nothing；　and　luckily　we　did　not　wound　any　of　ourselves。　　A
  guardiano　accompanied　us；　his　functions　being　limited　to　preventing
  actual　contact　with　the　natives；　for　they　might　come　as　near　and
  talk　as　much　as　they　pleased。　　These　isles　of　Greece　are　sad；
  interesting　places。　　They　are　not　really　barren　all　over；　but　they
  are　quite　destitute　of　verdure；　and　tufts　of　thyme；　wild　mastic　or
  mint；　though　they　sound　well；　are　not　nearly　so　pretty　as　grass。
  Many　little　churches；　glittering　white；　dot　the　islands；　most　of
  them；　I　believe；　abandoned　during　the　whole　year　with　the　exception
  of　one　day　sacred　to　their　patron　saint。　　The　villages　are　mean；
  but　the　inhabitants　do　not　look　wretched　and　the　men　are　good
  sailors。　　There　is　something　in　this　Greek　race　yet；　they　will
  become　a　powerful　Levantine　nation　in　the　course　of　time。　…　What　a
  lovely　moonlight　evening　that　was！　the　barren　island　cutting　the
  clear　sky　with　fantastic　outline；　marble　cliffs　on　either　hand
  fairly　gleaming　over　the　calm　sea。　　Next　day；　the　wind　still
  continuing；　I　proposed　a　boating　excursion　and　decoyed　A…；　L…；　and
  S…　into　accompanying　me。　　We　took　the　little　gig；　and　sailed　away
  merrily　enough　round　a　point　to　a　beautiful　white　bay；　flanked　with
  two　glistening　little　churches；　fronted　by　beautiful　distant
  islands；　when　suddenly；　to　my　horror；　I　discovered　the　ELBA
  steaming　full　speed　out　from　the　island。　　Of　course　we　steered
  after　her；　but　the　wind　that　instant　ceased；　and　we　were　left　in　a
  dead　calm。　　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　unship　the　mast；　get
  out　the　oars　and　pull。　　The　ship　was　nearly　certain　to　stop　at　the
  buoy；　and　I　wanted　to　learn　how　to　take　an　oar；　so　here　was　a
  chance　with　a　vengeance！　　L…　steered；　and　we　three　pulled　…　a
  broiling　pull　it　was　about　half　way　across　to　Palikandro　…　still　we
  did　come　in；　pulling　an　uncommon　good　stroke；　and　I　had　learned　to
  hang　on　my　oar。　　L…　had　pressed　me　to　let　him　take　my　place；　but
  though　I　was　very　tired　at　the　end　of　the　first　quarter　of　an　hour；
  and　then　every　successive　half　hour；　I　would　not　give　in。　　I　nearly
  paid　dear　for　my　obstinacy；　however；　for　in　the　evening　I　had
  alternate　fits　of　shivering　and　burning。'
  III。
  The　next　extracts；　and　I　am　sorry　to　say　the　last；　are　from
  Fleeming's　letters　of　1860；　when　he　was　back　at　Bona　and
  Spartivento　and　for　the　first　time　at　the　head　of　an　expedition。
  Unhappily　these　letters　are　not　only　the　last；　but　the　series　is
  quite　imperfect；　and　this　is　the　more　to　be　lamented　as　he　had　now
  begun　to　use　a　pen　more　skilfully；　and　in　the　following　notes　there
  is　at　times　a　touch　of　real　distinction　in　the　manner。
  'Cagliari：　　October　5；　1860。
  'All　Tuesday　I　spent　examining　what　was　on　board　the　ELBA；　and
  trying　to　start　the　repairs　of　the　Spartivento　land　line；　which　has
  been　entirely　neglected；　and　no　wonder；　for　no　one　has　been　paid
  for　three　months；　no；　not　even　the　poor　guards　who　have　to　keep
  themselves；　their　horses　and　their　families；　on　their　pay。
  Wednesday　morning；　I　started　for　Spartivento　and　got　there　in　time
  to　try　a　good　many　experiments。　　Spartivento　looks　more　wild　and
  savage　than　ever；　but　is　not　without　a　strange　deadly　beauty：　　the
  hills　covered　with　bushes　of　a　metallic　green　with　coppery　patches
  of　soil　in　between；　the　valleys　filled　with　dry　salt　mud　and　a
  little　stagnant　water；　where　that　very　morning　the　deer　had　drunk；
  where　herons；　curlews；　and　other　fowl　abound；　and　where；　alas！
  malaria　is　breeding　with　this　rain。　（No　fear　for　those　who　do　not
  sleep　on　shore。）　　A　little　iron　hut　had　been　placed　there　since
  1858；　but　the　windows　had　been　carried　off；　the　door　broken　down；
  the　roof　pierced　all　over。　　In　it；　we　sat　to　make　experiments；　and
  how　it　recalled　Birkenhead！　　There　was　Thomson；　there　was　my
  testing　board；　the　strings　of　gutta…percha；　Harry　P…　even；
  battering　with　the　batteries；　but　where　was　my　darling　Annie？
  Whilst　I　sat　feet　in　sand；　with　Harry　alone　inside　the　hut　…mats；
  coats；　and　wood　to　darken　the　window　…　the　others　visited　the
  murderous　old　friar；　who　is　of　the　order　of　Scaloppi；　and　for　whom
  I　brought　a　letter　from　his　superior；　ordering　him　to　pay　us
  attention；　but　he　was　away　from　home；　gone　to　Cagliari　in　a　boat
  with　the　produce　of　the　farm　belonging　to　his　convent。　　Then　they
  visited　the　tower　of　Chia；　but　could　not　get　in　because　the　door　is
