150 HORSE DROWNED. 



town, three bad triqueter coins, and several 

 with the device of a pomegranate flower on one 

 side, resembling those of Rhodes, but bearing a 

 different head. These were probably coins of 

 Rhodiapolis. We returned to the scala in the 

 evening, before we had been able to examine 

 half the tombs. On arriving we saw our two 

 surigees gloomily seated near the house. They 

 did not come to greet us as usual, nor inquired 

 about the success of the day's excursion. It was 

 evident that some disaster had happened in our 

 absence, and Pagniotti presently informed us that 

 one of the horses had been drowned in the river. 

 It had strayed there to drink, and had fallen 

 in. From having its head tied short to its fore 

 leg to prevent its straying far from the pasture, 

 the poor beast, unable to keep above water, 

 perished. Its carcass lay on the banks of the 

 stream, surrounded by dogs, who had already 

 glutted themselves, and were now merely guard- 

 ing it from the jackalls. The horse, it appears, 

 did not belong to either Nicolo or Georgio, but 

 was one they had hired from their village for 

 the journey, and among the best of the baggage 

 train. We endeavoured to console them for the 

 loss by telling them that as we had now good 



