owering and shady trees with seats beneath them, and aloes
grow on the rocks above the entrance to the harbour on both sides. The
town contains several fine houses, and in the churches are a few
interesting pictures, though architecturally they are not very
noticeable. One of them has a curious tiled ogee-shaped dome over the
sanctuary. The pictures are: in S. Nicolo, a Byzantine Madonna and Child
with S. Joseph; in S. Maria degli Angeli, a Bartolommeo Vivarini--God
the Father above, surrounded by angels; below, an enthroned Madonna with
SS. Augustine, Catherine, and Cicely on one side; on the other, SS.
Agnes, Jerome, and Lucy: the picture is dated 1475. There are also a
Pietro della Vacchia called a Titian, and a few others.

The women wear a curious head-dress something like a turban with a long
end hanging down the back; they generally have a loose sleeveless jacket
over a white full-sleeved blouse and a skirt in many pleats and often of
many colours, and an apron; sometimes a handkerchief is thrown over the
head instead of the head-dress. They also wear elaborate earrings, a
number of rings fastened together with a drop below, all of metal.

[Illustration: WEST DOOR OF THE COLLEGGIATA, OSSERO

_To face page 183_]

From Lussin Piccolo we drove in the opposite direction to Ossero, the
ancient Apsoros or Auxerrum, following a narrow road through
olive-yards, along the shore or some way up the hill among a bewildering
variety and luxuriance of vegetation. On the island, which is about
eighteen miles long, though nowhere more than two in breadth and seldom
more than one, there are three villages besides the two Lussins. They
are Neresine, Chiunschi, and S. Giacomo. At Neresine we were told that
there was an English-speaking landlady. So we looked her up at the
"Gasthaus Amicorum." We found that she and her husband had been in
America, and were told several strange stories of curious occurrences
which she had known of while there, especially with regard to the
drugging of drinks, which made one think she must find her life rather
lacking in excitement in this little out-of-the-way place where she was
apparently going to end her days. There is a Franciscan convent here
with a handsome campanile looking much more ancient than its date
(1590-1604), with double lights and a balustrade round the top. In the
church are pictures attributed to Girolamo da Santa Croce and the
younger Palma. The ascent of Monte Ossero may be ma