Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-01-29
Correspondence Of the Free Press.
LETTERS FROM EUROPE.

NO. XXXvIII
Naples 10 Elorenc,

decks and CABINS oil our snug llttlc steamer
to glance at our fellow passengers. We
found the vessel crowded to its utmost ca
pacty with passengers Of novel divcrsi-
ty. Besides Americans-thcy are cyccy
glshmcn--dtto-an French
and Italians, there were Turks and Arabs.
Greeks and Armcnians Our vessel ran in
connection with the lines to Egypt and Con-
stantinople and Greece and Syria, and there
were families long resident in the East now
returning with their little ones and barbaric
scrvants-and most striking Of all, the Pa
triarch of the Syrian Catholics with beard
reaching to his belt and his oriental SIrcclp-
tai costume, with attendant priests, bound to
Rome to celebrate the Corpus Domini at ST.
Peters--a ceremony of extraordinary sulem-
nifty and splendor, which we should have
seen had we been able to pursue our original |
plan of going to Naples before going to Rome,
1t is a festival which is celebrated at all the |
churches in turn, but at St. Peters the dis
play of the ceremony exceeds that of all 9TH
crs as much as the church itself SURPRISES al
others. ne 1uuldrCn WIS II man 'l lllI'
appearance, of becoming dignity and gravity
and of simplicity and modesty, and freedom
from pretension, easy Of access, and easy in
manner and address. We had beautiful
weather. and no sickness, and so were able
to enjoy the elegant and sumptuous dinner
of six courses, which was served in the cabin
served in beautiful plate, cut glass, and
china, in the style of private dinner parry,
We had a fine upper berth with a window,
which was great good fortune in such
crowded vessel, and We slept as well as we
could desire. We rose early to take the open
air of heaven, and found the deck covered
with temporary sleeping accommodations
still occupied by those who had been thus
obliged to sleep under the sky.
The decks cleaned up and tho cabin set to
rights, we were yfered a cup Of tea or coffee
at about seven o'clock, and at nine dejeui1r
fourcha.e, (meat broakfast) Of several
kinds of meat and game and fruits and wine,
but no tea or coffee. In creature comforts
as well as in all other respects the voyage vas
a delightful one.
estopped and lay at Ciyita Necchia most
of the day, for we are now on the same ira ok
back | ran ashore to sell some few dollars
Of Roman paper money which | had in ny
hands on leaving Rome and could not U.S. i'll
| Naples and must lose if | did not get rl Of
it in Roman territory-which this is--tor 1t
will not pass at all elsowhere and returned
Immediately on board to sit on deck and
la1ly look at what passed in sight. There
I was considerable religious proccssion--per-
haps the Corpus domini for Ciyita yccchs-
passed through tho Streets and under some
Of the arches Of the quays-and gave f,r the
moment a look Of interest 70 the dirty old
| cty.-IIere too we saw infants truss:d up
| like papooscs on our western frontiers, and
| close by us on the water lay a small boat
with two or three laz6aroui-l,oking boat
men and a lad about seventeen who vas
naked except small rag about his middle. lie
busted himself for hours diving in about -
feet water TO pick up the PENN s tina, are
thrown overheard from our steamer for
him to dive for. intermediate the pennies,
he sat on the thwarts Of the boat, sometimes
so much chilled that his limbs trcmhl-d and
| his teeth chartered, although it was summer.
No doubt the loaters along the shor cnyied
him his mine Of money. Thus our day wore
away TO three o'clock, when we hooked on
the engine and steamed up the coast for [. z
horn. The most interesting objects on the
coast that we saw, were those striking Mart j.
10 towers, built in ages bye-glne, as defence,
against the Mediterranean Cursairs and the
few islands that lie in those waters When
the sun went down there was not breath Of
air to ripple the water, and the 'ia lay as
smooth and CLASSY and bright in lis glancing
evening rays as sea Of liquid silver. There
were islands all around US, near and farther
of, among which was Elba, directly before
US. 1t was really scene of glory. sat and
gazcd upon it till it faded away, and | could
distinguish hardly an object except the light
from the lighthouse on Elba, which, by its
long thread of reflected light, led the eye
constantly to that prison Of the great Corsican
Corsica itself hardly out of sight. What a
mad idea it was to think of combining a man
of his powers and resources on such an island,
in such placo-accessible from every dircc-
tion-and communicating easily with Italy
and France. which were filled by followers and
friends of abundant resources, of desperate
bravery and of the most devoted and romantic
loyalty. Musing upon his history | went to
my rest and woke just outside of Lcghorn,
where We had lain to the latter part Of the
night, because of the rocks near the harbor.