Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-07-21
HERCULANEUM AND Po I -

HEKCULANEUM AND POMPEII.
Among tho numerous accounts of these won.
derful places we have never moro inter
esting than the following from Poale's book on
Italy.
"Another rainy day wax we'll employed in tho
Museum, examining the antiquities of Horculan. |
sum and Pompeii. We commenced with coliec- |
ton of gold bracelets, chains car and finger rings,
&c. most OF them rud,ly massive, particularly tho
bracelets some of which consisted OF double row
of rounded masses of gold. like sections Of bullets
In ono case by themselves, the elegant brace
fsts, and finger rings, and neck chain of lady
whose scull and bones are shown in another room,
together with impressions of various parts of hor
figure in the matter by which Shc smothcrcd
In the villa of Diomodes at Pompoii. She had Ia
koa refuge in a cellar from the falling ashes or
hnc pumicc of the burning mountain, but by Il re.
fux of the sea, which torrent OF lava had driven
back, tho pumice became a wave Of mud, and,
pouring down the windows OF the cellar over
wholmcd her and some others of tho family.
Another contains u curious collection ofl
eatablcs, which having been suddenly surrounded
with melted red hot lava that flowed into tie Stores
chambers, and kitchens Of uerouaneun, wero
converted into charcoal The atmospheric air
being excluded till tho lava cooled, prcventcd the
articles being reduced to ashes. In no other man
nor could such delicate substances have been pre-
served for such length of time. Here is seen
tho charcoal from loaf OF bread, neatly fishi. n
ed into radiating lobes, OF which is i'm
pressed the bakers name; plate of eggs, rather
ogg-shelis, some of which ara not broken, retain
are samples of great variety OF carbonized arti-
eles, found in stores and private houses; a thread
net for boiling cabbagcs; figs, prunes, olives dates,
nuts OF various kinds; retaining the most minute
characteristics of their external FORMS though all
In the room wt,erc tie,ys o.. ). ,,r-
nihcent Cameo said to be tho largest in the world
wrought out of single piece of agate, about or
~ lhches IN diameter. 1t is Il composition of Sc
ven hgures, representing the upotheosis of tho
hrst PtoleDiy-wliite figures on brown ground
vn0 Sn11n far, IL
whito vein down to which the artist had to cut
leaving circular border a frame, and w orking
his hgures out of the white, relieved by the deepcr
mass OF brown. The brown base continues to The
back, on which is wrought fine Medusa,s head
The frame part consists of the beautiful vein
ed agate. l never could look on this splendid
combination OF nature and art, without an extra
ordinary emotion OF delight. 1t was found at Rome
In tho tomb of Adrian. 1t tands in an erect nos,
hon, In the middle OF the room, under class case
and has a screw and pinion to turn it round.
bucke', morter, basins, skellets, Inuus cum,
60 all OF silver, richly ornaincnted with ba,s re-
lcivi fill another case. Among the orp.nonts ~
gold, 10 beautiful little model of ,adys rei;cnle
IKE those OF the present day. Here are. also. p
variety OF coiors, such were used in resco ,,int
Ing, which were found in POTS in paintor,s sbo,
IL Pompei i ''i
One chamber is filled with vast variety OF arti.
eles made of glass, of which substance it was SIM.
posed the ancients were ignorant, consisting of
plates tor window lights, bottles lars muos phio,s
dishes, cups, lamps, &c. Some only blown inf -
thcir shapes, Others moulded, and some afterwards
ground Those glasses of every possible form.
end have beauaiul mothcr-of.pearl appearance.
occasioned by the heat to which they have heer
subjected. One of them has been carefully clean
cd, and is found to he precisely like our common
green glass; yet there some articles of perfect
"hite' or rather colorcss, glass, and others of
a hne deep blue. There is a great assortment of
little glass Phials of the kind which it s customa
ryto call lacry'ndtories, which found in shop
ID fompen' An attempt to catch the tears of
Rrief In these slender-mouthed vessels, would eff
iectually disturb the sentiment AID restrain the
hood. 1t is much more reasonable to believ. that
these little vessels whether of glass or carthenwara
which arc found III sepuchral vases were usc,; for
ouor'1eroos liquids. Here, ALSO arc several large
glass vases OF globular form, found in tombs
containing bones and ashes OF the ue7d-a r,de
KIND OF caster made of lava, containing tyro hot
e!es several glass vases of mixed colors black and
%hlte' inc "hIte beng IN oblong blotchos-tuIn-
oicps OF long shape, with raised knobs or depres
sed grooves or else ndentcd ut four opDosite side.
into great cavities-and heyagon plate with fat
edges the bowl resembling soup plate, mould
Cd ana perfectly well ground. Altogether there
are two thousand six hundred specimens of glasses
IN the same room a contains variety of oh
Jects OF wrought rock crystal, a spoon necklace
sc; - series OF rooms is appropriated to articles
OIL Kitchen turniture; there various port fire.
places, most of which have hollow borders IN CON
tam water, which was kept hot by the fire ipro,a
bly, charcoaE used in cooking, and at the same
.ine' prevented the fire. place from becoming red
II, Il OD-cG
OF ono side; cylindrical furnaces also donbe tn
hold water, with kettle, fitting into the ton for
boiling and stewing; brass stcw-pans, lined with
silver, and pots of every size and shape many of
which are of solid silver, but generally OF brass
lined with silver, if the unwiolcsomeness of
brass, and copper was known; ono hundred and
forty bronze cdndelabra about four feet hiph: ron
DICTIONARY moulds of various and beautiful forrs.
STRANGERS with silver bottoms, finely and beautifully
pierced; an elegant hand-l lnthorn; a v,rief, of
bronze scales and weights of stone stcelyards Inc
weights OF which represent busts of men and wo.
men; and lamps of every size and pattern and
larger massive lamps that hung in halls and
passages.
The next room contains about two thou,and ar
tices of bronze, many of which wore found in
temples and used in the ceremonies of sncriGco
consisting OF large and elegant vases and dishes
inIaid with silver; multitude Of little domestic or
portable gods; tea urn, exactly liko those Of our
times, with tube in the CENTRE to hold hot iron
surrounded by the water; handsome consular
chair, couchos and seats of honor which have ser
we'd pattcrnS for the modern fashions of Paris;
water bucket, the handles of which, in two seq
Ucnts, hinged at the centre, constitute an orna-
rneHa rim, studded with silver; and great -.eri-
ETY. of mugs, &c.
n dark rosm contains many curious and some
elegant specimens Of armor-helmots, breast plates
ehelds, axes, spears, locks, nails, hinges, Sc of
iron and bronze; and iron stocks, III which were
90 nd the legs, with the skeletons, of three men
no must have been suffering this punishment
y 81 The city Of PomPoii was destroyed. A sDlen
- wrought helmet, found i'm IIerculsneuu, and
= g hing thirty three pounds too large and heavy
use, is supposed to have been made for some
namental purpose the hgh-ra.scd figures on II
present the Trojan war.
Beyond these various musical instruments