FORTOKINO. 



parade, and I\'\' trails o\'er tlieni. These plants are not 

 injured h"\- the salt spraA. Hnt nian^' other trees are so 

 nuK'li injured b\ it that tlie\ appear t(.i be shorn off at 

 the level of the wall. J\Jan^• cheerful S'illas and summer- 

 houses are seen from the shore gleaming" amongst the 

 dark foliage of tlie gardens. T]te\' add life and interest 

 to the scene. ISeA'ond the I h'jtel Eden is the \''illa Cle- 

 mentine, now a CouA'alescent I lome for patients of small 

 means. The in\alids in this liome, ioumled and suppor- 

 ted b-\" Grafin (7riiben, are also nursed b\' her under tlte 

 name of Sister Scima. Tins does this philanthropic in- 

 stitution fulfil its noble mission! 



CHAPTER IV. 



On a clear. sunn\" morning in the begrjuulng of JNIarch 

 ■ we decided iij-ion an excursion to the ridge of Porto- 

 iino. Taking the train to Camogli we then proceeded to 

 Ruta hv the beautifLil road which commands ever \\iden- 

 ing ^■ie^\•s over the Gulf of Genoa. At Ruta ^^■e clam- 

 bered up the path leading soutli along" the ridge of the 

 pri.imontor\-. Here the ^'ie\^- suddenhi extends to the far 

 distance embracing both the ba^•s \\'hic]i the Monte di 

 Portofmo di\ides. Towards tlie west the luxuriant green 

 coast stretcltes awa\- in gentle curves closeh* hemmed iu 

 b\ the Apennines. There tippears to be but one town 

 on the shore between us and (ienoa. I5e\"ond lies the 

 Riviera di Ponente where tlie snow \ tops of the Maritime 

 Al]5s float in the green-blue sky. T5 the east one bay 

 succeeds another fringing the shore. Here the Apennines 

 are bolder, rising higher and higher, ridge above ridge, 



