252 NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



countenance at once proclaimed that he had failed in 

 his mission. Mr. Meidell, being a cautious man, had 

 locked up most of his furniture and household effects 

 before going to Europe, and had left strict injunctions 

 that no one was to enter the part of his house used as 

 a private dwelling. As we stood consulting about 

 further proceedings, a tall figure approached, and I 

 learned that it belonged to the stranger who occupied 

 the solitary room available for visitors to Sandy 

 Point. 



I speedily made the acquaintance of Signor Vin- 

 ciguerra, one of the group of energetic young Italian 

 naturalists whose head-quarters are at Genoa. He 

 belonged to the expedition commanded by Lieutenant 

 Bove of the Italian navy, and had remained at Sandy 

 Point to investigate the zoology of the neighbouring 

 coast, while his companions proceeded to Staten 

 Island, or Isla de los Estados, at the eastern extremity 

 of the Fuegian Archipelago. Community of pursuits 

 and several mutual friends at once cemented cordial 

 relations, and Signor Vinciguerra kindly undertook to 

 make room for me in his rather restricted quarters. 

 We proceeded to the house close by the landing- 

 place, and I was in the act of arranging the matter 

 with the landlord, when the British vice-consul 

 appeared. He had overcome the scruples of Mr. 

 Meidell's partner, a mattress and some coverings had 

 been found, a room was at my disposal, with a bed on 

 the floor, and the lodging difficulty was solved. 



Not without some regret at being separated from 

 an agreeable companion, I accepted the offered 

 quarters, and had the needful portion of my luggage 



