The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-04-05

NUMBER EIGHT.

MI NUMBER EIGHT.
Ne resume Col Curtis account OF me
ru;ned cities about Naples, with their attrac-
tive relic, Of the ancient Roman Enrre.-
II. last article closed with his visit to the
temple Of Diana. Then he saya:-
Naples, Feb. Is, 1865.
ave lunch at an excruble INN at Baisae,
sitter which we visit the harbors of the Ro-
mans; then an immense reservoir. which was
supplied with water by an aqpeduct forty
miles long: then another reservoir, and
Nero's prison shout hundred yards in solid
rock under it; the Volcano of monte Nnevo,
and the temple Of Jupiter Scraps, and by
this time feeling very much fatigued, We give
up in despair and 60 home.
A part Of the time We travelled over tne
Appian way, as solid as when St. Paul tfavel,
led it, in going to Rome, and had the speciai
rock pointed out to us, on when ne iau
ded. The drive is close to-, or n slent OF
the bay OF Naples all the way, and apatfrom
these antiauities and volcanoes, is one OF the
most beautiful in the world. In some places
You can see ruins sticking out Of the side OF
hill two hundred feet high, almost oil the way
up and again on the top, in some places
Many of the old bath houses are now well up
in the hills, and in others considerably below
the level of the sea. In the vineyards, as
we'll as the hill sides, you see ancient ruins
showing themselves in the ground.
Solfrateri destroyed Curnae in A. y. 53S
just at the edge of the sea, and grew into a
mountain destroying Baiase.
At Curan there have been discovered the
tomhs Of the inhabitants about the time 1t
was destroyed, built above those OF the
Greeks, and under these, pne historic race
All Of the good statuary and bronzes that
have been discovered in these amphitheatres
and temples, (all of which we're at one time
completely buried. are now TO be seen at the
museum, or various palaces IN Naples. The
musuen is an immense building, we'll filled
with pictures and ancient relics of all kinds.
There are about dozen pictures, out of FIVE
or six hundred. that are celebrated: and
should therefore be looked at. Two or three
of them admired, but the modern copies of
them thought much prettier. The great
attraction of the museum is the POmpeian
relics, the ancient statuary from that city and
vicinity generally. They comprise nearly
everything that was in the city. To enumer-
ate them, one would have to, mention almost
everything in use at the present day. Some
use. while others are quite dissimilsr. Their
lamps were usually Of the most simple char
acter, saucer for the oil, with lid to it,
Gnd groove or small spout. for the wick
They kept their wine in jars, instead of casks
and bottles, though glass is shown in some
places in the windows as having been found
there. They made the useful subsidiary, to q
great extent, to the ornamental; their COM
monest utensils of all characters, being
twisted into some fanciful or beautiful de-
vice.
They exceIled in the working Of bronze,
using it very largely for furniture, utensils,
etc. | believe the bronzes at the museum
are considered the first in the world, and
they certainly are very beautiful.
Those which are considered the finest, are
only one or two feet in hight. though there is
one large room fill of figures, Of about lite
size. The collection of ancient statuary is
immense. Most of it is broken and battered.
and discolored some of it. however, is almost
as perfect as when first made, and is most
beautiful There is q fragment Of Phyche,
said to be the most beautiful one in the
world. of which it is said, that no one ever
passed it without stopping to admire it. 1t is
not described in the guide books, nor need it
be, for though il has lost two arms, a side,
and the top and back Of the head, it still
speaks for ITSELF
The " Farnese Torso or fragment, restor.
ed by some modern artist, is almost as beau.
tiful. The "Farnese Torso" or bull, is, or
was, the largest piece Of sculpture from one
block of marble in the world. 1t represents
a group of persons endeavoring to tame
wild bull and think could not have been
cut out Of less than a twenty foot cube. 1t
has made several long journeys in the various
wars of this country, but it Is supposed it will
now be left in peace, as it cannot well be
taken out, without tearing down the side Of
the house.
The mosaic pavements of Pompeii, and the
frescocd walls have been in many instances
removed to the museum, work of extreme
nicely, and in which great skill has been dis
played.
The Church Of San Martina, into which no
woman Ell tiers without special permission
from the Pope, ranks second among the
churches of Europe for interior finish and de-
corations The floors and walls when not
covered with valuable paintings, are all COM
posed. Of inlaid marble Of various colors and
beautiful designs. Some of the affairs are
heavily inlaid with comedian, agate, jasper
and other stones Of that class, not really
precious, but valuable when large, and very
hard to work. The paintings are by Guido.
Dorner and other celebrated artists, and even
/ could see that some of them are very beau.
tifu.
At the palaces Of Capodimonte and Co
verta are seen many beautiful rooms and
paintings. At Coverta especially, the rooms
were magni6eenily decorated. The grounds
about this palace are about two miles square,
and extend some distance up the side Of the
mountain; down the side of which stream
of water is brought in, broken cascade Of
of some 800 feet in height
Wont that do for Naples? There is much
more to be seen here, and as am not yet
gone february 22d) may give you more of
it; but think l shall leave for Rome to-
morrow. s. S. CuRrIs