The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-03-12

motion, poisoning with its venomous
breath and burning to powder. the very
rocks, with its fires of hell And
with all this do people live here as
quietly and unconcernedly as they do
on our Western prairies. Naples and
its surroundings, with its million in
habitants, (nearly seven hundred
thousand for the city proper,) at
present does not seem to con-
template that it is dwelling over eter-
nal fires, from which it is only sepa-
rated by thin and insecure crust.
The fate of Herculaneum and Pom
peii seems to have no Specification in
its eyes. The streets of Tore del
Greece, through which the LIQUID lava
in torrents has flown. are lively and
thronged, and the neighborhood of
Monte Nuovo, volcano to the west.
which grew up out of the level plain
in 1893, and the banks of the lakes
which formerly were craters of volca
noes are peopled by the happy thou
sands; Climb up to the convent of
Camalduli, the highest point except
vesuvius, overlooking the Bay of
Naples and surroundings, and
you have one of the most glo-
rious panoramas this earth can show.
But knowing as you do of the terrible
changes which from time to time terra
firma here has undergone: how noun
tains have grown up while others have
disappeared, how even part of the
city stands upon land which was once
covered by the sea, how the shores
have sunken and subsequently, have
been upheaved, as shown by the
marks of the litl,odonle on the columns
of the temple of Scraps, near Poz-
zuoli, how towns and cities have been
swept out of existence, you cannot
help but appreciate with Madam De
Stael in "Corrinne, that the earth
here, like the stormbeaten sea, has
rolled in hugh pillows, which.
however, unlike the sea, still remain
pillows IN their stolid rigidity, visible
to the observant eye on all sides, THE
petrifed wave testifying to the fiery
storm that has ragged beneath. !" The
people of Naples | rather like, iudg-
ing specifically of course, as [ do not
speak their language On an average
| find them the handsomest people [
have yet seen in Europe; the wealthy
classes support a great deal of luxury
and dress with exquisite taste. The
fashionable turn-outs In Carozza as
well as on foot, on the chiaja (the
grand promenade on the bay),
compare favorably with those
of Paris. The ball last week
at the royal palace, given by
one of the Princes, although said
not to have been as splendiferous
as similar affairs, during the time of
the Bourbons, were wont to be, was
still for one coming from the bonny
banks of Big creek sight well to be
remembered. The tradespeople and
poor classes are all of them willing to
take an the stranger and make the
most out Of him they can, otherwise
they are a good natured, INDECENT.
easily contented, and not overly
clearly set of creatures. Ny com
panions, who are two capital young
fellows from the State of Maine. and
sell, have been very fortunate here in
meeting with a gentleman, who an. old
bachelor is of the genus cosmopoli-
tanus. A Hollander by birth, he spends
his winters in Southern Italy; has
been all over Europe, China, and
other portions of Asia; speaks half
dozen languages, and is a very.cleyer
and obliging companion .laaI have oc-.
casionally with him made wanderings
through the old and squalid Quarters
OF Naples, such as the copper-smiths, |
smiths, the linen diapers. and
the silk merchants streets, and nv
observations and experiences have
always. been very instructive, and
amusing. He is SO comical in the
imitation of their violent gestures
and peculiar pronunciation of the |
dialect, that he amuses them to our
mutual Notification. The minor
classes OF business establ
such as lemonade, vegetable, fruit,
and bread selling are carried ON iD |
the street or on the back of donkey Il
while many of the shoemakersstailors.
coppersmiths and other. mechanics sit |
in trons of their houses engaged at
their work gal iaaf mi Is
vi the excursions made, i could |
almost write book, if time AID space
permitted. 1t is true that when at |
the Island of Capri we did not see. the
blue grotto," because the weather |
was rough, and when there is the |
least swell you cannot get in. The en- |
trance, being from the sea, is so low
that it only admits of the smallest
kind of boat or skiff We had view
of the point on the same Island, from |
which Tiberius used to throw his vic
Tins down an almost perpendicular
hight OF nearly one thousand feet,
into the sea. This, as well as all |
other trips in these surroundings,
were made in company with an
American family (mother and three
daughters from Cincinnati. Natural
ly enough, this heightened our mutual