Twelve Months in Southern Europe ... With illustrations by the author

Chapter I

In the beginning of February, 1872, we found ourselves on board one of the Messageries Maritimes and on our way to Malta, where I expected to join a party of friends with whom I had arranged to spend some months in that most delightful of existences, wandering wherever the spirit might lead. Strange to say, though it was admitted on all sides that going to Malta was an every-day occurrence, still no one at Marseilles seemed to have a clear idea as to the best route to take, or even what vessels touched there ; so we felt it quite a triumph when at last we were fairly off, though we still had certain lingering doubts, as to whether we might not be aboard the wrong steamer after all. However, as there was now no retreating, we ceased to trouble ourselves as to this, that, or the other route, and abandoned ourselves to the enjoyment of whatever was enjoyable in our surroundings.

Our party of three consisted, besides myself, of a cousin, who had undertaken to be my escort on my outward journey, and my maid, or, as she figured on our ticket, my "dame de compagnie." The steamer moved out of port at about half-past twelve on a glorious Feb ruary day — plenty of sunshine, a pleasant breeze, and a settled appearance about the weather, which made me look forward to the voyage with pleasure, and put to flight all the gloomy forebodings that had been aroused within me by various unpleasing descriptions with which I had been favoured from time to time, of the abominations that must inevitably be encountered on a voyage to Malta. My eyelashes and nails gnawed off by the •unremitting attacks of cockroaches, the remainder of my body reduced to a condition little better than that of Job on his ash heap, from the combined effects of insect pests and the worst of fare, were amongst the minor evils that had been pictured to me ; and for the benefit of those who may have formed an equally unfavourable idea of the discomforts of a voyage from Marseilles to Malta, I will venture on a somewhat detailed account of my experiences.

I was relieved to find that I was the only lady on board, so that I and my maid had the state cabin to ourselves, which was most comfortable. Besides our little party, there were only six or seven first-class pas sengers. Amongst these two Belgian attaches afforded us a good deal of amusement. They were slender, doll like individuals, one with an unceasing cold in his head, on the score of which his friend perpetually snubbed him. Their chief interest seemed to consist in changing their costumes at intervals of ten minutes on an average during the day, each time appearing in a toilette more gorgeous than the last ; but the especial glory of their A FORMAL

Introduction

. 3 attire and pride of their hearts consisted in long blue veils wound round their hats, the artistic arrangement of which they seemed to look on as a mystery only known to men who, like themselves, had been in Eng land. We had not been many minutes on board, before the two attaches went up to my cousin and requested him to ask me if I would not like to look through their binoculai-s, after which they begged for a formal intro duction, one of them flying off to fetch their cards, which he handed to me, both making low bows. From the cards I ascertained their names were the Chevalier de S and the Comte de L — ■ — , bound, as they in formed us, for Egypt, and charged, they impressed on us, with important diplomatic business. The Chevalier requested to know if I were a "Madame or Miss," and on ascertaining that I was a spinster, he persisted in invariably addressing me as "Miss."

On my happening to ask him, apropos to some observation of his, whether he were married, " Miss," he exclaimed, apparently deeply offended, " ai-je Vair d'uu imbecile!" He then embarked on a long dissertation as to his views on " The Holy Estate," " le cœur," " I'amour," and so on; his sentiments, though perhaps not exactly what strict people would term edifying, having, at any rate, the merit of being extremely amusing. For some time we kept parallel with the coast, the outline of which was picturesque and irregular, but the country looked very barren. The cliffs were most of them white tufa, the Chevalier informed me during one of the breaks in our tete-a-tSte caused by the approach of my cousin, on which occasions the wily attache 1—2 instantly ceased to ring the changes on such topics as " le cceur," and endeavoured to adapt his remarks to the clerical mind of my escort.

Watching the land gliding past like a panorama, basking in the sunshine, and listening to the opinions of the Belgian attaches on things in general and their own feelings in particular, the afternoon slipped away pleasantly enough ; but the sea air had made us famishingly hungry, and we rejoiced when five o'clock came and table d'hote was announced. A good cuisine is a great desideratum everywhere and under all circumstances, but an especial blessing on board ship, where it is a case of "living to eat" instead of " eating to live." I had been warned that the fare would be abominable, but to my relief I found it excellent, though at the same time I must allow that hunger in this instance may have lent some additional charm to the exertions of the chef. The Chevalier de S not only boasted remarkable conversational talents, but likewise, as he informed me, was gifted with a musical soul and vocal powers, and stated his intention of exhibiting his genius by favoiuing me with a serenade in the evening.

