A
TOUR UP THE STRAITS,
FROM
GIBRALTAR
TO
CONSTANTINOPLE.
WITH THE
LEADING EVENTS IN THE PRESENT WAR
BETWEEN THE
AUSTRIANS, RUSSIANS, AND THE TURKS,
TO THE
COMMENCEMENT OF THE YEAR 1789.
_By_ CAPTAIN SUTHERLAND,
OF THE 25^{TH} REGIMENT.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR;
AND SOLD BY J. JOHNSON, N^O 72, ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD.
M.DCC.XC.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO
THE RIGHT HONORABLE
LADY LOUISA LENNOX,
THIS VOLUME
IS
MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED,
BY HER LADYSHIP's
MOST OBLIGED,
MOST FAITHFUL, AND
MOST OBEDIENT SERVANT,
D. SUTHERLAND.
INTRODUCTION.
The Commander in Chief of the garrison of Gibraltar having indulged the
Author of the following pages with leave of absence, he accepted an
invitation from an amiable Friend, to accompany him on a Voyage to the
Levant.
It was with the most heart-felt satisfaction, that he found himself
enabled to profit by so favorable an opportunity of visiting a country,
not only interesting from the precious remains of antiquity with which
it is still adorned, but from the critical state into which it was
thrown by the war already began, which threatened, sooner or later, to
involve in it many of the Powers of Europe, and to call forth the just
arm of Great Britain, to check the haughty usurpations of the ambitious
Court of Russia.
The Author's friends saw his happiness in embarking on such a Tour; and,
that they might, in some degree, partake of it, one of them insisted
that he should keep, and transmit him, a regular Journal.
This promise the Author readily gave, and faithfully observed.
The compliments paid to this little work, first gave him the idea of
appearing in print. Aware, however, that the ground he had travelled
over, had often been treated upon by much more able pens, he for some
time suppressed his hopes of becoming a candidate for fame in the
literary world: but, after the general encouragement he met, he would
have been guilty of injustice to himself, and of want of confidence in
his friends, had he any longer hesitated to appear before the Public.
CONTENTS.
LETTER I.
Page
_CEUTA--Goths and Saracens--Almeria--Rocks
of Abibo_
1
LETTER II.
_Carthagena--War of the Succession_
12
LETTER III.
_Reception at Cagliari--Lucilla_
24
LETTER IV.
_Churches--Ball at the Palace--Trade,
&c. of Sardinia_
37
LETTER V.
_Island of Capria--Tiberius--Malonia_
46
LETTER VI.
_Excursion to Baia_
49
LETTER VII.
_Mount Vesuvius--The Hermit--Bay of
Naples_
64
LETTER VIII.
_Capo de Monte--Portici--Herculaneum--Pompeia_
75
LETTER IX.
_Casertta--St. Januarius--Opera--Government_
86
LETTER X.
_Visit to the King of Naples at Castello
Mare--The Queen--Coast of Salerno--Pestum_
97
LETTER XI.
_Lipari Islands--Volcano of Strombolo_
106
LETTER XII.
_Messina--Earthquake--Scylla and Charybdis--Sir
George Byng--Commodore
Walton_
112
LETTER XIII.
_A fireball--Zante--Ithaca--Promontory
of Leucate--Turks and Greeks_
124
LETTER XIV.
_Pirates--Milo--Paros--Attica--Sunium_
139
LETTER XV.
_Smyrna--Great Advantages to be derived
from the Turkey Trade--Necessity of
a regular Lazaretto in England_
158
LETTER XVI.
_Cause of the War--The Russian Minister
is sent to the Seven Towers--Turkish
Manifesto--Attempt on Kimbourn--A
Russian Ship of sixty-four guns gives
herself up to the Turks--Ambitious
Views of the two Imperial Courts--The
Interest of England greatly endangered
by them--Necessity of our opposing
the Empress_
169
LETTER XVII.
_Journey to Ephesus--The poor Girl--Caravansera--Temple
of Diana--Character
of the Turkish Ministers--The
Vice-Admiral of the Porte beheaded_
189
LETTER XVIII.
_Scyros--Idra--History of Athens_
209
LETTER XIX.
_Present State of Athens--Battle of Marathon_
225
LETTER XX.
_Greek and Mahometan Religion_
241
LETTER XXI.
_Voyage from Athens to Leghorn_
258
LETTER XXII.
_Journey from Leghorn to Florence--Government
of Peter Leopold--Public
Ornaments--Palaces, Ricardi and Gerrini_
263
LETTER XXIII.
_Gallery of Florence_
275
LETTER XXIV.
_Island of Elba--Mount Vesuvius_
292
LETTER XXV.
_Voyage to Palermo--Grotesque Statues--Funeral
of Prince Patagonia_
297
LETTER XXVI.
_Attempt upon Belgrade--The Emperor declares
War--Operations in Croatia--Prince
Lichtenstein defeated by the
Turks--The Emperor takes the Field in
Person--The Prince of Moldavia deserts
from the Turks_
307
LETTER XXVII.
_The Prince of Saxe Cobourg invests Choczim--Siege
of Oczakow--Marshal
Laudohn--Political Observations--Meadia
taken by the Turks--The Grand
Vizir defeats the Emperor_
325
LETTER XXVIII.
_Passage through the Dardanelles--Constantinople_
346
LETTER XXIX.
_Conclusion of the Campaign 1788_
360
_Advertisement_
369
A
TOUR
FROM
GIBRALTAR
TO
CONSTANTINOPLE.
