The Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1870-1875, 1870-12-23

1nlS Closing letter OriHgS Us pack
to scenes rendered familiar by the
writings Of so many travellers, that q
brief mention of some salient points
seems all that is necessary.
ROME
Has been so frequently described that
it seems as if little could be added
with advantage. Nevertheless, IS we
were fortunate enough 70 obtain q
very intelligent guide. who took us to
some localities not always visited, a
few items may prove acceptable.
With regard to St. Peter 9, the same
feeling was experienced which has
been so often alluded to BIZ travellers
in contemplating this magnificen
structure; Ia fact, such is the case
even when hrst looking on one of ma
lures grandest scenes the Falls OF
Niagara. But once contemplating the
Falls from below, aBd then wandering
to the different favorable points, the
longer We look, the more We are graft
fed aud astOnished. So it is at St.
Peters. The immense height is only
reahzsd when we are close under the
or looking to the dome from the nave,
and the lOuge. We look the more our
sstOnishmenti Increases.
Descending the steps of the Vati-
can, We met Cardinal Buonaparte,
who very gTaciousiy acknowledged
the salute of our Commissioner. We
saw the carriage Of the Pops waiting
for him in the yard, but belngsuucer-
tain when he would appear, we pre-
ferred entering the Yatic an.s- There
we we're not disappointed, especially
when we visited the room in which
she Mosaic work is going on. The
material generally used, Particularly
for copying the heads of Popes, Car
dinals. Sc from oil paintings, (sizs-
about four By five feet). is volcanic
rock, named PeperinO, larger each
way than the picture, and perhaps
FIVE or SIX inches thick. This enables
the artist, leaving border of six
inches, to cut down into the
rock about an inch and half,
beginning say at the upper Left
hand corner and Lworkiug down
ward as he needs additional bedding
for his pieces of mosaic. Selecting
the proper color, as Indicated In his
model. be calls upon the custodian Of
the 26, 900 different shades of arti'
fcially made ware, resembling porce-
lain, carefully stored away and la
beled, When supplied with the
pieces he wants, the artist cuts them
on 3 sharp cold chissl placed on a
small anvil at his side, then grinds
their faces aud edges on e wheel
at his other eide. After this,
he inserts the various eOlored
little blocks thus obtained (per-
haps three quarters of an inch
square at the top, by an inch and 0
half in depth into bed Of pretty
stiff putty, which he has daubed into
the paperino bed pressing the last in
serted block tightly against those pre-
viously imbedded. When after
months of labor this part of the work
is completed, the face of the whole is
rendered smooth, 0 believe by the
friction of pumiee stone and similar
material, and then vanished, so that
at little distance, the Jennings Of
the block are imperceptible.
The W hole belongs to the Govern
ment. and only the most experienced
artists are employed. Many fine pieces
are given away 20 crowned heads, but
none are sold. Most of them are de
signed for st, Peters or other noted
cathedrals.
One of the most ornate churches
we. saw anywhere was the SO called
Church OF jesus. owned By the J esuits
in Rome. When We entered eight
masses were being celebrated at the
same time, in different parts oil
the building Having been told by
several peFsons that st. Paul's, out
side the walls, was one Of the finest
churches, We went out In a carriage
add were net disappointed, finding it
all they had claimed for It, The
church of ST. Peters, on the bill out
side the walls. and not very far from
the great S.. Peters; is interesting a;
being huilg on or over the spot where
it Is SUPP ised the Apostle was cruel
fed. During our visit some7G Catholics
entered and handed one of the priests
SONS money, in order to obtain &
portion of the soil close to where
Peters cross was said to have beer
inserted. The space in the chapel
close to the main church is walled in
like a well, but the custodian was
provided with a long staff. having &
small metaiic box on the end. With
this be brought up small quantity Of
sand, which lady visitor Immediately
enveloped in paper, brought for the
purpose, then carefully placed The
precious relic in her bosom.
The Pantheon Is a glorious old
Renaissance of antiquity, and, per.
haps, one of the best preserved build
iDgso of old Roman times its epen dome
is something quite refreshing, after
viewing the elaborate guiding on
some Of the modern churches; and is
a fitting place for the tomb of the
inimitable Raphael
The Colosseum, Cor Coliseum, as
IL is also written,) and Forum Re-
manum, with surroundings, we're all
that the most imposing descriptions
had led US to expect, but the grandeur
Of the Palace of the Caesars was
something for which We Were WhOlly
unOrepared Presented to the King
of Napleg. and from him purchased
by the Emperor Of the French, Cor, as
we must cog write it, the Elk Empe.
RoF,) its contents are being gradually
brought to light by excavations con.
Quoted under a liberal and enlight.
ened spirit. az
The view from the fine garden con
struete on the ruins of the Palace
parts Of which are being excavateC
as above mentioned, is remarkably
fine, and FROM it we wandered to tn:
interesting localities thus seen in the
distance, such as the Tarpeian RocE
and Capitol, Palatine Hill
etc. We next proceeded Il
the Baths of Caracalla where, it is
said,G 81, 600 persons could battle a
the same time. Passing By Scipio'l
Tomb and tina Arch Of Drasus, we
visited the curious coiumbaria
in which the Romans deposit.
ed the ashes of the dead
remaining after the combustion Of
the bodies. the descent is usually
BY marrow. steep, stairway and the
arched cavities, like pigeon holes
have curiously shaped .urEs, &c
in many of them, with the names Of
the family engraved. The cataoombs
are almost equally Interesting. where
in larger inches or reeesses, each side
of high narrow alleys, the bodies were
deposited az q later period than the
times of Rome's Golden Age. Ga our
way home We admired the fine circular
mausoleum, erected By her husband,
70 the memory of Cecilia Metelles; we
hr1 vronfnnsfu Gwfuoz, v,1fo- =,