which is a noble portrait of La Valette. To these are to be added a dining room not quite so long or so high as the drawing room, but considerably broader, and well pro portioned. The palace is nearly square. The drawing room which I have mentioned is at one of the front angles of the house; between that and the dining room lie the three other rooms before mentioned, and the dining room may perhaps be about the centre. I understand the ball room is a very fine one, and that there are other suites of apartments, as indeed the size of the building bespeaks. In my next, I will tell you more of Valetta, the Island of Malta, a fête to which the General carried me to-day at Bermula, in honour of one of the Saints who are believed to patronize the different villages, or casals as they are here called, and any thing new that occurs. The weather is beginning to assume a wintry character; the three last days having resembled rough days towards the end of October, with a great deal of wind and violent shoots of rain and hail. Previous to that time, nothing could be more delicious than the climate, resembling the finest weather in September. Some days have been very hot. On the 29th of November, while we were in the Lazaretto, the thermometer, at half past twelve at noon, in the shade where the sun had not been at all, or certainly not for some hours, stood at sixty-eight, in the sun it stood at ninety, where there was no reflected heat; and in a place where there was reflected heat, it stood, at nearly the same hour, at one hundred and three; there was little or no wind, what there was, at north-north-west. The weather is not now cold, but we have a fire, which, however, is only a few bits of wood burning on a stone hearth, and this we owe to the happy circumstance that the room we now sit in was built by General Villettes, for in none of the others, which were built by a Spanish Ambassador, is a fire place to be found. On board the Alceste, off Cape Passaro, My dear Father, Once more upon the waters, and so recommences my Journal. Once more upon the waters; but how changed since I last quitted them. My health and spirits are greatly recruited, and though not yet a Hercules, I have enough of both, to do and enjoy whatever is at present desirable, thanks be to Him, who is the Author of all good. I told you my plans in my two last letters. On Monday the 11th at noon, my Uncle and Mr. went off in the General's barge to the packet, which was lying about two miles out of the harbour. They were hardly off, when Captain Maxwell began to attempt getting out. It was no easy matter, for there was a heavy sea, and the' wind, though not strong, blew right in; so there was nothing for it but warping. They worked all hands till five, when the ship was got as far as the point of Ricasoli, though the anchors were still out, and there was some doubt whether it would be possible to get clear. At this time, after taking an affectionate leave of the General, whose kindness no language could paint too strongly, I went off, and shortly arrived on board; where I was received with much politeness by Captain M. I found, on going down, a very nice cabin and state room, like the Apollo's; we did, as others do,-dined, chatted, walked upon deck, and went to bed. In the mean time, the wind, which had been, what is called a Grecale, in plain English north-east, had got still more to the east, and we stood along Malta, and Goza, as if we had been bound for Gibraltar; then tacked, and stood towards Alexandria; then tacked again, and yesterday found ourselves close upon the Sicilian shore, about forty miles west of Cape Passaro, which same point we have been trying to double ever since, but wind and weather not permitting, are still making acute angles on the waters, gaining a few miles at each tack. March 14. By dint of sailing and working, we are now actually alongside Cape Puerco, with a light breeze, not directly against us, and have good hopes of getting to Messina, before the end of the month. Meanwhile we pass our time agreeably enough. I had a good-view of the coast of Sicily, from near Girgenti, to Cape Passaro. It is finely wooded, rich and romantic; grander, I think, than that above Girgenti, but, perhaps, less picturesque. Cape Passaro is a very low point, stretching out a good way to the east, with a large square tower near its extremity. The character of the shore changes after doubling this cape, the fine bay between that and Cape Puerco being ramparted with high craggy hills, yet rather beautiful than sublime, and neither in an extreme degree. We are not very near them at present; but there appears to be a narrow line of flat country lying at the feet of the mountains along the sea, on which one town, probably Noto, is very plainly discernible. Mount Etna presented a singular appearance this morning. The day being hazy, no land was visible between us and it, so it appeared to float in the clouds, suspended over the ocean. It is covered with snow down to the visible base, with large black masses appearing in parts, and at the summit a deep dark opening. Captain M. thought he saw smoke, I could not discern it, but believe I saw the cone of ashes which is thrown up in the centre. By the way, for fear I should have omitted to mention it before, let me inform you that Mount Etna is frequently and very distinctly seen from Malta, about one hundred and twenty miles. I have seen it from that island repeatedly, and once with such clearness, that if there had been much smoke, I think I must have perceived it. It is only visible when there is a northerly wind, and a clear horizon. I have never told you, I believe, any thing about the Carnival at Malta, and as my stock of intelligence is running low, it will serve perfectly well for an episode here. It is the strangest scene imaginable. The people are or dinarily sober and rational enough; but for the three days preceding Lent, no language can describe their craziness. Dressed in all sorts of antic fashions, and all masked, they ride, drive, and walk about the streets, laughing, hooting, prattling, and pelting one another with sweetmeats. They support no characters, exhibit no wit, commit no outrages, being strictly obedient to the laws of masquerade, which opinion has established, and behave with perfect decorum towards all who are unmasked; but for harmless extravagance the scene is unmatched. I am told the carnival is better worth seeing at Malta, than in most other places; I cannot say it is worth much, even there. The dances, which young men, gaily dressed, perform in the streets, are lively and amusing. These are principally to be seen on the fourth day before Lent. The masks begin parading about the town towards one o'clock, and go on till dark; then adjourn to the theatre, where the same scene of merriment and nonsense is continued, I did not go there, being assured it was all alike, and the heat abo minable. One night, I ventured to an Italian comedy. At first, I could make nothing of it, such is my proficiency; however, by degrees, I caught the accent better, and could follow the tale with some pleasure. The play was one of Goldoni's, and very well acted. The theatre is but a poor one, and very dingy; we were in the General's box, but even that is not spacious. I fear there are no theatres open at Messina, else I should certainly play the truant, by going there frequently; for by reading the play beforehand, I am persuaded the language might be learnt in great perfectness, with surprizing rapidity. I fear I shall find it difficult to make much progress even at Messina, for I am so loaded with letters to the English there, that it will be very difficult to find opportunities for talking any thing but our good homely tongue, which with all its defects I love better, probably because I understand it better, than any other. Yet the richness, beauty, and flexibility of the Italian are really surprizing. Two o'clock. We are really abreast of Syracuse, and have a very good view of it. The town is not fine, but the position very remarkable. It lies in the centre, between Cape Puerco, and Cape Stagnove, the shore retiring in the middle, and running out on either side to these two points, which form, as it were, arms to the city. A very fine interior bay opens close to the town, which stands on the north side of it. There appears to be some flat ground behind it, and at a moderate distance rise hills, which completely embrace it, of no extraordinary height, yet of some elevation, and handsomely varied. The eye following the line of coast to the north-west, by degrees loses it, and the island seems to terminate, but at some |