* * * * *
LETTER I.
TO CAPTAIN SMITH.
Carthagena, August 14th.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
In compliance with your request, I
I have kept a regular Journal of my
Voyage, which I now inclose you:
Tuesday, August 7th, Noon.
At eight o'clock, yesterday morning, we left Gibraltar, with a contrary
wind; and, on the first tack, we passed Ceuta, a place of no great
intrinsic value, but an indifferent port. It is situated on a peninsula
of Africa, which, with Gibraltar, Spartel and Trafalgar, forms the
Straits, and is so strongly fortified by Nature, that, although the
Moors have often besieged it, it has withstood all their efforts.
Count Julian was Governor of this place, at the time Roderigo ravished
his daughter, the beautiful _Cava_. The Count, inflamed with rage at the
dishonor perpetrated on his family, and distracted at the ruin of his
own child, forgot his duty to his country, which no private injuries can
excuse, and engaged to put the Moors in possession of Spain, if they
would revenge him on his abandoned Monarch.
It is not easy to determine who were the first inhabitants of Spain. We
know that it was subdued by the Carthaginians before the Christian æra,
and that they were conquered by the Romans; who, in their turn, yielded
to the Goths, from whom Roderigo was descended.
At this time, the Saracens (the name the followers of Mahomet assumed)
emigrating from Arabia, had overrun the neighbouring parts of Africa,
which they have kept possession of ever since. To these people, Count
Julian, with great truth, represented Roderic as a Prince universally
detested, and whose tyranny promised a general insurrection among the
Goths. The Saracen Chief at first doubted the Count's sincerity, but at
last sent over a large army, which gained a [Sidenote: A. D. 712]
complete victory over Roderigo, who was killed in the action; and the
whole country submitted to the Moors.
Divisions arising among the conquerors, the natives, in less than six
years, again appeared in arms, and the Saracens gradually declined for
near two centuries. Almanzor then arose, and, by his repeated victories,
revived the affairs of his countrymen: But, on the death of this great
General, the Christians again made head, and reduced the Moors to such
straits, that, although Mahomet Ben Joseph, Sovereign of Barbary, came
over to their assistance with all his forces, he was entirely defeated.
A. D. 1212.
The same dissensions, however, which had ruined the Saracens, now broke
out among the Christians, and enabled the former to shelter themselves
in Grenada, the only province now remaining to them in Spain. Here they
continued till the different monarchies which had been erected on their
ruin, were all, except Navarre, united under [Sidenote: A. D. 1492.]
Ferdinand and Isabella. Grenadawas then taken; but the Moors were
allowed to remain in the country, as subjects, till the reign of Philip
the Third, who, in apprehension of an insurrection, banished them
entirely [Sidenote: A. D. 1602.] from out of his kingdom. The
depopulation which this measure occasioned, is sensibly felt to the
present day. Count Julian was himself put to death by the Moors, on a
suspicion that he intended to desert their cause. His fate afforded us
an ample field for reflection.
We continued our course along the Barbary shore till midnight. We were
then obliged to tack, and are now opposite Malaga, twenty leagues from
Gibraltar. This, considering that the wind has been constantly easterly,
is no bad specimen of our sailing.
On the spot we are passing, Sir George Rooke, soon after he had taken
Gibraltar, engaged the Grand Fleet of France, consisting of fifty-two
sail of the line. The English and Dutch had as many ships; but the
French, being later from port, were much better manned, and in superior
[Sidenote: August 13, 1704.] condition. The battle lasted all the day.
Both sides suffered a very severe loss in men; but not one vessel was
taken or destroyed. Each claimed the victory; but the French Admirals
took care not to face us again during the whole of the war.
August 8th and 9th.
Calms and light easterly winds. The sea, for several miles round us, is
entirely covered with the spawn of fish. Philosophers have not been able
to determine how these animals are engendered: I will therefore pass
them over. The Grenada mountains rise to a stupendous height on our
left, and, even at this late season, their heads are covered with snow.
August 10th, Noon.
We have been, all this morning, in sight of Almeria. The more, for two
or three leagues on each side, is almost flat, with a very fine beach;
but the town itself displays all the variety of hill, dale and water. It
stands on a river, whose banks seem in high cultivation, and are
over-hung by prodigious mountains; whilst the low ground, particularly
to the east, rises in a gradual slope, covered with groves and avenues
of olive, and cork-trees, interspersed with vines and green canes. This
beautiful spot forms a kind of amphitheatre, enclosed by the Grenadines,
whose rugged summits appear almost inaccessible.
On a steep ascent, at the West end of the town, stands a large Moorish
castle, in very good repair. At present it is only respectable for its
antiquity; but, in 1147, it made a most vigorous defence against Conrad
the Third, assisted by the French, Genoese, and Pisans; and, after a
glorious resistance, it was taken by assault, and all the Moors most
inhumanly put to death. Vast riches were found in the place,
particularly the famous Agate ship, which is still shewn by the Genoese,
as one of the most valuable curiosities in Genoa. The castle of Almeria
is an exact copy of that at Gibraltar, and, like it, is commanded by an
height immediately above it.
Dusk. Early in the afternoon, a breeze sprang up, and we are now off
Cape de Gatt, about six leagues from Almeria, and fifty-two from
Gibraltar. On the point, the Spaniards have a small barbette battery.
