Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-03-10
0be Dailp bireiniau.
City of the Dead.

at Baie, excavations made at Cum@ have re-
vealed temple,of exceedingly rich and beau
tifu architecture, statues, vases, &c, and mum
Der of tombs. one ofthem containing sever
bodies. two Of which had waxen heads or ia
ces, with lass eyes-a circumstance which
has greatly puzzled the savans of Naples Ia
account for. Far more interesting and lmpor
tant, however, is the discovery made near the
site of the ancient Canosa, by Signor Carlo
Bouncci the well known Deapolitan Director
General .of antiquities and excavations of a
subterraLean metropolis. or ceemtery, of anci-
ent date, and in the most perfect preservation
Canosa was founded by Diomede. and is in
the district OF Puglia, (Apulia) part of Mag
ma Greca as it was originally called,ihe por-
ton of Southern Italy occupied by the later
Greek colonies We find in the London A
Meneum an account of this metropolis, by n
foreign correspondent, which is very curious
and surprising makes severe tax up
on ones credulity; it being difficult to nnder-
stand what is meant by the description ofper-
ishable articles-furniture drapery, wlthered
garlands--and thebodies ofthe dead, all pre-
sentng natural appearance after an inhuma.
ton of twelve hundred years. The cores
pondent, however, vouches for the truth OF hls
story. which we extract in his own words
Speaking of the metropolis, he says:
"Its principal entrance Is decorated with
four Doric columns,two inches for statues, and
a second line of Ionic columns all of slls ht and
elegant proportions, and of workmanship
which recalls the best age of Art-that be-
tween Perces and Alexander. This elegant
entrance was painted in various colors, which
produced an effect not less pleasing than sur
prising. This specimen Of polychromatic ar
chitecture is valuable for its high state of pres
ervaton, It's freshness, and for the classic time
to which it belongs.
Entering the city in question, over which
Time and Death have spread eternal silence
we find streets which lead to various groups O.
dwellings. The gates are decorated With ele-
CANT Iconic columns, whose capitals present
the accessory ornament ofa festoon. Slgnor
Aonucci tells me- that on entering the cham.
bers he found everything arranged IN Its place,
as it had been left twelve Centuries ago. The
walls were embroic cred in gold: garlands oil
flowers, withered ii is true, but preserving all
their forms, hung in festoons from the ceiling.
All kinds of furniture and precious vases were
distributed about in the most varied and grace
ful manner. Here were to be seen statues of
marble, busts of deities and priestesses IN terra
Gotta, beautifully painted, vases of creta of an
extraordinary size, on which ale represented
the most interesting scenes ofprlvate lie, and
the most classical traditions of mythology
They are not yet arranged, but yesterday /
was favored with nearer and longer inspec-
ton On the larger vase, which is OK gigantic
size and is still unpacked, though lying expos
ed Homer is painted with the Tyre in his hands
as if he were singing some passages of the Had
or the Odyssey In the midst of all these trea.
sures and miracles of Art of every form, lay
the mistress Of the house reposing TRANQUILITY
that one might have almost said "she is not
dead but seepeth.' She rested on gilt bronze
bed, supported by friezes, figures, and genii
exquisitely carved in ivory. In the adjoining
chambers, which were all filled with the same
wealth, lay her daughters and servants. These
young girls were still clothed with dresses en-
broidered with gold Their heads were sur
rounded with garlands Of gold which represen-
ted the sacred flowers of Proserpinc-in the
midst of which were sporting,as it were birds
and insects.
Other garlands there were of roses:-some
wore dadems covered with precious stones, fin
ished in the highert style of art. One of these
L saw yesterday III priNdte Hduus'-unu Holh-
ing can exceed its extreme beauty. The ears
of these children of death were all ornamented
with pendenrs of various forms, and their necks
with necklaces in which emeralds and hya-
clnths were intervoven with chains of gold
Two of these, which were obtained by con-
,raband means. l have also seen. The arms
were ornamented with bracelets Of spiral
form, or, winding as serpent. An abundant
and sumptuous table was laid by their side
The fruits consisted of pomegranates, pines
the corn of the fir pine, and apples, whilst the
flowers were narcssus, hyacinths and aspho-
dels, apparently fresh. They were made either
of painted "crets." ofcolored glass. or OF rock
crystal. Their styles were made of metal
threads, with green smlt,or simply gilt The
plates, basing caps. and every other artlcIe no.
ccssary Gor dinner. and the lamps which were
to shed their light upon it, were of an extraor'
dinsry size, and all of glass. This glsss was
formed of kind of paste worked IN mosaic
with the most beautiful desgns,-in which
were nterspersed small bits, or dice, of gold
On some of the plates were painted landscapes