which it requires some time to render palatable. I have only as yet reached the point of considering it not particularly nauseous. About mid-day they dine, and, of course, the food depends on the wealth of the individual; it is, however, rather in quantity than quality that they differ. They then retire to bed, and the house is shut up till four in the afternoon, when they take a cup of coffee, and about ten at night they have a substantial supper. At least, I observed that their supper exhibited, according to the custom of their progenitors, a greater variety of dishes than any other of their meals. The sausage generally appears in some form at every meal, and this evening we had it served up surrounded by the snow-white maccaroni. I do not know whether the Romans knew such a dish, but they evidently made use of the sausage in the same way, as we find Martial (xiii. 35) speaks of it thus:

Filia Picenæ venio Lucanica porcæ :

Pultibus hinc niveis grata corona datur.

"In the form of a Lucanian sausage I come descended from a Picenian pig; by me an agreeable garnish is given to snow-white pottage."

Before we sat down to supper, the baron showed me a very beautiful brass image of Cupid, which had been found at a small village, Rivello, a few miles from Maratea; the god was blinded with a fascia, and held a heart in his left hand, in which there had once been some precious stones. It was prettily designed, and of superior workmanship. The baron said that Rivello seems to have been the site of some ancient town, from the ruins of buildings of a reticulated structure and the form of a circus, which can be distinctly traced.

While we were conversing, a man came in to say that a friend had been severely stung during the afternoon by hornets, and wished some juice of the fig to rub over the place, as it is considered a sedative to the pain on such occasions. The juice must be taken before the fruit is ripe, as it possesses a peculiar acidity at that stage. They use it, also, to remove warts, the "verruca" of the Romans. Pliny (xxiii. 63, 1) refers to the "fici succus lacteus"-" the milky juice of the fig"-being made use of for this very purpose; and it is not surprising that tradition should have handed down from father to son a remedy for such attacks, as they must be constantly taking place. The hornet is a great annoyance in the summer months in Italy. Last summer, while I was residing at Sorrento, there was a lane which it was impossible to pass with any safety from the vicious attacks of these insects.

VIII.

You must not be alarmed at the account of this day's proceedings, though I confess a speedy and melancholy conclusion had nearly been brought to my projected tour. Luckily, no serious injury has befallen me, though I feel somewhat stiff and bruised.

You will observe that my face is still turned towards the south, and I hope that I shall be able to continue in that direction for other two hundred miles; but what has happened to-day will be a warning not to be too sanguine, as I am exposed to a variety of disasters, any one of which may close my career. I had some hesitation this morning how I should proceed, whether by boat or on foot: I found, however, from my friends, that the coast continued for the next ten miles of the same rocky, precipitous character, and therefore I thought it the wisest plan to hire a boat to convey me to a celebrated grotto, about ten miles along the coast.

In descending to the shore, I passed upwards of fifty women carrying large bundles of wood, which I find are sent to Malta for the consumption of that island. It must be a laborious employment, and I was sorry to hear always performed by women. On stepping on board my boat, the custom-house officer insisted on satisfying his curiosity as to the contents of my knapsack. What contraband articles were likely to be conveyed from Maratea it is difficult to imagine; probably a bribe was all he wanted from me to leave it untouched. I laughed at the absurdity of his proposal, and made no objection to as minute an examination as he chose.

The mountainous character of the coast continued for about ten miles, and we found several small islands, probably those mentioned by Pliny as Ithacesiæ. The village of the Madonna della Grotta is situated at the spot where the mountains begin to recede from the shore, and consisted of only a few houses, which had all of them a small piece of cultivated ground in front. I had some difficulty in finding the grotto, of which I was in search, as the few people I met seemed to look with suspicion upon me, and gave me very indistinct directions. At last, however, I reached the stair, which, from its worn appearance, had evidently been passed by many a religious devotee, but it was now covered with moss, and had long ceased to be frequented, except by a few in its immediate vicinity. It was a magnificent natural grotto, about fifty yards in length, and about sixty feet in height. In the centre was a large baptistery plentifully supplied with water by drops from the roof. At one side a small chapel was rudely constructed, where the statue of the Madonna was placed. While I was examining the grotto, a poor man made his appearance, to whom the care of the chapel was entrusted, and he spoke in glowing

