The Portland daily press., 1869-03-23

PORTLAND.
Tuesday Morning, March 2S. 1862
Notes by thc Way.
NAPLES, Feb'y. %, 1859.
POMPEII.

The excursion to Pompeii is one of the
most interesting of those about Naples. You
can so by railroad, but trip by carriage is
preferable. Having previously prepared our
selves by reading for few days that exciting
romance the "Last Days of Pompeii," by
Bulwer, we chose a pleasant day and went
there by carriage, passing by the shores of the
bay and along the base of the Vesuvius
through dirty villages, where in the streets
maccaroni was being dried, and where the
beggars were most importunate. The dis
tance from Naples is 12 miles. We left. our
carriage at the ''Hotel Diomede," near the
ruins of the "Villa Diomede," named after
character in Bulwer's novel, A guide was
furnished us ON the payment of two francs
for each person, and we commenced the ex-
ploration and examination Of the antiquities
of this ancient city.
At the time of its destruction, Pompeii was
near the shore, but the convulsions OF nature
at that time SO changed the face of the coun-
| try that the bay is now two miles Distant
We entered one of the gates through wall
which has been partly uncovered and went
first to the amphitheatre. This is an i'm
mense ruin more ancient than that of the
Coliseum at Rome. 1t is in good state of
preservation, and is estimated to have seated
during the bloody exhibitions shown here, to
the delight of the ancient Pompeians, 10000
persons. A large portion of the debris which
covered it has been removed, SO that its
shape, the stone seats, the cells where the
wild beasts were kept, are all exposed. We
then proceeded to visit other portions of the
ruins. About one third part of the city has
been brought to the light of day, and the
work is still going on. That portion of the
city that has been unearthed is very regular.
The streets are very narrow but, cross each
other at right angles. The buildings except
| ing the public edifices, are small and extend
in unbroken lines, with gardens in the rear.
Their appearance indicates that they were Of
one story, although some writers think
that they had upper stories of wood
They were built of rough stone, concrete and
brick, plastered inside and out with white
stucco resembling marble. In some cases re-
mains of marble slabs are seen. The exte-
terror richly ornamented with paintings on
the plastered walls, showing the yoluptuous
and sensual tastes of the former inhabitants
We spent about three hours in the examina-
tion with wonder and astonishment. You
see before you the streets well paved, and on
of ~ ~
feet are as distinctly visible as if but yester-
day they had passed over them. You are
shown all the shops with the implements of
trade in them; the wine merchants with
the large earthern jars still whole; the butch
er's shop where the SCARED marble block
shows the business inwhich he was engaged; !;
the half finished bust left by the sculptor the
bakers where the rather 0Uer done loaves of
bread were found perfect in their form; the
stone mills where corn was ground; the pris-
on with the stocks in which offenders were
confined; the public baths with all the ap-
paratus for the conveyance of water, SINH
| lar to those in modern use. You
| go from street to street, to the theaters, the
forum, the houses of the patrician and the
plebeian, adorned with their mosaic pave
ments and decorated walls, fresh and bright
in their appearance. You have all the ap-
pearance of city except its hustle aud in
habitants, and those appear to have left but
few days previous. You cannot bring your
mind to think that for eighteen centuries
these streets have been deserted that so
long time has elapsed since living persons
occupied these houses, and gathered together
| in these public places. But so it is, the rec
ord of history as shown by these evidences is
| true. The destruction of these cities of the
plain has been overwhelming. And then you
look above and see Vesuvius, the cause OF all
this devastation, sending up its sulpharous
smoke, and containing within its capacious
crater the same fires and volcanic matter
that swept from the face of the earth the
cities whose ruins are before you. The guides
are very particular not to allow anything to
be taken from the ruins, and small sack,
containing the lunch of the party, was look
ed upon with good deal of suspicion.
managed Notwithstanding their vigilance, in
the new excavations to obtain few speci-
mens-mementos of my visit. We returned
to Naples at evening well pleased with oul
excursion.
MOUNT vEsUvIUs.
A few days subsequently,, / went with a
party of friends to visit Vesuvius. We took
carriage to Resinna, town at the foot Of
the mountain, 8 miles from Naples. Thence
the ascent is made by horses or donkeys.-
After an infinite amount of trouble in OBJ.
tanning horses and guide, the whole popu'
lation of the place insisting upon rendering
US their services, interspersed with the
whines of the begging population, we were
mounted and proceeded up the road over the
mountain sides, through vineyards and cult
waited fields. The day was quite dull and
detracted some what from the view of the
beautiful scenery which was aboHt us. A
we'll built carriage road formerly existSu up
the mountain sides, but tho eruptied Oh 1000
destructive as it was to YinAysHus anu eoiti-
waited lands o4cndered this useless. An
half bour,s r,de brought us to the fields ol
lava of 1858, and the path the rest OF the dis
tance was through them. A short distanct
in another direction reaching down to the
base of the mountain, could be seen the lavs
eruption of last November, still smoking anC
burning through numerous vaults. The fielC
of lava through which we passed was SOM
miles in extent. Its color is of grayisl
black, streaked with brown, and occasiona
sulphur stains. 1t presents all sorts of fan
tistic shapes and contorted forms on its SUI
face You could without great stretch 0
imagination trace out huge trunks of tree
or the writhing of immense serpents. DeeI
recesses and caverns are seen formed by tn,
lava cooling over hollows in. the earth. The e
feet very striking.
After about one and half hours riding We
reached the Hermitage-a convent kept by
few monks, situated on an isolated rock, re
moved from any danger of eruptions as tn
molten streams of lava pass around it to til
valleys beneath. Here a rest was had an
as | was the only one OF the party who il
tended to visit the crater / left my frieni
and proceeded on with the guide. We roc
a mile farther to the place called Atrio d.
coualR, or Vestibule OF Horses, where visitor
leave their horses, and make the. ascent o
foot. 1t was in the valley between the col
of Vesuvius, and Monte Stamina an extin
volcano, and black dismal looking place