d nights are often chilly,
one can sometimes linger on comfortably in Sorrento, though it is as well
to be prepared for departure in case of a sudden spell of stormy weather,
for winter sunshine is a necessity, not a luxury, on the Piano di
Sorrento.

[Illustration: AFTERNOON, SORRENTO]

Unlike other towns upon the Bay of Naples, Sorrento is divided into two
distinct portions; the city on the cliffs, with its streets and squares,
its cathedral and ancient walls, its villas and gay gardens; and the
Marina, lying at the mouth of the gorge below, close to the water's edge.
The population of Upper Sorrento is agricultural and labouring, whilst
that of the lower consists entirely of fisher-folk and sailors; it is
needless to add that the latter are far less prosperous than their
fellow-citizens who live over-head. Until recent times little
communication between these two sets of Sorrentines took place and
intermarriages were rare, for the sea-faring population only ascended to
the town above and intermingled with the people of Upper Sorrento on the
great occasions of local festivals, such as the enthronement or funeral of
a bishop. Nor has the levelling spirit of the age as yet broken down the
deep-rooted feeling of local clannishness; although it cannot be long
before time-honoured customs and prejudices will be swept away in the
tidal wave of modern development. One of the chief industries of the place
is the manufacture of scarves and sashes of rich silk woven in cross bars
of strong contrasting colours, so that the Sorrentine silk work strongly
resembles the well-known Roman variety. Equally popular with visitors are
the various articles made of olive wood and decorated in _tarsia_, the art
of inlaying with pieces of stained wood, which is a speciality of the
place. There are two kinds of this Sorrentine inlaid work; one consisting
of figures of peasants dancing the _tarantella_, of Pompeian maidens in
classical drapery, of _contadini_ or priests bestriding mules, and of
similar local subjects; and the other, of fanciful patterns made up of
tiny coloured cubes of wood, much in the style of the old Roman stone
mosaics. The designs employed vary of course with the fashion of the day,
for there is a local school of art supported by the municipality, which
professes to improve the tastes of the _tarsiatori_, but most persons will
certainly prefer the trite but characteristic patterns of the place.

But the main industry