The environs of Naples are very interesting to the classical traveller; such as Lake Avernus, Baia, Ischia, Procida, and Capri, Castellamare, and the ascent of Vesuvius. Some of the church festivals, particularly on the 8th of September, the Nativity of the Virgin, is quite amusing. The traveller can well spend three months in Naples without diminishing its interest. We remained at Naples three weeks, and then sailed for Messina, in Sicily. Here, too, is another delightful spot for the traveller. In going from Naples to Messina, the voyage, though short, is highly interesting. You pass Mount Stromboli, the " most northern of the Lipari Islands. It is a volcano, which rises in a conical form to the height of 3000 feet; on the east side are three or four little craters, ranged near each other, nearly at two-thirds of its height.
Notwithstanding its fires, it is inhabited, and produces a great deal of cotton. Of all the volcanoes recorded in history, Stromboli seems to be the only one that burns without ceasing, and it has long been looked upon as the great light-house of the Mediterranean, the flames being seen by night at a great distance." And on your left is the beautiful promontory of Calabria, the southern extremity of Italy. The Apennines, too, intersecting the whole territory, from north to south. This country abounds in excellent fruit, corn, wine, oil, silk, cotton, and wool. In 1783, a terrible earthquake destroyed a great portion of Calabria and Sicily. We now were at anchor in Messina, one of the safest harbors in the Mediterranean.
Here also a great trade is carried on in silk, oil, corn, and excellent wine. This city suffered much by an earthquake, in 1683, when it was half destroyed; it was, however, rebuilt, and suffered again very severely in 1770. There are some handsome buildings, and beautiful promenades, but like all other Italian cities, full of priests and monks, of almost every order. I employed a Cicerone to show me round, and it was truly amusing to hear the fellow go on describing things and places. He spoke good English, as many do here, for prior to 1814, Messina was the head-quarters of the British army in Sicily. My guide took me up a hill to a convent, and near by to which was a pond of muddy water.
" Here," says he, " I wish to relate to you why this pond has its milky appearance. When the holy virgin was on earth, she made a visit to this city, and laid the foundation of that convent; and in order to show that she had been here, squeezed a drop of milk from her breast into the pond, which gave it this color which it has retained ever since." " Indeed!" says I. We passed on until we came to a long, broad street, when he stopped me, and commenced: "You see this Ion a; street before us? Now in the last earthquake, it opened in the middle through its whole length, and swallowed up many hundred people, and then closed again.
My father says he saw a man that was caught with only his head ahove ground, when it closed upon him. He sung out like a good fellow, but he was finally dug out alive." He next took me to an old and dilapidated stone fort. " Here," said he, " when the Saracens were on the Island, and had nearly got possession of Messina, an angel stood on that corner, (pointing to it,) and, waving his sword, preserved the fort from being; taken." And while walking with me, he kept his hat in his hand a great part of the time. As he invariably bowed to every image we passed, and they were quite numerous, it was less trouble to walk bareheaded than to be constantly lifting his hat.