Sicily is not burthened with the conscription. Recruits for the army are obtained by voluntary enlistment. The permanent force kept in the island consists in ordinary times of 6000 men. The principal garrisons are those of Palermo, Messina, Syracuse, Trapani, Agoate, and Melazzo. There was formerly a rural police, called armigeri,' charged with the care of keeping the roads clear from outlaws ; but it has been superseded by gendarmes. The present king, Ferdinand II., opened several carriage-roads throughout the island. During a visit .to the island previous to 1840, he abolished every remnant of feudality, setting the example himself by renouncing several feudal duties and fees. Ila also ordered the demesne lands to be distributed among the poor rural population.
The manufactories of Sicily are unimportant. Cotton-cloth is manufactured at 'Messina, Catania, Palermo, and Caltagiroue; silks at Palermo, Catania, and Nicolosi; leather at Messina; gloves, soap, artificial flowers, and paper, at Palermo; coral from the coast of Africa is wrought at Trapani. Sicilian vessels, mostly coasters, amount to about 1400, besides fishing-boats. The foreign trade of Sicily is carried on chiefly in Genoese, Austrian, French, and Spanish ships.
The principal towns of Sicily are :—PALER110, Dream:se, CATANIA, SYRACUSE, Aeosra, TRAPANI, and Gzeozsrn. Among the inferior towns, the following deserve notice :-3Ielazzo, Patti, Taormiva, Castro Reale, and Randazzo, noticed under Illemtee ; Termini, Cefalh, Corleone, 3Ionreale, and Carini, noticed under PALERMO; Caltagirone, Nicosia, Aci Reale, Paternh, Aderno, and San Filippo d'Argyro, noticed under CATANIA ; Sciacca, Castronovo, Bivone, and Aragona, noticed under GIReENTI; and Mastsese, ALCAMO, and ALICATA, noticed uuder their respective heads.
The other towns which deserve notice are :—Canelretrano, near the site of the ancient Estella, In the west part of the island, with about 12,000 inhabitants, in a romantic situation on a hill in the province of Trapani : the ruins of the ancient Selinus are a few miles south of Caatelvetrano, near the sea-coa.st. sifersara, capital formerly of the Val di Masser., is situated in 37° 40' N. lat., 12° 34' 53" E. long., on the coast at the mouth of the Salemi, about 10 miles S.E. from Mamie, and the same distance west of Castelvetrano, and has 10,000 inhabitants. CallaniJetta, a town with above 20,000 inhabitants, a cathedral, and numerous churches and convents, is situated in the Interior of the island, a few miles west of the Saleo. Caltabellotta, on
a hill north of Sciacca, near tho aouth-west coast, has about 7000 inhabitants. Canrogioranni, a town of 12,000 inhabitants, near the site of the ancient Enna, stands on a lofty bill of very difficult access, near the centre of the island, 36 miles W. from Catania and N.E.
from Girgento. Terranova, on the site of the ancient Gela, on the south coast of the island, on the river Terranova, has about 9000 Inhabitant', who carry on a considerable trade by sea. Modica, in the south of the island, 23 miles S.W. from Syracuse, is situated in one of the finest and most fertile districts in all Sicily ; it has numerous churches and convents, and about 24,000 inhabitants. The finest cattle in Sicily, the finest wool, and the beet cheese and butter, are produced on the territory of the city of Modica. East of Modica, ou a hill near the coast, is Nolo, the capital of the province of Noto, with a college, a rich collection of Greek, Roman, and Moorish coins, a museum of antiquities, an hospital, and about 18,000 inhabitants, who trade is corn, wine, and oil. Piaa.a, an episcopal town in the interior, 18 miles N. from Terranova, with 18,000 inhabitauts, is situated on a hill halfway between Castrogiovanni and Caltagirone. Castellammare, on the gulf of that name on the north-western coast, betweeu Palermo and Trapani, has a strong castle and large granaries : it is noticed under CASTELLAUSIARE. Salem i, a fortified town, situated on a hill in the west part of the island, 16 miles S. from Castellammare, is built on the site of the ancient llalicpr, and has about 12,000 inhabitants. Both names of this town are derived from the salt springs near it.
Lentini, the ancient Lcontini, has 6000 inhabitants and some good buildings; but the air is considered unhealthy in summer. Carlentini, a little south of the preceding, has 4000 inhabitants. Geraci, in the mountains, uorth-west of Nicosia, has 4000 inhabitants. Besides these, there are many other towns of lees note. Sicily has many towns containing above throe thousand inhabitants, as the popula. tion live chiefly in towns, and not in cottages dispersed about the country.
The small islands belonging to Sicily are—I. The group of the