The land, for some miles on each side, is almost perpendicular; but,
although we are near a league from the shore, we have soundings in
sixteen fathoms. The easterly wind continuing, we have just tacked, and
are standing to the South.
August 11th.
In the morning, we made Abido, an island of rocks, on the Barbary shore,
Lat. 35° 44′, Long. 51′ W. and, in the afternoon, passed between the
island and the main, which no British ship, I believe, ever did before.
The passage is barely three leagues wide; but the shallowest water,
three quarters of a mile from the rocks, was thirty-seven fathoms. The
wind being contrary, we were several hours in working through.
August 12th.
During last night, we crossed from the African to the Spanish shore,
where the wind has left us in a calm.
August 13th, Mid-day.
We are now in sight of Almazaron, a scattered village, at the bottom of
a small bay, well flanked by some little works on the cliffs on each
side. At 4 P. M. tacked in fifteen fathoms water, one mile off Cape
Tignose. On the west side of this point, there is good anchorage, well
sheltered from the east wind. The Spaniards have a white tower on the
point, on which they have mounted two or three small guns; and, indeed,
we have scarce seen a spot on the coast of Spain, that a boat could land
on, but what is defended by a tower or a little battery. Slight as these
works appear, they not only check the smugglers, but have frequently
been of service in protecting the coasters from the depredations of the
Barbary corsairs; while they also communicate intelligence, by signals,
from one extremity of the kingdom to the other, in very few hours.
Tuesday, August 14th.
The wind blowing hard from the East, with a heavy swell, we have
anchored off the mouth of Carthagena harbour.
Notwithstanding the adverse winds, nothing could be more pleasant than
our voyage. We have crossed the Mediterranean several times, but have
never been more than twelve hours out of sight of land; and the weather,
till last night, was so moderate, that not a soul has been sea sick.
The Spaniards have been remarkably civil. They have made a thousand
apologies for putting us under quarantine, and have promised to send us
every thing we may want. Carthagena is in Lat. 37° 42′, Long. 58′ W. two
hundred and fifty miles from Gibraltar. It was built by Asdrubal, from
whose country it took its name. I will be more particular in my next
letter.
LETTER II.
TO CAPTAIN SMITH.
Carthagena, August 15th.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
The entrance of this harbour is not more than six hundred yards wide,
and is flanked by about thirty guns on the east side, and two-and-twenty
on the west: But, as troops coming from the town, must take a
considerable circuit round the water, I imagine that, on a sudden
attack, these batteries would not be manned in less than two hours. I
can discern no embrazures on the line wall towards the sea; but, on the
pier without the gates, there is a low battery of fifty heavy guns, to
defend the entrance of the bason at the west end of the town. This
passage has no defence on the opposite side, but is scarce fifty yards
wide. The King's ships are laid up immediately within it. At present,
they amount to twenty-one sail of the line, besides frigates; but they
are so closely lashed together, that, if one took fire, the whole, in
all probability, would be consumed. None of them are coppered, nor have
they any masts standing; and, although Carthagena is the second naval
arsenal in Spain, nothing like a man of war in any readiness for
service; is here to be seen, except a small copper-bottomed brig, and a
few galleys: of these the brig only is in commission.[1]
The dock-yard is contiguous to the bason, and both are commanded by
several heights. Two of these are secured by redoubts; the rest are
intrusted to crosses. The works round the city are, I believe, but weak;
and there are several fine landing places within a day's march of the
town.
Footnote 1:
This was only four weeks before the French Ambassador delivered the
hostile declaration, which, to the honor of our country, his Court was
compelled to retract, and proves, that nothing had been pre-concerted
with Spain, relative to the succours to be given to the French faction
in Holland.
---
We felt much obliged to the Governor, Don Joseph De Rocas, for his very
great attention. Besides repeated offers of his best services, he sent
his Aid de Camp to compliment us on our arrival, and to express the
utmost regret, that the orders from his Court were so strict, that he
could not have the honor of seeing us on shore, until we had performed a
tedious quarantine; but, in the mean while, if we were disposed to amuse
ourselves in the harbour, he would send a boat to shew us every thing we
wished, and would do all in his power, to make our stay as pleasant as
possible. We thanked him for his kindness and civility, and, in return,
determined to give him no trouble.
As the English were once in possession of Carthagena, and I may have
frequent occasion to mention the operations of the British arms in the
Mediterranean, to prevent repetition, I will recite, in as few words as
possible, the rise, progress, and conclusion of the War of the
Succession.
Ferdinand and Isabella were succeeded, in 1515, by their grandson, the
famous Charles, afterwards Emperor of Germany. Charles, in 1556,
resigned his crown to his son, Philip II. whose grandson, Philip IV. had
issue, Charles, Maria Theresa, and Margaret. Maria Theresa married Louis
XIV. of France, who was compelled to resign every pretension he might
afterwards have to Spain, in consequence of this marriage; and Margaret
was given to the Emperor Leopold.
Philip IV. was succeeded by his son Charles II. who seemed likely to
leave no issue. Louis XIV. therefore apprehending that, at the death of
this King, a great contest would arise for the crown of Spain, entered
into a secret treaty with William III. and the Dutch, for the partition
of its dominions: by which it was agreed, that all the Spanish
territories in Italy, the province of Guipuscoa in Spain, and the
duchies of Lorrain and Bar, should devolve to the Dauphin; whilst the
kingdom of Spain, and Spanish America, should be given to the Archduke
Charles, the Emperor's second son, the eldest being already provided
for. It is to be observed, that these sons were by the Emperor's second
marriage, Margaret and all her issue being dead. The Dauphin would
therefore have been the undoubted heir apparent, had not his father, on
his marriage, renounced his right.
