lmost always obscured by thin white
clouds, while the summit of the mountain is clear. We noticed, indeed,
every day that the summit, which had been absolutely clear all the day
and night, became covered with clouds shortly before sunset, while about
an hour later the clouds cleared off, and the mountain was sharply
defined against the sky during the starlit night. Some of the effects of
sunset behind clouds resting on the summit, while all the rest of the
sky was bright blue, were exceedingly beautiful, and were quite
untranslatable into any known language, save that of painting, and of
music. Perhaps Turner could have done justice to them.

After leaving Giarre we passed through a good deal of highly cultivated
land belonging to Baron Pennisi, the largest landholder and richest man
in Sicily. He makes good use of his wealth, and seems to be very
popular among all classes. He possesses three palaces in Aci Reale, and
has done a great deal to beautify the town. Archaeologists will remember
him as the possessor of the finest collection of Sicilian coins in the
world. Many of these have been found on his own estates, but he never
scruples to give large sums of money for any coin which he covets.

Aci Reale, one of the prettiest towns in Europe, is situated in the
midst of a very fertile region 550 feet above the sea. To the east it
faces the Ionian sea, while on the west towers Etna. The town is full of
wealthy inhabitants, and the houses are large, lofty, and well built. It
contains 24,151 inhabitants, and possesses celebrated sulphur baths, and
one of the best hotels in Sicily. The wealth of this small town is well
shown by the following fact: Since its foundation in the tenth century,
till within a year or two of the present time, the town had been under
the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Catania. It happened, however, a
few years ago, on the occasion of a religious procession in Catania,
that the people of Aci considered that their patron Saint, S. Venera,
was slighted. In fact the image of S. Agata, the patron Saint of the
Catanese--whose veil has so often averted the lava-streams from the
city--was put in all the prominent parts of the procession, while the
image of S. Venera was comparatively neglected. The people of Aci at
once returned home, and sent a petition to the Pope, praying that they
might have a Bishop of their own directly subject to the Holy See, in
order that they might no longer be subjected to su