that the Komans, with more lenity,
allowed to the latter the solace of domestic society on the expira-
tion of tliirty years ; and, as they could be admitted at any age
between six and sixteen, they were not always too old for marriage
at the period of their emancipation.
The mystagogues of the past and the present age, in defiance of
reason and common sense, elevated the dead to divine honours ; the
one by apotheosis, the other by canonization : while the CathoUc
purgatory is similar to the Pagan second mansion of the infernal
regions, where the moral defilements of the soid were cleansed, pre-
vious to partaking of the happiness of Elysium.
Friday is still the " dies infaustus," and except the ominous
thirteen at table, a preference remains for odd numbers, on the
principle that those which are even, being reducible to equal
portions, are symbols of division. The number three, formerly
regarded as classing the celestial, terrestrial, and infernal gods ; the
judges of hell; the heads of Cerberus; the Hehades; the Harpies;
the Sirens ; the Gorgons ; the Hesperides ; and the Cyclops ; the
Furies; the Fates; and the Graces; is now viewed as the mystical
type of the Trinity, as well as of matter, wliich has a beginning, a
middle, and an end.
It is not, in rehgious observances alone, that these striking ana-
logies are to be traced, for the modern, hke the ancient Sicihans,
are nervously apprehensive of the " scanto," or sudden impression of
horror, disgust, or terror ; and they are careful to utter an ejaculation
on hearing a person sneeze. They have still their days of chalk and
ANALOGIES. 65
charcoal, of good and bad fortune ; and they bear so strong an
antipathy to persons possessing what is called the evil eye, that they
provide amulets against them, not only for themselves, but also
for their animals. The aversion to celebrate marriages, or chris-
tenings, or to enter into contracts during the inauspicious month of
May still exists ; as does the custom of strewing flour or ashes at
the threshold of their friend or foe on New Year's Eve. The right
eye palpitating, denotes good fortune, as of yore ; the spilling of
salt, or placing a loaf bottom upwards, are deemed sacrilegious.
Relics of objects struck by lightning, are valued as preservatives
from similar events, and carefully preserved. Magistrates are highly
respected, but the executioner, hke the " carnifex" of the Romans,
is an object of viniversal detestation, and is always a criminal, whose
life has been spared on condition of his performing this repulsive
office.
One of the most obstinate practices of the Sicilians is that of still
adhering to the inaccurate Roman mode of calculating time, in de-
fiance of the dictates of common sense, and the example of the rest
of Europe. The civil-day commences at sunset, and their time-
pieces are altered accordingly, computing, without subdivision, from
one to twenty-four hours in succession, by which absurd method
twenty o'clock occurs at half-past four in the afternoon in summer,
and at one in mnter. Thus they are compelled to alter their
noon from time to time by the almanac, and it frequently happens
that the several members of a family have their watches going to
different noons. Besides this inconvenience, the church clock strikes
only from one to six hours, repeating the number four times a day,
and is therefore of little utihty to strangers.
66 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS
CHAPTER III.
Detail of the North Coast of Sicily ; Segesta, Carini, Palermo, Monreale, Bagaria,
Termini, CefalU, Caronia, Patti, Tyndaris, Milazzo, and Spadafora.
X HE north coast of Sicily presents a steep aspect, and there exist
scarcely any hidden dangers to seamen. The most prevalent winds
are from the south-west to the north-west, and they are generally
preceded by a long swell, which rises with their increase. The tides
set to the eastward, but do not appear to be influenced so much by
the moon, as by the weather, and seldom rise or fall more than
twenty inches.
Cape St. Vito. — The usual landfall, when coming from the west-
ward, is Cape St. Vito ; a rugged mount with two tabled points
running from it, the westernmost of which is called Agira, the
easternmost Sireno ; and in the bight between them there is an-
chorage for small vessels near the church of St. Vito, protected by
two stout square towers. Similar towers are erected on commanding
points, and defiladed on the land side, at regular distances, all round
the shores of Sicily : the purpose for which they were intended was,
that, on the appearance of a vessel, the peasantry -shoidd repair to
the guns mounted in them, in order to prevent smuggling, to
succour a friend, or to annoy an enemy. They are, however, from
disuse, greatly neglected, and poorly provided, and inhabited ge-
nerally by only two or three countrymen, who act rather as guards
for the Health-office, than as soldiers. Beacons are always ready to be
'/<^ .^U/zf^i/^l i^ cCm&i^.
^
''/,-u- ivi /fif- /fd'tcT im.,/ y/t;z?-::^/d/,'/A
CAPE ST. VITO— CASTELL' A MARE— ^GESTA. 67
lighted, and the alarm along the coast is sounded with conch-shells,
similar to the tuba of the Eomans.
Castell' a Mare. — At the bottom of this gulf, in a finely-cul-
tivated neighbom-hood, abundantly productive of all the necessaries
of life, is situated Castell' a Mare ; a mean dirty town of about five
thousand inhabitants, who subsist by exporting the produce of the
surrounding country, of which wine, fruit, grain, manna, and shumac,
form the principal articles. The castle, erected on a rocky tongue
of land, and never strong, is falHng fast to decay, while the road
leading from the cove to it, is so filthy and narrow, as to be even
dangerous at night.
iEcESTA. — At a short distance from Castell' a Mare are the in-
teresting remains of a Doric temple, which, with vestiges of an
ancient theatre, a little to the northward, are the only relics of
JEgcsta, the acrimonious foe of Selinus, and the fomenter of two
of the most memorable wars that ever desolated Sicily. They stand
in a bleak, deserted, sterile situation, to the eastward of the boun-
dary of the ancient city, and the only resting-place for the traveller
is the shade of a neighbouring fig-tree, where there is a good spring
of fresh water ; the scenery and stillness, however, make it appear
wild, grand, and impressive.
The temple is built of a marine concretion, and from the unequal
shape of some of the shafts, the want of a cella, and the form of some
projecting stones, is supposed to have remained unfinished. It is,
notwithstanding, almost entire, the stylobate, frieze, and architrave,
are perfect, and none of the interior is deficient ; a few stones of the
entablature only are wanting. The columns are curious from being
without flutings, although of the Doric order, and suddenly diminish-
ing at both ends in a kind of groove, supposed to have been for the
reception of the bronze astragal and torus. The intercolumniations
K 2
68 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
are rather irregular, and at several of them the plinth is cut through
for facilitating the entrance to the temple, so that the columns
appear to rest on pedestals. On the whole, though of later date than
those of Girgenti, it forms a singular and valuable architectural rehc.
iEgesta was built by the Trojans, at the conflux of two streams,
which, in memorial of those in their native country, they called
Simoes and Scamander; and shortly afterwards, some distressed
Phocenses returning from the siege of Troy, were driven by a series
of tempests, on the coasts already occupied by their enemies ; but
by whom, in consequence of their common disasters, they were hos-
pitably received, and became incorporated with them. The city
derived its name from ^Egestus, the companion of Elymus, and its
territories were divided from those of Selinus by a small river,
wliich the Selinuntines crossed, and then seized on the adjacent
lands. In their attempts to recover them, the iEgestans received a
severe defeat, and being unable to procure succour in the island,
they implored assistance of the Athenians ; who, having long
watched for an opportunity of interfering among these states, readily
hearkened to the request. They considered it prudent, however,
previously to despatch deputies, to inspect the means of the Jilgestans,
and report on their public affairs in general. On their arrival, the
citizens having borrowed many gold and silver vases, and various
other valuable articles for the occasion, made so splendid a display,
that the deluded Athenians wilhngly fitted out the memorable ex-
pedition under Nicias, Lamachus, and Alcibiades. On the arrival
of these generals, the imposition was quickly detected, for only
thirty talents were found in the treasury, as indeed the politic Ni-
cias had always expected. That officer, although thus disconcerted,
proceeded to forward the views of his ambitious country, until
disease and defeat terminated the career of this luckless expedition.
After the defeat of the Athenians, the Selinuntines repeated their
encroachments ; on which the .^gestans, reduced to despair, made a
CARINI. 69
tender of their city to the Carthaginians ; who, after some debates,
sent Hannibal, the descendant of that Hamilcar who had been
killed at Himera, to fight their battles ; which soon caused the
destruction of Sehnus, Himera, and Agrigentum.
A miserable fate awaited the ^gestans at the hands of the san-
guinary Agathocles, tyrant of Syracuse ; for, on account of some
cabals, excited by his own extortions, he di'ove the populace out of
the town, and cut their throats on the banks of the Scamander, into
wliich he threw the expiring bodies. The rich he put to the severest
tortures ; some were broiled on a brazen bed, and many were shot
away hke missiles from his battering engines. The ancle-bones of
the females suspected of concealing treasures, were broken with
iron pincers ; others had their breasts cut off; and, to complete the
brutality of the tragedy, heavy bricks were heaped on the loins of
pregnant women until the premature birth of the offspring was
effected. Thus iEgesta, adds the historian, in one black and doleful
day, had the flower and prime of her youth cut off. The fate of
the monster, Agathocles, who caused the desolation of so many
cities, seems, however, a marked dispensation of Providence ; for
being poisoned with a toothpick, given him by a minion of his de-
pravity, his gums mortified with violent bodily agony, and in the very
height of his sufferings, Oxythemes, a Macedonian general, hurried
liim to the funeral pile, and burnt him while he was yet alive, but
unable to speak from the fovUness and corruption of his mouth *.
The city, in process of time, recovered from this disaster, and had
again attained a flourishing condition on the arrival of the Romans,
who, not liking the name, (expressing want,) altered it to Segesta;
and it shared the fate of their other possessions in Sicily, until it
was finally destroyed by the Saracens.
Carini. — At the bottom of a bay, on the banks of the rivulet
* Uiod. Sic. Eel. ex Lib. xxi.
70 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
that waters the luxuriant vale of Carini, stood the small but rich
city of Hyceara, the sacking of which was almost the only successful
exploit of the unhappy Nicias ; and the famed Lais, who was there
captured, was his most celebrated prize. On a rising ground, near
the ancient site, stands the respectable and clean town of Carini,
in a beautiful situation, ornamented with a Gothic castle, several
churches, convents, and pubUc buildings. It gives the title of
Prince to the Spanish family of La Grua.
Femina Island, under Cape di Gallo, is the eastern extreme of
Carini Bay ; it is a small rock, rather steep at the north end, where
stands a strong tower of defence, remarkable for being the place on
which Cottisona, one of the many impostors who personated Don
Sebastian of Portugal, was executed as a sorcerer in the sixteenth
century. There are several caverns in Monte di Gallo, inhabited by
some healthy goatherds, who have but little communication with
the valley below.
Palermo. — On rounding Cape di Gallo, the beautiful gulf of Pa-
lermo, five miles in depth, opens to view ; with tunny fisheries at
the most favourable points along the shore, the nets of which must
be carefully avoided by seamen ; for they are so strong and well
moored, as to be capable of suddenly arresting a ship under full sail.
At the upper end of the gulf stands INIount Pellegrino, of a singu-
larly picturesque form ; and interesting, from being the spot where
Hamilcar Barcas once made a noble stand against the Romans.
To the north-west of the city of Palermo is a fine mole running
out from the arsenal, nearly a quarter of a mile into nine and ten
fathoms water, with a hght -house and battery at its termination.
This light, in common with all the others in Sicily, is very de-
fective, but the whole is a noble and spirited undertaking, which
cost the senate nearly a million sterling, and forms a convenient
port capable of containing a great number of vessels.
PALERMO. 71
Besides this port, there is a small cove in front of the town, called
Cala Felice, the only remains of its two celebrated ancient har-
bours, the sites of which are stiU to be traced among the streets of
the city.
The Pratique Office is on the east side of the Cala Fehce, and
the usual landing-place is at the steps close to it. The Lazzaretto,
a dirty and inefficient establishment, is in a rocky bay, called Acqua
Santa, at the back of the Mole, under ]\Iount Pellegrino, and near
the elegant palace of Prince Belmonte.
Opposite the central part of the Marina, or Strand, there is a
shoal, which, from its situation, size, materials, and form, I think
must have been created, by silt and mud progressively accumulating
over the hull of one of the ships sunk in the sanguinary conflict that
took place here, after the death of De Ruyter, in 1676.
The native historians would fain trace the foundation of Panormus
to the immediate descendants of Noah, and labour to estabhsh the
fact from obscure inscriptions, wilfidly perverted. Among the prin-
cipal objects of dispute were some ancient characters on the tower of
Baych, and the following well-known tablet, until a fac-simile was
sent to Olaus Gherardus Tychsen, a man very learned in eastern
languages, who pronounced them to be Cuphic, expressing at the
beginning a sentence of the Koran often quoted by the Saracens —
" Non est Deus," &c., and ending with, the date of 33 1 of the He-
gira, corresponding to the year of our Lord 942.
72 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
Panormus, though one of the principal stations of the Phoeni-
cians and Carthaginians, was only a secondary city in the annals of
Sicily, until the commotions which preceded the fall of Kome;
when the fierce Genseric, having conquered Africa, whilst Attila
was desolating Europe with fire and sword, fitted out an expe-
dition from Tunis, attacked and carried this city, and finally made
a conquest of the whole island. In a few years, however, the
Vandal was obhged to submit to the victorious arms of Theodoric,
the enhghtened Ostrogoth ; who in his turn yielded to the prowess of
Behsarius and Narses, the rival generals of Justinian. Thencefor-
ward Sicily adhered steadily to the empire, until 817 A.D., when
Euphemius, a Sicilian commander, having violated Onomisa, a fair
nun, her brothers complained to the Emperor Michael, who ordered
the ravisher's nose to be cut off: on this he invited the Saracens
over, and lost his life in an unsuccessful attempt to reduce Syracuse;
but they, having sent a formidable force under Adelcamo, in a few
years svibjugated the island, and made Panormus the capital. Here
the Saracens ruled with wisdom and energy nearly two hundred
years, during which (notwithstanding the assertions of monkish his-
torians to the contrary) commerce, agriculture, and even science,
received the most liberal encouragement, and advanced in pro-
portion.
About the year 1037, the Grand Emir declared the independence
of Carthage ; and, in the dissensions thereby occasioned, Ben al The-
mauh, the weaker of two rival brothers, apphed to the Greek
Emperor for assistance ; who, smarting under the Sicilian piratical
ravages, gladly despatched an armament to regain so fair a portion
of the Empire. In tliis service some Norman knights, of distin-
guished prowess, having taken umbrage at the avaricious conduct of
Maniaces, the Greek general, in the division of the spoil, sent Ar-
duin as their agent to expostulate ; but, instead of receiving a satis-
factory explanation, he was loaded with insult, and scourged in the
PALERMO. 73
presence of the Grecian army. This intemperate outrage of the
ungrateful Maniaces roused the Normans to vengeance, when the
formidable sons of Tancred, soldiers of fortune, eminent for strength,
courage, and courtesy, quickly deprived the Emperor of many of
his finest provinces ; until at length, after performing prodigies
of valour, the renowned Count Roger became King of Sicily.
During a reign of justice, vigour, and talent, he established a form
of government upon feudal principles, which, notwithstanding various
troubles and struggles, has been retained ever since.
There are few indications of the former splendour of Panormus,
except the remains of a naumacliia at the Mare Dolce, and some faint
vestiges of an amphitheatre near the royal palace. In the senatorial
hall, are preserved fragments of various marbles and inscriptions,
and some tolerable medals. Of the sculpture may be noticed, a
fine allegorical representation of Metellus and Panormus ; the bust
of a Roman, habited in the imperial robes ; a curious sepulchral
monument ; and a unique marble vase, with the story of an eagle,
a female, and a child, related in compartments. There are also
some terminal heads, votive bullae or tablets, and earthern paterae
and oUae. In the royal palace, are two of the four bronze rams,
supposed to have been made by Archimedes, to place on columns
exposed to the cardinal points of the compass, so that, from the wind
rushing through certain holes, the bleating denoted its direction.
These two, it is asserted, have been preserved, by having adorned
the gate of the castle of Maniaces at Syracuse.
Palermo stands on a large fertile plain, which from its shape,
from being surrounded by mountains, and from its luxuriance, is
called the vale of the golden shell, and gives the city the agnomen
of " felix." The air is salubrious in general, but in some parts,
on the site of the ancient ports, malaria is generated in autumn.
The health of the population, amounting to nearly a hundred and
eighty thousand souls, is assisted by the general cleanhness of the
74 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
Streets, and the abundant supply of water. Most of the houses are
provided with fountains, even to the second and third stories, Avhich,
in that cHmate, not only promotes salutary ablutions, but is one
of the greatest luxuries. There is an excellent supply of provi-
sions of every description. During the absence of the moon, the
principal streets are tolerably well lighted. The town, however, lies
low, so that after heavy rains it is extremely muddy, at which times
recourse is had to moveable iron bridges for crossing the streets.
The city is surrounded by an old wall, of Uttle or no strength,
some of the bastions being occupied by gardens, while others have
been cut away to increase the breadth of the Marina, a public drive
on the sea-shore. The citadel stands on the western bank of the
Cala Fehce ; it is calculated only for temporary resistance, but there
is a respectable fort called the GaUta, on the opposite side of the cove.
The mole-head battery is tolerably strong, and as the whole of the forts
act in conjunction with some coast batteries, they would be able to
make a respectable defence against a squadron, though they could
not hold out long against an investing force, being alike destitute of
stores and proper quarters; besides which, the works are so scat-
tered, that they would require a large garrison.
Palermo is regularly built, and with a better finish, might be
esteemed an elegant city ; but it presents an incongruous mixture of
pomp and poverty, of fascinating gaiety, and disgusting wretchedness,
exemplified in noble ranges of palaces, disgraced at their bases by
the stalls, shops, and " mezzanini," or lofts, of the lower orders ; in
gaudy equipages, parading the same street with sturdy mendicants,
vociferously demanding food, or sluggishly taking their siestas on
the pavement, ridding each other of vermine between their naps.
The vacant holes of scafiblding, every where visible, seem to indicate
unfinished labours ; the mixed architecture and heavy corbelled bal-
conies, ever displaying wet linen, and the opera play-bills pasted on
boards, suspended across streets already too narrow for the height
PALERMO. 75
of the buildings, ruin the perspective effect. Swarms of priests,
nobles, officers, and other loungers, yawTiing on chairs before the
coflPee-houses, and the cobblers, tailors, coopers, carpenters, and arti-
sans of every description, at their respective employments outside
their shop doors, complete the usurpation of the sides of the streets,
driving foot passengers to run the gavintlet among the numerous
carriages. The constant caUing out this occasions, on the part of
the coachmen, who seek to distinguish every person by an appro-
priate appellation, added to the hurry of business, and the thirsty
groups around the fantastically decorated iced-water stalls, conspire
to crowd and confuse the whole scene.
Two principal streets, upwards of a mile in length, divide the city
into four quarters, and at their point of intersection, is a handsome
octangle, called the " Quattro Cantoneri," or " Piazza Vighena;"
besides which there are several pubhc places or squares, ornamented
with obelisks, jets d'eau, and sculpture, of which the principal pieces
are the column of St. Dominic, and the superb fountain opposite
the Pretorian palace, which is elaborately adorned with arabesque
ornaments, and statues of river gods, nymphs, and animals.
There are many hbraries, theatres, hospitals, seminaries, and
other public institutions, with various edifices well worth visiting ;
but, as they have been so frequently described, I shall confine myself
to the description of very few. In most of the numerous churches
something may be met with to gratify the curiosity of the stranger,
who may enter at all times, as the acolytes, or lay-brothers, will
shew the interior, even during the celebration of the ceremonies.
Many of the churches are sumptuous without taste, and offend the
eye by a profusion of ornament. A striking monotony reigns in
their construction, being generally built with an elevated facade, a
large nave, and two side aisles, bounded by lateral chapels, dedicated
to various saints, and decorated with pillars, paintings, statues,
flowers, and candelabra. The high altar faces the principal gate,
L 2
76 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
with the choir immediately behind, and the chapels of the Virgin
and Holy Sacrament in the transepts. The silence that reigns
during the intervals between the performance of the masses, renders
an occasional visit to the churches highly favourable to reflection
and serious meditation.
The cathedral was erected about 1180, by Archbishop Walter, an
Enghshman, and though not in the happiest Gothic taste, may be
considered as one of the finest specimens of the twelfth century.
The exterior affords a florid example of tracery, and the gates are
finished with curious archivolt mouldings and sculptured spandrels,
or jiendentives ; but the modern addition of a cupola to its crenated
turrets, partakes rather of the grotesque. The interior has lately
been altered to the hght and airy style of the Greeks, and the con-
trast is too discordant with the magnificence of the remaining
Gothic architecture, in which elaborate windows and stained glass
give a degree of mysterious obscurity, quite consonant with the
tombs and other mementos of mortality, which are met with at
every step. The nave is supported by eighty-four handsome co-
lumns of oriental granite. The chapels of the Holy Sacrament, of
the Crucifix, of the Madonna, and of Sta. Rosaha, are richly deco-
rated ; and the ceiling is ornamented with paintings in fresco. The
sculpture of the whole is executed by Gaggini, whose arabesques
are unequalled. Here are also several magnificent sarcophagi of
fine red porphyry, the workmanship of which attests great age,
it being much too good for the date of the Sicilian sovereigns,
whose remains they contain. In 1781, the sarcophagus, enclosing
the body of Frederic, was opened, when it was observed that,
although he had been interred four hundred and forty-four years,
the corpse was perfect and entire ; it was clothed in a triple imperial
dress, the alba, dalmatica, and pluviale, all highly ornamented with
embroidery, gold, and pearls.
Besides the cathedral, the following are also deserving of notice :
PALERMO. 77
the Royal Chapel, the Martorana, the Church of the Jesuits, St.
Dominico, S. Giuseppe, Sta. Zita, S. Salvatore, S. Cataldo, S. Ciio-
vanni degh Eremiti, S. Francesco di Paolo, Sta. Cliiara, the Ganci,
the Olivella, and Oratory of S. Fihppo Nero.
The Royal Palace is a spacious building, of mixed Arabic and
Norman architecture, and is the residence of the Viceroys of Sicily.
It contains some good paintings, a neat armory, and the beautiful
httle church of St. Peter, which, with its cryptic or underground
chapel, and superb mosaics, forms one of the most complete speci-
mens of Saracenic magnificence extant. In the above-mentioned
armoi-y there is a sword, said to have been Count Roger's, though
others assert it to be of a far more remote date ; the latter is the
favourite opinion ; bvit it is so much larger than any ancient sword I
ever saw, that I should rather imagine it really to have been a Norman
weapon, although the beauty of the hilt, which is of silver, is supe-
rior to the general taste of that period.
On the summit of the pile of building forming the royal palace, is
established the Observatory, first erected in 1748, when the attention
of astronomers was attracted to the conjunction of five planets in one
sign of the Zodiac, a phenomenon which till that year had not occurred
since the creation of the world. It has since been completed by the
worthy Piazzi, who I am proud to call my friend ; and if it were not
that the horizon visible from thence is not sufficiently expanded, might
be ranked as one of the first institutions of the kind in Eui-ope.
Here the patient labours of Piazzi were rewarded by the discovery
of a new planet, and he became the first observer of two several
comets, whilst his minute classification of the stars has been the cause
of the planets Pallas, Juno, and Vesta having been discovered by
other astronomers ; with regard to which, as they are all between the
orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and similar in their mean movements, a
theory has been suggested by scientific men, that they may be the
fragments of a ruined planet. The increase to the classes of Mag-
78 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
nitudes by Piazzi, will doubtless create additional labour to future
astronomers, as it includes most of those stars of less than the seventh
magnitude, heretofore termed Nebulee ; but the strict examination
and investigation of these will not only be of eminent utiUty in
ascertaining the places of planets and comets, but will also throw
future hght on the variations effected in the course of ages, in the
relative situations of certain fixed stars, their periodical increase and
decrease, and the appearance and gradual disappearance of others.
It is remarkable, that, immediately under the Observatory, is an
interesting inscription, in Greek, Latin, and Arabic, stating that, in
1 142, a time-piece was made and placed there, by command of Count
Koger, This is one of the earUest on record, and was most probably
constructed by liis Saracen friend Aldrissi, who is known to have
made him a silver globe, as well as to have wi'itten the work called
Koger's Book, or the Geography of Nubia.
The Monte di Pieta is a spacious building, with a neat portico,
where the benevolent pui-poses of the estabhshment are conducted
with impartial regularity. These banks of compassion were insti-
tuted in the reign of Charles the Fifth, for the purpose of rescuing
the distressed from the fangs of Jews and usurers. Every principal
city or town of the island has one of them, and many two, endowed
under the authority of government, with a certain capital to be lent
out on goods, at a moderate interest, which, together with the profits
arising from the sale of unredeemed pledges, is devoted to the
maintenance of charitable estabhshments.
The university is an extensive foundation, with professors for
every department of science and art. It is furnished with an
anatomical collection, a printing-press, and a Hbrary of upwards of
thirty thousand volumes.
The tribunal of justice and the custom-house are both in the same
large building, on the Piazza Marina, formerly the office of the
Inquisition. That institution was finally abolished in 1782, by the
PALERMO. 79
Marquis Caracciolo, who publicly liberated the prisoners, and de-
stroyed the archives, amidst the plaudits of the whole population.
The Vicaria, or public prison, is in the main street, which is
therefore greatly incommoded by a crowd of the wives and relations of
the prisoners, many of whom keep stalls around the walls of the gaol.
It is ventilated by a large court-yard in its centre ; but notwithstand-
ing this, and a plentiful supply of water, it is dirty, and, in many
respects, badly provided. In this same place, by the mistaken cle-
mency of the law, many of the vilest assassins in Sicily are confined
for hfe, among youths convicted of minor offences, who are thus
exposed and abandoned to the seductive influence of depravity.
Imprisonment is the usual punishment inflicted by Sicilian judges ;
but it is perhaps impohtic, for confinement is often fatal to the weak,
whilst robust deUnquents regard the sentence but hghtly. Here
disorder, gambling, drinking, and worse vices, sufficiently prove the
truth of the Sicihan adage, that the prison never made a man virtuous.
In 1815 a dreadful circumstance occurred, and being attended
with pecuhar singularity and a consequent execution, which in Sicily
is rarely inflicted, I shall here relate it. A chemist of some note
had long been practising on poisons, with a view of throwing ho-ht
on the famous waters of Tofana, for vending wliich he had seen an
old woman executed in Palermo about thirty years before. He was
of opinion, that far from being invented in this city by Tofana, this
deleterious anti-connubial mixture had descended from the Cor-
nelia and Sergia, who were condemned by the ancient Komans, wath
about a hundred and seventy other matrons, for administering it to
their husbands; and that its principal ingredients were hemlock,
opium, and cantharides. It is incurable in its effects, and being as
clear as spring water, and perfectly tasteless, baffles every precaution
to avoid it. The acqua Tofana has the singular property of remain-
ing in the body several weeks without inflicting convulsive pains, or
80 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
obliging the patient to keep liis bed ; but, after death, the limbs
separate as the body becomes cold. Among its most distinguished
victims it has been asserted, that the energetic Pope Ganganelli was
one, who, by abohshing the Jesuits, and by various reforms, had
engendered a host of enemies. Such were the pvusuits and specula-
tions of this chemist ; when happening to offend his son, a hardened
youth of sixteen, a portion of the deadly infusions of his phials was
poured by the wretch into the soup of which liis father, mother, and
an orphan girl, were about to partake, and of which they all three
died. So horrible a catastrophe aroused the vengeance of even Si-
cilian law, and the culprit was arrested, tried, and condemned to be
hung and burnt to ashes. He remained for three days after con-
demnation in the chapel of the prison, attended by priests and secu-
lars, some of whom were nobles in the frightful white disguises
before mentioned, and who administered to his wants, and supphed
him with every article of food he desired. On the fatal day he was
led forth, by the gate of St. George, in a melancholy procession,
headed by the two executioners, distinguished by a party-coloured
dress of red and yellow, intended to mark the degradation of the
office. Behind them marched the criminal, in a black pitched vest-
ment and bare-headed, accompanied by the white brotherhood, the
priests, and the officers of justice. On being assisted up the ladder,
the scene was truly horrible, for one of the motley wretches sat upon
the gallows, and when the assistant had leaped off with the victim,
nimbly gUded down the rope, and all three remained swinging
together ; but this, though a very unsightly, is certainly a merciful,
mode of execution. At the instant of turning off the malefactor,
the spectators retreated a step or two with a rusthng noise, as if in
prayer for the departed spirit ; and their whole behaviour on the
occasion M^as so humane and compassionate, notwithstanding the
depravity of the offender, as to exhibit a striking contrast to their
PALERMO. 81
iudifFerence respecting assassination. After hanging a few minutes,
tlie body was lowered down, burnt on a grate, and the ashes scat-
tered in every direction.
The Jesuits' College is a magnificent edifice in the Cassaro-street,
and contains various schools for education in all its departments, with
a magnificent library. Here the Parhament of Sicily holds its sit-
tings ; and, as much interest has been excited by it, a few words
on that topic may not be imjjroper. The Congress of Eoger con-
sisted of three distinct houses or branches, the Peers, the Clergy,
and the Commons ; but, as the motions were carried by a majority
of votes, and the ecclesiastical branch consisted of dependants on
the baronial, the connexion between them evidently rendered the
third branch useless. The determinations of 1812 placed the repre-
sentation on a more equal balance in two houses, and made the
Counsellors of State responsible. The state of the press was also
greatly improved, but pubhc discussion was subjected to several
salutary regulations; for though the benefits of reflection and in-
quiry, disseminated by a free press, cannot be denied, still the cor-
rupt immorality and intemperate slander attending the abuse of such
liberty, is productive of most mischievous results to society.
As the system adopted by Eoger, and enlarged by Frederic of
Swabia, was far from rendering the monarch absolute, it might have
been improved into a free constitution by an energetic people ; but
the nobles and clergy were so despotic in the exercise of their ba-
ronial and ecclesiastical rights, that they successfully resisted every
encroachment, until the enhghtened Caracciolo abridged their power,
and paved the way for the abolition of feudal authority. By the
resolutions of 1812, vassalage was annulled, and all the Sicilians were
thenceforth to be considered, by the common law of the kingdom, as
having equal rights. By this the barons lost so many privileges,
that, as an indemnification, they were relieved from the expenses
annexed to the jurisdiction of their territories, the repair of prisons
M
82 - SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
and castles, and the responsibility for offenders. Their losses in in-
vestiture, miUtary vassals, rights of grace, half years, (or the revenue
of bishoprics during that length of time on the demise of the bishop,)
and other attributes and taxations of feudalty, were compensated
by the abohtion of the civic privileges exercised by individuals on
baronial lands ; of wooding, feeding animals, picking acorns, pre-oc-
cupying arable lands at a fixed rent, with several other active and
passive customs, that had crept in, to the prejudice of agricultvu-e
and rural economy.
The corn laws were also amehorated, and will, no doubt, by sti-
mulating individual industry, be an additional incitement to general
improvement ; for they were previously regulated by an oppressive
institution, called the Tribunal of Koyal Patrimony, a court con-
sisting of six members, who, under pretence of collecting the
king's dues, progressively advanced themselves to power, and ulti-
mately became the authors of aU that confusion and irregularity in
the revenue, which render the laws and duties so intricate. This
court was abohshed in 1812, but the custom of governing the cities
and towns by senates, composed of from five to ten jurats, whose
office it is to inspect the internal pohce, to levy money, and to con-
tract for provisions, is still continued. The general poverty is in-
creased by their mode of raising local taxes ; for, instead of being
levied on incomes, equipages, or luxuries, they usually press heavily
on the lower orders, by being imposed on bread, meat, fish, fruit, and
such articles of daily consumption as the senates select.
The Tribunals of Justice were also placed on a less arbitrary foot-
ing, and torture was abohshed ; reserving, however, to the Supreme
Court the liberty of proceeding by Inquisition on weU-grounded
presumption of treason, murder, heresy, or coining. But un-
fortunately, though the use of " Damusi" was declared illegal,
they were not destroyed : these are humid dungeons, six or
seven feet square, paved with small pointed stones, where prisoners
SUBURBS OF PALERMO. 83
were kept, heavily ironed, without any thing whereon to he, and
limited to a scanty portion of bread and water, to compel them to
confess. If the culprit could endure this for forty days, and made
no disclosures, he was released, but a shorter time was generally suffi-
cient to undermine the most athletic constitutions, as the little air
contained in so small a space soon becomes intolerably bad.
Such were the advantages gained by the Sicihans, when their
national pride received a check by the promulgation of an edict from
Caserta (a royal palace near Naples), in December, 1816, declaring
the island an integi-al portion of Naples ; and though the decree
was qualified by stating, that all civil and mihtary offices should be
conferred solely on Sicilians ; that they shoidd be admitted to the
great offices of the whole kingdom, in the ratio of their population ;
that in lawsuits there should be no appeal from Sicihan tribunals ;
and that its revenues should not exceed the sum voted by the
parhament of 1813, the natives deeply deplored the annexation.
It was not, however, until July, 1820, that the islanders received a
decided proof, though their constitution had never been abolished,
that the Neapohtan insurgents regarded their national independence
as forfeited ; for, without consulting their feehngs or i^rejudices, they
attempted to force on them a monstrous kind of anarchy, a sort of
monarchy without a head, or a repubhc without a king. On their
bravely resisting this arbitrary measure, the conspirators, who had,
with the assistance of a mutinous soldiery, but just overtvu-ned their
own government, declared the Palermitans rebels, and in their con-
sequent tyrannical proceedings, gave a pubHc example of the system
they would have pursued, had their courage and abiUty equalled
their gasconade.
Suburbs of Palermo. — Passing through the Porta Felice, a fine
" Marina" presents itself, formed by a noble hne of palaces fronting
the sea, and a carriage-road, with a broad pavement, called the
M 2
84 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
" Banchetta," for pedestrians, where natives of all ranks enjoy the
refreshing sea-breeze, called Mamatiti, in the evening. The beauty
of the prospect, the multitude of loungers, and the concourse of
carriages, render it an animated and amusing scene. At the eastern
end is a botanical institution, consisting of an elegant building, in
which lectures are dehvered, with a garden annexed. Adjoining to
this, is the " Flora," a beautiful pubUc-garden, planned on the very
spot where the hellish exhibition of the Auto da Fe was wont to
take place. This is a striking change, for, while the effect of the
one was that of spreading suspicion and creating terror, the other has
a beneficial influence, and harmonizes, in some degree, the several
ranks of society. There are luxuriant rows of orange, lemon, citron,
and lime trees, supported on trellisses, forming avenues along the
principal walks, and dividing parterres of odoriferous plants, watered
by several fountains. The principal of these is ornamented by a
beautiful statue of Panormus, surrounded with his attributes, by
Mirabati ; among the temples and sculptured decorations, are
cenotaphs in honour of Charondas, Epicharmus, Archimedes, and
Stesichorus.
The time for seeing these grounds to most advantage is, when
they are illuminated for the festival of Sta. Kosalia, a superb pageant
annually exhibited from the 9th to the 13th of July, during which
the great variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers, the murmuring of the
fountains, the cheerful strains of music, and the radiant glow of
twenty thousand lights, combine to charm the senses, and to inspire
dehght. Trachtion represents this saint, the tutelary patroness of
Palermo, to have been a daughter of Sinibaldus, and that being
disgusted with the profligacy of William's court, she retired to a hfe
of solitude and prayer on Mount Pellegrino. There her bones were
discovered in a grotto, throvigh the usual medium of a vision, at the
critical moment when the city was smarting under the ravages of a
plague, which, of course, was instantly stayed.
;k cam of sahta rosalia
ludlished JuTu 4-^^25. fy iokn Mumty, ZondOTi .
SUBURBS OF PALERMO. 85
The anniversary of this auspicious event has ever since been pom-
pously celebrated by brilliant illuminations, splendid fireworks, and
the procession of a lofty car, floridly decorated with various allego-
rical figures, surmounted at the height of sixty feet by the statue of
Sta. Rosalia, and drawn slowly up the Cassaro by fifty oxen, with a
band of music in front. The method of illuminating a city in Sicily
evinces a much better taste than our's, as the tone of the whole is
equal, and pubhc buildings only are expected to display particular
magnificence, for the streets are lined with sHght wooden arcades, all
of a certain height ; and these being covered with brilliant lamps,
have a much more imposing effect than the irregular attempts of
individuals, most of whom would content themselves with putting a
few candles in the windows.
The fire-works are also on a very extensive scale, supported by
scaffolding on the Marina, and usually represent some historical
event. The most splendid I had an opportunity of seeing was, in
some respects, an appropriate subject for pyrotechnical illustration,
being the attack, and burning of Troy ; when, after numerous beau-
tiful evolutions, a grand maroon battery opened, and amidst the
flight of many hundred rockets, the city crumbled away, and a mag-
nificent illuminated temple appeared in its place. This part of the
festival is succeeded by horse-races in the crowded streets ; yet
without any accident occurring, although there are no riders to
guide the animals, but the poj^ulace divide as the horses advance,
and close immediately behind, adroitly giving the poor creatures a
blow as they pass. On the last evening, there is a splendid illu-
mination of the interior of the cathedral, in which the drapery of
gold and silver tissue, the mirrors, and the Ughts are so tastefully
arranged as to command unquahfied admiration. The whole winds
up on the fifth day, with a procession of all the saints in Palermo,
amidst a tremendous noise of drums and trumpets. A part passes
on to Mount Pellegrino, where a fine causeway has been made leading
86 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
up to the Grotto, in which is a statue of bronze gilt, with head and
hands of Parian marble, representing a handsome girl, in a reclining
posture ; and the jewels with which it is ornamented, prove the faith
of her devotees. Some priests reside constantly on the spot ; and
there is a small tavern in the vicinity where visitors can procure
refreshments.
The Marina road continues eastward over the famous Oretus, to the
picturesque suburb of the Bagaria, where are some palaces and gardens
of the Palermitan nobles. The most remarkable of them are those
of the Princes of Valguarnera, Butera, and Palagonia ; the first is
admired for its chaste plan and execution, and the second for its
expensive estabhshment. The last is celebrated for its singularity ;
but though ridiculous and incoherent in detail, it does not merit all
the censure it has received; as the triumphal arch and courts
forming the approach, except in the unnatural monsters with which
they are ornamented, are not destitute of taste ; while some of the
apartments, from a profusion of mirrors, both on the walls and on
the ceilings, of agate tables and chairs, mosaic floors, &c., are really
handsome. Most of the worst monsters, however, have been re-
moved from the avenue by the present Prince, in consequence of
the remarks of travellers, and the satires of his countrymen. On
Catalfimi, the hill above Bagaria, stood Soluntum, a city of the ear-
liest date, of which there are only slight vestiges, such as some
sepulchres cut in the rock, traces of a road, and trifling remains of
two smaU temples.
There are many fine specimens of Moorish architecture existing
in the vicinity of Palermo, one of which, about a mile from the city,
on the Monreale road, was the Saracenic fortress of Kooba ; but is
now called Castel Reale, and used as cavalry barracks. Over the
great door is a curious picture, so peculiarly grouped and shaded,
as to make it difficult to count the figures. The most remarkable
of these edifices is the Ziza, or Azziza, a building of hewn stone.
SUBURBS OF PALERMO. 87
v'ith light arches and icicle pendentives, ceiUngs covered with
crockets and fynials, and windows ornamented with mullions and
tracery. This style of architecture, together with its mosaics, in-
scriptions, and fountains from the Albuhira springs, completely
identify it as the Emir's palace, described in the Arabic manuscript
at Monreale. The whole edifice is in such good preservation, that it
is still inhabited, being now the residence of Prince Sandoval. The
view from the terrace is so admirable, as almost to justify the sorites
contained in the inscription thereon, which says, " Europe is the
glory of the world, Italy of Europe, Sicily of Italy, and the adjacent
grounds are the pride of Sicily."
Between the Ziza and Mount Pellegrino, but close under the
latter, is a picturesque royal " casino" or country-seat, called the
" Favorita," consisting of an edifice in the Chinese taste, surrounded
by extensive grounds well laid out, that are profusely stocked with
game of every kind. The apartments are fitted up in the best style
of several nations, the EngHsh, French, Turkish, &c. ; but there are
two rather pecuhar, one is a family dining-room, fitted with a table
that has several circular apertures communicating with the kitchen,
and through these the plates rise with whatever the guests may
require ; so that the necessity of having servants in the room is
obviated. The other room is artfully adapted to counteract the
heat of summer, as it represents a cold dilapidated vault, with moist
walls, and broken roof, through the fissures of which, houseleek, ivy,
and other plants obtrude themselves. This was the favourite re-
sidence of King Ferdinand, during his secession from pubhc affairs,
after the introduction of the new constitution in 1812.
Near the Ziza, is a Capuchin convent, where a decent table is
provided for such decayed nobles as are ashamed to beg. In this
convent there is one of those cemeteries, common in Sicily, consisting
of a large subterranean space, clean and airy, divided into galleries,
surrounded with niches, for the reception of the dead bodies ; but
this one having been represented as a sort of exhibition of portraits
88 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
of departed friends, I the more particularly notice it. Previously
to descending, the acolyte directs the attention of the visitors to
the pictures on each side of the door, the one representing the
death of a good man, surrounded by priests and angels ; the other
that of a sinner, whose dying moments are imbittered by fiends and
flames ; added to which, there is a sonnet between them, on mortal
dissolution ; so that, on the whole, the feehngs are prepared for a
solemn and mournful spectacle. On descending, however, it is dif-
ficult to express the disgust arising from seeing the human form so
degradingly caricatured, in the ridiculous assemblage of distorted
mummies, that are here hung by the neck in hundreds, with aspects,
features, and proportions, so strangely altered by the operation of
drying, as hardly to bear a resemblance to human beings. From
their curious attitudes, they are rather calculated to excite derision,
than the awful emotions arising from the sight of two thousand
deceased mortals. There are four long galleries with their niches
filled, besides many coffins containing noblemen in court-dresses ;
and among the principal personages is a king of Tunis, who died in
1620. At the end of the great corridor is an altar, with the front
formed of human teeth, sculls, and bones, inlaid like a kind of
mosaic work. There is a small apartment at the end of one of
the galleries, which I entered, but soon quitted with the greatest
nausea, from an exceedingly offensive stench ; for I found it was a
dirty room, called the oven, in which several bodies, in various stages
of putrescence, were undergoing the operation of drying. I observed,
however, that the friar, who accompanied me, did not appear to be
incommoded either by the sight or the effluvia.
In another part of the Vale of Palermo, is a large establishment
for pubhc burial, called the " Campo Santo," or Holy Field, instituted
by Caracciolo, to abolish the noxious practice of committing the
bodies of so great a population to vaults under the churches. It is
an extensive enclosure, planted with rows of cypress-trees, between
which are the repositories. One of these is opened every morning,
SUBURBS OF PALERMO. 89
and the dead of the day are brought, and thrown down without any
distinction of age or sex. In the evening, a quantity of quick lime is
thrown in, and the slab replaced, until the turn arrives for the graves
to be reopened, \\'hich, from the number, is nearly the lapse of a year.
The church belonging to this burial-ground was formerly dedicated
to the Santo Spirito, and was the place where the daughter of
M. Angelo was seized by a French soldier, on the 30th of IVIareh,
1282, which led to the memorable massacre, called the Sicilian Ves-
pers, when nearly ten thousand people fell victims to the cruel
policy and faithless principles of the haughty Charles of Anjou.