terms of the peculiar sanctity of her statue, and assured me that the Virgin was so enamoured of this spot, that she had refused to leave it. In proof of this, he told me the following legend. It would appear that three centuries ago this statue used to be visited by crowds, who believed that it possessed a power of curing disease. The priests of a neighbouring village, Ajeta, wished to turn this to their own advantage, and, under pretence that the Virgin would be more comfortable in their church than in this dark, damp grotto, transferred the statue with great ceremony to Ajeta. The morning after her arrival the people crowded to the church to pay their adorations, when they were amazed to find the statue had disappeared. Messengers were immediately despatched to the grotto, and there the Madonna was found to be placed in her long-accustomed haunt. Thrice an attempt was made to remove her, and as often she is said to have returned to her residence in the grotto. There could no longer be any doubt respecting her decision, and the priests of Ajeta were forced to give up their golden dream of riches and influence. The festival takes place on the 15th of August.

While I was meditating on the follies and superstitions of mankind, I forgot the slippery state of the stair, and, before I could save myself, I was brought with great violence to the floor, rolling in a very undignified way to the bottom of the stairs. Luckily my knapsack saved my head, or I verily believe my skull would have been fractured, and my career closed at once. I found, however, that I had sustained no serious injury, except that my clothes were covered with green moss, and that I had more the appearance of a merman than of a human being. My ankle feels a little stiff, but I ought to be thankful that I escaped so easily.

I intended to have had some refreshment at this village, but there was no house of public entertainment, and I was obliged to go on for six miles to Casaletto. Nothing could exceed the dreariness and barrenness of the coast, and as the heat soon began to be excessive, I regretted that I had dismissed the boat. I was now leaving the ancient Lucania, the modern province of Principato Citeriore, and passing into the country of the Bruttii, the modern Calabria, said to be the native country of brigands. Of course, I cannot altogether divest myself of this idea, which was so impressed upon me before I left Naples, and I feel not altogether at my ease. On reaching a height, which enabled me to look down into a glen, into which the footpath led, I got a glimpse of some one concealed in the brushwood. It was a lonely spot; I had left all houses far behind me, and I had met no one since I left the village. I regretted that I had no weapon of defence, as it was disagreeable thus to be at the mercy of a single man. However, I had no alternative except to advance, and on approaching nearer, my anxiety was relieved as I saw that he was a man far advanced in years, with whom I could have no difficulty in coping, even if he were armed. I entered into conversation with him, and found that he was on his way to Casaletto; his language, however, was a dialect which I had difficulty in understanding, and we could carry on little conversation. The ground was very uneven, now a deep ravine and then a high hill, so that, on my arrival at Casaletto, I was

thoroughly knocked up; and, if I am not able to arrange my hours of travelling better, I fear that I shall soon be stopped by illness. The locanda of Casaletto was equally miserable with all of the kind I had yet seen, and after resting about an hour, I proceeded in the direction of Scalea. From time to time I took refuge under the umbrageous shelter of an elm, and at last determined to remain until the heat of the day abated. I was on the point of dropping asleep, when a person of respectable appearance rode up, and entered into conversation, inquiring in an earnest tone, whether I had heard of the "portento miracoloso" ("wonderful prodigy") which had lately taken place at the village of Ajeta, the very village which the old sexton had spoken of a few hours ago. It immediately occurred to me that it might be some curious natural phenomenon well worthy of examination, and I was prepared to sacrifice a few days, if it turned out to be so. I requested that he would be kind enough to explain to what he particularly referred.

