Litchfield enquirer., 1844-09-12
Letters from Abroad. No. XVII.

NAPLES, Dec. 10, lS43.
 We left Malta on the evening of the 4th of De- ccmber, in tho Neapolitan steamer for Sicily and Naples, and the next morning, by nine o'clock, landed at Syracuse, where the boat remained twelve hours SO we had the day before us to devote to all that was interesting in this ancient city We pro- cured an exceedingly good guide-one Jack Robin son, an Englishman, who had lived so long in for egn countries that he could scarce speak his native language, his French being much more intellgible than his English. Ancient Syracuse was once de- stroyed by an earthquake and every thing seems to have been toppled down and swept away, either by this wonderful convulsion of nature, or by the wages of time since it occurred. The city was built on an island separated from the main island the dismemberment probably caused by priorvol- canic convulsion. The modern town is welt built, handsomely paved, and contains many tine, large and handsome public edi6ces, among which are the theatre and the cathedral. This last was once temple dedicated to Minerva, the old columns of the temple stifl form the sides of the building, but which have been filled in between with plaster ,and the fine stone of which they were composed is ccver
 ed with many coats of white-wash. The mosaic or finely tcsselated pavement also belonged to the old temple; and we were shown white marble font, said to have been found inthe first christian church m Christendom, which they assert to have been in Sicily. The front of the temple was destroyed by an earthquake, but is replaced by one exceedingly beautiful, having some fine Corinthian columns with the most beautifully carved capitals have ever seen. We rode upon the site of the ancient city, where vestises of its former grandeur may still be seen. In one place solitary column stands as if mourning the desolaton around; this is supposed to have belonged .o a temple of Ceres and Proser- nine. On another spot, midway in the plain, stand two gigantic pillars, all that remain of the once magnificent temple of Olympian love, which once contained his statue with mantle of gold wrought from the spells of the Carthagenians, but which Dyonisius the elder took from him, saying. "the son of Saturn has garment too heavy for summer. and too cold for winter, and should be provided with one of wooen, suitable for both seasons" Near by are the remains of a large reservoir, probably used for purifying the water and in the distance we could discern the ancient aqueduct which led to it. Oar road led to convent of Capuchins, who though it is contrary to their order to admit fe- males, do not hesitate to admit ladies, alleging that shey are not christians. Attached to the con- vent are quarries, supposed to be the experimental excavations of Dyonisius seeking good conductor of sound for his famous ear. They were used as prisons, and contained at time 14 0oo prisoners, but are now subterranean gardens, every thing growing without care, wild, yet luxurlant, orange. lemon, fig and olive trees, and some of the most de- iicious citrons, have ever eaten. The rock was beautifully draped with vine. which the monks told us was the laurel leaf of the poets; so took care to bear awaya sprig. These rocks seemed composed almost entirely of petrifed shells and other marine substances, having singular appear anee, and in many of the crevices olive trees are growing, their pliant trunks twisting and attenine themselves to the shape of the chasm. and showing the antiquity both of the tree and of the cleft in tho rock. These quarries have not only served as pri sons but as places of interment in ancient and mo dern times, some ancient sarcophagi still remaining among the modern ones is tablet with an inscrip tion to the memory of an American midshipman shot here in duel in 1922, at the early age of IS An old monk and young one conducted us througl the quarties, after which they asked if we woul like to % into the chapel and sec the mcnkss a Iesss, sa we interpreted their Italian. This we ha nskdmsa hops Ct, yst sse readily 1sSsntsd. The