Nothing but the tyrannical system of extortion, culliage, and vio-
lence, then in force, could ever have urged the Sicilians to such a
determined extirpation of their enemies, that they even ripped up
those women suspected of being pregnant by the French ; and
killed every man they detected to be a foreigner, by observing his
pronunciation of the word " ciceri," or vetches ; a test, similar
to that of " Shibboleth," instituted by Jephthah on the slaughter
of the Ephiaimites, and repeated in Wat Tyler's insurrection, where
foreigners were convicted of alienism, by being made to pro-
nounce the words bread and cheese ; and on their unhappily betray-
ing a transmarine accent, their death was inevitable. The Frisons
also, when they had any suspicion that a stranger was amongst
them, made him pronounce, what few strangers could utter with
Frieslandic euphony, " Dir iz nin khrk zo krol az khrr klamstor krol
here di khrk aller klirben iz hia to krol."
On a rising ground, and in a romantic situation, at the south part
of the vale of Palermo, stands Monreale. The road leading to it
runs in a straight hne from the Cassaro, through the luxuriant
plain to the foot of the mountain, on which the city stands. It is
bordered with elegant buildings to the distance of about three
miles, where it begins to ascend the hills by a noble causeway,
constructed by Archbishop Testa, and ornamented with refreshing
N
90 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
fountains, gushing from the midst of bowers, formed by the Nymphea
Lotus, water-hly, and various flowering shrubs. It is, in short, such
a continuation of rich and diversified scenery, as to afford full scope
for admiration to the ardent lover of nature.
Monreale, though not a fine town, contains many remarkable
edifices. The cathedral is almost incrusted with mosaic work, and
partakes both of the Saracenic and lower Grecian styles. It is not
destitute of effect, though heavy and unsymmetrical. Here were
deposited the remains of William the Good, WiUiam the Bad, many
other distinguished personages, and the intestines of Saint Lewis ;
but a destructive fire, in 1811, so damaged the whole edifice, that
some of the relics have been removed to Palermo. The adjoining
Benedictine convent is a rich establishment, with a cloister that,
from its magnitude and taste, is esteemed the masterpiece of Count
Roger's architects. The grand entrance is adorned with one of the
finest pictures of Novelli, commonly called the Monrealese, an artist
so vigorous, graceful, and true, as to be the boast of the Sicilian
school of painting. ii
Three or four miles from Monreale, is situated the magnificent
convent of St. Martino, a Benedictine establishment, founded by
Gregory the Great, and which, on its first appearance, in a wild
soUtary dell among rocky mountains, has a singularly picturesque
effect, caUing to mind the descriptions of Tadmor in the desert. The
principal entrance is through a superb hall, where it is customary
for visitors to leave their swords and sticks ; a precaution used in
consequence of some banditti having gained admission under the
character of pilgrims, and plundered the sacristy and abbot's cell.
From the hall a grand flight of marble steps, with a soHd balustrade
of stalactite, ascends to the roomy and well- ventilated galleries ; the
principal of which is terminated by a fountain bursting from a group
of aquatic plants with a pleasing murmur. A general appearance
of wealth and comfort is visible, in many respects approaching to
SUBURBS OF PALERMO. 9|
princely grandeur; the collection of embroidered dresses for the
celebration of high mass, particularly the pallium, is very splendid :
the Pix is of the purest gold, studded with costly jewels. In the
church there are several good pictiu-es and statues, and a superb
organ, the fine tones of which are ably displayed by the skill and
taste of my attentive friend, Father Colonna. This Monk, in com-
mon with his brethren, is extremely polite to those visitors who
bring an introduction ; and the frankness of their hospitality renders
it doubly acceptable. Females are not permitted to enter the con-
vent, but the church is open to all. To this establishment there
belong also a novitiate, a cryptic chapel, a charity school, a cemetery,
a billiard room, and a museum. The latter is rich in various branches
of science ; and among other curiosities, is shewn a cup which,
the monks pretend, is the identical one from which Socrates drank
his poison. The library is commodious and handsome, supported by
neat Corinthian pillars of walnut wood, ornamented with arabesques.
The floor is paved with glazed tiles, and the whole apartment very
light and airy.
It was here that the literary fraud of the Abbate Vella was dis-
covered. This learned swindler having, by several years' study and
travelling, made himself master of various Arabic dialects, spread
a report, on his return to Sicily, that he had recovered the lost
books of Livy, in an Arabian manusciipt taken from the cornice
of the Mosque of Sta. Sophia at Constantinople. While he was
employed translating this, and all the literati in Europe were
anxiously waiting for the valuable publication, an ambassador, from
the Emperor of Morocco, visited Palermo on his return from Naples,
and was taken by Vella, among other places, to this library. His
Excellency, well taught in his lesson, selected a manuscript, in pre-
sence of several of the monks, and while poring into it in ap-
parent admiration, VeUa looked over him, and with joyful excla-
mations declared it to be the history of Sicily during the Saracen
N 2
92 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
dominion. As the traditions of those times are involved in infinite
obscurity, the discovery was so popular, that large sums were
suppHed and expended for the translation of the important docu-
ments. In a few years six volumes were in the press. The sudden
recovery of such rare manuscripts, was the wonder and delight
of the learned. In the warmth of their anticipations, they already
beheld not only the decades of Livy, but the lost portions of Plu-
tarch, Tacitus, and Diodorus, the comedies of Menander, and the
Kegister of Augustus, recovered from Eastern versions. Why these
expectations were so sanguine it is difficult to say, for though we
are aware that Aristotle, Hippocrates, and Ptolemy, were translated
by the Arabians, and that to them we owe the recovery of the conic
sections of Apollonius, and other treatises of which the originals are
lost ; yet it is also certain, that the same people despised all writings
except those on the exact sciences. Perhaps the novelty of the
imposture assisted in its success ; and had the ingenious Vella de-
pended on induction rather than on syllogism, a pretended discovery of
the works of Archimedes would have produced a more electric eifect,
and would probably have been more mischievous, from being less hable
to detection. Many of the literati of Europe at length visited
Sicily, to gratify themselves with a sight of the manuscripts ; and
amongst others. Dr. Hager, a German, intimately acquainted with
the oriental languages, who, by a critical and patient examination
of the characters, phraseology, and dates, pronounced the whole to
be a gross forgery, and thus ruined the fraudulent speculation, after
the greater part of the translation was ready for publication. It has
been asserted that the imposture of Vella, relative to the portion of
Sicilian history, was undertaken at the instigation of the Marquess
Caracciolo, at that time Viceroy in Sicily, with a political view of attack-
ing the baronial privileges, particularly in the instance of a letter said
to have been addressed to a Caliph at Cairo, detailing the laws enacted
by Roger, on his getting possession of the island. How this may
SOL ANTO— TERMINI. 93
be, I know not ; but certainly if true, it is to be regretted that so
infamous a forgery should have been planned by one, who had
conferred so many benefits on the island as the Marquess has done.
SoLANTO. — This is a castle and tunny fishery belonging to the
King, who always passed the fishing season here, during his resi-
dence in Sicily, and rendered it at once a source of amusement,
health, and profit.
Termini. — Of the ancient thermae, or baths, there are very few
vestiges, excepting some remains of walls, baths, and an aqueduct,
with a few marbles and inscriptions of only local import. The pre-
sent town makes a respectable appearance from the sea, lying on the
dechvity of a picturesque hill. The castle, situated on a high rock,
is of some importance, as it entirely commands the town and coast.
The line wall of the town, however, is falling fast to decay, and several
convents are erected close to its important points : the streets are, in
general, narrow and dirty, but there are some tolerable buildings,
and an excellent carriage-road to the metropolis. Termini possesses
a population of about eleven thousand inhabitants, who derive
considerable profit from a fishery of anchovies, and the export of
oil, ohves, wine, sumach, corn, and rice: this port having been
privileged by Charles the Fifth as a caricatore, or loading-place, is
endowed with immunities for exporting the produce of the country.
The sudorific baths, so long famous for their efficacy in rheumatic
and nervous disorders, are still used, but they are rather in a neg-
lected and dirty state. The chalybeate sulphureous spring raises
Fahrenheit's thermometer to 121°.
Between Mount S. Calogero and the Fiume Grande, which ranks
among the largest streams in Sicily, was fought one of the most disas-
trous battles related in history. Xerxes, being about to cross the Hel-
lespont, formed an alliance with Carthage as a diversion in his favour ;
94 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
and the expulsion of Terillas, and annexation of Himaera to Agrigen-
tum, by Theron, aflPorded Harailcar a pretext for the invasion of Sicily.
He accordingly came to Himaera with a fleet of two thousand armed
vessels, and three thousand transports, having on board an army of
three hundred thousand men, with which he invested that city. The
siege was vigorously pressed, the city in a state of famine, and The-
ron reduced to the last extremity, when the pohtic Gelon of Syra-
cuse marched to his rehef An intercepted messenger informed this
enterprising chief, that the Selinuntines were to send their cavalry
to attend a holocaust in the naval camp of Hamilcar, at some dis-
tance from the fortified positions of the land forces : thus apprized,
the measures of Gelon were judicious and prompt. Orders were
given to some select cavalry to enter the camp about the hour ap-
pointed for the arrival of the Sehnuntines, to make an indiscriminate
slaughter of all they met, and to set fire to the ships that were hauled
on shore within the intrenchments. While these directions were
being executed with decisive success, Gelon, at the head of his forces,
assaulted the main body of the army in its camp, where the astonished
Carthaginians defended themselves with desperate valour, and were
in a fair way of repelling the enemy, and becoming the assailants,
when, terrified by the flames in which they saw their fleet consuming,
they fled, in a panic, in every direction. With Hamilcar, one
hundred and fifty thousand men perished in the battle and flight ;
and the remainder, destitute of provisions, and deprived of every
resource, were compelled to surrender. A few ships that happened to
be at sea, sailed immediately for Carthage, but were overtaken by a
storm, and wrecked on their own shores ; so that only a few men,
in a small boat, escaped the general destruction of this mighty
armament. This battle, according to Herodotus, happened on the
same day with the memorable conflict at Salamis ; the less correct
Diodorus says, on the same day with that of Thermopylae. The
last, however, is certainly erroneous, because Gelon, with infinite
TERMINI— CEFALU. 95
sagacity, had awaited the issue of the first encounter between Xerxes
and the Greeks, before declaring liimself.
I suspect, however, from an examination of the plain and the beach,
that Herodotus was mistaken in the numbers, and that such an army
and such a fleet never could have found sufficient room here. I ap-
prehend the enumeration of this force, as well as of that under Xerxes,
has been made according to the prevalent practice of the ancients,
without attention to any tiling but absurd panegyric. Yet, in
passing, I have thought it right to give the account as I find it.
HiniEera was subsequently so utterly destroyed in the furious rage
of Hannibal to avenge this dreadful disaster, that, among its " periere
ruinge," there are scarcely sufficient vestiges to point out the probable
site of the birth-place of Stesichorus and of Xeuxis; and on Diodes
disgracefidly abandoning the place, he undermined the walls, and
supported the shafts with beams of timber, which being consumed
by fire, the walls tumbled in. This manoeuvre occasioned a hard-
contested conflict, in which, after prodigies of bravery, the Himaerenses
were almost exterminated, and their city destroyed ; three thousand
victims were selected from the captives, and sacrificed with aggravated
insult and cruelty, on the spot where Hamilcar, the grandsire of
the conqueror, had fallen.
The vicinity, though rich and picturesque, is one of the most
unhealthy spots in Sicily, owing to the rice-grounds of Eoccella and
Campo Felice, wliich last certainly must have been so named in irony,
as almost the whole of its inhabitants are poor and sallow, and are
every one more or less sufferers from raal' aria.
Cefalu. — At the foot of some tolerably wooded hills, is the Bay
of Cefalu. The to^vn is situated on a low point, under a high conical
mount, on the summit of which are the ruins of a very ancient
Phoenician edifice, and a Saracenic castle, with a crenated wall and
towers round it. Cefalil is surrounded by a bastioned line wall, but
96 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
the works are old, weak, and easily assailable. The streets are
tolerably regular, and there is a large cathedral, endowed by Count
Roger, in fulfilment of a vow he made during a violent gale at sea.
When small vessels are surprised here, or indeed on any other part
of the coast, by fresh winds, and are unable to haul up on the beach,
they are anchored and abandoned ; for, by an absurd regulation,
Sicihan underwriters are not hable to pay any portion of the loss for
a vessel stranded, if it appears a man was on board, as they assert that
a person, under the influence of terror, might cut the cable ; when,
therefore, bad weather is approaching, they have only to moor with
their best ground-tackle, and repair on shore, leaving the vessel to
the mercy of the winds, waves, and saints.
To the eastward of Cefali^, the country for several miles, as far
as the romantic castle of PoUina, possesses many picturesque beau-
ties, and is intersected by the river Ambrosia, running through a
deep valley among the mountains ; from which rush such gusts of
wind, as to occasion the spot to be called " Malo Portuso,"' or Bad
Hole. The adjacent country (continuing the route along the coast)
is very fertile, producing wine, cork, oil, silk, flax, manna, timber,
and charcoal.
The coast then continues, with but little variation of feature, to
the towns of Tusa and Sto. Stefano.
Caronia. — On the summit of a hill, above a wide " fiumara," near
the site of Cale Acte, stands Caronia, protected by a castle, in
which the officers, intrusted with the care of the woods, reside. The
town consists of but one good street, and possesses a population of
about two thousand people, who mostly work in the adjacent forest,
the largest in Sicily, occupying a space of nearly fifty miles in cir-
cumference. There are great quantities of oak, elm, pine, and ash,
of excellent quality. The government does not reap the full benefit
from these woods, as the timber is felled and squared on the spot.
ST. AGATA. 97
and is then fastened by a hook to the harness of some cattle, and
thus dragged from rock to rock. The carriage of it is attended
with many difficulties, and the sale, from various causes, with various
abuses. The woods of Sicily afford sufficient timber to answer
every exigence, but, from an unaccountable apathy, they are neg-
lected, and great numbers of the finest trees are annually felled,
for no other purpose but to be converted into charcoal.
On the beach, below the convent of San Fratello, the luxu-
rious ^'^erres, too lazy to mount the abrupt precipice, rested in his
htter, while Agathocles ordered the natives of Aluntium to bring
down their plate and bronzes, for the inspection and selection of his
" Cibyratic hell-hounds."
St. Agata. — St. Agata is a town and hamlet on the beach of a
level fertile country, excessively afflicted with mal' aria, except in a
few places where charcoal is made. Within a short walk of St. Agata^
is the Rosa-Marina Fiumara, a beautiful torrent, the banks of which
are covered with mulberries, oleanders, and myrtles ; and liigher up
in its course, are the remains of a massy Roman bridge, that con-
sisted of seven fine arches, one of which is still entire.
The whole country, from thence to Cape Orlando, is under the
jurisdiction of the city of San Marco, lying on a hill, with a diffi-
cult road up to it. This city is well situated, in a pure air, and near
it are the three dependent villages of Frazzano, Mirto, and Capri ;
the whole, together with the Marina below, containing a popula-
tion of about four thousand seven hundred people. The adjacent
grounds are a continuation of market-gardens and orchards, but
the air, particularly near the Zapulla Fiumara, is very unwholesome ;
and I met with more snakes and reptiles there than elsewhere. The
produce of the country is honey, corn, oil, wine, and silk.
Several respectable, though not affluent, nobles reside at San
Marco ; and a few good pictures are to be seen, but it is seldom
98 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
visited by strangers. My arrival being an uncommon event, I was
not only politely received by an old gentleman, to whom I had a
letter of introduction, but in the evening, with a view of shew-
ing me some attention, a kind of levee, or " conversazione," of all
the dignitaries of the place was held; in which bag-wigs, point
lace, dress swords, and rich brocades, started from their presses,
and rustled about A^ith ceremonious gravity. Bad singing, accom-
panied by a dirty, ill-toned harpsichord, amused the company until
my coxswain (whom I had despatched, for the purpose, to the
gun-boat that I commanded) returned with ample means for giving
the guests some EngUsh punch, the fame of which had reached them ;
and, in its potent efficacy, the formal decorum of the grave senators
gave way to unaffected vivacity, and vociferous compUments on the
British nation.
Cape Orlando. — Cape Orlando is a steep rock, of moderate height,
crowned by a ruinous pile called the Castle, but which is, in fact,
nothing more than a church and place of interment for people who
are wrecked on the rocks below ; a catastrophe too frequent, as the
place is remarkable for sudden squalls and heavy swells. There are
four guns for the defence of the place, two of which were taken out
of a Turkish wreck, but the whole are honeycombed, and the car-
riages rotten ; nor is there any other garrison, but an old priest and
his boy.
]s^A.so. — Proceeding along the coast, the country becomes more
mountainous, but not of less pleasing and fertile appearance. The
town of Naso stands on a hill, the site of Agathyrnum, in a fine
woody neighbourhood, with some storehouses on the sea-shore below
it. The inhabitants, amounting to upwards of eight thousand, have
gained many privileges during the present reign ; in return for which,
they erected a statue to Ferdinand, and thought to display their loyal
BROLO— GIOJOSA. 99
attachment, by refusing to recognise the constitution of 1812. For
tliis purpose they planted artillery on the walls, and forming a corps
of four thousand volunteers, forcibly resisted the troops' sent to
restore tranquiUity. Naso possesses some handsome buildings, and
the situation is very salubrious. Near it are some ferruginous waters,
said to be efficacious in nervous and chronic disorders, and a well that
has the property of dyeing every thing black that is thrown into it.
Brolo. — About fom* or five miles to the eastward of Cape Orlando,
is Brolo Castle, erected on a steep chfF in a fertile valley, formed by
the meeting of several " fiumare." Its situation is strong for coast-
defence ; but the edifice itself is only a ruinous mass of wall round
a Saracenic Keep, destitute of ordnance, and with no other garrison
than a few coast-guards.
GioJOSA. — Giojosa Nuova is on the east side of the bay, formed
by the points of Brolo and Balarina, and at the foot of the moun-
tain on which the old town stands. The latter is now deserted, for
the inhabitants, having endured many inconveniences from its lofty
situation, and terrified moreover by some severe earthquakes, (a
visitation additionally terrible on high grounds,) resolved to abandon
their dwellings, and build an entirely new town near the sea. In this
resolution they were encouraged, by the government having granted
them an exemption from taxes for ten years, to enable them effec-
tually to accomphsh their design. They have, however, exchanged
an Hygeian residence for a very unhealthy one, though, in another
respect, they have gained an important advantage ; for the old town
abounded with large rehgious estabhshments, the occupiers of which,
on the general evacuation, retreated to Patti and other places, and,
in consequence, the new settlement is, as yet, tolerably clear of
convents.
In the course of my operations, I had occasion to remain on the
O 2
100 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
mountain during the night ; and, our observations being completed,
we walked along the undisturbed streets, on our return, to a cot-
tager's residence, when the moon, at times beautifully ghding in a
wide expanse of ether, and at others partially obscured by fleecy
clouds, that floated on a Hght breeze from the westward, mildly
illuminated the deserted dwellings with such an awfully-pleasing
effect, that the lengthened shadows, the convents with open case-
ments, the dead stilhiess, and the singular aspect of the whole,
strongly recalled to the memory the enchanted city of Nardovin in
the story of Zobeide.
Patti. — The city of Patti is situated on an eminence, at the base
of a kind of mountainous amphitheatre, in a picturesque country,
at the bottom of the bay of that name, and is the episcopal see of
the tract of country between the Kosa-Marina and the OHviera Fiu-
mare. It is tolerably well built, is surrounded with a wall in a state
of dilapidation, and possesses a Norman castle, that, having under-
gone several repairs and additions, now forms the residence of the
bishop. On entering the town, the eye is arrested by a small mill,
turned by the waters of an aqueduct, and covered with aquatic
plants. The streets are mostly regular, though some of them are
dirty. Many of the public buildings are worth the attention of the
stranger, particularly the Cathedral, a monument of the piety of
Count Eoger, in which, exclusive of marbles, agates, and relics, is
the tomb of Adelaide, wife of that renowned chieftain, and mother
to the King of the same name.
A profitable manufactory of earthenware has been estabhshed here,
which, together with the advantages of the beneficial fisheries of
Oghastro and San Giorgio, renders Patti comparatively affluent.
Tyndaris. — A fine plain leads from the Marina of Patti to a pass
among the hills, called the " Scala di Tindari," on the summit of w^hich
TYNDARIS. 101
stood the city of Tyndaris, an establishment of some Mcssenians,
who had been banished by the Lacedaemonians, and were at first
settled at Messana, in Sicily, by Dionysius of Syracuse ; but per-
ceiving he had offended their persecutors, by placing them in so
flourishing a colony, he removed them into the province of Abacene.
Numerous ruins attest the once flourishing state of this town, in a
situation combining every advantage of health, strength, and beauty.
The city had but one grand gate ; the irregular flanked walls
are of large square stones, mostly without cement, built in irregular
windings, following the form of the chfFs. There appear to have
been an upper and a lower town, communicating by a flight of
steps and a tesselated pavement, with the vicinity of the theatre,
where the remains of a soUd stone edifice exist, of singular ar-
chitecture, with arches finely sprung of excellent masonry, which
might perhaps have been part of a propylaeum. The ancient theatre
is hypaethral, and, with those of Taormina, Syracuse, and Segesta,
appears as if it had been planned and projected by nature ; being
situated in the concave side of a hill, commanding a most romantic
view. From this theatre are seen the iEolian Islands, the Appenine
and Neptunian Mountains, and the plains of Milazzo, Barcelona,
and Olivieri ; while the wide expanse of the Tyrrhenian sea bounds
the horizon to the north, and the hoary summit of JEtna closes the
scene to the south.
Some paleographic inscriptions and fragments of sculpture have
been found near the theatre ; and the excavations I made there, at
the Gymnasium, the sepulchres, and the temple of Minerva, were at-
tended with such success, as to point it ovit as one of the best places
in Sicily for a systematic excavation. In the convent on the cliff
are preserved several architectural specimens ; but two colossal sta-
tues, and some columns, were cut up to decorate the chapel of the
Madonna and Child, who, with black faces and clumsy crowns, are
caparisoned with the various offerings of devotional bigotry.
102 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
Part of Tyndaris is said to have been precipitated into the sea by
an earthquake (the same, add the good monks of the convent, that
took place at the crucifixion of our Saviour) ; but as I traced the
wails, and found them continuous, I should imagine it to have been
a suburb that fell, or rather a necropohs, as the whole of that side
of the rock abounds with fragments of vases, lachrymatories, lamps,
and idols. The cliff that was separated, no doubt, damaged the port
beneath, as I found not only the dry sand, but also that which I
dredged up in four- fathoms' water, on the bank, mixed with nume-
rous pieces of brick and cement triturated into small pebbles. This
was the port whence the haughty Kegulus salhed to attack the Car-
thaginian fleet, as it sailed unsuspectingly by the point.
Olivieri. — The Scala di Tindari leads down the hill to the unhealthy
village of Ohvieri, on the banks of the Elicona rivulet, once the
Helicon. It contains about three hundi-ed inhabitants, and has a
very profitable tonnara. A picturesque path, Hned with trees,
conducts the traveller to a gentle eminence, on which stands the
baronial palace of Scalaproto, where there are some sculptures,
medals, vases, and stelee, from the neighbouring ruins. The beauty
of the situation, with the antiquity of the cisterns, and several local
indications, lead me to imagine this to be the site of the villa of
Pompeius Philo, from whose dish Verres plucked the fine cameos.
The edifice itself is a large square castle, in a state of dilapidation,
though two strong, but useless, bastions have been lately added to it.
Besides a fountain before the great gate, there is an excellent
cistern in the square court ; and the whole building, with a httle
labour, might be rendered capable of affording refuge to the villagers,
on a sudden alarm.
MiLAZZO. — The city of Milazzo possesses a population of eight
thousand souls, and is divided into the upper and lower towns, both
MILAZZO. 103
of which are irregularly built, and, though there are a number of large
edifices, can boast of none remarkable. The churches, with the
exception of that of St. Francis, are generally mean, and the convents
poor and dirty ; the Dominican establishment alone assumes a tole-
rable aspect. The prison is a filthy sink ; the pubhc hospital is badly
provided; and the Monte di Pieta languishes in bad hands. The
fountain of Mylas decorates the lower town, and its waters (wliich,
perhaps owing to the melting of snows, are most plentiful in summer)
are esteemed very pure ; but its ornaments, consisting of a recumbent
statue, with a vase and other attributes, are wretched indeed. In
the CarmeUte convent, near Fort St. Elmo, there is a well of good
fresh water, though several feet below the level of the sea, and so near
the beach, that it is only sheltered from the beating of the surf by a
wall.
The garrison is always commanded by a miUtary officer, but the civic
government is regulated by a senate of four noble jurats and a patri-
cian syndic. The captain of justice is also a patrician, and is assisted
in his duties by two judges and a fiscal magistrate. The inhabitants
appear to be industrious and contented, subsisting by the exports of
wine, silk, fruit, rags, soap, red and white argols, corn, olive and
linseed oils, and tunny fish. A gi-eat quantity of a favourite cordial,
called " vino cotto," is sent from the surrounding plain to different
parts of the island ; it is made by boihng the must and a little potash,
over a slow fire, until two-thirds are evaporated ; the proportions
are, one mondello, or about a third of a bushel of potash, called
" ceneri di salmento," being collected from burnt grape-vines, to four
or five salms, equal to eight or ten barrels, of must.
The lower town has a small front of fortification, with a ravehn,
and a very low glacis ; this work is joined to a second Hne of defence
by a long curtain, with a moineau on the west side, while to the
eastward of the town there is nothing but an enclosed sea-battery,
called Fort St. Elmo, which flanks the beach. The second line is
104 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
composed of a barrack-wall, with three bastions, and a long uneven
glacis, united to the citadel by flanked walls, on the east side of
which there are three good sea-batteries to defend the anchorage, in
conjunction with Fort St. Elmo. The castle is well situated on the
highest point, about three hundred and twenty feet above the level
of the sea, and commands both the towns, the port, and the promon-
tory. It was partly erected by the Saracens, but was finished in
its present state by the emperor Charles V., whose ambition to
construct expensive military works rivalled that of Justinian. It
is composed of a keep, surrounded by a wall with square towers,
outside of which there is another with round towers, and the whole
is enveloped by an old bastioned hne, built on a bad principle.
There are large cisterns and good quarters, and, besides the usual
store-rooms, a spacious grotto under the castle is also made use of,
called the Cave of Ulysses, (where the oxen of the sun are fabled to
have retired from the noonday heat,) which, from its size, and its
sides being of a hard granitic breccia, is at once airy, dry, and
convenient.
On the whole, Milazzo certainly offers every requisite advantage
for a strong military position, as the promontory is a mass of granite,
elevated considerably above the plain, and bounded on all sides by
steep rocks, that are inaccessible from the sea, except where some
narrow paths are cut, but which might be broken up in an hour. The
approaches from all parts of it, toAvards the castle, meet in a narrow
pass, and the principal road is well flanked by two soUd square towers.
These formidable obstacles have saved the town on several occasions,
particularly in the vigorous operations of the Duke de Vivonne, in
1675, and the siege it sustained in the succession- war against the
Marquess de Lede. If the lower town was entirely razed, and some
of the houses of the upper town near the castle destroyed, the situa-
tion might be rendered impregnable ; and the fertile gardens and
vineyards, with wliich the whole of the promontory is covered,
GULF OF MILAZZO— CAPE RASACULMO. 105
would afford a besieged garrison the refreshments of fruit and vege-
tables, with the benefit of exercise ; and by people possessing- naval
superiority, might be evacuated at pleasure, as there is an anchorage
under Paradiso, out of the range of shot or shell from the plain.
Gulf of Milazzo. — Between INIilazzo and Cape Easaculmo, there
is a deep sandy gulf, with several large fiumare running into it, the
banks of these teem with mal' aria, but the heights, and most conve-
nient spots, are covered with towns and villages, of which the most
considerable on the sea-shore is Spadafora. This town is situated
amidst beautiful scenery, but is decaying, unhealthy, and dirty.
It is remarkable that three decisive naval combats have been fousrht
in this gulf; one by Duilius, a Eoman consul, against the Cartha-
ginians, B. C. 260, when a splendid victory was obtained from the
invention of the corvi* ; the second, between Augustus and Sextus
Pompey ; and the third, by the Saracens, against the fleet of the
Emperor Basilius, about the middle of the ninth century.
Cape Rasaculmo. — Cape Rasaculmo is a fertile tabled promontory
of moderate height ; on the outer points stand tlie remains of a
strong Saracenic tower, and near it a turret with a telegraph, erected
by the Enghsh during their occupation of the island. The adjacent
grounds afford excellent shooting, especially in the seasons of the
migratory game.
* A kind of grapple to prevent the enemy's ship from escaping, and thus facilitate
boarding.
I
106 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
CHAPTER IV.
Detail of the East Coast of Sicily ; Messina, Taormina, Riposto, Aci, Trizza,
Catania, Mount jEtna, Lentini, Augusta, Syracuse, Lognina, Vindicari, Marza-
meni, Passaro.
The Faro Point. — xHE north-east extreme of Sicily, was the once
famous Cape Pelorus, said, among other fanciful derivations, to
have been thus named by Hannibal, in memory of his pilot, whom
he executed on suspicion of perfidy, when he found liimself land-
locked here, and could perceive no means of escape ; an anecdote ill
according with the characteristic magnanimity of that hero. On
its eastern side is a strongly-fortified hght-house, and there are
besides, for its defence, two sea-batteries, and two martello towers ;
the whole covered by a strong work on the hill, called the Telegraph
Redoubt.
The village of the Faro is small and dirty, but the adjacent country
is extremely picturesque, and still produces copiously the rough wine
like the Falernian, formerly so celebrated under the name of Ma-
mertium. Between the beach and the hills are two large sheets of
water, united by a canal, that from their contour are named the Round
and the Long Lakes, in which are the best eels and cockles in Sicily.
The latter are very fine, and are reared with great attention, being
placed, when young, in rows along the mud where the water is a foot
and a half or two feet deep ; there they burrow and are left to fatten,
until of a proper size, when they are raked up, and others put in their
place.
SCYLLA. 107
ScYLLA. — As the breadth across this celebrated strait has been so
often disputed, I particularly state, that the Faro Tower is exactly
six thousand and forty-seven Enghsh yards from that classical
bugbear, the Rock of Scylla, which, by poetical fiction, has been de-
picted in such terrific colours, and to describe the horrors of which,
Phalerion, a painter, celebrated for his nervous representation of the
awful and the tremendous, exerted his whole talent. But the flights
of poetry can seldom bear to be shackled by homely truth, and if we
are to receive the fine imagery, that places the summit of this rock
in clouds brooding eternal mists and tempests — that represents it as
inaccessible, even to a man provided with twenty hands and twenty
feet, and immerses its base among ravenous sea-dogs ; — why not also
receive the whole circle of mythological dogmas of Homer, who,
though so frequently dragged forth as an authority in history, theo-
logy, sui-gery, and geography, ought, in justice, to be read only as a
poet. In the writings of so exquisite a bard, we must not expect to
find all his representations strictly confined to a mere accurate nar-
ration of facts. Moderns of intelligence, in visiting this spot, have
gratified their imaginations, already heated by such descriptions as
the escape of the Argonauts, and the disasters of Ulysses, with
fancying it the scourge of seamen, and, that in a gale its caverns
" roar like dogs ;" but I, as a sailor, never perceived any difference
between the effect of the siirges here, and on any other coast, yet I
have frequently watched it closely in bad weather. It is now, as I
presume it ever was, a common rock, of bold approach, a little worn
at its base, and surmounted by a castle, with a sandy bay on each
side. The one on the south side is memorable for the disaster that
happened there during the dreadful earthquake of 1783, when an
overwhelming wave (supposed to have been occasioned by the fall of
part of a promontory into the sea,) rushed up the beach, and, in its
retreat, bore away with it upwards of two thousand people, whose
cries, if they uttered any in the suddenness of their awful fate, were
P 2
108 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
not heard by the agonized spectators around. The town is built
partly on the hill, and stretches down to the sea-shore on each side.
A tolerable road leads vip, though the steepness of the ascent in
several places renders many windings necessary : the neighbourhood
is exceedingly romantic, and there are many pubHc buildings, but
they often suffer so severely by hghtning, especially the castle, that
fatal accidents are frequent. Before quitting Scylla, it mil be re-
quisite to make some mention of the Tuberaster Fvmgvis-Ferens,
described also by Buccone in liis Museo di Fisica : it is commonly
called the mushroom-stone, but is rather an agglutination of Tufa
and diied wood, so favourable to the growth of mushrooms, that
when once it has imbibed the seed, it continues producing successive
crops, even in the house, for a great length of time. These masses
are anxiously sovight for about the roots of trees, in the vicinity of
ScyUa, and carried over to Messina, either for sale, or as presents.
Strait of Messina. — On the whole, from the adhesive quality of
the sands, and a strict examination of the various localities, particularly
the light-house of the Faro Point, which was constructed two hun-
dred years ago on the ruins of an ancient tower, (then as now, on the
margin of the sea,) I do not believe the channel has widened; indeed
it is not clear to me, that this part was not originally ^nder, and that
the two lakes have been gained from it ; the story related by Hesiod
and Diodorus, of the sea being broad here, until Orion raised the
promontory of Pelorus to place a temple on, though not a confir-
mation, gives some colour to the supposition.
The four principal stations of the distances across, in my trigono-
metrical operations, by theodohte angles ft-om a base hne on that
part of the beach near Messina, caUed Mare Grosso, are from
Faro Point to Scylla castle, six thousand and forty-seven yards, as
before stated ; from Ganziri village to Point Pezzo, three thousand
nine hundred and seventy-one yards ; from Messina hght-house to
THE FARO OF MESSINA. 109
Point del Orso, five thousand four hundred and twenty-seven yards ;
and from Messina hght-house to the cathedral of Reggio, thirteen
thousand one hundred and eighty-seven yards.
. One of the most extraordinary phenomena of this celebrated region
is an aerial illusion, called the " Fata ]Morgana," from being sup-
posed to be a spectacle under the influence of the Queen of the
Fairies, the " Morgain la Fay" of popular legends. It occurs during
calms, when the weather is warm, and the tides are at their highest ;
and is said, by some refractive property, to present in the air multi-
phed images of objects existing on the coasts, with wonderful precision
and magnificence. The most perfect are reported to have been seen
from the vicinity of Reggio, about sun-rise. I much doubt, however,
the accuracy of the descriptions I have heard and read, as I cannot
help thinking that the imagination strongly assists these dioptric
appearances, having never met with a SiciHan, who had actually seen
any thing more than the loom, or " mirage," consequent on a pecu-
liar state of the asmosphere ; but which, I must say, I have here ob-
served many times to be unusually strong. It is spoken of by some
as a luminous ignescent phenomenon, infallibly predictive of an ap-
proaching storm. May not the curious relation of the Spectres of
the Syrtes, by Diodorus Siculus, book iii. chapter iii., be another
and more extensive kind of Fata Morgana ? I have myself, in those
arid regions, very frequently seen the extraordinary illusion of lakes
in the deserts, that appear to recede as the traveller advances, and
called by the Arabs, Sarab.
The Faro of Messina. — The currents in the Faro are so nu-
merous, and so varied, with respect to their duration and direction,
that I found it very difficult to ascertain any thing with precision,
as one series of observations seldom agreed with another ; but I have
generally found the statements of the most experienced pilots, after
making due allowance for localities and weather, approximate very
110 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
near to each other. In settled seasons there is a central stream,
running north and south, at the rate of from two to five miles an
hour ; and which, though, properly speaking, only a current, when
uninfluenced by strong winds, is governed by the moon. On each
shore there is a counter or returning set, at uncertain distances from
the beach, often forming eddies to the central current ; but, in very
fresh breezes, the lateral tides are scarcely perceptible, while the
main one increases so as to send, at intervals, sHght whirlpools to
each shore. There is, in general, an uncertain rise and fall of a few
inches, but before the vernal equinox, when the sun is nearest the
earth, and the moon in her perigee, they rise to eighteen or twenty
inches. AVhen the main current runs to the northward, it is called
the ascending or flood, and the contrary, the descending or ebb.
There is usually an interval of from about fifteen to sixty minutes be-
tween the changes ; and the tide runs six hours each way, though I
have known it, during a south-east gale, (which has the greatest
influence,) flow to the northward upwards of eight hours. By the
most precise observations I have been able to make, it is high water
on the days of full and change of the moon, off* the Faro Point, at
six hours fifty-six minutes, and in the harbour of Messina, at eight
hours ten minutes.
The Faro channel is entered on passing the light-house, and
though from the nature of its winds and currents, it has long been
clothed with imaginary terrors, yet as the Athenians and Syracusans,
and the Locrians and Rhegians fought in it, it could not have been
considered so fearfully horrible by ancient sailors, as by ancient
poets ; and the language of the former would probably have borne a
tenor very different from the romantic embellishments of the latter,
notwithstanding the passage through it might have been an affair of
some moment with their small vessels and inexperienced seamen.
But we have been gravely assured in a recent pubhcation, that this
strait is still extremely dangerous, and forgetful of the memorable
THE FARO OF MESSINA. Ill
names of Loria, and Byng, and Walton*, it is added that Xelson was
the first who ventured through with a squadron of men-of-war;
while, on the contrary, it has always been used as an expeditious
route to the eastward ; and I am convinced that no persons well
acquainted with this channel, will think it hazardous, especially if
they have been in the habit of keeping well over to the Sicilian
shore.
From the baffling winds to be expected, however, it certainly
requires caution, though except the set of the current towards the
rocks under the Torre di Cavallo, (a situation extremely disagreeable
at night, in bad weather,) the beaches are so steep, that the stream
enables vessels to glide safely along them. In light breezes the
current may be stronger than the ship's effort, and by turning her
round, often alarms a person unacquainted with the phenomenon,
although there is no actual danger ; and the losses there, during my
residence in the island, were certainly not more than would have
been the case in any other part, frequented by an equal number of
vessels.
I would not, indeed, advise a stranger to push through in the
night, unless with a fine, free wind, as the light at Messina is so
indifferent, that it cannot be distinguished among the numerous
torches of the fishermen, who, every tranquil night, cover the strait
with their boats. Precautions should also be taken against the heavy
gusts, which at times, from the mountainous nature of the coasts,
vehemently rush down the Fiumare, and are dangerous to small
vessels. I have twace, with grief, seen the neglect of them prove
fatal ; one of these circumstances occurred in the Flotilla, to which
* This was the officer, who after the action between Sir G. Byng, and the Spanish
fleet, was detached in piu'suit of six sail of the Une, and as many smaller ships, that had
escaped, and reported his complete success to the Admiral, in the following laconic terms :
" Sir, — We have taken or destroyed all the enemy's ships and vessels on the coast, as
per margin. Yours," Sec. Stc.
112 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
I was then attached ; a fine barge, with eighteen of the best sailors
we had, in attendance upon Colonel Caffiero, one of our officers, had
been on constant duty in this strait for several years; when, in the
early part of 1815, having carried the Prince of Hesse Phihpstadt
on board a vessel bound to Palermo, the barge was assailed by
so sudden a squall on her return, that they could not lower the
mainsail, and she instantly overset ; the bodies of the unfortunate
men were picked up the next day, between Scaletta and Taormina,
about twenty miles to the southward.
It is remarkable that there has been found in Messina, a Greek
inscription to the memory of thirty-seven youths of Cyzicus, who
met a similar fate in the Faro; and in honour of whom, as many
statues, the workmanship of CaHon, were erected with a suitable
inscription.
On both sides of the channel, pure, though rather hard, fresh
water is procured, by digging a hole in the sand, within two or three
feet of the margin of the sea; this is occasioned by the filtering
and percolation of the fiumare, which, though apparently dry, are
never actually so ; and this accounts, in some measure, for the mal'
aria arising on their banks.
The Bay of Paradiso, a beautiful sjiot two miles north of Messina,
is the place where the Spanish fleet rode previous to its disaster in
1718 ; and had it remained at anchor there, agreeably to the advice
of Admiral Cummock, (an Irishman in that service,) it would have
been very difficult to annoy it. The name of Paradise was bestowed
on a palace on this shore, from the circumstance of the Governor of
Messina and his family, who retired to it during the severe plague in
1743, entirely escaping the contagion. Subsequent earthquakes have
shook down all the upper stories, but the first floor remaining habi-
table, several of our miUtary Commanders-in-Chief successively made
it their summer residence.
HARBOUR OF MESSINA— MESSINA. 113
Harbour of Messina. — In the north-east part of the harbour of
Messina, between Fort Salvatore and the Lazaretto, a patch of
ground is made foul by the wrecks of two old Spanish hne of battle
ships, the San Fernando of sixty-four guns, and the Harmonia of
fifty, which were sunk by Admiral Byng's orders, to terminate a
contention that had arisen among the Alhes, respecting their ulti-
mate disposal. Colonel Robinson, the active superintendent of the
Flotilla Arsenal, weighed a part of one of these wrecks as late as
the year 1814, which was extraordinary, for it would rather have been
supposed, that the destructive teredo navalis, or ship-worm, from
the great ravages it commits in this port, would not have left any
part in existence.
This port is most eligibly situated for commerce, and is one of the
most picturesque, commodious, and safe, that can be imagined. Pro-
visions and vegetables are generally very plentiful ; and good hard
water is to be had at fountains on the Marina ; which latter, extend-
ing along the shore of the harbour upwards of a mile, always pre-
sents an active scene, as the merchant-ships he with their bowsprits
over the quay, and the operation of discharging and receiving car-
goes is facilitated in every way. The pratique-office, the fish-
market, and the custom-house, are all on the Marina.
The Lazaretto is erected on an insulated shoal, between Fort Sal-
vatore and the citadel, and is certainly the best estabhshment of the
kind in Sicily ; but the vexatious delays of the quarantine regula-
tions, arising from its arrogating to itself independence of the Sa-
nita, or Health-office, of Palermo, are great impediments to com-
merce ; nor has it been able to recover the confidence of other similar
institutions since the venaHty of a senator introduced the di-eadful
plague of 1743, Avhich carried off forty-four thousand people, and
overwhelmed the city with terror and desolation.
Messina. — Messina stands on the site of Zancle, a city of the
114 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
remotest epoch, and supposed to owe its foundation to Orion ; but
the history of the primitive ages is such an intermixture of fact and
fable, that it is impossible to adjust the conflicting evidence. The
name, however, is derived from the peculiar shape of the isthmus,
which the ancients affirmed to be the sickle that had fallen from the
hand of Saturn : more authentic accounts state, that Zancle was
fovuided by a band of pirates from Cyme, a Chalcidic town of Opicia,
and that the colony was shortly after joined by a numerous rein-
forcement from Chalcis in Eubsa, under the command of Perieres
and Crataemenes.
