s
appearance, being trimmed with red. The collars and the lapels of their
jackets, too, are ornamented here and there with figures of stage horns
and other emblems of their profession. They also wear enormously long
and stout boots. These boots come up above their knees. They carry only
a short whip, for they only have to whip the horse that they are upon,
and the one which is by the side of him, and so they do not have to
reach very far. When there are four horses, there are two postilions,
and when there are six, three.

A large diligence, with six horses, and a gayly dressed postilion
mounted on one of the horses of each pair, makes a very grand
appearance, you may depend, in coming, upon the gallop, into the streets
of a town--the postilions cracking their whips, and making as much noise
as they can, and all the boys and girls of the street coming to the
doors and windows to see.

"I am glad we are going to have postilions, uncle George," said Rollo,
as they were getting into the coach.

"Why?" asked Mr. George.

"Because I like the looks of them," said Rollo; "and then we always go
faster, too, when we have postilions. Besides, when there is a seat for
a driver on the coach, it blocks up our front windows; but now our
windows are all clear."

"Those are excellent reasons--all of them," said Mr. George.

The postilions did indeed drive very fast, when they once got upon the
road. There was a delay of half an hour, at the gate of the city, for
the examination of the passports; during which time the postilions,
having dismounted from their horses, stood talking together, and playing
off jokes upon each other. At length, when the passports were ready,
they sprang into their saddles, and set the horses off upon the run.

The road, on leaving the gates, entered a wide and beautiful avenue,
which was at this time filled with peasants coming into town, for that
day was market day in Naples. The people coming in were dressed in the
most curious costumes. Multitudes were on foot, others rode crowded
together in donkey carts. Some rode on the backs of donkeys, with a load
of farming produce before or behind them. The women, in such cases, sat
square upon the donkey's back, with both their feet hanging down on one
side; and they banged the donkey with their heels to make him get out of
the way so that the diligence could go by.

The country was very rich and beautiful, and it was cultivated every
where like a garden.