Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-04-12

ing. ltS circumference is tully one hundreQ
and seventy miles, and it describes an irregu-
lar circle, of greatest diameter from north to
south. Catania stands at the extreme of q
southern detection in its southern segment.
The Alcantara river, rising in it's northwest
ern foot hills, flows to the northeast, thence
circles Its northern edge, and finally sweeps
around to the southeast into the sea. The
Simeteo river, having its source at the north
east, near that Of the Alcantara, circles the
base, first to the southwest, then southwark,
and then flows around and into the sea to
the southeast, below Catania. From Catania
to the mouth of the Alcantara, the Ionian
sea on the east, running with almost q
straight wall of shore, cuts a thin segment
out of this circle. But within this extraor-
dinarily distinct circle of one hundred and
seventy miles there is not a square inch of
the earth's surface over which the lava has
not at some time poured; which one cannot
now distinguish to be unadulterated lava
soil; and which is not subject to-day, or any
other time, to new coating of molten lava.
The entire majestic contour of the noun
tain, broken here and there by lesser volca-
noes, is visible from any point at this tre-
mendous base edge; but more strange than
all else is the density of population within
the lower and cultivably luxuriant rim.
around to the north by the shores of the
Alcantara, around to the south along the
inner. or northern, shore of the Simeteo, and
crowding up to the very edge of its lesser
volcanoes, are between sixty and seventy
cities and villages, housing-and every
human being in life long destruction-up-
wards of three hundred thousand souls.
1t is singular fact that within all the
Etna mountain area there is but one road
leading to the cone. That is from Catania.
Therefore Catanisns block the way to the
peak with every device known to the imagi-
nation of man for yielding tribute. Swarthy
boatmen at the quays, muleteers in the
plazas, porters at your inn, consuIs' attaches
everywhere, all manner of officials, and even
members of the nobility, dig pitfalls for 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
triaing incidents in comparison to all the
catastrophes of extortion. "Htna destroys
us, said an official in smiling explanation;
eve utilize its grandeur to rebuild our for
tunes!" A pleasant arrangement this for the
Catanlans; but let me tell those who are to
come here the truth. You cannot make the
ascent of Etna as it is ordinarily made for
less than one hundred dollars. Permission
to make this move, then that one, then an
other, comes through apparent diplomacy;
but always after an outlay of money. Then
there are the animals, their attendants; the
cooks, their attendants; needed and needless
provisions; necessary and unnecessary cloth.
ing; requisite and dangerous liquids; and
altogether such an outlsndish paraphernalia
of compulsory outfit that one truly stands
appalled, by sublimity of extortion before
the city's gates are passed. Fortunately I
was an observer of, rather than a victim to,
this manner of pluckipg. had lived at
little Siciliau lodging house in Algiers. Its
landlord, half Moor and half Italian, had a
Sicilian cousin at Catonis, who also kept an
alberghetto or small lodging house in the
Gambsyita quarter. BE was thin as a stick
of maccaroni, brown as piece of lava, ten
der as Sicilian fig, and his name was Bal
bino. He had been guides attendant; then
a guide; had saved SO many Napoleons as
would purchase 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 noun
taineer spirit back to Bslbino; and shortly,
not as a service but delight, he 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 Cstania to Nicolosi,
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
IL W duo dt NlCUlOSi5 W Do IOuLou Oub VI Tic
inn there for an all night journey of terror
to the Casa; and then while it is still dark to
be hauled up the final ascent more dead than
alive, to become transeendently elated over
the bowling furies of the crater or sunrise
from Htna, even if one needs be supported
upright to see them. Balbino said that was
barbaric, as it is; and that We should 60 as
Christians ss we did We set out on foot,
encountered by no impedimenta whatever.
Flung over Balbino's shoulder was an ancient
hide double pouch, similar to our old time
saddle bags. These were filed with oranges,
with which, as we sat and rested by the way,
we refreshed ourselves. Balbino was like q
chattering school boy. and his tales of erup-
tions, lava floods, and loss Of life and prop
erty, were appalling. The land marks OF his
simple old memory famed along reaches of
liquid fire. The present, the languor and
ecstacy of the budding year, the sea OF flow
ers zoning old Etna's base, the maze of
vineyards and olive groves on every hand,
the cascades leaping from the mountain sides
and bounding melodiously to ths sea, as
Acis once ieaped, changed into stream,
from the same spot to sport IN the lonlan
waters with his mermaid love, Galatea, aud
the matchless threnodies of Sicilian birds
from every covert, copse and grove, he neith-
er saw nor heard. 4Etna is said to have
three climatic zones, the torrid, the temper
ate and the frigid. The tropic land lies at
it's extreme base. The Sicilians call this the
Piedimontana. It reaches almost to Nicolo-
81, where after vagarous lettering we arrived
towards evening. For about eight miles fur
ther stretches II Bosco, the wooded region,
forming the temperate zone. From the up
per edge of this to the crest of the cone lies
eternal solitude In the frigid zone. This
they term Diseoperta, the uncovered; Meta,
the barrrens; and Diserta, the desert.
In the little white mountain village of
Nicolosi Balbino took me to the house of his
friends. Some OF the family were goat herd.
ers around the bases Of the lesser craters on
Etna's side, one was the village musician, Q
ne'er do well who piped at mountain we'd
dings and festivities; and three were stall
wart guides who contemplated Balbinos
strange freak of permitting any straniero to
escape plucking with mournful and depreca-
tory faces. In the morning necessary provi-
sions 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 were given an extra
wooden waistcoat. These would be needed
higher up. Two pewter canteens, each of
which held three pints, one filed with wine
and the other with water, were ordered.
Each of us carried a tremendous woelen
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 slowed
a package of resinous kindlers. Another
held goodly measure of ground coffee. In
another were pepper and salt. And in two
of the front pouches, carefully wrapped, re-
| posed half dozen fresh eggs. Over my
own shoulder hung pouch filed with q
generous allowance of fresh bread and cold
broiled fowl. Packages Of cigars and plenty
Of matches in metal cases completed our out
fit. We passed out under the Red noun
tain and struggled along the entire day
through the Bosco, a wooded region. occa-