  thirty　feet　off　the　ground；　so　they　came　back　and　pitched　a
  magnificent　tent　which　I　brought　from　the　BAHIANA　a　long　time　ago　…
  and　where　they　will　live　（if　I　mistake　not）　in　preference　to　the
  friar's；　or　the　owl…　and　bat…haunted　tower。　　MM。　T…　and　S…　will　be
  left　there：　　T…；　an　intelligent；　hard…working　Frenchman；　with　whom
  I　am　well　pleased；　he　can　speak　English　and　Italian　well；　and　has
  been　two　years　at　Genoa。　　S…　is　a　French　German　with　a　face　like　an
  ancient　Gaul；　who　has　been　sergeant…major　in　the　French　line　and
  who　is；　I　see；　a　great；　big；　muscular　FAINEANT。　　We　left　the　tent
  pitched　and　some　stores　in　charge　of　a　guide；　and　ran　back　to
  Cagliari。
  'Certainly；　being　at　the　head　of　things　is　pleasanter　than　being
  subordinate。　　We　all　agree　very　well；　and　I　have　made　the　testing
  office　into　a　kind　of　private　room　where　I　can　come　and　write　to
  you　undisturbed；　surrounded　by　my　dear；　bright　brass　things　which
  all　of　them　remind　me　of　our　nights　at　Birkenhead。　　Then　I　can　work
  here；　too；　and　try　lots　of　experiments；　you　know　how　I　like　that！
  and　now　and　then　I　read　…　Shakespeare　principally。　　Thank　you　so
  much　for　making　me　bring　him：　　I　think　I　must　get　a　pocket　edition
  of　Hamlet　and　Henry　the　Fifth；　so　as　never　to　be　without　them。
  'Cagliari：　　October　7。
  '＇The　town　was　full？＇　。　。　。　of　red…shirted　English　Garibaldini。　　A
  very　fine　looking　set　of　fellows　they　are；　too：　　the　officers
  rather　raffish；　but　with　medals　Crimean　and　Indian；　the　men　a　very
  sturdy　set；　with　many　lads　of　good　birth　I　should　say。　　They　still
  wait　their　consort　the　Emperor　and　will；　I　fear；　be　too　late　to　do
  anything。　　I　meant　to　have　called　on　them；　but　they　are　all　gone
  into　barracks　some　way　from　the　town；　and　I　have　been　much　too　busy
  to　go　far。
  'The　view　from　the　ramparts　was　very　strange　and　beautiful。
  Cagliari　rises　on　a　very　steep　rock；　at　the　mouth　of　a　wide　plain
  circled　by　large　hills　and　three…quarters　filled　with　lagoons；　it
  looks；　therefore；　like　an　old　island　citadel。　　Large　heaps　of　salt
  mark　the　border　between　the　sea　and　the　lagoons；　thousands　of
  flamingoes　whiten　the　centre　of　the　huge　shallow　marsh；　hawks　hover
  and　scream　among　the　trees　under　the　high　mouldering　battlements。　…
  A　little　lower　down；　the　band　played。　　Men　and　ladies　bowed　and
  pranced；　the　costumes　posed；　church　bells　tinkled；　processions
  processed；　the　sun　set　behind　thick　clouds　capping　the　hills；　I
  pondered　on　you　and　enjoyed　it　all。
  'Decidedly　I　prefer　being　master　to　being　man：　　boats　at　all　hours；
  stewards　flying　for　marmalade；　captain　enquiring　when　ship　is　to
  sail；　clerks　to　copy　my　writing；　the　boat　to　steer　when　we　go　out　…
  I　have　run　her　nose　on　several　times；　decidedly；　I　begin　to　feel
  quite　a　little　king。　　Confound　the　cable；　though！　　I　shall　never　be
  able　to　repair　it。
  'Bona：　　October　14。
  'We　left　Cagliari　at　4。30　on　the　9th　and　soon　got　to　Spartivento。
  I　repeated　some　of　my　experiments；　but　found　Thomson；　who　was　to
  have　been　my　grand　stand…by；　would　not　work　on　that　day　in　the
  wretched　little　hut。　　Even　if　the　windows　and　door　had　been　put　in；
  the　wind　which　was　very　high　made　the　lamp　flicker　about　and　blew
  it　out；　so　I　sent　on　board　and　got　old　sails；　and　fairly　wrapped
  the　hut　up　in　them；　and　then　we　were　as　snug　as　could　be；　and　I
  left　the　hut　in　glorious　condition　with　a　nice　little　stove　in　it。
  The　tent　which　should　have　been　forthcoming　from　the　cure's　for　the
  guards；　had　gone　to　Cagliari；　but　I　found　another；　＇a＇　green；
  Turkish　tent；　in　the　ELBA　and　soon　had　him　up。　　The　square　tent
  left　on　the　last　occasion　was　standing　all　right　and　tight　in　spite
  of　wind　and　rain。　　We　landed　provisions；　two　beds；　plates；　knives；
  forks；　candles；　cooking　utensils；　and　were　ready　for　a　start　at　6
  P。M。；　but　the　wind　meanwhile　had　come　on　to　blow　at　such　a　rate
  that　I　thought　better　of　it；　and　we　stopped。　　T…　and　S…　slept
  ashore；　however；　to　see　how　they　liked　it；　at　least　they　tried　to
  sleep；　for　S…　the　ancient　sergeant…major　had　a　toothache；　and　T…
  thought　the　tent　was　coming　down　every　minute。　　Next　morning　they
  could　only　complain　of　sand　and　a　leaky　coffee…pot；　so　I　leave　them
  with　a　good　conscience。　　The　little　encampment　looked　quite
  picturesque：　　the　green　round　tent；　the　square　white　tent　and　the
  hut　all　wrapped　up　in　sails；　on　a　sand　hill；　looking　on　the　sea　and
  masking　those　confounded　marshes　at　the　back。　　One　would　have
  th