LIGURIANS. 373 



approaches and he hears her dreadful threats, his 

 courage fails him, and he would fain escape. " You 

 shall never again," says she, " feast on Ravioli in the 

 hospitable shade at Villeneuve Loubet, nor join the 

 pious pilgrimage to Laghet : never again shall you 

 celebrate the gay Carnival with cap and bells and 

 parti-coloured domino." In another minute he will 

 be run through the body by this warlike woman, so 

 the wily Ligurian takes refuge in a stratagem. 

 " Would Camilla have any objection to fight on foot ? 

 If she will dismount, he will do the same.' Quite 

 ready to oblige, the amazon springs from her war- 

 horse, and hands the bridle to a friend. Then the 

 Nicois puts spurs to his steed, and hopes by hard 

 galloping to escape his fate. But his fair enemy is 

 far too swift : she can speed o'er the standing corn, 

 and scarce disturb the ripening ears : she can skim 

 the waters, leaving but a faint ripple on the surface 

 of the stream. What a strong-minded female was 

 this Virgin Camilla ! 



As might be expected, in a district overrun by so 

 many races, Greeks, Romans, Moors, and others from 

 the north, there is a great variety of features and of 

 type. One ugly kind of brachycephalic skull is far 

 too common : a misshapen head, narrow in front, and 

 so broad behind as to give the cranium almost a 

 triangular outline. On the other hand, we not un- 

 frequently see men of handsome features and of fine 

 physique. 



The Ligurians, whatever their failings, are cheer- 

 ful and good-natured folk, polite, and for the most 

 part pleasant to deal with : " poulit e real" as they 

 say themselves. 



