DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11636#0064
38 TRAVELS IN UPPER
elapsed before they were in a condition to repay
it. We could, however, take no offence at this"
extraordinary delay, for we saw distinctly the can-
noneers labouring, without intermission, to raise
from the earth some pieces of ordnance half-buried
in it, to lift them up on blocks of wood to serve as
carriages, and at length put them in a condition
to be fired off. Such was then the state of the
Sicilian artillery. The corsairs of the Barbary
coast were well acquainted with this, and knew
how to avail themselves of it, by coming to cut
ships out of the very harbour.
The viceroy sent an officer on board to congra-
tulate us on our arrival, and to invite us to the
conversazione: this is the name given to the as-
semblies or domestic parties held in the opulent
houses of Italy.
We stopped only three days at Palermo. These
I employed in taking a rapid view of what appeared
curious in the city and its environs, already known
from different relations, and from the beautiful
drawings which have been taken of it. I shall
describe with similar rapidity what a stay so short
permitted me to remark.
The harbour, one of the safest in the Mediter-
ranean, defended by a fortress whose artillery, as
I have
elapsed before they were in a condition to repay
it. We could, however, take no offence at this"
extraordinary delay, for we saw distinctly the can-
noneers labouring, without intermission, to raise
from the earth some pieces of ordnance half-buried
in it, to lift them up on blocks of wood to serve as
carriages, and at length put them in a condition
to be fired off. Such was then the state of the
Sicilian artillery. The corsairs of the Barbary
coast were well acquainted with this, and knew
how to avail themselves of it, by coming to cut
ships out of the very harbour.
The viceroy sent an officer on board to congra-
tulate us on our arrival, and to invite us to the
conversazione: this is the name given to the as-
semblies or domestic parties held in the opulent
houses of Italy.
We stopped only three days at Palermo. These
I employed in taking a rapid view of what appeared
curious in the city and its environs, already known
from different relations, and from the beautiful
drawings which have been taken of it. I shall
describe with similar rapidity what a stay so short
permitted me to remark.
The harbour, one of the safest in the Mediter-
ranean, defended by a fortress whose artillery, as
I have