220 ITALIAN CAVES. [1870. 



Next day was chiefly spent in a boat on the Gulf of 

 Spezzia, our geologist being desirous of seeing the Grotta 

 dei Colombi, situated high in the steep sea -cliff of the 

 island of Palmaria. The two excellent boatmen took 

 an interest in his proceedings, and urged that they 

 should row as far as the islet of Tinetto, which lay 

 beyond Palmaria, and where they reported a sea-cave 

 full of living natural- history objects. But suddenly a 

 burrasco struck them, and with it breakers, which 

 prevented any attempt at landing. Seeing that Pal- 

 maria was also impossible, Mr Prestwich directed the 

 boatmen to row nearly opposite to the Grotta dei 

 Colombi, and as near to it as possible, eagerly pointing 

 out its position, but the Italian sailors regretfully 

 answered that they dared not proceed farther. Head- 

 ing round, they did their utmost to reach Porto Venere 

 on the mainland for shelter, where there was a deten- 

 tion of several hours. This picturesque spot had been 

 a nest of pirates before it became a stronghold of the 

 Genoese Republic : it also had its cave, called the 

 Grotta di Arpaia, more recently known as the Grotta 

 di Byron, but the sea was running high and it could 

 not be entered. The cliff in which it is situated 

 abounded in fossils, which the Porto Venere boys called 

 the frutta di mare. The detention was not lost time : 

 the heights and vestiges of buildings were well worth a 

 visit, the arches of the ruined church showing bands of 

 black and white marble intact. As the day wore on 

 the wind fell, and the two travellers, re-entering the 

 boat, were at last landed at Palmaria, where Prestwich 

 had a ramble over the cliff and as near a view as 

 possible of the stratum in which is situated the fossil- 

 iferous Grotta dei Colombi. 



In the row back to Spezzia a fountain of fresh water 



