ficer of some kind in the room, who had
taken one of the three carriages which appear to compose the transport
of Besca Nova and declined to share it. The second was under repair, one
of its wheels being in the hands of the wheelwright on the ground in
front of the inn. The third had been engaged by two Italian gentlemen,
father and son, and its appearance suggested doubts as to whether it
would take five persons and our luggage over the backbone of the island.
There was a diligence, but it started at 2 a.m., and the drivers tried
to persuade us to sleep at Besca, saying they could take us on at 6 a.m.
The _dejeuner_ we had had, however, inspired so little confidence that
we determined to get on to Veglia that night, sharing the third carriage
with the Italians, though in the end we did not benefit very much by the
arrangement. As the shadows began to lengthen, the horses were put to,
the harness being supplemented with bits of rope in some places, and we
packed ourselves and our belongings into the carriage, finding our
fellow-travellers very pleasant companions. The narrow road runs up a
rocky valley, at first with a considerable space of cultivated land on
each side, vineyards and grain occupying the greater part; and before
long Besca Valle came in sight, a barbarous-looking village, with
curious reed-thatched huts for styes and cart-hovels, and with
whitewashed walls to the houses which stood upon unparapeted terraces
supported on great arches used for storage of different kinds. In the
church of S. Lucia, some distance away, is the earliest Glagolitic
inscription known. Our driver appeared to be on familiar terms with most
of the population, and was continually calling out greetings to people
some distance from the road.

The valley narrowed and the rocks rose higher, the clear bright green
Fiumera foamed and tumbled in its rocky bed, and we passed a picturesque
mill astride of it, backed up with trees. Soon the driver called our
attention to a great rock hanging from the cliff which seemed as if its
fall from the height was merely a matter of moments, but which had
looked so, he said, for years. The continuous climb was interrupted by a
wooded depression through which the road wound; it then crossed the
stream and commenced a long ascent continuing for more than a mile,
which we negotiated on foot. As we rose higher the view expanded, and we
found it pleasant to turn and gaze at it, warm in the sunset-glow. The
V