Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-11-23
Hcrculan;euIn,

um, Wrltlng from naples, gives the lolloW
ing account of the recent excavations a
Hel culanaum:
Months have now elapsed since callee
your attention to the fact that Goyertmen
had recommended the excavations of Her
culanaum. Wonderful 1t is, indeed, that
after the discovery there of such miracles
of arts as now enrich the Museo Borbonico
these excavations should have been so Ions
suspended; and equally wonderful is it tha
on being renewed the work should be done
on SO pafsiliionious, so wretched scale
One-half of Herculahaum may be consid
cred as lying under the modern city of Re-
sna, and as therefore lost to the world, fol
the present at least the other half lies un.
der vineyards. The portion which has
hitherto been excavated is but minute
portion, mere corner of this latter, this
accessible half. To the restoration to the
light of what may influence so much the
taste and bear SO much on the comforts and
convenlences of mankind. the Neapolitan
Government has at length resolved to de-
vote 400 or 500 ducats year-a grant E.
quail to about ESQ, or As. Cd. day-ena-
bling the directors to put on not more than
ten or twelve men. Still the smallest IN
stalment of what is due to the world is bet
ter than nothing.
1t is Of course we'll known in England as
in Naples that all the chefs d. GuDre Of art
and of antiquity which have produced such
happy revolution in the taste of entire
Europe, and so much affected domestic or
naments, and even utensils, were found du-
ring the last century in Herculaneum.-
Until very recently the excavations have
been conducted by burrowihs rather than
mining; thus enabling the antiquary to alb
stract what was interesting or valuable in
art, but leaving the city as far removed
from ordinary observation as it had been
for eighteen centuries. 1t was at length fe-
solved, in 1927, to lift the cover and expose
the city to the ligh.-a suggestion for which
we are indebted to Cavalier Bonucci, who
for many years has been the director of the
excavations of the kingdom OF the Two Sic
lilies, and who is well known to the world
by the many important discoveries which
he has made. The revolution of 1848-'9
was, of course, death-blow to all proceed
ings connected with mere taste for the fine
arts, and the excavations Of HerCulanaum
and Pompeii were suspended.
The new excavations commenced In Jan:
uary last have already brought to light a
part of the old arsenal,near the Port of Her.
culaneum, so famous in the times of Au-
gustus and Titus. Formerly the sea wash
ed the walls it has now receded full half
mile so that the bare mention of the Port
of Herculanaum is enough to awaken a
smile Of ncredulity on the face of one who
is unacquainted with the changes that have
taken place on the coast of the Medterra-
mean. On visiting the spot few days
since, found myself in series of small
rooms or apartments, with kitchens attach
ed, which had just been laid open; appsr-
emily they had been quarters for marines.
The entrance was over roof which is on
level with the present surface of the ground;
and, descending few steps on the left, we
found four or FIVE other steps, at the bottom
of which was an entrance to probably a
cellar, over whose roof we had entered.-
Here there was found so much salt water
surging Up that the works had been for the
moment suspended our direction, there
fore, Law straight forward, into the small
rooms of which have spoken. The roof
is vaulted, and very lofty ); whilst the par
titon walls are very low, showing that one
large hall or space had been hastily or rude
lv arranged with view to the convenience
of numbers. In the first small room which
was kitchen, still exist the stoves and
CRATES, precisely of the same form as are
now 10 be seen in every part of Magma
Gracia. Beneath the stove lay fragments
of pottery, which sloFenly cuUk might
have thrown there an hour before, ''to put
them out Of the ways" whilst THE bones Of
the poor cook; It might be; wete found mix
ed up with ashes aha the instruments of his
trade. In the same place, also, were found
bones and minute fragments Of iron plates !;
indicating, in the opinion of Cavalier Bo-
nucci, that in the awful moment eli this CT
tvs destruction some mei Nefe surprised
and overwhelmed on this very spot. But
few remains could be preserved, SO utterly
destroyed were they by time and SO min
gled and moulded en- niaSSe with the fine ash,
which had not been perhaps carefully G.
nough removed.
All, indeed, that could well distinguish
were portions Of ribs and skull bones. Yet
what melancholy interest have these, es-
pecially as connected with history 1t is
SAID OF Plny the elder, who,. at the time ol
the eruption of Vesuvius in 79, was admi-
raj of the Roman fleet in the Mediterrane-
an, that he went IN "lbprnica" from Mi
senum to save some "casSiari." His neph-
ew, writing to Tacitus says that all the ef-
forts of his uncle were useless in conse-
quence of the raging of the volcano; and
that he was obliged to turn the PROV of his
vessel t6 Statia, now Castellaniare, where
he died, the Victim Of his love Of natural
science. From the kitchen on which / have
so long dwelt we passed through small
room and entered another kitchen. On the
crate or stove were lying pieces Of char
coal the mark of the smoke was fresh up.
on the stogs. Below and B5 the side Of il
was sink for receiving dirty water, and
the hole which carried it off was still entire
Beyond this were one or two other small
rooms; and then our progress was stopped
by raouitan Of indurated ash. In this
they were mining or burrowing passage
and of discoveries IN this direction | shall
have 10 speak, hope, in some future arti-
Gle. OF ornament these rooms appear tc
be almost entirely destitute indeed, the on.
y trace of anything of the kind was an en-
trance passage wall whereon discovered
faint traces Of perpendicular painted lines
| must not omit to say that SOME silver and
bronze coins. of the times of Augusta:
and Titus, have been found here, as also q
bronze coin with Punlc characters. 1t was