Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-08-01
FROM EIIRopE
Fss,tSH CorrsspoadsHce Of the Nssr York Tribune.
The Bea.,y sf Napies-vi-it q Pom pcii--Ruiu~.
tcetern.
NArtTS MAy.lSI3.

yards plains mountains and volcanoes gathered into one
"coup DAHL" There Is the grandeur OF the past and the
beauty OF the present. ruined temples, and perfect ones; v
ing cities and buried ones, and them all sky that
would make any country lovely however rugged Day be-
fore yesterday rode Pompeii. At O'Clock land
I'd from the steamboat-at 10 my way for the city
the dead IL lies - miles distant and in the clear air
and objects that surrounded me- forgot the object that
had hurried me away. Now old looking vehicle would
pass whose shape could hardly be made out the
number OF ragged, dirty beings that covered istandng
sitting lying, and indeed piled up every direction
occupy the least possible space. counted several ct
these wheeled one-horSe vehicles persons There
would t of miserable looking outside OF their
houses all engaged in the occupation Often little
urchn would be sitting the ground with his cad between
the knees OF a who busy with his head, while
behind her stood third performing the kind Of ser
and all forming group both ludicrous and revolving.
In another direction would stand the streets with
plate hand while from the other lifted his head
which thrown back n horizontal position hung m
tempting prousion long strings OF which d,up
pcaed around his neck like young snakes in the throat Of
their mother little girl would pass along leading pig by
string which gambOed around her like playful dog
Thus passed along through poetic Tore del Greco and
the Rnen Opont, and then emerged into the open county,
where the piled up lava and the barren hsdes reminded
that approaching the of volcanic fury
Yet here and there green patches from which the
balmy bean sent forth its fragrance contrasting strangely
with the lava walls that enclosed them.
we a,engh reached the gate of the ancient city, where
leit carriages, and commenced the stranges city
promenade made. We first entered the house Of
Domed one of the aristocrnts OF the city We descended
the damp dark wine cellar where the bones OF his fam
~ found whittier they fed for safety from the OF
ashs and fire that overwhelmed them There against the
side Of the WALL amid the cahen that still stood
they did the last day of that wild tempest the
outsehed and the head OF her who had fallen against
her death Nothing remained but the bones aud
Iewes tell the sad story of her and suiocaton in
that dread hour But cannot go into details They have
been written hundred times. There baths,
md dressing and dining and workshops and wheel
Streets where the living multitude had moved, ami
luxuard and ioiled. We ombs that themselves
entonbed. We the washing the dead where
the living suddenly buried unwashsd and uncotfned
the bcerhops with the marks OF the umbler siresh in the
misiones turned the hand IN the
seSame way they turned nearly thousand years ago
There the brothcl and theatre and dancing hall.
The orce through which the priest sent his voice %
the deudc the people into the belief that God hac
spoken disclosed l walked through the house
OF poet his Furnished sleeping apartments, forming,
in their silence, part in greater drama than he ever
ceved stood before the with the rings yet entire
which the horses fastened and where the bones OF
n mother and her three children found locked in cacl
others Temples overthrown with their alia
The inches in which stood the gods left empty and :he
nltls before them which smoked the sacrifice were 81
lent and lonely. Columns fallen each other IN the
usas that wild hurricane had left them pieces OF the
nrchae blocking the entrances they had surrounded
told how fierce the shock and overthrow had been. One
hoase evidently that of n remarkably rich Mo
sale floors representing battle precious stones, still
nades and all the uppurcnanccs OF luxury atiesed the AN
bounded wealth OF the But bodies found
in it, Tue rich had fled with his portable wealth be,
fore the storm came We passed through the temple OF
Jupiter, the court Of justice, the forum, the mnrkeLpace
and emerged into the country.
/ mounted an old wall covered with earth, and looked
back the diseniombcd city, and beyond the Ncsuvius
There tstood, solemn, grand and lonely sending up lis
steady column of smoke, perpetual and living tombstone
the dead its feet. could see the track OF the lava
wild and fiery march for the sea, and could imagine
just the cloud of ashes and cinders from the
init and flying towards the deserted city Foot after
foot piled itself IN the Streets over the thresholds, over
the windows and till IL reached 81 30 feet above
the tops of the houses. could behold the where the
younger Plny came and imPelied by fatal curiosity,
would land t blinded and suifocated he too fell with the
victims that persisted.
