language that in the night time at leaſt, is a very imperfect means of communication: but our guide, who was no leſs deſirous of going to bed than we were, went knocking in vain at one door after the other, till having gone round almoſt the whole village, we at length found two charitable ſouls who agreed to harbour us.
We were immediately ſerved with a frugal repaſt, during which the houſe was lighted in the manner that is practiſed by ſome of the inhabitants of the Alps. They ſet fire to ſmall ſplinters of very reſinous wood, ſtuck into the wall, which afford plenty of light, but throw out a great deal of ſmoke. One of our hoſts took the charge upon himſelf of lighting new ſplinters of wood as faſt as the former were conſumed.
We ſtood much more in need of ſleep than of meat, and haſtened to enjoy a repoſe, which proved the more delectable, as we were here no more incommoded with the cold we had experienced on the high mountains.
On the following day, the 19th, I went on board with my collection of volcanic products and ſome very fine ſpecimens of plants, ſuch as the teucrium betonicum, the eſchium fruteſcens, &c.
The birds known by the name of Canary-birds are very common in the lower regions of theſe mountains; their colour is a brown mixed with
various