When it changed its name to Messana is a disputed point. Pau-
sanias insists that, on the storming of Eiras by the vengeful Spar-
tans, Gorgus, the son of the gallant Aristomenes, with the surviving
Messenians, passed into Italy, and, in co-operation with Anaxilaus of
Rhegium, (a colony formed after the evacuation of Ithome,) settled
themselves in Zancle, the date of which event is supposed to have
been about the year 670 B.C. According to the assertions of Thu-
cydides, the Zancleans were driven out by some Samians and other
lonians, who, flying from the vengeance of the Medes, had landed
in Sicily. After a short interval, Anaxilaus displaced them, re-peopled
the city with mixed inhabitants, and changed the name to Messana,
in honour of the place of his birth. Herodotus says, that the
Samians and surviving Melesians, dreading the united tyranny of
yEaces and the Medes, accepted an invitation from Scythes, King of
Zancle, to found a colony in Sicily ; but discovering, on their arrival
in Italy, that their friends were engaged in a distant siege, they
listened to the suggestions of Anaxilaus, tyrant of Ehegium, and,
assisted by the treachery of Hippocrates of Gela, infamously seized
the city, and enslaved the inhabitants. Both the two last-mentioned
historians agree, that this event took place after the conquest of
Ionia by Darius, and consequently about four hundred and ninety-five
years before Christ.
MESSINA. 11.5
Messana was, however, doomed to experience an instance of still
more remarkable violence, and one that ultimately produced a most im-
portant crisis in history. Agathocles, the restless tyrant of Syracuse,
had employed a band of mercenaries, calling themselves Mammer-
tines, who, proving seditious, were ordered to qviit Sicily. On their
route to embark for Campania, they Avere received at Messana with
unsuspecting hospitality, in return for which, they perfidiously mur-
dered the citizens, seized their wives, and usurped their possessions.
So flagrant an outrage aroused the vengeance of the Carthaginians
and Syracusans ; and the Mammertines, after several severe defeats,
were on the point of being annihilated, when they implored assistance
from the Romans. Some of the senators, startled at the manifest
breach of honour and justice, and struck Avith the ingratitude of
sending a force against Carthage, a power with wliich they were in
close treaty, and which had recently made a most serviceable diversion
in their favour, against Pyrrhus, opposed the undertaking ; but the
majority, encouraged by the populace, tempted by the splendour of
the adventure, disregarded the want of rectitude in it, and determined
to assist the treacherous assassins with a consular army. Appius
Claudius accordingly took the field, and thus commenced the memo-
rable Punic wars, which, after subjecting Sicily to the Roman yoke,
at length terminated in the utter destruction of Carthage, the most
poHtic, commercial, and enterprising state on earth.
The Romans have, indeed, attempted to impose on posterity by
the writings of their partial historians, and by the destruction of
Punic records ; but sufficient evidence exists, even in their own
statements, to prove, that the Carthaginians*, though charged by those
* Since ■nTiting tlie above, it has been no small satisfaction to me, to observe so intelligent
and erudite a writer as Mitford, advance the followang opinion : — " It is interesting to find
from a prejudiced adversary, for such Diodorus was to the Carthaginians, as well as to
Dionysius — this substantial and unsuspicious testimony to the liberality and good faith of a
great people, whose fair fame, not, probably, exempt from real stain, has, however, suffered
singularly from insidious and base detraction." — Mitford's Greece, Chap. xxxi. Sec. 1.
Q 2
116 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
vindictive enemies with want of fidelity and truth, of courage and
talent ; and, as being destitute of any other merit than that of being
industrious, actually possessed a great genius for enterprise, commerce,
and navigation. The expeditions of Himilco, Asdrubal, Mago,
Hamilcar, and Hannibal, prove their miUtary skill and bravery ; the
battles fought in Sicily, Africa, Spain, and Italy; and, above all, the
last glorious contention for their city, their wives, and their daugh-
ters, although treacherously deprived of their arms and engines ;
their deities withdrawn by evocation, and their whole state solemnly
devoted to the infernal gods ; afford incontrovertible proofs of un-
daunted and resolute spirit. Notwithstanding their pohtical distrust,
they were the first who eqmppcd vessels at the public expense, with
the express object of exploring foreign countries and setthng colo-
nies ; and, had their state continued to exist, Columbus, probably,
would never have obtained his well-earned celebrity ; nor Park,
Burckhardt, or Tuckey, have fallen victims in the nineteenth century
to our ignorance of the interior of Africa.
By the same evidence, it is also clearly manifest, that the Romans,
on whom we generally bestow an admiration too ardent and delusive,
were often stimulated rather by superstitious enthusiasm than ra-
tional courage ; and that they frequently endeavoured to hide their
ignorance and terror, under an affected rehgious awe. Both sexes
delighted in scenes of bloodshed, and the appalling horrors of gla-
diatorial combats ; while the works of art that decorated the theatres
of these depraved exhibitions, were mostly wrung by extortion, under
the forms of tribute and taxes, from enslaved nations, at the expense
of generous feeUng, to gratify the caprices of hcentious and unjust
tyrants. Though the Romans, doubtless, possessed enterprise, bravery,
patriotism, and generosity, they were insensible to the benevolence,
the gallantry, and the scrupulous honovu* inspired by Christianity ;
nor in the enumeration of their boasted deeds should it be forgotten,
that the fate of Rome itself, at the hands of the Huns, Goths,
MESSINA. 117
Alemanni, ^^andals, and other barbarian hordes, was far milder than
the treatment of Carthage, Epirus, Syracuse, Numantia, Corinth,
Astapa, and other unhappy cities, at the hands of the Romans, not-
withstanding all their affected civihzation.
It is surprising how imphcitly most people follow the stream, in
their ideas of the ancients. The Greeks are a people, whom, by a
most fulsome system of panegyric, we are taught almost to idohze ;
but even in Athens, a city in a remarkable degree the seat of pliilo-
sophy, science, and taste, the briUiant talents of such men as Solon,
Themistocles, Pericles, Phidias, Socrates, and a host of other illus-
trious individuals, had no effect in moderating the ferocity, profligacy,
and ingratitude inherent in the nation, as is proved by the massacres
of numerous communities, the despotism of worthless demagogues
and sycophants, the disproportionate number of slaves, and the
turpitude, desolation, and bloodshed every where perpetrated. I
never sighed for a return of what are called the heroic ages ; for the
state of Athens, even in its highest and most boasted prosperity,
must impress upon our minds, when faithfully depicted, the great
superiority of the civil and ecclesiastical constitution of Great Britain.
Their worship was monstrous and contemptible ; their political
system, narrow and unprincipled ; and though there existed indi-
vidual virtue, the mass of the people was covetous, idle, and
depraved ; the liberty, so much extolled, was only a precarious public
independence, while law and justice were ill defined, and personal
security not regarded. On the other hand, from the obloquy lavished
by the Greeks, we entertain a sovereign contempt for the Persians
from our very school-days ; though, even by the writings of their ene-
mies, we may glean that they were more liberal, generous, and
pohshed than the Greeks themselves. The exaggerations, respecting
tlie forces of Xerxes, are absurd ; for no one who has visited the spot
can beUeve, notwithstanding the great king's means, but that five
hundi-ed thousand, or one-tenth, at the most, ought to stand for the
118 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
" five million two hundred and eighty-three thousand two hundred
and twenty men, exclusive of women, children, and eunuchs," who
are stated to have reached Thermopylae. All Greece could not have
furnished food for such a multitude, in addition to its o^\ii popula-
tion, for a single month. The heroic bravery of Leonidas (who,
by-the-by, fell a \dctim to a very irrational Spartan law) is constantly
in the mind's eye, awakening feehngs of patriotism, and hatred of in-
vaders : but let us recur to the ardour of the Greeks themselves for
invasion, and to their conduct on such occasions !
It may be doubted, whether the condition of Sicily was, on the
whole, more desirable under the Koman yoke than before ; for suc-
cessive governors constantly arrived, to administer foreign laws, and
patch up broken fortunes, with greater venality than even that
stigmatized in the memorable sarcasm of Jugurtha, " mercenary
city ! thou wouldst even sell thyself, if thou couldst find a man rich
enough to purchase thee." Nay, with such bold efii-ontery was this
practised, that Verres (though the patron of Messana) publicly
robbed an Egj-ptian prince, who was passing through Sicily, not
only of his personal jewels and riches, but also of a precious candela-
brum, intended as an offering for the temple of Jupiter in the capitol.
The degree of freedom enjoyed by the most favoured cities, may be
estimated by the answer of Pompey. When the deputies of one of
them reminded him, that the Eomans, in consideration of particidar
services, had solemnly exempted them from various exactions, " Why,"
demanded he, with a sardonic smile, " will you cite laws and privi-
leges to men who wear swords ? "
Of Messana, a city that, from its romantic and advantageous
position, was long the scene of important events, no vestiges remain,
except a few scattered baths, with tesselated pavements, the church
for the souls in purgatory, at the end of Strada Ferdmanda, which is
part of a Roman basiUca, and that of San Giovanni de' Fiorentini,
supposed by the gifted to have been the sacristy of Heius, whence
CAT HE. BRAIL
TE OF MESSINA
Ai/>i'ijrAed Jutu 4.J.&2S,dy Zoh7iXu.Tnw,ZimaMU^ .
lubUslud. June iU^ns, h
SYRACUSE. ^ let
with vaulted corridors and vomitories, but very inferior in design to
the theatre just mentioned ; it is partly hewn out of the calcareous
rock of which this neighbourhood consists, and partly constructed of
large stones. The form is oval, with two wide entrances, which,with
a part of the corridor, have been cleared out ; but the whole seems
to have been shaken by an earthquake, as a large obhque vein of
earth intersects the stone quite across ; it is otherwise in tolerable pre-
servation, though a more rapid dilapidation threatens it now that flax
is cultivated in the arena or centre. This part is said to have been so
called, because it was strewed with sand to conceal the blood spilled
du^ring what were termed the amusements; but, from the diabolical
sanguinary taste of the Romans, I imagine it was vised only to prevent
the feet of the fated victims from shpping in the gore. This amphi-
theatre always brought to my mind Partus Thrasea, one of the very
few men, in the days of the Empire, in whose character an honest
man and a patriot may dehght ; he incurred the bitter enmity of
Nero and his adherents, by strenuously resisting a decree of the
Senate, authorizing the people of Syracuse, in their pubhc spec-
tacles, to exceed the number of gladiators Mmited by law.
The Epipolffi were three heights commencing where Tyche and
Neapohs terminated, which, though in a commanding situation, were
overlooked and neglected until the Athenian war, when Nicias seized
them, and erected the castle of Labdalon on them ; afterwards their
value was duly appreciated, and they became, with the works of Eu-
ryalus, Hexapylon, and Pentapylon, one extensive fortress ; its site is
now occupied by the village of Belvedere. At one of the bastions of
Euryalus ended the famous wall, four miles in length, and of great
height and solidity, erected by Dionysius in twenty days, employing
sixty thousand men and six thousand yoke of oxen ; the vestiges are
upwards of eight feet thick, and consist of large squared blocks of
stone, without cement.
The Latomiae were originally quarries, whence the stone for the
construction of the city was dra^vn; but they became at length so
168 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
extensive, that, on the surrender of Nicias, the Athenians were con-
fined in them, and endured hunger, filth, and every misery that
dehberate cruelty could inflict. The largest of these latomia is named
the Palombino, and is the property of a capuchin convent, which has a
romantic garden, called the Selva, formed in the bottom of it, of
luxurious fertility, and secured from every wind by the height of
the surrounding cliffs. This convent exhibits more the appearance
of a garrison of soldiers, than the residence of a company of friars,
it being moated, and entered by a draw-bridge, as a precaution
against the predatory attacks of Barbary corsairs.
There are few spots more productive of ohves, oranges, lemons,
citrons, pomegranates, almonds, and figs, than the Paradiso or second
of the Latomiae, remarkable in story as the ear of Dionysius. The
sides, though still of great height, descend considerably below the
present level of the earth ; and, amidst a variety of grotesque co-
lumnar rocks (one of which, an insulated mass, bears the ruins of
a Saracen tower) some grottoes are seen, where a profitable manufac-
tory of nitre is carried on ; and one of them is the remarkable exca-
vation, called the typanum of the ear, in this shape : —
Tliis cavern, which, from history and tradition, and from its size
and the echo it produces, awakens a hvely interest, is in the fine
geometrical shape of a parabohc curve, ending in an eUiptical arch, mth
sides parallel to its axis, perfectly smooth, and covered with a shght
SYRACUSE. 169
stalactitic incrustation that renders its repercussions amazingly sono-
rous. Although a considerable portion has been filled up, which I
ascertained by excavation, it is still sixty-four feet high, from seven-
teen to thirty-five in breadth, and one hundred and eighty-seven
deep. It has an awful and gloomy appearance, which, with its sin-
gular shape, perhaps, gave rise to the popular and amusing pa-
radox, that Dionysius had it constructed for the confinement of
those whom he deemed inimical to his authority ; and that, from the
little apartment above, he could overhear all the conversation that
passed among the captives, and deal his mercy or vengeance accord-
ingly. This story, however, cannot be founded in truth, as his-
tory does not record the confinement of any person of rank, except
Philoxenus, the dithyrambic poet ; and even his imprisonment, from
his speedy release, may be deemed to have been only a humiliation.
It was most probably one of the prisons where the CylUrii and dregs
of the populace were confined, though it must certainly be admitted
that the design and art apparent in its formation would indicate a
more special object. The tyrant, however, could not have Mstened
with satisfaction or advantage ; for if two or more people are speak-
ing together, it occasions only a confused clamour ; and unless this
room, the access to wliicb must always have been difficult, was more
convenient than I found it, it must have been a wretched apartment
for the mighty ruler of Syracuse.
The Catacombs are vast excavations of remote antiquity, forming
extensive subterranean streets of tombs cut out of the sohd rock.
The entrance is under the small Gothic church of St. John, and to
these tranquil and silent regions, the primitive Christians (who had
been much encouraged and confirmed in the faith by St. Paul's visit)
retreated during the persecutions ; and thus the incongruous mixture
of Pagan and Christian monograms, of palm branches, crosses, doves,
and other symbols, observable, may be accounted for. The church
of St. Marcian (the earliest in Europe for Christian worship) still
170 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
possesses the tomb of that saint, and the Ionic capital that was
used as the first episcopal seat. This sepulchral labyrinth, in
which are contained such numerous tombs for adults, children, and
favourite animals, strongly controverts the theory, still very prevalent
among Italian rustics, as well as among Turks, Arabs, and Moors,
that the human species has progressively decreased in size and sta-
ture, and wiU ultimately extinguish itself in a race of dwarfs ; and
it is somewhat remarkable, that the proof of man's having been for
so many ages of the same stature, is in the neighbourhood of the
very spot where the skeletons of the giants are said, by Fazzello, to
have been discovered.
The aqueducts are stupendous and admirable undertakings, which,
like the catacombs and latomiae, are correspondent with the grandeur
and opulence of ancient Syracuse. They were cut in the rock by
Gelon, for the purpose of supplying the city, and irrigating the
country ; but were considerably enlarged by Hiero the Second, who
made subterranean channels, by which the streams were artfully con-
veyed to every part, and yet effectually concealed from the knowledge
of an enemy.
Modern Syracuse stands on the ancient isthmus of Ortygia, so named
from the similitude of its form to that of a quail. It was the second
Greek colony in Sicily, and afterwards became the fortress and
arsenal of Dionysius, and numerous vestiges still attest its former
grandeur. After the conquest of Syracuse by MarceUus, no Syra-
cusan was permitted to inhabit Ortygia, or, indeed, any spot ac-
cessible to shipping.
The temple of Minerva was one of the earliest edifices of this kind
on the island, and was, until the time of Verres, adorned with gates
of gold, ivory, and bronze ; it was enriched with beautiful sculpture
and paintings, particularly the exploits of Agathocles, in twenty-seven
pictures, and portraits of aU the rulers of Sicily. The columns are
Doric, with cyathiform capitals : the intercolumniations have been
SYRACUSE. 171
walled up, an overloaded fapade has been added, and it is now become
the cathedral, having thus been a place of public worship upwards of
two thousand five hundi'ed years. On the fastigium, or summit, of
this edifice, was placed the poHshed shield, on losing sight of which
sailors threw their offerings of honey, flowers, and ashes, into the
sea ; and it is supposed, that the famous meridian of Archimedes
also stood on the same part of the building.
There were numerous baths in Ortygia, though not more than
were necessary for the health and convenience of a people, who, not
using linen, required frequent ablutions. The most curious is one
with a spiral staircase, about forty feet deep, in the church of
St. Philip ; and there are vestiges of those of Daphne, in the apody-
terium of which, the hateful Constans, the second emperor of the
east, was killed in 668.
The famous fountain of Arethusa, which formerly received divine
honours, was once in the centre of Ortygia, but repeated earth-
quakes have compelled it to alter its situation, and by dividing
and damaging its channels, have sullied the sweetness of its waters ;
yet, notwithstanding the loss it sustains, by a number of streamlets
that run off in several directions, it is not inconsiderable ; and is
stiU resorted to by a number of nymphs, who, washing their dirty
hnen, probably form as great a contrast to its ancient attendants, as
its diminished stream must to its once noble torrent. At the dis-
tance of about eighty feet from this fountain, a copious spring,
called L'Occhio deUa Zihca, and probably derived from the same
source, rises from the bottom of the harbour, (distinguishable only
on very calm days,) with such force, that it does not intermingle
with the salt water until it gains the surface. This, the poets assert,
is Alpheus, who, after vainly rolHng through Elis, in Greece, rises
here to rejoin his metamorphosed nymph ; and Moschus, in his
eighth idylhum, says, that leaves, flowers, dust, and olives, have
been thrown up by it. A similar story to this was told to me by the
z 2
172 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
monks of Strophadia, respecting a well in their convent, which is
situated exactly opposite tliis Grecian river ; here, they say, leaves
of the plane-tree have often been brought up by the bucket, and
as that tree does not exist on their little rock, they must have
come over by a subterranean channel from the Alpheus : — one
doubt still remained, for notwithstanding their all asserting that
the phenomenon was not unusual, no one of the relaters could
positively assure me, that he had personally witnessed the
fact.
The present city of Syracuse is a fortress of considerable strength ;
but having been built at different periods, the whole, as a work of
defence, is somewhat confused : the interior Hne is a front of forti-
fication in the old style, with a defective faussebraye, and a tolerably
crowned horn-work. The Hnes are enfiladed on the land side, ex-
cept the ravelin of Monte d'Oro, which flanks the right branch of
the exterior horn-work, and is built obhque to its object, to prevent
the body of the fortress being breached from Acradina : for so ex-
tensive a place of arms, it is rather deficient in bomb proofs, quarters,
store-rooms, and cisterns. The entrance of the harbour is com-
manded by the castle of Maniaces, a work of considerable strength,
and in tolerable repair, though it was seriously damaged some years
ago by an explosion of gunpowder, when the gate, that led to the
apartments where the celebrated De Euyter died of his wounds,
after the conflict off Augusta, was the only part of the palace of
George Maniaces that escaped the disaster.
The streets of Syracuse are confined and narrow, and the public
buildings, though numerous, have little to recommend them ; but
still, on the whole, with its thirteen thousand inhabitants, it would
be a respectable city, were it not viewed as the wreck of one so
celebrated in remote ages.
The museum is in its commencement, and though badly arranged,
boasts the LandoUna Venus and Esculapius; some sarcophagi, vases,
SYRACUSE. 173
lamps, inscriptions*, and coins; and some curious specimens of wood
converted into a kind of agate and opal ; with various petrified organic
and marine productions. In the rooms above the museum, is the public
hbrary of Alagona : the entrance is through an antichamber furnished
with a handsome table, composed of specimens of all the different
agates and marbles in Sicily. Among the books are several illumi-
nated manuscripts, chiefly theological, and a fine copy of the Al-
coran, found in the baggage of a French officer after the massacre at
Augusta, in 1800. The directors of the library have lately begun to
make a collection of the works of all Syracusan authors.
There are some private cabinets, that may be visited on a proper
introduction, of which those of Landolina, (brother of the late anti-
quary,) and Capodieci, are the principal. In the churches and con-
vents several good pictures are to be seen ; and among the rest, a
head of our Saviour, attributed to St. Luke, who has, some how or
other, been reputed an artist, although it is well known that the
early Christians (as well as the present inhabitants of Palestine and
Egypt) considered painting as an odious and profane art.
The rehgious institutions, and consequently the festivals, are nume-
rous ; and the joyous noise, even to frenzy, with which they are
celebrated, prove that the modern Syracusans are fully as fond as the
ancient of such spectacles. The natives are kind and hospitable to
strangers. Among the females, particularly of the lower orders, the
Grecian contour of countenance may easily be remarked, and the
distaff, which, according to Theocritus, was invented here, is stiU in
their hands.
The adjacent country being copiously irrigated, and possessing a
fine marly soil, and dehghtful cUmate, is exuberantly fertile, pro-
* Of the most perfect of the ancient mscriptions is the following :
BAZIAEOZ APE
lEPriNOZ lEPOKAEOZ
ZYPAKOZIOI0EOIZnAZI
174 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
ducing wheat, oil, hemp, tobacco, fruit, pulse, and several kinds of
delicious wines. On the west side of the harbour, the river Anapus
flows through the alluvial plain, from whose marshes Syracuse de-
rived its name, and the miasms of which so often occasioned the
destruction of its besiegers.
One instance of this occurred shortly after the dissolution of the
Athenian army, when the Carthaginians, under the helpless Himilco,
left a bundled and fifty thousand unburied bodies on this fatal plain.
The Anapus is itself much contaminated, and its current impeded,
by the pernicious custom of steeping hemp in it during the summer.
It struck me, on examination, that by a proper attention to this
river, the cultivation of its banks, and the formation of the requisite
drains through this neglected spot, its stagnant waters might easily
be withdrawn, and from a seat of overgrown weeds, of reptiles, and
of mal' aria, it might become one of the most productive plains in
Sicily. The Greeks, with an admirable pohcy, exempted drained
lands from taxation for ever, but the present state of Sicily shews
the art of draining to be little encouraged.
At a Uttle distance from the left bank of the river, is the celebrated
fountain, or spring; of Cyane, the traditional spot where Pluto dis-
appeared with Proserpine, and thus metamorphosed the nymph who
would have prevented his design ; though other accounts state, that
Cyane was a Syracusan nymph, who slew her father, (prompted by
Bacchus for contempt of his orgies,) on his offering her violence during
a fit of intoxication : these relations differ widely, but it was certainly
in commemoration of the first occasion, that the Theogamia were insti-
tuted. The spring is now called the Pisma, and is a circular basin of
the purest water, though, from its muddy bottom, it has a black ap-
pearance ; it is about sixty or seventy feet in diameter, and twenty-
six deep, well stocked with fine fish, and the banks are covered "wdth a
luxurious profusion of aquatic plants. From thence to the river, it
flows in a narrow, hmpid, and quiet, but deep stream ; on the sides
SYRACUSE. 175
of which the Cyperus Papyrus is found, floating as it grows, in
such abundance, that it is used as withes for binding corn, and other
articles : the principal root runs horizontally near the surface of the
water, throwing out long filaments, which descend perpendicularly
down, while numerous triangular green stems shoot up to the height
of eight or ten feet, crowned on the summit by a fibrous tuft of fine
filaments, which, near their extremities, are again sub-divided into
others bearing small seedy flowerets.
It is supposed the Papyrus was sent from Egypt by Ptolemy Phi-
ladelphus, among other presents, to Hiero, with whom he was on
most amicable terms ; indeed, his estimation in Sicily may be per-
ceived in the panegyrical IdyUia of Theocritus, jjarticularly in the
seventeenth, and at the close of the fourteenth. Paper, some assert,
was made of the yellow pellicle that surrounds the stem, near the
root ; but I have been more successful, by following the directions of
Phny, with the cellular substance of the whole stem cut thin, the shces
laid over each other transversely at right angles, and well pressed.
Besides making paper of this plant, the ancients are said to have ex-
tracted sugar from it, and to have made cordage and canvass of its
fibres.
Across the plain, and under the walls of the Epipolae, at the place
called Tre INIiglia, is the site of the house and farm that was pre-
sented by the grateful Syracusans to Timoleon for his eminent ser-
vices ; and hither, after his blindness, not only the citizens repaired,
but all strangers that arrived were conducted, to have the pleasure of
beholding the virtuous and successful defender of freedom : thus
cherished by the state, beloved by the people, and admired by the
whole world, he lived to a good old age, and, at his death, was
honoured, amidst the tears of all Syracuse, with a magnificent funeral
at the public expense. But, it must be confessed, that the unqua-
lified panegyric on his intrepidity and ability, cannot conceal some
monstrous instances of a want of the generosity and clemency usually
176 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
combined with an expanded mind; and the murder of his brother,
of Mamercus, Euphymus, Hippon, and Pothumius ; of Icetas, and
his whole family, and of the wives and daughters of Dionysius,
which were, undoubtedly perpetrated with his connivance, are dread-
ful drawbacks to the charm his name would otherwise possess.
The southern shore of the harbour, absurdly called the island, was
the promontory of Plemmyrium, so remarkable in the Athenian
siege ; under it are the small rocks on which the soldiers of Nicias
displayed their trophies. For particulars, relative to these and many
other interesting sites, it will be necessary to consult the plan and
the views.
LoGNiNi. — A large rock, joined to the main by a reef on the north
shore, forms the little port of Lognini ; there is a bold point with a
round tower to the south, which has been rent by lightning ; and as
there is no other defence, the Barbary corsairs have frequently taken
vessels away, and even chased the crews two or three miles inland;
and this so late as in 1816. There are about a hundred and twenty
people scattered through its district, but no regular village.
From hence towards Fontano Bianca, and the Cassihbi and Mi-
randa streamlets, the coast is low with frequent sandy coves, and a
few insignificant rocks ; but the whole sufficiently abounds in ruins,
sepulchres, and baths, to prove its former consideration. On the
woody banks of the Miranda, (the ancient Erineus,) was fought the
battle in which Demosthenes and liis troops were defeated by the
Syracusans ; an event that fatally accelerated the catastrophe of the
main army under Nicias, which was then crossing the Cacyparis
above them.
AvoLA. — The town of Avola is prettily and salubriously situated on
a woody eminence, to the southward of the Miranda, with a Marina
(or dependent village) on the beach, a Tonnara, and a battery for
AVOLA— NOTO.
177
defence. It contains about seven thousand inhabitants, and, from seve-
ral respectable edifices, tolerable streets, and a good market-place, has
an air of cleanliness and regidarity. Besides the profits of the Ton-
nara, this town has a considerable traffic in wine, corn, cheese, ca-
rubbas, almonds, oil, honey, and fruit, and some in sugar, made from
the only cane plantation now left on the island. The adjacent
country abounds profusely with game, and supplies pasturage to a
great number of fine cattle, many of which are exported to Malta.
To the south-south-east of the Marina, about two or three miles
distant, is the place where the nets for catching the tunnies are
moored, and where they generally have a vessel at anchor with a hut
built on her as a beacon.
NoTo. — About seven miles from Avola, by a very pleasant road,
passable for carriages, stands Noto, a city of thirteen thousand inha-
bitants, and the capital of the province of that name. It is superbly
situated, and from its elegant streets, and noble churches and con-
vents, forms one of the most respectable places in Sicily ; while its
adjacent grounds, though a considerable quantity of the land is left
waste, possesses such abundant fecundity as to add greatly to its
opulence. Baron Fargioni, who acted some time as British consul
at Noto, has an excellent collection of Greek and Koman coins
and medals ; with the Saracenic and modern Sicilian money ; and a
tolerable cabinet of mineralogy, which are obligingly shewn on an
introduction.
The ancient city was called Neetum, and was the birth-place of the
crafty Ducetius, although he is also claimed as a citizen by the town
of Menae : it stood on an impregnable hill, four or five miles distant,
where, amongst the wrecks of 1693, there are still remains of an
amphitheatre and a gymnasium ; but, in consequence of the earth-
quake of that year, the natives removed to the present spot, which,
though more conveniently situated, is very unhealthy. The air was
2 A
178 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
originally bad, but it is rendered still more deleterious by the
practice of steeping hemp, and though this injurious custom has
been lately prohibited, the natives yet retain a pale, sallow aspect,
and swelled bodies, which constitute the principal evidence of the
existence of mal' aria.
Between the site of Neetum and Palazzolo are found the remains
of the city of Acrae, and near them are some curious bas-rehefs on
the rocks, supposed to be in honour of Cybele.
The river Abysso, so well known in liistory, under the name of
Helorus, winds through the plain below, and from its beneficial in-
fluence on the surrounding lands, (which it irrigates in summer,
and overflows in winter,) has been compared to the Nile of Egypt.
The walnut, olive, almond, fig-trees, and vines, that luxuriantly
abound, intermixed with myrtles, jessamines, oleanders, roses, aloes,
and numerous aromatic shrubs, impregnating the soft and tranquil
atmosphere with a delicious fragrance, and arraying nature in her
gayest colours, seem to point out tliis as one of the spots where the
comforts of a domestic circle would compensate for the evanescent
enjoyments arising from the trappings, pageantry, and etiquette of
ambitious grandeur. But, alas ! wherever these beautiful vales occur,
in southern chmes, reptiles, misery, and disease, are in attendance ;
and thus in this delightful plain, (the scenery of which was sung by
Virgil, and called Eloria Tempe by Ovid,) scarcely any habitations
appear among its rich foHage, or on the banks of its meandering
streams ; and the few cadaverous natives that dwell there, are found
idling and sleeping away the heat of the day, enfeebled by sickness,
and devoured by vermin. How different a sensation is inspired by
the sight of a weU cultivated valley in England, sprinkled with cot-
tages, and teeming with an industrious population, where the much-
calumniated chmate is not only salubrious, but in\ites, and permits,
both labour and exercise ; and above all, where the proud axiom
exists, that a slave cannot breathe in so fine an air.
NOTA— VINDICARI. 179
The Asinaro tlisembogues itself near the Ballata cli Noto, a small
anchorage, near a point of land, with a few magazines on it, where
the produce of the neighbouring country is embarked. It was be-
tween the Helorus and the Asinarus that, after several severe skir-
mishes, the battle was fought Avhich completed the destruction of the
Athenian invaders. It is commemorated by a circular column (now
called Pizzuta), formed of huge stones, without cement, on a square
pedestal of four steps, upon the very spot where the unhappy Nicias
resigned his arms to Gyhppus, and surrendered his wretched com-
panions to a deliberately cruel slavery. It is surprising that the
festival, instituted on this occasion, has been preserved through aU
changes of fortune, government, and religion, and is stiU celebrated
(though now in honour of a saint) at Syracuse, in May, when two
oUve trees are borne in triumph into the city, and, during the fort-
night they are allowed to remain there, debtors can roam about, free
from molestation.
The neighbourhood teems with fragments of sepulchres, walls,
antae, baths, and other vestiges of antiquity, supposed to consist
principally of the ruins of Elorus and Icana ; but very httle has been
found to give any precise information respecting them : the following
is almost the only legible inscription that has been taken from
thence, and is preserved, among several other relics, at Noto :
EnirYMNAZiAPxn
APIZTinNOZ-TOYArA©
«MAIZTmNOZ-TOYEniKPAT
NEANIZKOI-IEPI2NEIO
ViNDiCARi. — About four miles south-south-west half-Avest from
the Ballata di Noto, beyond the pretty coves of Sta in Pace, hes
Vindicari, a small port and caricatore, situated near the sandy
marshes of Kovilta. These probably were once the port of Machara,
vestiges of which town still exist in the vicinity. Vindicari is de-
2 A 2
180 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
fended by a respectable tower of four guns ; the southern point of
the fort is formed by a small islet, called Macaresa, also bearing some
antique remains on its west side. Kefreshments may be procured,
but not with facility.
Leaving Vindicari, a fine bay extends towards Marzamemi ; and
about the middle of it is a place called the Porticella di Keitano,
where the common people, from tradition, believe an immense
treasure to be buried ; it has, in consequence, undergone some severe
ransacking.
Marzamemi. — Four miles and a half from Passaro tower stands
Marzamemi, a small filthy village, wliich, during the fishing season,
is strewed with the blood and intestines of the tunny ; as the people,
however, are industrious, this Tonnara is one of the most profitable
in Sicily, and there being a salt lake at the back of the Magazines,
where the salt necessary for the establishment is made, the site is
additionally valuable. The port, defended by a miserable tower-
battery, is very small and shallow, with two low islets off it, affording
but sufficient room for a few trading boats.
The coast, from Marzamemi to the southward, presents a barren,
desolate appearance, and is nearly deserted, which, I believe, is
principally owing to a dread of the Barbary cruisers. The soil is
naturally fertile, and of a volcanic nature, disposed in horizontal
strata of cinders and argillaceous tufa, in which other products are
imbedded and intersected by lavas, containing, however, neither
porphyry nor granite. Attempts have been made to improve these
lands, but, as usual with the Sicilian agriculturahsts, the desire of
immediate re-imbur semen t makes them force newly-cleared grounds
with successive crops of corn, until they become impoverished. The
Prince of GiardineUi has founded the town of Pachino on the hills,
the church of which, with the windmill near it, are conspicuous
objects all round this part of the coast
PASSARO. 181
Passaro. — Below Pachino is a large valley, with an extensive salt
lake, and two wells of fresh water between it and the sea. The eva-
poration occasioned by the heat of the sun causes the salt to crystallize
near the banks of the lake. The canes and shrubs arovmd are resorted
to by a profusion of game. From the shape of the beach that shuts
up this lake, I have no doubt of its having been once open, and that
it was the Port Pachynus, where the Koman fleet was so disgrace-
fully moored by the drunken Cleomenes, and where the hapless sailors
were compelled by hunger to devour the roots of the dwarf palm, a
plant that stDl flourishes in prodigious quantity.
On the point of the south part of the valley of Ginepre, and oppo-
site Passaro Isle, is the large " tonnara" of that name, an establish-
ment giving employment to about three hundred people, during the
fishing season. Passaro Isle is composed of a curious aggregate of
marble, lava, tufa, cinders, and oceanic deposits, and is high on all
sides but the west, where it is joined to the main by a sandy spit,
with two feet water on it. On its eastern point stands an excellent
tower-redoubt for twelve guns, garrisoned by seventy-five men, with
good bomb-proofs, stores, and cistern ; it commands the island and
coast for some distance, but would be infinitely more serviceable were
a lighthouse erected on it, as this point is hable daily to be either the
landfall or departure of various vessels.
This arid island, at the very extremity of the deserted wilds of
Sicily, appeared, as if intended by nature and man, to be a place of
banishment for the worst of criminals, under the control of some
pardoned bandit ; and on landing, the unfavourable prepossession was
strengthened in my mind, by seeing two crosses among the dwarf
herbage, to point out the spot where two murders had been perpe-
trated ; though in Roman Cathohc countries, crosses are, indeed, often
erected, not only where mui-ders have been committed, but also where
a man has died suddenly by disease or accident, without the benefit
of extreme unction. Our surprise, therefore, was great, on entering
182
SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
the tower, to be met on the drawbridge by a veteran gentleman of the
old school, with venerable white hair, and the order of Constantine
decorating his neat, but antiquated, uniform coat ; and still more, on
his introducing us to his family, consisting of his lady, two grown-up
daughters, and a son, who, with an air of politeness and good address,
had been brought up on this sequestered spot. Our arrival was hailed
by the family, the adjutant, and the chaplain, as a most auspicious
event ; and an hospitable kindness during the eight or ten days we
had occasion to remain there, proved the sincerity of their professions.
Still we found this remote community troubled mth many of the
agitations that disturb the peace of larger societies ; and the old gen-
tleman's vanity was conspicuous, by sending his in\atations to our
marquee on paper, stamped thus :
CAVALIER
D. O R A Z I
MOTTOLA
De' Marched delV Amato, Maggiore de' R. Eserciti di S. M. (D. G.)
Comandante Proprietario del R. Forte, ed Isola di Capopassero, suo
Littorale, e di Real Ordine incaricato delle Funzioni di Commissario
Reale di Guerra del medesimo Forte, e Deputato d' Alta
Polizia, ec. ec.
PASSARO. 183
This I have preserved, that the passing mariner, while he sympa-
thizes (as is always the case) with the wretched people svipposed to
exist on so desolate a point, may, perhaps, be amused at a specimen
of the Cape Passaro etiquette ; and which will, at the same time
teach him that old officers can be found, who would rather shine
in importance even there, than remain in insignificant obscurity in
a town.
IS4 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
CHAPTER V.
Detail of the South Coast of Sicily ; La Marza, Ispica, Modica, Scoglietti, Terra
Nova, Caltagirone, Alicata, Palma, Girgenti, Siculiana, Sciacca, and Selinuntum.
X HE south coast of Sicily is generally low and arid, and does not
possess a single harbour for large ships, though there are several to-
lerable summer anchorages.
The tides, or rather currents, arising from the constant evapora-
tion and the action of the winds, observe no regularity, rising a foot
or two, according to the weather and the pecuharities of locaHty and
depth ; thus the north-west wind, raking the shores, promotes a
strong set to the south-east ; while the south-western, which is here
very sensibly felt, during the vernal equinox, causes strong counter
currents ; and, at length, on its changing to the opposite quarter,
the whole body of water rushes to the westward with consider-
able velocity. On a subject, apparently so vague, the experiments
I then made could give little more than particular data; but
I hope that, when combined with those I am making in other parts
of the Mediterranean Sea, some general rules may ultimately be
ehcited. The medium heat of the sea, round Sicily, at a depth of
from ten to twenty fathoms, by the register thermometers of Six, is
from 73° to 76° ; which, being ten or twelve degrees warmer than
the water outside Gibraltar, accounts for the greater evaporation
and consequent currents. Although brilUant results have been
already obtained in the Atlantic Ocean, I conceive thermometrical
CAPE PASSARO. 185
observations to be still in their infancy ; and they seem to promise
consequences so important to navigation, that such easy observa-
tions cannot be too often repeated. As some of my present opera-
tions in the examination of tides have been singularly unsatisfac-
tory, it may not be amiss to mention my suspicion, that the lunar
influence, though so well ascertained in the Atlantic, is very imma-
terial in the Mediterranean ; and that possibly the sun's influence,
notwithstanding the idea has been hitherto rejected, ought to be con-
sidered. Newton himself, by acknowledging that there must also
be some other mixed cause for the return of the tides, was induced
to regard his theory as incomplete.
In long settled weather, the currents between Sicily and the Bar-
bary shore, and from thence to the westward of Gahta, run to the east-
ward at the rate of from half a mile to a mile an hour. In the chan-
nel of Malta, the south-east current has occasionally been so strong,
that ships have found it difficult to beat up to Maritimo ; while others,
driven to leeward of Malta, have been obliged to carry a press of
sail in order to hold their own, until a change of wind enabled them
to make the island again. Another proof of the influence of this
current is, that ships stretching over from Cape Passaro to Valetta,
with a northerly wind, usually keep a point higher than their true
course, to ensure reaching it.
The Sicilian coasts are sometimes also affected by a phenomenon,
called the mare-moto, wliich is the same in its effects at sea, as the
terra-moto, or earthquake, is on shore ; and appears to be owing to
similar causes.
Cape Passaro. — To the southward of Passaro isle is the low rocky
point, forming the east shore of Porto Paolo, and called Cape
Passaro. There is a httle village at a short distance inland, newly
settled, with a view to the cultivation of the adjacent neglected
plains. The coast has a melancholy appearance, there not being
2 B
186 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
even a fisherman's hut, or other indication of its ever having been
inhabited, except the ruins of a small oratory on the eastern side.
To the southwest of Porto Paolo, is situated the Isle of Cur-
rents, a sand-stone rock, divided from the main by a spit with very
shallow water, over which even small boats cannot pass ; on its
north-east side is a kind of natural mole, where the Maltese trading
boats, called " spironare," sometimes seek shelter. From thence a
bay called Fontanelle is formed ; within wliich there is a small cove,
between some picturesque wliite chfFs, called the Sciarra del Pes-
catore, where are remains of some ancient sepulchres in a kind of
rubble work. The neighbourhood is low, marshy, and neglected,
and overrun in many parts with a luxurious profusion of heaths,
myrtles, fan-palms, capers, and junipers. Numbers of singular reptiles
and insects abound, and every where may be observed the indus-
trious Httle scarabaeus, exerting its powers of mechanism in the
removal of loads several times its own bulk.
La Marza. — North-west from the Isle of Currents, distant nearly
six miles, is the small shallow bay of La Marza, where charcoal and
wood are embarked ; and near the centre of it, a spring of fresh water
rises through the sea. On its eastern point is the wretched village
of CasteUuccio, surrounded by a square crenated waU ; and some ad-
jacent ruins are said to be on the site of the ancient Edissa : if so, this
must have been the Odysseum, or port of Ulysses, and the scene of
his horrible dream, and subsequent sacrifice to Hecate ; or, perhaps,
the present bay only formed the entrance of the port, and the salt
marsh at the back constituted the harbour.
Here also lay the flotilla of Heracho the pirate, whose audacity
and success is related with such impressive vigour by Cicero, in one
of his orations against Verres, on the fatal consequences of that
Praetor's being induced, in order to facihtate the indulgence of his
unlawful passion for Nice, to appoint her husband, Cleomenes, a Syra-
LA MARZA. 187
cusan, to the command of the Roman fleet. I insert the passage,
not doubting but that, having arrived hither from Syracuse, touching
at all the intervening places in succession, the traveller will readily
enter into my feelings, respecting this fine, though long, description.
" After the fleet had made a little way, (from Syracuse,) and was
drifted towards Pachynus, the sailors, impelled by hunger, pulled up
the roots of the dwarf palms that grow in abundance throughout
Sicily ; and with this wretched food the unhappy men were forced
to content themselves. Cleomenes, who fancied himself another
Verres, both in profligacy and authority, got dead drunk, for whole
days together, in a tent upon the beach. But lo ! on a sudden,
while Cleomenes was in hquor, and the rest perishing with hvmger,
news arrives of piratical vessels being moored in the port of Echssa,
for so that place is named. Our fleet was in the port of Pachynus.
As there was a garrison of soldiers at hand, not indeed effective?
Cleomenes hoped to fill up with drafts his compliment of sailors.
In doing this, he had recourse to the same avaricious method as in
the equipment of the fleet. For the residue was small, and the
others were dismissed. Cleomenes, the admiral, orders the rigging
of the Centuripan quadrireme to be put in order, and the anchor to
be weighed. He made a signal for the rest of the ships to follow.
Tliis Centuripan vessel was an excellent sailer. No one knew the
quaUties of any ship, during the praetorship of Verres. Though in
this quadrireme, out of compHment to Cleomenes, but few sailors
and marines were wanting. The quacbireme had scudded out of
sight with inconceivable rapidity, before the other vessels had left
their moorings. The crews of the other ships had spirit and heart
left. Though few in number, notwithstanding their plight, they
gave out that they were willing to fight, and sell as dearly as pos-
sible, the few sparks of hfe, which their hunger had left ; and if
Cleomenes had not been so much a-head, there would have been
some chance of making an effectual resistance. The admiral's ship
2 B 2
188 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
was the only one decked, and so large, that it might have proved a
protection to the others : and had it come into action, it would
have been a city, as it were, among those piratical feluccas. Deserted,
then, by the admiral, they began to steer the same course : hke
Cleomenes, they made for Elorus. They did not so much fly from
the pirates, as pursue their admiral ; and as each was most in
the rear, so was he the more exposed to danger — for the pirates
attacked each rearmost vessel in its turn. The ship of Alluntium
strikes first ; her captain was Pilarchus, a nobleman of that city ;
whom the Locrians afterwards redeemed from the pirates. In a
former pleading you heard the circumstance from him upon oath.