The Spaniards, who were so nearly concerned, knew nothing of this
Partition Treaty. Soon after its conclusion, Charles II. of Spain died,
and, by his will, left all his dominions to Philip, Duke of Anjou, the
Dauphin's second son. Louis immediately sent his grandson to ascend the
throne. This was a breach of the Partition Treaty, which William
determined to oppose; but dying at this crisis, war was declared by
Queen Anne, who, in conjunction with the Emperor Leopold and the Dutch,
set up the Archduke Charles, in opposition to the Duke of Anjou. In this
war several other Powers took part.
Sir George Rooke and the Duke of Ormond were sent to Cadiz, in hopes
that the Andalusians would declare for Charles: but they refused to
acknowledge him; and the English, thinking the town too strong to be
carried by force, re-embarked. On their return, Sir George and the Duke,
hearing that a squadron of French men of war, with a very valuable
convoy, had put into Vigo, determined [Sidenote: Oct. 1702.] to attack
them; which they executed with the most brilliant success. Ten
line-of-battle ships and eleven galleons were taken, and six galleons
and five sail of the line, burnt, besides many smaller vessels.
In 1704, the Archduke embarked on board the Confederate Fleet, and,
after an unsuccessful attempt on Barcelona, set off for Lisbon, the
Portuguese having espoused his cause against Philip. In the mean while,
Sir George took Gibraltar, and engaged Count Thoulouse off Malaga.
Gibraltar was immediately besieged by the French and Spaniards, but was
relieved by Admiral Leake, in 1705, who took a line-of-battle ship, and
burnt four more.
Charles again embarked on board our fleet, at Altea Bay, with Lord
Peterborough, and the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt. The Prince was repulsed
and killed at the assault of Fort Montjuic, at Barcelona; but Lord
Peterborough instantly [Sidenote: Sept. 3, 1705.] renewed the attack,
and carried the fort. The town surrendered soon after. Lord Peterborough
marched directly into Valentia, and, in a few months, with scarce six
thousand English troops, overrun the greatest part of Spain, and entered
Madrid in triumph. His stay there, however, was but short; for he was
obliged to return to the assistance of King Charles, who was now
besieged in Barcelona, by General Tessé: but, on the Earl's approach,
the French General raised the siege with the utmost precipitation,
leaving all his baggage, camp equipage, [Sidenote: April, 1706.]
artillery and wounded men behind him. Victory, throughout this campaign,
was the constant attendant on the British arms. The town of Alicant was
taken by assault; [Sidenote: June 28.] and the citadel surrendered next
day. Carthagena having offered to acknowledge Charles, a detachment was
sent to secure it. Majorca and Ivica surrendered soon after.
But the eminent services of the Earl of Peterborough not gaining him a
proper influence in the Administration, he resigned his command, and was
succeeded by Lord Galway, a brave man. But, by the mismanagement of King
Charles, his affairs fell into great confusion; and Lord Galway, being
obliged to engage the enemy under many disadvantages at Almanza,
[Sidenote: April 14, 1707.] was entirely defeated. The consequences of
this victory gave Philip a decided superiority in Spain.
In the mean while, the Duke of Marlborough having carried all before him
in Flanders, and the Duke of Savoy having driven the enemy out of his
dominions, it was resolved, that the army under his Highness's command
in Italy, assisted by the fleet in the Mediterranean, should besiege
Toulon: but the Emperor Joseph, who had succeeded his father Leopold,
withdrawing his forces to besiege Naples, [Sidenote: August 4.] and the
French making a successful sally, in which they burnt all the batteries,
the Allies were obliged to raise the siege.
Nothing remarkable was done in Spain in 1708. Our army was reinforced,
and the enemy's distressed by the capture of a large convoy of
provisions. Cagliari, the capital, and the whole island of Sardinia,
submitted to King Charles; Minorca was taken by General Stanhope, and
Naples surrendered to the Emperor.
Next year, Alicant was taken by the enemy. The rock on which the citadel
stood, was defended for several months, by Major General Richards, with
the [Sidenote: April, 1709.] most romantic valour, but was at last
undermined and blown up. The General, and most of the principal
Officers, having purposely exposed themselves, to animate the garrison
to stand the threatened shock, were lost in the explosion; but the
survivors, under Colonel D'Allon, defended themselves till the British
fleet arrived and carried them off.
During the remainder of the war, Charles's affairs continued to decline;
and his success at Sarragossa and Almanara was balanced by a defeat at
Villa Viciosa, and the capture of General Stanhope's army at Brihuega.
At this juncture, his brother died, and Charles, succeeding to the
empire of Germany (1711), left Spain; but his partizans, assisted by the
English under the Duke of Argyle, kept possession of Barcelona, and the
greatest part of Catalonia, till the peace of Utrecht in 1713.
By this treaty, Charles resigned his pretentions to Spain; but, in
addition to the empire, he retained Sardinia, Naples, Milan, and the
Spanish Netherlands. Sicily was given to the Duke of Savoy, with the
title of King; together with Fenestrelles, and some other places taken
from the French. The Dutch got their Barrier; the English, only Minorca
and Gibraltar, with some settlements in North America. Prussia got Upper
Gueldres.
