ports along the coast to throw impediments in the way of the
English service, and to favour the French and Italian boats. In those
boats (which I know very well) great care is taken of the passengers,
and the accommodation is very good. If the Peninsula and Oriental add to
all this the risk of such an exposure as they are _certain_ to get (if
they go on so) in _The Times_, they are dead sure to get a blow from the
public which will make them stagger again. I say nothing of the number
of the passengers and the room in the ship's boats, though the frightful
consideration the contrast presented must have been in more minds than
mine. I speak only of the taking people for whom there is no sort of
accommodation as the most decided swindle, and the coolest, I ever did
with my eyes behold.

Kindest regards from fellow-travellers.
Ever, my dear Wills, faithfully yours.

[Sidenote: Miss Hogarth.]

VENICE, _Friday, November 25th, 1853._

MY DEAREST GEORGY,

We found an English carriage from Padua at Florence, and hired it to
bring it back again. We travelled post with four horses all the way
(from Padua to this place there is a railroad) and travelled all night.
We left Florence at half-past six in the morning, and got to Padua at
eleven next day--yesterday. The cold at night was most intense. I don't
think I have ever felt it colder. But our carriage was very comfortable,
and we had some wine and some rum to keep us warm. We came by Bologna
(where we had tea) and Ferrara. You may imagine the delays in the night
when I tell you that each of our passports, after receiving _six vises_
at Florence, received in the course of the one night, _nine more_, every
one of which was written and sealed; somebody being slowly knocked out
of bed to do it every time! It really was excruciating.

Landor had sent me a letter to his son, and on the day before we left
Florence I thought I would go out to Fiesoli and leave it. So I got a
little one-horse open carriage and drove off alone. We were within half
a mile of the Villa Landoro, and were driving down a very narrow lane
like one of those at Albaro, when I saw an elderly lady coming towards
us, very well dressed in silk of the Queen's blue, and walking freshly
and briskly against the wind at a good round pace. It was a bright,
cloudless, very cold day, and I thought she walked with great spirit, as
if she enjoyed it