New-York daily tribune., 1843-07-28
THE TRIBUNE.
4etters from Europe. No. XII.

SALrRNo, May, 1873.
IHAyE Just returned from Postum. My New
York friends and myself made party, and'
secting a beautiful morning, started for the
1s.rted city. Our road lay for many miles
long the Bay that spread away brightly IN the
rauing sun. and through the towns that skirt
Asbase of Vesuvius, and along the barren lava
nct near Pompeii, and finally opened into the
,nliyatcd plains,-when we trottcd quietly off
orard Salerno Vineyards came up to the road
.siar as the eye could reach, interspcrsed with
,noo cultivated grounds, in which the peasants,
otbeir picturesque costume, were gaily at work
The vines in this region arc trained on tall poplars
that give the vineyards the appearance of wood
and do not produce so fine an effect as those far
ber north The fields being without fences had
an open look, and the mingling of men and
women together in their cultivation gave them a
,heOuered appearance, and rendered them very
picturesque In the middle of large green
vbeat.fed would be group of men and women
wedding the grain, the red petticoats and blue
s,acers of the latter contrasting beautifully with
he color of the fields. In one plat of ground l
,,ra team and mode Of poughing quite unique,
ref wthal very simple. The earth was soft as if
already broken up, and needed only a little mel
owing. To effect this, man had harncssed his
wife to plough, which she dragged with all the
vstence of an OK to and fro, he the mean time
bodng it behind, as if he had been accustomed
70 drive and she to go This was literally
aploughing with the heifer." She, with strap
around her breast, leaning gently forward, and
he bowed over the plough behind, presented
most curisus picture in the middle of field.
The plough here is very simple instrument,
having but one handle and no share, but in its
alace pointed piece of wood, sometimes shod
sih iron, projecting forward like a spur, and
merely passes through the ground like a sharp
pointed stick, without turning smooth furrow
like our own
As we approached the Mountains the scenery
changed, and assumed wilder and more varied
aspect. We stopped at Nocera, place founded,
il is supposed, by the Pelasgi-once taken by
The Saraccns, and once bravely and successfully
defended against Hannibal. Here is an old
Cathedral, about which antiquarians have diff
ered much and the only safe result finally
reached is, that it is of great antiquity, and
whether originally Church or not, was built
when Nocera was a far richer and more impor-
ant place. small collection Of houses is near
this Church, from which swarned children and
young women to beg for few gram. Though
dirty and ragged, the features were much finer
than those near Naples. You would have
laughed to have seen me fairly blocked in by
babies and urchins, and young women clamormg
for money. Wishing to look in their houses to
se how they lived, scattered some small change
among them, which Immediately made them my
warm friends; and the invitations had to their
dwellings, especially from those who had not yet
received any money, were excessively warm and
urgent. walked into one house from which
had seen no one come forth to beg. In the
centre of the room was a cradle with a sick
infant In it, while the mother sat at the side of
ii at work. She was fine-looking woman, and
seemed quite superior to the herd that doggcd
my footsteps She looked up as | entered, and
mutered something ofmy impolteness thought
she was about half right; but, stepping up to the
asdle, inquired after the child and laid some
money in its hand. Mercy! what a change!
The sullen look with which she had greeted me
passed away, and she addressed me with all the
handness OF an Italian woman. But oh what
dwellings for men and women Ihave been into
ue quarterings Of Slaves at the South but they
ae comfortable apartments compared with these.
miserable bed and an old loom, with a few
chckens and pig, complete the entire furniture.
iPassed IN and out followed by the same ragged
gang, TIL all at once it occurred to me that these
oeggars were in general notorious thieves. had,
sisapposed, notebook in my coatpocket which
e0sed like a pocket-book, and hence presented
saong temptation to thief. / Immediately put
my hand behind me and found it was gone. |
Was enraged at their ingratitude. There | had
Oesn talking good-naturedly and scattering money
ssnofs the ragged, vermin- covered little thieves,
aaa they had rewarded me with stealing my note
%0A. mustered my best Italian and abused
1en In the worst words could manage. They
NoAea quite astonished and innocent, and seemed
"uing and ardent to find the lost property. Know
as The frequent cases of robbery, it did not once
@cof 10 me that might have left the thing be-
Aao; and. conscious that as soon as they had
Ysned 1t they would find it valueless, offered
'eSssd for Its return. began at two carlincs and
vent up TO six. Men and women ran to and fro
streaming to one another, and then returned to
.spo't progress, which was always mon 81 trouG,'
mot found Our driver exerted himself to the
Utmost, until finally called him back and told
aia to drive on. AS he mounted the box he
shocked up his cap on one side, and, scratching
us head with most knowing look, said -