ossessed a finer company than
the Actaeon. Really it was a gallant sight to witness this assemblage of
stout, able, daring fellows, equipped with their cutlasses and boarding
pikes. Looking at them, one no longer felt surprised at the vast naval
superiority which Great Britain has ever maintained in her contests with
foreign nations. The boatswain's mates, and the quartermasters, are
really handsome men, weatherbeaten and bold. Williams, one of the
latter, seems a most eccentric character. He is married, and constantly
receives letters from his absent rib: these, however, he never takes the
trouble to open, but keeps them all neatly tied up. On his return, he
says, she can read them to him, all of a lump!

[Sidenote: STROMBOLI.] We are now close to Stromboli, which appears to
be the remaining half of a large conical crater; the semicircle which is
lost, having fallen away into the sea. There is a small cone in the very
centre, from which the explosions take place. They were but slight on
the present occasion; and two small apertures emitted a continual cloud
of white vapour. The upper part of the old crater consists of layers of
rock rising regularly one above the other; and the whole surface much
resembles that of Somma.[2] The atmosphere was so clear that the island
appeared quite close to us, and I could scarcely credit the master when
he asserted it was full fifteen miles distant.

My cot being moved forward, I am infinitely more comfortable, having now
only the geese to disturb me. The vessel continued beating to windward
till mid-day, when she approached the Faro; and the breeze
strengthening, we had every prospect of clearing it.

[Sidenote: SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS.] Scylla now appeared in view,--the
bold, rocky, and much dreaded Scylla,--

"Where sing the syren maids,
Uttering such dulcet and harmonious sounds,
That raptured mortals cannot hear, and live."

LYCOPHRON. _Cassandra._

It exhibits itself in the form of a grey perpendicular cliff; and as we
sailed by, the town appeared behind it, built on the face of a steep
slope, of the same colour as the surrounding mass. This is a dangerous
lee shore for a speranaro, but not much to be dreaded by a skilful
seaman. However, we were not gratified with the sight of any of those
monsters with which the imaginations of classic poets have peopled this
celebrated spot; we heard no barkings, nor did the waves even roar as
they lashed its famous ro