Philip, Duke of Anjou, was declared King of Spain: but, to prevent that
kingdom and France from ever being united under one head, Philip was
obliged to renounce every future claim to France; whilst the Dukes of
Berry and Orleans were obliged to do the same by Spain.
I wish much to enlarge on the gallant exploits of the Earl of
Peterborough, the heroic defence of General Richards, and the noble
spirit of the Catalonians after they were abandoned by the Emperor and
Queen Ann to the chastisement of Philip; but the bounds prescribed to a
journal will not permit me.
LETTER III.
TO CAPTAIN SMITH.
Cagliari, September 1st.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
ON the 16th of last month, we weighed anchor off the harbour of
Carthagena, and sailed out of the bay, between the rock and the
continent, to the great astonishment of the Spaniards: but, although one
might almost make hands with them on each side, there is no danger in a
steady breeze; for the shore is so bold, that, whilst we had soundings
in fourteen fathoms on one side of the ship, we found no bottom with a
line of twenty on the other.
The wind favoured us for some hours; but, before night, it got back to
its old quarter, the east, and continued there, with little variation,
till the 23d. By this time, after having had a distant view of the high
land of Majorca, we were in sight of Sardinia, in Lat. 40° 10′, and,
with the assistance of the land breeze, got down to Cape Tolero on the
24th. In the night, we passed two rocks, called the Bull and Cow, Lat.
38° 35′, and, on the 25th, anchored in the bay of Cagliari, the capital,
Lat. 39° 14′, Long. 9° 20′ East, distant from Gibraltar about two
hundred and fifty leagues.
Early the next morning, we got prattick, with an invitation to dine with
the Viceroy, Count St. André. Three carriages were sent to carry us to
the palace. The dinner was in the French stile, and the head dish in the
second course was half a young wild boar, roasted entire: it was
superior to any pork I ever tasted. We had no wine but at dinner, and
one glass of _liqueur_ after the desert. The principal people of the
island were invited to meet us, and among them, the Marchionesses of
Villarias and Pasqua, and the Baroness Tauolard, the three handsomest of
their ladies.
Villarias has captured all our hearts. I have often endeavoured to form
an idea of Eve in her state of innocence, but never succeeded until I
saw this charming _Marchesa_. With the first rank and fashion, she is a
child of Nature, and Nature in perfection. Her limbs are most elegantly
turned, and her beautiful shape is neither distorted by stays, nor
encumbered by a load of false _croupion_. It is impossible to describe
how such a woman moves. She is of the middle size, and in the prime of
youth. Her face is equal to her person, brunette, with lovely black
eyes, whose expression gives full force to the vivacity of her
conversation.
Pasqua possesses every attraction but that of drawing one from
Villarias. Tauolard is handsome and amiable, but has not so much of
_L'Allegro_ as the other two. Their dress is like the English; but the
unnatural passion for monstrous protuberances, which I am sorry to hear
still reigns among our fair countrywomen, hath not yet reached Cagliari.
In their manners, the Sardinian ladies are more like the French. They
say every thing that comes uppermost, and have no idea of reserve. You
kiss their hands as a mere compliment; and, in dancing, whenever you
turn a lady, she expects you to put your arm round her waist, whilst
her's rests on your shoulder.
This frankness is vastly pleasant, and is here of no evil tendency; for,
in a confined society, secluded from the general world, where the
characters and their connections are thoroughly known, and where the
number of the profligate is too small to find either countenance or
protection, confidence and sincerity on the part of the women, naturally
produce honor and esteem in the breasts of the men.
THE
STORY of LUCILLA.
MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED TO
The Hon. Mrs. CHETWYND STAPYLTON
After coffee, the ladies carried us to see a nunnery, of which there are
no less than fourteen in Sardinia. I have ever thought these
institutions a defect in policy, and have reprobated the idea of the
Almighty being pleased at our depriving ourselves of the power of doing
any one good and moral action: but, in justice to the Superintendants in
this island, it must be observed, that no girl is permitted to become a
Novice until she is fifteen, and must then serve a year longer before
she can be allowed to take the veil; but this ceremony once performed,
she must bid an eternal farewell to the world.
We saw none of the Nuns but the Superiors and Novices. They stood within
the inner door, which, as a particular distinction, they opened while
they conversed with us across the threshold. My attention was soon
arrested by the youngest of the Superiors.
She appears scarcely thirty. Confinement has only softened the colour of
her cheek, and composed the lustre of her eye. Her features are
perfectly regular, and her countenance is animated by the cheerful glow
of benevolence and virtue. With the gentleness of a saint, she possesses
all the accomplishments of a woman of the world, and speaks a variety of
languages, with a voice harmoniously sweet.
Her name is Lucilla. She is aunt to the beautiful Villarias, and, like
her, in her youth, was the pride of Sardinia. Early in life, she engaged
herself to Fernando, a young nobleman, in every respect her equal. Their
hearts were already united, and the day was fixed for their nuptials;
but, before this happy hour could be celebrated, the sudden death of the
best of parents obliged Fernando to pass over to the Continent, to
perform the last offices to his deceased, and affectionate father.
Before his departure, he repeated those endearing vows of eternal
constancy; which both he and Lucilla had often given and received; and
each promised to write by every opportunity.
Lucilla kept her word; and when the time she expected an answer had
expired, her mind was filled with anxious fears for her lover's safety.
