28 MIDWINTER IN THESSALY 



miry labyrinth, for gas and electric light were equally 

 unknown in Larissa, and as petroleum lamps were few 

 and very far between, even in the main street, the darkling 

 wayfarer might easily find himself up to his middle in a 

 muck-heap, or heels over head in one of the pits dug for 

 the trees with which the municipality were preparing to 

 adorn the 7r\areia or principal square. The old town 

 law, making it penal to move about after dark without 

 a lantern, had lately been repealed; but in fact nearly 

 every one carried a coloured paper lantern for his own 

 safety, and the effect of the dancing lights was very pretty. 

 An important ceremony awaited us before we got to 

 bed. The kind consideration of the Government at Athens 

 had caused our approach to be announced to the Demarch 

 or Prefet of Larissa by telegram. The message had been 

 sent from Volo before we left that town, but was delivered 

 in Larissa some time after our arrival. The Demarch, much 

 concerned that we had not been received with more atten- 

 tion, came to explain the circumstances. It was, it seems, 

 the Feast of St. John ; the telegraph clerk at Larissa was 

 named John : he had been celebrating the festival of his 

 eponymus not wisely, but too well ; in fact rarest of all 

 misdemeanours in Greece he had got very drunk. The 

 Demarch was profuse in expressing his chagrin ; and his 

 purpose of retribution on the delinquent was translated 

 by our dragoman to the effect that poor John ' would be 

 stopped for one two months, and perhaps, in the end, 

 thrown away altogether!' We expressed earnest hope 

 that, inasmuch as ' John ' was the only man within many 

 miles of Larissa who could transmit or receive telegrams, 

 his doom might be deferred until after our departure 

 from the city. 



