Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-26
SICILIAN SCENES.
A Tour Around and Ascent of the Etna.
A View of Lava Threatened Towns.
An Ambitionless, Ignorant PeOple-A Pitiable
Pathetic Side of Life-Men and Women
Herded at Night for Rest.
copyrighted. 1890. !
MALES, ITALY, March q, IS

An ascent OF ELQ6 VIII suggest Sr6aI
opportunities for Sicilian observation in
traversing the circle Of cities and villages
at the tremendous base of the mountain
A road, such as it is, nearly $50 miles
long, forms the pinklsh and dirty thread
upon which all these lava-threatened
towns seem to be strung. Perhaps a
rail along the Ionian sea, at Etna s east
ern base. On our return from the ascent
of Etna, 1 persuaded Balbino to turn
over the affairs of his tiny alberghetto
or inn to his grnning and greasy help
meet, and not only accompany me on the
tour around Etna, but to then remain
my companion across the entire island to
Palermo, over the old road upon which
Roman, Greoian and Vandal armies
chased each other back and forth with
such lively energy from 1000 to 1000
years ago.
AS Palermo, the beautiful, is the i'm
perial city of every loyal Sicilian; as
BaIbino had never set eyes upon it, and
this would be his one chance of life
time for seeing it; and as there was q
pleasant reward set at the other end of
his friendly services; after extraordinary
excitement and preparation for depart
ure, we set out by rail to Giardini, a
little nest of malaria and vermin almost
half way along the eastern Sicilian coast
to Messina, where we secured two excel
lent donkeys, leaving one half of their
hire as caparra or earnest-money; made
excellent provision for q week g out
door life, if the conditions of the lonely
and filthy roadside inns rendered that
necessary; and at once began climbing
the mountain road, leading from the sea
to the little hamlet of Gaggi. on our way
around the northern foothills of Etna.
Just before reaching the latter, we
halted for last look at the 1onian
sea. To the northeast the lower
reach of the Italian peninsula
was plainly visible across the Strait of
Messina; score of cities and villages
showed their roofs along the Sicilian
shore edge to the north, and 90 near that
it seemed one could toss stone into its
ruinous streets lay Taormina, the ancient
Tauromenium, perfect unhoused
museum of architectural
MONUMENTS OF ALL AGES.
We were travelling toward the
source of the Aloantara river;
and the road lays along the
brow of the mountain range above
The flowing stream and its grand valley
were continually below US to the left.
Beyond, and constantly in view, rose
another range of mountains, and Etna' IS
peak from eighteen to twenty miles dis
tant, doomed grandly above. Here and
there through intervening valleys, were
caught gllmpses Of populous cities lying
still further up Etna's sides-Piedi-
monte, peopled by mountaineers; Lin
gUagrossa and Castiglione, where thou
sands of the peasantry are engaged eX-
olusively in the cultivation of hazel-nuts;
and Mojo, standing against the side of
the most northern crater of
the Etna region. Indeed, all
the way from the sea through
Francaville, where we rested at noon,
to Randazzo, which we reached before
dark, thesscenery in every direction is of
an Alpine character. Deep and clear
cut valleys, showing masses of luxuriant
vendure; tremendous peaks cutting sharp
against sky of intensest blue; foaming
rivers and feathery mountain cascades
continually flashing upon the sight; high
perched ruins of Hellenic, Roman and
the later Norman fortresses, everywhere
reminding of heroic past; and
romantic capanne or huts peeping from
forest openings half way to the clouds;
with glints and CLEANS of color from the
clothing of she pherds and mountaineers;
all contributed to winsome blending of
the sublime, the romantic and the pic
turesQue.
We could see nothing of Randazzo by
night; for Balbino found lodging for US
at the house of a friend, and the en-
bracing, chatter, pipes, wines and floods
of fearful "reminiscences of these folk,
separated only by one mountain, but
celebrating q reunion ss though they had
girdled the earth for the meeting, was
an enthralling spectacle. But when the
morning came and we had set out again,
our host running beside us for miles on
our way towards Bronte and had got op-
posite the medieval rookery, what a
scene for painter lay back
there against the side OF
Etna. Here were the peaks dividing the
sources of the Alcantara which circles
the volcano to the north, and the ST.
meto which sweeps about it to the South.
Behind RandaZzo to the north, the en-
purpled peaks we had set behind US the
day before. To the east half dozen
OFuluhTy MOUNTAINS dRdIIsL LuS SuQ-SW6pL
sides of Rtna, like tiny purple warts
against its stupendous contour. And
then ancient Randazzo perohed above q
desp ravine, its Norman churches, tre-
mendous towers and ducsl palaces very
apothesis of
MIDDLE AGE MAGNIFICENCE
and power. One can not wonder at
Frederick II. loving Randazzo "the
populous, +" OF for drawing the magnifi-
cent old spot closer to his heart by con-
ferring the title of Duke of Randazzo
upon one of his sons; nor can simple
minded BalDino be blamed for be-
lieving that his insignificant little island
of Sicily contains more area, wealth,
power and people than all the rest of the
world. RandazZo has population of
10 900 souls; Bronte, which we reached
for midday rest, fully Is 900; Aderno,
to which we came late at night, IA 600.
Thriving villages dot the way between.
Yet all of these are actually upon the
sides of Etna, at times desolated, but
always fortified by its influence.
The situation of Bronte, with its
mass of ruda housas ohurchas oouvapfs