At length she heard of his arrival at Turin from his friends, most of
whom had received letters from him; but Lucilla, who expected to have
had the first, got none. She was too generous to be suspicious, and,
instead of complaining, continued writing to Fernando in the most
affectionate terms, making every excuse for not hearing from him, but
entreating him, as he valued her affection, to write to her by every
channel.
The amiable Lucilla had still the mortification of seeing post after
post arrive, without a line from her lover. At length she heard,
accidentally, that he was soon to set out for Spain, from whence he was
to embark for South America. A thousand painful emotions now seized her
breast, and her grief for her lover's unworthiness was not the least.
Her fate was drawing to a crisis; and, as her last resource, she wrote
him the following letter:
"Until I heard of your preparations
for crossing the Atlantic, I attributed
your silence to your confidence in my
esteem, and in my unalterable attachment;
and when I reflected how long
your indispensable concerns would engage
you, I had almost persuaded
myself to wish that you would not
prolong your absence, even by the
time in which you would be writing
to me: but, what I have hitherto considered
as an occasional slight, is now
become an injury so cruel and inhuman,
that, with all my prejudice in
your favor, I have great difficulty to
make myself believe that I am not
entirely bereft of your affection. If
you are capable of such inconstancy,
I absolve you of your vows; and may
Heaven forgive you. Mine, I shall
ever keep sacred. If you deprive me
of the power of fulfilling them--the
convent of St. Lucia is not far from
me: there will I for ever seclude myself
from the world, and confirm how
sincerely I am your
LUCILLA."
This letter having only increased her disappointment, Lucilla took the
irrevokable vow, and exerted all her resolution to subdue her passion.
Two years after she had taken the veil, her guardian died; and, in his
last moments, the wretch confessed, that he had never forwarded any of
the letters intrusted to him, and that he had kept Fernando's. He
pointed to a box, where they were deposited; but death prevented his
discovering his motive for such enormous treachery.
Fernando's letters were exactly in the same strain with Lucilla's. He
frequently mentions, that his friends in Spain had solicited him to
accept one of the chief appointments in South America; but that he
should think the whole world itself no recompense for being absent from
his Lucilla. In his last, he reminds her of her vows, with the utmost
delicacy and affection. He assures her that, without her, all situations
will be equally miserable to him, and conjures her, in the most
passionate terms, no longer to trifle with his happiness; for, that he
should be obliged to yield to the importunity of his Spanish relations,
unless me would again make Sardinia a Paradise, by alluring him of her
constancy.
Lucilla was soon informed how cruelly she had been deceived; but, far
from complaining, she was almost overcome with joy at the proof of her
lover's affection. From that time, she reassumed her former
cheerfulness; and, with injuries sufficient to distract any thing less
than an angel, I really believe she is the happiest person in the
convent. Such are the comforts of religion, and so true is the
adage--"Virtue is happiness," that Lucilla's thoughts now rise superior
to the world; and, without offending the Deity by heat or impatience,
she looks, with tranquil joy, for that moment which will be the
commencement of endless bliss, when she and Fernando will be united in
Heaven.
I leave you to conceive, my dear Madam, how much her history increased
the veneration I before felt for her. Villarias is my author. Her words,
enforced by her expressive countenance, are engraven on my heart; but it
is impossible to translate them. The youthful Marchioness is no
enthusiast in favor of nunneries; but she has made me allow, that, to
dispositions and misfortunes like Lucilla's, they afford a comfortable
asylum.
LETTER IV.
TO CAPTAIN SMITH.
Cagliari, September 1st.
MY DEAR SIR,
THE churches here are plainer than one expects in a Roman Catholic
country; but many of them are beautifully neat. The altar-pieces are
composed of coloured marble, with no other ornaments than plated
candlesticks and artificial flowers. We have seen but few paintings, and
very little sculpture. The piece which struck us most, was for its
singularity as a religious ornament, in one of the chapels of the
cathedral. It is a group, with two figures a little detached on each
side; neither of whom convey any idea of decency, much less of religion.
The only procession I have seen, I at first mistook for a recruiting
party. It was led by a red standard, with drums and fifes playing
Malbrook, followed by several detachments of menial ecclesiastics, in
party-coloured dresses, with a small crucifix between each division. The
rear was brought up by an image of the Virgin Mary, and a chorus. These
gentlemen were rather sparing of their music; but what they did perform,
was remarkably fine.
On the second night after our arrival, Count André gave us a ball at the
palace. The dances were all English, except two: the first was La
Courance; the other, a Sardinian. It consists of an unlimited number of
ladies and gentlemen, who stand in a ring, and dance several times round
the centre, in short steps, to a measure, something like the slow time
of a _Fandango_. Every now and then, the whole close; and the men, with
an imitation of neighing, first kick their legs forward, then throw them
back, fall on their knees, and spring to their places. The ring now
opens, and the two ends turning outwards, lead round till they join.
After footing it a little thus back to back, the former manœuvre is
repeated, to bring the ring to its original position, and the dance is
ended. The ball concluded with _Country Bumpkin_, to the great delight
of the Sardinians, who had never seen it properly danced. I had the
pleasure of dancing that, as well as La Courance, and another with the
charming Villarias. Different ices were served between the dances, and
we broke up about an hour after midnight. We were introduced to near
twenty ladies, but none of them are worth a particular description but
the three I have named.
The Viceroy is a man of good understanding, and of accomplished manners.
