The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-04-16

ing the base. along the sea-shore, around
to the north by the shores OF the Alcantara
around to the south along the inner or
northern shore Of the Simeteo, and crowd
ing up to the very edge Of its lesser v0lca-
noes, are between sixty and seventy cities
and villages, houslng-and every human
being in lifelong danger Of destruction
upward OF 100000 souls.
lt is singular fact that within all the
Et1a mountain area, there is but one road
leading to the cone. That is from Catania.
Therefore Catanians block the way to the
peak with every device known to the imag-
nation of man for yielding tribute.
Swarthy ooatmen at the quays, muleteers IN
the plazas, pOrters at your inn, cOnsuls' at
taches everywhere, all manner of officials,
ana even members of the nobility, dig pit
Tails Tor the stranger that he may be robbed,
gracefully and under the law, before seeing
Etna. The guides are represented TO the
world as the chief robbers here. They are
simply thrilling incidents in comparison to all
the catastrophes of extortion. ''Etna de-
siroyS US" said an official in smiling expla-
nation; I'VE utilize its grandeur to rebuild
our fortunes" A pleasant arrangement
this Tor the Catanians; but let me tell those
who are to come here the truth. You can
not make the ascent of Etna as it is ordi-
narlly made for less than 500. Permission
10 make thlSl move, then that one, then
another, comes through apparent diplomacy;
nut always after an outlay of money. Then
there are the animals, their attendants; the
cooks, their attendants; needed and need
less provisions; necessary and unnecessary
clothing; requisite and dangerous liquids;
and altogether such an outlandlsh para
phernalla of compulsory outfit that one truly
stands appalled, by sublimity OF eXtOrtlon
before
THE CITY's GATES ARE PASSED.
Fortunately l was an observer of, rather
than victim to, this manner of plucking.
had lived at a little Sicilian lodging-house
in Algiers. Its landlord half Moor and
half Italian, had a Sicilian cousin at
Catanla, who also kept at alberghetto or
small clearinghouse in the Gambayita quar-
ter. lie was thin as a stick of macaroni,
brown as piece of lava, tender as q Sicilan
ng, and his name was Balbino. He had
been guides attendant; then guide; had
saved SO many napOleons as would pur-
chase his tiny alberghettO; and having
arrived at ease and competence, could now
and then indulge kindly impulse, or ENJOY
an unSelfsh act. We were good friends at
| once. Constant talk about Etna and his
adored Sicily brought the old mountaineer
spirit back to BalbinO; and shortly, not as
service but delight lie became my guide
for the ascent of the volcano.
AS everybody who has visited Etna
knows, there are three dreary stages in the
ascent; the first from Catania to NicolOs,
thence to Casa degli Inglesi, and thence to
the cone; and that the traveller is forced by
custom TO make an afternoon and evening
OF 1t to and at NicOloSi; to be routed out Of
the inn there for an all-night journey of ter
ror TO the Casa; and then while it is still
dark to be hauled up the final ascent more
dead than alive, to become transcendently
elated over the bowling furies of the crater
or sunrise from Etna, even if ore needs be
supported upright TO see them. Balbino
SAID that was barbaric, as 1t is and thatWe
should go as Christians, as we did. We set
out on loot, incumbered by no impcdimenta
whatever Flung over Balbino's shoulder
was an ancient hide double pouch, similar
to our old-time saddle bags. These were
hiled with oranges, with which, as we sat
ana rested by the way, we refreshed our
selves. Balbino was like a chattering
school-boy, and his tales of eruptions, lava
Hoods and loss of life and property were
appalling The landmarks of his simple
old memory famed along reaches of liquid
hre. The present, the languor and ecstacy
OF the budding year, the sea of flowers
coming old Etna's base, the maze of vine
yards ana olive groves on every hand, the
cascades leaping from the mountain sides
melOdlously TO the sea, as Acis once leaped,
changed into stream, from the same spot
to sport in the lonian waters with his
mermaid love, Galatea and the matchless
threnodles Of Sicillan birds from every
covert, copse and grove, he neither saw nor
heard. Etna is said to have three climatic
Zones-the torrid, the temperate and the
lrgid. The tropic land lies at its extreme
bdSt' u6 oICiIlduo call lUlS the Il6uimOIl-
tana. 1t reaches almost TO NicolosI. where,
after vagarous lettering, we arrived toward
evening
FOR ABOUT EIGHT MILES
Further stretches II Bosco, the wooded
region, forming the temperate zone. From
the upper edge of this TO the crest of the
cone lies eternal solitude in the frigid zone.
lhls they term Disc0perta, the uncovered;
Meta, the barrens, and Dserta, the desert
In the little white mountain village of
Nicolosi, Balbino took me TO the house of
ms irlends. Some OF his family were goat
herders around the bases of the lesser crat-
ers on Etna's side; ono was the village mu-
stefan, ne'er-do-well, who piped at noun
tain weddings and festivities and three
were stalMart guides, who contemplated
BalDinos strange freak of permitting
any straniero to escape pluckIng with i
mOurnful and deprecatOry faces In the
morning necessary provisions for the ascent
were secured. These were interesting to me,
for they were only those which an old
guide would provide for actual needs.
Each was given an extra wooden
walstcoat. Those would be needed
higher up. Two pewter canteens each of
which held three pints, one filled with
VINE and the other with water, were
ordered. Each of us carried tremendous
wooden blanket twisted, hung from one
shoulder, the ends tied with thongs of kid
skin. A little belt full of tiny pouches
was tied around Balbino's waist. In one
was StUWtu package OF TeSln0uS klQQl6rs. |
Another held goOdly measure of ground |
coffee. In another were pepper and salt |
and in two of the front pouches, carefully |
wrapped, reposed half dozen fresh eggs |
Over my own shoulder hung pouch flied |
with generous allowance of fresh bread |
and cold br0iled fowl. Packages of cigars |
and plenty of matches completed our out |
ut. We passed out under the Red Mount |
aims, and struggled along the entire day |
through the BOsc0, wooded region. Occa- |
sIonally we would reach an opening from !
which the grandest scenes were visible; but |
for nearly the entire distance the way is |
but an insecure bridle-path beneath stu |
pendOus oaks and chestnuts, along the |
shadowy bases of mountainous rocks of |
lava, or above the edges of dark and yawn- |
Ing chasms. We tarried with some pictur-
esque charcoa-burners for an hour in the |
afternoon, and just at dusk came upon the
high, desolate lava plateau, where stands
the only shelter OF upper Etna, the indie
scribaoly dreary Casa degli Inglesi. 1t is
Simply hut of lava blocks, built in 1911 by
English officers, and now a miserable ruin.
We found one room of this habitabe and
alter warming at little fire and partakng
OF some cold food and wine, wrapped our
great blankets about US and disposed our
selves upon the rude benches for long and
glorious sleep in the keen and biting air.
Copy7'tgilted, 1890 EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.
A Raid by BighbiBders.
One OF gang of highbinders of the Bling