BAXDITTI. 145 



crime of assassination. By the Grovernment decree 

 none but militiamen and persons duly authorised by the 

 " porta d'armi " or license can carry a gun under a 

 penalty of seven years to the galleys. However, in 

 many lonely unfrequented mountainous parts the in- 

 habitants are necessarily allowed firearms to defend 

 themselves from the nightly attacks of banditti. The 

 nobles are of course allowed this privilege, considered 

 a mark of distinction, much in the same way as when 

 gentlemen in England in part of the last century 

 always wore their swords. In most of the cities the 

 Italian language is spoken ; the peasantry about Cagliari 

 could generally speak Italian, but I was told that the 

 lower classes use a dialect a mixture of Italian, Greek, 

 and Arabic words, but chiefly of the former. 



As we were close on Christmas Day, I was anxious to 

 see the king and royal family attend the cathedral at mid- 

 night to hear the Archbishop of Cagliari perform high 

 mass. On this occasion the royal family went in a car- 

 riage drawn by six horses, running footmen on each side 

 carrying lighted torches. The whole court was present, 

 and the cathedral thronged with people of all classes. 

 Mr. Hill, as British INIinister, had an excellent situation 

 appointed for him and his suite, from which we had a 

 good view of the ceremony. The cathedral was bril- 

 liantly illuminated, and the performance, which I had 

 never before ^vitnessed, was altogether a very imposing 

 sight. The Archbishop of Cagliari is styled Primate of 

 Sardinia and Corsica. There are two other archbishops, 

 and I believe eight bishops. The established religion is 

 Roman Catholic. The canons and beneficed clergy 

 amount to between three and four hundred, and chiefly 

 reside in the large towns ; the spiritual business of the 