He was formerly Governor of Nice, and always remarkable for his
partiality to the English. One afternoon when we were almost _en
famille_, he said, "_Allons en Angleterre_," and led us into another
room, where we found a complete tea-table. He was highly pleased at the
agreeable surprise he saw in our countenances, and we were equally
charmed with his flattering attention. He has had some of us to dine
with him every day, and always sends his carriages for us. Let this, my
dear friend, be a lesson to us to treat strangers with attention. We are
always sure of receiving it abroad, and it is shameful not to return it
at home. His son, the Chevalier de Revel, possesses all the politeness
of the French, with the sincerity of the English. He has been in every
part of England, and speaks our language very fluently.
Sardinia is now subject to the Duke of Savoy, who by the Quadruple
Alliance, [Sidenote: A. D. 1720.] was obliged to accept it in lieu of
Sicily, which was given to the Emperor. It is 140 miles long, and 70
broad, and contains 420,000 souls. The revenue arises chiefly from a
duty upon salt, and is barely sufficient to defray its expences; but it
certainly might be considerably augmented, as the soil produces wine,
corn, and oil in abundance. Most of the salt that is exported, is taken
by the Danes and Swedes; the English formerly took great quantities for
Newfoundland, but having found the procuring it from Spain and Portugal
more convenient, they now take little or none. A profitable tunny
fishery is carried on at the south west part of the island, but it is
monopolized by the Duke de St. Pierre, and a few more people, who happen
to be proprietors of the adjoining land. Wild boars abound in the hilly
parts of the island, and here are
some few deer, not so large as ours, but in colour and make exactly the
same. I tasted part of one at the Viceroy's, and found it by no means
inferior to our doe venison.
The Feudal System still subsists in a limited degree, and titles go with
their estates, so that by purchasing the latter, you inherit the former.
The regular troops seldom exceed two thousand men, but the militia
amount to near twenty-six thousand, of whom eleven thousand are cavalry.
Their horses are small, but uncommonly active. In a charge we should
beat them, but on a march they would be superior to us. The country
people are generally armed; but notwithstanding their having been so
long under the Spanish and Italian government, assassinations are by no
means frequent; and yet by the laws of the country, if a man stabs
another without premeditated malice, within four hours after quarrelling
with him, he is not liable to be hanged. On the other hand, the church
affords no protection to the guilty.
The Sardinians are not at all bigoted, and, next to the Spaniards, the
English are their favorites. In 1708, the Viceroy was disposed to
support the Duke of Anjou, but on the approach of the British fleet, the
inhabitants obliged him to acknowledge Charles.
The town stands on the side of an hill, rising from the sea, with a
rampart round it. The situation is strong by nature; but the works are
much out of repair. The worst of this port is, that, on account of the
shoalness of the water, men of war are obliged to lay a long distance
from the shore; and, although the bay is of a very considerable extent,
yet the channel for large ships is so narrow, that, in working out with
a contrary wind, it is difficult to avoid getting aground; but, as the
bottom is, in general, soft, touching is attended with no bad
consequence but the trouble of getting off.
For several leagues round the hill on which Cagliari stands, the country
is almost flat; but, although it appears remarkably fine, it is reckoned
prodigiously unhealthy; and it is a known fact, that the night air, in
many parts of this island, is a kind of poison to strangers. The harvest
is got in. The grapes are ripe; but the vintage has scarce begun. The
vines are exactly in the order recommended by Virgil. We rode through
several of the vineyards, and found the peasants excessively civil. They
loaded us with their best grapes; and it was with the utmost difficulty,
that we prevailed upon them to accept any money in return. They dress
like the Spaniards, to whom they are still much attached; and I found my
understanding Spanish a great recommendation, even with the Noblesse,
and the divine Lucilla.
LETTER V.
TO CAPTAIN SMITH.
Naples, September 9th.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
We left Sardinia on the 3d instant; on the 7th, at day-light, were in
sight of Mount Vesuvius; and, in the evening, we were close to Capria, a
small island on the right of the entrance to the bay of Naples, famous
for the abode of Tiberius. In size and shape, it is not unlike
Gibraltar. The town is in the center of the west side, surrounded and
interspersed with vines and evergreens, which give the houses the
appearance of so many villas peeping through the trees. This spot is
extremely beautiful; but every other part of the island is a bare rock.
When Tiberius, from the consciousness of his crimes, was in perpetual
dread of being assassinated, he made choice of Capria, as a place of
security. It is totally inaccessible on every part, except at a little
bay, which he surrounded with guards, and allowed nobody to enter but by
his own invitation. Here he carried on the most abominable debauchery;
and the accounts we read of his brutality are confirmed by the number of
obscene medals and paintings found in the town.
That which exhibits the beautiful Malonia can never be beheld but with
the utmost horror and companion. In those vitiated times, this
unfortunate lady lived on terms of the purest affection with her
husband, and carefully avoided the Emperor's court. But when, from his
age and infirmities, Tiberius was looked upon as totally debilitated, he
accidentally met her, and was instantly struck by her beauty. The
modesty of her carriage only increased his desire. She was immediately
seized by his guards, and conveyed to the palace, where the horrible
monster, finding that neither power nor promises, threats nor severity,
could tempt Malonia to swerve from her duty, had a machine contrived to
force her to his purpose.--On this she is represented, with a
countenance full of anguish and distress. The rest is too shocking to
describe.
Passing by Capria, with Vesuvius in front, blazing from time to time
during the night, we anchored off Naples the next day, and this morning
got prattick.
LETTER VI.
TO CAPTAIN SMITH.
