THE COASTS OF SICILY. 189 



For twenty days we had a constant calm, which 

 proved most favourable to our researches, and cer- 

 tainly was not suiFered to pass unprofitably by. 

 Our portfolios and note-books were already well 

 filled, although the observations which we had un- 

 dertaken were still very incomplete, when one 

 morning we perceived, on awakening, that there 

 was a heavy sea running, and that the waves 

 were breaking noisily upon the beach. Our yester- 

 day's stores had been all exhausted before night ; 

 we had therefore only to look forward to a lost day, 

 with a prospect of bad weather continuing for some 

 time to come. We at once saw that the only way 

 of profiting by this forced state of inactivity would 

 be to continue our voyage. Acting upon the spur of 

 the moment, we instantly gave our orders, and in 

 less than an hour, our instruments, jars, and bottles 

 were safely stowed away in their former places on 

 board the Santa Rosalia, and our bedding and 

 wrappers put out of sight under the poop. Before 

 we took our leave of Padre Antonino, we gave him, 

 at his request, a certificate attesting our sense of his 

 hospitality, which, however, we were careful not to 

 accept as a gratuitous attention, and once more 

 pressing his hand, and wishing him a hQ^vty farewell^, 

 we took our old places on the deck of the Santa 

 Rosalia, and, unfurling our large latteen sail, shot 

 rapidly towards Castellamare. 



