SICILY AND MALTA. 179
ssocked round us, and the women in parti-
cular abused us exceedingly: the caufe of
which we at last found was, that F-'s
blooming complexion and white skin had
made them take him for one of their own
sex. They made a great clamour, and it
was with difficulty we could appease them.
The person, whom Recupero had appointed
to accompany us, known by the name of
the Cyclops, (the man in the issand that is
best acquainted with mount ./Etna) was or-
dered by them not to go with us; and if
we had not at. last obtained their consent
by soothing and flattery, the best method
with women, he durst not have disobeyed
them. At first we had been obliged to
shut the gate of the court, they were so
very noisy and tumultuous; but when our
landlord (a priest), for whom we had letters
from Catania, assured them that we were
Christians, and came with no bad inten-
tions, they became more moderate, and
We ventured out amongst them.—This con-
N 0, fidence
ssocked round us, and the women in parti-
cular abused us exceedingly: the caufe of
which we at last found was, that F-'s
blooming complexion and white skin had
made them take him for one of their own
sex. They made a great clamour, and it
was with difficulty we could appease them.
The person, whom Recupero had appointed
to accompany us, known by the name of
the Cyclops, (the man in the issand that is
best acquainted with mount ./Etna) was or-
dered by them not to go with us; and if
we had not at. last obtained their consent
by soothing and flattery, the best method
with women, he durst not have disobeyed
them. At first we had been obliged to
shut the gate of the court, they were so
very noisy and tumultuous; but when our
landlord (a priest), for whom we had letters
from Catania, assured them that we were
Christians, and came with no bad inten-
tions, they became more moderate, and
We ventured out amongst them.—This con-
N 0, fidence