New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-11-08

home stately shrine hung with garlasds and contain
ing an image Of 81. Agatha The sound Of flutes and
eymbsls accompanied IT, and band Of children, bearing
orange and palm branches danced rio,Ously before.
Had the image been Pan instead Of g. Agatha the cere
monies would have been quite appropriate
The speronsrns bOst At sst took 10 the gorgeous
landing place, where we were carefully counted oy
fat Siciian Official and declared free from quarantine
We were then called into the Passport Once "heEe
the Maltese underwent searching ezaulna;'on- N1S
of the officers Eat with the Black Book or list OF su
pected persons Of ell nations, open before MN sHu
looked for each name a. IL was called ouI hno-H'i
scanned the faces Of the frightened tsilors As co
pairing them with certain revolutionary vioAse' AZ i
mind Terrible the keen detective glance o. DIS
eye and !, went straight through the poor A'ese WAC
vanis he'd with great rapidly when they were dec.ii
free 20 the city At last they all passed the ordeal
but Cesar and remained, looking in the door lnere
are sin these two Frenchmen," said the captain
am no Frenchrnan," protested Il am an American
And L" said Cesar am IN Austrian subject
Terepou we received polite invitation 70 enter the
terrible glance soened into benign, respectful SMILE
he Of the Black Book ran lightly the &c snd T.
aud said with courteous inclination " There i
nothing against the sgnori" ] felt quite relieved By
this for in the Mediterranean one.s never safe from
sues and no person IL too insignificant % escape Inc
BAN If once suspected
Cslabris was filed 70 overhowing with strangers ron
all psrts Of the Two Scilies and we bad som dil-uy
In finding very bsd and dear lodgings 1t was the hrst
dsv Of the fsta ana the streets were hled WIN peas
anita the men in black velvet jacket and oreeene''
white kings and long white cotton caps hanging Oh
be shoulders and me women with gay Six snawls on
their heads after the Of Mexican reoo7d In all
the public squares the market scene in aa-anleo "l-
acted 10 the life The Scilian dialect s harsn ani0a
barous and the original Italian is so disguised by the
admxture Of Arabic spenish French and Greek words
that even my imperial friend who born Italian
had great difficulty in understanding the people
purchased guide the fiesta, which, among other
things, contained biography Of st. Agatha 1t IL
beautiful specimen of pious writing and regret that
cannot translate the whole Of it. Agatha was beau
tiful Catanan virgin who secretly embraced Christi
aniy during the reign Of Nero Catsnia wes then COZ
erned by pretor named Quinanus, who, becoming en-
amored Of Agatha used the most brutal means 20 compel
her 10 submit to his desires but without effect A. last
driven to the crueest extremes, he cut of her breasts
and threw her into prison But at midnight st. Peter,
accompanied by an angel appeared 10 her restored the
manned parts and LEFT her beautiful than ever.
Cuintanus then ordered furnace to be heated aud
cast her therein terrible earthquake shook the city
the sun wss eclpsed; the rolled backward and
left its bottom dry the pretors palace fell in ruins,
and he pursued by the vengeance Of the popuace, Eel
ill he reached the river SmetO where he drowned
in attempting 10 cross The thunders OF the ven
geance Of God says the biography, struck him down
into the prooundest Hell This was in the year 30
The body was carried to Conssntinoph in 1jio al.
though the Catanians wep necessarily vt their loss
but in 1926 two French knights, named Glisbert and
Gosen, were moved BY angelic influences TO restore it
TO it's native town, which they accomplished "anl the
eyes OF the Catanians again burned with joy" Tae
miracles effected by the Saint numbcre.s, and her
power is especially ehcacous in preventing esrtn-
quakes aud eruptons OF Mount Etnh. Nevertheless.
Catsna has suffered more from these than any
other town in Sicily But would that all Saints had
ss good q claim to canoDzston as 81. Agatha. The
honors Of such festival this not out OF place
when paid to such youth beauty and heavenly chat
ty as she typihes.
The guide, which have already consulted give.
full account of the festa in advance with description
Of Catania The author says If thy heart IL not in
,pired by gazing this lovely city it is fatal sign
thou vert not born feel the sweet impulses OF
besu,lulr Then in announcing theiIlunina;ions AMI
pyrotechnic displsys he eIclsims "Oh, the aInlzng
spectacle Oh, how happy art thou that thou behold
esti What pyramids of lamps What myrads o:
rockets What wonderful temples OF flame The
Mountain himself IL astOnished at such play" AID
truly except the illumination of the Golden Horn
the Night Of Predestnaiion have nothing equal 10
the spectacle p en,ed by Caana during he past three
nights The city, which has been built up from her
ruins more stately than ever in blaze OF iyhall
her domes towers and the long lines Of her be Itiul
palaces revealed in the varying red and golden James
of ahundrod thousand lamps and torches. Pyramids
of fire. ransparencies and illuminated triumpha arches
filed the four principal streets and the fountain IN the
Cathedral square cleaned like JET Of )lten silver,
spinning up fiom OF the pores OF Etna At 10
o'clock, gorgeous display OF fireworks closed the
days festivities but the lamps remained burning nearly
all night.
On the second night the grand Procession OF the Veil
took place witnessed this Imposing spectacle from
the balcony OF Prince Gessinns palace. Long hnes o.
waXen torches led the way, followed by a military
band, and then company OF the highest prelaes, In
their brilliant costumes surrounding the Bishop,
who walked under canopy Of silk and gold, bearing
the miraculous veil of 81 Agatha. was blessed with
distant view OF it, but could OF the rosy
hue left upon IL BY the flames the Saints matyrdom
Behind the priests the lafendsEs Of Sicily Gen.
Fangeri, the ssme who three years ago gave up c.
tania to sack and slaughter lie followed by the
Senate Of the City who have just had the crnyng
ardice 10 offer him ball ON next Sunday night Ii
ever man deserved the vengeance Of outraged pco
pie il il this Filsnger who frst Liberal, when
the cause promised success and then made himself the
scourge of the vilet OF Kings. AZ he passed last
night in his carriage Of state while the pealed
in rich rejoicing strains, that solemn chant with which
the monks break upon the reyelers in "Lucrezs Bor
gia cam, into my mind
La giojs del profani
y un fumo passes ger"
1.-The r,jOi.ins Of the profane is transiiory mist
heard under the din Of al these festivities the voice
OF that Retribuion which even lies in waii and
win net long be delayed
Tonight Signor Scsvo the American Vice Consul,
took me 10 the palace of Prince Biscsri, overlooking
the harbor, in order to behold the grand display OF
fireworks from the end OF the mole. The showers OF
rockets and coored stars and the temples of blue and
81, 1.~-