covered with gilding and festoons of artificial flowers; and urns, relics, and images of saints, were aranged around the walls. In the centre of the floor stood a simple marble shrine containing the bones of St. Placido himself, whilst at the gorgeous altar three priests were performing various ceremonies, gabbling rapidly in Latin over a mass which seemed to be addressed to every saint in the calendar in succession, each ejaculation being devoutly responded to by the deluded worshippers, who knelt in clusters on the cold floor of mosaic work. Some were bending over the shrine in reverence, and others silently counting their beads, whilst one old woman actually fell prostrate on her face before the altar. All this time music sounded sweetly from unseen choristers, and all seemed so engaged in the rites that I passed out unnoticed. At the end of a corridor I saw a small altar-piece for the little children; a beautiful painting of the infant Jesus and the Virgin, stood above it. Here I waited for a short time and watched the mothers bringing their young children, and even little babies, teaching them to bow before the picture of Christ, and sprinkling their foreheads with the holy water, which is contained in a font of verd-antique, near the door. This constitutes nearly all their religion. On the outside of the church door, a number of small cannon were being fired off, which caused an echo in the surrounding mountains, producing an effect not unlike incessant thunder. Messina is a place where the church is a powerful, and this may easily be supposed from the number of priests, monks, and friars, that are constantly met with in the streets. The Senate-house is a fine building, having one entrance in the Strada Corso, and another principal one from the Marina. The Marina itself is a beautiful promenade, ornamented with fine statues and fountains, and overshadowed with pimento trees. After sunset this pro menade is a most delightful one. Vessels from all parts of the world throng the whole line of the quay, close to which the water is very deep, and so clear, that every pebble at the bottom is readily discernible. The castle, situated on the extremity of the curved promontory of the harbour, seems to stand midway between Sicily and Calabria; and the panorama of mountains, clothed with wood to their very summits, rises around the straits in picturesque beauty. But the view from the convent of St. Gregorio surpasses that from the Marina, and the scene when gazed upon from the heights of the telegraph above the city, approaches to the description of the appearance of Constantinople, and the shores. of the Bosphorus, from the burial place of Scutari. The coral fishery is carried on here, and the straits abound with excellent fish of all kinds. It is a beautiful sight on a dark evening to observe the process of fishing by torchlight in the Faro. They carry a large flambeau at the prow of the boat, and its light attracts the fish, which are speared with a small harpoon when they rise to the surface of the water. The streets of Messina are much superior to those of Siragusa, and the whole place has an air of bustle and cheerfulness which is wanting amid the wretchedness and ruin of that city. Most of the tradespeople, as in Malta, carry on their occupations either outside the doors, or around the open entrances to the stores and bazaars. The jewellers' shops are worth notice, and the display of Neapolitan trinkets is sure to attract the eyes of a foreigner. Beautiful shell-work may be purchased in this city; and a man who resides on the Marina, assisted by his daughter, manufactures most exquisite models in cork of the various antiquities on the island, as well as figures of the native costumes, which may be obtained at very low prices, though the duty imposed on them in this country is so enormous as to deter many persons from bringing them home. The cafés and ice shops are equal to those of Valetta, though not so numerous, and the Rosolia, and other cordials made here, are delicious. The Grande Bretagne hotel, where I staid whilst in Messina, is a magnificent and spacious building, excellent in every respect, and the charges moderate; the landlord, Signor Nobilé, is a very polite and civil Italian, and speaks English well. I must not forget to mention the great kindness which I experienced from my friends, Messrs. Rew and Rynd, to whom I bore letters of introduction. On the morning before I left, I walked with Mr. Rynd and his brother to the Capuchin convent, which stands on the hill where Brydone saw the dancers treading their "light Sicilian measures," of which he speaks so poetically. Lupins grow wild around Messina, and the road towards Palermo is shaded with fine carob trees. The view from