is getting cold already. But we had better sleep here at
all events, and at dawn we shall be able, perhaps, to make out a little
better where we have got to." There being nothing else for it, we tied
the horses' legs together, and I lay down on a travelling carpet by the
side of my servant, under the cover of a bush. Awfully cold it was: the
horses trembled and shook themselves every now and then, and held their
heads down, and I tried all sorts of postures in hopes of making myself
snug, but every change was from bad to worse; I could not get warm any
how, and a remarkable fact was, that the more sharp stones I picked out
from under the carpet the more numerous and sharper were those that
remained: my only comfort was to hear the muleteers rolling about too,
and anathematizing the stones most lustily. However, I went to sleep in
course of time, and was, as it appeared to me, instantaneously awakened
by some one shaking me, and telling me it was four o'clock and time to
start. It was still as dark as ever, except that a few stars were
visible, and we recommenced our journey, stumbling and scrambling about
as we had done before, till we came to a place where the horses stopped
of their own accord. This it seemed was a ledge of rock above a
precipice, about two hundred feet deep, as I judged by the reflection of
the stars in the stream which ran below. The dimness of the light made
the place look more dangerous and difficult than perhaps it really was.
It seems, however, that we were lucky in finding it, for there was no
other way off the hill except by this ledge, which was about twelve feet
broad. We got off our horses and led them down; they had probably often
been there before, for they made no difficulty about it, and in a few
hundred yards, the road becoming better, we mounted again, and after
five hours' travelling arrived at Paramathia. Just before entering the
place we met a party on foot, armed to the teeth, and all carrying
their long guns. One of these gentlemen politely asked me if I had a
spare purse about me, or any money which I could turn over to his
account; but as I looked very dirty and shabby, and as we were close to
the town, he did not press his demand, but only asked by which road I
intended to leave it. I told him I should remain there for the present,
and as we had now reached the houses, he took his departure, to my great
satisfaction.

On inquiring for the person to whom I had a letter of intro