MALTA AND SICILY. 
‘217 
but they differed but little from each other 
in appearance, though the latter, on a very 
close approach, had still a slight animal 
odour hanging about him. 
Our guide next conducted us to his cell, 
which though poor and very small, was clean 
and comfortable. Here he showed us a 
badly executed portrait of the Duke of 
Devonshire, and requested us to enter our 
names in a book he kept for that purpose. 
Near this convent was found the headless 
statue of Venus, now in the museum at 
Syracuse. 
A great part of the country we passed over 
in this ride was rocky and uncultivated; 
and though much more pleasant in its ap¬ 
pearance than any part of Malta, was by no 
means productive in natural curiosities. We 
found a fine species of sage, a beautiful red 
anemone, a dwarf aspliodelus, and a prickly 
