MALTA AND SICILY. 
2*27 
grand appearance on the evening of the day 
after our arrival at Catania. Constant driz¬ 
zling rain had been falling till late in the 
afternoon, when the clouds, which had en¬ 
tirely concealed the mountain from our sight, 
suddenly cleared off, and we beheld it 
covered to the base with a coat of fresh 
fallen snow, the dazzling whiteness of which 
was increased by the rays of the setting 
sun, and by the strong contrast of dark 
clouds in the background. 
We were constantly reminded that we 
were in the neighbourhood of a volcano, 
even when it was concealed from our view, 
for many of the houses in Catania are built 
of lava, and the pavement is chiefly com¬ 
posed of the same material. The two prin¬ 
cipal streets, which are of great length, cross 
each other at right-angles, and from these 
branch out many other streets and lanes, 
