Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1833-11-14
From the New-York Mirror.
FIRST IMPREss1ONs OF EUROPE.
VISIT TO
NAPLES, HERCULANEUM, & POMPElI.


have passed my first day in Naples
in wandering about without any definite
object. have walked around its famous
bay, looked at the lazzaroni, wached
the smoke Of Vesuvius, traversed the
square where young Conrudine vas be-
headed and MasaniellO commsnced his
revolt, mounted the castle Of st Elmo,
and dined on maccaroni in trattOria,
where the Italian had Leaned in Tus-
cany, was Of little more use TO me than
Greek.
The bay surprised me m,st. II is a
collection of beauties, wnid seems more
miracle than an accident Of nature. -
1t is a deep crescent a sixteen miles
across, and little more in length, be-
tween tine points Of which lies chain Of
low mountains called ne island Of Ca
pri, looking from ths shore, like vast
heap Of clouds brosding at sea. In the
bosom of the crescent Ees Naples. Its
palaces and principal buildings cluster
around the base of an abrupt hill, crown
ed by the cashe Of St. Elmo, and its
half million Of inhabitants have stretched
their dwellings, over the plain towards
Vesuvius, and back upon Posilpio, bor-
dering the curve Of the shore on the
right and left, with broad white band
Of city and village for twelve or fourteen
miles. Back from this, Oh the southern
side a very gradual ascent brings your
eve to the base Of Vesuvius, which rises
from the plain in sharp cone, broken in
at the top, its black and lava-streaked
sides descending with the evenness Of a
sand hill, on the one side, to the disn-
tered city Of Pompeii, and on the other
to the royal palace Of Potici, built over
the yet unexplored Herculaneum. In
the centre of the crescent Of the shere,
projecting into the sea by bridge of
two or three hundred feet in length,
stands small castle built upon a rock,
OF one side Of which lies the mole with
its shipping. The other side is border
ed, close to the beach, with the gardens
Of the royal villa, a magnificent prone
! made Of a mile, ornamented with fancy
temples and statuary, on the smooth al
leys Of which may be met, at certain
hours, all that is brilliant and gay in Ma
pies. Farther on, toward the northern
horn ofthe bay, lies the mount Of Posili.
20, the ancient coast Of Balm, Cape
Mysene, and the mountain isles of Pro.
cida and Ischia, the last Of which still
preserves the costumes of Greece, from
which it was colOnized centuries ago.
; The bay itself is as blue as the sky
scarcely ruffled all day with the wind
nd h,x s.h
or creeping on with their picturesqu
lateen sails just filled while the atmos
Phere over sea, city and mountain, is Q
a clearness and brilliancy which is in
conceivable in other countries. The su
periority Of the sky and climate of Italy
is no fable in any part Of this dcliciou
land-but in Naples, if the day l have
spent here is fair specimen, il is match
less even for Italy. There is somethin,
like fine blue veil of most dazzlin,
E transparency over the mountains around
but above AND between there seems no
thing but viewless space nothing lik,
I air that bird could rise upon. The ey,
d gets intoxicated almost with gazing OF
ii.
We have Just returned from our frs
excursion TO Pompeii. 1t lies on tn,
southern side Of the bay, just below tn,
volcano which overwhelmed it, abou
twelve miles from Naples. The roa'
lay along the shore, and is lined will
villages which are only separated b,
name. The first is Poriici, where tn
king has summer palace, through tn
court Of which the road passes. 1t j
built over Herculane um, and the DANCE
. Of undermining it has stopped the exca
r vations Of unquestionably the richest CT
d ty buried by Vesuvius. We stopped a
y a little gate in the midst Of the village
!. and taking guide and two torches, de
= scended to the only part Of it now visible
: by near a hundred steps. We foun,
ourselves at the back ofan amphi,hea.re
We entered the narrow passage, and th,
guide pointed to several Of the uppe
!. seats for the spectators which had bee
r partially dug out. They were lined will
It marble, as the whole amphitheatre ap
e pears to have been. To realize the cf
], feet Of these ruins, il is to be remember
J, ed that they are imbedded in solid lava
!, like rock, near hundred feet deep, AM
d that city which is Of itself ancient, j
e built above them. The carriage il
: which we came stood high over on
= heads, in a time-worn street, and age
|. had passed and many generations Of mel
# had lived and died over a splendid city
whose very name had been forgotten
II was discovered in sinking a well
which struck the door Of the amphithea
ire. The guide took US through severa
other long passages, dug across ant