Wednesday, 16 May 1860
Rose early. Clouds ― but calm. At 6½ in Gallina’s boat ― & at 8 landed at Mr. Smith’s in Palmaria. A curious little snuggery, but shown by the most obliging & kindly master. ― After I had drawn 3 scraps ― (Byron’s house is annually lived in now by a Capt. Cross, who resides at Pisa ―) we left the good man, ― & went up the new broad road: I not over well, ― & George, poor fellow, very gloomy. At the top of the Island, about 11, we sate down to draw & lunch. I found that G. had taken a lot of onions out of Mr. S.’s garden, & as far as I could, I shewed him how that was wrong. But I could not in any way convince him it was so, ― & he was so irritable & glum I thought it right to say no more. ― A little later he set a lot of dry grass on fire with “matches,” & I thought all the hill would be alight. ―― By this, 12½ ― A thunderstorm had given warning, & we came to the shore, & hailed a boat, & crossed to the other side by 1. ― Walking slowly, & drawing at times, brought us to Porto della Grazia ― where (X6) ― & I grew angry at the Clouds preventing my drawing. What beautiful girls & children are there here! & what constant delightful manners & countenances. ― By degrees we went on ― but a most violent storm rose over Lerici, & obliged us to halt in a small cottage where was the master a sea captain, & his family all preternaturally proper & kind. G.’s ways with the children are very nice. He was evidently thinking of his girl all the morning, for he burst out about Καζοάτες later. ― We were nearly wet through in one of the showers afterwards, but got home dry.
The mountains came out more gloriously, with rainbows & all kinds of wonderments. Dinner is never good here. Garibaldi it seems has reached Marsala.
[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]