New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-03-08

lightful. I open my window in the morning,
and look across the beautiful bay towards POM
peii To-day was awakened by the voice of
our courier, who announced the hour we had de-
termined on last evening for a visit to Pompeii.
We were soon ready, and at o'clock we were
passing out of Naples on the road to the buried
cities.
~ 1T is jaunt of about two hours only, and
soon we were ushered into the silent streets Of
Pompeii You know the story by heart Of this
dead and ghostly place. Much as had dreamed
of Pompeii and its wondrous history, the scenes
of to-day have more than fulfilled my expeeta-
tions There stood the Amphitheatre as it stood
two thousand years ago, and as we walked over
the deserted seats of stone it required no very
strong imagination to people its yastspace again.
[ saw the wheel ruts in the streets, the posts
where the chariot horses were fastened, the chat
ing of the bucket as it rose and fell with water,
the names of the citizens on their houses, and
the tomb stonesof their dead. l-i-
Wandering about, we looked down long and
silent streets, where once the busy hum of hu-
man voices filed the air. We saw the workmen
excavating house which probably belonged to
wealthy citizen We walked into the garden
and saw the statues and fountains looking as
fresh as if the owner would soon return and all
would go on as before. 1t was a strange and
thrilling picture of the past, and as we came out
Of the door on the Mosaic pavement in front of
the mansion, we looked through rent in an old
wall and saw Vesuvius spouting up fire and
smoke The only living occupants of Pompeii
beside the guides, are the beggars. A more
heaven-forsaken set of wretches never before
existed. There is scarcely a tshoie man among
them. FL7
Some are blind, some are halt, but all are
miserable to a degree | never before conceived
possible. 1t is astonishing how little body q
beggar wants to thrive on. Give man his
head and never mind about the rest of the sys-
tenn. Beggars without arms are crying out for
aims at every turn in Pompeii, and a pair of
good solid legs cannot be found in the whole city
| To-day saw something in the road shutting to-
ward me, which at first took for game cock,
as it wore red feather on the top of its head,
but on its nearer approach l discovered it to be
a man cut off just below the waistcoat pocket
1t was lively little junk too, and Idoubt not
but that shall meet the other half Of its body
begging in Herculaneum tomorrow on its own
account. Perhaps the whole affair comes to-
gether once or twice a month, and has quiet
little set down to divide the spoils equally.
Go where you will you meet Americans. We
had no sooner set foot in Pompeii, and were busy
exploring the Temple of Isis and the sacritcial
altar when in came three curious Yankees and
!, Joined our party The other day, on reaching
the top of Vesuvius, / deserted man sitting
astride block of lava. don't know why,
but marked him at once for one of my acoun-
|
not help noticing the cool manner in which he
and Vesuvius were taking morning smoke to-
! gether His long nine was run out like bow
spirit and he took the whole affair as calmly as
one would look upon a kitchen fire at home. As
e soon as came up with him he bawled out
s.Hallo, stranger! Pretty considerable lot Of
! lazy raound here! Any news down below Ye
) haint tuckered aout, be yes" On my asking
him if he had looked into the crater, he replied
g Yaas! but l burnt the laigs of my trousers
l tell ye,ci ~ He turned out to be man from
NewEngland, who came up from Marseilles t'
! see the volcano, and more delightfully."- YER
dant gentleman is not common in these parts
As we came through Portici read upon Ro
I man pillar, Sc Erected by Cornelius Drseol,
Could this have been an ancestor OF our friend
with his knocked out Ask the gentleman il
e Court street.
h We returned from Poupei by the light Of
q full Italian moon; passing on the road troops o
It fat monks, waddling to their wine and wassail
+ crowds of beggars, merry as larks over thei
gains, and lines of donkeys laden with boughs
q which gave the branches an appearance as
\. n. Birnam wood was at its old tricks ,lin LBos
tie ton Transcript. j. T. F.