Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-01-12

| sot u luruaco mdue at LegnOrn. Oi IRON
bars and strong sheet iron, supported ON a
stand, and laid in a stock of fuel, and such
things as were said to be used by Shelley Is
much-loved Hellenes on their funeral pyres.
On the 18th OF August, 1922, | went on
board the " Bolivar" with an English ac-
quaintance, having written to Byron and
Hunt to say that would send them word
when everything was ready, as they wished
to be present. | had previously engaged
two large feluccas, with drags and tackling,
to GO before, and endeavor to find the place
where Shelley's boat had ioundered the
captain of one OF the feluccas having as
serted that he was out in the fatal squall.
and had seen Sheley's boat 20 down off Via
| Reggie, with all sail set. With light and
httul breezes We were eleven hours reaching
our destination,-the tower of Migliarino,
at the Bocco Lericcio, in the Tuscan States.
There was village there, and about two
miles from that place Williams was buried.
So anchored, landed, called on the officer
in command, major, and told him my OBJ
Ject in coming, of which he was already ap-
prlsed by his own government. lie assured
me | should have every aid from him. As
1t was too late in the day to commence oper
and wrote to Byron to be with us next day
noon. The major sent my letter to Pisa by
a dragoon, and made arrangements for the
next day. In the morning he was with us
early, and gave me a note from Byron, to
| say he would join US as near noon as he
could. At ten We went on board the COM
mandant's boat, with a squad of soldiers in
working dresses, armed with mattocks and
spades, an officer of the quarantine service
and some OF his crew. They had their pecu-
liar tools, so fashioned as to do the work
without coming into personal contact with
things that might be infectious, s,-long- hand
led tongs. nippers, poles with iron hooks
and spikes, and divers others that gave one
lively idea Of the implements of torture de-
vised by the holy inquisitors. Thus freight
ed, We started, my own boat following with
the furnace, and the things | had brought
from Leghorn. We pulled along the shore
ior some distance, and landed at line of
strong posts and ratings which projected
into the sea,-forning the boundary divid-
ing the Tuscan and Lucchese states. We
walked along the shore to the grave, where
Byron and Hunt soon Joined us they, too,
had an officer and soldiers from the tower OF
Migliarino, an officer of the health office
and some dismounted Dragons, so We were
surrounded by soldiers, but they kept tho
ground clear, and readily lent their aid.
There was considerable gathering of spec
tators from the neighborhood, and many
ladies richly dressed were amongst them.
The spot where the body lay was marked by
the guarded root Of pine tree.
OPENING THE GRAVE
A rude hut, built of young pine tree stems,
and wattled with their branches to keep the
sun and rain out, and thatched with reeds,
stood on the beach to shelter the lookout
man on duty. A few yards from this was
the grave, which We commenced opening
the Gulf of Spezzia and Leghorn at equal
distances of twenty-five miles from us. As
to fuel, | might have saved myself the
trouble of bringing any, for there was an
ample supply OF broken spars and planks
cast on the shore from wrecks, besides the
fallen and decaying timber in a stunted pine
forest close at hand. The soldiers collected
fuel whilst l erected the furnace, and then
the men of the health Office set to work,
shovelling away the sand which covered the
body, while We gathered round, watching
anxiously. The first Indication of their
having found the body, was the appearance
of the end of black silk handkerchief, Il
grubbed this out with stick, for We were
not allowed to touch anything with our
hands,-then some shreds OF linen were met
with, and boot with the bone of the leg
and the foot in it. On the removal of II
layer Of brushwOod, all that now remained
of my lost friend was exposed, Ia shapeless
mass of bones and flesh. The limbs separa
ted from the trunk on being touched.
e Is that human body ?' exclaimed By
ron , - why, it's more like the carcase of
sheep, or any other animal, than man
this Is satire on our pride and folly
pointed to the letters L. L. W. on the
black silk handkerchief.
Byron, looking on, muttered, " The en-
trails of a worm hold together longer than
the potter's clay, OF which man Is made.
Hold let me see the Jaw" he added, as
they were removing the skull, " | can re-
cognlze any one by the teeth, with whom |
have talked. always watch the lips and
mouth they tell what the tongue and eyes
try to conceal"
had boot of Williams's with ME it
exactly corresponded with the one found in
by piecemeal into the furnace
" Don't repeat this with me-" said Byron
" let my carcase rot where it falls
THE BURNING OF WILLIAMS
The funeral pyre was now ready ap-
piled the fire, and, the materials being dry
and rssinous. the pine wood burnt iuriousiy,
and drove US back. 1t was hot enough be-
fore there xuaa No ,T .tr ,ni tba
loose sand seorched our feet As soon as
the flames became clear, and allowed Us to
approach. we threw frankincense and salt
into the furnace, and poured lssk Of wine
and oil over the body. The Greek Grafton
Was omitted, for We had lost our Hellenic
bard. 1t WIS now so insutierably hot that
the officers and soldiers were all seeking
shade.
" Let us try the strength Of these waters
that drowned our friends, said Byron, with
his usual audacity. - How far out do you
think they were when their boat sank ~
If you don't wish to be put into the fur
mace, you had better not Try you are not
in condition"
He stripped, and went into the water, and
So did and my companion. Before We got
mile out Byron was sick, and persuaded
to return to the shore. My companion, too,
was seized with cramp. and reached the
land by my aid. At four O'Clock the funeral
pyre burnt low. and when We uncovered
the furnace nothing remained in it but dark
colored ashes, with fragments Of the larger
bones. Poles were now put under the red
hot furnace, ard it was gradually cooled in
the sea. | gathered together the human
ashes and placed them in a small oak bog,
bearing an inscription ON brass plate,
screwed it down, and placed it in Byron's
carriage. He returned with Hunt to Pisa.
promising to be with US on the following
day at Via Reggie. | returned with my
party in the same way We came. and supped
and slept at the inn.
TIE BuRNINC OF SHELLEY.
On the following morning we went on
board the same boats, with the same things
and party. and rowed down the little river
near Via Reggie to the sea, pulled along the
coast towards Massa, then landed and be
gan our preparations as before
Three white wands had been stuck 10 the
sand to mark the poets grave, but az they
NJ h.ut,, f.n. 81