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Updated: May 7, 2025
Departure from Malta The Speronara Our Fellow-Passengers The First Night on Board Sicily Scarcity of Provisions Beating in the Calabrian Channel The Fourth Morning The Gulf of Catania A Sicilian Landscape The Anchorage The Suspected List The Streets of Catania Biography of St. Agatha The Illuminations The Procession of the Veil The Biscari Palace The Antiquities of Catania The Convent of St.
When he heard that the Greek stranger had gone on board the speronara, he remembered the visit of a personage answering his description, on the previous evening, to his vessel, and he felt glad that he had not been induced to take him.
"Those, signore," answered the padrone, as the master of the speronara was called, with particular emphasis, "are pirates." "Pirates!" ejaculated the young man, while a shudder ran through his frame. "Si, signore, pirates," answered the padrone, with a significant look. "They had a short life of it after they had committed the acts for which they were condemned.
"We would rather, however, see you returning in the brig, than in the speronara." "I will not forget your wishes," the chief answered laughing, as the boat shoved off. "Now my men let draw the foresheet now she has way on her haul it well aft, and see if she will lay up for the brig yonder. Ah, she does it bravely call me when we near her."
At dusk, we overtook another speronara which had left Malta two hours before us, and this was quite a triumph to our captain, All the oars were shipped, the sailors and some of the more courageous passengers took hold, and we shot ahead, scudding rapidly along the dark shores, to the sound of the wild Maltese songs.
"Dutchman or not, sir," replied the master, "that little speronara has taken it into her head to dodge us; and, shame on the brig, which ought to do better, she seems likely to come up with us." "Well let her we are a match for her, I should think; and my little girl here seems rather anxious for a brush.
Bowse, however, felt that whatever might be his suspicions of her honesty, without some more presumptive evidence of evil intentions, it would not do for him to commence hostilities; he therefore, taking his speaking-trumpet in his hand, went aft, and leaned ever the quarter-rail. The speronara came rapidly on, and was close to.
"Even now, as I look at it, I can scarcely persuade myself that it is the light, graceful speronara we saw during daylight; and am far more inclined to believe it a being from another world the ghost of one of the old sea-kings one reads of or, perhaps, a malign spirit stalking over the deep in search of prey.
The boat on its return was found to belong to the boatman Manuel, who, being questioned as to the person he had conveyed on board the speronara, declared that he had not the slightest notion who he was that he had never before seen his face, and that he could not tell whether he was an Englishman, an Italian, or a Frenchman, but that he thought the former.
Yet sail must be made, as it would never do to have that little speronara buzzing about them all night without being allowed to punish her, or trying to get away from her. "We must see if we can't walk away from that fellow, Mr Timmins. Turn the hands up," he at length exclaimed, after taking a turn on the poop. "Set the royals. Get the fore topmast, and lower studding-sails on her."
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