In the corner to the left of the door was a gigantic stove, built of brick, and whitewashed.

From the top of the stove to the wall on the right stretched what might be called an enormous shelf, six or eight feet in breadth.

This is the so-called palati, as I afterwards discovered, and serves as a bed for part of the family.

The furniture consisted of a long wooden bench attached to the wall on the right, a big, heavy, deal table, and a few wooden stools.
Whilst I was leisurely surveying these objects, I heard a noise on the top of the stove, and, looking up, perceived a human face, with long hair parted in the middle, and a full yellow beard.

I was considerably astonished by this apparition, for the air in the room was stifling, and I had some difficulty in believing that any created being--except perhaps a salamander or a negro--could exist in such a position.