The ship of ApoUonia strikes next, and her captain, Anthropinus, is
killed. While these transactions were taking place, Cleomenes had
touched and landed at Elorus, while he left his quadrireme floating
at large. The other captains made after him, since the admiral had
landed, and they were unable to fight, or escape from the pirates.
Presently the piratical captain Heraclio, who had gained the victory,
contrary to his expectations, not through his own valour, but the
avarice and wickedness of Verres, as evening approached, ordered
a splendid fleet of the Koman people, which lay wrecked on the
shore, to be burnt to ashes."
" the bitter and afflicting moment for the province of Sicily !
the catastrophe, pregnant with calamity to so many innocent men !
O the unprecedented turpitude of Verres ! One and the same night
consumed a prsetor with the vilest lust, and a Koman fleet with fire !
In the dead of the night, the bearer of the bad tidings arrives at
Syracuse ; he runs to the pr^torial palace, where courtezans a Uttle
before had brought back the praetor from his revels, attended by
vocal and instrumental musicians. Cleomenes, though it was night,
dared not shew himself in pubHc, but he shut himself up ; nor had
his wife access to him, to console her husband in affhction. So strict
was the discipline observed in the palace of our illustrious preetor,
SPACCAFORNO. 189
that, in a case of such importance, no one was admitted into liis
presence, no one who dared to disturb his slumbers, or interrupt him
when up. As soon as the circumstance was made known, great
multitudes of people flocked together from all parts of the city.
For the approach of the pirates was not signified to them in the
customary manner, not by signals placed on an eminence, nor by
hghts suspended from towers ; but their calamity and danger were
made known by the blaze itself of the whole navy in flames ! "
To return to La Marza. Ofi" this place, in July, 1815, I saw a
beautiful phenomenon, the lunar iris, very little inferior in briUiancy
and prismatic effect to the solar rainbow ; the arc was nearly com-
plete, the plainest termination appearing to be in the marshes, and
the undefined one over the bay of Pozzallo ; the moon was shining
with bright radiance, light vapoury clouds hung over the land, and
a lurid horizon bounded the sea. I have since been informed by
the Sicihans, that this pleasing object is not unfrequenton tliis part of
the coast, owing, they suppose, to exhalations from the swamps, and
several pecuhar locaUties. We vainly hoped that this phenomenon
would afford a clue to the strange assertion of Fazzello, " Landing
on the Isle of Currents, before the early sunbeams have gained
strength, hosts of men and armed sliips are seen in the air, that seem
to fight with each other ; but when the sun's rays begin to warm
the atmosphere, in an instant those aerial fantasms are dissipated."
Spaccaforno. — The sandy beach extending from Grotta point, is
broken, near the tower and oratory of Rosalini, by the rivulet of
Busaidone, the Hmpid streams of which irrigate the lands of Spacca-
forno, a walled town on a hill, giving the title of Marquess to the
Cassaro family. Spaccoforno has many churches, convents, and pubhc
buildings, with a population of eight thousand people ; and therefore
is the only town, properly speaking, between the confines of MocUca
and the city of Noto. It trades principally with Malta, where it
190 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
sends grain, flax, carubbas, acorns, soda, and cattle ; but the general
appearance is not prepossessing, and poor dirty wretches, in mise-
rable hovels, are seen in every quarter. It is a curious and pecuhar
custom here, to exclude all strangers from the town during the
celebration of Holy Thursday, a festival solemnized with much pomp,
and certain nocturnal processions, which, perhaps, for their own
credit, are not allowed to be witnessed by the uninitiated.
IspicA. — Between Spaccaforno and Modica is a deep valley, among
romantic and wild chffs, known to the Romans as the Ispica Fundus ;
and, from being luxuriantly cultivated at the bottom, and having a
rivulet murmuring through it, bears an interesting and picturesque
appearance. The sides are excavated into innumerable grottos,
difficult of access, of which the principal are, the Bocca del Vento,
the Spezzieria, the Larderia, the Spelonca Grossa, and the Grotta del
Corvo ; but the strongest and most extensive of them all is an isolated
mass, called the Castle : the ascent to it is by a very pecuhar flight
of steps, formed entirely by excavation, leading to the second story,
and thence to the apartments through a low arch. Lower down,
there are several monumental inscriptions in rude Greek. These
singular dwellings are still inhabited by a sturdy semi-civihzed race
of peasants, who subsist on a truly simple diet, still seeking food in
the berries of the myrtles, arbutuses, dwarf olives, stunted oaks,
brambles, and other plants, with which the country is overrun.
These cryptae appear to have been the earhest effort of a primitive
and pastoral people towards a town, and are generally without regu-
larity as to shape or magnitude ; in after ages they perhaps served
as a retreat in time of danger, and as a place of security on any extra-
ordinary alarm, for women, children, and valuables. In this light, I
was particularly struck with the resemblance these rude habitations
bore to the caves I had seen in Owhyhee, for similar uses, more espe-
cially those in the Table ChflP, near the Moral, in Karakakooah Bay.
MODICA. 191
The Troglodyte villages of northern Africa, of which I saw several,
are also precisely the same.
MoDiCA. — On leaving the rivulet of Busaidone, a sandy beach
extends to the white rock of Figallo, where, on a gentle eminence,
strewed with ancient vestiges, a small oratory, dedicated to the Ma-
donna, is erected on the rviins of a pagan temple. One mile from it,
is the boundary of the Contea of Modica, a county of about eighty
thousand inhabitants, and possessing nearly a hundred and twenty
thousand acres of land, endowed with singular privileges, most of
which have descended from the time of Roger ; the effect of them is
seen in a very superior spirit of activity and industry among the
natives, attended by greater affluence and comfort than any other
agricultural part of Sicily displays, although it is not naturally so
fertile as the rest.
Modica is in general rocky and hilly, with very bad roads ; but
boasts several fine extensive plains and romantic ravines. The soil
is mostly loose, calcareous, and dry ; many agricultural efforts are
made to render it productive, and are crowned with success, as is
testified by the abundant produce of corn, tobacco, oil, wine, soda
hemp, wool, canary seed, cheese, butter, and carubbas ; while, from
the attention paid to pasturage, the cattle are in great request. This
country also produces bitumen and salt, and although there are no
woods, there is so great a quantity of game, as to form an article of
export. The trade is principally with Malta, which is supplied from
hence mth the above necessaries, in exchange for cloth, spirits, hard-
ware, and colonial produce.
The tribunal of Modica is independent, and its decisions, particu-
larly in cases of murder, appear to be promptly executed, exhibit-
ing less of that apathy, or mistaken lenity, which pervades the other
Sicilian courts ; were it not for their alert pohce, the festivals of St.
George and St. Peter (each of whom have a cathedral in the capital of
192 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
the county) would often have been interrupted by the bloodshed of
rival votaries.
But though the natives of Modica are not deficient in enterprise
or commercial talent, and the quantity of cotton, wool, and other raw
productions, arising from their agricultural pursuits, afford the means
of giving employment to the poor, there is not an extensive manu-
factory in the county ; at least we cannot denominate as such, one
trifling coarse paper-mill, nor the attempt now making to avail them-
selves of the bed of bituminous brown stone near Ragusa*. The
inhabitants, however, are perhaps in a healthier state, both of body
and mind, following their rural labours, than if they were in the
enjoyment of the fallacious prosperity of the manufacturing system ;
which, as experience has shewn, while it tends to enervate and debase
the lower orders, and raise the aspiring capitaHsts above theii' proper
level, it also brings on the whole community the danger of war, and
all the consequent horrors and privations.
The capital city, though oddly situated amongst stragghng craggy
rocks, boasts some fine edifices. There are, besides, the popu-
lous towns of Ragusa, Vittoria, Scich, and Chiaramonte ; the latter
of which commands, from its Capuchin convent, one of the finest
and most extensive views in Sicily. A daring attack, made here by
the brigands, ten or twelve years ago, has been attended with the
salutary effect of awakening the vigilance of the magistracy, which
had, in that town, been rather dormant.
PozzALLO. — Pozzallo is the principal caricatore of the county for
the export of its produce, and affords summer anchorage ; it has a
small pier, several magazines, a baronial palace, and a church ; and
is defended by a fort, consisting of a battery, tower, and barbacan.
* The great proportion of hydrogen gas, contained in this stone, has been already men-
tioned in the first chapter.
POZZALLO— PORTO SECCO. 193
calculated for a garrison of fifty or sixty men. Although a prohi-
bition has been issued against the erection of more houses, and to
prevent the migration of families from other parts of the country
thither, it has a flourishing appearance, and the inhabitants are
healthy and industrious. Black cattle, sheep, pigs, rabbits, pigeons,
fruit, and vegetables, may be procured there at a moderate rate.
The coast to the westward, leading by the low rocky points of
Gregorio and Corvo, at the distance of about six or seven miles, leads
into the Bay of San Pietro, the second caricatore of Modica, where,
on a rocky point, at the end of a sandy beach, stands a very mi-
serable village, of about three hundred inhabitants. On our first
arrival here, the weather was so threatening, that we hauled up otu-
gun-boat on the beach, and finding San Pietro a very miserable place,
we repaired to Scich, where we got tolerable quarters and excellent
food. On my succeeding visit, under similar circumstances, I re-
treated to a large kind of tower (a dwelling common in places exposed
to desultory attacks) on a marsh near the beach, but which, though
dignified with the ostensible name of Palazzo, was excessively filthy,
and so infested with vermin, that Heliogabalus might have collected
more spiders there than in all Kome ; a sorry and unworthy speci-
men of Modica.
PoRTO Secco. — Leaving San Pietro, and rounding the point, a
deep cove is met with, probably once a tolerable port, for even now
there is often sufficient water for boats, and from thence, round the
rocky point of Spina, there are several sandy bays, where small craft
repair for cargoes, the principal of which are Donna Lucata, Mazza-
rella, and Porto Secco. The latter is remarkable as the site of
Caucana, where Belisarius anchored with his fleet, and where Count
Roger assembled his expedition against the Saracens of Malta. As
both these armaments were formidable, and Caucana afforded them
security, I infer that the beach between Longobardo and Cape Sca-
2 C
194 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
lambra has been formed since, and that a capacious basin existed in
the intermediate marshy grounds.
There are various vestiges scattered over the whole of this nearly
deserted neighbourhood, from the " Anticaglie," or ruins of Longo-
bardo, to the town of Sta. Croce, though, excepting Caucana, we
read of no place of great consideration between Camarina and
Motyca.
This part of the coast was always greatly dreaded by the ancients;
and, in the first Punic war, a formidable Koman fleet, proceeding to
attack Cartalo, the Carthaginian, encountered a severe gale of wind
off this place, in which three hundred and forty men-of-war, and
onoraries, or horse and troop transports, to the number of three
hundred, were driven on shore ; so that the whole coast, from Scog-
lietti to Passaro, was strewed with the bodies of men and horses,
and the wrecks of ships and smaller vessels. Polybius throws some
light on ancient navigation, in his description of this disaster, by
saying, " This misfortune was not so much to be ascribed to accident,
as to the imprudent obstinacy of the Consuls. For the pilots had
given them repeated warnings not to sail along the exterior coast of
Sicily, wliich looks towards Africa, where the shore was open, and
afforded no convenient harbour ; but the Consuls despised their ad-
monitions, and held on their course along this coast."
Two or three miles inside Point Plaja, on a rising ground, marked
by a Saracen tower, stood Camarina, a city originally founded by
Dascon and Menecolus, of Syracuse ; which, after several vicissitudes,
was, at length, surprised in the height of its prosperity, by the crafty
Dionysius, on his disgraceful retreat from Gela ; when the citizens,
with their wives and children, were obhged instantly to evacuate it,
and follow the tyrant.
This measure has been represented as the result of policy and
humanity, to save the citizens from the Punic army ; but, as they
were forced from their homes without respect " either to old and
SCOGLIETTI. 195
grave men, or to young and tender women," and as " the young
gentlemen and ladies in marriageable estate were, unbecoming their
rank and age, tumultuously, and regardlessly driven, led, and dragged,
in droves through the highways," as Diodorus says, it is clear they
were not free agents ; and it remains doubtful whether they would
not have preferred the Carthaginian to the Syracusan yoke, a choice
far from rare among the Grecian settlements of Sicily.
The celebrated lake, the fruitless attempt to drain which gave rise
to the proverb " Camarinam movere," is now a marsh, through
which the stream, anciently called Hipparis, and deriving its source
from the spring of Diana at Comiso, finds its way to the sea. There
are scarcely any vestiges remaining, but the excavations of the Prince
of Biscari here have supplied his museum with some of his rarest
medals, busts, and vases.
ScoGLiETTi. — On the northern point of Camarina is Scoglietti, a
village with capacious magazines on the side of a small rocky bay,
but, although one of the most frequented " caricatori" on the coast,
it has no work of defence. The bay is entirely open to the heavy
westerly winds so prevalent in winter, in consequence of which many
vessels have been wrecked. Indeed, riding there has ever been at-
tended with so much danger, that the small church (part of a Greek
temple) is entirely lined with little votive pictures, and rehcs of
trusty cables, from vessels that have been miraculously saved ; and
over the basin of holy water is placed a skull, with an injunction to
remember death ; " a needless caution," it was remarked to me, " for
we can never look at the bay without bearing it in mind."
Between Scoglietti and Terranova, the river Dirillo, which rises
near Vizzini, disembogues itself; this was anciently called the
Achates, not from the faithful friend of ^Eneas, as has been as-
serted, but because it was celebrated for its fine agates : the famous
anthropomorphous one, worn by Pyrrhus, was found here. The
2 C 2
196 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
Achates, as well as the Gela, may be said to have nearly exhausted
their urns, for they have become very insignificant streams.
Terr AND VA. — On a tabled hill, between the rivulets Muratio and
Soprano, stands Terranova, on the much-contested site of Gela, and
the neighbourhood doubtlessly constitutes the Geloan fields, so cele-
brated for corn ; where^Eschylus met his death, by the singidar acci-
dent of an eagle letting fall a tortoise on his head. I have presumed
to decide thus, because I think the spot has better fovmded claims
than Alicata : not so much from the evidence of existing vestiges, as
from the conclusive testimony of historic details. It is well esta-
bhshed, that, on the repulse of his troops by the Carthaginians,
Dionysius evacuated the city, in the first watch of the night, by stra-
tagem, and arrived at Camarina by the following morning, a march as
possible to effect from the one station, as impracticable from the
other ; not only on account of the distance, (the one being eighteen
miles, and the other thirty-five,) but also because the road near Alicata
is more hilly, broken, and difficult, and it would have been necessary
to cross the large river Himera. On another occasion it is asserted, that
Himilco detached a force from Agrigentum to encamp before Gela,
wliich, being defeated, was driven back across the Himera. An ad-
ditional proof is also afforded by the defeat of Agathocles, after his
cruel massacre and pillage of the city ; for the Carthaginians were
encamped on Mount Ecnomus (over Alicata), and the crafty tyrant
from Gela had his quarters on a hill, called Phalereus, opposite to
Ecnomus, and there was a salt river between them ; this he crossed
to attack the Punic camp, on the west-side of the stream, and being
worsted, with difficulty re-crossed it, and escaped to Gela.
Gela was founded by some Khodians and Cretans, under Anti-
phemus and Eutimus ; had numberless severe struggles for its exis-
tence ; gave birth to Apollodorus and Timogenes, and was destroyed
by Phintias, tyrant of Agrigentum, about four hundred years after
TERRANOVA— CALTAGIRONE. 197
its foundation. There are but few relics of antiquity remaining :
the most remarkable is a corroded Doric column on the sea-shore, of
wliich four fluted drums and the capital lie on the sand, while another
portion of the shaft is still erect ; round the base an excavation has
been made, to the depth of fifteen or sixteen feet, but nothing dis-
covered, though there are fragments of vases in all directions, and
many ancient coins are still constantly found.
The town of Terranova is well situated, but the streets are con-
fused and dirty ; and its castle, churches, and convents appear neg-
lected, though the public hospital is tolerable, and the palace is a
fine edifice. The population amounts to about nine thousand, who
maintain a brisk trade in sulphur, corn, wine, and coarse cloth, which
last article finds a good market at the commercial fair held in
August; they ought therefore to possess more comfort than they
appear to enjoy.
There hves in this town an extraordinary race of strolling musi-
cians and players, who have all shared alike, for fifty years, and are
thence denominated, " la compagnia degli uniti," or the united com-
pany, and subsist by performing in the town, occasionally sallying
forth into various parts of the island. The greater part of the old
stock have died off, but the children continue in perfect harmony,
have intermarried, and a third generation is already beginning to
step on the boards, nor are their attempts so contemptible as might
be supposed.
Caltagirone. — Caltagirone, an opulent and extensive city, of
twenty thousand inhabitants, tends greatly to the prosperity of Ter-
ranova, as a quantity of its produce is brought down there for em-
barkation by a tolerable road. It stands in a salubrious situation,
on a rocky hill, and from various sepulchres and other remains, is
pronounced to be on the site of Hybla H^rea: it is added, that
having been repaired by Gelon, its name ought to be written Calata
Gelon. When the Normans took the island, some Saracens defended
198 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
themselves so obstinately on an elevated spot, called Zotica (the
present paradise of Judica,) that they were obliged to call in the
assistance of the men of Caltagirone, promising them the territory,
if successful. Having succeeded, and obtained the reward, and
having since appropriated the revenues of the university or town-
ship, to the payment of the taxes, it is now the richest and best
governed city in Sicily. But about thirty or forty years ago, in con-
sequence of the taunting tyranny of the nobles, who, by ostentatious
pomp and luxury, rendered the pangs of penury doubly gaUing, a
memorable revolt broke out among the lower orders, during a scar-
city ; in which, after a member of the San Lorenzo family had been
sacrificed, and one of the Gravinas burnt ahve, the mob were vic-
torious, and the families of San Lorenzo, Beremuta, Gravina, Sor-
rentino, and others, were obhged to escape to Catania.
The streets of Caltagirone are clean, spacious, well paved, and tole-
rably lighted: many of the palaces and other buildings are handsome,
and the market is well supplied with provisions, at moderate rates ;
notwithstanding which, and the general appearance of industry, beg-
gars and idle persons are numerous. A grand festival and fair is
held for fifteen days in October, during which great sales are made
of cattle, cloth, honey, wax, poultry, and agricidtural produce. A
kind of soft argillaceous earth is found here, and manufactured into
tolerable imitations of the Saxon porcelain ; groups of figures in the
various costumes of Sicily, are also formed from it, with infinite
taste ; and the neighbourhood itself aiFords saffron, red and yellow
ochre, bistre, soda, and other colouring materials.
The river Salso empties itself into the sea, between Ahcata and
the Fonducella; it is esteemed the largest in Sicily, and was anci-
ently called the southern Himera ; it rises in the Madonia moun-
tains, and is rendered brackish by the junction of a stream at Calta-
nisetta, that runs from the salt-mines in that vicinity. Over this
river, there is a large and spacious bridge, of a single arch, built by
order of Charles V., the magnitude of which gave rise to the pro-
AUG ATA. 199
verbial saying, that Sicily contains " un monte, un fonte, ed un
ponte," or, one mountain, one fountain, and one bridge, alluding to
jEtnsL, Arethusa, and the structure in question.
Alicata. — On the right bank of the river Salso, stands AHcata*,
a considerable " caricatore," for the export of grain and sulphur : it
is an ehgible military position, and has two tolerable forts ; but the
walls have gone to decay, and are lying in large fragments on the
beach. The population amounts to nearly eleven thousand, and there
are several churches and convents, but no establishments for education
or charity, except a miserable alms-house ; and the general appearance
is that of neglect and poverty, although much employment is af-
forded to the lower orders by commerce, in summer. Yet even here,
as in aU the larger SiciUan towns, there is a CafFe de' Nobili, where
the gentlemen are seen lounging their heavy hours away in insipid
monotony.
The natives of AUcata are anxiously desirous of recognising in
their town the ancient Gela, and have not only contested with the
literati on the subject, but have assumed the figure of a bull with a
human head, borne by the Geloan coins, as their symbol. The prin-
cipal pretensions are founded on a rock, called from time immemo-
rial, " lo scogHo di Gelone ;" on a Greek inscription preserved in the
cathedral, recording the honour of an oHve cro^vn, decreed by the
people of G^la to Heraclides, the son of Zopyrus ; on the plain being
bathed by the Salso ; and on a staircase, and remains of various ancient
edifices near the Capuchin convent. These, however, are vague notices
to be placed in array against historical facts, and there can be no doubt
(out of Alicata), that this town stands on the site of Phintia, a city
founded by the tyrant of Agrigentum, two hundred and eighty
* I have adopted the most generally received orthography of tlie name, but it is also
written Leocata and Licata, probably derived from the Arabic word likarta, or recovered,
from some event relating to the Saracen fortunes.
200 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
years before Christ ; and as he transported most of the inhabitants
of Gela thither, and beautified it with sculpture from thence, the
various coincidences before alluded to, are easily explained. But
one of the, clearest evidences is the hill itself, for it is distinctly the
Ecnomus, on which the Carthaginians encamped. It was so named
(Ecnomus, meaning wicked), on account of there having been a castle
of Phalaris on it, wherein was kept the celebrated brazen bull, in
which criminals were tormented to death, by fire being put under
it, and baking them by slow degrees, while the cries of the sufferers
gaining vent through intricate tubes, resembled the roaring of the
animal : it is some consolation to add, that the miscreant who con-
trived this infernal engine, and presented it to Phalaris, was by a
refinement in justice and cruelty, immediately thrown into it by the
tyrant, as a trial of its effects*.
In no part of the south-east is the want of a port so severely felt as at
Alicata, although there is every local advantage for forming one with
facility, and at a moderate expense, as the two reefs of rocks, off the
west end of the town, covdd easily be converted into excellent moles,
(the neighbouring mountain affording stone and hme in abundance,)
and the useless old horn-work of the castle might be excavated into a
wet dock, capable of containing nearly a hundred sail of small craft
in perfect security. At the urgent request of the inhabitants, I
presented a plan for the formation of such a port, to the minister of
war and marine, at Palermo, in which I represented the evident
superiority of this spot over Girgenti, its resources, and aU the parti-
culars relative to its nautical advantages ; and as the town volun-
teered to defray all attendant expenses, I hope there is the greater
probability of its yet being accomphshed.
* In the museum of the East India House in London, a toy is preserved, taken from the
palace of Tippoo Saib at Seringapatam, worthy of another Phalaris : it is a tiger, neai'ly
as large as life, over a prostrate British soldier, and by machinery the man's groans are at
intervals drowned in the roar of the tiger.
PALMA. 201
Palma.— Palma is a very respectable town, pleasantly situated on
a hill, about two miles from the beach, overlooking one of the finest
vales in Sicily ; it appears to be under excellent municipal regida-
tion ; and its population, of upwards of eight thousand people, enjoy
comparative affluence, arising from a brisk trade in almonds and
sulphur. The adjacent covmtry is, in part, well cultivated, and
many cattle are reared ; which certainly would be much finer if,
instead of feeding scantily on wastes and commons, they were in-
dulged with some good pasturage.
In one of the churches rest the ashes of Hodierna, the celebrated
mathematician to the Duke of Palma, and author of many works on
physics, optics, and astronomy; here he observed and pubhshed, for the
first time, an account of the immersion of the first sateUite of Jupiter,
the echpse ha\dng taken place at twelve hours six minutes, on the 27th
of June, 1652. La Lande, in commenting on Hodierna, has assigned
the position of this town as being in latitude 37° 20' N., and longi-
tude 13° 39' 40' E. ; but, by angles from Ahcata, carried on to Gir-
genti, the position of the building called Calvary, (the probable site
of the observatory,) is in latitude 37° 09' 10", and longitude 13° 45 20"
E. of Greenwich. INIy worthy friend, the Baron de Zach, says — " Les
Sicilians pretendent que Hodierna devanf a Newton sur la decomposi-
tion de la lumiere ; mais le P. Piazzi a ecrit a feu M. de la Lande,
qu'il n'a pas vu une chose aussi exageree; Hodierna observait cepen-
dant avec le prisme. On lui attribue a plus juste titre, une autre de-
couverte, c'est qu'il fut le premier qui avan^a qua la reine-abeille
faisait seule tous les oeufs." It is somewhat singular, that the scene
of the former scientific claim should be laid at Palma, when Gir-
genti, the next town to it, asserts that the physiological system of
Empedocles, more than two thousand years before the days of Ho-
dierna, was the precursor of Sir Isaac Xewton's universal principle.
Westward of Palma, on the summit of a hill, stands the castle
of Monte Chiaro, consisting of a large square keep with outworks,
2 D
■202 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
but destitute of ordnance ; under it the coast is a continuous shelf
of rocks. It was in consequence of this, that so much destruction
ensued in 1570, when Ochah, (by othess called UlucchiaH) the cor-
sair, being to windward, attacked the Maltese squadron, defeated it,
and drove the admiral's galley, with several others, on the rocks ;
by which the resources of the Order were so weakened, as to be able
to supply only three vessels for the battle of Lepanto. According to
another account of this disaster, the Capitana galley, and her consort,
were purposely run on shore, after the surrender of the Sta. Anna
and the escape of the San Stefano ; not, however, on the rocks,
but on the beach, in such a situation, that the knights and soldiers
landed, with the intention of defending the vessels and slaves from
the approaching enemy. Yet, in spite of this, the corsairs phed
their grape-shot so well and so briskly, as to enable them to tow
away both galleys, with their artillery, stores, and plunder, and se-
veral hundred slaves, who were thus restored to hberty.
Bay of Girgenti. — The river of Naro was anciently called the
Hypsa ; and on its banks was fought the hard contested battle,
wherein the Carthaginians were defeated by the forces of Daphneeus,
the Syracusan. It takes its present name from Naro, a considerable
town, agreeably situated on an eminence, surrovmded by fertile val-
leys and glens, ornamented with picturesque clumps of trees. From
medals that have been found, and the numerous sepulchres, and
other vestiges of former times, it has been regarded, but erro-
neously, as the site of the Phoenician Motya. At the mouth of the
river there is a shoal and a bar ; notwithstanding which, it might be
rendered of great service, in the transport of the sulphur of the
adjacent mines.
Between the mole of Girgenti and the river of Naro, is the
Fiume di Girgenti, formerly the Akragas ; and, though now choaked
with shallows, it was the emporium of Agrigentum.
BAY OF GIRGENTI. 203
The mole of Girgenti was built by Charles III., the magnificent
benefactor of Naples, in the year 1756, at the public expense ;
but the situation was chosen rather on account of the soil being
adapted for the formation of subterranean granaries, than for its
maritime eligibility. The mole is constructed with large blocks of
marine exuvise, consisting almost wholly of petrified shells ; these
stones were brought from the ruins of the temple of Jupiter Olym-
pius, by royal permission. This substance does not appear, how-
ever, to resist the action and effect of sea-water as well as it did
those of time and of atmosphere, its former opponents, for it is
already so worn by corrosion, that it might easily be mistaken for a
work of considerable age.
The " caricatore" consists of about a hundred houses, besides some
extensive corn magazines, and a prison ; with a population of seven
hundred people, exclusive of two or three hundred galley-slaves,
who are kept here at a heavy annual expense, for clearing the har-
bour of the deposits occasioned by the southerly winds. These
convicts are condemned for all sorts of crimes, murder not excepted,
for a certain number of years, or for hfe, to hard labour, and are
called galley slaves, from their formerly having been chained as
rowers in the galleys. They are filthy, riotous, and debauched ;
and, under pretence of soliciting charity, have a method of infecting
the casual visitor with a portion of their vermin. One miscreant
imposed himself upon me, by a well-written letter, as a gentleman,
who had been thrown into this deplorable misery by the persecution
of a certain person high in office ; and so far deceived me, that I
obtained the Governor's permission (although I could not alter his
opinion of the man) for him to be excused from hard labour, until
I had made some inquiries at Palermo : the disgusting recital that
ensued, proving that, from the rank of a captain in the army, he
had cheaply escaped with his present fate, made me regret the
lengths to which I had proceeded in his behalf
a D 2
204 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
The " caricatore" has tolerable means of defence against Barbary
cruisers, but would be ineffectual against regular attacks, as it
would be impossible to defilade the old seven-gun tower to the chff
above it ; and the mole-head battery is completely commanded.
There are two Hght-houses, one at the mole-head, and the other on
the cliff; both of which, though judiciously placed, are useless, from
the badness of the construction, and the wretchedness of the hghts.
The granaries of this place are valued for their peculiar proper-
ties ; they consist of large conical matamores, or cisterns, dug in a
dry calcareous rock with a sahne taste; and, being entirely free from
the effects of humidity, corn has been preserved in them nearly
twenty years without injury. Nothing is charged for thus housing the
grain for home consumption, though on doing so for export a rent is
paid to the king, he being the proprietor of these caverns ; consi-
derable profit, however, is derived by his majesty in both cases,
by the increase of measure ; for when one of the matamores is
opened, the corn is taken to the large magazines above ground in
the " caricatore," where it is exposed for some days to the air, which
sweUs the grain considerably, and the merchant, of course, only re-
ceives the same number of salms that he deposited.
GiRGENTi. — The city of Girgenti stands on the side of a hill,
nearly twelve hundred feet above the level of the sea, from whence
it has a favourable effect, as almost every house is seen. A tolerable
road, of about four miles, leads between the sites formerly occupied
by the ancient Carthaginian and Roman camps, over the Akragas,
into the town, by part of the identical intricate path constructed by
Deedalus for Cocalus, to secure the celebrated citadel of Camicus.
The whole of this mountain is an extraordinary mass of marine pe-
trifactions, consisting of oysters, cockles, sea-eggs, scallops, whilks,
limpets, and other testaceous and crustaceous animals, in a most incon-
gruous mixture.
BAY OF GIRGENTI— GIRGENTI. 205
The town is irregular and dirty ; most of the streets, or rather
alleys, are ill-paved, and not onl}^ difficult of access, but many of
them are absolutely dangerous, and the whole aspect is rendered
still more comfortless by a prevalent appearance of poverty. The
number of inhabitants is estimated at fifteen thousand, (once two
hundred thousand !) of whom the clergy and monks form an over-
bearing proportion. The public buildings are large, but generally
without merit, excepting, indeed, the public seminary and the library,
instituted by Bishop Lucchesi ; in which there is a small cabinet,
containing many valuable vases, some of which, could they be inter-
preted, or rather elucidated, would be eminently useful, as I have no
doubt of the figures being emblematic of the Eleusinian rites, and
therefore the depositary of polytheistical mystery. There is also in
the same cabinet, a respectable collection of medals and coins ; num-
bers had been stolen, but an excommunication being fulminated
against the trangressors, most of them were privately restored.
The cathedral is a large heavy structure of the thirteenth century,
and is remarkable for a curious echo in it, called the " Porta voce,"
by which a whisper is conducted from the entrance, along the aisles,
to the cornice over the principal altar, a distance of upwards of two
hundred and sixty feet, and is said to have occasioned some ludicrous
cross-purposes at the confessional, before its properties were disco-
vered. The baptismal font is a sarcophagus ; which, according to
the conoscenti, represents either the death of Adonis, of Hippo-
lytus, or of Phintias, the tyrant, who was killed at a boar hunt,
at Tuneta, while in exile. This relic, though interesting from its
antiquity, does not merit the reputation it has obtained, there being
many palpable defects in its execution : it seems copied from some-
thing better ; and one face of it appears to be the work of a master, and
the others of pupils. In this church there is a very rich chahce, and a
pix, ornamented with a profusion of diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.
Among other paintings, there is a valuable Madonna, by Guido.
206 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
As the " locanda" is wretchedly dirty, the Dominican convent is
always open to the traveller, and he wiU, on acquaintance, receive
every requisite civility ; but it must be acknowledged, that a cool-
ness has been maintained against British tourists, by many elders of
the church, on account of the reprimand they received as a body, on
the appearance of INIr. Brydone's pubUcation ; through which also the
poor Canon Eecupero, of Catania, lost his church preferment. It is
to be regretted, that so hvely a writer as Brydone should be so commu-
nicatively inchned, in his pointed mention of persons, and that he
laboured under such a cacoethes, as to sacrifice a friend for the sake
of a good story ; whilst I must say, in paUiation, that though a din-
ner, in celebration of an annual festival (like the one alluded to),
with the additional excitement of English guests, and a new beve-
rage (punch), of the potency of Mhich they were not aware, may
have led " these reverend fathers of the church" into a casual excess :
their general conduct is very far from intemperate.
Agrigentum. — The high rocky mount, to the eastward of Girgenti,
is called Rupa Athenea, and was formerly a strong natural rampart
against the attempts of an enemy to the northward. Between it and
the two branches of the river, in one of the finest situations ima-
ginable, stood the opulent city of Akragas, or Agrigentum, founded
by a colony from Gela, under Aristonus and Pystilus, and renowned
through all ages for its power, grandeur, and commercial entei^jrise.
Of tliis active state sufficient vestiges remain to bring, feehngly, to our
recollection, the policy of Theron, the hospitahty of Gellias, the osten-
tation of Excenetus, the cruelty of Phalaris, and, above all, the talent
of Empedocles, who at once excelled in astronomy, liistory, physic,
rhetoric, philosophy, poetry, and music.
This wealthy city was immersed in the greatest luxury and sen-
suality when Hannibal and Himilco, or Imilcon, sat down before it
with an army of a bundled and twenty thousand men. Proposals
AGRIGENTUM. 207
were sent, inviting the Agrigentines either to join the invaders as
confederates, or to remain neuter, during the impending contest with
the Syracusans. Both offers being indignantly rejected, the invest-
ment was vigorously pushed, and the walls were violently assaulted.
The citizens, however, manifested considerable spirit ; and, in a suc-
cessful saUy, destroyed the moveable towers and battering engines of
the besiegers; while a pestilential disease, that had been engendered
in the enemy's camp by the demolition of the tombs, and which in-
fected Hannibal himself, afforded them a temporary relief But the
fierce Himilco, after solemn supphcations to the deities, sacrificing a
noble youth to Saturn, according to their appalling rites, and throw-
ing a company of priests into the sea, as an offering to Neptune,
pressed his operations so indefatigably, that, notwithstanding the
powerfvd diversion of Daphnieus, with the troops of Syracuse, INIes-
sana, Camarina, and Gela, his works were completed in the eighth
month of the siege. At this critical period, a large convoy of pro-
visions having been intercepted by the Carthaginians, the citizens
were reduced to such factious despair, that they murdered their own
Generals, and were consequently abandoned to their fate by Dexip-
pus, the Lacaedemonian. In this distress they formed, and executed,
the resolution of evacuating the city, under cover of a long winter's
night; and, escorted by the soldiers, arrived in safety at Gela, whence
they were forwarded to Leontium, where quarters were provided for
them. Some of the infirm and sick were unavoidably left behind,
and some few preferred remaining : amongst the latter was the cele-
brated GelUas, who, having repaired, wdth some of his adherents, to
the temple of Minerva, and apprehending a violation of its sanctity
from the Spanish and African ruffians, then pillaging the richest of
Grecian cities, set fire to the edifice, and perished in the flames.
The space once occupied by this city, is now a continued range of
orchards and gardens, and of groves of almond and olive trees ; the
latter of which were the first and chief source of its wealth. The
208 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
south wall stood on a rocky eminence, forming a natural barrier be-
tween the two branches of the river, leaving a triangular plain to
the southward of it, which was covered with the cenotaphs and se-
pulchres, so impolitically destroyed by Hannibal. The vestiges now
remaining, are the tomb of Theron, and part of a wall, a staircase,
a pilaster, and two columns " in antis" of the temple of vEsculapius.
The tomb of Theron, wliich cannot be called either magnificent or
elegant, is identified by its being near the sea gate, and the record
that it was the only one saved ; it having been struck by hghtning at
the critical moment of plunder. It is about twenty-eight feet high,
and fifteen square at the base ; is in tolerable condition, and consists
of a square pilaster on a triple phnth, with a cornice surmounted
by an attic, having a window on each side, larger at the bottom than
at the top ; and fluted columns, with Ionic capitals at each angle,
with a Doric entablature : offering, on the whole, a strange mixture
of architectural pecuUarities. Some antiquaries maintain this to be
the tomb of the horse of Phalaris ; but, I believe, without any other
reason than because the Agrigentines were so luxurious in their
pursuits, that they were wont to erect monuments to their favourite
animals; especially to those steeds that were successful on the
course. In short, says Diodorus, the excess and luxury of the Agri-
gentines, by reason of their riches, was such, that not long after, in
the very height of the siege, which ended in the sacking of the
city, a decree was made, that no person, upon guard in the night,
should have more than a bed, a tent, a woollen mantle, and two
pillows.
On the eastern angle of the south wall of the city, on a bold
rock, there are remains of the temple of the Virgins, generally
called that of Juno Lucina ; it is a peripteral parallelogram of
thirteen Doric columns in depth, and six in breadth ; its architec-
tural character is that of dignified simplicity, combined with a sym-
metrical perfection of component parts. The columns of the north
AGRIGENTUM. 209
side of the peristyle are still entire, but most of the others are dila-
pidated ; the plinth, with a part of the entablature, are whole ; but
the south side of the peristyle, the walls of the cella, and the co-
lumns and pilasters of the pronaos and postieum, are in a very
ruinous condition. From the temple a peribolus extended eastward
to the chfF, and overlooked the Neapolis ; it is of very large stones,
as appears in the plate. At the west end there is an open portico,
formed by two pilasters and two columns, commanding a superb
view of the temples of Concord and Hercules, enriched by just as
much foliage as gives architecture its happiest effect ; while the
town of Girgenti, the fertile environs, the busy road to the sulphur
mines, and the blue expanse of the ocean, unite in forming an in-
teresting and charming scene. The name of the temple of the
Virgins, in addition to that of Juno Lucina, is said to have arisen
from a famous painting of the goddess, by Xeuxis ; who, in order to
endow his portrait with grace, elegance, and beauty, selected five
from among the most lovely of the Agrigentine ladies, and by an
union of all their charms completed his Juno.
Along the sides of the hill, stretching from this temple to the
westward, the chff, consisting of a soft calcareous tufa that abounds
there, and, apparently, an oceanic sediment, is cut so as to leave a
kind of wall, which is very absurdly weakened by numerous niches,
that served as graves, and must have greatly injured the defences.
There are also several large cisterns, and some subterranean passages
in this neighbourhood.
Abovit half way between the sea-gate and the temple of Juno, is
to be seen one of the most complete remains of the earhest epoch of
Greek architecture extant. It is usually called the temple of Con-
cord, from a Latin inscription in the market-place, being supposed
to relate to it ; Uke that of Juno, it is a parallelogram of thirteen
columns deep and six broad, but it differs in each of the side walls
of the cella, having six arched openings, without any signs of there
2 E
210 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
ever having been doors ; these arches, as they are otherwise un-
known in Greek edifices, have given rise to numerous conjectures
among the architects and antiquaries. On each side of the trans-
verse wall of the pronaos, a flight of steps leads to the summit of
the architrave ; and the whole temple, with the exception of part of
the entablature and roof, is so nearly perfect, as to be a favourable
specimen of the beauty of the system of uninterrupted hues, and
its superiority over that of transepts and frequent breaks. Its dimen-
sions are,
Feet.
128
Inches,
6
54
8
48
6
24
8
22
1
4
7
Length .....
Breadth .....
Length of cella
Width of ceUa
Height of the columns
Diameter of ditto, at the base
I cannot say that the superb ruins of the Parthenon of Athens
excited an interest more in unison with my feelings, than the sight
of this beautifid, but simple, fane ; though the materials, extent, and
execution, create a vast difference in favour of the glory of the
AcropoHs. The most injured parts of tliis structure were repaired
by the present King of Naples ; a service recorded by an inscription
in large bronze characters on white marble, extending along the
whole front, under the triglj phs, and forming a harsh contrast to
the soft yellow tint of the marine agglutination with which the edifice
is built.
Between the temple of Concord and the Sea-gate stood the
temple of Hercules, once rich in paintings and statues ; but of which
only the foundation, a httle of the cella, and a single dilapidated
column remain. From the specimens scattered around, it appears
to have been larger, and no way inferior in execution, to the two
just described. This temple contained the celebrated picture of
young Hercules strangling the snakes ; and also the bronze statue of
AGRIGENTUM. 211
that deity, wliich, Cicero says, nothing could exceed in beauty, had
not the mouth and chin been worn by the kisses of devotees. To
obtain this specimen of art, Verres attacked the temple in the night,
and gave occasion to the humorous description of the circumstance
by the orator; who adds, that the Sicilians remarked, in punning
irony, that the gods, in driving off the plundering praetor, made as
great an addition to his labours, as in the conquest of the Eryman-
thean War.
Near this temple, towards the sea-gate, are vestiges of a large
building, supposed to be either the remains of a custom-house, or
of the mansion of the hospitable GeUias ; but I could discover no
traces of the renowned cellars of the latter, that Avere said to be ex-
cavated in the rock. On this subject Diodorus says, " Polychtus, in
his history, declares, that, when he was a soldier in Agrigentvun, he
saw a wine-cellar in the house of GeUias, in which were contained
tlu-ee hundred great vessels, cut out of one and the same rock, each
of which received a hundred hogsheads ; and that near to these was
placed a cistern, made of pure white tempered mortar, containing a
thousand hogsheads, and out of which the hquor ran into the vessels.
It is said, that this GeUias was of a very mean presence, but of ad-
mirable parts and ingenuity. Being once sent as ambassador to the
Centuripes, aU the people feU a laughing when he entered the as-
sembly, seeing the miserable aspect of the man, so discordant with
his great fame and reputation in the world ; upon which he made
this sharp retort, — that what they saw in him was not to be won-
dered at, because the Agrigentines always send the comeUest and
handsomest men to the noblest cities ; but to those that were mean,
and of Uttle note, such as liimself."
On the opposite side of the road, are the vast remains of the
famous temple of Jupiter Olympius, said to have been three hun-
dred and forty feet long, sixty wide, and one hundred and twenty
2 E 2
212 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
high ; these are certainly disproportionate and erroneous dimensions ;
but, from a comparison of the measurements of other SiciUan fanes,
particidarly the large one at Sehnuntum, we may safely accept the
proportions as being exact, if, for sixty, we read a hundred and sixty,
an error that may easily have crept into the early manuscripts.
Enormous blocks of stone testify the grandeur of this edifice ; and,
besides the masses of shafts and capitals, I saw the lower half of a
human face, apparently part of a statue that ornamented the pedi-
ment, which measured a foot from the chin to the middle of the
mouth, and two feet across from cheek to cheek. It is fairly in-
ferred, that the principal entrance was at the west end ; but
the bviilding was never completed, for when the Agrigentines were
about to place the roof, the Carthaginian army invested their walls,
and the wars that followed employed their whole revenue. It is said
to have been denominated the Temple of the Giants, not so much
from its colossal magnitude, or the sculptured story of the Giganto-
macliia, with wliich it was embellished, as from the circumstance of
the capitals having been supported by atlantidte instead of Doric
shafts ; but this is a subject of controversy, as there are many frag-
ments of the shafts of columns, the flutings of which may well be
said to be large enough to contain a man.
In the immediate neighbovirhood are the ruins of the temple of
Vulcan, and that of Castor and Pollux ; the latter is singular, as
being of the Ionic order.
