222 MONTE CAVO. [l870. 



and Monte Cavo. Prestwich, with his wife and her 

 sister, joined M. de Verneuil at Albano, the last 

 accompanied by the Archbishop of Rheims and Signor 

 Mantovani of Rome. Dr Laodriot, who was tall and 

 slight, with great refinement of expression, was young 

 in years to hold so high a place in the Roman Catholic 

 Church. He had been noted for his scientific tastes, 

 and to him it was an evident enjoyment to be able once 

 more to indulge in his- old love for geology. 



An order being given for- good donkeys for the party, 

 the people of the Albergo replied that the best had all 

 been taken by American excursionists who had gone on 

 before. A sorry lot of animals was brought together. 

 The writer, who was allotted the largest, headed the 

 cavalcade with the Archbishop, who was mounted on 

 an absurdly small donkey, which his robe completely 

 covered, the feet of the animal only showing beneath 

 it. With his enormous hat, and long inflated robe, he 

 presented a very ludicrous appearance, and conscious of 

 this, he laughed until the tears came, the others join- 

 ing. The animal which the writer rode began to 

 develop a will of its own, therefore one of the donkey 

 guides was requested to hold the bridle while its 

 rider got off. " Keep quiet, Signora," was the ad- 

 monition sotto voce, " keep your seat ; yours is the only 

 one that has not been down." 



The little animals, however, clambered like goats up 

 the steep crater-like walls, above which rose Monte 

 Cavo. Prestwich on foot was soon far ahead of the 

 party, intent on pondering upon the story to be read 

 in that marvellous landscape. What added to the 

 general enjoyment was the cloudless sunshine, the 

 perfect placidity of the crater lake, the first fresh 

 foliage of spring which clothed its walls, and the 



