310 THE LIFE OF JAMES D. FORUES. [CHAP. 



sirocco clouds were hanging about the lower part of Etna, 

 the upper portion was quite clear * and as for the Val 

 del Bue itself, with its enormous and complicated lava 

 fields, I have thoroughly investigated it in fact " done " 

 it well, with the assistance of an excellent guide recom- 

 mended to me by Baron Bruca, to whom I brought letters 

 from Monsignor Spada. I found the Baron a most kind- 

 hearted man, and his wife a really nice person. They 

 regret, I believe sincerely, that you did not accompany 

 me so far, and remain at their country-house during my 

 absence, and indeed this would have been a delightful 

 arrangement for all parties especially for me, who would 

 give anything to have my dear wife within reach/ 



Although Forbes still hovered about Etna, hoping 

 against hope for an opportunity of ascending it, a change 

 of weather finally removed this plan to the category of 

 impossibilities. And after a pleasant visit to Syracuse, 

 he rejoined Mrs. Forbes at Salerno, and towards the end 

 of May they left Naples and travelled by easy stages to 

 the Italian lakes. 



To E. C. BATTEN, ESQ. 



' BELLAGIO, July 6th. 



'. . . Here we are at this delightful place, which 

 I have long and long thought of revisiting ; but our stay 

 must be short, for the advancing summer warns us into 

 Switzerland, and we must be in England about the 

 middle of September or soon after. 



' I enjoyed Venice as much as you could possibly 

 desire, and left it with great regret. We stayed a day at 

 Verona, and from Brescia went to Iseo, which we found 

 so charming that we spent a couple of. days there in a 

 nice country inn. . . . We then took to the little steamer 

 on the lake, and paddling up to its head, joined the fine 

 road leading from the Camonica to Bergamo. ... I 

 have become a lazy traveller, and a lazier correspondent : 

 indeed I have almost ceased to write, except to you. All 

 this I excuse to myself on the plea that I am here for 



