s. Little he seems to reck of
the damp of the soil or the heat of the sun, nor can a noisy game of
_mora_ played by a couple of his companions beside him disturb his deep
slumber. _Mora_ has ever been the classic game of the South, and indeed,
there is abundant evidence to show that it was played by the ancestors of
these dwellers in Magna Graecia hundreds of years before Pompeii was
overthrown. The game, which requires nothing but the human fingers, bears
no little resemblance to our own humble pastime of "Up Jenkin!" which may
almost be described as a species of drawing-room _mora_; perhaps some
Italian traveller in a past age may actually have introduced this form of
the southern diversion into prosaic England. The two players, face to face
and craning forward with outstretched necks, simultaneously extend their
right hands with one or more fingers pointing upward, the aim of each man
being to guess the exact number, from two to ten, jointly displayed by
both right hands. If one of them hit upon the correct figure, then he
gains one point towards the stakes, which are usually made in _centesimi_
rather than in _soldi_. How rapidly do the lean supple brown fingers flash
backwards and forwards, and with what gusto do the two frenzied combatants
yell out their numbers! _Mora_ has been a favourite recreation with these
people almost from their cradles, and he would be a bold man indeed who
would venture to challenge a Torrese at this game, for the native's skill
and experience are almost bound to tell eventually in his favour, and the
odds are "Lombard Street to a China orange" against the outside player.
There are certain maxims too with regard to the game which are closely
observed by those who play it, as well as peculiar expressions, such as
_tutte_ to denote that all ten fingers are being shown, or _chiarella_ for
all but one. Five points usually make the game, and these are commonly
marked by holding up one or more fingers of the disengaged left
hand.--These are a few of the many sights to be witnessed by those who can
afford to endure the pestering attentions of small boys, and the
uncomplimentary staring of the adult population in such places as the
Torres or Castellamare; and such as wish to make themselves acquainted
with the details of southern life and manners cannot do better than pass
an idle hour in the fishmarket or the piazza of these little industrial
towns of the Vesuvian shore. For to regard Southern Ita