, 1890-04-17

from the handy substance aud build
anew. Where the old vineyards,
olive and Zig plantations once We're,
new ones spring like magic IL the
porous stuff be barely scratched by
pick or hoe for seeding places. New
or Will the line,
"o'er death eternal life is blossoming,"
come to you with such flash of force
fulncss rs here.
PEOPLES IRREGULARITIES.
Perhaps co. 900 souls exist In Ca
taxia. The palaces which border
her principal streets are very new,
splendid and great; perhaps the
Biscaria palace, which houses the
vast stores of Greek sarcophagi,
terra cottas, vascs and sculptures,
excavated from the lava, being tho
most Imposing. Then there Is the
Marina, where the lowly gather and
listen to the music OF government
bands, a filthy place much loved by
the lazzaroni. But the Bellini gar
den, out on the heights toward Etna;
Is surpassingly beautiful; and I'm this
you will see military officials re-
splcndent In uniforms and decma-
tions, lords and princes covered with
insignia OF rank, and all really in
teresting arIstocracy of Catania, and
truly the most winsome, soul
ful-eyed, empty-headed women
OF Sicily. OF the Grcco-Roman
remains the theater can be
visited by the use of guides and
torches. The ancient Odeurn IL near;
and in Archcbusiri street will be
found what Ia left Of the Roman
ampitheater. Under the Piazza del
Duomo, adjacent to the great cathe-
dral are the Roman baths; but the
best preserved specimens of these
are seen underneath the Carmelite
church, where there still remain, in
marble, the warm bath, the hot
water bath, the vapor bath, and the
fireroom and the disroblng-room.
There are many medieval half ruin
ed structures OF interest In Catanla;
while the unfinished monastery of
sau Nicola IL, excepting that of
Mafra In Portugal, the largest and
most imposing in all Europe.
But the traveller IL not so much
attracted to Catania by its remind
ers Of mighty past as he Is to put
eyes and feet upon the monster
which all through that known time
stood moaning or laundering above
1t. Its ascent Ia begun within the
very streets of the city. Strada Et-
na, Catania's longest street, begin
ming ut the very edge Of the port
aida IanIa nj I.t,nat Ana .,Arth tnx,-n..I
the volcanoes peak, within u few
feet of 900 feet above the level of
the sea, and fully twenty-eight miles
away. The area of country doml-
mated by the mountain, and at all
times subject to overflow of lava, IL
astounding. Its circumference Is
fully 40 miles, aud 1t describes an
Irregular circle, of greatest diane
ter from north to south. Catania
stands at the extreme of IA southern
detection in its southern segment.
The Alcantara river, rising in its
northwestern foothills, flows to
the northeast. thence circles
its northern edge, and finally
sweeps around to the south
east into the sea. The Simeteo
river, having Its source Mt the north
east, near that Of the AIcantara,
circles the base, first to the south
west, then southward, and then
flows around and into the sea to the
southeast, below Catania. From
Catanin to the mouth of the Alcanta-
IN, the Ioniau sea ON the east, run
ming with almost n straight wall OF
shore, cuts thin segment out OF
this circle. But within This extra
ordinarily distinct circle OF l7O miles,
there IL not square inch of the
esirth's surface over which the lava
has not ut some time poured;
which one can not now distinguish
to be unadultcrated lava soil; and
which Is not subject to-day, or any
other time, to new coating oi
molten lava. The entire majestic
contour of the mountain, broken
here and there by lesser volcanoes,
Is visible from any point at this tire
mendous base-cdge; but more
strange than all else Is the density
of population within the lower and
cultivably luxuriant rim. Thread
ing the base, along the sea shore
around To the north by the shores oi
the Alcantara, around to the soutl,
along the inner, or northern shore
of the Simeteo, and crowding up u
the very edge of Its lesser volcanoes
are between sixty and seventy cite,
and villages, housing--and every
human being in lifelong danger o
danger of acknowledgement o
800, 900 souls.
ALI. FOR TBiBuTE.
tits n singular fact that within
all the Etna mountain area there Il
but one road leading 10 the cone
That Is from Catania. Therefor
Catanians block the way to the peal
with every device known TO tn,
imagination of man for yielding
tribute. Swarthy boatmen mt tn,
quays, muleteers in the plazas
poriers at your inn, consuls' at
taches everywhere, all manner o
officials, and even members of TIN
nobility, dig pitfalls for the strange
that ho may be robbed, GRACEFUL.
and under the law, before seein,
Istna. The guides are represented
to the world as the chief robber
here. They are simply trifiing in
cidents In comparison to all TIN
catastrophes of extortion. "Etni
destroys us" said an ofilcia