The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-24 00:00:00

ging on this spot has only lately been under-
taken, yet already forty-three blocks of marble
have been unearthed, all of which come from

quarries at present unknown or exhausted.

Some of these blocks are estimated to be worth
10,000 lire.

The Holy Father drove to the spot unex
pectedly on the 10th, and, as it happened,
found Cardinal Antonelli talking with the
charming ease of manner which distinguishes
him to Commendatore Visconti and the work-
men. Commendatore. Visconti had the honour
of guiding his Holiness along the rough path by
the bank of the river leading to the works,
and explaining their whole bearing to his Holi-
ness. A very beautiful block of marble (marntor
carystium) was dug ont in his presence.
I shall probably often have occasion to men-
tion this work, as it is likely to lead to discove-
ries scarcely second in interest to those of Her-
culaneum or Pompeii.

Some of the beautiful marbles already
brought to the surface will be used in the
new chapel of St. Andrew Avellino, in the
church of St. Andrea della Valle.
The excavations in the catacombs are also
progressing. Cavaliere Rossi is still engaged
on the second volume of his " Roma Sotter-
ranea," which is being published at the Pope's
expense.

The following report, which I extract from

the Correspondence de Rome, of the last meeting
of the British Arclueological Society, may have
an interest for some of your readers :
Mr. Parker commenced by expressing his satis-
faction at the admission of Cavaliere Rossi among
the honorary members of the society. He said
Cavaliere Rossi was one of the most distinguished
archaeologists of Europe. His " Inscrisptiones

Romanae" and his " ltoma Sotterranea '5. alone
suffice to fix his rank in the'world of science. It
was to him the Pope referred the society when it
applied for permission to study and take photo-
graphs in the catacombs. The cordiality with
which this permission was accorded testifies to the
liberality and large-mindedness of the Cavaliere.
Far from shutting them out of what may be consi-
dered his special domain, he defended them against
other persons who raised difficulties as to their ad-
mission. That the Pope had presented him (Ur.
Parker) with the silver medal was sufficient evi-
dence that he approved their objects 'and spirit.
The first season he passed in Rome he made it
his work to study the primitive Christian churches
of Rome, and examine the fragments of construc-
tion alleged to belong to the time of the Apostles,
which are not infrequently to be met with. He
was, of course, most attracted by that of St. Puden-
tiana, which had always been declared by the
Church of Rome to be the oldest in the world. And

he had convinced himself that part of the walls
and the crypt really belonged to the date of Nero,
and that the edifice had originally been a hall in.
the palace of the Senator Pudens, - the friend of
Martial and Governor of the Roman provinces of
" Britannia Meridionalis," and that the crypt was
long the refuge of the Christians in time of per-
secution, as Justin Martyr attests.
Mr. Shakespeare Wood then read a paper on the

fragments of the plan of Rome, engraved in marble, •
of the date of the third century, found in the gar.
den of the Church of SS. Cosmo e Damiano, at the
foot of a brick wall, on which are yet to be found
remains of cement and metal hooks or clasps, des-
tined to attach a coating of marble ; he believed
that the wall belonged to the Templunz Urbis Romte.
The fragments of the plan contain that of an im-
mense portico, with the words, Porticus Livia 3, and
coincides exactly in all its measures with the site
of the present Church of Sta. Francesca Romano,
and the ruins commonly called 7'enzplunz Veneris et
.Roznx. _ _

Mr. Hemans combated Mr. Wood's opinion with
great ingenuity of argument, citing from memory
a number of passages from ancient authors. Mr.
Parker stated, however, that his view coincided

with that expressed by Mr. Wood. It is further
his idea that the third Regio of the time of Augus-
tus, instead of ending with the Meta Sudans, a s
modern authors have supposed, may, with much
more probability, be reckoned to have extended to
the other extremity of the plane on which the
Porticus Livice was placed, and that the little
triangular elevation between the Basilica of Max-
entius and that of Constantine, the Coliseum and
the east side of the Porticus Livice, is the site
of the Castra Misenatium.
In order to understand Mr. Parker's speech it is
necessary to explain the origin of the opposition
to which he alludes. it would seem that when
he first came to Rome, his zeal in examining
both within and without the construction of the
primitive churches, led him, on one occasion, in
order the better to explain his discoveries in the
Church of Sta. Pudentiana to his friends, to address
them out loud, standing in the altar, and with his
back turned (inadvertently) to the Tabernacle.
The ecclesiastical authorities were naturally scan-
dalized at the moment ; but the matter was ex-
plained, and Mr. Parker was permitted to con-
tinue his researches, having care to use greater
caution.

The naval fleet of the United States is composed
of six squadrons, besides half a dozen vessels on special
service. The North Atlantic squadron is composed of the
Susquehanna, 14 guns ; Do Soto, 6; Monongahela, 7 ; Don,
8; Shawmut, 8 ; Mahaska, 10 ; Saco, 10 ; Yantic, 5 ; Marble-
head; 7; Glasgow, 2. The South Atlantic squadron is
composed of the Guerriere, 21; Pawnee, 11; Sharnokia,
10; Quinnobaug, 6; Huron, 6; Wasp, 3 ; Kansas, 3. The
European squadron.—Franklin, 39; Canandaigua, 7 ;
Ticonderoga, 9; Shamrock, 10; Swatara, 10; Frolic,
5; ltuard, 3. North Pacific Squadron.—Pensacola,
20; Ossipee, 6 ; Saranac, 11 • Lackawanna, 7 ; Mohican,
; Resaca, 8 • Swanee, 10; store ship Cyane, 18 ;
Saginau, 6; jamestown, 1. South Pacific Squadron:
Powhatan, 17 ; store ship Fredonia, 0; Dakota, 3 ; Wate-
ree, 10 ; Nyack, 6. Asiatic squadron : Hartford, 21 • Shen-
andoah, 7 ; Ashuebt, 10 ; Oneida, 8. Monocacy, 10; Ana-
dilla, 5 ; Wyoming, 6 ; Arcostook 5 ; store ship Idaho, 7 ;
Supply, 6 ; Onward, 3 ; Piscataqua, 23. Special service :
Michigan, 8; Sabine, 34; Taratoga, 9: Newberne, 3;
Portsmouth, 9 ; Ascentney, '2 ; Purveyor, 1. There are
53 ironclads laid up —2l at League Island (near Philadel-
phia); 8 at, New Orleans, 7 at Mound City (Illinois), 5 at
Washington, 4 at Boston, 2 at San Francisco, 3 at New
York; at Portsmouth 1, at Philadelphia 1, and at Anna-
polis 1. Congress has authorised the selling of the most
of these.

The Washington correspondent of the Herald
says that President Johnson has selected General
lan to succeed Mr. Adams as United States Minister to
E 'gland. There is much doubt, however, whether Gen.
M'Clellau, who is at present in Europe, will accept the
offer, and there is less that the Senate will reject the
nomination.

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