188 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



fifteen or twenty feet, we watched the setting of the 

 sun. From the middle of an isolated hillock, crowned 

 by a ruined tower, and situated almost in the centre 

 of our peninsula, we could see the glorious orb of day 

 descend towards the sea, whose waves seemed to 

 kindle into flame as they came in contact with it, until 

 it finally disappeared behind Cape Santo Vito, bath- 

 ing the rocky beach and neighbouring valley of 

 Capaci in those marvellous violet tints which shed 

 an aerial transparency over the heaviest outlines of 

 mountain scenery. We then returned to our quar- 

 ters, to partake of the meagre dinner, prepared for us 

 by Artese ; but if on any occasion, deceived by the 

 short twilight of tliese southern latitudes, we had been 

 surprised by the rapid approach of night, we were sure 

 on our way homewards to meet our sailors, armed 

 to the teeth and ready at the slightest hint of danger 

 to draw in our defence. In the eyes of our honest 

 tars, every landsman they met was an object of sus- 

 picion, perhaps a brigand, incessantly on the watch 

 to waylay unwary travellers. The mountaineers in 

 our neighbourhood were especially shunned by all 

 our crew as persons of the most detestable reputa- 

 tion; and during the first few days of our arrival 

 we had some diflficulty in persuading our men not 

 to follow us on every occasion. Their fears may 

 not, however, have been entirely unfounded, for 

 Padre Antonino admitted that the natives of the 

 neighbouring mountain district were scarcely among 

 the best of mankind, while at the same time he 

 showed us his well-loaded carbine, and the other arms 

 which he invariably kept at hand in case of, need. 



