The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-17 00:00:00

1111 E PRINCE OF WALES AT NAPLES.

A letter from Naples, dated Nov. 9, says :—lt is
one great advantwe of an incognito that a Royal
Prince is not deprived by rank of those pleasures
Which every private gc...ntlernan enjoys, and under
cover of this mantle our Princes have been walking
and driving about during their short visit. The
people here have been astonished at their early and
unceremonious habits, for as soon as half-past eight
or nine o'clock in the morning they have been re-
cognised visiting the various coral shops and
studios and other places of interest, just as you or'
I might have done. Palchetti and Bolton had the
honour of an inspection, as also the celebrated pho-
tographist Grillet. A German artist, too, M. Gut z-
loft, received the honour of a visit and of commis-
pions.

On Saturday the Royal party started in eight car-
riages for Pompeii, where they arrived at midday,
and entered the silent city by the street of the
Tombs. After exploring the house of Diomede and
the whole of this interesting locality they proceeded
to the house of the Tragic Poet, the public baths,
the street so called of the Two Fountains, and then
entered the Forum. The Strada Olconio was next
visited for the sake of the house No. 4, which is re-
markably well preserved, and the house of Cornelio
Rufo, in which is a very beautiful lmpulvium, and
a bust of the proprietor. On the left of this street
is the singularly interesting house where at the
threshold you are met by the inscription in mosaic,
" Salve lucrum !" By this time it was two o'clock,
and an excavation was made at the back of the Lu-
pinari, and Bernoud, a French artist, photographed
the party as they sat around looking down on the
novel and exciting scene. The results, however,
were not great, as nothing was found except some
bronze hinges and nails, tolerably well preserved,
and which the Prince appropriated, with much
glee. The Princess, too, appeared greatly inte-
rested with the operations. Thence the party pro-
ceeded to the " Bagni Nuovi," where luncheon was
provided, and Bernoud again photographed them,
two or three of the ladies in waiting being sum-
moned to take their part in the group. After repos-
ing a short time the Princes were conducted to the
western part of the Strada Stabiana, and a very
successful excavation was made. An olla of bronze,
another of clay, and three little lucerne of the same
material were turned up, as also the skeletons of
three fowls and the remains of some egg shells, which
the Princess took possession of. In the corner of
the room, too, was found a cameo with an engrav-
ing.

