Part 9 (1/2)
In consequence of its having been decided that the boat was to go to Alicata, Girgenti, and Palermo, I arranged with one of the pa.s.sengers to take a felucca and sail direct for Naples. The Pelican came in, and immediately went off again to England, leaving her first lieutenant, who was promoted, to join the boat for Naples. Some portion of every day was spent at the parlatorio eating ices, and looking at the curious scene going forward there; for some fresh s.h.i.+p daily arrived to undergo the same ordeal as ourselves; or a knot of lucky fellows, having finished their purgatory, were seen sallying forth to enjoy a ramble through the clean and pleasant streets of Valetta.
[Sidenote: THE PARLATORIO.] The lazzaretto is a little world within itself, highly interesting for many reasons; and I confess I felt rather sorry as the time approached when we were to quit our quiet, tranquil abode, and be again let loose upon the busy, noisy world.
We narrowly escaped having forty days allotted us, owing to the circ.u.mstance of there being a quant.i.ty of carpets on board; but, by entering them as s.h.i.+p's furniture, they were put into long quarantine, and we escaped with a comparatively short one. Every pa.s.senger seemed to possess two or three Persian carpets: Prince Butera had a great number; but I saw none that were at all valuable.
[Sidenote: MALTESE WOMEN.] At the parlatorio we saw many of the Maltese women coming to speak with their husbands, fathers, brothers, and lovers; most of whom were sailors or owners of craft in the harbour.
Their dress is very becoming, and some of them were pretty. The black silk mantilla is a very beautiful head dress, and much to be preferred to the misshapen bonnet with which fas.h.i.+on commands the fair to disfigure themselves in other parts of Europe. The petticoat is also of black silk, with the body of white muslin. Some one likened them to magpies: i'faith, they talked as fast; but who would not wish to hear the beautiful Arabic flowing softly from such ruby lips, and watch the smiling flashes of--
”The coal-black eye, that mocks the coal-black veil?”
that pleasant lightning which warms, but scathes not.
Thus our time pa.s.sed until--
_Sunday, 29th,_--when the medical officer of the establishment came round to make the usual examination, which was over in a few minutes.
Our party were in bed when he entered; and, approaching each of us with a bow, he said, ”Pretty well?--ah! I see, quite well;”--and then, with another conge, he left us. We afterwards understood that he addressed every single person in the lazzaretto, the fort, and the vessel, from the Prince to the Steward's boy, precisely with the same words.
_Tuesday, 30th._--I rose early, for the steam-packet from Corfu had arrived in the night, and, lo! all the pa.s.sengers who quitted us at Zante were on board of her. It appears there had been a mistake in the number of days first allotted them for quarantine; and, instead of three, they were condemned to seven days' misery, all crowded together in a very small building, where they suffered dreadfully from the combined effect of heat, vermin, and bad living. The expected steam-boat had met with an accident at sea, and she pa.s.sed in sight of Zante, without entering the harbour; so that these unlucky fellows were obliged to hire a speranaro, in which, after being twice driven back, and suffering various hards.h.i.+ps and misfortunes, they arrived at Corfu.
There was no truth in the report respecting the short quarantine at Ancona, and, eventually, they all embarked in the steam-packet for Falmouth.
[Sidenote: VALETTA.] At eight o'clock, we landed from our boat at the harbour stairs, and entered Valetta. Rarely have I seen a city so remarkable for its cleanliness: in that very essential quality, it may be said to equal the most agreeable towns of Flanders and Holland. My first visit was to the Neapolitan consul, when I found there was some difficulty about the Turkish tobacco which I had in my possession. As this knotty affair could not be arranged, it was decided we should remain one day more; and I engaged myself to dine at the palace. As the Malta gazette did us the honour to publish a detailed account of the festivities of that day, let me transcribe it here.
”_Malta, 31st._--The pa.s.sengers by the Neapolitan steamer, Francesco Primo, were yesterday admitted to _pratique_.
”His Excellency the Governor entertained His R. H. the Prince of Bavaria, the Prince of Butera, and the other n.o.blemen and gentlemen, pa.s.sengers in the steamer, at a grand dinner at the palace.
