Margaret Domville

“ We now recommenced smoking; sherbet was handed round in gold goblets, each slave bearing on her arm a muslin napkin, with the usual gold embroidery, for us to wipe our lips on.
Madame Nateef Pacha next entertained us with a minute account of the late fire at Alexandria; it is quite marvellous how the events of the outer world are so well known in these apparently hermetically-sealed retreats. ”

“ Saint worship, or saint superstition, as it may more correctly be called, is carried to the utmost extent in Sicily. The Feste or saints’ days are innumerable, and many of those dedicated to the Virgin are celebrated on succeeding days by the different churches or parishes. Processions and fireworks are the great outward signs of religious rejoicings; and we have often wondered how the Sicilians contrived to show their piety before gunpowder was invented.
Nothing can be prettier, when viewed as a mere spectacle, than one of the streets down which a procession is to pass ”

“ On San Francesco di Paolo, the statue of the saint is carried in solemn procession from his own church to the Duomo, but as he is the patron of gardeners, he is first taken to a garden, where they all assemble, and eat salad in his honour; the saint out of gratitude invariably sends rain in some part of the day, which does more good than any that may fall throughout the year. ”

“ The widow was in a dress of deep red Broussa gauze, and her sister in a pink and white print. For coiffure they wore a Stamboul crape handkerchief, covering the top of the head and part of the forehead: the ends are brought back and tied in front; the hair is cut short, and is either braided or hangs down to the ears. One slave girl had a long plait down the back, but that is no longer the fashion—in fact, they cut off nearly all their hair for the convenience of the bath, and almost all the braids are false. ”

“ The Turks have no sets of things, each cup and holder is different: the handsomest is offered to the most honourable guest, and the simplest to the lady of the house. Coffee over, a tall, thin slave, who had been pointed out as the buffoon of the hareem, approached and began examining my bracelets. I had put on all the ornaments I could, and I now proceeded to take them off. Just as I was doing this, everybody started up, and a short, stout, but still young-looking woman, the wife of Nateef Pacha, entered the room. ”

“ A train of men walk before them in pairs, one a Christian, the other a Mahometan. Every few minutes the procession stops, and a fight ensues, in which I need not say the Christians are victorious, the whole reminding one of the mummers and Old Father Christmas of one’s childish days. ”

“ The procession takes place in the afternoon or evening, according to the season; it blocks up the whole street through which it proceeds. The statue of the saint is borne by a confraternity of the class of which he or she is the patron, and is preceded and followed by flags, music, priests, monks, and rabble.
In the evening, fireworks, more or less grand, according to the means of the respective churches, and the amount of subscriptions raised, are let off, with crackers innumerable. ”

“ The shrine of Santa Rosalia comes last, and is followed for a certain distance by the archbishop on foot; the unfortunate senators have to walk after it the whole night, the municipal carriages following to convey them home when all is ended. The pretore remains at the Palazzo Pretoriano to receive the governor, and each saint pauses before the windows. The fountain was prettily illuminated with symmetrically arranged lamps, but reflected lights would have shown off the statues to more advantage. ”

“ The Cassaro had been decorated with wreaths of artificial flowers suspended from one set of variegated lamps to another; inscriptions of “Viva Santa Rosalia,” “Viva il Re,” “Viva la Regina,” “Viva la real famiglia,” were placed in conspicuous situations; while on the Marina was erected a most elaborate fabric for the fireworks, the front of which, representing a sort of temple, was decorated with transparencies. ”

“ Nothing can be kinder than the Sicilians are to foreigners, who, if once introduced, are invited to everything. The fireworks were certainly very beautiful, but I did not think (as I had been told I should) that they surpassed those at Rome on Easter Monday, and I missed the bouquet at the finale. The effect of the transparencies was excellent. The Villa Giulia, lighted with endless lamps, looked very pretty; a band added to the attractions of the place, which was crowded with the lower orders in their gayest attire ”

“ So universal is this custom, that a woman in the lower classes, when speaking of a colour, never calls it by its proper name, but by that of the saint to whom it is dedicated; and even in a shop, on wishing to see a stuff of any particular shade, asks for a Santa Rosalia, an Immacolata, &c. ”

“ A canopy of white and gold was carried over him by the senators in their robes of office; at his side were two assistants, and behind him walked the governor, in stars and uniform; all the state officers, in their respective costumes, followed; then the Swiss guards, in their scarlet and white; and in the distance were seen the royal carriages. On approaching the altar, the archbishop performed the usual ceremonies previous to the elevation of the Host, at which moment the trumpets burst into a loud flourish, and all fell on their knees. ”

“ Scandal hints that when a woman cannot dress as smartly as her neighbours, she occasionally makes one of these vows for a twelvemonth, which not only accounts for the sameness of her attire during that period, but also gives her the means of indulging afterwards that passion for fine clothes so general at Palermo. ”

“ Nothing could be prettier than seeing the slaves gliding noiselessly about through the spacious apartments; there were no two dressed alike, and their number seemed infinite. One was attired in a Garibaldi shirt, with full white trousers; two or three had gold watches and chains suspended to their girdles. Several little episodes occurred interesting to European eyes. ”

“ The cupola was formed of several tiers of open arches, lined with crimson and purple curtains; at various heights were figures, similar to those in the galley; the whole surmounted by a statue of Santa Rosalia bearing a cross and dressed in a plain white robe. Tradition relates that an attempt was once made to equip her in magnificent attire, but the figure became so heavy that no efforts could raise her till the plain garb was replaced, when she immediately resumed her usual portability. ”

“ A fair is also held down the Cassaro, when all kinds of presents are bought and hidden in the house, and, on the second day, the “giorno de Morti,” the children are made to hunt for these things, which they are told the dead have brought them in the night; they are sometimes even woke up to hear the noises made by “i morti.” ”

“ Ingee Hanum interested us much by giving us a sketch of her early history. The conversation began by the usual inquiries of how I liked Egypt, its scenery, buildings, &c. On my speaking of Mehemet Ali’s mosque at Cairo, she said she had never seen it; that she had the Viceroy’s permission, but that there had always been something to prevent her going. Santa Sofia, its original, having been mentioned, led to Stamboul; and when she found that I had been there, and had spent a day in the hareem of a Pacha whose name both ladies knew well, she was most minute in her inquiries. ”

“ We then beguiled our leisure by paying sundry visits, till it grew quite dark, when chairs were placed for us in a balcony from whence we watched the re-appearance of the horsemen. The scene below was most animated: the street was lighted with coloured lamps, and the booths and portable cuisines were surrounded with men, women, and children, talking, laughing, quarrelling, and gesticulating, with all the vehemence of the far south ”

“ Ingee Hanum rose at our entrance, shook hands with Madame R——, and saluted me in the usual Oriental style; I was then introduced to the other ladies.
Saïd Pacha’s second wife is the mother of his only son, Tooloom Pacha; she is rather good-looking, but coarse in comparison with the Vice-queen. The European ladies took their leave soon after our arrival, but not before one of them had told us that she had brought her little boy, aged seven years, to see her Highness, but the eunuchs voted him too old to be admitted, in spite of his tears at the sentence of exclusion. ”

“ At a given signal, the wind is favourable, and they all run as fast and as far as their very heavy burden will allow of. Then comes a calm, next a contrary wind, during which they stagger about. Occasionally, as is the case with the other saints, they are set down while the bearers rest; but when these are taken up again, the men dance in a circle round and round two or three times, before recommencing their eccentric march. They always re-enter the church where the saints live, running as fast as they can ”