He said he thought that "Venez d la Fenetre" would be the sere nade he should select, but that the exigencies of the circumstances would compel him to substitute the entreaty of "venez d la porte" for that of the original version. After a little while, however, he again came up to me, and announced with a melancholy air, that finding my cousin's cabin was next to mine, he feared he should be forced to abandon his intention of singing the serenade. I endeavoured to reassure him on the subject, but he FIRST NIGHT ON BOARD. 5 merely shook his head dejectedly, and evidently thought " le cousin" too dangerous an animal to be recklessly roused. Under any circumstances the gallant Chevalier need have been under no apprehensions as to the effect he might have produced on " le cousin," as, judging from the specimen I heard of it, his singing was of such an exceedingly confidential description as to be barely audible at the distance of a couple of yards or so.

When the " shades of evening " descended we amused ourselves watching the phosphorescent lights playing in the wake of the vessel, looking now like glow-worms tripping it on the " light fantastic toe," now like patches of moonbeam which had lost their way on the watery expanse. The announcement of tea caused us to descend to the cabin, where we found my Belgian friends whiling away the weary hours at a game of chess. Another walk on deck, and then we turned in for the night ; and though, on squeezing into my berth, its size and shape called the vision of a coffin rather too forcibly before the mind, I nevertheless contrived to sleep neai-ly as soundly as if I had been consigned to the last abode in real earnest, and on awaking in the morning, it was a satisfaction to find my nails and eyelashes still unmo lested by the cockroaches.

I was up by seven, and looked out of one of the port-holes. We were passing some beautiful blue jagged mountains, which turned out to be part of the island of Corsica. At half-past nine came the dejeuner a la fourchette, and not being in the ravenous state in which I had attacked dinner the previous day, I could now judge of the cuisine more calmly and deliberately. It is satis factory to be able to say that the verdict continued all in its favour. From the pickled salmon, olives and gherkins, with which breakfast began, down to the oranges and walnuts with which it wound up, everything was excellent of its kind. Instead of tea and coffee, we of course were served with claret and water. Although the sea was calm as a mill-pond, a bilious looking little Frenchman (who or what he was I never made out) suddenly showed signals of distress, and beat a hasty retreat from the breakfast-table.

" Ah !". exclaimed the Chevalier de S , who boasted a few words of English, "he is mountain !" Every one looked as they felt, exceedingly puzzled, and at length one of the party requested an explanation as to the nature of the phenomenon of which he spoke. " He is hill !" said the Chevalier. " In English you say hill, mountain ! Is it not so 1" Of course the captain always made his appearance at the various meals, but added in no wise to the general agreeability of the party, as he never addressed a word to any one except the Commissairc des Postes (a wolfish looking Corsican with long yellow teeth), and the ship's doctor (a sallow, withered Frenchman), who sat one on each side of him. I soon got into conversation with the Commissairc des Postes, who imparted much informa tion to me concerning Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and the islands ofthe Mediterranean generally, which would have been instructive except for the fact of being most of it entirely untrue.

On heating I was going to Sicily, he warned me not to venture into the interior on any ac count, as the island was in a most disturbed state, the people being always wild, and at present more so than ever owing to the failure of the harvest. He declared THE ISLANDS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN. 7 it would hardly be safe to drive, even in the environs of Messina, and advised me not to think of ascending Mount Etna. Although his information could not quite be regarded as what is called gospel truth, I found him an agreeable change every now and then from the frothy nothings of the two attaches, who could only be looked on as hors d'œurres, serving to make pieces de resistance all the more welcome. About mid-day we entered the Straits of Bonifacio. Being so constantly in sight of land was a very plea sant break in the monotony' of a voyage.

Caprera seemed a desolate, barren rock. Judging from what one sees of it from the sea, I should say, had his enemies banished Garibaldi, they could not have selected a more dreary spot for his exile, than his present home. Not far from it we passed some whales spouting up water. The idea of whales in the Mediterranean was a new one to me ; the few that are found there are, I was told, the Sperm whale, and never attain any very great size. The following evening we passed Stromboli, and were lucky enough to see flames flash out of it four or five times. In this, the Commissairc des Postes assured me, we were singularly fortunate, as to see flames issuing from Stromboli was a most rare occurrence. We were anxious to ascertain at what hour we were likely to reach Messina, in order to know if it would be worth while going to bed, or if we had better merely lie down and get what sleep we could without undressing.

