But My Fellow-Travellers Would Insist Upon First Celebrating Their Freedom At A Tavern, And From This Reason It Was 11 O'clock Before We Started.

I availed myself of this time to look about the town and its environs.

It is very small and contains no handsome buildings. The only remains of antiquity which I found were traces of the floor of a room in Mosaic work of coloured stones. From what I could see of the island of AEgina, it appeared extremely barren and naked, and it does not show any indications of having been once a flourishing seat of art and commerce.

AEgina is a Greek island, about two square miles in extent, it was formerly a separate state, and is said to have received the name of AEgina from the daughter of AEsop. It is supposed that the first money of Greece was coined in this island.

Our passage to the Piraeus occupied a long time. There was not a breath of wind, and the sailors were obliged to row; we did not land at our destination until nearly 8 in the evening. We were first visited by the health-officer, who read through the certificates which we brought from the quarantine very leisurely. There was unfortunately nobody among us who was inclined to make it more understandable to him by a few drachmas. Of course we could not neglect going to the police-office; but it was already closed, in consequence of which we dare not leave the town.

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