New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-07-14

e,sTT5 OF PRoSILIPo-GRoTTo DEL. CASE-TEMPLE or
rri1EH sER.rls-cEoLoGY OF THE MEDiTEpHANEAH'
NAPLES, April, iS''
lam too weary to write tonight, but my promise
must be fulfilled so here is another etttr met
sonc New orkcrs to-day at Mr. Ferguson anu
sisters, whom had never seen before we soon,
however, tumblcd into an acqualntanceshlp, ana
made party for Puzzeoli. He, by the way, IS
one of the few Americans have met abroad that
honor us at home. Gen,lemanly, intelligent and
lind. he carries his national feelings without his
ueiudices wherever he goes. We made Yam
see party; and, passing out Of the city to the
vest. left the promenade of Chiaia and entered
the Grotto OF Proslpo. How much there IS IN
name. Who has not heard of ProsllPo-the
Groo of Prosilipo-and thought the while Of
flowers and riyulels? Change the name, and,
mesto, it is another image cntlrcly-'1he Iun-
ae of Prosolipo.' This lar-fumed grotto is SIM
gIy a tunnel, about half a mile long, cut through
solid rock and under hill. TO communicate, III
earlier ages, with Puzzcoli and Naples. 1t bears
marks of Natures hand as well as Mans; and, |
should Judge from the appearance, it was the work
Of BOTH and that a natural cavern first offered a
passage for road and that Man, taking the hint,
completed it. One end is much higher than the
other, being about 80 feet. Two tunnels cot
from the top Of the hill! through, permit a clrcu-
laton OF air, and lamps kept burning night and
day, light up the dark avenue. Entering from
bright sunlight and cheerful Naples into this
dark, damp vault was gloomy enough. We
could scarcely sec each others faces In the car
riage and the beings and animals we met shot
like shadows past US, while the heavy rumblng
ofthe wheels amid the rocks eiiccualy drowned
all conversation. When we emerged again into
the open air, we entered upon country OF slnllmg
vineyards. The wind came softly from the sea
sleeping in the distance, and Nature above and
around us seemed in her holiday mood. From
the Island of Nisidd rose, white in the sunlight,
the castlc-like Lazaretto, where once Marcus
Bru,us had villa. We rode pleasantly on,
talking now Of vineyards and the sea, and now
Of Harlem, and wondering what New orkcrs
would say of Harlem Grotto' Instead Of gong
direct to Puzzcoli, we branchcd off to Lake
DAgnano, once the crater Of a Volcano, on
whose banks Lucuus had q villa, and opened a
communication between it and the sea. The
remains are yet visible, together with the prisons,
and the inches in them, where those condemned
to starvation were placed. Another ruin was
pointed out as the Theatre; but if it ,oas, his
prison was the largest. Here also is the Me-
phitic Cave, or Grotto del Cane because the
air throws dog into commissions. The keeper
Of the Cave has dog expressly for this purpose,
which seems to regard his convulsivc fits as quite
a matter of profession, and goes through them
with admirable patience. He held him on the
bottom OF the cave for short time, when the
limbs became conyulsed, and the dog appeared
in great agony He then dragged hun out on
the grass where he lay for a time entirely life
less and then began to kick and pant as if in
distress. As soon, however, as the fit passed off
he seemed in great glee, and sneezed, and barlcd,
and frisked about as if under the influence of OK
hifrating gas. he seemed to enjoy it so much
that thought he might like TO try it over; so,
going in, / whistlcd to have him enter. He
would come as far as the Threshold, but no
farther. | inquired of the guide why the dog,
when he seemed in such excellent spirits, was so
unwilling to enter He said the experiment was
always painful, yet when the effect was passing
off it seemed to act like a stiinulant on the dog.
Wcncxt visited the Vapor Baths of St Gernano
close by, which arc rooms followed out OF the
hill, into which the hot steam passes from the
earth, and soon throws one into drcnchng per-
piratpn. We rode round the Lake to Astron,
an extinct crater converted now into Royal
limiting Park. We then returned TO the main
glad and drove 10 Fuzzeoli The ancient Puteoll
of the Romans and Deyarchia of the Greeks.
As VIC drove up, two or three guides accostcd us,
one of whom spoke very good English. asked
HIM in Italian ho~ he knew we were English.
he replied. I on are Americans" was so
much pleased at the compliment, that gave him
a baoao moao when paid him his dues. have
an unfortunate tacc,-bcing thin and dark COM
Pexoned so that | am taken for a Spaniard and
Italian, or, indeed, any thing but an American.
1t had annoyed me so much that formed quite
an attachment for the first man who called me
an American. Aitcyward, however, found hun
10 be q great rascal
This town has figured considerably in Roman
history. II was formerly the port of Cume, and
was one of those towns Fabius fortified during
The second Punic War to resist the cncroach-
Ments Of Hannibal. 1t has several interesting
runs, but the chef one is The temple of Jupiter
Scraps, formery buried by an earthquake, and
accidentally discovered by 4 peasant about u
hundred years ago. 1t was l34 feet long by lis
ieet wide, being quadrangular. 1t is magnif-
cent ruin. The floor is covered with precious
marble, with which also the whole edifice was
fasmesly lined Two rings of Cornthian brass