o penetrate the blue sky. In this it gives an
impression like that of the Weisshorn seen from Randa, but gains by
its isolation.

At Messina, of course, our steamer was visited by a commissionnaire,
who asked me in good English whether I wanted a hotel. I told him
that I had already decided upon a hotel, and therefore did not need
his services. But it turned out that he belonged to the very hotel
I was going to, and was withal an American, a native-born Yankee, in
fact, and so obviously honest that I placed myself unreservedly in
his hands,--something which I never did with one of his profession
before or since. He said the first thing was to get our baggage
through the custom-house, which he could do without any trouble,
at the cost of a franc. He was as good as his word. The Italian
custom-house was marked by primitive rigor, and baggage was commonly
subjected to a very thorough search. But my man was evidently well
known and fully trusted. I was asked to raise the lid of one trunk,
which I did; the official looked at it, with his hands in his pockets,
gave a nod, and the affair was over. My Yankee friend collected one
franc for that part of the business. He told us all about the place,
changed our money so as to take advantage of the premium on gold,
and altogether looked out for our interests in a way to do honor to
his tribe. I thought there might be some curious story of the way
in which a New Englander of such qualities could have dropped into
such a place, but it will have to be left to imagination.

We reached the Bay of Naples in the morning twilight, after making
an unsuccessful attempt to locate Scylla and Charybdis. If they
ever existed, they must have disappeared. Vesuvius was now and
then lighting up the clouds with its intermittent flame. But we
had passed a most uncomfortable night, and the morning was wet and
chilly. A view requires something more than the objective to make
it appreciated, and the effect of a rough voyage and bad weather
was such as to deprive of all its beauty what is considered one of
the finest views in the world. Moreover, the experience made me so
ill-natured that I was determined that the custom-house officer at the
landing should have no fee from me. The only article that could have
been subject to duty was on top of everything in the trunk, except
a single covering of some loose garment, so that only a touch was
necessary to find it. When it came to the exam