hazy sky behind, produced a beautiful and extraordinary effect of light and shade.

On the next morning, the gulf and the islands opposite presented a fine picture from the top of the high hill we crossed on leaving Spezia. The road since Lucca had in many places been unfinished; but from La Spezia to the village of Borghetto it was necessary to ford seven or eight times the bed of a torrent, which, enclosed between beautiful woody mountains, had in several places carried away the new and unsettled foundations of the road; and on the whole extent of this road, as far as Genoa, not more than ten or a dozen workmen were employed by the various governments. I say various, being puzzled to recollect how many of them we traversed, and even what are their different names. The custom-houses marked our entry and our exit of each state; and these custom-houses were, I think, as follow, and in the following order. Going out of Tuscany; going into Lucca; going out of Lucca, and going again into a branch of Tuscany; going out of it, and again entering a part of the states of Lucca. entering and leaving those of Modena; and finally entering Genoa. I believe, however, that

some of the principalities neglect to keep export dogane. Our luggage was, indeed, opened by none of them, owing to the favour our courier had acquired with the different officers, to whom he was well known.

At six o'clock that evening we were on the top of a high rugged branch of the Apennines; the night was coming on apace, and so thick a fog covered us, that Pierre was unable to distinguish his front horse; the rain was falling in torrents, and splendid lightning flashed in all directions above and below us. On one side of the road was a tremendous precipice, defended only by small stones, placed at equal distances along its brink; on the other, perpendicularly cut rocks hung over us, and cascades of rain rolled down their sides, often covering the way with the earth and stones they tore from above: a dreadful hurricane was blowing, and, had the coach been lighter, would certainly have overturned it. In these dangers, Pierre gave us up to the judgment of the fore horse, whose head the fog hindered him from seeing! At one time, the wheels were on the very edge of a chasm we had just crossed over, on a bridge wider than the rest of the road. As we de

scended the other side of the mountain, we left the fog, and found the lingering remains of a rainy twilight. But when we reached the plain, this last resource failed us; night and darkness were now come on; the rain still fell fast; the coachman was unacquainted with the road; nevertheless, by calling up the inmates of a neighbouring house, and by making one person explore the road on each side of the horses, and answer Pierre's questions of "is "that the path?" by no, it's a wall;' "is "that even ground?" by 'no, it's a deep muddy 'stream,' we at length got, with unhoped for safety, from without these narrow lanes, to a good fire in a civil inn of Sezia.

Thus far the country we had traversed had amply repaid us for the dangers of the road; the remainder of the Strada di Levante was beautiful. Bordered by trecs and pretty looking villas, it followed the sea shore at a greater or less height above the water that broke and foamed on the rocks below. After traversing the small neat town of Chiaveri, the coach stopped in the Piazza di S. Marco at Genoa.

Here I alighted, knowing the difficulty we should probably have to find apartments, on

account of the concourse of people whom the assembled Sovereigns had drawn to the place. And my anticipations were not unfounded; for, after making fruitless inquiries at all the other inns in the town, I thought myself most fortunate in finding, at the Hotel Gebner, three rooms, for which I engaged to pay an extraordinary price for that night, after which we were to find another lodging. This was no easy matter: but after five hours of uninterrupted search, I at length met with a tolerable apartment, in a good quarter of the town-the Croza del Diavolo ; and having fixed the rent at 300 francs a month, -the lodging had been usually let at 170,—we last evening took possession of it. Such being the case, adieu for the present.

LETTER XLII.

Genoa, 15th June, 1825.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

THE Sovereigns I alluded to in my last were those who were present at, or who formed, the late Congress of Milan, and who had assembled here in consequence of the King of Sardinia's having declined the invitation to meet the Emperor of Austria at that town. Political

matters being presumed to have been already settled at Milan, it was expected that fêtes and rejoicings without end would have been given on the occasion of their visit to Genoa: such, however, has not been the case. The first disappointment was at the procession of Corpus Christi-fête Dieu: it had been supposed that