CXxiv AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 



Pollux, at the very time when the absence of 

 every thing that could retard her progress, or 

 cause alarm for her safety, made us sure of a 

 prosperous passage to Leghorn. 



Our own individual losses were heavy. The 

 costly wardrobe of my sisters, the objects of 

 art which had been purchased in Rome, our 

 books, our writings, our money, our Palmerston 

 passport, and our letter of credit, — all went to 

 the bottom with the foundered steamer. Miss 

 Helen Edmonstone lost an ivory crucifix of 

 rare value. It had been sculptured by some 

 first-rate artist of the 15th century, audits loss 

 can never be replaced. My little boy was 

 deprived of a relic of great estimation. It con- 

 sisted of a corpo santo from the catacombs, and 

 was expected to be placed in our chapel. He 

 had received it as a present from the hands of 

 the learned and virtuous Cardinal Fransoni. 



In most towns of Italy, a book lies on the 

 table of the hotel, for travellers to enter their 

 names, and in it they sometimes pen down a 

 remark or two. In passing through the town 

 of Novi, on our return to England, a book 

 of this description was presented to me by 

 the waiter. After entering our names, I gave 



