[Illustration: A SICILIAN PAINTED CART AND DECORATED HARNESS.]
The cart is a light, two-wheeled affair of an ordinary kind, but every inch of it inside and out as far as the ends of the shafts and down the spokes of the wheels, is painted in gaudy colours, for the most part yellow, blue, red, and green.
Pictures of incidents in Bible history, of the war against the Turks in Tripoli, of ballet dancers, etc., are to be seen on most of these carts, while on others ornamental patterns only are painted.
Then the harness of the horse is of a very gaudy kind when new, but being largely made up of cheap gold braid and coloured cloth, it soon fades and looks tawdry.
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A MUSICAL SADDLE.
In place of a bit there is a steel noseband on the horse's bridle by which he is driven and guided, and instead of the ordinary pad on the horse's back, a great ornamental brass affair is used.
Years ago I bought one of these pads and brought it home as a curiosity. A friend met me as I was bringing it along, and said:
"Hullo! what on earth is this? Surely it must be some sort of musical instrument. Look here! I am getting up a concert; you must bring your instrument and play it there. Will you?"
Of course, I always like to oblige a friend, and I did not like to disappoint this one, so I meekly promised.