204 LETTERS TO MARCO xxx 



prevailing weather for the last two years. 

 Though these cold north winds have occasion- 

 ally been accompanied by rain or drizzel, as 

 they are to-day, the two years have been ones 

 of drought, so that now, in spite of the heavy 

 but short downpour and flood which took 

 place last October, the river is very low, and 

 the people on the hills are again short of 

 water, as they were all last summer and 

 autumn. 



It is not inspiriting weather, and my 

 garden has little of interest in it, even if it 

 were not so cold. I planted a few annuals 

 and some new perennials, amongst which is 

 one called Dictamnus fraxinella, in English 

 " Burning Bush." This is rather a pretty 

 plant, the bloom of which emits, at certain 

 seasons, a sort of gas which ignites when a 

 flame is put to it. I had never seen this 

 plant until now, and you may imagine how 

 anxiously I shall await the trial of its pecu- 

 liarity. 



I have made great havoc amongst the 



