The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-01-11
from Tho American Agricu!turIs'
vesuyiu and its Buried Cities.
Ell ORANGE JUDD.

Ia bhSN'b 'NDD.
~ wonder not at the great interest every
traveller feels in Naples and vicinity, and ]
wish our few days stay could be as many
weeks. \ volume would not suffice to dc
scribe what We have already seen.....Naples
is the largest city OF Italy, and contain:
about hall million inhabitants. tits on the
north north east side of the wide Bay o;
Naples, which sets up from the Medi,erra
mean Sea inland Is to 80 miles. Mount We
suyius is 3 to 81 miles inland from the head
o. the Bay, Or about seven miles south east
of Naples. Going around the Bay from
Naples 81 miles you come to Hercuiaueun,
which is covered - TO 40 feet deep With lave
which ran down the mountain, buryiug tn,
city in IL course. On the soil above Her
culaneum now stands the large town or cit,
of Resina, literally a city upon CITY,
Starting eastward from near this point, you
ride up the inclined hillside, over the old
lava current the surface OF which has be-
come in part cultivated soil, mainly plant.
ed with vines. and three miles from the bay,
a, m elevation of 2000 feet, you reach the
steen mountain, which at n distance looks
like acone rising above an elevated plain
Leaving the mules here, one chambers about
2000 feet up the almost perpendicular sides
over losse lava stones. The top which looks
fiat at a little distance, is q hollow basin,
one quarter to one half mile in circumfer
ence. The lava or melted stone appears to
have boiled over on all sides. and then, il
cooling, to have sunk down few yards.
leaving basin on the top of the mountain.
This basin is covered with scoria or loose
black lava, and lighter colored ashes. There
are some assures in the bottom OF the basin.
from which sulrhurous fumes arise, but the
mountain has been nearly quiet for half
dozen years.
Coming back down to Herculaneum, or
r ,sina. you go on south along the head OF
TIE Bay and then south east, crossing sew
eral elevations, which are formed by the
immense streams of lava that at various
periods have flowed down the sides of Nesu'
vius in different directions. Nine or ten
miles from Naples, that is, around on the
south side Of Nesuvius, you come to the
partly exhumed city of Pompei, lpronounc.
ed here Pom paye.,ye.l This was upon +
south. east arm Of the Bay, which has been
the city inland halt mile or more. Pompei
was destroyed or buried in the year - ID,
or nearly 1900 years ago. The lava thai
hollis out Of the top of Nesuvius, usually
runs slowly down the mountain SIDE, giving
the inhabitants time to escape. People
seem to have little fear of actual danger, for
the whole country all around the foot Of
Ncsuvius, aud partly mp its slopes. IL yer!
thickly inhabited-indecd there are in this
vicinity more inhabitants to the square mile
than in any other country place in the world,
believe. 1t appears that the people OF
Pompei were scared out of the city by u lava
stream which did not reach the walls. but
that 400 or 800 remained, orreturned, when
an immense mass of lava was hurled from
Vosuvius, and Tell in thick cloud OF ashes
and rariili or fragments Of pumice stone,
filling M the streets and houses, and cover.
ing the whole 10 dept! 81 10 or 20 feet
The top, by the action OF the elements, was
formed into M arabic SOIL and afterwards
cultivated, the city Itself being buried, nnt
lost sight of for more than thousand years.
During the past 900 years, and especially IN
the pas, ~ gears, the government has been
uuco, cring parts Of Pompa, and removing
the ashes an EapIli from tho houses end
Streets. which have been preserved Hlnos'
entire. The roofs the buildings were mos:
L. crushed down. but the outside walls ARE
almost al standing. The stree S, with thu
,ayiug stones deeply worn in ruts by ,h'
wagon wheels, are NJ perfect as II left but
Yesterday. You see the plastered walls Of
She rooms. with fresco paintings nearly per
feet. and The floors are generally in besuti'
tnlmosaic. we'll. preserved. Houses, shops,
temples, public buildings, many Of them
still retaining the finest carved marble pillars
statuarv, etc, fiji up the excava'ed portion
Of the city All kinds of implements, iui
the household. for the mechanic arts, etc.
pra preserved Just as they were in use eigh
teen centuries ago! Many thousands o
these are collected in the Museum at Naples
snd after examining them, and seeing toa
,nnrh they ere like those OF the present dsy
one feels the force OF Solomon's remark
that "there is nothing new under the sun.
Fo,r hnrre until tbnrouph
wearied out. in walking through the streets
aud examining the buildings, and yet VISITED
but a small part OF the uncovered portions
while about two thirds o. the ancient city Il
still buried. as it shows by the outer wall
y,early "a miles in length, which has beer
sraeed osll, and by the experimental digging
IN the ;ncio5el coil.
nuerculaueuu is b1r;ed so deeply, AM
tha modern houses are so Numerous above
that on!v few of the buried structures hay
been cleaned out. We walked through til
great amphitneatre, large enough for tn
yonuiation of an extensive city. 1t Is 20 !
10 feet below the streets of the present vi
iape, and was discovered iu sinking well
..Tbe ride westward from Naples slon
the north side Of the Bay, is intensely IN
teresting. We first pass through the noun
tain ridge by tunneled road, Grot.o {
poeilippo) half a mile long, 80 to IS fee
high, and 20 to 80 feet broad. 1t was Gu
out Of the solidrock, long before the Chris
tan era, probably. Virglls tomb is nea
the entrance of this. Beyond the grotto
three or fonr miles, we went to the natural
" heated sulphur caverns and baths, and t
The Dog Grotto-where dog at orr feet fe
down sua,ocated by the carbonic acid, whic
did not rise 10 our own heads. We mex
visited Pozzuoli This was the ancient Pu
teoli where St. Paul landed after his ship
wreck, (Acts xviii, 49, The OLD "Appia
way" still partly visible, is here seems
extended northwsrd l20miles or so to Rome
Just east of Pozzuoli we went into the era
ter of Solfatara. This is fiat bottom
round basin, 30 acres or so in extent, tn
rim 20 to 30 feet high, and the bottom co'
cred with white volcanic salts, sulphu,
.i... >.l aLalLn aLaa In tsAAdinR owe