Morning journal and courier., 1890-03-26

temporary suspension of hostilities. The cry for liberty is daily expanding. No tem- porary truce will avail either in Crete or else. where in the Turkish empire. The potential hand on the dial of European statecraft points to the speedy overthrow of it's cruel and blighting misrule.
 Our route Wes through the straits of Mes- sini. On one side was the extreme southern point of Italy and on the south the beautiful and balmy island of Sicily. The latter is famous for its oranges, lemons, almonds, olive oil, maize, rice, beane pulse, mama, flax, licorice and other productions. It is one hundred and eighty miles in length and At the narrowest portion of the straits it is distant from Italy only two miles, to which country it belongs.
 It's enormous fertility was duly recognized even in the days of Homer, who describes the inhabitants as follows:
 oUntaught to plant, to turn the glebe, and sow. The so ready yeds
 With wheat and barley & wave the golden glds fields; And love descends in each prolific shower''
 According to Smyth the Sicilians :'are of middle stature, we'll made, with dark eyes and coarse black hair; their features are better than their complexions; and. they att tain maturity and begin to decline earlier than the inhabitants of more northern re- gions. They are cheerful, inquisitive and fanciful, with redundance of unmeaning deficient in natural talents as in their due cultivation. Their delivery is vehement, rapid, full of action, and their gesticulation violent; the latter is so signi6cant as almost to possess the power of speech, and animates them with peculiar vivacity, bordering, how ever, rather on conceit than wit, on farce than humor.
 "The upper classes are incorrigibly indo- lent and fond to excess of titles and such like marks of distinction. Here, in fact, every house is aspalace, every handicraft is a profession, every respectable person at least an excellency, and every errand boy is charged with an embassyl This love of os- tentation is so inveterate that the poorer nobility and gentry are penurious in the ex- treme in their domestic arrangements, and almost starve themselves to be able to appear abroad in the evening in 8 poverty stricken equipage."
 Across the Tyrrhenian sea, amid much stormy weather and heavy waves, our little steamer sails on. Now the strait of Bonifs- ,cio is seached, which separates the island of Sardinia from that of Corsica. The latter is distinguished as being the birthplace of Na~ poleon Bonaparte. He was born at Ajaccio, the capital of that island, August 15, 1769. Here he remained until ten years of age, when he entered the military school at Bri- enne, an insignificant French town. The college was suppressed in 1790.
 The French conquered Corsica in 1769, 8 few months before the birth of Bonaparte. Had he been born previous to that event he would have been an Italian instead of 8 citi- zen of France. What effect, if any, nation ality would have exerted over the man Of destiny has long been matter of specula- tion with many curious minds.
 In religion Corsica is Roman Catholic and in language Italian. It abounds in minerals, including lead, iron, antimony, granite, por- phyry, jasper and marble. It's forests are extensive, but agriculture is largely neglect ed. Wine is produced extensively, reaching often seven million gallons per annun. Fishing furnishes employment for many of the natives. Among the domestic animals used are the donkey, horse, mule, goat and sheep. The climate Is very mild and during the winter months is the favorite resort of invalids. Steamers from Leghorn, Marseilles and other ports make regular trips to the is- land.
 Sardinia, situated on the southern side of the strait, is by far the most valuable island in the waters of the Mediterranean. Excel ling in size all competitors, it produces an- nually large varieties of oranges, wine, wheat, barley, flax, hemp, tobacco and other articles of commerce. Wild animals abound, in the mountains especially.
 Originally occupied by the ancient Phmni- clans and Etruscans, 1t has been held in suc- cession by Greece, the Romans, Carthsgini- ans, Spaniards, Germany and now by Italy. During the summer months 1t is oppressive ly hot, making out of door life, when ex- posed to the rays of the sun, a source of positive discomfort, if not menace to life. The winter is the most delightful season of the year. It's exports amount to about $2,- 800, 900 annually, while it's exports seldom exceed &, 100000.
 Two volcanoes are clearly visible from the deck of our steamer-Stromboli on one of the Pilari islands between Sicily and the main coast of Italy, and Etna situated on the island of Sicily. Passing the former during the night, its bright fire of molten matter shone out to good advantage, though at SO early an hour (about three o'clock in the morning) that it was witnessed by but com- paratively few passengers.
 Etna was passed during the day time, hence the flames were nearly invisible. More than 2,300 years ago it's action was first witnessed. Since that period successive generations of mankind have been swept away. Nations have arisen and crumbled back to dust. Still it's lurid and awful light is constantly witnessed. Diodorus Sicilus records it's earliest activity, but fails, curi. ously enough, to furnish the date. Accord- ing to Thurcydides other extensive eruptions OCCuTToo 4IO duo tSC D. V. AoSpSStAv0Ays Sixty disastrous eruptions in all have been chronicled, the latest being in 1S52. The earthquake os 1869 was of most destruc- tive character. The entire village of Nicolo- si was swept away, and from Assures in the mountain torrents of lava soon issued, which utterly destroyed fourteen distinct villages. A disagreeable voyage of five days at teresting city of Narseilles. Though our steamer came withia two hundred feet of the | pier, owing to the shallow water, the inevi- table small boat was again called into requi' | sition to land the passengers. In the dense and dismal darkness of the night, amid a drizzling rain storm, we slowly descended the slippery steps leading from the ship. At length all are ashore. Now comes the | custom house examination. All with souvenirs purchased in distant climes display some degree of nervous anxiety in view of the fact.
 l The eloquence and blandishments of oul accomplished conductor, Professor R. H Crunden, of London, achieve a marked ! victory. Possibly time "tip" assists in ths solution of the problem. At all events tho luggage of the entire party is passed by tht polite French officer in charge without { single piece being examined "Beat that 1T l America if you can," cried the professor with show If justi6able triumph. It would be difficult to parallel it, indeed, in any country under the stars.
 Since many of our party were anxious tt catch the Guion steamer Arizona for New
 York, while others had short tours on thu continent or in Great Britain yet to make l we pushed peraeveringly on to Paris, after substantial supper and short stroll abou
 the city.
 Marseilles presents numerous attractions t the average tourist, and is the chief seapor of France. It is distant from Paris 534 mile
 by railway, and includes the old and nor
 modern town. The former has labyrinth of narrow, filthy lane
 and streets. Its trade in the Ls want is very extensive, not to speak of iti commercial relations with the United State
 and other ports. It Is also the most i'm
 portant town in the department of Bouohe
 du Rhone. It was founded GOO B. O. bI
 Aonian Colonist, from Asia Minor. A fn'
 cathedral, besides other public buildings
 fine boulevards the beautiful and even thu
 quaint architecture of the narrow streets
 where les miserables endeavor to exist. pos
 sess varying degrees of interest. It was ar
 all night ride from Marseilles, with mucf
 needless discomfort in attempting to sleep
 since the American sleeping car is not gen
 orally adopted in Europe.
 Lyons was reached in season for a lat
 breakfast, and we are 222 miles nearer Pari
 than when we left Marseilles the night be
 fore. The population of the city ia placed 8
 35O,O0O. Many tall ungainly buildings ar
 visible a number of which are mauufactorie