I never witnessed a more solemn or awe-struck countenance than he displayed while he told me his story. My own feelings were a mixture of disappointment and amusement. It was a new version of the old farce of the monks of San Biagio, which I mentioned in my last letter. It would appear that a statue of our Saviour had suddenly begun to emit from its pores some liquid of a sweetish taste in a miraculous way, and my informant had been waiting on the judge of the district at Scalea to report the continuation of the miracle. He told me, if I wished to have a detailed account of their proceedings at Ajeta, I ought to pay my respects to Signor Pelerino, the judge, and I would have my curiosity satisfied. Accordingly, as soon as I reached Scalea, I proceeded to present my passport, and to receive permission from him to remain in his village. The subject of the miracle was evidently deeply impressed on his mind, and I had no difficulty in obtaining from him the following account, which will amuse you :

In the beginning of last February, the inhabitants of Ajeta, a village twelve miles distant from Scalea, had their attention first drawn to the following miraculous occurrence. Don Francesco Lo Monaco, a gentleman of considerable landed property, and of reputed sanctity, announced to his friends, that a statue of our Saviour, in his private oratorio, had suddenly begun to exude manna, and that he had found the floor and the statue bathed in the precious liquid, when he entered in the morning. His intimate friends were first admitted to witness the miracle; the prodigy was soon noised abroad, and a vast concourse of peasants assembled from all directions. The syndic of the village immediately communicated the proceedings to the judge, and the judge thought it right to examine more minutely into the matter. He proceeded with his chancellor-clerk, I suppose to the village, but found on his arrival, that the miracle only took place at stated periods. He had only got comfortably settled in bed, when a servant came in breathless haste to announce that the statue had begun its operations. The judge did not choose to be thus disturbed, and sent for answer that he hoped to be able to witness it in the morning. This was intended to show that he suspected some trick, and was not going to be easily imposed upon. Next morning he proceeded to the

chapel, and found the floor covered with moisture, the statue still dripping, and several pails full of the liquor, which had exuded in the night. This was a sufficient confirmation, it would appear, to the judge, and he confessed, with a countenance full of unaffected feelings, that he was so overcome with his own unworthiness to witness such a manifestation of God's presence, that he lay prostrate before the statue for an hour, repeating prayers and thanksgivings. Of his thorough belief I could have not the slightest doubt, and that he was a really pious man everything seemed to prove. It was his duty to report the whole proceeding to the Sotto-Intendente, who is the second in authority in the province. He resided at Paola, a distance of fifty miles, but he came accompanied by the criminal judge to Ajeta, and the two returned fully satisfied that they had witnessed a most wonderful miracle. The priests now came forward, and asserted that the proper place for the statue was their church, and though the proprietor demurred to their demands, he at last yielded, and it was agreed that it should be transferred with all due ceremony to a niche set apart for it. The inhabitants attended in crowds from the neighbouring villages, and the letter of the parish priest to the judge, which I saw, stated that the people walked "con molta decenza," showing evident signs of penitence for their sins. Most of them were in tears, and many of them beat their breasts. The letter concluded by assuring the judge that it was a most pleasing and edifying sight. No sooner, however, had the statue been placed in the church, than all appearance of moisture vanished; and though prayers, petitions, and incense were offered without ceasing, they were all without avail, and the statue remained dry as a piece of stick. Two days it was kept in the church, but on the third the people demanded that the statue should be restored to its old haunt. This accordingly took place, and the following morning it of course began its operations once more. The priests, however, again interfered. The same ceremonies with the same result took place, and the statue now remains in the private chapel of Lo Monaco. It still continues to give forth a liquid, and at this moment all the villages within a distance of fifty miles can furnish specimens of it. The judge produced a small flask, and as a particular favour allowed me to taste it. It was sweetish, and had exactly the taste of sugar and water.

I listened to this story with great patience, and without any appearance of incredulity, till I heard the whole; I then stated, in a way least likely to hurt his feelings, that, as I was what he would regard as a heretic, I was very sceptical in all such matters, and could not doubt that he must have been in some way deceived, and that if he would only take proper measures to discover it, I had no doubt he would find it so. I pointed out various ways in which it might be accomplished, and proved by his own statement to me, that he had allowed his feelings to get the better of his judgment, for he had yielded to the mere appearance of moisture, and had proceeded no farther in his examination. When he found that I was not to be convinced, he begged that I would accompany him to Ajeta; and he promised that I should have the whole weight of his official authority to enable me to discover the imposture. This, however, was quite out of the question. I told him that I knew too