However, the utmost uncertainty prevailed among the crew and every on" on board as to the probable hour of our arrival. Indeed, the most blissful ignorance seemed to reign among the whole ship's company apropos to all matters concerning navigation. None of the men had the remotest idea of the names of any of the islands we passed ; the 'captain never was visible except at breakfast and dinner; an officer was hardly ever seen on deck by any chance or accident ; no one was ever heard giving any orders, and the sole occupation of the sailors seemed to consist in making brooms out of birch twigs, and in washing stockings. Nevertheless, we progressed in a satisfactory and unaccountable manner. At half-past three next morning we found ourselves in the harbour of Messina. It looked very imposing with its quay, long row of stately houses, and lights reflected in the water.

In a few minutes the vessel was surrounded by a swarm of boats, which looked like so many halves of gigantic walnuts, and directly the ship's ladder was let down, up scrambled their occupants on to the deck, which they proceeded to turn into an ex temporary bazaar, spreading out cases of coral and lava ornaments, and .so forth, on the benches, and lighting up the impromptu stalls with lanterns and candle ends. The deck now became the scene of the greatest con fusion. The captain did not appear to exercise the least authority, but was engaged in a violent squabble with his quondam friend, the Commissaire des Postes, who used language more forcible than polite, showing his long teeth glistening like tusks in the midst of his fury ; men rushed frantically hither and thither, entreating every one to invest in coral or lava trinkets, and it seemed a matter of very little moment to any one how or when we landed.

At length, however, some of the MESSINA. crew were prevailed upon to see after our luggage, and waving adieux to the two attaches, who had put in a final and most imposing appearance to see the last of us, we were partly hauled, partly pushed, and partly tumbled down the ladder, and found ourselves safely ensconced in one of the walnutshells. A few minutes' row brought us to shore. The little sentinel on duty had too much consideration to worry us at such an hour about the dogana (custom-house), or any nuisance ofthe kind, but at once held out his hand (into which we gladly slipped the expected buona mano), and permitted us to pass without further formalities. I cannot say very much for the Hotel Victoria, whither we wended our way along the pi-incipal street. However, in Sicily, one must not expect to find the palace-like hotels of Switzerland ; and at any rate the beds were clean, a hideous aud drowsy Sicilian girl pro ceeding to invest them with coarse and rather damp sheets, the instant we appeared.

The next morning we started to explore Messina, with which I was delighted. Its situation is much more beautiful than I expected, and the town itself everything that is picturesque. Of course there are drawbacks to it ; everywhere in the south of Europe one must be prepared for the presence of obnoxious smells in the streets ; but it would be difficult for all the senses to be equally gratified at the same time, and if one's eyes are fully satisfied, it is exigeant to be too particular about one's olfactory nerves. We walked through a series of narrow paved streets with gutters down the centre, and high houses on each side with numerous balconies filled with flower-pots containing geraniums, carnations, oleanders, orange and lemon trees. In one place a crowd was collected round a man sing ing gay Neapolitan airs, while he danced to the sound of a fiddle which he played himself.

" Gracious Signori, one soldi, for the love of the most Holy Virgin ?" urged a ragged, sunburnt little urchin, evidently the son of the talented performer, and beau tiful enough to be worthy of the pencil of a Murillo, as he pushed his way between the people, holding out the tattered remains of a hat ; the sight of a few soldi falling into it winning from him one of those wonderfully sweet smiles which light up the countenances of the Italians like a ray of their own enchanting sunshine, and the expression of a pious hope that henceforwai'd all the Blessed Saints might guard us. In all the streets black-eyed women leaned against the doorways knitting, idling, or gossiping ; bronzed men smoked and chattered; the chestnut sellers turned the splendid corpulent chestnuts bursting through their rich brown skins which were roasting in the pans, en treating the bystanders to taste and see if they were not truly "buonissime" on all sides teemed life and brightness, the people seemed to have time to spare for enjoyment, and not to have buried heart and soul and mind in the one absorbing craving for money-making.

The first place we visited was the Cathedral, the beau tiful marble pavement of which was filthy to the last degree, and, as a matter of course, in it we were beset by beggars of the most repulsive aspect, exhibiting with pride all manner of hideous deformities and revolting diseases. CHURCH OF SAN GREGORIO. Oddly enough the pulpit is supported on the head of Luther and two or three of the other reformers. I believe the meaning of their figuring in this position to signify that their heresies have been completely crushed by the eloquence and arguments issuing from the pulpit which oppresses their heads. The church of San Gregorio is well worth a visit. From the terrace in front the view is very fine. The town of Messina lies below, the Straits beyond, and at the other side of them rises the beautiful ranee of the Calabrian mountains, the distant ones capped with snow.

