bloom; almond, cherry, orange, and
pomegranate, lighted up the dark foliage, over
which the Roman pine and palm reigned
majestically. One orange tree bore on an
average four thousand five hundred fruit.
By way of contrast to orange and tobacco
plantations, further on in the interior, beyond
the wretched village of Bolzi—through a
desolate undrained country, abounding in cork,
wild olive, and pear trees, the coarse grass
brilliant with asphodel — the river Perfujas is
reached; where trout, which may be seen in
shoals in the summer, from three to four
pounds weight each, are sold at Sempio for a
halfpenny a pound.

If our traveller, after travelling and fishing,
should desire the refreshment of a week
at the Baths, he can be accommodated on
easy terms. In a gorge of the river Coghinas,
are mineral baths of considerable Sarde
celebrity, and perhaps as simple and economical
as any in Europe. The patient finds neither
hotel nor bad-haus, nor kûrsaal, but carries
with him a fortnight's provisions and a
hatchet, sets to work, and cuts down enough
boughs to build him a hut; then, takes four
horizontal poles, and having discovered with
naked foot or hand, the lot of sand of the
right heat, sticks the four poles in at the
four corners, and fills up the sides with
boughs to keep off the sun or the wind; then
scratches up the sand into a sort of grave,
long enough and broad enough to receive his
body. The hollow is immediately filled
with the warm mineral water, which flows
constantly through, at an even temperature.
As thus, in the primitive style of the Omoo
and Typee Islanders of the Pacific, he
luxuriates, he may see herds of swine, the tame and
the wild together, refreshing themselves in the
same manner: wallowing in the river, which
Is cold at top and boiling hot at bottom, and
burying themselves in the sand.

A few years ago, before the Western
prairies, California, Australia, New Zealand, not
to speak of Egypt and Palestine, had become
familiar to our sportsmen and travellers, this
wild wood life would have been considered
decidedly eccentric; but, in Sardinia, judging
by the following description of a forest
bivouac, luxury and savagery are deliciously
combined. Our traveller laid in, three
pounds of eels, at fourpence halfpenny;
a whole lamb, one shilling and threepence
halfpenny; half a wild boar (very small, we
presume), two shillings; twelve eggs, at
twopence; two quarts of wine, twopence
halfpenny; a pound of cheese, twopence
halfpenny — as a supply for the dinner and
supper of himself, two servants, and an extra
guide. On arriving at a suitable place for a
mid-day halt, the horses were unsaddled and
turned loose to graze; branches of arbutus,
cistus, lavender, myrtle, and thyme were cut
for firewood, lighted, and reduced to a
heap of live ashes; these being piled eighteen
inches high and two feet square, a stone at
each corner supported four long arbutus
stakes, on which the lamb and boar were,
spitted, and turned as occasion required:
while in the traveller's small frying-pan, fish
and omelette were artistically prepared.
Ice-cold water was drawn from a stream flowing
close by, from the snow-capped mountains
above. Not unfrequently, excellent wild
honey is to be found in the hollows of
ancient trees, equal in taste and perfume to
honey of Hybla and Hymettus. As bees
abound and flourish, so does the bee-eater, the
gorgeous bird described by Virgil, of green
and azure plumage. These, honey-fed like
their victims, are caught, roasted in vine
leaves, and eaten with kale and toast, like
woodcocks: rivalling in beauty and exceeding
in flavour our painted pheasant.

The greatest curiosity in wild game is
the muffler, with a head and horns like
a sheep, and a body and coat like a deer
about two feet eight inches high: running in
flocks of from five or six to fifty, lively,
active, and timid. They are found on
forest-covered hills, especially on Monte Argentu,
and the mountain districts of Patada,
Budduso, Teuladu, Iglesias, and Nurra. Their
flesh has the taste of venison; their bleat a
sound like that of the sheep; they are easily
tamed, and playful and mischievous as pet
goats. Another animal peculiar to this island
is the boccamele: a honey-hunter kind of
weasel: a beautiful, easily-tamed, and engaging
little creature, free from any offensive
smell, full of endearing tricks and gambols,
so delicate in its eating that it will starve
rather than touch impure food. Honey is
its favourite dish, to obtain which it hunts
out the wild nests, and nibbles through the
cork hives of the peasants; thus sometimes
starving out the bees.

Monstrous eagles abound, and carry off
many a lamb and squeaking pig. The
shepherds lay baits for them, and shoot them
as they settle down to feed.

These are not the only temptations to the
sportsman youth of zoological tastes, who
form our most adventurous travellers. Near
Cagliari, within twelve hours of African
shores, are certain stagni—half lake, half
marsh, where shelter, climate, and food,
attract a wonderful number of water-fowl, both
waders and swimmers—in winter, perhaps
the greatest variety of northern and southern
birds in the world. There, even in summer,
are to be found wild swans and geese,
herons of various kinds, sizes, and colours,
black cormorants, and countless teal, widgeon,
cootes, dabchicks, water ouzles. Strangest of
all, the bird of our boyish dreams the
flamingo, with his crimson back, pale pink
breast, and long legs— a sort of attenuated
young lady in a rose-coloured ball-dress.

These majestic creatures arrive about
the month of September, and remain until
April. Their flocks are ranged like armies
of from one to five thousand, in a broad