Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-04-10

In one Of the pubic gardens met former guide viii
whom thoughtlessiy down to have cup Of coffe\
and in the act Of being perfectly happy when nj
friends discovered again, and this time they showd
such decided symptoms of dsapprobation that yowA
to be sociable any Shorness of funds cod
peled after to take passage in the thirdela
cars where terribly afraid somebody would see
some American or Englshman, mean, because / kneF
nobody else would be distressed about it, There was
respectabe-lookng the next who spoke Enl
sh He very chaty and agreeable, and it quie
consolation to find SO intelligent man in the same,
duced circumstances We talked very pleasantly for
time when he informed that his master was in tie
frst-cass that the said master was countryman "
mine. was terribly mortified, of there tht
lonely and hgh-minded man in the first Glass; and l. wiz
the most ambitious aspirations in the third class with
his courier However, it comfort to think THAI
had passed my time pleasantly far, and had received
all the information for which the lonely in the first
class paying dollar day, besides the couriers
expenses.
But this is sad habit have fallen into Of rambling Of
from the main subject. Ibeieye was in Syracuse \
Now, ever man tried hard to get up some enfhu-
about place that he had read Of with wonder and
admiration in early youth tried it in Syracuse went
down into the ancient baths and suffered damp and chill
ling airs without seeing any thing but subterranean
sages and uncomfortable hoes through miles of ancient
catacombs roamed without sentiment of admiration
for the mighty dead who longer there; bones
picked up, but they looked like common bones that
threw them down again: it the enthusiasm
wouldn't come. AS for the amphitheatre at Neapos, it
just like any other amphtheare only less perfect than
those Of Italy The ancient aqueduct is in dapidated
that scarcely vesge remains. The Ear of Dony
sius of the few things worth seeing 1t is large
excavation in solid rock where it is said Donysius the IL
imprisoned his victims, and amused himself listening to
their groans The reverberaton in this is great
owing to pecuarity in the construction that the
tearing of piece of paper produces loud report There
other excavations in the vicinity of great size and
tent formerly used prisons but occupied by rope
Makers which is much better If Dionysus himself had
turned his attention the manufacture of ropes he might
have deserved hanging less and have enjoyed better
putation in history The museum in Ortgia contains q
very scany collection Of antiquities dug out Of the ruins
of Syracuse The chief attraction is the broken statue Of
Venus which is very beautiful work Of art and justly
admired Very little remains of ancient Syracuse except
the excavations from which the stone taken to build
the city Some of these are occupied by miserable po
pulaon of outcasts who have houses
living and prey upon traders for the wretched pttance
by which they support life.
The whole region around Syracuse is rocky and desc
late and little remains of its ancient grandeur that it
interest repay visit 1t is difficult to conceive how
city that once contained population Of two millions
should be reduced to such utter ruin hill
side of quarries and dirty little town with population
of eighteen thousand Where the land
to support such population, the port for such COM
they would have required s mystery that
not be solved by any edences exisng and the pro-
babyi that history in tis Instance in many othera
has greatly exaggerated the facts.
Some distance from the gates of 0rtigia, on emf
nence is an old convent and it the cemetery in
which lie buried the remains of two Amercans-one
young midshipman killed in duel and the other gun
ner We visited their graves and took copies of the in
scrptons placed upon their tombs by kind ship
mates 1t was sad in foreign land amid the vestges of
ruin and decay stand by these lonely graves and think
how died these of kindred blood and language far
away from home but doubly sad the young mdship
man. cut short in his bright career not by wasting dis
ease but by the hand Of brother officer, perhaps one
who loved him WELL brief notice in the guidebook
all that told the story. He fell in duel the place
of his buria and there he sleeps in arof land with
none to mourn his lonely grave, to feel pang
of pity, save the passing stranger. This was honor
Does the slayer Of that youth If he still lives feel that he
has done honorable deed when he thinks Of the lonely
grave of his victim Is there charm in the thought to
wash out the stain of blood Has the admiration Of the
made MIN leei In secret ne 10 tue
braver for having rsked his life and slain his felowman
Was forgiveness Of injury base act that it would
have embttered his whole future Oh honor honor what
strange beings thy votaresl
We paid visit. to the modern catacombs in the con-
vent but found them much inferior to those in Palermo
of which have given you account. While strong
through among the bodies, accompanied by old monk
one of the heads rolled off and fell the ground The
monk quietly picked it up thanked God for the accident
and placed the neck again. but in such extraord
nary position to produce most ludicrous effect Non
ia niente! said he cit makes no difference now and we
walked on.
In the evening went to opera in Ortiga rather
an odd thing you will admit, among the ruins of Syra-
cuse The piece quite to me, and abounded in
terrible love scenes murders and hunderings of brass
instruments The prima donna created great furore by
her violent Of dying she died three times in
cession by special request Of the audience and great
was the enthusiasm the subject that could help
joining in an attempt to get up fourth death.
Now this be sure Is rather scanty description Of
Syracuse-a budget Of anecdotes, you will say But
what can tell you without copying from the guide-boo
which you can find in any public library To be candid
think there is in the of Syracuse than any
thing else The ruins in such state Of diapidaon
that one can scarcely recognise any thing with the
assistance Of guide Those Of Agrigentum consider
cd much finer After Rome and the ruins Of Postum near
Naples there is little worth seeing in Sicily in the way
ruins except Sicily and its government which may be
considered ruin on grand scale; of the grandest
a. hal;ava IN; b;stc~r cu.xLo-c