[Sidenote: GARRISON OF MALTA.] ”The whole of the garrison was afterwards reviewed on the Florian parade; and, certainly, in no quarter of the world could a finer body of troops be seen, than those composing the garrison of Malta; consisting of a detachment of the Royal Artillery, the Royal Fusileers, the Royal Highlanders, the 73d and 94th regiments, and the Royal Malta Fencibles.
[Sidenote: LADY BRIGG'S BALL.] ”In the evening, Lady Briggs gave a magnificent ball, at which his R. H. the hereditary Prince of Bavaria, Prince Butera of Sicily, and the other _distinguished_ personages who came by the steamer, were present.”
The writer of this ”Court Journal” was right in saying that no finer body of troops could be seen; and the foreigners present were particularly struck with the Fusileers and the Highlanders; but the whole garrison was greatly offended at the conduct of the Prince, who never acknowledged the salute of the officers, nor the lowering of the colours to the ground in pa.s.sing his royal person. Every one besides stood uncovered, and the populace cheered loudly; while he displayed a sort of contemptuous indifference, and remained motionless as a statue.
The Admiral's ball was given as much in honour of Sir Thomas Briggs's elevation to the Grand Cross of St. Michel as of the _ill.u.s.trious_ persons of the steam-boat. It was crowded and splendid; but there was a sad lack of beauty.
The Captain of the Speranaro having refused to take the tobacco, our bargain became void, and the baggage was again s.h.i.+fted to the steam-boat, which sailed about eight o'clock on a beautiful moonlight night. We were kept waiting outside the harbour for nearly an hour for Captain Hayland, one of the pa.s.sengers, who, it seems, went to sleep, and the people in his hotel forgot to wake him in due time. He was greatly alarmed, all his baggage being on board; and for some time he supposed we had really left him behind. The boat he hired was engaged to take him to Syracuse, in case it did not overtake the steamer. The commander of the Francesco, however, behaved very well on this occasion; for, when some of the pa.s.sengers remonstrated at the delay, he replied, that the absent person was not only attentive and obliging to all on board, but had been punctual hitherto; and, therefore, he would stretch a point for him, though he would not do as much for many others who sailed with him.
[Sidenote: SICILY--GIRGENTI.] _Thursday, August 1st._--We are off Alicata, having landed Prince Butera, whose estates are situated near the town. I was not sorry for the opportunity of seeing Girgenti thus afforded me; and a day or two sooner or later in Naples made no difference. Some extra charge was made for this addition to the eastern voyage, merely sufficient to pay the expenses of the boat.
We coasted along this beautiful island, now almost a wilderness, and nearly depopulated by a long series of oppressive edicts and taxes, imposed by the government of a nation which has no sympathy with its distresses. It may be truly called the Ireland of the great kingdom of the two Sicilies; a wretched country, which can only be preserved from destruction by a war to which Naples is a party. When that occurs, Sicily may again raise its desponding head, and, by seeking the protection of England, whose remembrance is indelibly stamped on the hearts of its inhabitants, it would soon be regenerated, and, with a liberal government and free trade, might once more become the rich and happy Sicily, the garden of Europe.
[Sidenote: GIRGENTI.] We anch.o.r.ed off Girgenti: in the distance, against the clear blue vault of heaven stood its ruined temples, the sad enduring monuments of former greatness; which appeal to the miserable and oppressed inhabitants, impressively reminding them of the glory of their forefathers, and the power which has pa.s.sed away from the land.
Half an hour after midnight, a party I had formed, started to view the temples by that light,
”Which mingles dark shadows into gentleness.”
After rambling across the country, and losing ourselves among groves of olive trees, we were obliged to take a guide at last. We were several times stopped by the deep ravines which the torrents have cut in the face of the country. There were an immense number of aloes in the hedges, many in flower.
The night was as fine and clear as could be desired; and the moon shone with an intensity of light. On arriving at the Temple of Hercules, nothing met our eyes but one solitary column rising from a ma.s.s of prostrate ruins, and over-topping the cl.u.s.ter of Indian fig-trees that grew around it. Pointing towards the heavens, it seemed to whisper,--”Mortals, there must you look for eternity: here all is crumbling to decay!”