"In every other country of the world there is some possibility
of defending your baggage, of bargaining for its transport to
the hotel; and if no treaty can be made, there is at least
liberty given to load your own shoulders with it, and be your
own porter. Nothing of this kind at Livorno. The vessel which
brings you has not yet touched the shore when it is boarded;
_commissionnaires_ absolutely rain upon you, you know not
whence; they spring upon the jetty, throw themselves on the
nearest vessel, and glide down upon you from the rigging.
Seeing that your little craft is in danger of being capsized by
their numbers, you think of self-preservation, and grasping
hold of some green and slimy steps, you cling there, like
Crusoe to his rock; then, after many efforts, having lost your
hat, and scarified your knees, and torn your nails, you at
length stand on the pier. So much for yourself. As to your
baggage, it has been already divided into as many lots as there
are articles; you have a porter for your portmanteau, a porter
for your dressing-case, a porter for your hat-box, a porter for
your umbrella, a porter for your cane. If there are two of you,
that makes ten porters; if three, fifteen; as we were four, we
had twenty. A twenty-first wished to take Milord (the dog,) but
Milord, who permits no liberties, took him by the calf, and we
had to pinch his tail till he consented to unlock his teeth.
The porter followed us, crying that the dog had lamed him, and
that he would compel us to make compensation. The people rose
in tumult; and we arrived at the _Pension Suisse_ with twenty
porters before us, and a rabble of two hundred behind.

"It cost us forty francs for our portmanteaus, umbrellas, and