this spot is, like all others around the Faro, enchanting, and I was truly disappointed at being obliged so soon to cut short my sojourn in this delightful city. But the long-horned oxen dragging their ponderous and clumsy wagons along the Marina, piled up with boxes of lemons, warned me that the time of my departure was nigh; and before sunset I bade adieu to the shores of Sicily, and re-embarked in the schooner "Prospero," for England. She was now stored with a full cargo of lemons, every nook and corner being filled with them; and the paraphernalia of passports, health-bills, and manifests being finished, we lay off the quay ready to set sail, waiting only till the current turned in our favour for passing the dangers of Scylla and Charybdis. The market boats were our last visitors from the shore; they were laden with fruits of all kinds,-oranges, grapes, figs, walnuts and pomegranates, of which we laid in a fair stock for our voyage. The excitement of my tour was over; the blue and smiling sky, the golden vineyards, the fertile plains and sunny mountains of Sicily, were about to be exchanged for a dreary and dangerous voyage to a less genial clime, and the dark storms of winter seemed already to whisper their melancholy music in the passing tempest that succeeded to this sultry day. But memory had wreathed a many-coloured garland of flowers to cheer me over the dreary ocean; and though years roll by, my brightest visions and fondest recollections shall be of those sun-lit isles that lie cradled in the bosom of the Mediterranean. VOYAGE FROM MESSINA TO ENGLAND. "I go towards the shore to drive my ship To mine own land, o'er the Sicilian wave." "The sea-world shook beneath a mighty storm, Of spectral Typhoon and sea-monster rose To battle wildly with the deep wild sea.' A VIOLENT Storm of wind, accompanied by torrents of rain, prevented our leaving the port last night. The water soon collected from the mountains, and pouring down the fiumaras, or torrent-beds, swept with resistless violence onwards to the sea, carrying every thing before it. In one of the streets of Messina, leading down to the Marina Quay, a poor mule was taken off its legs by the force of the torrent, and washed along by the flood, which carried away the contents of its panniers. The drowning animal was, however, at last rescued by its owner, having been stopped in its career by a projecting wall. The Sicilians appear to be quite accustomed to these heavy rains, and during their prevalence, they lead a kind of aquatic life; they run skipping along the streets without shoes or stockings, their trousers turned up to their knees, and an enormous umbrella carried over their heads. During the night the rain partially abated, and when the morning broke, the sun burst through the clouds, (which still hung on the mountain-tops,) with its wonted brilliancy, shining along the hilly slopes, which looked greener and more beautiful after the storm. At six o'clock we left the quay, and were soon in the midway channel between Sicily and Calabria; the high and rugged mountains of the latter country seemed still as so many attractive points for the storms; and their black precipices contrasted well with the hills of Sicily, over which the sunbeams were shining a long farewell, perhaps for ever. I much regretted leaving Sicily, where I had passed so many pleasant days in exploring her ruined cities, her shady groves and wild flowery glens; her scattered monuments of former greatness, that silently speak to the musing beholder; and last, though not least, her lofty and romantic mountains, with the giant Etna, towering majestically above all, capped with a zone of pearly snow, that gleamed white in the sunshine as we receded from the lessening shores. To our right, the rock and castle of Scylla, formed a conspicuous object; and several small villages skirted the foot of the Calabrian mountains. As to the whirlpool of Charybdis, nothing now remains but a few occasional breakers; and I fancied that the current sometimes took an eddying course, but neither corresponded with Virgil's terrible description in the voyage of Eneas :"Dextrum Scylla latus, lævum implacata Charybdis Obsidet, atque imo barathri ter gurgite vastos Sorbet in abruptum fluctus rursusque sub auras Erigit alternos, et sidera, verberat unda!" - Having escaped the dangers of Scylla and Charybdis, whether real or imaginary, and got clear of the Faro, our pilot left us, and put back in his little boat, telling us at parting, that we should have a fair wind, or, as he termed it, a "cracker levanter," and promised to pray to St. Antonio for a good voyage for us. This kind offer was made in the hopes of getting an extra dollar added to his pay, a trick which often succeeds with these