Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-06-01

l.
ashes, and even of stones.
1t was necessary to convey the sulnhur
when sufficient quantity had been gath
cred, to the plains, along tracks only fit
Tor the goat or the hill-fox, by the aid of
rude hand barrows, or sledges constructed
OF bcugAs, through dense forests and over
broken and jagged rocks.
Our huts were mere booths, hastily built
OF logs and branches, and i'll fitted 70 keep
out the rough weather, the snow, hail and
! wind, which lash the bleak heights Of
Etna when the lower country seems still
to bask in its golden sunshine The pay
OF the workmen was small, enough to pro-
vide them with the black bread, garlic
and chestnuts, with perhaps Sunday re-
past OF stock-fsh or eels, on which the
| poor of the far South conuive to exist.
| Frugal as were their meals, however
coarse wine and coarser spirits were some
| no afforded by them, and, as have said,
| OF gambling for grant, or perhaps for
pannikin OF fiery aguardiente," there
was no stint
had been made somewhat uncomforta-
| BILE by the half-enigmatical words of
Assunta's warning. The part of the noun
tain on which we were encamped was
| clothed with thick forests of chestnut and
| live oak, with here and there a barren
| track of scoria, spanned in places by what
might have been mistaken for solid
stone causeway, the remains of some
ancient lava stream long cold. Here were
| many small apertures, whence arose Jets
| OF steam and putfs of smoke, and around
which Kissed and simmered a crust of
sulphur, heaving, cracking and glowing,
of every color from pale yellow TO ruby
| red. From these solfataras, as they were
locally called, we CLEANED the chief por-
| ton OF the mineral for the sake of which
we passed our time in such elevated
| regions.
Now it was only for some -four or FIVE
| days that the old charcoal burners widow
had taken to uttering her half-mystic pre-
| dictions of coming evil, and during that
space / had myself observed signs of a
greater activity than usual in the volcano
| The smoke was blacker and more fire.
| quent. Kissing columns of steam rose
often into the air, and were not seldom
| followed by volley OF red hot stones
| The earth was in many places so warm as
| to cause pain 10 the hand that touched it,
and in tive instances the brushwood near
| our camp caught ire, from the falling Of
heated ashes amid the parched grass, and
the fire was with difficulty extinguished
| Without reposing unlimited faith in
| Assunta's croakings, was still Of opin-
| ion that We should do better 10 remove our
| temporary dwellings before the mountain
| plateau grew literally too not to hold US,
and accordingly | only awaited the In
spector's arrival with the monthly pay TO
mention to my superior officer the condi-
ton of affairs, and to obtain his permits
sion for change OF quarters.
Pay day arrived, and with it the In
| spettore, but not alone. With him came
| a party of travellers most If whom rode
mules, while their guides, porters, serv-
ants and interpreter made up quite an i'm
posing cortege. None but the wealthy
can afford to bring with them so much
paraphernalia, and / could easily believe
the Inspector that the new corners were,
as he said, Illustrissimi Inglesi," who
had been especially recommended to his
| good offices by the Governor Of the pro-
| vince.
There were several ladies of the party,
which consisted, as ] afterward learned,
of more than one family, and / think it
was the sight of their plumed hats and
fiuttering dress, and the sound Of their
merry laughter, that made me hang back
|
garb and weather-bea aspect, while
my chief, nothing 10th, did the honors OF
the sulphur mine, about which he prac-
tically knew so little, descanting glibly to
| his fair listeners on the marvels of the
place, and Sinking as they grew enthu-
siastic concerning the lovely tints of the
glowing sulphur.
The weather was of the finest, the
spring sky was of the purest blue, and
| the balmy air seemed TO caress the cheek
| il famed. l overheard one OF the En-
glish ladies say to another that the climate
| seemed perfection. | wondered how she
would have enjoyed the whistling wind
and rattling hail of the winter storms.
| Then came the dinner-a sort of picnic
on a splendid scale, for the cooks from
| the Hotel Reale at Catania, had been
busy in their improvised kitchen, and the
! hampers had been unpacked, and rare
viands and good wine were handed round
| in lavish profusion. Even our tatterde-
malion sulphur workers were not forgot
| ten, and the poor fellows got choicer food
and daintier liquor, from the superfluity
| of the banquet, than had ever gladdentd
their palates.
| /, perhaps, from a sentiment of false
| pride, had held myself aloof, and had de-
clined good -natured invitation on the
part of the travelling 'excellencies"
to be partaker of the banquet
But, / scarcely know why, | how
cred around the blithe party, and,
myself unseen, gazed upon them
| from amidst the evergreen oaks and
| matted brushwood. There were present
two or three young ladies who were pretty
and attractive, but the face that riyeted
my attention was that of little child--a
girl six or seven years old, with loose
curls of pale gold, and complexion OF
delicate pink and white-merely plump
little smiling baby-face, but so very, very
| like d little sister of my own, long since
laid to rest beneath the daisied turf, that
felt it half paintal to look al her. =,
Hist, Capitan!-how I've runl--well,
I've found YOU" said husky voice IN
the Sicilisn patois, as hand plucked at
my sleeve.
| turned, and saw beside me ragged
! imp of girl of some twelve or thirteen
wears, with bare feet and uncombed black
hair, like the name of horse, whom
knew to be a grand daughter OF the re-
puted witch, Assunta, and who seemed TO
own no Christian name, since she was Al
4 Nagv y