March 1833

From Catania my ride to this city was charm- ing. The distance is but 60 miles, but that is two days' journey here. Mount Etna was the grand spectacle of the first day, and a fine sight it is. This monarch of mountains, they say, supports a population of 1 1 5,000 souls, and is 1 80 miles in circuit. And its ample sides are belted with vil- lages and towers up almost to the snow. As the wind blew fresh, I smelt the snowbanks. Village of Giarre ; old country ; Catholic all over, scarce a house or a fence but hath a shrine or cross or inscription. "Basta a chi non ha. Basta a chi morra." Another, " Viva la Divina Providenza" and a thousand more. It is a poor philosophy that dislikes these sermons in stones. But what green fields, and trees in bloom, and thick vil- lages the turns of the road showed ; and my Sici- lian companions would break out, " O che bella vedutal " These companions were four, the priest of the church of St. lago in Messina, named Itel- lario, his two nephews Lorenzo and Gaetano,and Francesco Nicolozi, a tailor.