Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-09
TOUR ROUND MOUNT ETNA
ROAD WINDS THROUGH OLIVE
AND LEMON GROVES.
Scenes Along the Way Over Which
Hamilcar ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Of the Saracens.

From the Pail Mall Gazette.
The tour which the king and queen
made round Etna is one Of the most
beautiful and interesting as well as the
least known in Sicily. The light on1ni-
bus or steam tram goes straight uphill
from Giarre through olive woods. groves
of lemon trees--loaded at this season with
the pale waxy fruit. set round with ivory
blossoms-and orange trees with masses
of red gold oranges. The air Is heavy
with the scent OF white cloves, and the
railway banks are ablaze with meSem-
bryanthemum, great rose pink flowers the
size of saucers. Along the railway runs
the old road-that road which Hamilcar
followed four hundred years before the
Christian era, and where Charles and
his armies marched in 1884 A. D. Old.
old towns remain which saw their pass
ing The yellow brown medieval tow
erS of Castiglione stand out against the
deep blue ravine OF the Alcantara valley.
Palermo recalls the Saracen ravages
everywhere from time to time: hideous
torrent of petrified lava reminds one OK
the other terror with which these fair
scenes are SO familiar.
City of Randazzo.
The highest town upon the mountain
slopes is Randazzo, and here a nights
lodging is possible with the help of
well filled luncheon basket. Randazzo.
though SO close to the crater, has always
escaped destruction. 1t was an import.
ant place In the middle ages and the tall
spikes on its ducal palace still tell where
many d noble Sclian head has moldered
away. The green copper domes or It's
churches, interspersed with tall Expresses,
would drive painter wild with delight.
The women and girls wear shawls drawn
over their heads of a coarse cream wool
en- stuff, which look very picturesque III
the back streets. The people are pas
sionately religious, and in holy week
the whole population turns out TO follow
the procession Of the dead Christ. when
the priests in gorgeous vestments. the va
rous<guilds and the confra1ernisies. pear
ing torches and banners, wind with wall
ing music through the narrow streets ana
round the wild countrywide. bearing Ia
their midst the silent image under
canopy.
The country. as the railway winds up
above Randazzo. is one sheet Of lava.
The petrified food extends on all sides,
and 1t is difficult to believe that the
swishing torrent is really hard and still.
Woodspurge has grown up among II, and
the flowers have taken rich colors OF
yellow and orange and crimson from the
iron in the soil, as are In starthng con-
trast to the black masses. behind which
stretch away the purple slopes til! they
Etna enthroned in all her glory. As the
train reaches the highest point and be-
gins TO go rapidly down. II passes Brante.
the station for MANAGE, the castle and
estate which Ferdinand Nv presented to
Lord Nelson, and which is sun the prop
erty of his descendants.
Historical Associations.
At one station a group of peasants are
assembled to bid farewell to young
emigrant; such hand-c1asping and kisses
on both cheeks; the poor boy stands sob
bling on the platform at the back Of the
train and looks long to get the last
glimpse OF his mountains. II he makes
money he will come back to build
tiny house and end his days under the
shadow of Etna. Every mile of the couu-
try has historical associations. Below
Maletto, the Greek general MANAGES.
helped by Harald Hardrada. defeated this
Saracens. Roger de Hauteville's Norman
castle still stands at Aderno. and near
1t in ancient days was the Temple of
Hardranos, guarded by thousand dogs,
The railway rolls down to the rich
warm air and semi-tropical vegetation.
Lemon orchards and geranfum hedges
smile round bright Catania. but even
among the white villas and fragrant
gardens the traveller Is aware Of that
dark presence, that serpents course.
which has followed them from those far
off heights to the very edge of the land
and is only lost to sight beneath the
peacock blue waters of the Sicilian sea-