Catania- left the port of Massena at 10 o'clock and passed down the canal that divides Italy from Sicily - the steamer kept near the shore the view of which was highly interesting, lofty mountain covered nearly to the summit with vines and olives - Scaletta (Sicily) is a town on a steep hill with a fortress on the top - most of the town in this part of the coast of Sicily are so situated as a protection against the Algerians and Saracius who formerly infested these coast plundering and carrying the inhabitants into slavery –

Passing along the coast Taormina comes in sight with its Grecian theatre on a hill - as the faces of the spectators turn Towards Mongibello (Mt. Etna) - the bold volcano served as the scene - while the extremity of the Appennines on the opposite Italian coast was at their backs - Taormina is of ancient Greek origin but during the dominion of the Romans this theatre was turned into an amphitheatre for the exhibition of gladiators -

We were now opposite the immense Etna but the summit hid in the clouds - the immense and fertile plain around the base is beautiful and even this early in the season are busy reaping the grain - here is the country of the Cyclops - and the cave of Poliphemus (Polyphemus) when Ulysses lost his companions and which establishes the locality of the scene of the Odyssy - at 4 o'clock arrived at the regular and well built town of Catania - the museum and other antiquities can be seen in a few hours - notwithstanding its destruction has so frequently happened it now contains 50,000 inhabitants -

In the evening we to the theater but was too crowded to gain admittance so myself and companions went to Visuvio to turn into our births for the night, before retiring to rest I have written these sketches of todays excurtions.

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