As there was no prospect of continuing our voyage to-day, my companion and myself went on shore, after dinner, and amused ourselves with a walk in the country; after an hour’s march, we reached a small town, named Albisola, remarkable for its porcelain manufactory; my companion saw, however, nothing but black plates: on our way, we fell in with a genteel young man, a native of Albisola, who gave us much local information; after which, we passed a lady and gentleman, who, we were informed, were the mayor of the place and his lady, on their way to a concert at Savona. We found Savona a small neat town, pleasantly situated, and entering some of the shops, made a few trifling purchases, and were remarkably struck with the politeness of the Italian shop-keepers. On inquiring the time of day, we were answered, “twenty-three hours and a half;” this appeared a very extraordinary manner of noting the time: the fact is, however, that, in Italy, their calculation always commences at sun-set, which is their twenty-fourth hour, and consequently, must vary according to the varying seasons of the year, which makes their mode of computation exceedingly difficult for a stranger to comprehend. In addition to the above, I had another indication of being in Italy, from the universal use of that language; in short, my companion conversed with every one in Italian, and then translated it for me into French; and I was much pleased with the specimen I here received both of the manners and language of the country.
In the evening we returned to our vessel to sleep, in order to be prepared for any favourable change in the wind, but determined, in case of its not shifting, to disembark with our baggage in the morning, and proceed to Genoa by land. We were cheerful and happy in the prospect of our difficulties being soon terminated, and after regaling the crew with wine, retired to rest.
We rose with day-break, and finding the wind still adverse, after settling with the captain, went on shore, and taking places in the voiture to Genoa, determined no longer to be the sport of the winds. There were but two vacancies in the coach, and finding our anxiety to proceed with it, the conducteur would fain have taken advantage of it, but the lady managed the affair well, for offering what she knew to be the usual sum, viz. five francs for each of us; on their refusal to accept it, under the plea that there was no other coach that day, we walked off, and pretended to be indifferent about it: this manœuvre brought them to, and before we had proceeded the length of a street, the conducteur came running after us, to say that he was willing to take us; after this, however, we had some trouble to get our luggage to the carriage, and were obliged to walk part of the way out of town, in doing which we were followed by the most importunate host of beggars I had ever witnessed in my life; my companion was so confused that she could with difficulty count out her money to pay the porters, &c. At length our supplicants dropped off, one by one, until we literally out-walked them all.
I ought not to take leave of Savona, without mentioning, that at this point the maritime Alps terminate, and the Apennines commence.
About four o’clock, we passed through a village, stated to be the birth-place of Columbus: this information excited much interest in my mind: I was led to reflect upon the manner in which his extraordinary genius had surmounted the various obstacles opposed to his discovery of a new world, and to regret the supineness of my own country, which might otherwise have had the honour of participating in so important an event; but the enlivening conversation of our party, would not admit of my indulging freely in such speculations, and ere long we made our entry through the gates of Genoa.
CHAP. XIII.
GENOA.—VOYAGE TO LEGHORN, AND JOURNEY TO FLORENCE.
The narrowness of the streets prevented our coach from setting me down at the hotel to which I had been recommended; this is not, however, to be regarded as any evidence of its want of respectability, for the same objection lies against almost every other hotel in Genoa: for there are but three streets in the whole city which will admit of carriages passing each other, and which are, the Strada balba, the Strada nuova, and the Strada novissima, consisting entirely of ranges of palaces. I was disappointed in not finding accommodation at the hotel in question, and therefore, on the solicitations of a man who had followed me all the way from the coach, went to the Piccolo Paregé, a large house near the port, with a tower on the top of it, from whence there is a fine view of the harbour and shipping. After enjoying the luxury of what was formerly directed by some of the ancients as a religious ceremony, ablution, I retired to a comfortable bed, for the first time since I left Nice.
In the morning, after calling at the post-office and at the British consul’s to ascertain the state of the Neapolitan war, I proceeded to explore the town; the weather was, however, wet, cold, and uncomfortable, and I was sensible of a very different climate from that of Nice; indeed, I was informed that, during some of our finest days at the latter place, it rained or snowed at Genoa.