Aspromonte is visible, rather to the left, and Scylla and Charybdis can just be descried in the distance. The church inside is a mass of the most exquisite mo saics, all over it is inlaid with lapis-lazuli, pink coral, gold stone, and the rarest marbles worked into graceful de signs ; it made one almost envy the nuns in the adjoin ing convent, who have such a glorious view always before their eyes, and such a beautiful church in which to perform their devotions. It is all very well to main tain that religion consists in the state of mind, and that it is not dependent on external objects, but as long as we have bodies we must be impressed through the me dium of our senses ; and it seems to me that one's eyes and ears being* put to the torture, as is too frequently the case in Protestant and other places of worship, can in no wise contribute to a spiritual frame of mind, but on the contrary rivets the attention to earth by so irritating the senses that one never for an instant can rise beyond the ugliness of one's surroundings.

On leaving San Gregorio, we walked through several narrow lanes, picturesque, but smelling of all sorts of abominations, till we stopped at a great arched door way in a wall, which looked like the entrance to a forti fication, but proved to be that of a garden ; a regular Italian garden ; trees, shrubs, and flowers straggling about in it, pretty much as the fancy took them ; everything luxuriant, unkempt, and exceedingly beautiful. Up we went between rows of lemon and orange trees ; olive trees, prickly pears, camellias, roses, jessamine, and heliotrope flinging themselves about in all directions. There is a wonderful charm in the abandon with which everything is allowed to grow in most Italian gardens. What would look untidy and neglected with us, is there the perfection of grace and beauty.

When we reached the top the view was still more beautiful, a tumble-down old tower making a very pic turesque object for the foreground. In the walls were one or two little slits ; the gardener told us it was used as a prison, and that these were the only windows. In all manner of pleasant nooks and shady corners were seats with inscriptions from the various poets placed over them. Most of them were in Italian, but some were in French, and I even saw one in English. " Cid ch'io vedeva mi sembra unRiso dell' Universo" was one of them, and certainly there could not have been a more apt description of the spot. Over another we read, " Pour etre heureux il faut ni aimer, ni hair jamais," which is undoubtedly a very true sentiment, only difficult to carry out, especially the latter part of it. But perhaps in that charming garden of Santi de Cola one might eventually forget one's antipathies, dreaming away existence under the olive and lemon trees, in the sort of lotus-eating life which alone makes A SICILIAN GARDEN. 13 one realize that there may be pleasure in the mere fact of existence.

To realize that feeling I believe one must wend one's way to the blessed South. In our northern latitudes we find pleasure in exercise, mental or physi cal, in excitement, or amusement, but in the mere fact of existence there is little or no pleasure for us. In the South it is otherwise ; there, basking in the sun or re clining in the cool shade half intoxicated by the beauty which nature and art combine to fling; around in careless profusion, one finds that mere existence is a pleasure, one asks for neither excitement nor amusement, for life itself has become something very like perfect happiness. At the upper part of the garden was a cemetery, the burying ground of the family to which the place belongs, and of some "of their friends. A cemetery in an English garden would be anything but a pleasing ingredient, and would probably throw a gloom over the whole gar den ; but here the garden threw a glow over the ceme tery, and it almost seemed that to be buried in such a lovely spot would rob death of half its horrors.

But I must not indulge in too many rhapsodies about that charming Sicilian garden. Should any one visit it after reading this, he may wonder at my delight with it, and ask what there possibly could be about which to rave in that place. I will only say that I had not left Great Britain more than a week, and had started from England in a bitter black frost, leaving every thing looking pinched and shrivelled from cold and wretchedness, and the effect of the rapid change to Sicily, a glorious sun, and a wilderness of flowers was almost magical. The journey from Messina to Catania, whither we went by rail, took four hours. It ought to have been done in three, but one hour was spent waiting at a small station for the up-train to pass, it being but a single line. From the train we had a very good view ofthe Straits of Messina, which are so narrow that it almost seemed as if one could pitch a stone across them into Calabria.

