Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-12-29

ishment, even when bis desertion may
have taken place under the most disas>
;rous aud dangerous circumstances, would
BE- at least hazaydGus, and should not be
adopted aud put in practice without the
utmUst care ADD circumspectiOn.
---s.s---
Extract IF a letter from a gentleman at
Gibraltar, 10 his brGthrr ia ". FORK,
dated October 90, 1917.
From Leshrrn, where | last wrote You,
we proceeded to Naples, where visited
lnos, Of the antiGaiues aud curiOsitieS ~
ITS ne.ghborhoOd, such as the Temple Of
Mercury, Prisons OF Mere, ionb OF Ne
ro's mother, Nero's Baths, &c. which
aye in a tOleraSie state ofPreservation.-
likewise visited the tlysian Fields and
River Styx; the latter place, however, l
aid not cross.
From Naples we proceeded to Paler-
no, Messina aud Syracuse, in Sicily. AT
the two latter piaces'i was not on shore
but Palermo, the capital, was more
pleased With thaU any city | have vet
seen 10 Italy. And here | visited the
Catacombs at the Monsstry of the CaPa
chins, where several Thousand dead bO-
dies are presented to your view, standing
IN inches, grinnInS most horribly, with
their Dames aud history on carl at acn-
ed to each The manner OF prepa ing
th1se bodies for exhibition is as fellows:
The body is taken soon after Il il dead.
and dried over slow Gre until the flesh
becomes hard, when it is dressed and or
naIneated as the friends Of the deceased
think proper, aud stood Up IN Its niche,
where il remains until the bones moulder
entirely away. ...
On our passage here We boarded
mercha2t vessel, that informed Us that
the plague was raging at Alsiers, which
deferred US troD gaiDg there. Since our
arrival here a report has been received,
which is credited, that the Algerines have
declared war against she French, after
their manner, by capturing one Of their
merchant vessels.
yesterday went over to AIsesiras to
see one of tue amusements Of the Spa
niard5, viz: " bull fight" hut in o.
der to give you a correct idea oi it, | will
attempt TO describe il. A large circus
Is erected, similar 10 ours in America, m
which two hUrsemeD, armed with long
spears, pointed with IfOn, bat construct
Ell 10 SUCH i manner as t. prevent lts en-
terinS very deep in the animals sides !;
and two or three men on foot, with large
red clOaks, bath for their Own defence
and 10 irritatc me animal. mus pre-
pared, the bull is let in upon them, when
the hOyscmen Commence gnAdlng hun
with their spears, whilst those on foot lr"
utate him with their cloaks; aud when
he attenpts To attack them, they dexte-
rously throw ii over his eyes and escape
nut Of his way. When they have snttl-
ciently jrritated him in this manner, they
then begin 70 torment him by sticking hrs
neck aHd shoulders full of short oarbed
darts, the pain of which, together with
the sight OF the rcd clOaks, renders h'm
almost frantic; then one OF the tontmeu,
armed with a sword, attacks him, anu
watching his opportunity. when the huii
makes 1t him, leapes on one SIDE anu
plunScS the sword Up to the hllt Ia his
neck; and thus, after repeatedly wound
Ing hIm, until the animal, faint with loss
ol blood, enables the Swurdsnan To AHA a
blow nearly perpendicular behind the
horns, which INSTANTLY dispatches him
saw five ci these fierce animals torment
cd in this manner; two Ut them killed;
and bat one Of the hOrs sustained any