men, though whether they really use their pretended influence with the guardian saint, is a fact of which I am rather doubtful. The Neapolitan steamer passed us in the afternoon, and a gentle breeze carried us past Monte Stromboli, the most eastern of the Eolian or Lipari Isles. Though this volcano is said to be always in a state of ignition, I could not discover any appearance either of fire or smoke, although it might, perhaps, have happened that we were at too great a distance from it, for this to be visible. It has the appearance of a huge cone rising very abruptly out of the sea; it is upwards of 2,000 feet in height, and nine miles in circumference, and is about thirty-two miles distant from Sicily. Monday. Instead of the "cracker levanter," promised to us by our weather-wise pilot, the sea this morning was as calm as a lake; the distant shores of Sicily were visible at Milazzo, and the top of Etna could be seen towering above the clouds. About breakfast time a fishing boat from the shore came, and rowed twice around our vessel; this is a plan adopted by the natives in order to attract the fish, which they suppose lie under the ship's keel. In the afternoon some light airs carried us within sight of Volcano, and several more of the Lipari isles, Salina, Lipari, and Panaria. The night was calm and beautiful, and the stars beamed out most brilliantly through the clear, still air. Tuesday.-Almost a dead calm; another boat came around us again this morning, but they did not appear to catch any fish. The islands of Alicudi and Felicudi bore north of us; they somewhat resemble Stromboli in form, but they have been extinct, as volcanos, for ages. Volcano is still active at times; the crater, which is situated in the centre of the island, presents a superb a..d magnificent spectacle, and the whole island abounds with pumices, salts, and sulphur. Wednesday. A calm all day. Thursday.-Towards evening a breeze sprang up, and we passed Ustica, the most westerly of the Lipari Isles, situated nearly opposite to the city of Palermo, in Sicily, and far remote from the rest of the Lipari group. A large eagle soared around the vessel about sunset, and a thrush was caught on the rigging. Several quails, which I brought from Malta, unfortunately died. I rather think that they committed. suicide, or felo de se, by strangling themselves between the wicker work of their cage. Friday. Almost calm again. We were amused in the course of the morning by watching several pilot-fish swimming under the keel, and accompanying the vessel for some miles; they are about the size of a large mackerel, and beautifully striped with broad bands of black and white; these fish are said to swim before the sharks, and act the same part for them which the jackal is supposed by many to perform for the lion. When attacked, the sailors affirm that they swim down the shark's mouth, where they find a safe retreat. At sunset a wild duck passed us, apparently winging his weary flight towards Sicily; it reminded me of Bryant's lines to a water fowl. Saturday, 23rd.-To-day I was gratified with the sight of a number of beautiful dolphins. I almost feared that we should leave the Mediterranean without seeing any of them; but to-day they seemed determined to show themselves, and sported around the vessel in high style. Whilst swimming they appear to be of a deep blue, with a golden-coloured tail, and gleam with a rich metallic lustre on every change of light; they are said to be much more beautiful when they are out of the water, but we were not fortunate enough to catch any, though we made many attempts. We even put poor Prinny," the dog, overboard, with a rope made fast around him, for a bait; however, we afterwards substituted a large piece of pork, which had the effect of drawing them near, and the captain succeeded in striking one with the grains (a weapon used for fishing,) but it was so far under water that he found it impossible to hook it. These fish are said to be the forerunners of a strong breeze, 66 and are therefore favourites with the sailors. Sunday, 24th.-We have been fortunate enough to have a fair wind all day, which, of course, the men attributed to the dolphins, for sailors, though generous and goodnatured, are the most superstitious set of men imaginable. Monday. After a fine breeze all day, we passed the island of Sardinia. The high land of the south-east coast is visible at a great distance. Tuesday. This morning we were out of sight of Sardinia, as it had blown hard all night. Dark clouds from the south-east seemed to portend a storm, and it was not long before we were suddenly visited by several white squalls, or gusts of wind, which are every where dangerous, but are particularly dreaded in the Mediterranean. |