Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 March 1891 — SICILY’S SUNNY CLIME. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SICILY’S SUNNY CLIME.

THE LAND OF THE TITANS AND CYCLOPS. V«* 4 * ■ A Region Favored by Nature and Cursed by Han—lts Fruits,"Ruins, and Brigands —Oddities or tbe Greatest European Volcano.

Y\T"\r"7HAT traveler has a I.W /not prayed to see yk / Sicily, the realm of / poetry 9 It was aliDfi ways the home of romance. For ages before the time of 7'Zlgij] Christ the pages of V 'iS-Mga Homer were full of the wonders of the Sicilian coasts. Even at that- time the islwas filled with m y ster y; Scylia and Mr Charyhdis, the demons of the coast. V watched for the ship of the unwary trav-

eler; it was the home of the Cyclops; there the Titans and the gods strove for mastery. No doubt the wonderful natural phenomena of the volcanic isjand gave rise to most of these stories, for then, as in later times, earthquakes, lava streams, volcanic eruptions were almost (annual occurrences. Tourists to Italy and the Mediterranean rarely see more of Sicily than the sea coast and one or two of its towns. But the island is worthy of an extended visit, for the diversity of its scenery is, 'in so small a compass, a wonderful feature. Its mountains, its valleys, its plains are a continent in miniature. Here there is a wild sea coast; there the island, through almost level sands," insensibly sinks into the waters of the Mediterranean, while above all towers the gigantic volcano, which is the most remarkable feature of its natural scenery. The island of Sicily has passed many'hands. Originally settled by the Phoenicians, it was conquered by the* Greeks, from them taken by the Romans, on the fall of ’the Western Empire wa3 appropriated by the Ostrogoths, these were driven out by Belisarius, then came the Saracens, after them the Normans, then it was independent, and last of all ruined by the Bourbons. Now a portion of the Kingdom of Italy, it is recov-.

ering from the misrule of the Bourbon Kings, and may in time attain a portion of its ancient greatness. The area of Sicily is 12,000 square miles, about onesixth that of Missouri, and it contains a population of 2,500,000. The population is engaged In fishing or in farming, Out old metho'ds prevail in both industries. The soil is cultivated in the present day much as it was cared for in the time of Theocritus; plows aro as primitive as the methods of using them There is no progress among the people; a largo portion of the island i 3 given up to forest land, and a still larger portion, although capable of cultivation, remains fallow, from year to year, because of the indisposition of the population to undergo the necessary labor of cultivation. Situated under a favorable climate, where winter is practically unknown, and where, 'being surrounded by large tracts of sea, the heat of summer is softened, it might become, as it once was, the granary of Italy and Rome; but that time is yet in the distant future. The Roman emperors from Sicilian ports drew/-no small share qf the grain which kept the turbulent; populace of Rome in good humor, but grain has almost ceased to be an export of Sicily. Wheat and other food grain require labor, the Sicilians do not love labor, so they have * planted thei* land in orange and lemon trees and in vines; so as to secure the largest returns for the smallest outlay of effort. Few countries in the world have greater natural resources; few have improved them less. v-

But Sicily is the island of the past. In no part of Europe are there relics of so many past civilizations. Of the various waves of culture which have passed over the now unhappy island, that of the Greeks is still the most prominent Here and there in the country are still to be found the temples of Attic deities, almost as perfect to-day as when they came from the hands of their builders. Whole cities, in such a state of preservation, if the expression is allowable, as to render the walls and houses plainly visible, are to be found in almost every district of the island. Palaces and theateis are in abundance. No part of the ancient world more richly rewards the labors of the d'gger. Every peasant has his little store of art works, coins, medals, statues,, which he offers for sale, and at rates that make the eyes of the antiquarian open with admiration and envy. Not of the Greek age alone are the remains, however, for side by side with relics of the time of Homer are relics of the time of Bomba. * Three cities in Sicily are well worth the time and attention of the traveler— Pa'ormo, Messina, and Syracuse. Palerra Happy is beautiful for situation; in f o t lies the bay, as entrancing in its 2ovebness as that of Naples. Behind are the fruit-producing plains, and the traveler passes through miles upon miles of orange and lemon trees, interspersed with the dark green of the vine, and here and there relieved by the white marble villas of the nobility and landowners, and far away is the deep green circlet of heavily wooded mountains which inclose Palermo and its bay like a theater. The city is far superior to those of Italy in general. It is we|l paved, well lighted; arid clean; the avenues are shaded with fines of trees, public squares find parks are frequent, fountains have been established in great Abundance, and two or three grottoes‘in