The celebrated spring of Petroleum still exists, as well as the
Piscina, wliich was excavated by the Carthaginian prisoners after the
disaster of Himera. The form and magnitude of this monument of
luxury may be stiU plainly ascertained, although its sides are worn,
and the bottom is covered with gardens. A small stream from the
ancient spring runs through them, and renders the soil fertile and
luxuriant ; it was about four thousand five hundred feet in circum.
AGRIGENTUM— MACCALUBA. 213
ference, and upwards of forty in depth, and was formed to ensure a
sufficient supply of fish and water-fowl for the tables of the great, in
spite of contrary winds or bad weather.
Near the meta, or goal, adjacent to the temple of Vulcan, are the
remains of the sewers of Phaeax, another magnificent labour of the
Carthaginian captives ; and which, from being among the earhest and
best of these erections, brought such credit to the engineer, that simi-
lar conduits were, by the Greeks, thenceforth called Pheaces. Pass-
ing the suburb of Camicus, a road leads by the convents to the
heights of the Rupa Athenea, which do not appear to have had any
buildings on them, except the delubri of Jupiter Atabyrius and Mi-
nerva, and that of Ceres and Proserpine : the latter, erected by
Theron, is extremely simple, and without columns, and is reckoned
the most ancient of the Greek edifices ; it has been, with a few altera-
tions, converted into the church of St. Blaize.
From hence to the gate of Gela, there are many vestiges, and the
plain near the suburb of NeapoUs, on the opposite bank of the east
branch of the Akragas, is so covered with tombs, that it is called the
Vale of the Dead. The site of the various camps, occupied by the
enemies of Agrigentum, the remains of the forum, the small temple
of Apollo, and many other interesting objects, may also ije clearly
ascertained ; but, as it would be too prolix an undertaking to de-
scribe them all, I must refer to the plan of the place, for their relative
positions.
Maccaluba. — Three or four miles to the northward of Girgenti,
and on the road towards Arrogona, is the mud volcano, called Mac-
caluba, probably a corruption of the Arabic word " makloube," or
upside down. It consists of numerous little hillocks with craters, on
a kind of large truncated cone of argillaceous barren soil, with wide
cracks in all directions, elevated nearly two hundred feet above the
surrounding arid plain, and about half a mile in circuit. These
214 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
craters are continually in action, with a hollow rumbling noise, and
by the exertion of a subterraneoiis force, they throw up a fine cold
mud mixed with water, a little pertoleum and salt, and occasionally
bubbles of air, with a sulphureous taint. The eruptions are more
violent in hot than in rainy weather, owing, perhaps, to the outer
crust acquiring a greater consistence. Sometimes reports, hke the
discharge of artillery, are heard, and slight local earthquakes are
felt ; until, at length, the whole is eased by an ebuUition of mvid and
stones, sometimes ejected to the height of from thirty to sixty feet,
though the usual spouts reach only from a few inches to two or three
feet, increasing in violence at intervals. I was informed, that a warm
sulphuretted hydrogen gas occasionally escapes from the fissures, but
I could not discover any agency of fire; and Fahrenheit's thermometer,
when immersed, rose only to 58°. The adjacent country is composed
of a calcareous basis, intermixed with a large proportion of quartzose
breccia, argil, gypsum, pyrites, sulphur, and rock salt ; on the whole,
this curious phenomenon claims the attention of the naturahst.
SicuLiANA. — The toA\ii of Sicuhana stands on two lulls, in an
abrupt and barren country, at a httle distance inland. The " carica-
tore" for the sulphur, is on the west bank of the Canna rividet. Si-
culiana contains about four thousand five hundred inhabitants, who,
having some commerce, and scarcely a convent, are comparatively
easy in their circumstances ; but, though the town is pleasantly situ-
ated, it suffers greatly from mal' aria, and the streets are very irre-
gular. The houses are mostly built of a dendritic stone, that, being
divided into laminae, exhibits some good arborizations. On an emi-
nence, a Httle to the westward, is the castle of Chiaramonte, calcu-
lated for a garrison of from fifty to a hundred men ; but, as it is com-
manded within six hundred yards, and is in very bad repair, though
it might answer as a defence against the desvJtory incursions of the
Moors, it would fall an easy sacrifice to any other mihtary force.
SICULIANA. 215
The chief riches of Sicuhana are derived from its extensive sulphur
mines, of which those of Cattohca are the most vakiable. I went
with Cavahere Steahni (British vice-consul at Girgenti,) to visit some
of these caverns, attended as usual by his " campiere," armed with
a musket, sword, and pistols. The approach was marked by a dark
grey saponaceous soil, white burnt stones, and a sulphureous smell ;
in the caverns there are many fissures filled with a beautiful calca-
reous spar, that shoots out horizontally from each side, interspersed
with pieces of the pure mineral, called by the miners sulphur
eggs, and, among other crystallizations, singularly fine specimens of
sulphate of strontian occur. Sulphur, from its abundance, and con-
sequent low price, is an article of extensive commerce ; the mines,
not running deep, are worked Avith tolerable ease ; the earth most
usually found with the sulphur, is lime. This is extracted by a very
simple process : it consists in excavating the stone containing it
from the mountain, and, when broken into small pieces, it is heaped
up on a layer of faggots in circular kilns, about three or four feet in
diameter, and fired by a small bush dipped in sulphur. In a few
hours the sulphureous particles liquefy and fall into a kind of caldron
formed by the bottom of the furnace, whence it runs from a small
hole in the side into the square boxes placed to receive it; these are
sliifted successively, and left to cool : what remains is a fine varie-
gated scoria, light and porous, and similar to that found in some
volcanic craters.
For several miles to the westward of Siculiana, the coast is rocky
and sterile, \Aith only the miserable village of Monte Allegro, a place
probably thus mis-named in irony : the poverty of the country is
apparent in the melancholy appearance of its natives, who are in
great want of the common necessaries of life ; bread is scarce, and
milk hardly to be procured. The fields look neglected : the humble
palm, on which cattle browse at times, and the scilla, or squills, are
suffered to overrun the few arable lands, though now and then some
216 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
ineffectual attempts are made to eradicate them by burning. In
this neighbourhood the peasants make a common oU from a plant
called lestincu, resembling the myrtle, of wliich it appears to be a
wild dwarf species, but with a thicker stem and smaller leaf; the
berries of this plant are boiled in water, and the oleaginous matter,
which is both dirty and fetid, is skimmed off for use.
Bay of Sciacca. — Cape Bianco is a wliite promontory, about
ninety feet high, with a shoal reef extending nearly a mile and a
half to the southward of it. It was here that the companions of
Minos, after they had interred their chief, founded a city to his
honour ; which, on the arrival of Doricus, being almost rebuilt, was
named Heracleia jVIinoa. The vestiges of the site are so sHght, as
to induce many Sicihan antiquaries to imagine they relate only to
IMinoa, and that Heracha, having been swallowed by an earthquake,
forms the shoal below.
Between Cape Bianco and Sciacca, there is an extensive plain,
watered by several rivers, of wliich the Platani, Majasoh, and Isburo,
are tolerably stocked mth fish ; the grovmds are in excellent culti-
vation, and the coast protected by several well placed towers, that of
Verdura being the best. As the land, at the back of tliis plain, is
liigh, and very rugged towards Calata Bellota, tliis part is easily
known by strangers, on approaching the coast. These mountains,
from their difficult access, not only afforded strong holds in ancient
days to the bold rebels, Tryphon and Athenion ; but their fastnesses
were resorted to by the Saracens and Arragonians; and are still oc-
casionally the haunts of associated robbers, who, under some notorious
chieftain, lay the adjacent towns and villages under contribution.
These lawless bands, hke the heroes of Homer and Ossian, are influ-
enced by a strange mixture of courage and rapine, of honoui* and
cruelty, and pride themselves on a particular regard to plighted faith.
They are, however, not so numerous as formerly, the presence of the
SCIACCA. 217
British troops having in great measure put clown the system. The
" campiei-i," or guards, who escort travellers and specie about the
country, are many of them reformed banditti, who have stipulated
with government to rehnquish their depredations on the express
condition of being allowed to follow this profession.
SciACCA. — Sciacca occupies the site of the Therms Selenuntinae,
one of the most ancient towns in the island, and the birth-place of
Agathocles (who became tyrant of Syracuse) ; and, in later times, of
the historians, Fazzello and Inveges. It is one of the principal
caricatori on the southern coast, and is furnished with grain mata-
mores, similar to those of Girgenti : the exports are corn, fruit, an-
chovies, sulphur, and barilla.
The town rises on an eminence from the sea, and is surrounded by
an irregular wall (with the castle of Luna at its east angle), having a
bastion or two towards the sea, in tolerable repair. Though, on ap-
proaching, it makes a respectable appearance, its aspect, on landing,
notwithstanding its large churches, convents, and magazines, is that
of poverty and wretchedness ; yet the population amounts to eleven
thousand people. The country around is luxvu-iant and productive;
and trade is sometimes brisk. Sciacca, however, has never entirely
recovered from the effects of the deadly feuds between the famihes
of De Luna and Perollo, which have disseminated hatred and gloom
among the natives, and occasioned rancorous civil wars for nearly
two hundred years ; during which, fire, murder, and desolation, wan-
toned in every quarter of the city.
The long esteemed baths of Sciacca are suppUed from two springs
withovit the town, to the eastward ; the water issues from a white
saline rock, in two distinct streams, one of which is sulphureous and
hot, leaving a yellow stoney sediment, with a shght tincture of
vitriol, and is esteemed excellent in paralytic cases ; the temperature
2 F
218 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
is about 126° of Fahrenheit : the other spring is cool (59|,) strongly
impregnated with the saline quaUty of the rock, and highly valued
for cvitaneous disorders. The Stufe, or steam baths of Daedalus, in
which Minos, king of Crete, was stifled, are on the insulated hill, and
have actually been in use upwards of tlu-ee thousand years ! They
consist of several sudorific grottoes, of which, the outer one has seats
excavated in the rock ; where patients, being placed, are thrown into
a gentle perspiration, by a warm current of vapour, issuing from the
recesses of the mountain with a moderate heat, and scarcely any
perceptible smell. Near it is a cave, where the venerable St. Calogero
lived and became the tutelary saint of Sciacca ; and there is now,
on the summit of the mountain, a hermitage and hospital, sup-
porting a prior and several brethren, dedicated to his memory. As
this is a healthy situation, commands an extensive and charming
view, and is near to the Stufe, it is an eligible place for patients to
reside in.
They say this St, Calogero, who figures so much in Sicily and the
iEolian Islands, was a hermit, who made continual excursions to dis-
cover hot springs and vapours, that might be rendered serviceable to
the afflicted ; and that he rebuilt numerous baths at his own expense,
particularly those of Sciacca, Termini, and Lipari : he was probably
a Greek monk, whose name has been forgotten, for the Caloiro (as
the SiciUans pronounce it,) is but a corruption of the Kaloyer of the
eastern church.
Near the site of Inico, and on the fine beach of the Silvestra
Valley, under jNIenfrici (about tliirteen miles west of Cafre
Granitola), the Carthaginians, after the death of Mago, landed
to meet the Corinthians. Timoleon encountered them at the
adjacent river, while they were crossing it in confusion, and, taking
advantage of an opportune squall of rain, thunder, and lightning,
blowing directly in the faces of the enemy, he achieved one of
SELINUNTUM. 219
the most glorious victories on record, whether considered in its
pohtical relation, the splendor of the spoil, or the numbers who were
slain and made prisoners.
Selinuntum. — The immediate vicinity of the city, though offering
but few commercial or political advantages, constituted the territory
of the magnificent Selinuntum or Selinus, a INIegarian colony, esta-
blished by Pammilus ; that took its name, not hke most of the Greek
settlements, from the principal river, but from the parsley growing
on the banks of the Crimisus, a leaf of which was also adopted as
one of its symbols. This inveterate enemy of vEgesta, the cause of
such desolation to Sicily, was destroyed by the acrimonious Han-
nibal, after a most obstinate defence of nine days, in Avhich the aged
and the young of both sexes assisted, and who, after their capture,
were almost all massacred. But although Hannibal is supposed to
have thirsted to avenge the fall of his grandfather, yet he is not
wholly accountable for the excesses consequent on the storming of the
city, as he caused all the women and children, who fled to the tem-
ples for refuge, to be duly respected ; and he afterwards restored to
their possessions all those who had escaped to Agrigentura with
Empedion, on promise of a shght tribute, and an engagement not to
re-fortify the town.
Selinuntum was situated between the rivers of Hypsa and Cri-
misus, the Bilici and the Madiuni of the present day ; where, in
sohtary ruin, on a lonely plain, stands such a mass of heterogeneous
architectural fragments, as to resemble, at a little distance, a large
city. The walls of the Acropolis, with their covert ways and gates,
may still be easily traced, and consist of large squared stones;
within these precincts, and near the centre of the town, are vestiges
of buildings and wells, and the remains of three peripteral temples,
which, by the regular threction of the fallen columns, indicate that
2 F 2
220 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
their destruction was rather the effect of an earthquake than of the
rage of Hannibal.
In ascending to the town from the westward, the ancient Stag-
num Gonusa, now lake YhaUci, partly choaked with drifting sand, is
passed ; but Sicily being deprived of the talent and public spirit of
Empedocles, this valley is again as prejudicial to health as before it
was purified by that philosopher, who, for that purpose, conveyed
a stream through it. Excellent water is still procured at the site of
the fountain of Diana.
From the city, a road leads, by the eastern gate, down an ancient
flight of steps, over the sand now fiUing the cothon, or haven, to the
part called the " Marinella ;" where are the stupendous remains of
three Doric temples : one sacred to Neptune, another the destination
of which is unknown, and a third dedicated to Castor and Pollux.
The adjacent country, by a ludicrous corruption of Pollux, has ac-
quired the name of " Terra delli pulci," though Vella (the ingenious
hterary impostor) in his Arabic Code, differing in opinion, says,
that when the Saracens captured the place, in 827, A.D., they de-
stroyed the inhabitants, and named the city Beldel Braghit, or " Land
of Fleas."
These vestiges, thovigh only an incongruous mass of shafts of
columns, metope, fragments of entablature, and scattered capitals,
from their colossal volume, at once attest the mighty exertions of an
enei-getic people, and excite the admiration of every spectator.
The substance of which they are constructed is a species of fine-
grained, sonorous petrifaction, hewn out of quarries near Campo
Bello, where the manner of cutting it is stiU visible, many masses
being half separated from the rock, as if the excavation had been sud-
denly interrupted ; but how they were removed remains a mystery,
since the method suggested by Vitruvius, though applicable to the
drums of columns, would not answer for the enormous blocks of the
SELINUNTUM. 321
capitals and entablature. I myself experienced gi-eater difficulty at
Leptis jMagna, in embarking a capital weighing seven tons, than a
shaft weigliing twenty-three.
The large temple, wliich was dipteral, had porticoes of four columns
in depth, and eight in width, with a double row of sixteen on the
lateral sides of the cella ; its dimensions, as near as its ponderous
ruins will admit of measurement, are three hundred and thirty-four
feet in length, and one hundred and fifty-four in breadth ; the lower
diameter of the columns is ten feet and a half, and several of the
blocks of stone are twenty-two feet long, eight high, and five feet and
a half thick ! This temple is singular, not only from its vast magni-
tude, but also from the circumstance of the first row of columns on
the east front being fluted (and, unhke the Doric style, each flute
separated by a fillet), Avhile all the others in the peristyle are plain.
It is Ukewise remarkable for the regularity with which twelve of the
columns have fallen, in a direction parallel with those of the temples
in the town, the six shaft pieces of each lying in a hne, with their
several capitals at the end. I observed that these drums, besides the
usual central hole, have mortised cubes above and below, which were
filled with a cement, or otlier substance, harder than the stone, and
must have been an additional cause of strength.
The various pecuHarities and localities of these structures have
given rise to a controversy respecting the cause of their destruc-
tion ; but, from their general appearance, I conclude that an earth-
quake completed at last, the havoc which the furious Carthaginians
had begun.
The coast, from the jMarineUa (where a fishery of anchovies and
sardinias is carried on) to Cape Granitola, is a shallow beach, with
barren sandhills, defended near its extremity by the tower of Tre
Fontane. The surrounding country is covered with dwarf palms,
wild olives and myrtles, abounds %nth game, and is uncultivated,
except in the immediate neighbourhood of Castel Vetrano, Partanna,
222 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
and Campo-Bello ; where the successful efforts of agriculture fully
show the emolument that would accrue to the Duke of Monteleone,
the proprietor, could he obtain permission from the Pope to cultivate
the whole of this extensive possession. The Duke sometimes resides
at Castel Vetrano, a tolerable and regular town, of no great anti-
quity ; but in which may be seen a neat little armoury, and a good
statue of St. John, by Gaggini.
CAPE GRANITOLA. 223
CHAPTEE VI.
Detail of the West Coast of Sicily, Mazzara, Marsala, San Pantaleo, Trapani,
Eryx, Cofano, Favignana, Levanso, Maritimo.
JL. HE west coast of Sicily is different in feature from either of those
before described : the northern part of it presents bold capes and
high land ; but the southern is low and flat, and dangerous to ap-
proach at night.
Cape Granitola. — This is a long, low, sandy projection, with a reef
of rocks off it, at the south-west point of Sicily ; and, as the adjacent
land is flat, the want of a light-house is seriously felt ; for, in thick
weather, it cannot be seen before a vessel is on the shoals, which
extend to a considerable distance ; and then, by the meeting of the
currents, or other incident, the consequence is mostly disastrous, par-
ticularly during the prevalence of that uncertain stream, the Maro-
bia *. Indeed, in the last twelve years, besides foreign vessels, by
the Consul's Register, the Enghsh alone have lost His Majesty's
sloop Eaven, His Majesty's packet the Despatch, the merchant ships
Mary and Hector, the brigs Eocket, Hermes, and John, the snow
Minerva, and the sloop Ceres ; besides which, while I was on the
spot, one of His Majesty's ships, from Malta, was, with a convoy of
seventeen sail, with extreme difficulty, saved from being wrecked,
althovieh one of the vessels which had struck served as a beacon.
'&'
* See a description of the Marobia, under the head of Mazzaka, next page.
224 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
These disasters would not only be prevented by the erection of a
hght-house ; but a degree of confidence would be given to the navi-
gator, that would certainly facilitate any duty in contemplation, and
be of infinite use, as a departure, to avoid the dangerous shoals of the
Esquirques. A good substantial edifice, about a hundred and twenty
feet in height, and furnished Avith Argand lamps, reflectors, and
revolver, would prove a public benefit, and might be maintained at
an expense of less than two hundred pounds per annum.
Mazzara. — The city of Mazzara, though small, presents a respect-
able appearance from the sea, on account of the number of churches,
which are conspicuous from their domes rising above the houses ;
the contrast, however, on entering it, is wretched ; for the streets are
narrow, few of them paved, and, consequently, dirty.
INIazzara does not appear to have been of much importance until
the arrival of the Romans, as most of the inscriptions, coins, and
other remains, are of that people ; but it was, nevertheless, the place
called Emporivim, taken by Hannibal, the son of Giscon, on his
march of extermination to Selinuntum. In later times, it was re-
markable as the spot on which the first Saracenic army, escorted by a
fleet of a hundred ships, landed, and of which they took possession, and
from whence they extended their conquests over the whole island.
It is a place of some traffic, and contains about eight thousand in-
habitants ; large exports are made of grain, pulse, cotton, wine, fruit,
fish, bariUa, madder-roots, oil, and soap, but the want of a port for
vessels of magnitude is felt in the winter : a few years since, the citi-
zens had obtained permission to improve the " caricatore," and accord-
ingly subscribed for building two moles ; these were commenced, but
the engineer, getting fifteen hundred pounds into his hands, decamped.
The " Marobia" is an extraordinary phenomenon, most probably
deriving its name from Mare Ubbriaco, or Drunken Sea, as its move-
ment is apparently very inconsistent ; it occurs principally on the
MAZZARA. 225
southern coast of Sicily, and is generally found to liappen in calm
weather, but is considered as the certain precursor of a gale. The
Marobia is felt with the greatest violence at ]\Iazzara, perhaps from
the contour of the coast. Its approach is announced by a stillness in
the atmosphere, and a lurid sky; when suddenly the water rises
nearly two feet above its usual level, and rushes into the creeks with
amazing rapidity ; but in a few minutes recedes again with equal
velocity, disturbing the mud, tearing up the sea-weed, and occa-
sioning a noisome effluvia : during its continuance the fish float
quite helpless on the turbid surface, and are easily taken. These
rapid changes (as capricious in their nature as those of the Euripus)
generally continue from thirty minutes to upwards of two hours;
and are succeeded by a breeze from the southward, which quickly
increases to heavy gusts.
This phenomenon may be occasioned by a westerly wind blowing,
at some distance in the offing, towards the north coast of Sicily, and
a south-east wind, at the same time, in the channel of Malta, the
meeting of which would take place between Trapani and Cape San
Marco. I advance this idea, because the westerly wind most usually
precedes, and the south-east succeeds, the Marobia.
Mazzara is surrounded by an old wall of Saracenic construction,
without a glacis, and flanked by small square towers : it has an old
ruinous castle at its south-west angle, which, though containing but
very moderate accommodations, was, nevertheless, the residence of
the unfortunate Joan, wife of Frederic the Second, about the middle
of the thirteenth century ; and here also Alphonso the Second, of
Naples, retired, after abdicating liis throne in 1495.
The public civil buildings are large and heavy, poor and dirty;
while the ecclesiastical institutions are so numerous as to give rise to a
proverbial saying, that every house and hovel in Mazzara contains
a priest and a pig : indeed, the latter lie about the streets in such
2 G
226 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
numbers, wallowing in filth, as to justify the saying; they are
gaunt, long-headed, black animals, without any hair to cover their
disgusting hides.
In the cathedral-porch are preserved three sarcophagi, that were
rescued by a garrulous old priest, from part of the foundation of an
adjacent building : the finest of them bears a bas-rehef representing
a battle of the Amazons ; the second, the rape of Proserpine ; the
third, and most inferior, the Caledonian Hunt. At the convent of
St. Michael is a Roman tomb of the family of Albinus, and some
marble inscriptions ; these, with a small collection of Punic, Saracenic,
and Roman coins, (several of the best preserved of which I sus-
pect to be Paduan forgeries,) are nearly the sum of the antique
remains. Nor are there any modern specimens of the fine arts, not-
withstanding the heathenish Mazzarese shew as such, with great self-
satisfaction, a huge figure of the Almighty ! This abomination is
composed of wood and stucco, tawdrily painted, and highly varnished,
and is placed over the great altar of the cathedral. A picture, by
Pietro Noveh, the Morrealese, in the same church, however, deserves
attention.
The principal square has a singular appearance from the anti-
quated style of the architecture, which may be inferred to be of the
eleventh century, from the equestrian statue of Count Roger de-
stroying a Saracen over the cathedral gate. Besides the cathedral,
the principal buildings in this square are the Bishop's palace, the
senate-house, and the residence of the Count Gazziri.
At a short distance from the town, by a good road, made for the
purpose, stands the chapel of the Madonna of Paradise, the tute-
lary patroness of Mazzara, and rival of St. Vitus in the affections
of the townsmen. Here, at certain periods, the priests expose a
handsome portrait, that the populace may perceive it weep for
their sinful and wretched state ; the farce is repeated more than once
MAZZARA— CAPE FETO. 227
a year, to the infinite emolument of the establishment, for there is
scarcely a chapel in all Sicily boasting more " donaria," or gifts. The
ceremony is pi-efaced by a discourse or invocation ; music succeeds,
and at the critical moment of the miracle drums beat, pateraroes roar,
bells tinkle, and so much incense is burnt, that, together with the
candles, the dazzhng tinsel, and the crowd, it is impossible to collect
the senses ; and many of the deluded votaries are absolutely afraid
to look up, but continue kneeUng, sobbing, beating their breasts,
and chanting their pahnodia.
St. Vitvis, however, by his pecuhar care of diseased dogs, and
other kindnesses, attracts almost as great a share of the regards of
Mazzara, and his statue ornaments the entrance of the port. Near
the castle, in the church of this saint, there was a well of hot ferru-
ginous and sulphureous water, reported to be particularly salutary,
under his special protection, in every kind of cutaneous disease ; but
it is now nearly dry. In the chapel, dedicated to him, there is a large
silver image, which, on his annual festival in August, is embarked
on board a vessel, and towed from under the castle, round the mole,
into the Salemi river, with the senatorial band of music, attended
by the principal inhabitants ; and after about an hour's excursion, it
is landed, amidst the firing of guns, the beating of drums, and the
universal acclamations of the people.
Cape Feto. — Numbers of people, all along this coast, gain a living
by fishing ; and, on returning from their labours, may be seen re-
clining under their boats, that are hauled up on the beach, with
their nets and baskets, exactly in the style so glowingly described by
Theocritus, in the twenty-first IdyUium, wliich, from thence, may be
presumed to relate to Sicilians, and not Egyptians, as is generally
supposed.
On the whole of these shores the influence of an uncertain tide is
2 G 2
228 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
felt, running generally from three quarters to a mile and a half an
hour, according to the winds ; and sometimes it has a rise and fall of
from ten to twenty inches, and, in very fresh breezes, even more, in-
fluenced, but not governed, by the moon ; being most affected when
that planet is in her perigee. This tide, I therefore think, depends
on very peculiar locaUties, and must be allowed for according to the
state of the weather. At Mr. Payne's house, on the banks of the
Salemi, it was high water, in settled but hght north-east breezes, at
ten hours fifteen minutes P. M.
Marsala. — Nine miles N.N.W. | W. from Cape Feto, there is a
low point, called Cape Boeo, on wliich, in a healthy situation, stands
the city of Marsala. Between the town walls and the point, there
is a small chapel of St. John, containing a good statue, by Gaggini ;
it is erected over a cave said to have been the residence of one of
the sibyls ; but it has since probably served as a nymphseum, or bath,
there being a spring of fresh water, and the circular shape, fresco-
painting, and grandeui* of the whole, appear more than was neces-
sary for the haunt of a prophetess. Among the crowds who repair
to this place on the festival of St. John, many superstitious people
are found, who drink tliis water as a proof of their conjugal fideUty.
Marsala, the ancient Lilyboeum, was once the chief fortress of the
Carthaginians in Sicily, and the capital of their provinces. It was a
quadrangular fortification, with a stout wall, strengthened by but-
tresses and bulwarks, and surrounded by a deep ditch, of which the
vestiges still remain. It appears to have been the most considerable
of aU the ancient holds, as a work of art, and eventually obhged
Pyrrhus to abandon his conquests ; nor was it ever actually taken by
force of arms from the Carthaginians, but was finally surrendered to
the Romans, after a skilful and persevering, though ineffectual, siege
of five years, only in consequence of the victory gained by Luctatius
MARSALA. 229
Catulus over Hanno, off Maritimo. It followed the fate of the other
Sicilian cities during the troubles of the Roman empire ; and, after
the defeat of the Saracens by Count Roger, it was made a royal
city.
Numerous fragments of masonry, vases, lachrymatories, stelje, and
other remains, sufficiently identify the site of this celebrated and
contested hold. Many fine coins are fovmd by the peasants ; and the
widow of Count Grignone is in possession, among other curiosities,
of a superb and uninjured alabaster vase, which she very willingly
permits strangers to see ; she has been offered, to my knowledge, a
thousand doUars for it, but she says, that, not being in want of the
money, she may as well keep the vase.
In 1815, Mr. Woodhouse, the wine-merchant, digging in his
grounds, to lay the foundation for a new " ballio," or court-yard, sur-
rounded with magazines, found a sarcophagus, and some medals ;
these had the head of Ceres, with a lyre and plectrum on the re-
verse, and some a tripod altar ; but, as many were of copper, it may
be inferred, that they were not of the remotest antiquity, because
the early Carthaginians, as well as the Sicilians, (from whom they
adopted the use of coin,) stamped only gold or silver. This art was
certainly brought to greater perfection in Sicily than in any other
part of the world, of which the beautiful medallions of Syracuse are an
evidence ; and the several cities had their attributes neatly expressed
in a variety of devices, generally deriving their symbols from circum-
stances connected with their history, or with the objects of their
peculiar worship. Among the most remarkable of these emblems,
may be noticed that of the early settlements of Palermo, Motya,
and ^gesta, which was a dog, because the river Hypsa is fabled,
under this transformation, to have led the Phoenicians, on their first
arrival, to the spot where each of those cities were to be founded.
Various towns have Trinacria on their money, expressed by three
230 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
human legs, sometimes placed round a head, with an ear of wheat
between each, in allusion to the shape and fertihty of the island.
On the coins of Camarina, owls and swans are common, for Minerva
was held in great veneration there, and the celebrated lake abounded
with water-fowl. The coins of Leontium were stamped with ears of
wheat, emblematic of Ceres, the great fertihty of the Leontine fields
inducing the especial worship of that goddess ; or a Hon, whence it
derives its name, because founded by Hercules. Those of Himera
bear a cock, on account of its Thermee, sacred to yEsculapius ; though
others think that the name meaning day, it aUudes to the early
crowing of this bird ; and one bears the curious reverse of a chi-
mera, represented by the face of a bearded man, a cock's tail, and a
lion's paw, derived, probably, from the tliree insignia of the town,
Hercules, a Hon, and a cock. Some of the coins of Thermae have
a man receiving water from a fountain, and a nymph sacrificing ; al-
luding to Hercules having reposed there after his fatiguing journey
along the shores of the Mediterranean. On those of Abacene there was
generally a boar and an acorn, supposed by some to indicate the abun-
dance of oaks in that vicinity, on the acorns of which the animal
was fed. Catana bore some of the Egyptian deities on its coins ; it
had frequently a crayfish as a symbol, perhaps from being taken
there particularly good ; it had also an interesting historical httle coin
representing the brothers, Anapias and Am phinomus, carrying off their
aged parents during a dreadful eruption of Mount JEtna. Another,
very similar in size and execution, belongs to Tyndaris, and repre-
sents the twins, Castor and Pollux, Some of the coins of the island
of Lipara bear the head, others a sedent figure, of Vulcan, sufiiciently
characterized by his hammer and pincers ; yet, on account of the jjileus
repiesenting a traveller, it has been conjectured, that it might have
been struck in commemoration of the visit of Ulysses to that city, rather
than in honour of the god. Some SiciUan antiquaries claim a coin,
MARSALA. 2§i
bearing the head of Apollo with a legend, which they read AIIlAPoT,
and a pegasus on the reverse, as belonging to a sovereign of Syracuse,
named Liparus, of whom the only mention to be found in ancient
authors, is that in the follovdng passage from the Menaechmi of
Plautus, in which Erotium says,
" Non ego te novi, Menaechmum, Moscho prognatum Patre ?
Qui Syracusis perhibere natus esse in Sicilia,
Ubi Rex Agathocles regnator fuit, et iterum Pinthia,
Tertium Lipai'o, qui in morte Regnum Hieroni tradidit :
Nunc Hiero est *."
This casual fragment of chronology also brings to light, as the pre-
decessor of Liparus, a King Pinthias, (also written Phintias,) to whom
they refer a coin bearing a female head, inscribed SQTEIPA, with a
boar on the reverse, and the legend 4>INTIA BASlAEoY ; this, how-
ever, resembles the coins of the Agrigentine Phintias too closely, to
give much support to this supposed discovery. The oldest coin is
said to be one of Zancle, with a dolphin under the word ^AH'^/-^
certainly antecedent to five hundred years, B. C, because it then
changed its name, and the hare became its device. The Agrigentine
money bore a crab, designating a maritime city, until after gaining
a victory over Messana, when they struck a fine medal, with an eagle
devouring a hare. The symbols of Adranum, were Apollo and the
lyre ; of Neetum, Ceres and the ox. The coins of Megara, in
Sicily, seem to be distinguishable from those of the Attic Megara,
by a young horned head, and the owl; and those of Naxus, in
* " What don't I know thee, not Menaechmus,
The son of Moschus ? who wert born, thou say'st,
At Syracuse in Sicily, where erst
Reigned King Agathocles, and after Pinthia,
And next him Liparo, who, by his death,
The kingdom left to Hiero, now king."
232 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
Sicily, from those of the island of that name in the Cyelades, by
the figure of Silenus, holding the diota in one hand. Silver me-
dallions and coins of Syracuse are particvdarly numerous, some with
a beautiful head of Arethusa, her hair tastefully dressed, and, on
the reverse, a quadriga and victory, with various emblems ; others,
with the head of Minerva, and, on the reverse, a Pegasus ; and
a host of those of Gelon, the two Hieros, Agathocles, the myste-
rious Philistis, and others. Several, bearing Sicihan insignia on
one side, and the Punic palm-tree and horse on the other, indicate
the union once subsisting between these states and Carthage.
Marsala is of a square form, and surrounded by an old wall, on
which houses have been built ; and to the four angles, bastions have
been added : to the centres of two adjacent walls, other bastions are
attached, but the works have no glacis to cover them ; and there are
a number of buildings, hollows, and caverns, that would materially
assist any besieger, knowing the locaUties, though otherwise they
would become obstacles. The situation is not unfit for a place of
arms, as it is not entirely commanded ; at present it is without ord-
nance, quarters, or bomb-proof stores.
The town boasts of a population of twenty-one thousand inhabi-
tants, who trade in excellent wine, fruit, and barilla ; it is tolerably
well built, being bisected by a regular street called the Cassaro : on
one side of which is the cathedral, a large edifice, ornamented with
sixteen marble columns of the Corinthian order, originally intended
as a present for the church of St. Thomas of Canterbury, in England;
that seditious prelate being here the favourite saint in the calendar.
There are several convents, aritiro, or place of retirement, under
monastic regulations, three abbeys, a college, an hospital of seventy
beds, a monte di pieta, and other pubMc buildings : among these
may be classed a steeple, belonging (but not attached) to the church
of the Carmine, which they pretend is built on a globe, because it
sensibly oscillates when the bell is rung; but the phenomenon
MARSALA. 233
appears to be in reality oAving to its height being out of proportion
to its base.
IMarsala formerly possessed a port, in such high estimation with the
Saracens as to give rise to its present name of Marsa Alia, or Port
of God : it is recorded that the Romans attempted, in vain, to de-
stroy it ; however, about the year 1570, it was fiUed with stones by
order of John of Austria, to prevent Tui-kish vessels from seeking
shelter there. This measure, though absurd and impolitic, has been
too loudly inveighed against, for the harbour never coidd have been
a national object, having been only a kind of creek, whose utmost
depth was twelve or fourteen feet, and this I proved by sounding
through the mud to the hne rock, with a graduated iron rod. It
was, doubtlessly, an ehgible haven for the ancient craft, the size of
which may be estimated when we find that, during the siege of Motya
(close to this place), Dionysius was so hard pressed, that, to save his
fleet, he haided it overland, and re-launched it lower down. I am
aware that some imagine the Romans had vessels that drew from ten
to fourteen feet water; yet, I should suppose, not in the first Punic
war, or they would never have rode at Lilybceum.
But, perhaps, the best conception of this harbour may be conveyed
by relating, from Livy, the story of the Rhodian, who, by his supe-
rior knowledge of the shoals, baffled and vexed aU the Romans.
" The consuls having lost several thousand of their men, thouo-ht
it advisable for one of them to return to Rome, with his two legions,
to hold the comitia, that those who continued the siege might be
more easily furnished with provisions. Then they made greater
efibrts than ever to shut up the entry into the port with stones and
earth, for they fortified the mole with great piles of timber, joined
together crossways, and fastened with iron anchors, to make the whole
more firm and compact. Rut these labours were all in vain, for the
sea was so deep *, that every thing they threw into it was torn asunder
* From seven to ten feet in this part, and even then it was an arduous undertaking.
2 H
234 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
before it reached the bottom ; and a violent storm of wind, and the
swelling of the waves, broke and scattered all the mole. However,
as the very report of their making this work kept the port shut up
for some time, it gave the Carthaginians much pain and uneasi-
ness, and none of them could think of any expedient, whereby they
might inform themselves of the condition of their friends at Lily-
boeum, nor would any man undertake to go and see, till one Hanni-
bal, sui-named the Rhodian, a brave and enterprising man, took upon
him to enter the city, and, after examining every thing, to bring
them back an exact account.
" The Carthaginians were rather glad at his promise than per-
suaded that he would make it good ; for, besides the mole raised
before the harbour, they knew the entry into it was guarded by
Roman sliips, which lay at anchor before it. But Hannibal having
equipped a gaUey, which belonged to liimself, sailed to one of the
islands opposite to Lilyboeum ; and finding the wind fair-, next day,
about ten o'clock, entered the port boldly, in sight of aU the enemy's
forces, who were amazed at his audacity. The consul, in order to
intercept him in his return, chose out ten of his ships, which he
caused to be equipped in the night, and posted on both sides of the
port, as near the entrance as possible. But Hannibal, depending
on the swiftness of his galley, sailed out in broad day-Ught, and
escaped the Romans, though they lay ready to intercept him, and
pursued him as briskly as they could. Such was the swiftness of
his vessel, that he was not content to have passed through the
enemy, but even insulted them, and by coming up alongside of their
ships, and saiUng round about them, seemed, in a manner, to bid
them defiance."
Mr. Woodhouse has weighed a sufficient number of the sunken
stones to form a very respectable mole, opposite to his estabhshment
on the south side of the town. But large ships must he to the
south-west of the city, at the distance of nearly two miles off shore.
STAGNONE. 235
because the rocks extend in every direction more than a mile from
the land : a convincing proof, if any were wanting, that the ancient
port of Marsala would not have been a political object in the present
day.
The land, for a few miles to the northward of Marsala, is a conti-
nuation of market-gardens and vineyards, called the Terra Spagnola :
it shelves down from a gentle acclivity towards the smooth surface
of the sea, enclosed by the islets ; and, though destitute of grass-plots
or trees, and without flocks or herds, the hving beauties of landscape,
the view is one of peculiar interest.
Stagnone. — The coast, from Marsala to the tower of Theodore,
forms a deep bight, having the Terra Spagnola on the east ; while on
the west side lies the group of low rocky isles, called Stagnone. The
most considerable of these is San Pantaleo, where stood the celebrated
Motya, a city founded by Hercules, and so named in honour of a Si-
canian woman, of whom he was enamoured. The hard-contested and
bloody siege of this place, by Dionysius, was remarkable as the first
occasion on which the catapult (emphatically called the " Grave of
Valour,") was used ; and there also were found, for the first time,
Greeks in the pay of Carthaginians : a tiling so resented by the con-
querors, that they were aU crucified after the storming of the town.
It appears that this city long continued to exist, though it never
regained its consequence ; and that, finally, it came into the hands
of the Saracens, who called it Zezabug, and established a fishery in
it. Fragments of wall, mth two flanked gateways, consisting of
large square stones, still exist; and as they appear to follow the
tortuosities of the coast, the whole island was probably surrounded
with fortifications. Coins are frequently found by the husbandmen,
when tilling, and the ground is everywhere strewed with pieces of
terra-cotta vases, and ancient brick. Among other rarities found
here by Prince Torremuzza, were some curious leaden pipes, that
2 H 2
236 SICILY AND ITS ISLANDS.
communicated with the main land, probably over the famous cause-
way, near which was found the following Punic inscription ; —
^ t
tions I have endured, which are unavoidable in carrying on the duties
of a man-of-war.
At the same time, I should not render justice to my feelings,
were I not to indulge in publicly acknowledging the very liberal
patronage with which Lord Melville and the Board of Admiralty
have constantly cheered my exertions, during an arduous and labo-
rious undertaking. And, in this grateful office, I must also notice
the kind countenance affiarded me by his Majesty the King of Sicily,
His Royal Highness the Hereditary Prince, and their ministers. The
late Prince of Butera, Count Buscemi, Prince Belmonte, the Prince
of Carini, and Marshal NaseUi, were also remarkably obliging both
in their pubhc and private attentions.
Lieutenant-General Lord William Bentinck, Rear-Admiral Sir
Charles Penrose, Admiral Lord Exmouth, and Lieutenant-General
CONCLUSION. 291
Sir Thomas Maitland, have successively honoured me with every
kindness and facihty that could be afforded in their respective com-
mands ; and had it not been for such powerful aids, it would have
been nearly impracticable to have completed the survey.
To the welcome assistance and friendly counsel of the worthy
Abbate Piazzi, astronomer royal at Palermo, I am under the greatest
obligations ; and an intimate acquaintance, now of some years stand-
ing, has, I trust, proved to him the value I place on his friendship.
His assistant, Signor Cacciatore, was indefatigable in meeting my
wishes at the observatory. The Chevalier Landohna, and the Pro-
fessors Scina and Ferrara, evinced great interest in my lithologic
and antiquarian inquiries ; but, indeed, the Sicihans, of all ranks and
pursuits, merit my most hvely acknowledgments for their hospitaUty
and earnest endeavours to promote my various objects.
Captain Hurd, the hydrographer ; Colonel Robinson, of the com-
bined flotilla ; Captain Henryson, of the Eoyal Engineers ; and Cap-
tain Thompson, of the Royal Staff Corps ; have also a large demand
on my gratitude, for the personal friendship they have so strongly
manifested in the willing assistance constantly rendered me.
APPENDIX.
No. I.
ADDITIONAL HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS ON THE
COASTS AND HARBOURS.
CHAPTER I.
Detail of the North Coast of Sicily, Carini, Palermo, Termini, Cefalu, Caronia, Patti,
Port Madomia, Millazzo, and Spadafora.
JjARGE ships, approaching Cape St. Vito, ought to give it a birth of at least three miles,
on account of a shoal to the northward, between which and the land there is an inner
channel of seven or eight fathoms; coming from the westward, when the Agra tower
begins to touch Mount Cofano (a rugged conic rock to the southward of it), it points out
the vicinity of the shoal, on which are from three and a half to six fathoms' water, with
from twelve to thirty and fifty outside, and in heavy gales the sea breaks all over it.
Inside the point of Sireno, which has a shelf taihng off it, stands the profitable fishery of
S. Biro ; and between it and Cape Rama, is a spacious bay, called the Gulf of CasteU' a mare,
having deep water and good anchorage along its shores ; but unsafe in winter, on account of
its exposure to northerly winds, which send in a heavy swell and mostly blow home.
Cape Orsa. — From Castell' a mare, by Magazlnazzi and Sclarra, the coast is low, and
the beach sandy, which contrasts with the opposite side ; the east extreme of the gulf is
terminated by a long tabled chff, called Cape Rama, inside which is a cone, where the two
small, but decent, towns of Favorotta and Cernisi stand, at the base of a mountain, that,
from being seen far at sea, is usually named Cape Orsa. Vessels arriving in summer, to
load the manna, carubba, and other produce of the plain, lie off the low white chffs of
Favorotta, but not far from the- sandy beach, in from five to nine fathoms ; towards the east
side of the bay, the water shoals : consequently, in standing in, Point Molinazzo must have
a wide birth.
t
Carini. — To the eastward of this cove, the coast runs low and shelving, by the Points
Uomo Morto and Orsa, each of which are defended by good towers. At the latter is a
large fishery, from whence commences the Bay of Carini, where there is anchorage against
southerly winds, but the water is shallow towards the shores.
a 2
IV
APPENDIX.
There is a passage between Femina Island and the coast, through which small boats
may pass, and the other parts are bold to, though I was informed by a Trapanese pilot of
a rock at a small distance off, with only two fathoms' water on it ; this I searched for in
every direction, for two days, \vithout success, and the fishermen of the spot being utterly
ignorant of its existence, I conclude my informant must have been mistaken.
