Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1846-01-08
From Sears Magazine for January, 1916.
POmpeii and ESerculaneulal.

A railway carried US from Annunci-
alta, small town about two miles from
pompeii. Here we encountered a mot
ley throng of hackmen, who were as
bland as zephyrs toward US, but would
turn upon each other with the deep
hoarse growl Of tempest, which we
soon lulied to repose by mounting the
coach which CHANGED to be nearest
The instant we were seated, our chart
oteer cracked his whip and went off at
full! gallop, singing at the top of his
voice one Of the Id, sweet, Anacreon-
tic airs of his country, with sponta-
neity of soul which assured US that the
man had never known an anxious hour
or troubled thought. We approach
ed the disinterred city through an ave-
nue. of tombs rising above the road on
either side. On approaching the gate,
the first object to be noticed is an inn,
such as country people still, in all the
world, know well how to use, in order
to lessen the expense of visit to the
city. At each side of the gate are SEN
try-boxes. Passing within, we found
ourselves in one Of the principal streets
of the city. The houses are generally
but one story high the roofs have
quite disappeared, crushed beneath the
weight Of the volcanic ashes; but the
walls stand perfectly firm. The streets
are very narrow, and the pavement,
composed of pieces of lava, is deeply
indented by the wheels of Pompeian
carriages. Many ofthe walls are built
of lava, the fiery stream of some ancient
eruption, long before the brief records
of man began to denote the awful voice
and action Of Vesuvius Pompeii was
destroyed, not by lava, but by ashes
which accounts for the admirable pres
ervation Of the objects found there
The calamity was not SO sudden, but
that most of the inhabitants were able
to save themselves by flight: hence We
nv few human skeletons have been
found. From the absence in many of
the houses of things which must have
been in them at The moment Of the dis
aster, it is supposed that the people
seized on what was most precious and
carried it with them; or perhaps re-
turned after the work of ruin was done
and recovered what they could by ex-
cavation. The ashy tempest which
buried this fair city ragged for more than
a week-swept quite across the Medi-
terranean, and left traces Of itself on
the distant shores of Egypt. Naples
is Just the same distance from the vol
canic crater as Pompeii, and by slight
variation of the circumstances might
have been the buried city. Pompeii
was once-perhaps at the time of the
fatal eruption-on the sea, and its
wharves were laved by the river Sar-
nus. The sea has long since retired
to the distance of three-fourths Of a
mile, and the riverhas shrunk to mere
rivulet. After laying beneath ashes
and clnders for sixteen hundred and
seventy-six years, Indications of its
site were accidentally discovered. The
excavations were begun in I755. AS
yet, but one-third of the city has been
disinterred; but this has revealed to us
objects of the deepest interest-includ~
ing eighty houses, an immense number
of small shops, and public baths, two
theatres. two halls of justice called
basilicas, eight temples, the prison, the
amphitheatre, and other public edifices,
besides great number Of fountains
and tombs.
AS you pass these silent and desolate
streets you are curiousto learn all that's
known Of each house. You have your
book and your map in your hand, and
your guide at your side prepared to
supply every deficiency by ready me-
mory, or by a reader invention. We
are now in the street which leads from
the gate, at which we entered, to the
forum. On our left is shop where
drinks were sold; it has marble coun-
ter, from which the passers-by could
take their refreshment without going
within. | fear they were in the habi
Of drinking hot punch in those days
for the circular prints of the hot glasses
or other vessels are still distinctly visi-
BILE on the smooth marble. On thu
right stands the house Of musician
on the left, again, house which be-
longed to the vestals. Then comes
the custom house, the mouse Of a SUI
geon, in which were found the instru.
meIts already described. III what
might cali grocers' shops. the larg.
! al ov> ~ 4