MALTA AND SICILY. 
283 
next day provided with our entomological 
apparatus; but on our return to the city we 
met the captain of our vessel, who informed 
us that the wind was now fair, and that he 
should sail in the evening. 
We did not leave Palermo without a good 
supply of provisions. Besides other articles, 
we bought a large basket-full of oranges and 
sweet-lemons, and a bag of potatoes, but the 
last proved to be very inferior in quality to 
those that are usually given to pigs in Eng¬ 
land. When boiled they were black and 
watery. Hoping to put a stop to future pil¬ 
fering, we now removed all the chests and 
boxes belonging to the captain and his gang 
to one side of the cabin, and placed our lug¬ 
gage and baskets of provisions on the other, 
in order that the enemy might have no excuse 
for entering upon our territories. But the 
old pirate, the most determined thief of the 
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