Gulf of Palermo. — Cape di Gallo is a rugged cliff, with brownish red patches, ap-
pearing from the offing like an island ; and, on rounding it, a high conic rock is seen to the
eastward, at about four leagues' distance : this is Cape Zaffarana, and between the two lies
the Gulf of Palermo, about five miles deep, and quite clear of danger.
On sailing in, a ship may proceed boldly towards the anchorage, only observing to be
guarded on passing the httle sandy bay of Mondello, on account of the violent and squally
gusts of wind, that rush between Moimt Pellegrino and Cape di Gallo, especially in
winter ; it is therefore advisable, on standing along the west side of the bay during a
fresh breeze, to station hands by the sheets and haulyards, and be ready to keep large.
On Mount Pellegrino are two signal-towers.
Palermo is in the S.W. part of the bay, and, in an angular direction off the mole and the
city, in from sixteen to twenty-five fathoms, is the best anchorage for a temporary stay,
as well as for those who do not desire to go into the mole. Ships should moor with the
small bower to the N.W., and the best to the S.S.E., keeping an open hawse to the N.E.,
and, if blowing from the seaward in winter, ought to ride with a cable and a half on
each bower ; should the gale increase, strike lower yards and topmasts, let go tlie sheet-
anchor under foot, and bend the spai-e cable, as precautions for the worst weather. But
though a heavy sea sends in, it never roUs home, and I do not believe there is the sliglitest
danger, ha\-ing myself rode out several severe gales.
Chain-cables are to be preferred for a certain spell, because a long range is like backing
the bowers, and as several anchors have been lost, they may cut the hempen cables. If a
Ship parts in N.E. winds, she must inevitably go on shore on the reef under the citadel, for
the long swell that sets in from that quarter, renders all exertions to clear it useless.
The bu-th I would reconmiend is with the following bearings :
Summit of Mount Pellegrino
Mole Light-house .
Monreale city, over Palermo
Flora Gardens ....
Torre de' Corsari . . .
Point Gerbino ....
N.N.W.
N.W.iW.
W.S.W.
South
S.byE.AE.
E.byS.^S.;
Nineteen fathoms, stiff clay,
about half a mile off shore.
The Mole forms a convenient port, capable of containing a great number of vessels.
HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS. v
The inner port is reserved for the use of the arsenal, having large magazines for naval
stores, and prisons for the galley slaves. Ships on entering brush the Mole-head, and on
passing lay out the best bower to the S.W., and haul the stern close to the pier, for the
winds that rush through the valley of the Conca d'Oro are often troublesome. The central
part of this space is very rocky and shallow.
Besides this port, there is a small cove before the town, called Cala Felice, where small
craft repair ; and in summer vessels of two hundred tons can lie securely ; but the sea
winds occasion a disagreeable ground swell. Water is procured at the quay, by filling the
casks with hoses that lead into the boats.
Anchorage is afforded near the shore, all over the Bay of Palermo ; but it must be no-
ticed, that there is a large patch of foul ground, on which the sea breaks heavily in the
offing winds, running out from the citadel, or Cala Felice, into the Mole harbour. There
is also a small foul spot nearly opposite the central part of the Marina, carrying eleven
fathoms' water, and deepening suddenly to eighteen and twenty, where I have known several
anchors to be lost. The marks for it are : A high church over the Anjou Palace in one
with the ruins of the Moorish fort of Castellaccio, on the hill above Monreale ; and the
thwart in a line between the light-house and the Torre de' Corsari.
Bay of Solanto. — Cape Zaffarana appears from seaward like an island, being of a
conical form, and considerable height, with a large rock off its base, and a passage of four
fathoms' depth between them ; the approach is steep, carrying from fifteen to twenty
fathoms pretty close in. Inside the Cape, a large bight, extending to the town of Man-
dero, under Milicia, is called the Bay of Solanto, where ships, unable to fetch into the
Gulf of Palermo during a westerly gale, can choose good anchorage, taking care to avoid
the Solanto Reefs, in going in ; these consist of two ledges of rocks, even with the surface
of the water, with forty fathoms round them, at a short offing distance, and twenty-
seven in the channel between them and the coast, and bearing, from Cape Zaffarana,
S.E.byE., distant two miles and a quarter; a column and flag-staff were erected on them,
by command of his present Majesty, but they are now, by some accident, broken off.
Solanto, from which the above danger is named, is a castle and " tonnara," or tunny
fishery, belonging to the King. From thence to Termini, the coast has but little variation,
only that at the tonnara of Trabia a shoal tails off nearly half a mUe, otherwise a vessel may
stand boldly in by the lead.
Termini. — Termini is a " caricatore," or place endowed with immunity for exporting
the produce of the country, but the anchorage being exposed during two-thirds of the
year, it can only be frequented by boats that can be drawn up on the beach.
Cefalxj. — This is a small sandy bay, where coasters find summer anchorage, with from
vi APPENDIX.
three to seven fathoms, and there is a small pier for the reception of fishing vessels, to the
N.W. of which, at a very trifling distance, are two shoals, with eight and nine feet water
on them.
Inside Cefalu, to the east, is a small cove, called Calura, where coasters sometimes seek
shelter, under the protection of a tower on the point. " Malo Portuso," or Bad Hole,
may be known from the offing by a high mount to the east of it, on the summit of which
stands the castle of Polhna.
The coast then trends, with but Httle variation in its feature, by the towns of Tusa and
St. Stefano, the approaches to which from the sea are quite free from danger, and may
be regulated by the lead. The numerous products of the vicinity are sliipped here in
summer, in vessels called Bovi and Paranzelle.
Caronia. — Inside the " Fondaco" (a kind of inn, or rather stable,) are several rocks,
above water, called " i Sorci," the Mice, and a little to the eastward of them some others,
named the Rats; but destitute of any danger, being close in-shore, with a regular approach,
carrying twenty fathoms, within a quarter of a mile of the beach, in a bottom of clay and
sand, and this continues nearly to Cape Orlando.
Cape Orlando. — This is a steep promontory, of moderate height, off which, a little
to the westward, is a ledge of rocks, just above water, where a Turkish vessel and a French
privateer were lost a few years ago. Between the reef and the beach is good anchorage
for small craft, opposite the lai-ge fondaco. This place is remarkable for sudden squalls
and heavy swells.
Rounding the Cape, to the eastward, are two small projecting rocks, jutting out Uke
moles, where the small country boats sometimes lie ; and in the bight further on, stands
the village of S. Gregorio, a " caricatore" for timber, with an anchorage against westerly
winds, and tolerably protected from all but the northerly ones.
Brolo. — To the northward of the ruinous castle of Brolo, nearly three-quarters of a
mile distant, is a rock, sixteen or seventeen yards in circumference, and twenty feet above
the level of the water, with an intermediate channel, carrying nine fathoms' water, but it is
a passage that should not be used without necessity, as there is a reef on a wash, bearing
W.S.W. from the large rock, and about half-way to the shore. Here I have found good
riding, even in winter, although it is exposed from N.W. to N.E. ; yet the most trouble-
some winds are those from the southward, as they blow with great violence by the height,
on which stands the town of Piraino.
Bay or Patti. — Between the bluff points of Calava and Tyndaris, is the Bay of
Patti, a place perfectly safe, by attending to the lead, as it is deep, with regular soundings.
HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS. vii
and a good bottom of sand and clay, only observing, that near the centre is there a large rock
above water, vnth two smaller ones near it ; but as they are distinguishable at some dis-
tance, they are not dangerous. The channel between them and the beach is perfectly safe,
and affords summer anchorage ; it is necessary, however, to sight the anchors every third
or fourth day, as the sand is apt to bank, particularly after a breeze.
Port Madomna. — Point Tyndaris is bold, and easily distinguishable from afar, by the
monastery on its highest summit. On the east side is a curious little anchorage, called
Port Madonna, where small vessels find secure shelter against all winds ; the circumference
is not above half a mile, and its depth is fourteen feet in the middle ; and this is all that
remains of the ancient harbour. A sand-bank extends from it to nearly half a mile in the
offing, which ships boimd into the bay must avoid by giving it a \v\de birth, steering well
to the eastward, and bringing the castle of Scalaproto to bear S.S.W., before standing to
the southward.
Olivieri Bay. — The Bay of Olivieri affords excellent anchorage, in from eight to
thirty fathoms, for vessels of every description, and may be advantageously resorted to,
while on the passage to the westward, and obliged to bear up from the heavy gales of
winter, as it can always be fetched, when from the length of the Promontory of Milazzo
(exclusive of its being so much further to leeward), ships on rounding the point, are unable
to fetch the proper birth, and have, in consequence, often been under the necessity of
keeping away for the Faro of Messina. This bay also possesses the advantages over
Milazzo, of being in some degree sheltered by the jEohan Islands, and the shoal of the
Madonna, from the strong northerly sea ; provisions are in greater plenty, and the Point
of Tyndaris is sooner cleared on quitting the anchorage ; one drawback alone remaining in
the very unhealthy atmosphere it is afflicted with, during several months of the year. The
birth I would recommend would be, to moor W.N.W. and E.S.E., with open hawse to
the northerly wind and sea, in the following bearings :
Point Tyndaris N.W.byW.
Convent over Port Madonna . . . N.W.byW.
Baron's Castle S.W.
Falcone Village S.S.E.J^E. I mile.
Milazzo Light-house N.E.^N.J
Fifteen fathoms, stiff clay,
I" off shore about a quarter of a
Milazzo Bav. — From Ohvieri a sandy beach extends along a fertile plain, studded
with the towns of Fumari, Barcelona, Pozzo di Gotto, and many villages, as far as the
Promontory of Milazzo, which is bold to, except on the N.W., where are some steep rocks
above water, called the Porcelli. On the north extreme is a miserable little light-house.
VUl
APPENDIX.
rounding which a ship may stand close down the eastern side, noticing only that a shoal,
with three fathoms on it, hes just off Point Presso, and that anchorage is afforded, if
necessary, in Paradiso Bay, in ten to fourteen fathoms, sand, which depth is to be pre-
ferred to lying nearer in towards the beach, as the cables are liable to thresh in easterly
winds.
Strangers passing Milazzo light-house, and bound to Messina, in thick or blowing wea-
ther, may be mistaken with respect to the entrance of the Faro Channel, as there is more
the appearance of a strait inside Cape Vaticano, than at the actual opening, and the error
has proved fatal to many vessels, as it forms the most dangerous lee-shore in the Mediter-
ranean sea. In the Atlas is a particular view to direct the navigator, for there are two
tabled tongues of land resembling each other, to the southward of the bight of Vaticano,
and it is between the two that the entrance of the Fai'o of Messina will be found.
Milazzo Bay is spacious and deep, with a firm bottom of mud and blue clay, in deep
water, and sand near the shores ; it is Uttle affected by tides, but the anchorage is greatly
injured by the custom of leaving the large stones with which the tunny nets are secured,
and the evil increases annually.
The Pratique Office is under Fort St. Elmo, and the watering-place bears, from the
shipping, about S.byE., on a fine sandy beach, where, as the stream separates into several
brooks, it is convenient for many boats at a time ; and the quickest method of filling is by
handing buckets.
Anchorage. — The most ehgible birth is off the lower town, and a ship should moor
with her best bower to the southward, remembering to weigh the anchors at intervals, if
remaining long there ; for the bottom is so adhesive, that if they sink deep, it requires the
most powerful efforts to purchase them. The following are the bearings I should choose :
The Beacon Rock
The Castle . . .
Fort St. Elmo . . .
S. Giovanni Tonnara
Mount Antennamare
Cape Rasaculmo
N.N.E.^
N.byW.-iW.
W.iS-
S.S.W.
E.byS.fS.
E.byN.iN.;
Twenty-five fathoms, stiff
jmud, offshore about a quar-
ter of a mile.
Gulf of Milazzo. — Between Milazzo and Cape Rasaculmo is a deep sandy gulf, with
several large fiumaras running into it. At about six miles to the eastward of Milazzo,
there is good anchorage, for all sized vessels, keeping an eye to the sea-winds in winter,
in from eight to twenty-five fathoms, sand and mud ; but the best place to drop an anchor
is in fifteen, nearly opposite the Baronial Palace, and about three-quarters of a mile off
shore.
HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS.
IX
Cape Rasaculmo. — This a fertile tabled point, of moderate heiglit, with several sand-
hills under it, and some low rocks, called Pietre del Rai's, at its base. On the outer point
stand the remains of a stout Saracenic tower, and near it a turret, with a telegraph.
AcatTA Ladeone. — Inside the Cape, at the distance of about two miles to the eastward,
the fiumara and fishing village of Acqua Ladrone, with a high mound of white sand on its
east side, whence it has obtained the name ofAxena-bianca among seamen. The anchorage
off this spot is excellent, there being from twelve to twenty fathoms, fine stiiF mud; and the
way to bring to, is to stand in until the Faro beach touches the south end of the town of
Scylla, and the hghthouse on the Faro Point bears S.E.byE., distant five or six miles,
when the best bower may be dropped. A bottom of fine hard sand extends to the village
of Mondello, and to upwards of three miles in the offing ; but opposite there the ground
is broken, with rocky patches, deepening suddenly to fortv-five fathoms, and then shoaling
rapidly towards the Faro Point, but still of no danger whatever to ships under .sail.
I now subjoin the Courses and Distances from each of the principal ports and headlands
of the North Coast of Sicily, to the adjacent parts, in the degrees of the compass and
nautic miles.
From Capo St. Vita to
Miles.
Maretirao . .
Cagliari . .
Monte Cristo .
CiTita Vecchia
S. 71 34 W.
N. 70 24 W.
N. 24 15 W.
N. 11 22 W.
34
1S8
271
238
Ponza N. 3 35 E.
Ustiea N. 32 40 E.
Uomo Morto Point . N. S9 15 E.
Castellaraare . . . S. 28 14 E.
Miles.
. 160
. 37
. 20
U
From Palermo to
Bastia N. 33 04 W. . 327
Genoa N. 28 03 W. . 427
Elba N. 26 11 W. .313
Leghorn . . . . N. 23 17 W. . 354
Port Hercules . . N. 19 54 W. . 273
Civita Vecchia . . N. 17 23 W.
Naples N. 14 10 E.
Policastro . . . . N. 42 24 E.
Alicudi N. 59 21 E.
Lipari N. 74 51 E.
248
167
157
49
77
Cape Zaffarana . . N. 75 32 W.
Ustiea N. 43 57 W.
Alicudi N. 15 57 E.
From Cefalu.
24
60
34
Lipari . . .
Stromboli . .
Cape Orlando
N. 56 18 E.
N. 48 04 E.
N. 75 58 E.
50
72
33
APPENDIX.
From Cape Orlando to
o , Miles. I
Palermo . . . . N. 87 54 W. . 82 Alicudi
Termini . ... S. 77 17 W. . 50 Salina
Caronia .... S. 62 14 W. . 17 I Cape Calava
From Port Madonna to
o , Miles.
N. 41 11 W. . .33
N. 6 20 E. . 28
N. 73 18 E. . 7
Felicudi . . . . N. 42 26 W. . 36
Lipari N. 8 25 W. . 21
Panaria .... N. 1 26 E. .31
Stromboli . . . . N. 1 1 44 E.
Cape Vaticano . . N. 52 46 E.
Milazzo Light- house N. 45 00 E.
42
49
13
From Milazzo Light-house to
Cape Orlando . . S. 69 52 W.
Ustica N. 74 33 W.
Lipari N. 46 51 W.
Panaria . . . . N. 21 27 W.
Stromboli . . . . N. 1 24 W.
23
101
17
23
32
Naples N. 16 31 W.
Policastro . . . . N. 10 11 E.
Amantea . . . . N. 39 43 E.
Cape Vaticano . . N. 55 37 E.
Cape Rasaculmo . N. 83 40 E.
160
no
66
37
IS
From the Faro Point to
Lipari . . . . . N. 70 46 W. . 36 Naples . . . . N. 23 22 W.
Panaria .... N. 53 37 W. . 37 Policastro . . . . N. 00 49 W.
Stromboli . . . . N. 34 20 W. . 39 Amantea . . , . N. 22 33 E.
Civita Vecchia . . N. 38 17 W. . 292 Cape Vaticano . . N. 22 56 E.
Ponza N. 38 44 W. . 200 Pietra-nera . . . N. 61 42 E.
168
108
55
23
12
ADDITIONAL HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS ON THE COASTS
AND
HARBOURS OF SICILY AND ITS ADJACENT ISLANDS.
CHAPTER II.
Detail of the East Coast of Sicily ; the Faro, Messina, Taormina, Riposto, Aci,
Trezza, Catania, Mount Mtna, Lentini, Augusta, Syracxise, Lognini, Vindicari,
Marzamemi, Passaro.
Faro Point. — A BANK extends about a quarter of a mile off the Faro Point to the
eastward, wth from seven to thirty fathoms' water, affording tolerable anchorage for ships
that are waiting either for a passage to the southward or the westward ; and the birth is
better than at Acqua Ladrone, as there a vessel is liable to be caught by sea winds, when,
though she wiU ride easily, it ^vill be difficult for her to weigh and gain the strait. When,
therefore, this place is desired, the ship should stand on the bank by the lead until she
brings the light-house to bear W. by N.iN., distant seven or eight hundred yards; be-
cause, about a quarter of a mile to the N.E. of it, there is a foul spot liable to damage
the cables. The exposure to the whole strength of the currents and winds renders this
resort more eligible in summer than in winter ; yet, as it is sometimes a necessary measure,
I give the following as the best bearings :
Summit of Stromboli N.W.iN.'
Cape Vaticano • • • N.N.E.
Convent over Palma (coast of Calabria) E.N.E.i-N.
Scylla Castle . . . ditto . . E.byS.
City of Messina S.W.
I fifteen fathoms, sand.
The east coast of SicUy has scarcely a hidden danger, and is almost every where bold
to, and so clean, that the largest vessels may close it with the lead, as near as can be requi-
site ; its tides and currents are affected by those of the Faro, and heavy gales occasion
a strong northerly or southerly set, which must be particularly allowed for in shaping a
course across its direction ; the Bombay, of 74 guns, in 1816, was steering from Cape
Spartivento towards Malta, when, in the middle of the night, they found themselves under
b2
xii APPENDIX.
Cape Morro di Porco ; and, had it been dark blowing weather, would, probably, have
been lost.
For a more particular account of the currents in this Strait, the reader is referred to
page 109, and the sequel.
Between the Faro Point and Messina, are several excellent sandy bays, affording eligible
shelter for shipping of all sizes; but particularly at the fishing village of St. Agata; and
off the Grotta, (a church with a dome,) midway of this distance. In the bay of Pa-
radiso are some foul patches.
For vessels intending to make but a very short stay, there is a good birth to bring up
at, off the Convent of St. Francesco di Paolo, because it ensures an offing for standing
either northward or southward : is well sheltered, and has excellent holding ground ; but,
between it and Fort Salvador,, there is a broken, foul bottom, very injurious to cables, in
from twenty to thirty fathoms' water.
Messina Harbouk. — The best mode of anchoring in Messina harbour is to run close
in, off the Marina, with a warp ready for a stern-fast, then drop anchor in about thirty
fathoms, and secure to the shore immediately. A ship can moor, if she prefers it, in the
central part of the harbour, with her best bower N.E., and the small one S.W., having an
open hawse to the N. W., as heavy squalls rush down the hills in that quarter ; but, as the
western anchor, from the steep nature of the bottom, is hable to be brought home, and
the ship would quickly tail, mooring thus, is not so advisable as with fasts on the quay ;
yet there being many Commanders of His Majesty's ships, who prefer lying at their own an-
chors, more especially if they are going to remain long, I recommend the following birth :
Citadel Flagstaff S.E.byS.^
Castel Gonzaga W.S.W. I Best bower in 31 fathoms.
Coeur de Lion's Tower (Matagriffone) W.byN.^N. \ Ship in . . 35 „
Porta Reale Bastion N.W.iW. | Small bower in 22 „
Light-house E.^N. I
In the N.E. quarter, between Fort Salvador and the Lazaretto, a patch of ground has
been made foul by the wrecks of two old line-of-battle ships.
Chabybdis. — On leaving the harbour of Messina, and bound to the southward, care
must be taken that the strength of the current does not carry a vessel on the Tangdora
shoals, (two tailing points stretching out from a sort of bay, formed by the eddies of Cha-
rybdis,) the sand of which being fidl of bituminous particles, is nearly as hard as rock.
To strangers entering the harbour at night, these shoals are dangerous, as ships are apt to
close the hght too much, and if the vessel grounds, the rapidity of the stream, and great
HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS. xiii
depth of water just outside, are obstacles to getting off again. To prevent the repetition of
an accident, not unfrequent, I recommended a smaller light to be placed between the
usual one and Fort Salvador, which has since been adopted, and must prove of infinite
service.
To the southward of Messina, the coast is formed by a steep sandy beach, with from
thirty to fifty fathoms' water, within a cable's length of the shore, affording only a tem-
porary anchorage off Contessa, Mill, and St. Paolo, and even there, hawsers must be
bended to steady with.
Point St. Alessio. — This is an abrupt bold cUff, beyond Savoca, with several rocks
under it, where coasting craft anchor in tolerable security, though the water is shallow,
and the sea fetches in.
Bay of Taormina. — Between Cape St. Andrea and Point Schiso, is the bay of Taor-
mina, where tolerable anchorage is afforded in from eight to thirty fathoms, on a fine
sandy bottom near the shore, and mud further out ; this bay, however, is exposed to all
the easterly winds, except close up with either of the points ; it is, therefore, more a
summer anchorage than otherwise, though it may be used in cases of necessity, when a
central birth will be the best, because, if the winds threaten from the offing, a ship can
weigh and weather either point.
Bay of La Trezza. — This bay affords tolerable anchorage in from twelve to seven
fathoms' water, fine black sandy bottom, except near the rocks, and off Trezza, where are
several foul patches.
L'Ognara. — The general depth in these coves is from seven to three fathoms, but the
bottom is foul in patches ; nevertheless, vessels had much better load there in the summer,
than pay the expenses of the land carriage of their cargoes to Catania ; and with chain
cables it is very practicable.
Gulf of Catania. — Between La Trezza and Cape Sta. Croce, there is a spacious bay,
quite clean, where ships may anchor in any part during the fine season, by picking up a
birth with the lead ; I once rode here during a very fresh breeze from the E.N.E., which,
however, did not blow quite home ; my situation was thus :
Highest Cyclop .
Summit of ^Etna
Benedictine Cupola
Mouth of the Giarretta
Point Cornala . . .
N.byE.iE.N
N.byW.fW.
N.W.iW.
i.S.W.iW.
S.S.E.iE.;
1 21 fathoms, sand and mud,
■* ■ I two miles off shore
S.S.W.4W.
xiv APPENDIX.
Point Armisl is the north part of the port of Catania, and between it and the Sciarra point,
all sized vessels may bring up for temporary occasions, in from seven to twelve fathoms,
rocky bottom, watching the winds ; but, in the small port, (formed by a stream of lava
to the south, and two short piers on the north,) there are only three fathoms and a half at
the greatest depth, and this does not extend far. I have, however, seen two or three large
transports lying under the mole ; and, on occasion, room might be made for more. This
port is generally full of small craft that resort thither for corn, maccarone, oil, wine, SfC. SfC;
the active commerce of the place being such as to merit a far superior harbour.
La Bruca. — This little port is surrounded by rocks, rising vertically to the height of
forty or fifty feet, with an approach of regular soundings, and a detail of bottom suffici-
ently indicated by the lead. There are two and a half fathoms near the castle ; the western
shore is the steepest, and hither small craft resort to load wheat, tunny, and squared
building stone.
o
Augusta Haebour. — Standing in for the harbovu- of Augusta, a ship may sail by
Cape Sta. Croce, at a convenient distance, it being pretty bold, though there are a few
rocks and a taihng reef under the Convent. The next head land is Grossa Longa, the east
point of Izzo bay, wth a rock and small ledge under water, about one hundred and eighty
yards to the southward of it. Having passed Izzo bay, and the foul bight, called Port
Safonica, keep S. by W., until nearly three-quarters of a mile to the southward of the light-
house that is erected on the extensive reef of rocks, on which His Majesty's ship Electra
was lost in 1808 ; this will afford a clean channel of from fourteen to seventeen fathoms to
run to the westward in, and it is advisable, as a general rule, to strangers, not to shoal to
less than twelve from Sta. Croce thither. When the hght-house and the cathedral, (the
hio-hest edifice in the town,) are in one, the ship may gradually haul up W.N.W. and then
N.N.W., passing the hght at nearly half a mile's distance, and take up a birth abreast of
the town, in from eight to eleven fathoms, clay. Vessels may, indeed, run up beyond the
forts and anchor in from six to eight fathoms ; but the air is not so wholesome as at the
lower anchorao-e, owing to the vicinity of the Salterns, and its being more land-locked
excludes the sea breezes. The following are good bearings for mooring in, with the anchors
north and south, the westerly wind over the land being most troublesome in winter :
The Citadel N.E.^
The Light-house S.E. byE. Ship in ten fathoms, stiff clay,
Magnisi Tower S.S.E. \ nearly half a mile from the
Cantara Point S.S.W.JW. town.
VittoriaFort , N.W.byN. ^
But care must be taken in coming in, not to run too far to the southward of the light-
HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS. xv
house, as the dangerous shoal of Hybla lies about half way between it and the peninsula of
Magnisi, with from three and a quarter to five fathoms on it, hard rock, deepening suddenly
to eight and ten, gravel : the marks for it are the great tower of Prioli, (near the centre of
the coast, between Augusta and Magnisi,) on with the last dark ravine in the mountain
towards Mililli ; and the light-house, a little open to the eastward of tiie cathedral. On
this reef a Neapolitan line-of-battle ship, commanded by Naselli, the present Minister of
Marine, was nearly lost ; and the Spartiate, of seventy-four guns, one of Lord Nelson's
squadron, grounded on it for several houi-s ; large ships, therefore, coming from tlie south-
ward, to avoid it, should keep towai-ds Cape St. Croce until the light-house bears N.W. by
W., about two miles, and then stand in towards the anchorage; or they may enter the
S.W. channel, between the reef and Magnisi, by giving the latter a birth of three-quarters
of a mile, and borrowing over towards the main, until the cathedral is seen well open to the
westward of the light-house ; and by keeping it open thus, there is plenty of room to beat.
The harbour is spacious and secure, with several rivers running into it; but in easterly
and southerly gales, owing to its extensive entrance, there is often a great swell, which oc-
casions those lying farthest out to ride heavy; the bottom, however, is so o-ood as to
render it necessary to sight the anchor at times, as it would otherwise require an immense
purchase for weighing.
The Mole and the Pratique office are between the town and the citadel. There is another
landing-place for boats under the line-wall, near the middle of the cordon of stones.
Magnisi. — In its two small bays, good anchorage is afforded to coasters, in from four
to mne fathoms, sand.
Approach to Syracuse. — From Stentino, the coast to Syracuse is composed of rocky
cliffs with numerous caves, but it is bold to, and without danger ; excepting at nio-ht, when
care must be taken to avoid " Lo Scoglio del Cane," the Dog-Rock, which lies off the town
and is low, with four fathoms between it and the walls. Inside the rocks of the Capuchins
there is a small shallow bay.
Harbour. — Sailing into the harbour of Syracuse, the Plemmyrium shoals, which stretch
about a third across the entrance of its mouth from the southward, must be avoided by
large ships ; the least water on them is three and a quarter fathoms, with seven between
them and Massa point. When the ship is just clear of the light-house, two columns, the
remains of the temple of Jupiter Olympius, will be observed on the opposite side of the
harbour, near the Anapus river : with these two in one, a vessel will pass close inside the
point, and give the shoals a wide birth in a channel of from nine to fifteen fathoms.
Standing in at night from the northward, when the light is west a little southerly, by keeping
W.S.W., a clear channel, close to Maniace point, will be gained. Coming from the south-
xvi APPENDIX.
ward, keep the light on the larboard bow, and when it bears to the westward of N.W., the
liarbour can be safely stood for ; and, in either case, good anchorage will be found to the
northward of the entrance, abreast of the town. From the facility of getting out with
light winds, the situation between the town and the salt-works, in from five to nine fathoms,
fine black mud, is to be preferred ; the N.W. part of the harbour, owing to the floods of
the Anapus, and the marshes, is the shoalest.
The south-west winds, coming over the valley of the Maddalena, are the most violent,
while the east and the south-east send in the greatest swell ; it is, therefore, advisable for
those, who are going to make any stay here in the winter, to moor with the best bower to
the S.W., the small one to the N.E., and an open hawse to the mouth of the harbour,
with the following bearings :
The Cathedral N.E.byE.^^
The Light-house E. by S.|S.
Massa Point S.E.
Ship in six and a half fa-
Massa romt i^.ij. i -
„ . „ , , , c -mr u c Jthoms, clay, oft shore nearly
Pomt Salso, the centre .... S.W.byS. / -i
Columns of Jupiter Olympius . . W.^S.
Mouth of the Aqueduct .... N.iW.y
Some years ago a vessel sunk opposite the Marina, and occasioned a foul birth, to the
great injury of that part of the port where the country vessels resort ; having examined
her situation, vnth a view to weighing her with the FlotLUa people, under my orders, I
found, that by frequent deposits and suction, she was so imbedded in mud and silt, that it
would require a purchase infinitely beyond the means in my power ; I, therefore, recom-
mended breaking her in the summer, when, from being so near the shore, and the favourable
state of the weather to be expected, the timber and fragments might be fished up, and
prevented from doing further damage. But, as I am uncertain whether the design was
ever put in execution, I advise small vessels to remember that it lies about three hun-
dred and twenty yards to the eastward of the landing-place, in two and three-quarters'
fathoms.
Cape Moero di Poeco. — Sailing from Syracuse, bound to the southward, a vessel may
steer close by the bold cliff of Cape Morro di Porco, and can pass within a cable's length,
in fifteen or twenty fathoms; after which she mil soon Hft Cape Passaro like an island.
LoGNiNi.— Inside the above Cape, to the W.S.W. about three miles, is a secure port
for small craft, called Lognini ; and between it and Morro di Porco, is a fine bay with
sandy coves, where ships of any size may find shelter from W. round to N.E., in about
thirteen fathoms, sand and mud.
HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS. xvii
AvoLA. — From o£F this place, the tower on Passaro looks hke a vessel under sail to the
southward.
ViNDiCARi.— Its southern point is formed by a small islet, named INIacaresa, joined to
the main by a narrow spit of sand, with three feet water on it: small craft repairing thither
should be careful to give the northern point a birth, as a reef tails from it; after which
they can anchor in from three to five fathoms' water, noting, however, a rocky patch near
the centre which may be avoided by keeping towards the tower.
Leaving Vindicari, a fine bay, with from five to fifteen fathoms, extends towards Rlar-
zamemi.
Makzamemi. — The port is very smaU and shallow, with two low islets off it, affording
but sufficient room for a few trading boats to he in about two and a quarter fathoms ; and
even then the easterly winds occasion so strong a ground swell, as to tear up the Alga-
marina from the bottom, and throw it in large quantities on the beach. E.N.E. of the
the town, about a mUe distant, is a rocky reef, with one and one-quarter fathom on it, and
a swashway between it and the land, of five fathoms. The Prince of GiardineUi has
founded the town of Pachhio on the hills, the church of which, with the windmill near it,
are conspicuous objects all round tliis part of the coast.
Refreshments of every kind can be had by waiting a day or two, and water is procured
at the end of the marshes.
Passaeo. — Passaro Isle is of bold approach on its north and east sides ; on the south,
it is steep and rocky ; and, on the west, it is joined to the main by a sandy spit, with two
feet water on it, forming a cone where small vessels anchor in southerly winds.
Between the Isle and Avola, good shelter is afforded to ships and small craft, that are
obliged to bear up in the channel of Malta from a westerly gale, the birth being taken by
the lead, in from nine to thirty fathoms' water, sand in shore, and stiff clay in the offing.
Attention must be paid in rounding the point under the tower, to keep clear of the
Tunny-nets, moored from thence to the Tonnara, in the season for taking that fish.
Passaro Isle, being the hmit of the eastern coast of Sicily, it is only necessary to add the
course and distance of various places from its principal ports.
From Messina to
o
Miles,
Faro Point . . . . N. 40 36 E. . 64
Reggio S. 33 42 E. . 6
Taormina . . . . S. 30 23 W. . 26i
o
Miles.
Catania ... . S. 29 03 W. . 49
Augusta S. 16 47 W. . 60
Syracuse . . . . S. 11 49 W. . 69
xvin
APPENDIX.
From Taormina to
Reggio . . . . N.
Cape Spartivento N.
Cape Sta. Croce . S.
Taormina . .
Messina . .
Cape dell' Armi
Reggio . .
Cape Spartivento
Cape Rizzuta
42 24 E.
77 11 E.
04 05 W.
Miles.
24J
36
33
Zanfe S. 89 50 E.
Cape Matapan . S. 76 02 E.
Derna . . . . S. 49 53 E.
From Catania to
N. 6 51 E.
N. 29 03 E.
N. 28 56 W.
20
49
34
Cape Spartivento
Zante
Port la Bruca
N. 58 27 E.
N. 86 04 E.
S. 25 01 E.
From Augusta to
Miles.
244
352
473
53§
377
131
N. 21 12 E.
N. 42 14 E.
N. 40 40 E.
57
57
140
Cape Sta. Maria di LeucaN. 43 49 E. 215
Fano N. 50 52 E. 249
Santa Maura . . . N. 69 33 E. 277
From Syracuse to
Corfu ....
N.
52 49 E.
Santa Maura
. N.
52 32 E.
Cephalonia . .
N.
74 25 E.
Zante . . .
. N.
80 04 E.
Strophadia . .
. N.
87 21 E.
Cerigo . . .
S.
80 49 £.
Marzamemi . .
. N.
F
21 48 W.
Vindicari . .
. N.
21 46 W
Syracuse . .
. N.
68 03 E.
Cape Spartivento
. N
29 25 E.
256
176
253
255
259
263
Cape Spada
Alexandria
Bomba
Bengazi . .
Mezurata
Tripoli .
From Cape Passaro to
S. 77 50 E.
S. 63 49 E.
S. 53 25 E.
S. 36 14 E.
S. 4 01 W.
S. 25 20 W.
4|
Si
39
S6
Derna , . . . S. 57 23 E.
Mesurata ... S. 00 12 E.
Valetta . . . . S. 33 14 W.
Pantellaria . . . S. 51 24 W.
394
793
471
367
288
275
441
360
56
160
HYDROGRAPHiCAL REMARKS. xix
CHAPTER III.
Detail of the South Coast of Sicily, La Marza, Ispica, Modica, Scoglietti, Terra Nova,
Alicata, Girgenti, Siculiana, Sciacca.
The south coast of Sicily is generally low and arid, and does not possess a single
harbour for large ships, though there are several tolerable summer anchorages, of which
the principal are those of Port Paolo, Alicata, Girgenti, Siculiana, and Sciacca : the se-
condary ones are La Marza, Pozzallo, Secca, Scoglietti, Terra Nova, Port Nicolo, Pahna,
and Porto Palo ; with several intermediate ones of still minor consideration. The most re-
able headlands that distinguish this coast, are Cape Passaro, Cape Scalambra, Point
Tenda, Cape Bianco, Cape San Marco, and Cape Granitola; the approaches to which are
not so clean, or so deep, as those on the north and the east shores; as already detailed.
But, though I found several banks, there is no shoal of consequence at a mile off shore ;
excepting the one off Girgenti, the approaches to the Marinata of Cape Bianco, and the
sands of Cape Granitola ; and these, being clearly marked on the chart, are readily distin-
guished : a good general rule for a stranger, working along the coast at night, is not to
stand inside of seventeen to twenty fathoms ; by day he may close to twelve.
Cape Passako. — This cape might prove dangerous to strangers in the night, or in
thick weather, on account of its being generally understood that Cape Passaro and Pas-
saro Isle, are one and the same ; a vessel, therefore, under this impression, would probably
haul round to the westward, after passing the redoubt, and in the evening, the point being
very low, she might be on the reef, before the land could be seen ; it was by such a
mistake, that an Enghsh line of battle ship got aground there, a few years ago, and re-
ceived considerable damage.
Inside Cape Passaro, is Port Paolo, a convenient place for coasters, in all winds but
that from south ; having a good sandy bottom, mixed with mud, and from five to three
fathoms inside, and seven to ten at its entrance, where I have seen nearly a dozen
vessels ride out a brisk northerly gale.
From hence a bay called Fontanelle, with regular soundings in mud and sand, stretches
to Point Formiche, a low white chfF; off which five black rocks appear just above the
surface of the water, and a reef trending nearly a mile out, caiTying from three to six
fathoms.
c 2
XX APPENDIX.
La Maeza. — N.W. from the Isle of Currents, distant nearly six miles, is the small
shallow bay of La Marza.
Over against Grotta Point, is a reef, the extreme of which is marked by two rocks above
water, called Chiappe ; and outside them, with a good channel of eight to ten fathoms'
water between them, lies the group of flat rocks, called the Porri, from a species of wild
leek growing there, and for the sake of which various birds resort to them ; they may
always be approached with the lead, in the day-time.
PozzALLo. — This is the principal caricatore of the county of Modica, for the export-
ation of its produce, and it aifords summer anchorage in from twelve to seven fathoms,
sand : it has a small pier and several magazines.
Provisions may be procured at a moderate rate.
Porto Secco. — Porto Secco, is a good place for vessels of light draft, being secured
against a southwester by a long low rock, but must be of difficult access in fresh weather,
owing to the heavy overfalls off" all tliis part of the coast.
Cape Scalambra is a low rocky projection, with several points between it and Scoglietti,
from which a reef extends some distance out, and though approachable by the lead, may
prove dangerous in the dark ; I have, indeed, seldom passed without seeing a wi-eck on it;
and, in 1814, there were two Greeks, a Sicilian, and an English ship, all lying bilged, after
a breeze from the westward : how useful then, a light would be, either on the tower of
Scalambra, Pera, or Bracetto ! Ships passing, should never stand inside fourteen fathoms,
unless they know their ground, and the set of the currents.
In each of these coves, the carubba, or locust-bean, charcoal, wood, and other produce of
the district of Sta. Croce, are embarked ; but grain can be exported only from the regular
caricatore.
Terka Nova. — This town stands on a tabled hiU, between the rivulets of Muratio
and Soprano.
The anchorage is about a mile from the town, in from seven to eleven fathoms, sand and
mud ; but it is very much exposed, and every change of wind ought to be watched, as that
from the S.W. sends in a great sea, and when it blows fresh, there is not room to get
under weigh and make sail. Small craft lie at the cai-icatore under the Torre delP Insegna,
at a small distance from the town ; observing that off" the entrance of the rivulet Dissuteri,
are several small banks.
From Terra Nova, the beach trends along by Menfri to Falconara, a rocky point, with a
large square tower, some magazines, and a country-seat belonging to the Prince of Butera,
near which are some beautiful and fertile grounds. Passing the rock of St. Nicola and
the beach of Foggitella, the river Salso, which divides the provinces of Noto and Mazzara,
HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS. xxi
empties itself into the sea between Alicata and Fonducella, forming a slioaJ bar before its
entrance of nearly a mile, on which the surf beats hea\Tly in winds from the southward ;
boats, however, may be taken into the river, but the pass is very narrow, and demands
intimate acquaintance with the ground.
Alicata. — At present, vessels anchor about a mile S.W. of the town, in from seven
to twelve fathoms, good clayey bottom ; but, in winter, this anchorage is exposed to all the
winds from east to west round southerly. In coming to, stand in by the lead, and bring
the flag staff of the sea castle to bear well to the eastward of the Fonducello Hillock, and
drop the anchor as near the following bearings as may be convenient, remembering to
buoy up the cables in light winds, to prevent chafing :
Palu Tower, over Tenda Point . . . N.W.byW.
Upper Castle N.byW.
Sea Castle ' : N.E.
San Nicolo Rock . . ; E.N.E.
Ship in 82 fathoms, mud, off
shore about a mile.
Poet Nicolo. — Rounding the hill west of Alicata, is a singular Httle bay called Port
Nicolo, where small craft procure shelter in from two to four fathoms ; it is formed by a
rock, joined to the main by a narrow neck of land, and has a large valley stretching from
its beach towards the extensive plain of Serrata. Tliree miles N.W. of it is the mouth of
the river Ciotta, with a bar off it ; and on its right bank the high, but useless, tower of
Grugno, with a few magazines at its base. This part of the coast, easily known by the
round white tower of Palu on the brow of a hill above, is perfectly regular in its approach
by the lead, with the exception of a bank off Point Tenda, on which are seven fathoms,
but it is clear of all danger, except shght overfalls.
Palma. — Beyond Tenda Point lies the bay and marina of Palma, with some magazines
and a stout tower for their protection ; off which vessels ride in from five to eight fathoms,
good ground, but much exposed. Palma is a respectable to\vn, pleasantly situated on a
hiU about two miles from the beach.
Under the castle of Monte Chiaro, the coast is a continued shelf of rocks, breaking some
distance out, and, in bad weather, the land is almost inaccessible.
Bay of Giegenti. — Off point Bianco lie two rocks above water, the larger of which, is
named the Patella, with a channel of seven fathoms between it and the main ; but coasters
taking the inner passage, must be very careful of a sunken rock off the river di Naro,
lyino- about a mile and a quarter out, with only four feet water on it, and six or seven
fathoms all round, at a few yards' distance : the marks are Rosso Tower over the white
cliff of Monte Reale to the westward, and to the eastward, the tower of Palu between
Point Bianco and Monte Grande.
xxii APPENDIX.
The towers of Rosso and Rossello stand on a brownish red point, easily distinguished
from the white cliffs on either side.
Between the mole of Girgenti and the river di Naro, is the river of Girgenti, choked
with shallows; about three miles to the southward of which, is a bank to be avoided in
standing in for the anchorage ; it trends W.N.W., and E.S.E., with from three and a half
to five fathoms on the shoalest part, deepening gradually, with rocky patches, to ten and
twelve, and at a httle distance every way to thirteen and fifteen fathoms, sand. The marks
for the shoalest part are, the Mole Tower on with the upper light-house ; Rosella Tower
open to the eastward of Rosso; the central part of Girgenti N.byE.JE., and Monte
Chiaro Castle just open, and nearly on with the small tower of Palu on the hUls to the
eastward.
Between this shoal and the mole-head, is very excellent anchorage for ships of every
description, to be taken at choice, in from seven to ten fathoms, sand and clay, with a
bottom level and clean, where, though exposed to all the ■winds from W.N.W. round
southerly to S.E., it must be a very uncommon gale, indeed, that would excite any serious
apprehension. If the foUomng bearings can be taken up, they give a station in command
of the mole-head in a S.W. mnd, though it is further out than a vessel need lie in the
summer months :
Rosello Tower W.N.W.
Mole Prison Tower N.|W.
Centre of Girgenti N.E.|N.
Point Bianco S.E.byE.
Sliip in nine fathoms, stiff
clay, a mile and a quarter
from the mole steps.
The mole is well finished and convenient, with a good watering-place in the centre, and
mooring posts all round, terminated by a mole-head battery and light-house : it is to be re-
gretted, that in planning this excellent undertaking, the engineer did not carry the central
branch more to the westward, and throw the outer arm into deeper water, where the un-
dertow would have been much weaker.