the public resorts give a romantic air not otherwise obtainable. Palermo has all the romance of an Italian city, with *ll the comfort of London or Paris. Of course the Cathedral is the principal attraction, and it is well situated for display, being placed opposite to the great public square. Its dimensions give it wonderful grandeur, while its walls, covered with interlacing arches, its Campanile, a giant mass of columns, towers, statuary, and tracery, make it a triumph of combined Norman and Gothic art It was founded on the site of a Saracenic mosque, and its walls were begun by an Englishman, Archbishop

Walter, who by some strange chance had found his way into this land far distant jfrom the place of his birth. In the crypt reposes his body, side by side with that of. the Emperors Henry VI. and Frederick 11. of Germany. Fabulous wealth is everywhere to be seenßin this great edifice; every altar glitters with jewels and gold; the shrine of St. Rosalia is composed of 1,300 pounds of pure silver, and not a year passes but on her feast day thousands of dollars are poured into the coffers of the Cathedral, the willing gifts of devout pilgrims But the Cathedral of Palermo Is not the only shrine in Sicily. Montreale, a half day's drive distant, is now only a country village, the brigandish inhabitants of which are kept exercising their profession by the constant presence of a large body of soldiery. Prevented from following their favorite occupation, the populace are perforce compelled to work, and at the doors may be seen the tailor, the shoemaker and other craftsmen exercising their trade in full view of the passers-by, while others, unskilled in handicraft, give to the orange tree the little cultivation it requires, and transport to the markets of Palermo donkey loads of the delicious fruit. Montreale, though only an insignificant village, has a cathedral known to artists the world over. Walls, vaulting, pavements, arches, almost every portion of the cathedral within, and much without, are covered with mosaics. Every sort of scene is represented in these wonderful pictures; bits of Scripture, history, transfigurations, assumptions, ascensions, and from the great arch in front of the nave there looks down upon the congregation a mighty face of the Redeemer in mosaic, of precious and semi-precious stones. Nothing like this church is to be found in the world; the wealth of mosaic decoration, the value of the materials employed, the marvelous char-

acter of the workmanship which dates from the eleventh cehtury, all combine to render the work ui approachable. Many other localities, many other churches and public edifices in the interior of Sicily are worthy of a visit, but are not often seen by men of other lands, on account of the dangers of travel. In spite of the constant efforts of the Government, in spite of the zealous patrols which day and night pass up and down the highways, brigands still swarm in the mountain districts. The mail coach, the diligence, on every trip are protected by a cavalry escort, and even this is sometimes insufficient to guard against the well-armed and numerous bandits. The traveler who would see Sicily in all its country districts must be protected by at least a full company of cavalry, and the expense of such an escort is too great for the purse of any but a prince. Palermo is in the west, and on the eastern extremity of the island is the town of Messina, situated on a bay which equals that of Genoa. The situation is superb; the bay, the protecting fortresses, the old castles, the modem houses, the scores of churches, the ranges of hills in the distance, combine ’ to produce a picture of exquisite beauty, Messina is an old new city; time, and again has it been destroyed in whole or in part by the civil wars and commotions which have prevailed in the unhappy

Island, but more destructive than wars have been the earthquakes, which are to the present day a common phenomenon in all parts of Sicily, and particularly in the east Messina is situated almost in a direct line with Etna, Stromboli-and Vesuvius, and -more than once has been leveled with the ground by the tremendous earthquakes which have devastated this part of the world. In spite of its earthquakes, however, it is a pleasant place in>.which to spend the winter, and is constantly thronged, though the danger 4s ever present, as may be gathered from the significant and rather superfluous hint to the traveler by the hotel-

keepers, that “in case of an earthquake he should a is speedily as possible seek the open air." Palermo and Messina are cities of the present. At Syracuse one is instantly transported to the days of .Cicero and Verres. The grand, the- glerieus'city of the Greeks, fourteen miles dn circumfer-

ence, and comprising five cities within its walls, is now a small port, the sole inhabited portion of the city being situated on an islhnd which was the limit of the original Greek colony. Almost the only trade of Syracuse is with Malta. The'town is dirty, low and uninteresting, but the neighborhood is the most noted in Sicilian history. Close by the walls of Syracuse rises the fountain of Arethusa, described by Cicero, where once Diana and her nymphs disported themselves within a the crystal waves. Many years

ago the fountain was ruined by an earthquake. Its waters are no longer sweet, but brackish and bitter,and until recently the waters of Diana served no more hon-

orable purpose than that of cleansing the Syracusan clothing. Qn the hill above were the temple and statue of Minerva,