Not long after starting, the rain came down in torrents, and had it not been for the orange groves and prickly pears scrambling all over the hills, one might almost have fancied oneself back, in Ireland once more. It was of course dark long before reaching Catania, and on arriving there, we waded ankle deep through mud and slush to the omnibus, in which we sat waiting for what appeared an interminable time for our luggage. Finally, however, we reached the Grand Hdtel in a state of starvation ; and the table d'hote being over, there was another long wait before dinner made its appearance, our companions at which were four most uninteresting Frenchmen who evidently were commis voyageurs. Go where one will the inevitable bagman is sure to be there before one. My belief is, that Dr. Beke, in his recent discovery of the true Mount Sinai, found one of these gallant " Knights of the Carpet Bag" (travelling pro bably on behalf of " Moses and Sons") already on the spot, opening business transactions with the Arabs.

The Etna wine has a most peculiar and medicinal sort of flavour. I did not like it at all, but was told that in time one gets to think it pleasant. On looking out of my window the whole sky was illuminated by a deep rosy glow, which I* thought must be the reflection from an eruption to which Etna was CATANIA. giving vent, and congratulated myself on our good 1 uck in coming in for it. However, it turned out to be merely an Aurora Borealis, though by far the most beautiful one I had ever seen. The Grand Hotel at Catania is as good as any one need desire ; it is situated at the entrance to the town, and has a small but pretty garden in front, full of roses and trees laden with the delicious little Tangerine oranges whith grow in such abundance in Sicily. It was a satisfaction to find that arriving in Sicily had the same effect on me as the Feast of Pentecost is reported to have produced on the Apostles.

I found myself speaking unknown tongues ; conversing, to my own amazement, and the admiration of all hearers (at least I trust that such was the feeling excited in their minds !) in the most fluent Italian, of which I had pre viously never known above three words, and those had been forgotten for years. It certainly is the fact that to some extent the language of a country seems to be in haled with the air, and it was a great comfort to find I could manage to explain myself in limping Italian, for French is of very little use in Sicily. English takes one further there than French, as there is considerable inter course with Malta. We were out the next morning by eight, and drove through the town to see as much as possible before going on board the steamer for Malta. The town of Catania is built almost entirely of lava, and the streets are paved with it.

Crowds of people were thronging in all directions, it being the festa of St. Agatha, who was a native of the place, and suffered martyrdom there. Mount Etna is said to have burst forth about a year after her death, boiling streams de scending towards the city. When the people realized that destruction was about to overwhelm them, they took the veil of the saint from off her tomb, and bear ing it on a lance, carried it in procession towards the fire ; and as it approached, the eruption ceased and the city was saved. On seerng this miracle the inhabitants immediately embraced Christianity and installed St. Agatha as their patron saint. I was surprised not to see a vestige of anything like a national costume among the people, but they wore such bright colours that the effect was nevertheless very picturesque.

It was a relief to see that neither bonnets nor hats as yet deformed the women of the lower orders ; they all wore shawls over their heads and shoulders, and dresses of the gayest possible colours. A green petticoat with an orange border, or an orange petticoat with a broad green border, was a particularly favourite mixture, a combination which would doubtless have excited astonishment, if not wrath, in the minds of the bellicose natives of the north of Ireland. The Cathedral is handsome, the interior being one mass of white marble. Over the entrance was a gas illumination, " Viva Sancta Agatha!" A priest was performing a service at the altar, and the people seemed very devout. The doors of most of the churches we passed were open, and I could see that they were well filled, men as well as women forming a portion of the congregations.

All along the principal street, benches of white mar ble were placed at short intervals, which formed a good contrast to the dark lava pavement. TESTA OF ST. AGATHA. 17 We saw eight or ten of the shrines which were to be carried in the procession that was to take place later m the day. They were very large, every shrine requiring six men to carry it. Each was composed of four huge candles, decorated at the top with small flags and bunches of flowers, lower down were wax figures of angels or saints, then a canopy of gold with glass under it, behind which one saw sacred images or pictures. All through the town we met groups of men and boys who were to walk in the procession. They were of all sizes and every age, from tiny little boys who could hardly toddle, to full-grown men and grey-beards.

All wore a white garment bearing a strong family likeness to a nightgown ; it was fastened with a string round the waist ; and the costume was completed by white cotton gloves, and a black velvet cap. Most of the men and boys carried candles. Rockets were being let off on all sides, and the whole scene was as bright and gay as only an Italian sun can make a festa. I was sorry not to be able to wait to see the procession in full swing, but it was time to go on board, so we hurried off to the pier (made like everything else at Catania, of black lava), where we took a boat and rowed out to the steamer. The " Etna" was an Italian boat, or rather belonged to an Italian Company, for the vessel, like most of those used on the Italian lines, was, I believe, built on the Clyde. She was much smaller than the steamers of the Messageries Maritimes, but clean and comfortable.