Early this morning were joined by our companions and proceeded with a guide to see what little remains of the ancient Syracusa crossed the port and ascended the small river Anapus in a boat to the fountain of Ciane the spot where Pluto descend to the infernal regions when he carried off Proserpine - on the swampy banks of the Ciane found the Papyrus plant -

Mules were now ready to meet us and mounted proceed to see the two remaining columns of the temple of the Olympian Jupiter on a rising ground - and for which the Athenian general had such a religious respect that unwilling to occupy the spot as a military post was the cause as Plutarch thinks of the subsequent defeat of the Athenian army -

Two miles further on we came to the foundation of walls and forts built by Dyonisius but such is the effect of 25 centuries that the stones once square and cut have the appearance of natural rocks from this point which was what the Syracusans call the Epipoli we had a commanding view of the ground once occupied by a city of upward of a million people and probably not far from the place where Marcellus the roman general was so affected at the sight of a magnificent city doomed to pillage by roman arms -

Returning towards present city we passed a number of large Latomie some of which were subterraneous prisons and others catacombs - one of the catacombs is indeed a subterraneous city for it extends no less that two miles and no doubt contains the ashes of millions of Syracusans - in the same direction is the port called (blank space) is the excavation called Dyonisius ear were the least whisper is distinctly heard and the report of a small pistol exceeds the loudest thunder - the grecian theatre - and the roman amphitheatre the aqueducts which still carry convey the water to the port - where entered the modern town by the bridge that still connects Octigia to the mainland -

As evening had arrived our steamer left the port all of us heartily tired we too a last view of the vast Mongibello district by the setting sun and returned to our cabins

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