Chapel in the Gothic style, built by King Roger in 1129.
It is a perfect gem in its way, the walls and ceiling covered with
beautiful mosaics, fine porphyry, and marbles, but it is too dark to be
seen to advantage. The only way to obtain any idea of the real beauty of
the mosaics is to go into the darkest corner, and so accustom your eyes
to the deep gloom, when it becomes radiant with its beautiful scriptural
mosaic pictures.

After viewing the Palace and Chapel, I had a most delightful and
invigorating walk up the road which led directly to the beautiful
country and suburbs beyond the city. The tramway ran up to the base of
the hills in the distance, but I preferred to walk, for it was a lovely
summer's day, though very early in February. The road led up to the
ancient town of Monreale, about four miles distant to the south-west
from Palermo, standing upon a fine commanding height overlooking a most
lovely and fruitful valley, between the two mountain ranges that rise
behind the city. It was through this valley that Garibaldi marched with
his troops, thus avoiding the fire from the forts on the heights around.
As I ascended the hill, I passed the remains of many ancient mementoes
of the past. I was struck by the grace and beauty of the peasantry--the
men, active, swarthy, and handsome, with finely cut features; the women
tall, beautifully shaped, and with long dark hair and magnificent eyes.
Their picturesque dress and the character of their occupations added to
the effect of their appearance.

By-and-by I reached the large Benedictine Convent of St. Martino, where
I stopped to take breath and look round. It was a very hot day, and,
feeling thirsty, I was glad to see a Sicilian peasant selling prickly
pears, a most delicious tropical fruit. The man soon cut a few open for
me, and I found them truly refreshing. To any one who has not yet tasted
a prickly pear, there is yet an epicurean luxury in store. The fruit
grows plentifully in the East, where you will frequently see an uncouth,
impenetrable, cactus-like plant growing by the wayside hedge in a dry,
rocky soil, its great succulent leaves bristling with long, formidably
sharp thorns, and around the edges and upon these thick leaves are
attached most delicately an oval reddish-yellow fruit, which is also
covered with myriads of minute prickles. The camel munches the immense
thorn-clad leaves with impunity, deriving a great deal of nourishment
from them. It is neces