Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1867-07-17
GorrtspoMdrnte Of the 6asette.
A TRIP TO Europe.
LETTER NO. V.

LETTER No. V.
Ndpyes-IaIian SkieS-Bay of Naples
Il city OF Churches-M. VesuUiuS- The
-ASce,at- The C'-ateI'-POnpeiian and Her.
cttLoI1eunl-The Museum, etc.
NAPLES, June 10, 1867.
At midnight of Friday last we arrived
in this celebrated city. We are stopping
at fine hotel, the windows of my room
commanding views of both Nesuvius and
the Bay. The weather is not near 50 hot
rs we expected to find it in this southern
climate / have experienced much warm
er at this season of the year at home |
am somewhat disappointed in the appear
ance of the scenery of this noted locality
Indeed, Italy, on the whole, though it
has been called 1.-The land of poets and
painters,n falls far behind my eXpecta
tiOns. The charming Italian Skies" of
which you have heard so much, are for
the most part, the creation of imaginative
Englishmen. who are accustomed to al
ways seeing the sun through fog in their
own country, and of course would go into
ecstacies anywhere over a SUNSET viewed
through clear and transparent atmos-
phere. Excepting works of art, there is
nothing in all Europe to compare with
the natural attractions of America, and |
predict that the day is not far distant
when Europeans will flock to our conti-
nent as Americans now do this.
Naples is situated on the north coast of
a bay which has the reputation of being
the most beautiful sheet of water in the
world. The entire shore is lined with
cities and towns, of which this city is the
largest. Vineyards, orange and lemon
groves, and white villas, dot the whole
country around. The buildings OF Naples
are magnificent. There are over three
hundred Catholic churches here. There
is but one Protestant church, in which
service is conducted in Italian. Notwith
standing the great number of churches,
and the apparent devotion of the multi
tudes who frequent them, there is little
real reverence displayed for religion. Yes
terday was the Sabbath. We had no
other means of knowing it but by the date
upon which it occurred. Stores and mar
kets were open; horses, mules, wagons
and carriages thronged the streets; every
body and everything was on the go. Sab
bath quiet, domestic tranquility and com
Sort, and the blessings Of good govern
ment are all unknown in this land. Again
md again, in my passing observations
lmong this people, have | had cause to
thank my God that [ was born in free and
happy America.
The crOwning glory of this locality is
v
rises Il vast green cone from the midst of
the plain, constantly emitting from its
'rater Il stream of smoke, which presents
the appearance of a pillar of cloud by day
md of fire by night. At two o'clock this
morning we started out to make the as
cent OF the mountain, choosing that hour
10 avoid the heat of the day. There is a
carriage road as far as what is called the
Hermitage, Il small house where an old
monk used to dwell. From here mules
md dOnkeys are employed to carry trav-
.llers some distance further; but at last a
point is reached where the ascent is so
steep that even mules and donkeys can 90
no farther, and then you are compelled
10 climb up on foot, or be carried in a
chair, which is the mode usually adopted
by ladies. Stout peasants can be employ
ed to pull you up the mountain side by
means Of a strong strap, one end of which
they place over their shoulders, while you
take hold of the other end but this meth
Cd is ABOUT as tiresome as simply using a
staff to assist you III your climbing ope-
ratiOns. The whole side of the mountain
where the ascent is made is formed of
Stag and scOriae, but the pieces are wedg-
ed together SO as not to move much, and
the foot clings to them so that you do not
slip. On the whole it is good footing
L thousand feet up rough rocks, as steep
as you can 90.
On the summit of the mountain we
found two craters or openings, the largest
of which looked like the mouth of the
bOttOmless pit itself. It's sides are form
I'd of precipitous cliffs of rock, covered
with deposits of sulphur. The floor of
this crater is covered with molten lava,
which presents an appearance as black a.
jet. From the centre of this floor rises a
great, black, rounded cone, like the stack
Of an immense blast furnace. II is about
tifty feet high, having an opening at the
top about ten feet in diameter, which
glOws with furious heat, and from which,
every now and then, bursts forth thun-
iering explosion, which throws into the
air a shower of stones and melted lava
The crater seems to be from four to five
hundred feet across, and its walls from
eighty to Il hundred feet high.
OF course we could not leave here with
out visiting the famous ruins Of Hercula-
neum and Pompeii. These ancient cities
were buried by an eruption of Fesuvius
centuries ago, and are now objects of great
interest to travellers \ great part of
POmpeii has been eXcavated, and presents
the appearance of mass of ruined walls,
little else being visible, as everything
movable mas been conveyed 10 the great
government museum III Naples, where
are to be seen tools and implements,
household utensils, mosaic pictures, jars
and vases, articles of jewelry, and hund-
reds of other things which throw light
upon the manners and customs of the in
habitants of these ancient cities. Here,
too, is preserved the head of the Roman
sentinel, who stood Mt his post until bur-
led beneath the tide of molten lava, and
whose fidelity as soldier has been the
admiration of the world
There are many other minor points of
interest around and about this place, but
have neither time nor space in which to
describe them. Yours, HANS.
Snerinl Dnfirrs