Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Recollections of My Life, Vol. 2 of 3
For the second time in the course of one year, and in high spirits, I entered Messina; again, as on a former occasion, a charming voyage was in store for me again, as before, a golden morning shone in Sicilian splendour. But man is a strange and inconceivable creature, longing for new impressions, and these were not new, so I was not enthusiastic, for I had seen Spain. I was glad, however, to be able to run into Messina this time, and was pleasantly surprised to find in the middle of a well-secured and closed harbour the celebrated 'Charlemagne, ' the first screw line-of-battle ship of France, which was a matter of great interest to us sailors.
The harbour is not large, but is secured by piers and chiefly filled by coasters. The marine and commercial life is concentrated on the shore, and is so busy and loud that it is heard on entering the harbour as the noise of a waterfall; it annoyed our German phlegm by that unmeaning and wild contention and roaring which is a part of these perpetually noisy southerners. It was the fish-market, and a colossal swordfish, caught in the Faro, was exhibited for sale in a booth. Here was opportunity enough for quarrels, furious curses, ear-piercing cries, each trying to outcry the other, the favourite mode of wrestling amongst the Italians of to-day. Before suspecting any harm, one of our friends had his pocket picked of his handkerchief which gave occasion to much annoyance and amusement and was a caution for the future.
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