244 Mary Somet-ville. 



cattle had been struck close to us. Somerville went 

 to Florence to attend a scientific meeting, and wrote 

 to us that the lightning there had stripped the gold 

 leaf off the conductors on the powder magazine ; a 

 proof of their utility. 



The sunsets were glorious, and I, fascinated by 

 the gorgeous colouring, attempted to paint what 

 Turner alone could have done justice to. I made 

 studies, too, which were signal failures, of the noble 

 ilex trees bordering the lake of Albano. Thus 

 I wasted a great deal of time, I can hardly say 

 in vain, from the pleasure I had in the lovely 

 scenery. Somerville sat often by me with his book, 

 while I painted from nature, or amused himself 

 examining the geological structure of the country. 

 Our life was a solitary one, except for the occasional 

 visit from some friends who were at Frascati ; but 

 we never found it dull ; besides, we made many 

 expeditions on mules or donkeys to places in the 

 neighbourhood. I was very much delighted with 

 the flora on the Campagna and the Alban hills, 

 which in spring and early summer are a perfect 

 garden of flowers. Many plants we cultivate in 

 England here grow wild in profusion, such as 

 cyclamens, gum-cistus, both white and purple, many 

 rare and beautiful orchidese, the large flowering 

 Spanish broom, perfuming the air all around, the 



