"I hate exerting myself uselessly--wasting my strength, as you do, in rowing at an oar, or anything of that sort; but to do anything great, I would not mind exertion, and would go on until I dropped." "That is all very well, Matteo; but to do anything great, you have got to do small things first.

You could never wield a sword for five minutes unless you had practised with it; and you will never succeed in accomplishing any feats requiring great strength and endurance, if you do not practise your muscles on every occasion.

You used to grumble at the height when you came up to my room in the old house, and I suppose Etna is something like two hundred times as high." "That does sound a serious undertaking," Matteo said, laughing; "and I am afraid that I shall never see the view from the top of Etna.
Certainly I shall not, if it will be necessary beforehand to be always exercising my muscles by running up the stairs of high houses." The next day they were off Girgenti, the port at which they hoped to obtain a cargo.

They steered in until they encountered a fishing boat, and learned from those on board that there was no Genoese vessel in port, nor, as far as the men knew, any state galleys anywhere in the neighbourhood.

Obtaining this news, they sailed boldly into the port and dropped anchor.
Francis, who had received before starting a list of houses with whom Signor Polani was in the habit of doing business, at once rowed ashore, Matteo and Giuseppi accompanying him.