1804.) Defcription of the Ifand of I{chia andits Inhabitants. 
After making feveral short vifits to the 
ifland, we returned in autumn, and {pent 
feveral weeks in the vicinity of the baths. 
Our hoft, a native of Sorrento, has refided 
a long timeat Ifchia, where he 1s general- 
ly known by the furname of the Sorrentine. 
He was’a cheerful old man, and poffefled 
feveral vineyards. His family contifted of 
his wife, a daughter of. feventeen, and a 
fon fomewhat older. Two female domef- 
tics lived with them on a focting of the 
moft perfect equality, out of the hours of 
labour. A poor relation, called Fortunata, 
fourteen years old, was continually in 
the houte. 
We afcended by a flight of fteps from 
the ftreet into the court, which was bound- 
ed on two fides by the houfe, and on the 
two others by the vineyard and a low 
wall, which feparated it from the ftreet. 
There was no communication between the 
different apartments; each had a door 
which opened into the court, a imall win- 
dow almott touching the roof, or a hole 
in the door itfelf. Thefe apartments were 
ufed only at night, and in cafe of rain. 
At other times the court is the place 
where the family meet. i trellis keeps 
off part of the {un’s heat, and beneath its 
fhade they take their humble repaits. Ano- 
ther part of the court is occupied with a 
fmall detached kitchen, with a ciltern by 
its fide. 
' . The roofs throughout the ifland are flat, 
and are ufed for drying fruits and other 
purpoles. Ours was covered with a tent, 
where the daughter took her feffe, and 
where her old father fometimes paffed the 
night. You afcend to it bya ladder, 
which if you draw up after you, the poit 
is inacceflible; but, on the other hand, if 
it be taken away, you are a prifoner. 
In the evening, the court was turned in- 
to a ball-room; the tables.and chairs were 
removed, and the fteps, placed before the 
door of each apartment, ferved as feats for 
the foectators. I never faw the Taren- 
tella, that celebrated Neapolitan dance, 
better executed than here. It is generally 
performed by two young girls, while a 
third plays on the tambourin, which fhe 
accompanies with her voice. The com- 
plaints of difappointed love, of a lover fe- 
parated from his miftrefs; or, fometimes 
the malice of a rejected lover, are the moft 
common fubjeét of the fongs, in which 
Madona e Cupinto, the Virgin and Cupid, 
are fometimes jointly invoked. 
The pleafure of this dance confifts in 
the variety of attitudes, the play of the 
309 
apron, the diverfity of figures traced by 
the dancers, the found of the caftanets 
which they hold in their hands, or the 
{napping of their fingers, which is fubfti- 
tuted in its ftead. But what is {till more 
remarkable, they know how to modify at 
pleafure the ordinary exprefiion of this 
dance. Fortunata danced it one day, to 
divert us, with a fat Lombard: peafant, 
and gave it the expreffion of the bittereft 
raillery. 
The fame grace and delicacy which dif- 
tinguifhes their {ports and their dances, 
likewife appear in their a€tions and con- 
verlation, In the morning, when we 
awoke, we found a bunch of the fineft 
grapes upon our table. While we were at 
breakfaft, the old father of the family 
brought us a bafket of his beft fruits. In 
the evening his daughter, Francefca, often 
invited us to take a walk. She conducted 
us to her father’s vineyards, made us fit 
down at the mof delightful points of view, 
and gathered for us the ripeit grapes. By 
the way, fhe taught us the name and vir- 
tues of every plant that appeared worthy 
of notice. She and Fortunata had in all 
their manners a certain eafe and dignity, 
which in Germany would be thought to 
befpeak a fuperior education. But woe to 
thofe who are deficient in that gracefulnefs 
which, in general, is fo natural to them ! 
Fortunata, for this reafon only, could not 
endure the female who was betrothed to 
her brother. In vain we obferved, that 
the poffeffed every folid qualification, that 
fhe was a good houfewife, that fhe could 
work at her needle, that fhe knew how to 
walh, &c. ‘ Yes,” replied Fortunata, 
‘but, in the firft place, fhe is ugly 5 in 
the fecond, fhe can neither play, dance, 
nor fing ; fhe knows nothing—hhe js ugly, 
ugly!’ and we could never obtain any 
other anf{wer to our reprefentations. 
Fortunata was very ill dreffed upon our 
arrival; in a few days, we gave her a 
complete dre{s, in the fafhion of her coun- 
try: a fhort jacket of black velvet, an 
apron, a petticoat and a veil. We foon 
perceived that fhe had lof her ufual viva- 
city: amidft the joy which prevailed in 
the houfe, fhe only appeared melancholy 
and penfive. We could not learn the 
caufe of this change. At length, one evens 
ing during the dance, I fat down befide 
her, and repeated the queftion which had 
frequently been afked before: ‘* What is 
the matter, Fortunata? Do'you want any 
thing?” ‘ Conquaglie!”’ (ear-rings) fhe 
replied, foftly ina whifper. I es at 
EL, 
