that their adhesive power had failed. I also received indignant letters
from correspondents in England remonstrating with me for posting my
communications to them unstamped. This surprised me, and at Rome, where I
had been accustomed to purchase _franco-bolli_ at the head office, I took
them home and regummed them. But the remarkable phenomenon was, that such
stamps as were purchased at tobacconists' shops had gum on them--only
those acquired at the post-offices were without. I learned that the same
peculiarity existed at Florence, and indeed elsewhere in Italy, and finally
the explanation was vouchsafed to me. The functionary at the post-office
passes a wet sponge over the back of the sheets of _franco-bolli_ supplied
to him, thus removing the adhesive matter. When he sells stamps at the
window, he hopes that those who purchase will proceed at once to apply them
to their letters, without perceiving their deficiencies. As soon as the
stamp becomes dry it falls off, and quite a collection of stamps of sundry
values can thus be gathered at every clearing of the box, and the postal
clerk reaps thence a daily harvest that goes a long way towards the eking
out the small pittance paid him by Government. It is interesting to see the
directions taken by human enterprise.

Whilst I was in Rome, Buffalo Bill was in Naples exhibiting his troupe of
horses and gang of Indians. The Italian papers informed the public of a
remarkable exploit achieved by the Neapolitans. They had done Buffalo Bill
out of two thousand francs. It had been effected in this wise. His reserved
seats were charged five francs. Four hundred forged five-franc notes
were passed at the door of his show by well-dressed Neapolitans, indeed,
the _elite_ of Neapolitan society; and the trick played on him was not
discovered till too late. Now consider what this implies. It implies that
some hundreds of the best people, princes, counts, marquesses at Naples
lent themselves to see Buffalo Bill's exhibition by a fraud. They wanted to
see and be seen there, but not to pay five francs for a seat. There must