! whose ahlniM shield was a land-mark !.for the Syracusan sailor many miles out jat -ea. Thlrt&six thousand temples and | altars were in.the five duties of Syracuse, • besides theaters and Amphitheaters .for land and naval combats, andfof all this immensity of buildings few remain, even in a state of advanced dilapidation. Not many ancient eities, however, are better known to us than Syracuse, for so close and accurate were the descriptions given that it is quite possible by their aid to trace the lines drawn by the Athenians, and the position of the Athenian camp established in the year B. C. *ls. Tbe downfall of Athens dates from the defeat before the walls of Syracuse, and Syracuse herself lias shared the fate of the Attic capital.

But transcending all other objects of interest is the great volcano, which from before the dawn of history has made iSicily known as the region of mystery. Etna is in every respect the largest European volcano; the circuit of the mountain base exceeds 120 miles, and its .heights, while varible from tbe frequent eruptions, is on the average about 11,000 feet Its summit is literally in the clouds, for the time has never been known when the.great crater has not been sending forth its fiery smoke. In Sicily the name Etna is unknown; the mountain is there called Mongibello, the Mountain of Mountains, and every zone is represented in its slopes. Along the base is a cultivated district of rich volcanic soil, which is fertile beyond belief. ‘The finest wines of Sicily are from grapes growD on the slope of Etna; the ,best oil comes from the same quarter; but evenln this fertile district may be seen evidences of volcanic action, for here and . there the black walls of lava streams are found in *the midst of fertility. Above this is the wooded region, a belt around the mountain from six' to eight miles wide, covered with a dense growth of pines, oaks, chestnuts and cork trees. In and above this wooded country found the cones of extinct volcanoes, aide issues of the great crater. Mere than 100 of these cones are known, and elsewhere they would be mountains es respectable size, some of them/exceeding 1,500 feet in height Large /as they are in reality, they'hre so trifling in comparison with the great mass of mountain above them, that, when keen from the Seashore, Etna seems tot be perfectly conical. ’Above the vineyards, above the groves of cork trees, the climber enters upon a region of desert, where not even .the hardiest moss can find sustenance, 'ln summer time, underneath the foot are lava, hot scoriae and ashes, thrown out at the last eruption. In winter the scene is varied by a mantle of snow wmch, from October till April, covers the upper

portions of the mountain. ./Eruptions of Etna extend back' into antiquity, so far that history does not record the earliest. The (list on record is that in the time of Pythagoras, six centuries before Christ, and from then tilldhe present, although ail the time smoke, ashes and lava are coming forth in greater or less quantities, severity-six great oruptidns, notable for their destructiveness, have teen noted. It is a curious fact, and one not commonly known, that the eruptive periods alternate. In 1843, for instance, there was a terrible eruption of Etna. Fifteen new craters wero v opened in the sides of the mountains; la v va flowed forth to an almost unprecedented* extent. After a few months the internal fires quieted down, Sid in 1845 a great eruption of Vesuvius occurred, followed’by a quiescence in that volcano and an eruption of Etna in 1852. The greatest on record was the outbreak of 1693, when over fifty cities and towns were destroyed, and upward of 100,000 lives were lost. Terrible earthquakes accompanied the volcanic outbreak; tidal waves rose on the coast of Sicily, of Italy, Greece, and even of far away Syria and Egypt. Great fissures in the earth opened, from Miich gases issued so poisonous as to destroy vegetation and prove fatal to animal life. Streams of lava flowed from the mountain to a distance of twenty-five miles. The island was almost ruined," and a generation passed before complete recovery from the terrible effects. But the eruptions of Etna, although frequent, excite little attention outside of the districts immediately surrounding the volcano. The people have grown accustomed to the -fires, the earthquakes, the nocturnal flames, and the lava streams.

SICILIAN BELLES.

A BOBBER OUTPOST.

A GLIMPSE OF ETNA.

A SYRACUSE TOMB.