We arrived at Naples on the 29th October without accident. A _buona grazia_ of a _scudo_ at the frontier obviated the delay which would otherwise have occurred in examining our baggage by the _douaniers_. I put up at No 1 _Largo St Anna di Palazzo_, near the _Strada di Toledo_, at the house of one Berlier, who had been a domestic of poor Murat's. The Austrian troops being now withdrawn, the military cordon of sentinels from the frontier to Naples is kept up by the Neapolitan troops; but what a contrast between the vigilance of the Austrian sentinels, and the negligence of the Neapolitans! The last time I travelled on this road, I never failed, after dusk, to hear the shout of _Wer da?_ of the Austrian sentries, long before I came up to them, and I always found them alert. Now that the cordon was Neapolitan, I always found the sentries either asleep, or playing at cards with their companion (the sentries being double), both having left their arms at the place where they were posted. At night I have no doubt they all fall asleep, so that three or four active _banditti_ might come and cut the throats of the whole chain of sentries in detail. 30th October, 1818. I have begun my course of water drinking at the fountain of Sta Lucia. Since I was here the last time, the theatre of St Carlo has been finished and I went to visit it the second night after my arrival. It is a noble theatre and of immense size, larger it is said than the _Scala_ at Milan, tho' it does not appear so. The profusion of ornament and gilding serves to diminish the appearance of its magnitude. It is probably now the most magnificent theatre in Europe. The performance was _Il Babiere di Siviglia_ by Rossini, and afterwards a superb _Ballo_ taken closely from Coleman's _Blue-Beard_ and arranged as a _Ballo_ by Vestris. The only difference lies in the costume and the scenery; for here the _Barbe Bleue,_ instead of being a Turkish Pacha, as in Coleman's piece, is a Chinese Mandarin, and the decorations are all Chinese. A great deal of Scotch music is introduced in this _Ballo,_ and seems to give great satisfaction. At the little theatre of San Carlino I witnessed the representation of Rossini's _Cenerentola,_ a most delightful piece. The young actress who did the part of Cenerentola acted it to perfection and sung so sweetly and correctly, that it would seem as if the _rôle_ were composed on purpose for her. The part of Don Magnifico was extremely well played, and those of the sisters very fairly and appropriately. The three actresses who did the part of Cenerentola and her sisters, were all handsome, but she who did Cenerentola surpassed them all; she was a perfect beauty and a grace. I think the music of this opera would please the public taste in England. Rossini seems to have banished every other musical composer from the stage.