442 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 
Vega miglit be signalled from tbe Straits of Messina, but we did 
not come to the entrance to the Straits until after sunset. I 
therefore ordered the Vega to lie to there for some hours, while 
Lieut. Bove and I rowed ashore to send off telegrams announc¬ 
ing our arrival in Europe to Sweden, Naples, Rome, and other 
places. The shore, however, was farther off than we had calcu¬ 
lated, and it was quite dark before it was reached. It was not 
without difficulty that in these circumstances we could get to 
land through the breakers in the open road quite unknown to 
us, and then, in coal-black darkness, find our way through 
thickets of prickly bushes to the railway which here runs along 
the coast. We had then to go along the railway for a con¬ 
siderable distance before we reached a station from which our 
telegrams could be despatched. Scarcely had we entered the 
station when we were surrounded by suspicious railway and 
coast-guard men, and we considered ourselves fortunate that 
they had not observed us on the way thither, for they would 
certainly have taken us for smugglers, whom the coast-guard 
have the right to salute with sharp shot. Even now we were 
overwhelmed with questions in a loud and commanding tone, 
but when they saw to what high personages our telegrams were 
addressed, and were informed by their countryman Bove, who 
wore his uniform, to what vessel we belonged, they became very 
obliging. One of them accompanied us back to our boat, after 
providing us with excellent torches which spread abundant light 
around our footsteps. They were much needed, for we were 
now compelled to share the astonishment of our guide that in 
the darkness we had succeeded in making our way over the 
rugged hills covered with cactus plants and bushy thickets 
between the railway aod the coast, and along a railway viaduct 
which we had passed on our way to the station without having 
any idea of it. It was the last adventure of the voyage of the 
Vega, and my first landing on the glorious soil of Italy. 
On the I4th February, at I P.M., the Vega arrived at Naples. 
