“We continued to ascend about four hours until we came again from a region of summer into the region of snow, and the height from the sea was greater than we had at any time previously attained.  The scenery around us, too, was wilder and more sterile.  The Apennines here are very grand, assuming every variety of shape and color.  Long slopes of clay color were interlocked with dark browns sprinkled with golden yellow; slate blue and grey, mixed with greens and purples, and the pure, deep ultramarine blue of distant peaks finished the background.”

After breakfasting at Borghetto at a miserable inn, where they were much annoyed by beggars of all descriptions, they continued their journey through much the same character of country for the rest of the day, and towards dark they met with a slight adventure:—­

“Our road was down a steep declivity winding much in the same way as at Finale.  Precipices were at the side without a protecting barrier, and we felt some uneasiness at our situation, which was not decreased by suddenly finding our coach stopped and a man on horseback (or rather muleback) stopping by the side of the coach.  It was but for a moment; our vetturino authoritatively ordered him to pass on, which he did with a ’buona sera,’ and we never parted with a companion more gladly.  From all the circumstances attending it we were inclined to believe that he had some design upon us, but, finding us so numerous, thought it best not to run the risk.”

Spezia was their resting-place for that night, and, after an early start the next morning, they reached the banks of the Vara at nine o’clock.

“We had a singular time in passing the river in a boat.  Many women of the lower orders crossed at the same time.  The boat being unable to approach the shore, we were obliged to ride papoose-back upon the shoulders of the brawny watermen for some little distance; but what amused us much was the perfect sang-froid with which the women, with their bare legs, held up their clothes above the knees and waded to the boat before us....

“At half-past twelve we came in sight of Carrara.  This place we went out of our course to see, and at one o’clock entered the celebrated village, prettily situated in a valley at the base of stupendous mountains.  A deep ravine above the village contains the principal quarries of most exquisite marbles for which this place has for so many ages been famous.  The clouds obscuring the highest peaks, and ascending from the valleys like smoke from the craters of many volcanoes, gave additional grandeur to a scene by nature so grand in itself.