18 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



ment they found that their supposed prisoner (who 

 had frequently performed the "rope trick" before) had 

 managed to reach the fire in advance of them, and 

 was calmly seated in front of it, apparently buried in 

 meditation. Never shall we forget the looks of horror, 

 by the light of the blazing logs, on the faces of that 

 crowd of ruffians, at what they thought a supernatural 

 translation. Next morning we quitted Perdaliana. 

 After four or five hours through a lovely valley we 

 reached Gairo, and were put up by the mayor. He gave 

 us dinner, which he cooked mostly himself, after some 

 delay, which was compensated for by an astonishing 

 number of courses, and enormous oranges from Mitis. 

 On the opposite side of the valley, in which flows a 

 tributary of the Flumendosa Eiver, is perched a re- 

 markably situated village named Alasso. Eventually, 

 after an exceedingly cold journey of twenty-four 

 hours, in a diligence, we reached Cagliari once more. 

 The only event that afforded us any amusement by 

 the way was a certain native on the outside of the 

 conveyance, who gravely seated himself upon a bag 

 belonging to a middle-aged priest, the owner being in 

 the interior of the coach, and judging by the loud 

 crackings that ensued was committing serious injury 

 to the contents. When we drew his attention to the 

 fact he replied, "Far niente," as much as to say, "No 

 matter." We subsequently found that Meloni had 

 given half our venison to one of the consuls, and had 

 taken the rest himself, all of which we thought proper 

 to cause to be returned to us. 



