MALTA AND SICILY. 
‘253 
within a few miles of Giardini, where we 
remained for the night. It is a small, poor 
town or village, but very pleasantly situated 
close to the sea, commanding a fine view 
of the opposite coast of Calabria, and 
had we not been anxious to reach Messina 
as soon as possible, we should have been 
glad to have spent a few days there. We 
had been informed at Catania, that the best 
accommodations in the place were to be 
found in the house of a priest, who was in 
the habit of lodging travellers. However, 
our driver, contrary to the orders he had 
received, thought proper to take us to a 
little inn, where we soon discovered our 
mistake; but as the house appeared very 
clean, and the people decent and civil, we 
determined not to change our quarters. 
But while we were seated at supper, an 
emissary from the priest, who it appears had 
