The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-09-04
WAITS WAITED WESTWARD FROM
OyER THE WAVE.


ED. TRIBUNE Indulge me in one
more letter and L will go north. Every
one who comes to Naples ascends mount
Vesuvius, although few of the inhabi
tants ever saw the top. All our arrange
ments having been made beforehand, we
took the FIVE O. clock morning train for
Resina, where wo procured a guide and
commenced the ascent The constant
annoyance to which travellers are SUBJ
jected by these importunate guides is
outrageous, and would be tolerated by
no other government but the Italian.
Great crowds followed our party from
the station to the Office, crying for aims
and offering their services for the ascent.
even after the guide had been selected.
We started for one of the most interest
ing mountains in the world it stands
isolated upon the plain, being about five
miles apart from the other ranges of
mountains which surround Naples. The
Somma rises on the north east side to
about the height Of 1000 feet, and seems
to be there merely for company, although
it was once the crater itself. The Vesu-
vius of to day is supposed to have been
formed in A. d. 10, when Pompeii and
Herculaneum were destroyed. Eruptions
have been repeated at intervals eyer
since-the last in 1871. We thought
our troubles had ended when we left the
crowds at Resina. but at every hamlet
we were met by old men and fair women
with bottles of wine, the genuine sc Lach-
rimae Christi y for the weary traveller.
We frequently halted to view the valley
below. The mountain is covered With
beautiful meadows; olive. fig and aloe
trees are pleasantly intermingled. We
took refreshments at the Hermitage !"
and rested for half an hour. Our path
now lay over the great fields of lava that
have been deposited here during differ
ent periods. That of 1858 is still so hot
you cannot hold it in your hand. The
whole side of the mountain commences
to grow warm and We cannot stop long at
time or our boots would burn. The
cone is composed of nulverized lava and
ashes, and is exceedingly difficult to
climb; my friend employed the services
of three men-two to pull with straps
and the other to push. But l have be-
come quite an expert in climbing noun.
tains, and reached the summit sometime
before they did. The whole time con.
sumed in the ascent was about four
hours. This great 9 forge of Vulcan -
is one of the most terri6cally grand sights
mortal eye ever beheld. The mouth Of
the crater is about half mile wide and
we can look down into the hole about
the same distance. @ men dug up a
huge stone and rolled it down the inside:
the rumbling noise which followed was
grand. An echo is produced by shouting
from the Sides Sometimes a burst OF
heated steam would rush out, covering
the whole summitr Usually there is a
steady flow of sulphur and the odor is SC
strong in some localities that we could
hardly breathe We took another lunch
our eggs being fried on the spot. The
plain below, extending in every direc-
ton from the base, presented, in its
lovely garb of green. beautiful view,
and from no other point can the harbor
of Naples be seen to more advantage.
The descent was very easy and in some
places unpleasantIy rapid On reaching
the town we were escorted through the
principal streets by a company of about
one hundred children, nearly halt of them
nude, who would jump, hop, stand c.
their heads, turn band-spripgs, and e ght
in turn, then beg most piteously for a
penny, with their hands to their mouths,
indicating they were hungry.
We returned to the city by the way of
Herculaneum. which is not worth visit:
there being nothing but a few old walls
left Doubtless much of the city is still
under the lava beds. The next day we
went out to PazzuoG, where was situated
the Romans Hades. We passed the grave
of Vnsil just before entering the ''Grotto
di Posiiippo," large tunnel through
Mt. st. Elmo, constructed by Augustus.
This grotto is nearly mile long and was
but recently discovered. On emerging
from the grotto the island of Nesislay On
our left near the shore, is to be seen.
Here Brutus fled after Staying Caesar,
and remained until his departure into
Greece. The drive along the coast is
unequaled in the emissions of Naples.
will not even except the drive to Sorren-
to, over which everyday goes into ecta-
cies, and then there is more classic
ground for over these hills Cicero
roamed and Virgil rested after the days
follower his books. OFF this beautiful coast
the dreadful battle between the Cartha-
geuians and the Romans was fought. And
here Hannibal's army became imbesile
by excessive indulgence. That villa on
yonder height was one of the homes of
Julius Caesar and was afterward occu-
pied by Augustus. Between the two
mountains, near by, in beautiful Sc
questered spot, stood the home of Cicero,
where be composed his Academica -
and De Fato.' Only the walls now
stand. Every hillock and hill about here
is so replete with historic associations,
that | must not linger d walk of an
hour from town brought US to Lscus
Avernus, believed by the ancients, to be
the entrance to the Internal regions.
Hither Aeneas was conducted by Sibyla.
Horace and Homer extolled the lake as
a harbor. Near the lake, to the north,
are the celebrated baths, the water being
heated by the crater of a volcano. In
some places the water is SO warm that
eggs are boiled in it for travellers. In
returning we passed oxer Mt. st. Elmo
and saw Naples by moonlight. The
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