quite
clear that the anger of Heaven has been appeased, the picture is taken
back to Custonaci.

The calamity that most commonly befalls the comune is a drought, or the
fear of a drought. Rain is not wanted while the salt is being made, but
as soon as that is all under cover in the autumn it is time for the rain
to begin, otherwise the crops will fail. In 1893 the rain was delayed
until matters began to look so serious that it was determined to bring
the picture up to the mountain. The proper formalities having been
observed, the people all went out in crowds to welcome it and, as it was
borne along, cried--

"Acqua, Maria, acqua!" ("Rain, Maria, rain!")

Meanwhile the clouds were gathering and presently a tremendous
thunderstorm came on which drenched them all, and they returned to the
mountain, shouting--

"Basta, Maria, basta!" ("Leave off, Maria, leave off!")

The lightning struck the church and injured four persons who were
standing near the altar, but the Madonna was already in her place, and
owing to her presence they recovered.

The picture, like many of the thaumaturgic representations of the
Madonna, is the work of St. Luke the Evangelist--all except the head
which was done by an angel who descended from heaven expressly for the
purpose. This being so, one would expect to find its home on the top of
the very Mountain itself, in the chief place of the comune, and not down
at an insignificant little village like Custonaci. Some have thought
that to allow the Sanctuary of a Madonna Ericina to take the place of the
Temple of Venus Erycina would have been to insist on a parallelism about
which it was desirable to say as little as possible. Others believe the
real reason why we have a Madonna di Custonaci to be preserved in the
following legend. {154}

A French vessel, laden with precious merchandise and also with this still
more precious picture, was returning to Marseilles from Alexandria in
Egypt, and, while sailing the Sicilian seas, encountered a furious
tempest. The more the unhappy mariners laboured to govern their craft,
the less they succeeded, and at last, despairing of earthly help, they
turned their thoughts to the Madonna. With streaming eyes they knelt
before the painting and prayed without ceasing to the Queen of Heaven
that she would be graciously pleased to conduct them safely home. For a
long time they met with no response, but when they were nearing Cofano,
every sailor heard a