Evening star., 1928-03-25

in Italian garofano lcarnationl for with
its rapidly curling. choppy, white-top-
ped waves, 1t resembles nothing so
much as this flower. The whirling
pool is a gigantic eddy caused by the
powerful rush of the tides past the
obstructing peninsula. With them 1t
wakes and waneS.
I looked down upon it at the height
| of its disturbance, ii am. and realized
that while a modern steamer would
pass through it unharned. a compara-
lively small Sailboat such as Ulysses
had would be completely helpless in its
/ clutches
This is by no means the only whirl-
pool. There are several Others, much
! smaller and far less dangerous, farther
! up the channel, but II was in all prob
| ability upon sailors tales of the CARO-
! fano itself that Homer built his terrible
CharybdiS. While the smaller pools are
not powerful enough to endanger even
the fishing boats, they certainly can
wreck a swimmer. I'll vouch for that
II had any secret hopes of actually
plunging into Chsrybdis and swimming
through 1t across to Scylla, miles
away they were quickly shattered after
one glance at the tidal currents that
gallcp through this bottle-neck channel
alternately back and forth every six
hours. The HelleSpont adventure had
only proved to me that ] was far from
being sea lion-eSpecially far In cur
rents. Certainly I couldn't last out
miles Of such ohStreperous Wintry water
The currents would land me at the
Taormina beach, or up at Stromboll.
before I got across. depending on which
way the tides were moving.
However, there were other garofanos
and other possibilities. At the tip OF
Sicily the straits are only 2i2 miles
wide. and though Scyila is miles away
from the tip. this distance across to the
Rock was less than my HelleSpont swim.
believed that If could catch the
north rushing tide I might be able 10
gain Scylla, as had gained Ahydos be-
fore the current carried me past. At
least there was no harm in trying every
thing once. And If failed. what of IL
II would have been a fine gesture
The trolley took me up the coast 10
the Point Here there is another great
lighthouse, and small fishing village. |
Innumerable fishing boats were lined up
along the beach, and / believed that |
could hire one of them with rowers to |
accompany me across.
THE moment approached boatman /
and made my request the news I
spread that a crazy foreigner was going /
TO swim to Scylla. Fifty people gathered /
round TO inspect the curiosity and tell |
me that at this hour the tide was flow /
ing furiously-I'd be carried back TO /
Messina-better come again tomorrow |
morning did. and this time the tide I
was flowing just as furiously north. / /
thought this would be ideal, but the /
fishermen insisted we'd all be swept out |
into the open sea. Better wait TIL noon /
when the currents were changing and /
comparatively quiet
Even then they insisted no one ever /
had Swlm from their village 10 Scylla /
and no one ever would. Just look at the |
little whiripoois all along the shore. and |
the way the water was Swirling for |
ward, now backward. now across. in q |
perfect bedlam Of currents. And they |
swore the channel was infested with /
sharks which collected in the MeSStna /
vicinity TO feed on the refuse. II was |
determined to go would have 10 wear |
a rope around my waist by which they |
could drag me in il need be.
Noon came. and the changing tides. |
The water seemed rougher than ever. |
In midstream the frothing whitecaps
were rushing north, and close to the
shore the little garofanos were whirling
stronger than ever. I looked across 70
the great beckoning Rock of ScyIla with
a sinking heart--So close. and yet so
far
There was none Of the spirit OF the /
time : swan the Hellespont surgtng |
within as / ordered the men TO launch /
the boat There was no Leander and /
no Lord Byron TO have blasted path. /
There was no bright burning sunshine /
here and no bright sapphire sea. The |
sky had that day become overcast-st /
was a November sky, glowering and |
dark The straits looked cold and gray |
There was no precedent. no lifelong /
dream, no romantic inspiration 10 spur /
me on. loved every wave In the poetic |
old Heilegpont. but these oulinouS |
swiEis and whirlpools reminded me OF /
angry snakes. ! entered the Heliegponi /
with song in my heart: entered the |
Straits Of MeSsina with clenched teeth /
and grim determination.
The entire village lined up on the /
shore TO see me of. disappointed 200 |
people by not putting on a red bathing /
suit and piunging dramatically into the /
largest whirlpool. II / had. that would |