12 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



quities (including a multitude of Sard idols), for its 

 delightful public gardens, and its ancient Eoman 

 amphitheatre, carved out of the solid rock, facing the 

 sea. 



One of the curiosities of Cagliari is its saline, or 

 shallow salt-water pools, used for the extraction of 

 the national supply of salt. The salt itself is stacked 

 in portly pyramids below the town, bordering the 

 " stagni," and the convicts, in their red caps and striped 

 cotton pants and blouses, may be seen laboriously 

 towing heavy barges of this salt by the canal into the 

 sea, whence it is shipped to Spain and elsewhere. 



The other chief towns of Sardinia are Sassari, in the 

 north-west ; Iglesias, in the south-west ; Oristano, 

 among the marshes in the west ; Nuoro, in the centre, 

 among the mountains; and Ozieri. At Iglesias the 

 lead mines are very extensive. 



We left Cagliari one Monday in February, 1884, 

 in a coasting steamer for Tortoli, about one hundred 

 miles distant, on the east coast of the island, where 

 we hoped to arrive about midnight. The party con- 

 sisted of M. de Casanuova, Mr. Hore, and myself. 

 Soon after starting, however, a pretty stiff gale came 

 on, before which we ran, not unpleasantly, till we 

 found peace round the point of Capo Carbonaro, the 

 south-east corner of Sardinia. We were informed by 

 the captain that, unless the wind dropped or shifted 

 to the south, he would be unable to land us. Although 

 we held a special " prolongation " from the prefet, we 

 had four clear days only for "la chasse aux moufflons." 



