THE COASTS OF SICILY. 193 



irregular transformations which so faithfully reveal 

 .to the eyes of the observer the struggle which is 

 going on in the atmosphere between heat and cold. 



We entered the little port of Castellamare about 

 three o'clock in the afternoon, when, in faithful 

 obedience to Sicilian habits, the chiefs of the De- 

 partments of Customs and Quarantine were taking 

 their siesta. Their subordinates, acting upon their 

 general orders, made some show of preventing our 

 disembarkation, but despotism, where it does prevail, 

 is a very convenient institution for those whom 

 it favours ; and, in a country like Sicily, where 

 officials are the living impersonations of the law, 

 our letters of recommendation were all-potent in 

 placing us above ordinary regulations. With the 

 magical names of Serra di Falco and Cacamo on 

 our lips, we stepped on shore without further inter- 

 ruption ; and, in the course of a few minutes, we 

 saw a party of Doyanelli and Sanitarii hastening 

 towards us, eager to entreat our Excellencies to 

 forgive them for not having been in waiting to re- 

 ceive us ; and we, after the fashion of good princes, 

 generously extended to them our gracious pardon. 



But a more serious difficulty soon presented itself, 

 when we began to make inquiries concerning 

 lodgings ; for although Castellamare is a tolerably- 

 well frequented sea- port, and numbers from ten to 

 twelve thousand inhabitants, it does not contain 

 the humblest inn or tavern in which a traveller can 

 hire a night's lodgings. Fortunately for us, Artese, 

 who had made numerous coasting voyages, had 

 generally some friend in every port who was ready 



VOL. I. O 