Naples, September 12th.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
WE lost no time in seeing the wonders of this extraordinary country. Our
first object was to follow Æneas to the Cuman Shore, and on our way
thither, it was but just to pay our oblations at Virgil's Tomb. This
celebrated monument is close to the top of the Grotto of Pausilippe, on
the left of the east entrance. The inside is a square of twelve feet,
with three niches for urns on the east and west sides, two niches and a
door, through which you enter, on the south, and the same on the north.
The roof is arched, and about nine feet high. The outside was originally
octagonal, but the angles being worn away, it is now circular, and at a
distance looks like the remains of a small tower. The materials are of
the common kind, and I did not observe any marble near it, except two
modern inscriptions.
Formerly the tomb was surrounded with laurels, but as every idle visitor
took a leaf, there is not a sprig left. We could not help exclaiming
against such sacrilege; but our guide endeavoured to comfort us, by
saying that the Marquis Salcitro had ordered a new set to be planted.
The Grotto of Pausilippe is at the west end of the suburbs of Naples. It
is a public road cut through the mountain, near half a mile in length,
and wide enough for two carriages to drive abreast. Its height is very
irregular, in some parts eighty feet, and at others only
five-and-twenty. In the day time you may see from one end to the other,
by the help of two large apertures, cut diagonally from the center of
the grotto to the surface of the mount; but at night we were obliged to
use torches, which, when any number of vehicles are driving together,
have a most beautiful effect. The bottom, like all Naples, is paved with
square pieces of lava. Its exact date has not been ascertained. The
common people insist that it was done by inchantment, as a proof of
which they allege that no stones were found near the entrance. It would
be to no purpose to tell them, that those who perforated the mount, very
naturally made use of the stone in building the town.
But after all, the difficulty in accomplishing this passage was by no
means so great as one would at first imagine, for the stone is so soft,
that until it has been for some time exposed to the air, you may crumble
it to dust. Neither, in my opinion, is this celebrated excavation equal
to the batteries, magazines, and communications, formed in the solid
rock of Gibraltar by Mr. Inch, under the direction of General Eliott,
and continued with astonishing success by Major-General O'Hara.
After passing the Grotto we drove to Puzzoli. The road is remarkably
pleasant, great part of it runs between groves of poplars, planted in
regular order, to sustain the vines, in the style of our hop gardens.
The vines are loaded with grapes, and, encircling the trees, form a
variety of beautiful festoons from one tree to another in every
direction. The ground beneath is either covered with grass, or laid out
for corn.
Turning a little out of the way to the right, we came to Lago D'Agnano,
formerly a volcano, now a romantick, beautiful lake. Close to it is a
little cave called Grotto del Cane, from a vapour that rises in it so
obnoxious to dogs, that it kills them in a few minutes, and doubtless it
would have the same effect on man, or any other animal, whose head was
held near the ground.
Between Lago D'Agnano and Puzzoli, on the side of another extinguished
volcano, called the Solfaterra, we saw the Piscatelli, or Boiling
Springs, of whose wonderful effect, in turning lava and pumice stone
into clay and into soil, I had the same evening the satisfaction of
hearing a philosophical account from Sir William Hamilton, with which he
has already favoured the public.
We hired a boat at Puzzoli, and after rowing about two miles across part
of the celebrated Bay of Baia, with Virgil in my pocket, landed close to
the Lucrine Lake, at the foot of Monte Nuovo. This mountain, which is
several hundred yards in height, and above a mile in circumference, was
thrown up by the Lucrine Lake in a violent earthquake in the year 1538.
However strange this may appear, such phenomena are by no means uncommon
in Italy. The lake was of course much reduced by this eruption, and now
only covers three or four acres. It is about ten yards from the sea, and
has a sluice to communicate with it.
After a short walk in a pleasant vineyard, we entered the Sibyl's Cave,
a road cut through a mountain in the style of the Grotto of Pausilippe,
but on a smaller scale. The passage from the cave to her palace is only
wide enough for one person. After descending ten or twelve yards, we
came to her baths, four small chambers with water still in them. We were
carried through on men's backs, with candles in our hands, and ascending
a little on the opposite side, came to the door of her palace; but it is
so choaked up with rubbish, that we were obliged to return without
finding an entrance; and passing through her cave and a wild shrubbery
on the west of it, we arrived at Lake Avernus, and on the opposite banks
saw the grove where Æneas was to find the golden bough.
The lake seems to have lost the noxious qualities Virgil ascribed to it;
but this, I imagine, is owing to most of the high trees with which it
was closely surrounded being cut down, and little but brushwood left.
The temple is at a small distance on the right of the lake; we wanted to
go to it, but our Cicerone persuaded us that it would be better to delay
seeing that and the entrance into Hell, until we had been at Cuma.
We therefore repassed the Sibyl's Cave, and returning to the Lucrine
Lake, again embarked, and proceeded along the shore to the foot of
Nero's Palace, where the sand under the sea water is so hot, that we
could scarcely touch it. The effect of subterraneous fire.
The baths are above. These are several large chambers, divided into
different apartments for the men and women, with two subterranean
passages leading to the water, which unite at the distance of two
hundred yards from the spring. Here the heat is so excessive and
insupportable, that it is supposed no longer necessary to continue the
separate passages, since even should persons of different sexes advance
thus far, there is no danger of their being noticed by each other, for
to get here cost us great pain; and all our clothes, in a few seconds,
were wet through with perspiration.