The depth of water cannot always be depended on, because the southerly winds send
in a quantity of sand and silt ; but usually at the mole-head and along the inner part of
the southern arm, there are two and a half, and tliree fathoms, decreasing rapidly along the
central part to eleven and nine feet towards the shoals that stretch out from the shore.
Vessels, going in, should first be certain that there is a birth for them, as the port being
small, and the only one on the coast, is generally crowded, and by neglecting this pre-
caution, much damage might be occasioned ; but should the mole be pretty clear, as much
sail must be kept set, till the moment of anchoring, as will give considerable way in, for
the wind and current being acted upon by the mole-head, often occasions a ship to drift
out. If the weather permits, a hawser should be previously sent to be made fast to the
mole-head mooring post, and taken on board the moment the vessel is rounding it, to
prevent her falling on the shallows.
HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS. xxiii
By a port regulation, when ships arrive, the first that delivers her ballast, and takes in
any portion of her cargo, as a few pigs of sulphur, or a little grain, or any other article,
must be completely loaded before another is commenced with ; this has often been turned
to advantage by those masters who frequent this place.
SiccLiANA. — In leaving Girgenti, it is advisable to weigh with the land breeze, as it
gives sufficient time for the anchors to be stowed, and an offing to be gained, before the
sea-breeze sets in, it being often pretty fresh, even in summer.
Sicuhana lies about six miles and a half to the westward of Girgenti ; the coast is without
hidden dangers, defended by the towers of Rosso and Rosella, erected on points with
rocky bases, and a sandy cove between them. The town stands on two hills in an abrupt
and barren country, at a little distance inland : the caricatore for the sulphur is on the west
bank of the Canna rivulet, and before it, at nearly half a mile off shore, a rocky shoal
stretches along the coast with from one to three fathoms on it, and five fathoms, sand, inside.
Ships of burthen usually anchor about a mile and a quarter out, in from seven to eleven
fathoms, sand and clay, with large pebbles that rub the cables ; but those of from one
hundred and eighty to two hunrded and fifty tons, can pass the reef in a favourable moment
and moor securely inside it. If the weather is very settled, and the lading ready for em-
barkation, (which is generally the case,) a vessel will ride very comfortably thus,
Cape Bianco N.W.JW.
Torre Felice 'N.^'E.
Siculiana Castle N.E.byN.
Rosso Town E.|S.
•2-
,Nine fathoms, mud, off shore
nearly one and a half mile.
Bay of Sciacca. — Cape Bianco is a white promontory, about ninety feet high, with a
shoal reef, extending nearly a mile and a half, to the southward of it.
I had heard of a shoal off Point Cristauro, said to be three or four miles out to sea,
and lying N.W. and S.E. ; I searched in every direction, but could find nothing except
the eight fathom bank I have placed in the chart.
Ships ride at about a mile oiF Sciacca in the summer time, in from seven to twelve fathoms,
sand and clay, but they are exposed to every wind from S.E. round southerly to W., so
that it is resorted to only during the fine months, except by boats and flat-floored vessels
that can be beached. The best spot to drop anchor is with the following bearings :
Cape St. Marco W.byN.|N. '
Sciacca Castle N.
Christauro Tower E.iN.
Cape Bianco S.E.byE.
In eight fathoms, mud, off
shore about a mile.
Golf of Tre Fontane. — The bight, between Cape St. Marco and Cape Granitola, is
XXIV
APPENDIX.
called the Gulf of Tre Fontaine. It has regular soundings and easy shores, but without
any good shelter, except in the port of Palu, in the mid-distance, where small craft can he.
To know this port, as it would not be readily distinguished by a stranger, because the point
overlaps, steer for the first tower to the westward of Menfrici, a tower appearing on the
hUl about eight miles to the N.W. of Cape St. Marco : Port Palu is nine miles N.W. of
that cape, and thirteen miles W.-J-N. from Cape Granitola. St. Marco itself is an abrupt
forked point, of moderate height, and a reddish colour, forming the west extreme of
Sciacca bay ; it has a square tower, with a battery on its siunmit, and at its base lies a
shelf of rocks, which, however, may be approached pretty close by the lead.
Courses and distances, in nautical miles, from Ports on the south coast of Sicily, to pro-
bable places of destination :
From Pozallo to
Gozo S. 37 12 W.
Valetta S. 17 37 W.
Lampedusa . . . S. 55 21 W.
Miles.
54
133J
Pantellaria . ,
Cape Scalambra
Alicata . . .
o , Miles.
N. 87 44 W. . 152
N. 87 17 W. . 21
N. 66 26 W. . 47|
From Terra Nova to
Pantellaria
Alicata .
Lampedusa
S. 83 56 W. . 1131
N. 84 18 W. . 15
S. 40 46 W. . 124
Linosa
Scoglietti
Valetta
S. 43 20 W.
S. 42 43 E.
S. 10 40 E.
971
15
70
From Alicata to
Valetta . . . . S. 21 55 E. . 75|
Bengazi . . . . S. 45 05 E. . 421
Tripoli S. 8 22 W. . 353
Lampedusa . . . S. 34 28 W. . 115
Zerbi, or Jerba
Sfax, or Sfacus
Suza . . . .
Pantellaria . .
S. 40 48 W.
S. 48 15 W.
S. 65 30 W.
S. 83 10 W.
251
168
175
109
Valetta . .
Tripoli . . .
Lampedusa
Zerbi, or Jerba
Cape Scalambra
Valetta . .
Lampedusa
From Girgenti to
S. 30 03 E. . 95
S. 3 45 W. . 262
S. 23 12 W. . 116i
S. 32 24 W. . 239
Sfacus . .
Kerkenis bank
Susa . . .
Cape Bon
From Sciacca to
S. 42 OS W.
S. 31 03 W.
S. 57 47 W.
S. 84 36 W.
S. 57 06 E.
S. 35 51 E.
S. 11 19 W.
81
llSi
1234
206
171
163
117
Sfacus . . . . S. 33 42 W. . 203
Susa S. 48 59 W. . 155
Pantellaria . . . S. 55 23 W. . SU
HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS. xxv
CHAPTER IV.
Detail of the West Coast of Sicily, Mazzara, Marsala, San Pantaleo, Trapani, Eryx,
Cofano, Favigfiana, Levanso, and Maritime.
In making tlie west coast from the northward or westward, Maritimo, Cape St. Vito,
Cape Cofano, and Mount St. Julian, sufficiently guide the stranger ; but coitiing from the
southward and eastward, great care must be taken in the approach by night.
Cape Granitola. — Ships should never approach nearer to this point than two
miles, as, from the apparent irregularity of the currents, it is difficidt to tell their
direction, that generally depending on the previous winds. But should a vessel, by stress
of weather, by accident, or from tlie " Marobia," get on the shoals, I would particidarly
caution the crew against attempting to land, during a fresh breeze, near the point, it being
shallow in its approach, and generally beat by a very heavy surf, with a strono- resuro-e.
In such a disaster, a boat should pull, at a convenient distance from the shore, to Trefon-
tane, if the wind is from the westward ; or to Cala Dajolo, with a contrary. From either
of these places it is easy to communicate with Mazzara.
From Cape Granitola the coast trends away to the northward, is rocky, and, as far as
Trapani and the " toimara" of Bonazia, has foul ground, extending in many parts more
than a mile out ; to this the lead is, in most places, a tolerable direction, but ships should
generally keep a wide offing, with westerly winds, as there are frequent overfalls at some
distance, and it must have been one of these that His Majesty's ship Greyhound passed
through in great alarm in 1803 : but unless blowing a gale dead on, the coast is not at all
unsafe to approach, with proper caution.
Mazzaea. — Passing the small white tower of Caldara, the Coves of Dajolo and Due
Mai-ine, with the rivulet of Deha, at about two miles from the latter, stands the city of
Mazzai-a.
The want of a port for vessels of magnitude is felt in the winter. The entrance of the
river Salemi forms a very convenient haven for small craft; but larger vessels are oblio-ed to
lie at a very exposed anchorage in the roads, in from eight to twelve fathoms, in situation,
thus :
CapeFeto . N.W.-,
Mazzara Citadel N.E.byE ^E. Ten fathoms, clay, off shore
Caldara Tower S.E. [ about one mile and a half ;
Cape Granitola S.E.^S..
xxvi APPENDIX.
nor is it prudent to approach nearer, on account of the overfalls occasioned either by fresh
breezes, or by the " Marobia."
Cape Feto. — From Mazzara, standing to the N.W., the coast lies very low to Cape
Feto, which, though shoal, has a small cove, covered by a rock, where small craft resort :
outside of it, at the distance of about seven miles, to the W.N.W., is a large bank, wth
from eight to twelve fathoms' water, where fishermen find a profitable employment.
Maesala. — Between Mr. Woodhouse's Mole and the beach, there are from seven to
fourteen feet, stiff bottom. As the entrance is narrow, and the shoals trend from Cape
Boeo to the S.E., in many places nearly even with the water's edge, it is necessary, in
taking up this little port, to keep the centre of the Augustine Convent a little open of
Mount St. Julian (the distant hill, with a town on it,) and when within a short distance of
the shore, to stand to the N.W. a little, and drop an anchor.
Ships of size must lie to the S.W. of the city, in from eleven to eight fathoms' water, at
the distance of nearly two miles off shore, because the rocks extend in every direction more
than a mile from the land. The following birth has clean ground for a temporary stay :
St. Catharine's Castle, on Favignana . . . N.N.W.'\
Chapel on Cape Boeo N.E.iE. Ship in eight and a
Mr. Woodliouse's" BaUio" (dwelling, stores, &c.) E.^N. s half fathoms, mud.
Mount St. Juhan N.E.^N. off shore two miles.
Cape Feto S.E.J
Stagnone. — The space from the shore to nearly a mile out in the offing, in the di-
rection of Favignana, is a continuation of shoals and broken ground in patches, in many
parts of which even my boat grounded.
Teapani. — Vessels of from two to three hundred tons may lie at the quay, just above
the Pratique Office, where it is usual to have a fast under the walls, and an anchor laid out
on the mud shoals. Ships of greater draught bring up near the Colombara, in from eight
to ten fathoms' water, muddy bottom, but uneven and patchy ; people of the country carry
fasts to the shore, but I should prefer mooring with the anchors S.S.E. and N.N. W. The
o-round over all this part is very much broken, and occasions strong counter-tides in
fresh breezes : they are, however, never so strong but that a ship may beat against them.
In settled weather it is high water at nine hours thirty-five minutes, P.M., with a spring
rise of nearly two feet ; and it sets, if uninfluenced by any particular wind, N.E. and S.W.
Favignana. — Between Favignana and Levanso is an ehgible rendezvous for a fleet,
with exceUent anchorage, in the following positions :
HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS. xxvii
Sugar-Loaf Rock of Levanso . . W.N.W.iN^
^ Twenty-one fatlioms, mud,
just off the gravelly bottom
Point Grossa N.N.W.
Fonniche Tower N.E4E.
Mount St. Julian's E.N.E.
Theodore Tower S.E.
St. Catharine's Castle W.S.W.iS.J
There are good births in Cala Rossa, in from seven to twenty fathoms' water. Here
advantage may be taken of any wind for coming or going ; and there is a tolerable supply
of vegetables, fruit, and water.
FoRMiCHE. — The channel between the Formiche is safe in fine weather (if necessary to
use it,) there being seven and eight fathoms near the desert one ; but nearly mid-channel
there is a shoal, with only two and a half fatlioms upon it. To the E.N.E. of the castle,
distant nearly half a mile, another danger exists, with Uttle more than two fathoms upon
it, the following places bearing thus : The Port of Formiche on with St. Catharine's
Castle, and Trapani Light-house on with the Citadel Flagstail'.
Trapani Channels. — Persons, unacquainted with the navigation of these channels,
ought not to attempt the inner chaimel without consulting the plan of it, for though it is
perfectly safe with a leading wind, a sudden shift and the set of the current may bewilder a
stranger, and the quarantine regulations are often obstacles to procuring a pilot for the
occasion ; however, as much time may be saved, and a knowledge of the passage would
very soon be obtained, a few directions may prove of great advantage.
On making Trapani from the northwai'd, the tops of the houses look like several sail at
some distance, from the foot of Mount St. Julian, the latter instantly known by the to^vn
on its summit. In running for it, the dangerous reef, called the Porcelh (the Pigs), a mass
of rocks, on a wash \vith the water, must be avoided, by keeping well to the eastward ; and
on passing the islet Asinello, bringing the town of the Formiche to bear S.W., the marks
for the Porcelli are, Colombai-a Light-house on with the hill south of Paceco, and Formiche
Tower exactly mid-channel between Favignana and Marsala, the approach being very
bold to them on all sides, there being seventeen, twelve, and eight fathoms, then all at once
scarcely a foot, and many of the sunnnits above water, but generaUy surrounded with
breakers. Between the outer pinnacle to the north, and the main body of the shoal, is a
swash of six and seven fathoms' water, that makes a good ;place to moor a boat, in fine
weather, for fishing. Having passed this danger well to the eastward, if desirous of
anchoring in Trapani, the Mai Consiglio Rocks and Sigia Point can be rounded, keeping
them at a short mile distant, to avoid a small ledge called the Bullata, with only nine feet on
it. The Rock of Colombara can then be hugged at tluee-quarters of a cable, until opposite
the Light-house, where large ships find the best anchorage, by bringing it to bear N.iW.
d 2
xxviii APPENDIX.
From Trapani, to sail to the southward through the inner channel, give the Formiche a
birth, by keeping it about a mile to the westward, and the lead will carry ten and twelve
fathoms ; after passing it, stand away towards Cala Rossa, at the foot of the high east
point of Favignana, and go by it at the distance of about half a mile, when the ship will
be carried clear of the shoals of Borrone, and may stand away to the southward. A plain
clear channel is also to be found by running from the northward for Levanso (guarding
against the Porcelli,) and passing the east side of the island about a mile oiF, shaping a
course for Cala Rossa, and steering as before directed.
In the night, or in tliick weather, the passage between Levanso and Maritimo ought to be
preferred, as it is clear of all danger, although overfalls sometimes shew on a rocky patch
of seven and eight fathoms, about three mUes to the westward of Levanso Sugar-Loaf. But
it must be recollected, that the east and west coasts of Favignana are low, and not easily
seen in a dark night. When the ship is through, the island should either be held pretty
close on board, or kept at four or five miles' distance, on account of the banks of St. Ca-
tharine, two foul spots lying N.N.E. and S.S.W., with a deep swash-way between. The
south bank has no danger, the least water being seventeen fathoms, but the head of the other
is formed by a dangerous rock, of three fathoms, shelving do^vn at once to seventeen and
thirty fathoms on the north side. It lies S.|E., nearly three miles from St. Catharine's Castle,
and the marks for laying it on are : to bring the lower peak under the castle just on with
the west side of Levanso, and Levanso Tower a Httle open to the westward of S. Giacomo.
As this ledge hes in the usual tract for going from Malta round the islands to the coast of
Italy, it must be avoided, when coming from that direction, by keeping Favignana nearly
five miles to the northward, until well to the westward of it, and then to stand by Levanso.
Ships from the westward, bound to Palermo, after making Maritimo, should keep Cape
St. Vito on the starboard bow ; it is high and conical, and being the northernmost land seen,
cannot be mistaken. They will then pass clear of the Porcelli, and carry offing enough to
be well outside Cofano Bay, which, in a heavy northerly wind and a carrying current,
is disagreeable. To proceed for Trapani from the same direction, stand close by Cape
Grosso, the north point of Levanso, which is so bold that it may be brushed, and then steer
direct for Colombara Light-house, passing over a foul patch, vnth five and a quarter fathoms
on it, mid-way between the PorceUi and Formiche.
Emilia Point. — From Trapani to the tonnara of St. Julian, and from thence to Caci-
meni, a small village amongst the trees, there is a fine sandy beach ; the coast thence by the
Points Pizzo-longo, Ferro, and Emilia, is rugged and rocky, with a foul bottom nearly half
a mile out. The last-mentioned point, Emiha, is a low tongue of land, with a small sugar-
loaf peak on it at the foot of Mount St. Julian. N.N.W. from Cacimeni, about two miles,
lies the Asinello, a barren rock, of considerable size ; and between the two places there is a
fair channel of sixteen fathoms, but strangers ought to be careful of using it, on account
HYDROGRAPHICAL REMARKS. xxix
of a stream often setting over the Emilia shoal, a steep reef, a mile due north of the point
of that name, having two fathoms on it and six to ten adjacent.
I was once caught with a very strong south-wester, when returning to Trapani with a
crippled mast, and being prevented thereby from beating, I anchored in twelve fathoms,
between Asinello and the village, where I rode so easily, that I am convinced, for all wands
from N.E. round to S.W., the anchorage is as good as can be desired. The following
were the bearings :
Cape Grosso W.^S. \
Sigia Tower ... . . W.S.W.|S. Twelve fathoms, clay, off
St. Julian's Tonnara S.byW. \ shore three-quarters of a
St. Julian's Hill Tower E.S.E. j mile.
Asinello Rock N.byW.J
Cape Cofano. — This is a rugged conical mount, with a bold approach, carrying ten
fathoms close under, and has a stout tower of defence defiladed on the land side, as high
up as the ascent of the hill is practicable : to the north of it is a large farm and a tonnara,
the boats of which anchor securely between it and the islet of Vermia. The space between
the Capes of Cofano and St. Vito is called the Bay of Calazzi ; it affords shelter in S.E.
gales, the bottom being deep and clean, and the beach has excellent landing, as far as the
tower of Lucehesi.
Cape St. Vito. — Rounding this cape from the eastward, with the intention of proceed-
ing to Trapani, the town of St. Julian ^vill be perceived on the summit of the mountain
where the navigator may stand close in with the coast in perfect safety, until past Cofano,
where an offing must be made by the Emilia shoal ; or, with a leading wind, a ship may shape
a course, in the day-time, direct from Cape St. Vito to Levanso, until Asinello is abaft the
beam, and then stand in between the Mai Consigho and PorceUi Rocks, for the anchorage.
About twenty-eight miles to the N.N.W. of Cape St. Vito is a coral bank, with from
twenty-seven to sixty fathoms' water. This I had not an opportunity of visitino-, but I
have received a very detailed report from several of the best fishermen who had frequented
it ; and, therefore, I entertaui no doubt of its position witliin a mile or two.
I now subjoin the courses and distances from the west coast of Sicily, to the various
neighbouring places, but I have been the more particular with those from Maritimo, as it
is one of the most important landfalls in the Mediterranean sea.
Valetta . . . . S. 42 32 E.
Lampedusa . . . S. 00 44 W.
Pantellaria . . . S. 3S 32 W.
7.
Prince of Aci.
6.
4.
Prince of Castel Biiono.
3S.
Prince of Sciara.
7.
5.
Prince of Trabia.
39.
Prince of S. Antonino.
8.
6.
Prince of Castig-lione.
40.
Prince of Comitini.
9.
7.
Prince of Villa Franca.
41.
Prince of Furnari.
10.
S.
Prince of Paceco.
42.
Prince of Rosolini.
11.
9.
Prince of Rocca Fiorita.
43.
Prince of Spadafora.
12.
10.
Prince of Scaletta.
44.
Prince of Raniiuacca.
13.
11.
Prince of Maletto.
45.
Prince of S. Teodoro.
14.
12.
Prince of Pantellaria.
46.
Pi-ince of Behuonte.
15.
1.3.
Prince of Palazzolo.
47.
Prince of Ficarazzi.
16.
14.
Prince of Leonforte.
48.
Prince of Mola.
17.
15.
Prince of Carini.
49.
Prince of Campo Reale.
IS.
16.
Prince of Castel Nuovo.
50.
Prince of Castel Forte.
19.
17.
Prince of Campo Franco.
5
Prince of Villadirata.
?
IS.
Prince of Aratfona.
•)
Prince of Torremuzza.
■>
19.
Prince of Scordia.
7
Prince of Cuto.
■>
20.
Prince of Valguarnera.
}
Prince of Barra Franca.
■>
21.
Prince of Resuttano.
p
Prince of Lanipedusa.
■)
22.
Prince of Partanna.
J
Prince of Sta. Margarita.
■>
23.
Prince of Malvagna.
;
Prince of Gravina.
■>
24.
Prince of Calvariisa.
•i
Prince of Giardinelli.
■)
25.
Prince of Monforte.
■>
Prince of Roboldoni.
1.
26.
Prince of Palagonia.
■>
Prince of Monte Catena.
2.
27.
Prince of Cassnro.
■>
Prince of Lardaria.
3.
2S.
Prince of Biscari.
■>
Prince of Ventimiglia.
4.
29.
Prince of Mezzojnso.
■>
Prince of PetruUa.
5.
3D.
Prince of Montevago.
■>
Prince of Cattolica.
6.
31.
Prince of Mirto.
■)
Prince of Villarmosa.
7.
32.
Prince of Galati.
I.
Duke of Bivona.
S.
33.
Prince of RatYadali.
2.
Duke of Castro Filippo.
9.
3 k
Prince of Militello.
3.
Duke of Palma.
10.
Duke of Reitano.
Duke of Montagna Reale.
Duke of Piraino.
Duke of Serra di Falco.
Duke of Sperlinga.
Duke of Gualtieri.
Duke of Misterbianco.
Duke of Cesaro.
Duke of Carcaci.
Duke of Castellucclo.
Duke of Aquaviva.
Duke of Cefali.
Duke of Villarosa.
Duke of Sorrentino.
Duke of Vatticani.
Duke of Bronte.
Duke of Saponara.
Duke of Lucchesi.
Duke of San Giorgio.
Duke of Anjou.
Duke of Monteleone.
Duke of San Giovanni.
Duke of Camastro.
Duke of Belviso.
Marquis of Marineo.
Marquis of Giarratanaj.
Marquis of Sambuca.
Marquis of Monte Maggiore.
Marquis of Santa Croce.
Marquis of Sortino.
Marquis of Tortorici.
Marquis della Motta.
Marquis of Roccaluniera.
Marquis of San Cataldo.
STATISTICAL TABLE OF SICILY.
xlvii
11.
Marquis of Ogliastro.
■)
Count of Santo Marco.
20.
Baron of Villa-d' oro.
12.
Marquis of Lucca.
J
Count of Grammonte.
21.
Baron of Campo Bello.
13.
Marquis of Capizzi.
5
Count of Grignone.
22.
Baron of Catena Nuova.
14.
Marquis of Mong-iuffo.
p
Count of Caltanisetta.
23.
Baron of Villasmundo,
15.
Marquis of Campo Rotondo.
1.
Baron of Ficara.
24.
Baron of Castel Normando.
16.
Marquis of Alimena.
2.
Barou of Castania.
25.
Baron of Giardinello.
17.
Marquis of Cerda.
3.
Baron of S. StefanodiMistretta. 26.
Baron of Pacliino.
18.
Marquis delli Bagrii.
4.
Baron of Tripi.
27.
Baron of S. Pietro Clarenza,
19.
Marquis of S. Ferdinando.
5.
Baron of Longi.
2S.
Baron of AJminusa.
20.
Marquis of Raddusa.
6.
Baron of Pettineo.
29.
Baron of Villalba.
Marquis of Gargallo.
7.
Baron of Prizzi.
30.
Baron of S. Cono.
Marquis of Cardillo.
8.
Baron delli Martini.
31.
Baron of Villaura.
Marquis of San Giuliano.
9.
Baron of Rocca.
32.
Baron of Casalnuovo.
Marquis of San Gregorio.
10.
Baron of Godrano.
33.
Baron of S. Stefano di Britra
Marquis of Frangipani.
11.
Baron of Vita.
34.
Baron of Belvedere.
Marquis of JlontebeUo.
12.
Baron of Tusa.
35.
Baron of Priolo.
Marquis of Artale.
13.
Baron of San Carlo.
p
Baron of S. Alessio.
Marquis of Villabianca.
14.
Baron of Vallalunga.
J
Baron of Beremuta.
Marquis of Palermo.
15.
Baron of Caggi.
?
Baron of Linguagrossa.
?
Marquis of Cugina.
16.
Baron of Baucina.
?
Baron of Pedagaci.
1.
Count of Modica.
17.
Baron of Ferla.
■>
Baron of Stremolo.
2.
Count of Naso.
IS.
Baron of Gallo-d'oro.
?
Barou of Bosco.
■)
Count of Gazziri.
19.
Baron of Altariva.
p
Baron of Bruca.
THE COMMONS, 154, viz.,
Aci Reale.
Aderno.
Augusta.
Alcamo.
Aragona.
Avola.
Bisacquino.
Bronte.
Caccamo.
Calascibetta.
Calatafimi.
Caltagirone.
Caltanisetta.
Cannicatti.
Carini.
Castelbuono.
Castel 'a mare.
Castel Vetrano.
Castro Giovanni.
1. Castro nuovo.
1. Castro reale.
1. S. Cataldo.
3. Catania.
1. Catania University.
1. Cattolica.
1. Cefalii.
1. Chiaramonte.
1. Chiusa.
1. Ciminna.
1. Comiso.
1. Corleone.
46. Districts, at 2 each.
1. Fa vara.
1. S. Filippo d" Argiro.
1. Girgenti.
1. Gramniichele.
1. Lentini.
1. Leonforte.
1. Licata.
1. Licodia.
1. Linguagrossa.
1. Lipari.
1. Santa Lucia.
1. Santa Margherita.
1. Marineo.
2. Marsala.
1. Mascali.
1. Mazzara.
1. Mazarino.
1. Menfi.
3. Messina.
1. Milazzo.
1. MiUtello. V. Note.
1. Mineo.
1. Mistretta.
1. Modica.
1. Monte S. Giuliano.
1. Monreale.
1. Mussomeli.
1. Naro.
1. Nicosia.
1. Niscemi.
1. Noto.
1. Palazzolo.
6. Palermo.
2. Palermo University.
1. Partanna.
1. Partenico.
1. Paterno.
1. Patti.
1. Petralia-sottana.
1. Piazza.
1. Pietraperzia.
1. Polizzi.
1. Pozzo di Gotto.
1. Prizzi.
xlviii
APPENDIX.
1. Regfalmuto.
1. Ragusa.
1. Randazzu,
I. Rometta.
1. Salemi.
I. Sambuca.
1. Sciacca.
I. Scicli.
1. Sortino.
I. Spaccaforno.
1. Sutera.
1, Syracuse.
1. Taormina.
1. Termini.
1. Terranova.
1. Tortorici.
2. Trapani.
1. Troina.
1. Vittoria.
1. Vizzini.
STATISTICS.
Before commencing' this table, it may be proper to state, that the suffrage of custom has designated the
principal cities of Sicily with an agnomen, or epithet, illustrative of their consideration ; thus : —
Palermo la Felice The
Messina la Nobile The
Catania 1' lUustre The
Troina 1" Antichissima .... The
Syracuse la Fedele The
Girgenti la Magniiica The
Polizzi . la Generosa The
Patti la Magnaniraa .... The
Cefalii . . .
Noto ....
Caltagirone . .
Marsala . . .
Termini . . .
Castro Giovanni
Alicata . . .
la Graziosa The
r Ingegnosa The
I'Aggradita The
1' Antica The
la Splendida The
r Insuperabile .... The
I'Amata The
Taormina la RigTiardevole
The
happy.
noble.
illustrious.
most ancient.
faithful.
magnificent.
generous.
magnanimous.
graceful.
ingenious.
accepted.
ancient.
splendid.
insuperable.
beloved.
worthy.
PLACE
Rank
Province
People
Health
Situation, and Post Miles from Palermo. 1
Aci bonaccorso. .
village
Deraone
640
sahibrious
On the declivity of mount ^tna ; fruitful
108
Aci castello . . .
town
Demone
700
wholesome
On the shore near the Cyclopum Scopuli
142
Aci catena . . .
town
Demone
4400
wholesome
On a fertile plain, near the Ionian Sea . .
112
Aci reale . . .
city
Demone
14000
salubrious
On a cUff of Mount ^tna overhanging the Sea
1.38
Aci marina . . .
village
Demone
350
salubrious
At the bottom of the Scala of Aci ....
139
Aci Sanf Antonio
town
Demone
4200
wholesome
In a delightful plain of decomposed lavas . .
110
Aci San Filippo .
town
Demone
4700
wholesome
On the slope of a gentle eminence ....
112
Aci Santa Lucia .
nllage
Demone
400
wholesome
On a plain between Aci reale and Aci catena
113
Aderno ....
t0«Tl
Demone
7000
bad
Among the ruins of Hadranum, on Mount iEtna
113
Agnuni ....
village
Noto
160
very bad
At the south-east end of the plain of Catania
129
Aidone ....
town
Noto
3S00
wholesome
On a high inland hill ; country fertile . . .
82
Alcamo ....
city
Mazzara
12000
healthy
In a beautiful situation under Mount Bonifato
30
Alcara di fredi . .
town
Mazzara
5090
wholesome
On an eminence in a well-cultivated district .
30
Alcara di fusi . .
town
Demone
1860
bad
In an irrigated valley, among mountains . .
100
STATISTICAL TABLE OF SICILY.
xlix
PLACE
Rank
Province
Alcorati ....
hamlet
Demone
Alessandria .
town
Mazzara
All . . . .
town
Demone
All marina di
village
Demone
Alia . . .
town
Mazzara
^Vlicata . .
citv
J[azzara
Alicudi . .
island
Lipari
Alimena . .
town
Demone
Alininusa
rillage
Mazzara
Altavilla . . .
town
Mazzara
Antillo . . .
village
Demone
Aquaficara .
village
Demone
Aqua viva .
town
Mazzara
Aqua Ladrone
hamlet
Demone
Aragona . .
town
Mazzara
Artelia . .
village
Demone
Assaro . . .
to«Tl
Noto
Augusta . .
city
Noto
Avola . . .
city
Noto
Bag-aria . .
district
Mazzara
Bagui . . .
town
Noto
Barcellona .
village
Demone
Barrafranca .
town
Noto
Bavuso . .
village
Demone
Belmonte
town
Mazzara
Belpasso . .
town
Demone
Belvedere .
village
Noto
Biancavilla .
town
Demone
Bifara . .
village
Mazzara
Bifia . . .
village
Demone
Biscari . .
town
Noto
Bivona . .
town
Mazzara
Bocca di falco
village
Mazzara
Bocina . .
town
Mazzara
Bonpenziere
village
Mazzara
Bordonaro .
village
Demone
Briga . . .
village
Demone
Brolo . . .
town
Demone
Bronte . .
tovm
Demone
Bruca . . .
village
Noto
Bucclieri . .
town
Noto
People
50
3200
UOO
450
3400
11000
260
3100
860
1300
240
420
1700
100
6000
550
2500
8000
7000
6000
2310
2500
6GO0
700
950
2.500
400
6000
240
700
3500
500
2700
2000
550
UOO
SDO
1600
9400
170
3000
Health
indifferent
tolerable
salubrious
healthy
good
tolerable
excellent
wholesome
salubrious
good
temperate
middling
wholesome
tolerable
salubrious
tolerable
temperate
indifferent
damp
salubrious
wholesome
temperate
wholesome
bad
good
wholesome
tolerable
wholesome
bad
salubrious
bad
wholesome
moist
bad
good
wholesome
bad
bad
wholesome
bad
wholesome
Situation, and Post Jliles from Palermo.
On the east coast near Riposto 151
On a descent, in a fruitful valley 50
On the side of Mount Scuderi .... 200
Among the mineral waters, under Ali . . 202
On a rocky mountain, near a pass .... 47
Between Mount Ecnomus and the River Salso 96
In the Tyrrhenian Sea.
On the summit of a high mountain .... 00
Finely situated on the side of a hill .... 36
Ou a liigh and beautiful liill, near the sea . . 14
On a height, near the Ionian Sea .... 200
In a fruitful valley, on the north coast . . 148
On the side of a high inland hill 52
On the sea-shore, near Cape Rasaculmo . 161
On the slope of a fine hill, in a wild country . 70
In a narrow valley between mountains . . 1C7
On the high mountain once called Assorus . 190
Ou a peninsula on the Ionian Sea . . . 130
On the rising of a delicious plain . . . 150
In a spacious plain, half a mile from the sea . 9
On the side of a mountain ; town decaying . 170
In a superb plain ; roads mostly good . . 101
On a gentle hill, where was formerly Convicinium 130
On a tabled hill ; roads tolerable .... 184
Partly in a plain, and partly on a declivity . 7
Among the lavas, on the side of Mount iEtna . 120
Between the hilly fortresses of Euryalus . 155
Well situated on the side of Mount jEtna . 126
In a perfect plain near Alicata 90
On the side of a mountain, four miles inland . 148
On a plain site, once called DerUlum . . . 124
On an inclined, rocky, inland plain ... 50
In the Conca d'oro, or vale of Palermo ... 3
On a hill, in a fruitful neighbourhood ... 22
On a tolerable inland height 60
At the foot of the Neptunian mountains . 172
Among the mountains of the Neptunian range 163
At the confluence of two fiumaras .... 101
On the west side of Mount jEtna .... 104
On the shore of the Ionian Sea ... . 140
On a hill, sixteen miles from the Ionian coast . 120
g
APPENDIX.
PLACK
Rank
Province
People
Health
Situation, and Post IVIiles from Palermo.
Burg-lietta . . .
town
Mazzara
3'jOO
salubrious
On the descent of a hill, near Partenico . .
16
Burgio . .
tii\m
Mazzara
4500
wholesome
On a high and rugged mountain ....
48
Busaqiiino .
city
Mazzara
SlOO
good
In the middle of a mountainous district . .
33
BuscTemi . .
town
Noto
3000
wholesome
On a gentle hill, in a fine country ....
160
Butera . .
city
Noto
SOTO
wholesome
On the ridge of a rocky mountain ....
100
Caccamo
to^ni
Mazzara
6400
salubrious
On a rough mountain, three miles inland . .
24
Cacimeni
nllag'e
Mazzara
190
healthy
On the declivity of Mount San Giuliano . .
62
Calamonaci .
rillag'e
JIazzara
700
bad
In a plain, in many places swampy ....
50
Calascibetta .
town
Noto
4780
good
On the top of a defile, in the mountains . .
76
Calatabiano .
town
Demone
1703
damp
X little inland, on the side of Mount jEtna
180
Calatafiiui .
town
Mazzara
9000
middling
Between two hills, in a corn country . . .
38
Calatamita .
villag-e
Demone
300
good
On a hill, two mUes from the TjTrhenian sea .
14S
Calatabellota
town
Mazzara
4SO0
wholesome
On a high and steep mountain, in a pass . .
50
Caltaa^irone .
city
Noto
2o:;oo
wholesome
In a commanding situation on a rocky mountain 100 1
Caltanisetta .
city
Mazzara
16000
healthy
On a fine plain ; much linen made ....
70
Calvaruso .
villag-e
Demone
800
healthy
On the side of an Alpine mountain ....
160
Caltavutura .
town
Mazzara
320O
bad
In a small valley among mountains ....
42
Camarata
town
Demone
4S00
salubrious
On the side of a hill, near mineral salt works .
41
Camari inferiore . .
villag-e
Demone
1200
temperate
In a small valley near Messina
201
Camari superiore .
villag-e
Demone
120
wholesome
In a plain, in a valley among the mountains .
200
Camastra . . .
village
Mazzara
soo
bad
On a humid plain on the south coast . . .
78
Campobello .
town
Mazzara
4600
wholesome
On a flat, on a hill, near Alicata
SO
Cainpo bello
town
Mazzara
2000
bad
In a large and fertile plain, near Mazzara . .
60
Carapo felice
village
Mazzara
160
execrable
.\mong the rice grounds of Fuime Grande . .
42
Campo franco
town
Mazzara
2000
bad
On an inland uneven declivity
54
Campo reale
town
Mazzara
1300
good
In a tolerable situation, on a hill ....
3S
Campo rotondo
village
Demone
300
wholesome
On the declivity of Mount .3Etna ....
106
Cannicati .
town
Mazzara
15000
wholesome
Beautifully situated on the side of a mountain
72
Cannistra .
village
Demone
350
good
On a branch of the Neptunian range . . .
147
Capaci . .
town
Mazzara
30OO
salubrious
On a hill over the Pianura di Campo Pietro .
12
Capizzi . .
town
Demone
3400
wholesome
On a mountain ; the site of Capitiuni . . .
93
Capo Passaro
island
Noto
70
healthy
A fortress on the south-east end of Sicily . .
173
Capo Passaro
village
Noto
280
tolerable
A tonnara, opposite Passaro island . . .
170
Capri . .
village
Demone
500
good
In a valley among the mountains
100
Carcaci . .
village
Demone
240
bad
In a vaUey with swampy grounds ....
<}9
Carini . .
town
Mazzara
7600
salubrious
On a beautiful eminence over a plain . . .
18
Carlentini .
tOMTl
Noto
2000
indifferent
On a high hill, commanding Lentini . . .
120
Caronia . .
Casalnuovo .
town
towni
Demone
Demone
2200
120D
bad
wholesome
In the skirts of a large wood ; on a rugged hill 60
/ On an eminence, four miles from the Tyrrhenian
L sea 160
Casal veccliio
village
Demone
2000
wholesome
On the side of a mountain toward the Ionian sea
130
Cassaro . .
to-wn
N.ito
2001
healthy
On a hill in a fine neighbourhood ....
129
STATISTICAL TABLE OF SICILY.
PLACE
R;ink
Province
People
Health
Situation, and Post Miles from Palermo.
Castagna . . .
town
Demone
ISOO
bad
Half way up the side of a northern mountain . 100
Castagna
village
Demone
2100
wholesome
lu a valley, near Messina 200
Castel buono
town
Demone
7000
wholesome
On the side of the Madonia mountains . . 54
Castel' a mare
toNvn
Mazzara
5003
healthy
Jutting out into the gulf of the same name . 33
Castel deir acci
I .
village
Mazzara
900
temperate
In a plain on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea 10
Castelluccio .
town
Demone
ISOO
wholesome
In a fine and fertile little valley 80
Castelluccio .
village
Noto
390
indifferent
Enveloped in a square wall, on point LaMarza 170
Castel termine
town
Mazzara
4300
salubrious
On the side of one of the hills of Mount Pecoraro 54
Caltel "\^etrano
city
Mazzara
14500
healthy
On an eminence commanding an extensive plain 50
Castiglione .
town
Demone
3J00
salubrious
On one of the rocky summits of JEtnn ... 1 10
Castro Filippo
town
Mazzara
1460
wholesome
On a hill, ten miles from the African sea . . 72
Castro Giovann
Castronuovo
Castrorao
city
town
village
Noto
Mazzara
Demone
11000
4700
200
salubrious
salubrious
bad
On thehighmountainofEnna, in the centre of Sicily 82
f Near quarries of fine yellow marble, and on
I a mountain 40
In a plain, among several hills 200
Castro reale
city
Demone
1 inoo
salubrious
On a triangular and rocky mountain . . . 150
Catania . .
city
De.& Not
74O00
wholesome
At the south-eastern base of Mount iEtna . 120
Cataratti
village
Demone
350
temperate
In a valley of the Neptunian mountains . . 200
Catena nuov
a,
village
Demone
700
humid
In a ])Iain watered by the river Dittaino . . 105
Cattolica
town
Mazzara
7200
temperate
On the side of a bill on the south shores . . 64
Cefala .
town
Demone
2100
temperate
Among inland heights, with mineral baths . 21
Cefalu .
city
Demone
9030
wholesome
Under a conic mountain, on the Tyrrhenian Sea 48
Centineo
Centorbi
village
town
Demone
Demone
300
4500
good
wholesome
On the side of a hill, about four miles inland . 140
1 On a rugged hill with five peaks, compared to
\ a starfish lOo
On a hill of the Madonia branches .... 90
Cerami .
town
Demone
3410
wholesome
Cerda .
town
Mazzara
ISOO
tolerable
In a fertile and well-cultivated valley ... 33
Cesar6 .
town
Demone
3000
wholesome
On a rocky and commanding eminence . . 97
Cliiaramonte
town
Noto
7000
salubrious
Superbly situated on a high mountain . . 120
Chiusa .
town
Mazzara
5000
wholesome
On the side of a fine hill 36
Chianciana
town
Mazzara
2700
wholesome
On a hill abo\it ten miles from the African Sea 54
Ciminna .
town
Mazzara
OOOO
bad
On the side of a mountain, on the north coast . 24
Cinisi
town
Mazzara
3400
wholesome
In a fine plain under Mount Dell Ursa ... 25
Com . .
village
Mazzara
170
salubrious
On a delightful eminence of the vale of Palermo 2
Collesano
town
Demone
2S00
wholesome
On the side of the Madonia mountains ... 42
Comiso .
town
Noto
10000
good
At the foot of a i-ocky mountain of Modica . . 120
Comitini .
to\vn
Mazzara
1100
temperate
On the side of a southern mountain ... 66
Condro .
village
Demone
soo
bad
In the centre of a valley, on the north coast . 150
Contessa
town
Mazzara
2500
wholesome
At the foot (if Mount Calatamaura .... 32
Contessa
Corleone
village
city
village
Demone
Mazzara
Demone
1000
12000
250
tolerable
wholesome
tolerable
On a beautiful plain, under Mount Dinnamare 200
( On the declivity of a mountain, bearing a fine
( forest 24
Cumia inferiore
I. aviLoi* • • • ■ • • ■ * • ■ • ■ "^ *
In a valley among gentle hills 200
Cumia superiore .
village
Demone
300
wholesome
On a high hill of the Pelorian range .... 201
g 2
lii
APPENDIX.
PLACE
Rank
Province
People
Health
Situation, and Post Miles from Palermo, 1
Curcuraci . .
village
Demone
1000
tolerable
On a declivity of the Pelorian range . . .
200
Delia ....
town
Mazzara
2J00
good
Part on a hill, and part on a plain ....
70
Diana . . .
village
Mazzara
650
wholesome
On a hill of Cefalii, once a Saracenic post . .
20
Divieto . .
village
Demone
200
very bad
3n a plain of the Tyrrhenian shore ....
180
Drago . . .
village
Deniune
200
bad
On a swampy plain, near Cape Orlando . .
116
Falcona . .
village
Demone
250
very bad
[n the plain of Olivieri
153
Faro inferiore .
village
Demone
950
indifferent
On the sandy point, once called Pelorus . .
198
Faro superiore
village
Demone
2000
tolerable
Over the point, on the fall of the Pelorian range
200
Fagallo . . .
village
Noto
120
indifferent
On the banks of the river Busaidone . . .
137
Favara . . .
town
Mazzara
7500
wholesome
3n the declivity of one of the southern hills
72
Favignana . .
island
Mazzara
2300
healthy
One of the .SEgades, in the African sea.
