A demonstration in his honor was prepared at Pontedera, where he arrived
at 12 o'clock. Regardless of the late hour, the banks were crowded and
torches gleamed along the entire length of the town. The whole
population seemed to have turned out. As Paul came opposite, he stood up
in the water, saluting the assemblage. As he resumed his recumbent
position, his hand came in contact with the upturned face of a dead
woman. For a moment he was horrified; but fastening the body to a
line, he carried it to shore, while the band played and the people
cheered, little suspecting that the voyager had such a ghastly object
in tow. He called out that he had the corpse of a woman with him. Some
of the authorities took charge of it; but the crowd gave it no heed as
they followed up the street, cheering and tumbling over one another in
their anxiety to see him. One enthusiast, who thought he was being
unduly crowded, rammed his torch down another's throat. Boyton was
compelled to repeat the speech he made at San Romano. The banquet was a
noble success; but very trying to the landlord who appeared to be
completely upset at having such unusual trade. Instead of heeding
orders for edibles, he would rush into the banqueting hall every few
moments and nervously count the empty wine bottles. The guests yelled
at him to hurry; but those bottles were counted several times before
anything was set on the table to eat. Paul remained at Pontedera until
morning, simply because he did not wish to reach Pisa until the
following mid-day, which was the time appointed. Consequently it was
8 o'clock in the morning when he resumed the voyage; he was escorted to
the river by the same enthusiastic crowds. At noon he arrived at Pisa.
A unique reception had been arranged. The mayor and all the authorities
were out to meet him in those peculiar looking boats that are seen
nowhere else in the world, called Lancia Pisana. Those boats are of
ancient make; none of them being manufactured at the present day.
They are about thirty feet long, richly carved and gaudily painted.
Under the escort of these gay boats, containing the
notabilities, Paul landed and again great crowds tendered him an
ovation.

Under the impression that Boyton could neither speak nor understand the
Italian tongue, the officials had engaged a man who was supposed to be
a great English scholar, to act as interpreter for him at the feast to
be given in th