More or less people were always killed at these barbarous races;
but for some years the barbrie has been abolished.
While in the ancient city, Paul determined to make a voyage down the
Tiber. He went up the river as far as he could get, to Orte. The
distance from that town to Rome is about one hundred and ninety miles by
river. News of his determination to try the Tiber having preceeded him
to Orte, he was royally received by the authorities and populace. When
the start was made, the mayor escorted him to the river, lustily blowing
a horn all the way, like a fish peddler trying to attract attention.
The Tiber is an uninteresting stream, running through the Roman
Campagna, and is made up of great bends. He left Orte in the afternoon,
and night came on terribly cold. Now and then he would get a cheer from
people along the banks; but in a moment it was lost. He drove rapidly
along all night without an adventure worth recording. About six o'clock
next morning he was caught in an awkward manner in the branches of a
tree that had washed into the stream and he only freed himself by
cutting away the limbs with his knife, causing considerable delay. All
day he drove energetically along, and the stream turned and twisted so
much that he frequently passed the same village twice in swinging
around great bends.
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