From & is We went to the amphithcae, where the gle
diatoria shows held. 1t magnificent Of
oval form, aud sufficiently capaciou5 10 hold IL or 10000
spectators. There the dens where the lions
kept and there the very in which fought and fell
stood at one end and shouted and the answering echo
back clcnr and distinct Dnd voice Ii enhanced
the slinde Some have imagined that spectators
assembled here the OF the overflow OF the CITY, aud
they the first step OF the mighty earthquake that he
raliel doom, they rushed in dismay from their seat'
But this jud be, for Pompe did not fall by an earth
quake and the mountain, long before the eruption,
onnous sound OF the coming blow Do relates that spec
tres lined the summit OF the mountains and unenrlhy
shapes filtered around trembling sides. This usdoubt-
less the mist boiling up from It's confinement through the
cracks and shooting into the upper AIR.
Plny himself says in his cpistle that he saw from Wis
enus IL 20 miles distant from Naples the other side,
"A a
aud shortly after embarked Tor the CITY, The goan
ing mountain Keeling above the OF fire that boiled
,nder her aud struggled for freedom. 1t not time
for amusement Terrified men and women ran for the
that also fled back aiightcd from its shores, that
Pny could and before the city, but wasforced proceed
10 ubr The believing mountain the sulPhurcous air,
the guyerng EARTH would not let city even dssoueas
Pompe gather places Of public amusement Conserna
reigned every street. and drove the ilghted nhub
away from their dwellings. Tins doubtless the Ten
son why bodies were found. Those that perish
wall blocked up their PATH and the descending cndcrs
blinded their sight they CROPPED nboutor way OF cgres
Fear and darkness or day turned into night might
have CENTRALIZED others beyond the power OF moving And
standing the pavement those teHor-slnckcn
citizens stood 900 years and was looking on the same
mountain they gazed with such eafnestnquy and fear
fol forcbodngs. Then rocked aud swayed and thunder
ed before the penup that threatened TO send IN
fragments through the heavens Now silent and quiet II
stood on s firm base Yet 10 me IL had mOrOsc and
Vcnrou LOOK, If II concous OF the rum al i feet
The excavations more extensive than supposed and
the effect Of the clear light OF the sun and the open SKY
the deserted pavcments peculiar and solemn visit
10 Il Is an episode in mans life he forget An
old column or broken wall left Of pppuus city
tcrest, u.s. We stand and the ruined pile gu IT
becomes eloquent with the history Of the past. u one su
gle complete temple be found how increases the interest.
But wander through whole city standing Us ~ iuubi
left their sudden fear increases teniod the vivid
OF the picture. The lttc household things meeting
you every turn, give speciality 20 the whole A stroll
ed from apartment apartment almost expected 90 meet
within the door. felt like an intruder as pass
ed into the sleeping rooms Of oters-as " entering
the private apartments OF those who were merely absent
ride a The familiar, and itappearod
but short since the eyes OF those who occupied the
dwelling rested the same objects 10 turning the corn
Of the % would hardly haze surprised me q have
the inhabitants just returning and looking .
stranger and intruder II required effort
myself that these and these dwellings thongod
and occupied iof the last time nearly 1000 years ogo.
you the struggle call ny the past but
shah u ofand when finally stood 90 the gate and cuyc
farewell look the lonely city that family shOne 10 do.
light OF the setting SUM- feeling Of understandable sadness
stole me. and rode away without the wish to
gain.
But the Vt the bay, and the careless laughing groups
atevcry step. restored spirits. The streets
filed with lounEcrs, all expressing in their manners
bni Joks Che Ncappan maxim "dolcc ar niente," nt
sweet DO uotlugI You have heard Of the bright eyes
aud and music like language Of the NacpJ
tlns. bat can assure You there Of % here,
rnlur tie lower classes The only difference eau dc.