“The rush is increasing every minute. I cannot get the drawings done fast enough for the carpenters at the hotel, and the sill layers are howling for ground plans of the schools. I have tried to do all these things and get some sketching done for myself. In the latter I have pretty well failed,--you see I have got hold of a live wire and can’t let go!” [Illustration: AMERICAN VILLAGE, MESSINA. HOTEL IN CONSTRUCTION. _Page 464._] [Illustration: AMERICAN VILLAGE, MESSINA. ENCLOSING GANG AT WORK. _Page 438._] [Illustration: GRAND HOTEL REGINA ELENA FROM THE RAILROAD. _Page 475._] [Illustration: AMERICAN VILLAGE, MESSINA. VIEW FROM THE HOTEL. _Page 475._] “May 2, 1909. “The rush has been growing greater every day; it has been impossible to find a minute save in the evening, when I have taken a short walk with Brofferio and gone to bed beaten out, so much so that I slept through one of the worst earthquakes from all accounts. We have had five very severe ones since you were here, two of which succeeded each other within a few minutes and toppled over a whole lot of ruins along the Marina so that it was blocked again for a day or two. I heard a soldier exclaim, ‘Oh, my poor dancing land!’” “May 25, 1909. “I am sitting on the sand by the sea, with the wonderful mountains across the straits. There is a delightful breeze blowing. The sea is like sapphire and emerald, and not at all beautiful to look upon, oh no! On the other side of me looms up the roof of the hotel; it’s above the railroad embankment and everything. It is covered in and the clapboards are being put on. Yesterday was Sunday. Brofferio got the loan of a Red Cross auto and we had a magnificent spin,--the captain, Brofferio, Buchanan and I. We went through the _torrente_ for miles. I find that nearly all of them can be used as roads; they are picturesque to a degree. An auto is the greatest thing in the world for seeing the country. Next Sunday, I believe the auto is going to take us to Taormina; if not, Derby and I are going to have a sail with Brofferio, which we should enjoy immensely. All your boys you have sent down here have turned out splendidly. Brush is doing finely at Reggio; I don’t know what we should do without McGoodwin. He came in when everything was decided, and has cheerfully taken up the hardest job in the world, helping to carry out other people’s plans when all the fun of making them is over! Rodolfo Serrao has become quite a pet with every one. He makes wonderful caricatures, and has made them of all the party. I am keeping all I can get to bring back to you.