180 VERMIN. 



he himself sat crossed-legged smoking his pipe, 

 and watching narrowly that the boy did not 

 cheat him. 



These fellows, whose curiosity I felt rather 

 disposed for my own amusement to encourage, 

 examined every thing belonging to us, but I think 

 the few potatoes which remained of the stock we 

 had brought with us from Corfu puzzled them 

 the most. Bologna sausage, too, they could not 

 comprehend, and I took good care not to forfeit 

 the good opinion they all appeared disposed to 

 entertain of me, by acknowledging that it was 

 made of the unclean animal. 



This khan we found swarmed with rats, which 

 nearly devoured all our stores. I have no doubt 

 there were, as in all similar places, plenty of 

 other animals of a smaller but more annoying and 

 disgusting description, but a ride of twelve hours 

 renders one astonishingly callous to such incon- 

 veniences. 



Having procured common country horses (there 

 being no post station at Platamona, and the 

 horses which brought us having returned to 

 Larissa, as we had rather unwisely sent them 

 back, considering ourselves certain of being able 



