Litchfield enquirer., 1844-09-05

scribe,) but will give you an account of days ex cursion. The carriages here are like the body o our cabs, placed in front of two immense wheels drawn by one horse guided by man who runs by his side and keeps pace with him, as ours did to. day, though we went about twenty miles. The ve. hicle is calculated for four persons but is only comfortable for two on long excursion and tho it is now the third of December, we had the car- riage all open, and I was sufficiently warm with only the cape to my dress, requiring no shawl or cloak. ,r~-'.5- ...
 Our first point was the scene of St. Paul's ship wreck, about nine miles distant It is pretty bay with two or three small islands, and some small but strong Notifications, which add much to the beau ty of the scene. On the shore of the bay is a small chapel. erected on the spot where the barbarians built fire, and where St. Paul shook off the viper that fastened on his hand From this we went to the former capital of the Templars, Cita vecchia. entering by the gateway of its massive fortiica- tons. The palace-like edi6ces are large and hand. somely ornamented with the rich and elaborate carving of which the Maltesestone is susceptible The cathedral is magnificent in its interior decora tons. its ceiling containing beautiful fescOes, rched with gilded stucco ornaments. as we'll as a fine mosaic pavement, while its many altars are composed of variety precious inarble more rich and abundant even than in the cathedral at Vaetta. It has also cruciRx brought by the Knights from Rhodes. From the roof or tssracs, which is very spacious and formed of large smootA stones, we had fine extensive view of the whole island, with its numerous villages scattered over it. each vieing with the other in the splendorof its cathedral, whose towers and domes form beautiful feature in the surrounding scenery. When riding CT walking you are on level with the which cover the island, and generally only the stone breastwork that supports the terrace, which presents. on the whole, rather a barren aspect but viewed from such height as we were now behcfding it. you look only upon carpet of vegetation, that seems to oerspread the country around This is varied by the extensive groves of oive fig, and orange trees which, with the different shades of their foliage, afford pleasing relief to the eye Valetta and its Notifications were distinctly visible and aar of we could distinguish Etna with its snowy top, and the waters of the Mediterranean rolling between, form ing altogether, '.' "' s.c'.
 A scene, where, if god should cast his sight,
 A god might gaze and wonder with delight" This cathedral is said to stand on the site of the house of Publius, the Roman governor, who enter- tained the apostle courteousy, and whose father St. Paul healed of gricyous illness. We next vis- ited, near by, the grotto of St. Paul, where accor ding to tradition, himself and St. Lukedwelt three months. A chapel has been built oyerEhis spot too and in the grot is statue of Paul, o exquis- site workmanship. Pieces of the limestone of the grot arc constantly carried away as mementos, yet, like the widows cruise of oil, it never diminishes
 80 we were told. In the vicinity of the grotto are extensive catacombs, which are shown by torch light. Here are very many places of interment' large and small, supposed to have been formed by the phGnicans, and afterwards used by the early christians as hiding places in the days of persecu- top. and when they had fallen into disuse, as pla- ces of scpulchres, from the Greek custom cf burn ing the bodies of the dead. There were some very primitive kind of mills for grinding their corn, and places well calculated for storehoases or magazines for provisions These catacombs extend some hve miles nnder ground, but many of the passages have been closed to prevent people from getting bewil- dered and lost, as has sometimes happened. On our return to vaetta we stopped at San Antonio, where is villa of the Grand Masters, now the country scat of the Governor. Besides many choice flowers, it contains many hundred orange and lemon trees' and all now full of fruit.
 (To De continwed)