21*2 
LETTERS FROM 
dropping monarch had a more convenient 
way of mounting to his station than by means 
of a rope and a chair, though we could dis¬ 
cover no remains of any steps either from the 
top or from the bottom of the rock. The whole 
of the cavern is evidently of artificial forma¬ 
tion. 
While we were off the town of Syracuse in 
the San Pietro, the captain gave us a curious 
version of the story connected with this 
“Ear.” He said that Dionysius confined 
there such persons as he imagined had ac¬ 
cused him of being a bad Christian , and if 
by listening to their conversation his suspi¬ 
cions were confirmed, he sentenced the 
calumniators to be shot. 
I will now briefly mention some other an¬ 
tiquities we visited in the course of this 
morning’s excursion. We were shown the 
remains of the walls of the ancient city, but 