The next visit was to the amphitheatre, which
lies at a short distance from the city, and after ex-
amining the lower part the distinguished visitors
mounted the seats which run round the ruin, the
Prince of Wales being especially active, and jumping
from block to block with all the gaiety of youth.
Before leaving Bernoud took another photograph
of the party as they sat or stood about, with the
western sun shining full upon them, and, as the
points chosen were admirable, I doubt not but that
these three photographs will prove to be worthyre-
miniscences of our Prince's visit to Pompeii. The
carriages were waiting at the Pcrta Stabiana, and
now that they are safely shut in let us leave them
to talk over their impressions of this very agreeable
day. It was pleasant to see these Royal personages,
untrammelled by the ceremonies of a Court, enjoy-
ing themselves so thoroughly, and appearing in their
natural character. The incognito did much for them,
and it is just to say that the Neapolitans have had
the good taste and the delicacy to respect it. Such
attentions, too, as have been rendered by the autho-
rities were only those sufficient to prevent them
from being obtruded upon. The Princes were at-
tended by the very meritorious director of the exca-
vations, Cavaliere Fiorelli, and the Prussian Consul,
Mons. Stolte. An inspector of police was there,
and eight carabineers from Torre dell' Annunziata
moved about in pairs just to keep order, and that
was all the display of authority.
On Sunday the Prince of Wales attained his
majority, and at 8 o'clock in the morning all the
British vessels of war dressed, except the Osborne,
each mast of which, however, was surmounted by
a crown of evergreens. No salutes were fired, the
incognito of the Prince being preserved, and an
obvious respect being paid to the -wishes and feel-
ings of her Majesty. At 12 o'clock the Princes and
the Princess of Prussia honoured the London and
the Doris with a visit, and the usual pretty spec-
tacle was presented of manning yards. After the
return of the Prince to the Osborne salutes were
fired as a matter of course. On Sunday afternoons
our great promenade, the Villa Reale, is always
crowded with a mixed company of persons whose
occupations prevent them from enjoying themselves
during the week, and it used to be the rule of the
aristocratic " ignobile vulgue" to abstain from breath-
ing the same air with them. Our Royal family
must have other ideas of infection, for in the after-
noon they mingled in the crowd, and walked up to
the jetty, returning afterwards to the spot where
the band plays, and occupying some of the many
hundred chairs which are placed there at two or
three grani a head_ An English lady who sat near,
on seeing the Princes, gave the master of the band
a hint, and the Royal Anthem, was struck up, but
unaccustomed and unprepared, the performers only
got half-way through it. Meantime the crowd
formed in a half-circle around to gaze at Royal
Princes who actually could condescend to walk and
sit among them, and even pay for their seats. In
the evening there was a dinner on board the Osborne
which was given by the Prince of Prussia, covers
being laid for 24. Besides the Prince and Princess
of Leiningen and the Royal suite, Captain Chads,
of the London, Captain Sir L. M'Clintock, of the
Doris, General La Marmora, Mr. Bonham and M.
Stolti, the British and Prussian Consuls, had the
honour of being invited. At the close of the dinner
the health of her Majesty was given, and was re-
ceived with much enthusiasm, and then General
Knollys, all the guests rising, proposed the health
of the Prince ofWales. Briefly, but in a very feel-
ing manner, he intimated that but for the great loss
which the Royal family and nation had sustained
the Prince would not have been here that evening,
and then alluding to the great future which lay before
him, he pointed to and eulogized the bright example
of the deeply to be regretted Prince Albert. The
Princesses were much affected, and, as the guests
raised their glasses to drink the toast, the Princess
of Prussia, who stood next to his Royal Highness,
turned towards and kissed her brother. I fear to
have committed an indelicacy in thus violating the
privacy of the Roy al party, yet I am much mistaken
in the character of the sons and daughters of old
England, if they will not love their princes all the
more for those little touches of affection which unite
them to us by the bonds of a common humanity. A
rocket
announced that the toast of the evening had
been drunk, and in a moment the London, the
Doris, and the magicienne were blazing with blue
lights ; they ran
along the yards and peered out of
the portholes, rockets were sent up from each
vessel, and the silence
the
cheers
01
tile
:nee of the evening was broken by
the Prince of Wftivers they drank the health of
Yesterday, like all last
driving about and visitin days, was occupied in
chases. Towards the evße7dios and making pur -
drive in the Strada Nuova, n the Princes took a
board, as San Carlo, which andsbalat the evening on
would be opened on the 10th, was beenannounced
cause the scenery was not ready. still
jahut up, be-
Ag
t he Doris is getting up her steam, and sh"ea writing
with the Magieienne, will accompany th'ete)°bgether
round to Beim. The Royal party go round by land
to Pozzuoli, Cute m, and Beim, and getting on board
will proceed to Civita Vecchia in the afternoon, and
to Rome by rail. There the Princess will
so on spend
her birthday, which comes off on the 21st, and
About of December the whole party will
a the As.r
leave Italy for the north. Thus ends my journal of
Our in the Bay of Naples. Every-
Prince's doing
thing has passed
I Off well,
weather, well, an nothing could have
of the which has
exceeded the calm beauty
• ural
shed indescribable indescribable loveliness o
n the nat
Warm, brilliant days
tions of this neighbourhood..
light igh
have been followed by genial moon
• out on thets, and
Bay I
from my open windows looking
have listened to the Prince's band every evening up
to 10 o'clock, followed by the occasional cheers of
our seamen, which told us the history and the occa-
sion of the music, lam much mistaken if the visit