SEUME AND THE ENGLISH
59
Seume eventually fell in with a group of Englishmen, and his
narrative at this point becomes more lively and entertaining. He
devotes ten pages to the account of his adventures on Mt. Etna
in the company of several British officers who were stationed on
the Isle of Malta. They are first introduced anonymously by a
messenger as a “very distinguished foreign party” (W, II, 35).
Then one hears the disappointing news “that the Englishmen
would not come” but would remain in Nicolosi (W, II, 36). At
last, however, Seume writes, “when I climbed down [from the
Monti Rossi above Catania] I met two Englishmen of the group
in Nicolosi who too had walked to this spot. They were five officers
in all from the garrison at Malta who had come from Naples and
on their way wanted to have a look at the mountain: a Major, a
Captain, and three Lieutenants. They were glad to have an addi-
tion to the group, and I quickly fetched my knapsack . . . and
joined the Englishmen in the inn at Nicolosi, where previously my
guide had taken lodgings” (W, II, 37). He goes on telling how
pleasantly they spent the night together, not sleeping much, for
the gentlemen “told of their adventures, military and galant, on
the rivers Thames and Nile: and at one time they criticized a
general and at another a girl” (W, II, 37). At last around midnight
they left the inn to climb Mt. Etna. It was either the sixth or
seventh of April, 1802, so Seume writes. On their way they had a
lot of fun, singing, reciting poems, making puns, some of which
are quoted by him in English. Particularly the major was an
inexhaustible source of merriment. Soon they got higher and
found snow. Upon reaching the top, they fell silent. “At last the
Major, giving vent to his feelings with a deep sigh, said, [in
English] ‘Now it is indeed worth a young man’s while to mount
and see it ; for such a sight is not to be met with in the parks of old
England.’ More you cannot expect from a genuine Briton . . .” (W,
II, 40). Seume remarks particularly on the manner in which the
officers had equipped themselves for the climb. Instead of wearing
stout boots over heavy socks, the Englishmen experimented with
shoes, and socks drawn over these. Of course, the latter were
soon torn, and as a result several of the Englishmen had frozen
toes and one of them frozen fingers (W, II, 44 and 39). In a letter
to Goschen, Seume writes, “On Mt. Etna two of my comrades, two
English officers from Malta, froze their feet. . .” (PR, p. 357;
Florence, May 31, 1802). Upon reaching the valley, where they
all had dinner together, Seume states, “We said good-bye, the
Englishmen rode back to Catania, and I went on my way to Taor-