Ferla ....
town
Noto
3G00
wholesome
On a gentle hill, v7/a, cultivation of 15
Bartolo, the town of St., in Stromboli .... 252
Barhury Corsairs, incursions of the, near Syracuse 176
Barometer, maxinmm and minimum .... 3
/Jar;'a, festival of the, at Messina 121
Barubha, a Sicilian dance 49
Basiluzzo, one of the Liparis 859
Baths 93, 126, 171, 262
Baych, tower of, at Palermo ' 71
Beacons placed all round Sicily 67
Beauty, short-lived bloom in the females ... 36
Beccafico, or Motacilla Ficcdula 51
Belvidere, site of the principal ancientfortifications
at Syracuse 167
Benedict XIV. endeavoured to diminish the festivals 53
Benedictine convent of St. Nicol6 d'Arena, near
Catania 142
Bentinck shoal, off Lipari 267
Beverages 39
Bezoar, mineral, at la Bruca 159
i?!a«co Cape, south coast 216
Bidais, Castellum, a Saracenic tower at Mascali . 131
Bilici, the ancient Hypsa, south coast .... 219
Birds of passage 51
Births, general rejoicing at 34i
Bitumen, large tracts of 2
Bituminous stone, nearRagusa 3, 192
Biviere, or Lake of Lcntiui 15s
Boar-hunts 50
Boeo, Cape 228
Bonazia, tonnara tower of 247
Boniface, Pope, the IXth 249
Bordonaro, town of, near Messina .... 124
Borrone, Island of, near Trapani 236
Botarga, made of the roe of various fish . 24, 158
Bottaro, one of the Liparis 261
Bovi Marini, Grotto of the 251
Breeze, sea and land 4
Bride's dowry 32
Brigand, a pardoned, keeps the inn at Giardini 130
Brindisi, or toasts gg
Brolo Castle, near Cape Orlando 99
INDEX.
Page
Hrtica, La 135, 159
Hryihne, quoted on Girgenti 208
Buccinum lapillus, supposed to have produced the
T\Tian dye 25
IfHi'liliiigs, public, of Palermo 75
littll, the brazen, of Phalaris 200
Burial ceremonies 35
vaults, near Palermo 87, SS
Hurlcttas, much in favour 4S
Busaidone, rivulet of, south coast . . . 189, 191
Butera, Prince of 86, 158
Byng, sailed throua^h the Faro of Messina . .111
Cacriatore, Sig-nor, his indefatigable attention . 290
Cactus Opuntia, produces the prickly pear . . 16
Cala Felice, cove, at Palermo 71
Calata Bellota, south coast 216
Cali Acte, site of, near Caronia 96
Calogero, Mount St., near Termini .... 93
, St., discoverer of mineral waters 21 S, 2G7
Caltagironc, city of, site of Hybla Hsrca . . 197
Caltanisetta, situated near salt mines .... 19S
Camarilla, site of, 194, 230
Camastro, duke of, superintended the rebuilding-
of Catania ]3g
Camicus, citadel and suburb of, at Girg-enti 204, 213
Campiere, travelling- guard S, 217
Campo Felici, rice grounds of 95
Campbell, General, landed at Maritimo . . . 244
Campobi'llo, south coast 220
Campo Santo, burial-place, near Palermo . . sS
Carina Rivulet, south coast 214
Canneto, village of, in Lipari ggg
Canonization, similar to the apotheosis of the
ancients ^4
Cantnra aqueduct, near Augusta 160
Canlharides collected on Mini 155
Capndicci, an antiquary of SjTacuse . . . .173
Capri, village of 97
Caracciolo, Marquis of 79, §1, 92
Carcaci, a benevolent nobleman of Catania . . 138
Cardites, where found 3
Carini, luxuriant vale of 70
Carlentini, the town of 15S
Carnifex, like the executioner of the present day 65
(^"^nioat 40, 53
Carolina, promenade so called at Trapani . . 240
Caronia, near the site of Cale Acte .... 96
Page
Carthaginians, defence of the . . 116, 229, 234
Carubba, or locust tree 16
Cassitibi, a streamlet near Syracuse .... 176
Castagna, Cape, in Lipari 266
Castellaccio, village of, site of the ancient Edissa 186
, a castle above Messina .... 122
CasteW a mure, a town on the north coast . . 67
Castor oil, bad mode of extracting it .... 80
Castor and Pollux, temples of ... . 212, 230
Catacombs at Syracuse 169
Catalfimi, the site of Soluntum 86
Catania, Gulf of 134
, its history 135
, appearance of, from the sea . . . 136
, charitable institutions at 137
, its environs 143
, the ascent of jEtna on that side . . . 146
, Plain of, neglected 156
, its symbols and coins 230
Cafanese, private character of the 137
Catharine, Castle of St., at Trapani .... 24<>
Cathedrals,76,90,96, 100, 119, 139, 171, 205, 226,232
Cattolica, sulphur mines of 215
Catulus, Luctatius, his victory 229
Cavalier Servente, or Cicisbeo 33
Cavallo, Torre di, the current sets towards it . Ill
Cave of Ulysses, at Blilazzo 104
Caves at Lanipedusa 287
Caucana, site of, now Porto Secco 193
Cefalii, description of , . 95
Celibacy of the clergy 55
Cemetery at a Capuchin convent, near Palermo . 87
Centuripa, its inhabitants removed to Augusta . 160
Ceratoria Siliqua, or locust tree 16
Ceres, delubrum of, at Girgenti 213
C(?»-emony of taking the veil 56
Ceremonies, Roman Catholic, similar to the Pagan 62
Cernisi, the islet of, near Trapani 236
CesiVa, a benevolent nobleman of Catania . . .138
Chalcedonies, where found 3
Character of the clergy 54
Charitable institutions at Catania 137
C7iffr/« IIL built the mole of Girgenti .... 203
V. instituted )
Monti diPieta. . | ^8, 104, 122, 128, 158, 198
Charondas, the legislator of Catania .... 135
Charybdis, or Galofaro, described 123
INDEX
Page
Chiaramonte, castle of, south coast 214
, town of, in the county of Modica . 192
Chiaro, Monte, castle of, south coast .... 201
Churchesia Palermo . . ■ 75-76
Christianity inspires a bene\'olence unknown to
the Romans 116
CAryso/i'te contained in the lavas of ^tna . . 153
Ciceri, the test word, on the Sicilian vespers . . 89
Cicero 164, 187
Cicisbeo, or Cavalier Servente ....:. 33
Cinnabar, where found 2
found in the minerals of iEtna . . . 155
Citadel of Messina a regular pentagon .... 122
Clay of a peculiarly good quality at Caltagirone . 198
Cleonienes moored lus fleet in port Pachynus . . 181
, lus disgraceful flig'ht described by Cicero 187
Climate, nature of the 3, 29, 249
Clocks strike unintelligibly to strangers ... 65
Clupea encrasiocolus, or anchovy, where caught,
and how cured 24
Cnidians, colony of, at Lipari 248
Coal, similar to the Bovey, where found ... 2
Cocalus employed Daedalus in fortifying Agrigen-
tum 204
Coins found by Mr. Woodhouse, at Marsala . . 229
Colas, the celebrated diver at Messina .... 124
Cold weather to be expected S
Colombara lighthouse at Trapani 239
Colonna, Father, a monk of St. Martino ... 91
Columbaria rock mentioned by Virgil .... 238
Community of Sicily, appearance and character of 28
Compasant, the luminous meteor so called . . 4
Concord, temple of, at Girgeuti, proportions of,
209, 210
Confirmation of a nun 57
Confraternities, their regulations 59
Constance, Queen of Peter, King of Arragon . 242
Constans, the Emperor, murdered in a bath at
Syracuse 171
Contessa, town of, near Messina 124
Conversation, confined to certain topics ... 38
Copper, where confined 2
found in the minerals of iEtna . . . 155
Coral, where most plentiful 25
Corax began writing his Dialectics at Syracuse . 164
Corn laws ameUorated by Carraciolo .... 82
Cornacci, Rocca de", oflT Lipari 268
Page
Coronelli's, description of the earthquake of 1693 139
• superstitions relative
to Lampedusa 287
Corsairs, their incursions near Syracuse . . . 176
Corvi used in the Gulf of Milazzo 105
Corro Point, south coast 193
Monte, in Lipari 266
Cosroes, captured the Holy Cross 160
Costume of the peasants 31
Cottisone personated D. Sebastian, of Por-
tugal 70
Cotton plants, account of 19
Craters 150, 255, 209
Crimisus, or Madiuni, the river 219
Croce, Cape Sta, near Augusta 159
Crops, succession of 12
Cross, the shadow of the Holy Cross at Cape
Sta. Croce 159
Crowds in the streets of Palermo 75
Crustacea, varieties of enumerated .... 24
Crystallizations with sharp angles in the lavas of
.a:tna 155
Cubical arcades of lava at Point Armisi, east
coast 134
Cultivation, general 11, 251
Cuphic characters at Palermo 71
Currant vine, cultivation of 12
Currents 109, 184, 186
Customhouse of Palermo ........ 78
Cyane, the spring of, flows into the Anapus . 174
daughter of Liparus 24S
Cyclopean wall at Eryx 242
Cyc/oj!) H (« scopuli, or faraglioni 133
Cyllirii, or dregs of the people, confined in the
Ear of Dionysius 169
Cyperus papyrus, grows on the banks of the
Cyane , 175
Cyzicus, thirty-seven youths of, drowned in the
Faro of Messina 112
Dadalus said to have built Eryx 243
Damusi, or dungeons, declared illegal ... 82
Dances of the peasantry, often indecent ... 49
Daphne, baths of, at Syracuse 171
Date tree, nature of, where still found ... 19
Dattoli, group of in the Liparis, probably
Evonymus 160, 257
Decalogue, comparison of with the twelve tables C2
INDEX.
Page
Degrees, learned, hoiv conferred at Catania . . 14)
Dendrites, where found 3
Deodato, a benevolent nobleman of Catania . . 138
Depravity of the nobles, and cause of it . . . 20
Desert region of iEtna 14S
Devil's Cave at Lipari 267
Deucalion and Pyrrha, reported founders of Ca-
tana 135
Dexippus, the Lacedsemonian, who abandoned
the Agrigentines 207
Dial, solar, sent to Rome from Catana . . . 136
Diana placed in Lipari 248
Diet, usual bill of fare 38
Diodorus, less correct than Herodotus . 94, 156
Diodes 95, 165
Dion, \irtues of 164
Dionysius . . . 133, 164, 167, 168, 194, 233
Dirillo, the ancient Achates 195
Disposition, the general, good ...... 52
Dispute between Pope Urban and the bishops of
Sicily 262
Dog-fish, taken in the vicinity of Sicily ... 23
Dominican convent at Girgenti 205
Donna Lucata, bay of, south coast .... 193
Doria, anchored his fleet off Lampedusa . . . 287
Doricus claimed Eryx 243
Dragid made a descent on Pantellaria .... 2S1
Dread of wetting their feet . , 8
Drama fallen into disuse 48
Dramatic authors . 48
Drepannm, the modern Trapani 237
Dromo, the modern name of the Oplite dronii at
Messina 124
Ducetius 165, 177
DitiViKs fought in the Gulf of Milazzo .... 105
Duke of Norfolk's chaplain quoted 56
Dukes, the number of ... ; 26
Dungeons described S3
Dwellings, large but comfortless . . . . 7, 35
iJar of Dionysius at SjTacuse 16S
Earthquakes still frequent 1
-when most likely to occur ... 6
of the 5th February, 17S3 . . 53
^ frequent at Messina 119
^ of 1693, described by Coronelli . 139
Earthenware, manufactory of, at Patti . . . 100
£as^em coast romantic . . • 10
Page
Echinites, where found 3
Ecnomus, Mount, over Alicata 196
Elephant of Egj^)tian granite at Catania . . . 139
Elicona rivulet, near Tyndaris 102
Elopement, laws respecting 32
/v/ocm Tempeof Ovid, nowinfestedwithmararia 178
Emery, where found 2
Emir, the grand, declared the independence of
Carthage 72
" Emma," mentioned by Sidi Mahmoud . . . 289
Emo, admiral, anchored off Favignana . . . 245
Empedocles visited J3tna 145
said to have been precursor of New-
ton 201
, his various talents 206
drained the Stagnum Gonusa . 220
Enceladus, the giant, represented groaning under
^tna 145
English authors, few known 41
Engraving never flourished in Sicily .... 30
Environs of Messina 124
Ephastiades, now the Lipari Islands .... 348
i?;;i'e/i«)-»H«s born at Syracuse 164
Epipola, a quarter of Syracuse 167
Erineus, the, now called the Miranda .... 170
Eruption of Stromboli, description of . . . . 252
Eryx, wrestled with Hercules 237, 243
, the town of, its antiquity 239
Esquirques, the dangerous shoal 224
Etruscan pirates 249
Evarchus expelled the Siculi 135
Evening bell tolling the Ave Maria .... 55
Ever-greens 9
Evil eye, thought much of ....... 64
Evonymus, now the Dattoli 257
Euphemius, a Sicilian commander 72
Euryalus, ancient fortification at Syracuse . . 167
Eutimus, founder of Gela 190"
Ejcunctus, his ostentation 200
Execution for poison SO
Executioner of the Romans, like the one of the
present day 65
Exports, supplementary list of 2a
from Catania enumerated 135
Fabius, his mole at Trapani 240
Nmnerius, his device to annoy Drepanum 23S
Fairs 132, 198, 157
L
INDEX.
Page
Falernian, like the Faro-\rine 106
Faraglioni, or Cyclopum Scopuli of the ancients 133
Fargione, Baron, British Consul at Noto . . 177
Faro Channel, more terrific to poets than sailors 110
Fast days, customs on 40
Fata Morgana, an aerial illusion 109
Favignana 245
— confers the title of Marquis . . . 2i6
Favilla, the islet of, near Trapani 236
Favorita, a royal country seat near Palermo . . 87
Fazzello, his description of meteorological illu-
sions 189
, born in Sciacca 317
Fecundity of the island 2
Felicudi, island of 274—277
Females, their former heroism 30, 37
, ig'norant and idle 36, 37
Feinina Island, Cottisona executed there ... 70
Ferdinanda, Strada, at Messina IIS
Ferrara, Ahbate, his museum at Catania . . 143
Ferruginous waters 3, 9S
Festivals, very gaudy and noisy 52
Festivals, many resemble the Pagan . 62, 139, 190
Feto, Cape, west coast 227
Fico, Torre del, near Augusta 161
Fig-tree, nature of the IS
Figallo, rock of 191
Fi'oreniini, church of St. Giovanni de' . . . .118
Fisheries 21, 40
Fireworks, on the festival of Sta. Rosalia, at Palermo 85
Fiumare, or torrents 7
Fiume Grande, near Himera 94
Fiume di Nisi, its rich mines, &c 127
Flora, or public garden at Palermo 84
Flotilla boat's crew lost by a gust of wind off
Messina 112
Foggio, river of 247
Fondaeo, what kind of Inn 8
Fonducella, south coast 198
Fontana Bianca, near Syracuse 176
Fontatielle, bay of, south coast 186
Food, unusual articles of 39
Forest trees, most common 10
pormiche, part of the Liparis, the ancient Arae
rocks 261, 247
Fortifications of Palermo . . .74, 160, 172, 239
Forzo, town and castle of 127
Page
Fountains, profusion of, in Palermo .... 74
Foxes 50
Francolini, a delicate bird 50
Fratello, beach of San, visited by Verres ... 97
Frazzano, village of 97
Frederic of Swabia, enlarged on Roger's system 81
II. founded part of Agnuni on the plain
of Catania 157
, Emperor, built Augusta 160
Freddo, fiuuie, reported to be poisonous, the an-
cient Asinius 133
French officers massacred at Augusta .... 160
Friars, their inferior station 59
Fucus tinctorius, produced on Pantellaria . . 282
Gaggini, a Sicilian sculptor, much esteemed 120, 241
Galita, cove of, consisting of cubical arcades . . 134
Galley slaves, state of the, at Girgenti .... 203
Gallo, Cape and Mount, caves in 70
Games at cards, the most general 50
Gaming, its extensive influence on both sexes . ,50
Ganganelli, Pope, supposed to have been poisoned 80
Ganziri, village of, distance from Point Pezzo . 108
Gela, its contested site 19S
GeWiws of Agrigentum 206,207,211
Geton's promptness at Himsera 94
said to have repaired Caltagirone . . . 197
General character of the country ]
Geology 1
Geological character of the Lapiris . . . 249, 265
Geremia, his obsequies at Catania 148
Geryon, cows of, betted by Hercules .... 237
Ghirza, in Africa, reported to be a petrified city 289
Giardinelli, Prince of, founded a town on Pacliino 180
Giardini, approached by a beautiful road from
Taormina 129
Giarre, the town of, at the base of iEtna . . .131
Giaretta, the .\ncient Simaethus .... 146, 156
Gibello, Mon, the name by which .ffitna is known
to the Sicilians 144
Gigantomachia, represented in the pedunent of
the temple of Jupiter Olympius, at Girgenti . 212
Gimerro, what 10
Ginepre, valley of, on the point of which is the
tonnara of Passaro 181
Giojeni, Chevalier, his museum at Catania . . . 143
Giojosa nuova, founded in consequence of an
earthquake • . 99
INDEX.
Page
Gtojosa-vecchia, its romantic appearanre by moon-
light 99
Giorgio, San, fishery of, near Patti 100
GirgentI, bay, caricatore, and city of . . 202-205
Goitre, attributed to Mai" aria 10
Gonusa, Staa:nura, lake Yhalici, south coast . . 220
GoMiagfa, a castle above Messina 122
Goths, their treatment of Rome 1 16
Governor of Passaro Isle 182
Grape-vine, cultivation of 12
Granaries of Girgenti described 204
Granitola, Cape, south coast, ships lost upon it, 221,223
Grapes, various kinds of 12
Greek colony in Sicily 57
worship tolerated at Messina . . . .119
Greeks, we are taught to admire them . . . . 1 17
Grigorio, point, south coast 193
Gregory first. Pope and founder of the convent of
St. Martino : . 90, 257
Griffone and Mata, giants, commemorated at
Messina 121
Greignone, Count, at Marsala 229
Grosso, Cape, near Scaletta 126
Grotta Point, south coast 189
delli Bovi Marini 251
Grua, prince la, a Spanish family 70
Guardia, Monte della, in Lipari 265
Guards, called Campieri 8
Gurnalonga, a rivulet in the plain of Catania . 156
Gurrida, the only rivulet at Catania .... 137
Gypsum, where found 3
Hadrian visited .S!tna 145
Hagear, Dr., discovered Vella's imposition . . 91
Hamilcar Barcas, made a stand on Mt. Pellegrino 70
lands at Hunaera 94
Hannibal, his wars in Sicily .... 69, 95, 207
Hanno, head of a party at Syracuse . . . . 165
Hares, how taken 50
Harvest, time of 12
Health-office, duty carried on by gun-boats . . 30
of Messina, lost public confidence in
1743 113
Hedges, chiefly formed by the cactus opuntia . . 10
Height of jEtna, how calculated 145
ffei'us, the sacristy of, at Messina 118
Helena, the Empress, landed at Cape Santa Croce 159
Helorus, now the Abysso 178
Page
Heracleia Minoa, vestiges of, south coast . . 216
Heractlo, the pirate, laid at Edissa .... 186
Heraclius recovered the Holy Cross .... 160
Hermits, or Anachorets, their fanaticism ... 60
Hermit of Larapedusa, a proverb 287
Hercules, one of his labours 158
' •, temple of, at Girgenti 210
, field of, near Trapani 237
Herodotus, more coiTcct than Diodorus ... 94
Hejcapylon, ancient fortification at Syracuse . . 167
Hicetas first announced his discoveries at Syracuse 164
Hiera, ancient name of Maritimo 244
Hiero, virtues of 164
Himcera, the scene of a most disastrous battle . 94
Himera, the Southern, now the Salso . . . 198
, its symbols and coins 230
Himilco, misfortunes of 164
, his siege of Agrigentura 207
Hipparis, the, rises at Corniso 195
Hodlerna resided at Palma 201
Holidays too frequent 31
Holy Thursday, how celebrated at Spaccafomo . 190
Honey collected on jEtna 155
Horses, the breed of 10
Host, the, administered to patients who are de-
spaired of 35
Host, adoration of the 63
Huns, their mild treatment of Rome . . . .116
Hybla Galeota, vestiges of, near Augusta . . 161
Megara, vestiges of, near Augusta . . . 161
Hicrea, stood on the site of Caltagirone . 197
Hyccara, site of 70
Hydra, an article of food 25
Hypsa, now the Naro, near Girgenti .... 202
, now the Bilici, near Selinuntum . . . 219
Icana, ruins of 179
Ice creams, great use made of them .... 39
Icelandic huers referred to 153
Icetas, head of a party at Syracuse . . . .165
Idyl of Meli, quoted and translated 43
Idleness, excuses pleaded for it 28
Illuminations, brilliant, at Palermo .... 85
Indian fig, or prickly pear, a favourite fruit . . 16
Infants swathed 34
Inico, site of, south coast . . . . . . .218
/nnoi'aii'ons on the Catholic faith 63
Inns, various denominations of S
/ 2
INDEX.
Page
/nostra point 253
Inquisition, when abolished 78
Inscription relative to one of the earliest time-
pieces 78
— taken from Icana to Nolo .... 179
Insurance, crews abandon the vessel, not to for-
feit the 96
Inveges, bom at Sciacca 217
Iron, specular, found on jEtna 153
Irrigation, extent of , . . 12
Isburo, a river on the south coast 216
Ispicca, the ancient Ispica Fundus .... 190
Jaspers, where found 3
Jesuits 59, 81
Joan, wife of Frederic II., confined at Mazzara 225
Judica, formerlv Zotica, near Caltagirone . . 198
Jugurtha, liis memorable sarcasm 118
Julian, Mount St 243
Juno Lucina, her temple at Girs^enti .... 20S
Jupiter Atabyrius, delubrum at Girgenti . . 213
— Olj-mpius, temple of, at Girg^enti . . .211
Kaolin, collected on jEtna 155
Kooha, now Castel Reale, a Saracenic fortress 86
Kotzebue, translation from 4S
Labdalon, ancient castle of, at Syracuse . . . 167
Labyrinth, Prince Biscari's, at Catania . . . 143
Lais, celebrated captive of Nicias 70
Lago, piano del, on ^tna 151
Lake, or Binere, of Lentini 15S
Lamachus, an Athenian commander, sent to assist
the jEgestans 68
Lamped usa, the ancient Lopadusa . . . 285 — 2S7
Lampion, the ancient Scola of the Pelagiie . . 2s9
Lande, La, his comment on Hodieriia . . : . 201
Landolina, CavaUer, his care of the antiquities
of Syracuse 166
, brother of the late antiquary . . 173
Land tenements, nature of 11
Language 28, 42
Lapanio, a Sicilian actor 48
Lapis lazuli, where found 2
Lardaria, town of, near Messina 124
Laterizio, or ancient theatre of Tauromeniiun . 129
Latomice, or ancient quarries at Svracuse . . . 167
Lava of 1669 142
, its ag'e how g-uessed 154
Lawsuits, inevitable 3j
Page
Lawyers, their character and number .... 31
Lazaretto of Messina. ...... . . . .113
Lead, where found 2
Lede, Marquis de, besieged Milazzo .... 104
Legends concerning Lampedusa 288
Legna nera. Cape, in Lepari 266
Lent, privations during 40
Lentini, the ancient Leontium 157
Leonardo, San, a rivulet in the plain of Catania 158
Leonidas, fell a victim to an irrational Spartan law 118
Leontium, now Lentini 157
, its symbols and coins 230
Leptines defeated in the Bay of La Trezza . . 133
Lestincu, the berries of which bear oil ... 216
Letter of the Virgin to the Messinese .... 120
Letterio, a common name 121
Letters, superscription of 27
Lettiga, what sort of vehicle 7
Letto-anno fiumara 130
Leranso, the ancient Phorbantia 247
Libraries, public, numerous, but little attended 41
Light-houses of Palermo and Messina . . 71, 123
Lilijbteum, its strength as an ancient fortress . 228
Limbetra of Daedalus, vestiges of 161
Linosa, one of the Pelagise 284-285
Lingua-grossa, the ascent of jEtna on that side 146
Lipara, its symbols and coins 230
Lipari, or ^olian Islands 248
, bishop of, connived with Pope Urban . .261
, the ancient Meligunis 262-264
Lipariots, their character 250
Liparis, their climate 249
Liparus, coins ascribed to hiin 230
, son of Auson 248
Liquorice plant, where most cultivated ... 20
Lisca Bianca and Lisca Nera, two of the Liparis 260
//iyera/-^ associations of short duration .... 41
Literature on the Aecay 40
I/iVers of geese and fowls enlarged 39
Livy quoted respecting Lilybaeum 233
Locanda, what kind of inn 8
Locust, or Carubba bear . . . . . . 16,277
Lopadusa, now Lampedusa 285
Longa, Pietra, off Lipari 268
Longobardo, anticaglie of, south coast . 193, 194
Lognini, the port of, near Syracuse .... 176
Loretto, house of, fac-simile at Catania . , . 140
INDEX.
Page
Loria, sailed through the Faro of Messina . .111
Loss of sliips on Cape Granitola 223
Lotteries that admit of paupers speculatinsf . . 50
Lucchesi, hishop, instituted a library at Girgenti 205
Luke, St. a picture of the Virgin ascribed to him 120
Lutiar Iris, observed on tlie south coast . . .189
Machara, its probable site, now the Marsh of
Rovilta 180
Maccahiba, an ejection of mud near Oirgenti . 21.3
Madiuni, the ancient Crimisus 219
Madonia Mountains 2
Madonna of Paradise, patroness of Mazzara . 226
of Trapani 241
Mafra, convent of, in Portugal, referred to . . 142
Magnisi, peninsula of, near Augusta . IGl, 162
Mago fought a desperate battle off La Trezza . 133
Majasoli, a river on the south coast .... 216
Malaria season, nature of it 9, 73
Malo portuso, near Cefalii 96
Malpasso, grotto of, in Stromboli .... 253
Malta, channel of 225
could not be substituted by Lampedusa . 2S5
Mamatiti, evening sea breeze at Palermo . . 84
Mamertines, mercenaries of Agathocles . . .115
Mamertium, Faro wine so called 106
Mandolin, a kind of guitar 49
Maniaces, a Greek general 72, 172
Manna, how extracted ....... 14, 15
Manufactures, want of in Modica 192
Marbles, where found 3
Marcasite, where found 2
Marcellus, his ships anchored at the mouth of the
Simsethus 156
Marcian, St., the earliest church for Christian
worship in Europe 169
Marco, San, town of 97, 98
Mare grosso and Dromo, the Oplite Dromi of
the ancients 108, 124
Mare moto, a phenomenon on the Sicilian coasts 185
— - — Ubbriaco, at Mazzara 224
Marina of Palermo 71, S3
Marinella, on which stand the temples of Selinun-
tum 220
Maritimo, island of 244
Marmoreus, port, at Syracuse 163
Marobia, an agitation in the sea 223
Marquisses, the number of 26
Marriage ceremonies 32
Page
Marsala, the ancient Lilybceum .... 228, 232
Martina, convent of St., near Palermo ... 90
Martin, King, the Biviere of Lentini enlarged
under his reign 158
Marza, the bay of 186
Mar~amemi, the village and tonnara of : . . 180
Mascati, the flourishing district of . . . 131, 151
Massacre of French officers at Augusta . . .160
MatagriffonK, tower of, at Messina . . . .119
Mata and Griffone, giants commemorated at Mes-
sina 121
Mazzara, city of, the ancient Emporium 224 — 226
Mazzarella, bay of 193
Mechanics, good copyists 31
Megara, its symbols and coins 231
Meli, quotation and translation from his Idyls . 43
Melilli, the inhabitants of, collect honey near
Augusta 162
Messala, Valerius, subjugated Catana . . . 136
Messana, ancient name of Messina . .114, 231
Messina, the ancient Zancle, its history and de-
scription 113, 119
Mercury, where found 2, 155
Metastasio, liis operas 48
Meteoric phenomenon in 1814 6
Micare digitis, the game of la morra 51
Michael, the emperor 72
il/i7a2;^o, description of the city of . . . 102-105
Mills, hand, for grinding corn 267
Mineral waters, in what diseases they are had re-
course to 3
Mineralogy 2
Minerva, temple of Syracuse and Girgenti 170, 213
Minestre, vegetables variously dressed .... 40
Minoa, Heracleia, vestiges of S16
Minos, stifled in the baths of Sciacca .... 218
Mirabati, a sculptor, whose works adorn the
Flora at Palermo 84
Miranda, the ancient Erineus 176
Mirto, village of 97
Mitford, his testimony in favour of the Carthagi-
nians 115
Modica, county and city of . . 191
Morgeta 239
Mola,town of 129
Mole of Palermo 70
Molino, Cape, on the extreme of whicli Aci is
situated 133
INDEX.
Page
Monaea di easa, in Stromboli 255
Monks, their limited studies 5S
Monreale, the road to, and town of . . S6, 89, 90
Monte Allegro, village of 215
il/onfe di Pieta, at Palermo and Catania . 7S, 140
Monteleone, Duke of 222
Morgain la Fay, supposed to be the Fata Morgana 109
Morgantia, stood on the banks of the Siinsethus 156
Morra, the game of, still played 51
Motya, its symbols, coins, siege of, andsite229, 233, 235
Mountains, principal ranges of 2
Mud, ejection of, at the Macalubi, near Girgenti 213
Mugil cephalus, or mullet, how taken .... 24
Mules, utility of 10
Mullet, Botarga made from the roe 24
Mara, Valle di, in Lipari 268
Murat, commanding 38,000 troops, kept at bay
by 14,000 123
Muratio, river near TeiTa nova 196
Murders not made public 52
Murex purpura, supposed to have produced the
Tyrian dye 24
Museums, several in Catania 143
Museum of Syracuse . 172
Mushroom-stone, Tuberaster Fungus Ferens . 108
Musical composers and instruments . . . 48, 49
Naphtha, where found 3
Naro, fiume di, the ancient Hypsa 202
" Narrative of a ten years" residence at TripoU"
quoted. 28S
JVaso, townof, on the site of Agathymum ... 98
Naumachia, ruins of a, at Palermo and Taor-
mina 73, 129
Nautilus, the paper, on the shores of Salina . . 274
Navy, consists principally of flotilla vessels . . 30
Naieos, site of, now Point Schiso 130
Naxus, its symbols and coins ...... . 231
Neapolis, the, of Agrigentum 209
, a quarter of Syracuse .... 165, 166
Nectum, nowcalled Noto, its symbols and coins 177, 231
Nelson was not the first who sailed through the
Faro Ill
Neptunian, or Pelorian, mountains .... 2
Neptune, columns of the temple of, at the Faro . 120
— , temple of, at Selinuntura .... 220
Nereide, queen, her name inscribed on the theatre
at Syracuse , , . . , 166
Page
Nero, his decree respecting gladiators . . . .167
Nevjton, his authority quoted 185
Nicias, the Athenian, sent to assist the ^gestaus 68
, his misfortunes 164
Nicolb d' Arena, Convent of St., near Catania . 142
Nicolosi on Mtua, 149
Nitre found in the minerals of Mtxa .... 155
A'^oA/m, their character and number .... 26,27
A'^omencfafMre, various, of the Liparis .... 250
Norman knights 72
North coast described 66
Noto, city of, the ancient Nectum 177
Novelli, one of his best pictures is at Monreale . 90
Nuns, their cruel seclusion 56, 57
Nypsitis, his ravages 1 00
Observatory at Palermo 77
Occhio della Zilica, a spring at Syracuse . . . 171
Ochali, the corsair, otherwise called Ulucchiali . 202
Odysseum, or port of Ulysses, CasteUaccio . . 186
(Enotrians 239
Ogliastro, fishery near Patti 100
O^HHi-a, L', ancient port of Ulysses .... 134
Oil, method of making 14
Olive-tree, cultivation of 1,3
OUviera fiuraara 100
Olivieri, unhealthy village of ...... . 102
Onohala, now the Alcantara river 130
Onomisa, a fair nun 72
Operas founded on ill-adapted subjects .... 46
Opici 239
Oppidulum, one of the ancient names of Pantellaria 282
Oratories, general in the ages of Paganism . . 64
Orators, pedantic and extravagant 42
Orchilla is produced on Pantellaria . . : . . 282
Oretus, a river, once famous, near Palermo . . 86
Orion built a temple for Zanclus 120
Orlando, cape and castle . 97, 98
Orso, Point dell', distance fi-om Messina lighthouse 109
Ortygia, a quarter of Syracuse 170
Ostentation, evident in many respects . . . . 2S
Ostracites, where found 3
Owhyhee, caves similar to those of Ispica, in . . 190
O.ryf Af»i« hastened the death of Agathocles . . 69
Paceco, town of near Trapani 237
Pachino, a hill above Cape Passaro 181
PacAi/nHi, port, now alake 18)
Pag'/iaW, village of, near Messina 127
INDEX.
Page
Painting, defects of the present style of ... 30
Palaces, how divided 27
Patagonia, Prince, his palace at the Bag-aria . SG
Palazzolo, south-east coast . 17S
Palermo, bay, city, and plain of .... . 70-74
, its s^^I)bols and coins 229
Pallavicini, family of 248
Pallone, game of the 51
Palma, town of 201
Palombino, largest of the quarries at Syracuse . 16S
Pammilas, founder of Selinus 219
Panagia bay, near Syracuse 162
Panarelti, one of the Liparis 261
P/i/iaWa and its islets, Lipari 257-259
Pancras, St., transformed from a centaur . . 128
Panormus, liistory of 72
Pantaleo, St., site of Motya 235
Pantasius, port, now la Bruca 159
Pantellaria, the ancient Cossyra, is entirely vol-
canic 2S1-2S3
Paolo, Porto, south coast 183
Papyrus, the cypenis, grows at Syracuse . . . 175
Paradiso, anchorage, so called, at Milazzo . . 105
palace, near Messina, why so called . 112
i'oWi'a/neH;, how constituted 81
Parthenon of Athens, compared with the temples
at Girgenti 210
Passaro, Cape, south coast 185
island, described ISl
Pasturage, neglected 11
Paternb, its mineral waters 156
Patti, city of, described 100
Paul, St., his visit to Syracuse 169
Payne, Mr., established at Mazzara .... 228
Peasants, their costume 31
, their character 32-37
Peliades, afterwards called Columbaria . . . 23S
PeWfgTiHO, picturesque form of Monte .... 70
Pelorian, or Neptunian, mountains 2
Pelorus, or Faro point 106
Pentapylon, ancient fortification at Syracuse . 167
Pentedactylus, hill of, in Calabria 126
Periodical works enumerated 41
Permeta point, in Lipari 237
Peter, king of Arragon 242
Petroleum, where found 3, 212
Pezzo, point, its distance from Ganziri village . 108
Page
Phalaris, castle of, on Mount Ecnomus . . . 200
Phalereus, Mount, opposite Mount Ecnomus . 196
PAenomeno attendant on volcanic eruptions . . 152
Philip V 241
Philipstadt, Prince of Hesse, embarked at Messina 112
Philistidos, queen, her name inscribed on the
theatre at SjTacuse 166
Philo, Pompeius, probable site of his villa . . . 102
P/i (■«<(■« stood on the site of Alicata .... 199
Phlnfias, tyrant of Agrigentum 196
Phocences, the, resorted to Drepanum .... 239
Phcenician coXomei in Sicily 95, 229
Phcea.r, sewers of, at Girgenti 213
Phorbantia, ancient name of Levanso .... 247
Physic, requisite qualifications for the practice of 31
Piazzi, his valued friendship 290
Pietro, bay of, its miserable accommodations . . 193
Pilfering at entertainments 3S
Pinna Marina, frequently met with at Salina . 274
PinfAiK*, king, alluded toby Plautus .... 231
Piscina, vestiges of, at Girgenti 212
Pisma, the name given to the spring of Cyane . 174
Pistachio, nuts, nature of the tree IS
/*^"2^«^, fishing village of, near Aci 132
Pizztda, a monument commemorating the defeat
ofNicias 179
Plague at Lampedusa 288
Plaja point, south coast 194
Planet, discovered by Piazzi 77
P/an"6s of Palermo S3
Sugar-cane, cultivated near Augusta .... 161
, reason why neglected 30
Sulphur, extensive trade in 2, 215
Sul2>hureous waters, where found .... 3, 275
Summit of ^tna, state of the atmosphere there . 150
Sunday, a day of general recreation .... 52
Sun-set, time computed from 65
Swordfish, or Xiphia gladeus, how caught . . 23
Sword, Count Roger's, in the armory at Palermo 77
Syracuse, history and description of . 162 to 174
, its symbols and coins 232
Tahle, arrangement of the dinner 38
Taking the veil, ceremony of 56
Taormina, town and fortifications of ... . 128
Tac collected on iEtna 155
Tarantella, a Sicilian dance 49
Tauromenium, its site and remains 128
Taxes, raised on a bad system 82
Temperature of the sea 184, 260
Termini, description of the town and baths . . 93
Terranova, the site of Gela 196
Terra Spagnuola, near Marsala 235
Terra delli Pulci, site of Selinuntum .... 220
Terillas, expelled from Himera 94
Testa, Archbishop, constructed a causeway on
the road to Monreale 90
Testacea, varieties of, enumerated 24
Thapsus, now called Magnisi 162
Theatres, their internal arrangement .... 47
ancient, at Taormina and SjTacuse 129, 166
Theatrical singing, mechanical 47
company at Terranova 197
Theocritus, born at Svracuse 1C4
his description of fishermen . . . 227
Theodora, the town of, near Marsala .... 235
Theodoric, the Ostrogoth 257
Therma, its sjmbols and coins 230
— Selinuntin;p, now Sciacca .... 217
Thermisia, now Panaria 259
, a name also given to Salina . . . 272
Page
Thermometer, maximum and minimum ... 3
Thermopyla, pass of lis
Theroii, Ills policy and tomb at Girgenti . 206, 208
Thomas, St., of Canterbury 232
Thrasea, Psetus, his humanity 167
Three, prejudice in favour of the number ... 64
Thucles, founded Naxos 130
Thucydides, his description of Charybdis . . . 123
Tides, set of the, on the north coast . . 66
Tilanave, one of the Liparis ... . . 261
Timasithcus, an ancient magistrate of Lipari . 265
Timaus of Tauromenium 128
Time, how computed 65
Timoleon, his character and virtues of, 164, 165, 176
Tippoo Saib, a toy of his at the East-India-
House in London 200
Tindari, Scala di 100
Titles, some possess more prerogatives than
others 26, 27
Toasts, or Brindisi 38
Tocco, Point, near Aci 132
Tofana, waters of, imitated at Palermo ... 79
Toledo, Garcia de. Governor of Augusta . . 161
Tommasi, a Grandee of Spain, acquired Lampedusa 285
Tonnare of Marzamemi, Avola, and Passaro
177, ISO, ISl
Torremuzza, Prince, excavated on the site of Motya 235
Torrents, called fiumare 7
of water ejected by .Sitna . . , .153
Torrtcella, rock of the, near Lipari .... 267
Torture, abolished 82
Trapanese derive the origin of their city from re-
mote ages 238
Trapani, the ancient Drepanum .... 237-241
Travelling, requisites for 7, S
Tre-fontane, tower of, south coast 221
Tre Miglia, site of the residence of Timoleon . . 175
Tremisteri, town of, near Messina 124
Trezza, bay of La, near Aci 133
Tribunals of justice at Palermo .... 78, 82
Trincola, Baron, at Lipari 263
Trinacria, a symbol of Sicily 229
Trogilus, now called Stentino , 162
Troglodite caves in Africa similar to those of Ispica 191
at Lampedusa . . 287
Trojans resorted to Drepanum 239
Trovatini, Abbate, at Lipari 263
INDEX.
Page
Tryphon, a rebel in ancient times 216
Tuhuraster Fungus Ferens 108
Tunny, or Scomber thynnus 21
Tusa, the town of 96
Turtle often caught among the Liparis .... 274
Tivelve tables compared with the Decalogue . . 62
Tychsen, Olaus, Gherardus, a celebrated linguist 71
Tyche, quarter of Syracuse 165
Tyndaris, history of 101
Tyrians, the, expelled the Sicani 135
f^ale of the dead, near Girgenti 213
f^alguaniei-a, prince, liis palace at the Bagaria . 86
^aH(/a/,?, their treatment of Rome 117
yauhan, citadel of Messina, constructed on his
principles 122
Fegetahles very much eaten 39
fella, Abbate, his literary imposition .... 91
fenera, Sta., patroness of Aci 132
fentimiglia, bishop, liis good character . . . 138
Venus Libertina, her temple at Naxos .... 130
Erycina, her worsliip 242
Verdura, tower of, on the south coast .... 216
ferual equinox, prevalent winds during the . . 4
Veri-es, his spoliations . . 97, 102, 118, 170, 187
Vespers, Sicilian 89, 242
Vetrano, Castel, south coast 222
Vicaria, or public prison at Palermo .... 79
Villeggiatura, what 2S
i^tncereso, St., there is a spring above (Stromboli) 254
Vindicari, the port and caricatore of ... . 179
Virgin and child, substitutes for Venus and Cupid 61
Virgins, temple of the, at Girgenti 209
Virgin Mary declared patroness of Messina . . 1 20
Visits received during illness 34
Vito, Cape St., the usual landfall 6S
Vitriol found in the minerals of Mtns, .... 155
Vitriolic waters, where found 3
Vittoria, town of, in the county of Modica . . 192
Vitus, St., patron of Mazzara 22g
Vivonni, Duke of, his vigorous siege of Milazzo 104
Volcanic islands, the effects of the elements on them 258
products, where found 2
Volcanella, Point, in Lipari 268
Vulcan, temple of, at Girgenti 212
forged thunder-bolts in Lipari . . . 248
Vulcano, one of the Liparis 269
Ulucchiali, the pirate, also called Ochali ... 202
Page
Ulysses visited Lipari 261
Universities of Palermo and Catania . . 7S, 141
Urban, Pope, his disputes about the Liparis . .261
Ursino, Castle, at Catania 136
Ustica, its geological peculiarities 249
the ancient Osteodes, mentioned by Ptolemy 279
-^^— entirely volcanic, contains spacious grottos 280
/Fa/^oji sailed through the Faro of Messina . .111
JValtzing liked in the higher circles .... 49
Water, fresh, procured by digging on the shores
of the Faro 112
spouts 6
/^ea' in 1814, particular account of . ... 4
Weeds, prevalent 12
West coast of Sicily 223
Wheat, various kinds of 11
its peculiarly fine quality at Alicudi . . 277
William the Bad, of Sicily 257
Wines of Tauromenium were highly esteemed . 128
Mascali, polluted with gypsum . . . .131
Winds, which most prevalent 4
, strong gusts frequent in the Faro . .111
Woody region of .^Etna 147
/Fbo^Mowse, Mr., established at Marsala . . . 229
' — the mole he has formed at Marsala . 234
Wolves 50
Xerxes, his forces exaggerated 1 17
Xeuxis born at Himera 95
Xiphias gladeus, or sword-fish, how caught . . 23
Zach, Baron de, liis comment on Hodierna . . 201
Zancle, its symbols and coins 231
Zanclus and Rhea represented by Mata and Grif-
fone 121
, a king of Zancle 120
Zapulla fiuraara 97
Zarrosa, point, in Stromboli 252
Zeno once resided at Syracuse 164
Zeolites contained in the lavas of /Etna . . . 153
Zezabug, the Saracenic name given to the island
of San Pantaleo 235
Zilica, occhio della, a spring of Syracuse . . . 171
Ziza, or Azziza, the Emir's palace, on the road
to Monreale §6
Zones of /Etna, three .... 146
Zoophyta, edible, enumerated 25
Zotica, now paradise of Judica near Caltagirone 197
LONDON:
PniNTED BY W. CLOWES,
Northamberland-Coart.
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