162 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



Gallo, and were running against a stiff breeze, when 

 the increased motion which had been imparted to our 

 boat by the change in our course, warned MM. 

 Edwards and myself that we had still something to 

 learn in our sea apprenticeship. We at once fell 

 victims to all the horrors of sea-sickness. Yielding 

 to our misery, we threw ourselves upon our mat- 

 tresses, and were content to cast a glance from time 

 to time at the shore which flitted past as we lay 

 stretched full length at the bottom of the boat. M. 

 Blanchard had long since passed through the ordeal, 

 and it cost us many a sigh of envy to find that the 

 most violent rolling and pitching produced no other 

 effect upon him than to increase his appetite. It 

 w^as, however, very fortunate for the whole party 

 that our companion did not share our weakness, for 

 M. Edwards and myself, although lying close 

 together, completely occupied the space allotted for 

 our reserved quarters. Our shoulders pressed against 

 the sides of the boat, while our feet rested below the 

 first bench, against which two of the men had braced 

 their legs and bare feet. If, therefore, M. Blanchard 

 had also been compelled to betake himself to the 

 bottom of the boat, he would have been reduced to 

 the extremity of stretching himself under these living 

 arches of the rowers' legs and arms, in an atmosphere 

 which was the very reverse of agreeable. 



We had left Palermo somewhat late in the day, 

 and night surprised us when we were opposite to a 

 little sandy bay, commanded by the dismantled 

 tower of Sferacavallo. We were oblis^ed to inaus^u- 

 rate our expedition by passing our first night on 



