ever, to exist
somewhere at the base of the great northern cliff, so that only a very
small portion of the coast-line had to be explored, before its tiny
inconspicuous entrance could be rediscovered. A far more exciting event
than the refinding of the Blue Grotto was the genuine discovery of the
beautiful Grotta Verde on the southern side of the island by two
Englishmen, Mr Reid and Mr Lacaita, in the summer of 1848. This grotto,
esteemed the second in importance of the many caves that Capri boasts,
consists of a huge natural archway formed in the cliffs wherein the water
and rocks appear of an emerald hue, contrasting strangely with the opaque
blue of the sea beyond, and suggesting in its dual colouring the
marvellous combination of dark blue and iridescent green in the peacock's
tail.

[Illustration: IN THE BLUE GROTTO, CAPRI]

Capri is a pleasant enough place of residence for a short time,
particularly if one invests in a pair of the rope-soled shoes affected by
the people, which enables the wearer to follow with greater ease the rough
stony tracks, often at a dizzy height above the sea, that form the only
walks in the eastern portion of Capri, except the villa-lined Tragara road
leading to the Guardiola, now become the fashionable promenade of the many
foreign residents upon the island. There are some delightfully peaceful
nooks to be sought near the water's edge, not far from the Faraglioni,
that picturesque trio of rocks lying off the south-eastern corner of
Capri. Here we can find a sheltered corner, unfrequented alike by the
pestering native or by the ubiquitous tourist; perchance the deserted hall
of some maritime villa, for the caverns near the Piccola Marina abound in
traces of Roman architecture. In such a retreat, with a book on one's
knees and with one's own thoughts for sole company, how fascinating it is
to lie

"... on Capri's rocks, close to their snowy streak
Of ambient foam, and watch the restless sea
Tossing and tumbling to Eternity,
Feeling its salt kiss fall upon the cheek."

But to those who prefer to take long tramps afield rather than to linger
in meditation on the sunny beaches near the Piccola Marina, there is
always the ascent to Ana-Capri by the broad smooth winding road that
affords a fresh view of the Bay of Naples at every one of its many twists
and turnings. Over a ravine filled with masses of ilex and myrtle; past
the fragment of the pirate Barbarossa's aerial castle, pe