Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1848-08-24
DESCRIPTION OF POMPEII.


PoMPEn is getting daily disencumbered,
and very considerable part of this Grecan
city is unveiled. We entered by the Ap-
plan way, through narrow street of mar
Bile tombs, beautifully executed, with the
names ofthe deceased plain and legible. We
looked into the coIumbary below that of
Mar'us Anus Diomedes, and perceived Jars
containing the ashes of the dead, with
small lamp at the side of each. Arriving at
the gate, we perceived a sen,ry-box, in which
the skeleton of soldier was found, with
lamp IN his hand; proceeding up the street
beyond the gate, we went into several
streets, and entered into what is called
cotfee-house, the marks of cups being visi-
BILE on the stone; we came, likewise, to a
tavern, found the sign (not a very decent
one) near the entrance. The streets are
lined with public buildings and private hous-
es, most of which have lkeir original paint
ed decorations fresh and entire The pave
ment OF the streets is much worn by car
rage wheels, and holes are cut through the
side stones for the purpose of fastening
animals in the et-place-and, in certain
situations, are placed s,eppings tones, which
give US rather an unfavorable idea Of the
stale of the streets. We passed two beau
uiul little temples; went into surgeons
house, In the operalion-room of whichnchi-
rurglcal instruments were found; enter ed an
IIron-monger's shop, where an anvil and ham.
mer were discovered scul ptor's and
baker's-shop, in the latter of which may be
seen an oven and grinding-mils, like old
Scotch querns. We examined, likewise, an
oilman's shop, and wineshop lately open
led, where money was found in the till /;
school, in which was found small pulpit.
with steps up TO it, in the middle of the de-
partamant; great theatre temple Of JUS
lce; an amphitheatre, about TWO hundred
and twenty feet in length; various temples;
a barrack for soldiers, the columns of which
are scribbled with their names and jests;
wells, cisterns, seats, ,riciniums, beautiful
Mosaic; aIars, inscriptions, fragments of
statues, and many other curious remains Of
antiquity. Among the most remarkable OBJ
jecls was an ancient wall, with partSf still
more ancient marble ffieze, built in it as
flowed under this once subierraneous city
long before its burial; pipes, of terra Gotta,
to convey the water to the different streets;
stocks for prisoners, in one of which ske-
Teton was found. All these things incline
one almost to look for the inhabitants, and
wonder at the desola,e silence of the place
The houses, in general, are very low, and
~, Il
above ten feet high. Every house is pro-
vided with we'll and cistern. Everything
seems to be in proportion. The prlncipa
streets do not appear to exceed sixteen feet
in width, with side pavements Of about three
feet. Some of the subordinate streets are
from six to ten feet wide, with side pave
ments in proportion these are occasionally
high, ond are reached by steps. The CO.
lumns Of the barracks are about fifteen feet
in height; they are made of tuffa, with
stucco-one third of the shaft is smoothly
plas,ered, the rest hu,ed to the capital. The
walls Of the houses are often painted red,
and some Of them have borders and antique
ornaments, masks, and limitations ofmarbIe,
and, in general, poorly executed ] have
observed on the walls of an ealng-room va
rious kinds of food and game, toerably re-
presented: one woman's apartment was or
namented with subjects relating to love, and
a mans with pictures Of a martial character
Considering that the whole has been under
ground upwards Of seventeen centuries, it
is certainly surprising that they should be
as fresh as at the period ofther burial. The
whole extent of the city, not one-haIf of
which is excava,ed, may be about four
Williams "Trarels in Hazy,
Greece" &c.