At sunset we steamed away northward from Castel Durazzo. The captain was delighted to see me again, and Giovanni was most affable, doing his utmost to promote my happiness. But like Rachel of old I would not be comforted, all my plans were thoroughly upset; I could not bring myself to make fresh arrangements. I was turning my back on my beloved South and I was retracing my steps—both things I utterly detested. But non ci era rimedio, the quarantine and the Lazzaretto I could not face, so there was nothing else to do but resign oneself to the fates.
The next morning we came abreast of Budua, but I did not land as I did not feel well. I screwed up my courage, however, and attempted a little sketch of its castle and harbour, with its blue sea and its background of rocky mountains. After a little, and just as we were leaving the place, I felt worse, so I took some medicine and went to lie down. In two hours more I was in high fever, with a racking pain in my head and back, and I felt my mind almost wandering. We reached the Bocche that evening, but the beauties of the Fjord were lost to me—I lay in my cabin prostrated. Giovanni came instantly to see me, trying to comfort me by telling me I had only caught "la febbre," and that I should send for the doctor at Cattaro to get myself bled, and take quinine, when I should be all right. I think that the idea of Giovanni's bringing a doctor and having me bled, nolens volens, roused me up. I made myself some tea, and just as we reached Cattaro I felt much better—the fever had abated, and now, said I, is the time to take the quinine.
I had brought lots of it with me, so I measured out as much as I could pile upon a shilling, and bolted it. It certainly cut short the disease, as the fever did not set in again; but I was not well for many days after, and even when I arrived at Trieste I felt quite weak and out of sorts.
The next morning early we left Cattaro, and in the afternoon got to Gravosa. I felt somewhat better, and hearing that Consul Paton, who was then alive, and his family were in a villa just opposite to where the steamer was moored, I took a boat and spent two delightful hours with them, till the steam-whistle told me how quickly the time had flown. I reluctantly made my adieux, and soon was steaming out of the harbour.
It wanted scarcely an hour of sunset: the sun was low in the horizon—all the lights and shades were the more intensely marked, while the constantly changing tints, from brightest rose and golden yellow to the deepest violets and blues, created such a fairy scene that I would not venture to describe it.
I was in the fullest enjoyment of that sunset, gazing on where the sun was just dipping into the sea, sending a flood of golden light along the surface from himself to us, when the captain tapped me on the shoulder, saying, "Vada giù, you had la febbre last night; don't expose yourself to the air al tramonto;" so I took his advice, and went down below, notwithstanding the heat, and so ended the 23rd day of July!
The following day saw us at Lesina and at Curzola, and again at Lissa. The day after brought us abreast of Spalato, where again I enjoyed a couple of hours' ramble among those glorious ruins. Then we cruised through the countless islands near the mouth of the Quarnero, and finally reached Trieste, where, after having enjoyed two pleasant days with Captain Burton and his charming and talented lady, I turned my steps towards home.
Here I take my leave of the reader. If he shall be disappointed with my style and my many shortcomings I shall not be surprised; but I shall be disappointed indeed if, following a somewhat similar track to the one I have been tracing, only penetrating, if possible, more into Servia proper, and going across it from the Danube to the Adriatic, he shall not feel himself amply repaid by having taken my advice in visiting those countries which I have endeavoured to describe.
THE END.