Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-06-25
NO III 100 YgO CINCINNATI MONDAY MORNING. JUNE 25 1850


A visit to Hereulzncum and Pompeil-
Harriet Beocher stowe's Impressions Of
% the Buried Cities 10
In the last number Of the New York indie
pendent Harriet Beocher Stowe writes thus
Of her visit TO tierculaneum and Pompeii;
About an hours drive brought US to the
village of Portici, which is built over Hercu
laneum. We alighted and went into COM
mon-looking house, where an old man pro-
vided US all with candles, aud then opened
door which appeared to go down into cellar,
and we all began to descend. --- ,
On our right and left we could see the
marks of the pickaxes which had cut the
passage down which we were treading
through bank of solid lava, hard and CLASSY
Down lower, the damps dripped and oozed
along the walls, and the rumble of carriages
overhead sounded strangely In contrast to
the ghostly darkness and stiffness into which
we were descending. 1t was he.old theater
of Herculaneum we were coming into-a
building as large as the San Carlos, which is
said to be the largest in the world. We
heard the bats tapping overhead, squeaking
and gibbering as the upwonted light dis
turbed them. We passed through long gall
leries to the stage, TO the greeD-room--sa
here and there traces Of vermilion ceiling or
partly effaced freeco---saw the places of the
orchestra, and stepped on the moss-grown
stage The very fact that it had once been a
place of amusement added TO the heavy,
ghostly chill-the sense Of death and desola-
ton. .,.. oI " a...
We saw the bases, with inscriptions, from
which had been taken the equestrian statues
of the 1.-TWO Balbi" father and son, which
we had seen in the museum the day before.
Every space thus made must be carefully
bricked up again because of the living town
above. The first discovery of the town, it is
well known, was from the sinking of well
for the convenience of family above which
we'll came into this theater.'
Besides the two equestrian statues Of Bal
bus" are several marble ones, called the
Mother, Wife, and Daughters" The statue
called the "Mothe is most striking one. 1t
is of an elderly woman Of majestic presence,
and impressed with such deep lines Of tragic
prescience, that one might fancy 1t the
statue Of one who foresaw the desolation
that was about TO entomb her city. Most
singular in its force of character and strength
of expression is this statue--one of those por-
| traits that so evidently suggest history that
one longs to know the original. This family,
distinguished for personal dignity and pres
| ence, and holding 80 high place in public
esteem, reveals itself to US after silence of
centuries. How impressive and awful it
must have been to have found them in these
subterranean recesses, standing silent, awful
fancied how that pale, strong, fateful face
| of the mother of Balbus must have looked
when down in these oozy damps the light OF
the discovering torch first fared upon it. The
history Of pride, passion, and sorrow which
| have written themselves on that strange face
must have had a startling power, looking out
| in their stony stiffness from the silence of SO
deep night of so long and stony an entomb-
mentl
Our party was a large one--many of them
4 a.xA ALL I.1E1x trfN oa1 tsn1
lated way with many gay word and light
laugh-yet even the fair Young faces and the
thoughtless laughs had ghostly, unnatural
look and sound in that depressing stiffness
When we emerged to the daylight, one
young maiden appeared to view bearing q
beautiful full-blown rose which she said she
had picked up on the damp floor below.
The blooming child of upper air seemed tc
us an incredible marvel to emerge from SC
death-like shades, and we wondered and
speculated how it got there. Such, doubt
less, once grew in the gardens of that subter.
ranean city, and lying back in the carriage
ttnd shutting ones eyes, ono might havS
fancied it the ghost of a rose from some o
those buried gardens-a rose that should
dissolve and fade from view in upper re
gions. ...,.,tt. ,sr..-... ... e..
We arrived at Pompeii at about twelve
o'clock, and went into a little caravansera
to get lunch, before entering on our explora
tions tE ...i 4IsE E.I....I
In an upper chamber, all hung round will
French Autographs, we took our lunch. A
man with guitar soon found his way to tn,
balcony, on to which our room opened, ant
began playing and singing gay airs, the very
sound Of which seemed to. say: "Be easy
have a good time dance and sing while th
sun shines. at+ .. r.
The character of these Neapolitan air
strongly reminds me of the gayer class o
negro melodies-the same strongly aceen
Nated rhythmical character and sharp ex
preston of time-the same careless abandon
of gayety. He sang, and we laughed-h
intimated cariini, and we paid them-anC
J then off he went, singing again, till w
, laughed more and paid more cdrlini-he i'm
provised sly compliments, and had sugges
lions of bella and amOre, which led to NOR
edrlini-but we were too good-natured Il
: demur, and altogether he made good thin
of us doubtless, careless, jocular dog that h
! was, full to his throat with the sunshine Q
this bright day. 4.
J Pompeii Is much more airy and sum,
:. expedition than Herculaneum. II seems 4
. have been buried by drifting ashes, much a
our fences in New England are sometime
hid under snow-drifts, and over these drift
: grass and flowers have become green and gay
, The unexcavated part looks like green hill
J or mound and only about third of IL is ex
Q cavated. Unlike Herculaneum, the work c
! disentombment is easy enough. No super
, incumbent city to be disturbed by minin
, beneath, and the material to be remove
being light, loose ashes, offers scarce an,
] obstacle, 'l,.l..5r
prN popTpAIT or TINE uTuoprss oF aAnA,