140 KEMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN. 



Cagliari or at their chateaux, which would assist them 

 much in procuring good shooting. 



These letters could, I think, be easily got through our 

 minister at Turin. I had some conversation with a 

 gentleman who, with a friend, an officer in the Guards, 

 went on a shooting tour to Sardinia, totally, in my 

 opinion, unprepared for such an undertaking. The re- 

 sult was as might have been expected : they got little 

 or no shooting, and in some parts were obliged to have 

 two or three soldiers to protect them from the numerous 

 banditti ; the officer caught the malaria fever, and had 

 a narrow escape of his life. This gentleman related 

 to me what he had heard from a Piedmontese officer in 

 a village where he and his friend slept. One of the 

 inhabitants had been outlawed for committing an as- 

 sassination, and vras at that time a chief of banditti. 

 He left in the village a young and handsome wife, and 

 it was notorious that she was the mistress of the padre 

 or priest of the parish ! At the time this gentleman 

 was in tlie island, a regiment of Piedmontese Cacciotores, 

 quartered in some of the towns and villages, were 

 frequently employed in the pursuit of the banditti. 

 These officers were very gentlemanly men, several of 

 them nobles. They expressed a great dislike to their 

 present quarters, and would be heartily glad when they 

 should be relieved by another regiment, which I believe 

 takes place every two years. One regiment of light 

 infantry, composed of Sards and raised by conscription, 

 is sent to Piedmont. 



Provisions in Sardinia are very cheap, particularly 

 poultry ; a dozen fowls might be purchased for seven 

 shillings. Many parts of the island are well cultivated, 

 producing Indian corn, wheat, barley, and rye. Some 



