LETTER XXXIII.

Palermo, July 24th.

N the courfe of our acquaintance with fome gentle

men of sense and obfervation in this place, we have learned many things concerning the island, that perhaps may be worthy of your attention; and as this day is fo hot that I cannot go out, I fhall endeavour to recollect some of them, both for your amusement and my own. The thermometer is up at 814.-So you may judge of the fituation of our northern conftitutions.

There is one thing, however, that I have always obferved in these fouthern climates; that although the degree of heat is much greater than with us, yet it is not commonly attended with that weight and oppreffion of fpirits that generally accompany our fultry days in fummer. I am fure, that in fuch a day as this, in England, we fhould be panting for breath; and no mortal would think either of reading or writing. That is not the cafe here; I never was in better spirits in my life: Indeed I believe the quan tities of ice we eat may contribute a good deal towards it; for I find, that in a very violent heat, there is no fuch cordial to the fpirits as ice, or a draught of ice-water: it is not only from the cold it communicates, but, like the cold bath, from the fuddennefs of that communication, it braces the ftomach, and gives a new tone to the fibres.-It is strange that this piece of luxury (in my opinion the greatest of

all,

all, and perhaps the only healthy one), should still be fo much neglected with us.

I knew an English lady at Nice, who, in a fhort time, was cured of a threatening consumption, only by a free indulgence in the use of ices; and I am perfuaded, that in skilful hands, few remedies would be more effectual in many of our ftomach and inflammatory complaints, as hardly any thing has a stronger or more immediate effect upon the whole frame; and furely our administering of warm drinks and potions in these complaints, tend often to nourish the difeafe." -It is the common practice here, in inflammatory fevers, to give quantities of ice-water to drink; nay, fo far have they carried it, that Dr. Sanghes, a celebrated Sicilian physician, covered over the breaft and belly of his patients with fnow or ice; and they affure us, in many cafes, with great fuccefs. But, indeed, I ought in justice to add, that this physician's practice has not been generally adopted.

Perhaps it is from the present benefit I find from ice, that I have faid fo much in favour of it; for I am fully perfuaded, that if I had not a quantity of it standing here below the table, I fhould very foon be obliged to give up writing, and go to bed; but whenever I begin to flag, another glass is fure to fet me to rights again.

I was going to give you fome account of the fifheries of this island.

The catching of the tunny-fifh constitutes one of the principal Sicilian amusements during the fummer months; and the curing and fending them to foreign markets makes one of the greatest branches of their commerce.-We were invited yesterday by the Prince Sperlinga

Sperlinga to a party of tunny-fifhing; but the violence of the heat prevented it.

These fifh do not make their appearance in the Sicilian feas till towards the latter end of May; at which time, the Tonnaros, as they call them, are prepared for their reception. This is a kind of aquatic castle, formed, at a great expence, of ftrong nets, fastened to the bottom of the fea by anchors and heavy leaden weights.

These tonnaros are erected in the paffages amongst the rocks and iflands that are most frequented by the tunny-fish. They take care to fhut up with nets the entry into these paffages, all but one little opening, which is called the outward gate of the tonnaro. This leads into the first apartment, or, as they call it, the hall. As foon as the fish have got into the hall, the fishermen, who ftand fentry in their boats during the feafon, fhut the outer door, which is no more than letting down a fmall piece of net, which effectually prevents the tunny from returning by the way they came. They then open the inner door of the hall, which leads to the fecond apartment, which they call the antichamber, and, by making a noise on the furface of the water, they foon drive the tunny-fifh into it. As foon as the whole have got into the antichamber, the inner door of the hall is again fhut, and the outer door is opened for the reception of more company.

Some tonnaros have a great number of apartments, with different names to them all; the faloon, the parlour, the dining-room, &c. ; but the laft apartment is always ftyled la Camera della Morte, The chamber of Death: this is compofed of stronger nets and heavier anchors than the others.

As

As foon as they have collected a fufficient number of tunny-fish, they are driven from all the other apartments into the chamber of death; when the flaughter begins. The fishermen, and often the gentlemen too, armed with a kind of spear or harpoon, attack the poor defenceless animals on all fides; which now giving themselves up to despair, dash about with great force and agility, throwing the water over all the boats; and tearing the nets to pieces, they often knock out their brains against the rocks or anchors, and fometimes even against the boats of their enemies.

You fee there is nothing very generous or manly in this fport.-The taking of the Pefce Spada, or fword-fifh, is a much more noble diverfion: no art is made use of to enfnare him; but with a fmall harpoon, fixed to a long line, they attack him in the open feas, and will often strike him at a very confiderable distance. It is exactly the whale-fishing in miniature. The Sicilian fishermen (who are abundantly fuperftitious) have a Greek fentence which they make ufe of as a charm to bring him near their boats. This is the only bait they use, and they pretend that it is of wonderful efficacy, and abfolutely obliges him to follow them; but if unfortunately he fhould overhear them speak a word of Italian, he plunges under water immediately, and will appear no more.

As these fish are commonly of a great fize and strength, they will fometimes run for hours after they are struck, and afford excellent fport.-I have feen them with a sword four or five feet long, which gives them a formidable appearance in the water, particularly after they are wounded. The flesh of these animals is excellent; it is more like beef than fifh, and the common way of dreffing it is in steaks.

The

The fishing of the Pefce Spada is most confiderable in the fea of Meffina, where they have likewife great quantities of eels, particularly the Morena, fo much efteemed amongst the Romans, which I think is indeed the finest fifh I ever eat.

But it is not only their large fish that they strike with harpoons; they have the fame method of taking mullet, dories, a kind of mackarel, and many other fpecies; but this is always performed in the night. As foon as it is dark, two men get into a fmall boat; one of them holds a lighted torch over the surface of the water, the other stands with his harpoon ready · poized in his hand. The light of the torch foon brings the fish to the furface, when the harpooner immediately strikes them. I have seen great quantities killed in this manner, both here and at Naples. A large fleet of boats employed in this kind of fishing make a beautiful appearance on the water, in a fine fummer night.

The coral fishery is chiefly practifed at Trepani: they have invented a machine there, which answers the purpose much beyond their expectations. This is only a great crofs of wood, to the centre of which is fixed a heavy hard ftone, capable of carrying the cross to the bottom. Pieces of fmall net are tied to each limb of the cross, which is poized horizontally by a rope, and let down into the water. As foon as they feel it touch the bottom, the rope is made faft to the boat. They then row about all over the coral beds; The consequence of which is, the great ftone breaks off the coral from the rocks, and it is immediately entangled in the nets. Since this invention the coral fishery has turned out to confiderable account.

The