led from mountains in the rear; sufficiently
large, however, to float in their narrow channels, serpents and many
other noxious reptiles, enough to make one's hair stand erect. It is by
no means an uncommon occurrence to find the giracea, a venomous snake,
insinuating themselves within the sunny marble pavements of steps and
porticoes and I was assured by a resident, that one monster after having
some four feet cut off from his tail, ran away with head and remaining
half with a most cricket-like and surprising degree of celerity. Indeed
I was myself a witness to the intrusion of an individual of the scorpion
breed, who walked uninvited into the saloon, and was on the point of
stepping up a young lady's ancle, when, detecting his intention, with
the assistance of a servant, he was enticed into a bottle that he might
sting himself or the glass at pleasure. Being somewhat unaccustomed to
these little predatory incursions, I was particularly cautious during
the remainder of my stay, to examine every article, from a tooth-pick to
the couch, before touching the same. Another approximation to the same
genus is the white ant, possessing rather a literary turn, and I was
told, that it is not unusual for a million or two to devour a
gentleman's library--covers and all, in a single night. I have never yet
been able to conquer disgust for even docile, harmless, speckled-back
lizards, and indeed all the hosts of slimy, crawling reptiles I heartily
fear and abhor.

We found the town in a furor of enthusiasm in admiration of the song and
beauty of a French operatique corps. I went thrice and was well repaid
for the dollars, in sweet music of Auber and Donizetti--there were two
primas--for serious and comique--both, too, primas in prettiness. The
Academy of Paris Music had never, perhaps, seen or heard of Mesdames
Duval and her partner, but La Sala San Januario had been captivated
with both, and beauty covers multitudes of faults, particularly with
men, for what care we, if the notes touch the soul, whether a crystal
shade higher or lower than Grisi, or Persiani, so long as they flow from
rosy lips, that might defy those last-named donnas to rival, even with
the brightest carmine of their toilets.

The theatre itself is a very respectable little place, having three
tiers and parquette. The royal box faces the stage, hung with damask.
The whole interior of the building was quite Italian--every box railed
off with gilded fret work, and