THE COASTS OF SICILY. 239 



speedy coming of three French naturalists, who 

 were specially recommended to the good offices of 

 those in authority. Even on the occasion of the 

 short excursion which I had made to the islands in 

 order to reconnoitre the locality, I had been received 

 with marked attention. Signer Gaspardo, chief of 

 the Quarantine, had come with great ceremony to 

 receive me. His father, Signer Bartholini, one of 

 the principal people on the island, had entertained us 

 most liberally at his house ; while Signer Georgio, 

 the Commander of Fort St. Catharine, had freely 

 placed his country house at the disposal of the 

 scienziati francesi, to whom it would naturally form 

 a most convenient abode, owing to its being situated 

 close to the sea side, at about three miles' distance 

 from the villnge. 



We landed in a small bay facing our future 

 residence, where we found a crowd of workmen 

 busily employed in rendering it worthy of its expected 

 occupants. Some were rubbing down the walls, 

 whilst others were whitewashing the three apart- 

 ments which were destined for our use. The wife 

 of the Commander of the Fort, surrounded by three 

 or four maid-servants, was actually herself engaged 

 in the labour of pouring buckets-full of water over 

 the cracked bricks, which formed the flooring of the 

 rooms ; whilst her handmaidens were scrubbing 

 away with all their might. Our sudden arrival 

 produced very much the same effect that one might 

 suppose would follow on throwing a stone into an 

 ant-hill ; there was a perfect confusion of cries, 

 exclamations, and interjections, ending in a torrent 



