LIFE OF THE AUTffOK. 99 



distress. We had purchased in Leghorn all the materials necessary 

 to replace our lost wardrobe ; these were liable to a heavy duty in 

 the Roman States, but the officers of the customs let every article 

 pass duty free, remarking at the same time, that our forlorn situation 

 demanded all the assistance in their power. Neither would the 

 Roman police make any charge for the renewal of our ' carta di 

 sicurazza ; ' and on our leaving Rome for England a second time, 

 nothing was demanded by any of the different consuls for signing 

 our passport ; imitating in this, the disinterestedness of Mr Barton, 

 the British consul at Civita Vecchia, who refused to take his fee, 

 and was unwearied in his attention to us the day after our disaster. 

 But, I must add, that when I went to the English consul of Leghorn 

 for a new passport, he charged the full price for it, verifying the old 

 saying, ' Queer enda pecunia primum est? 



11 And now a word or two more on the dismal scenes which took 

 place at the collision, and after our vessel had foundered. In the 

 hour of danger several of the crew of the Pollux abandoned us to 

 our fate, and saved themselves by getting into the other vessel. 

 Our brave captain and his mate, in lieu of keeping alternate watch 

 on deck, were both fast asleep in their berths below, when the 

 Monjibello ran on board of us. The captain was so scared, that he 

 forgot to put on his trousers, and his shirt was his only covering 

 when he reached the Monjibello. At the very time that our boat 

 would have been of the utmost service to us, I have already men- 

 tioned that three persons got into it, and rowed away for the land. 

 A gentleman, by name Armstrong, had a narrow escape. He was 

 struck and knocked down by the Monjibello as she entered us ; and 

 he was kept where he fell, by the falling fragments. He was sadly 

 wounded, and he only just extricated himself in time to save his life. 

 A Spanish duchess, who was sleeping below at the time of the 

 accident, lost her senses completely. She persisted in remaining in 

 bed, and no entreaties could move her to leave it. She was dragged 

 upon deck by main force, and taken into the Monjibello with nothing 

 but her shift on. She had not re-gained her self-possession on the 

 following day, for she hesitated at the door of the hotel in Leghorn, 

 and would not pass the threshold until her attendants had shown 

 her that it would not give way under her feet 



