Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-03-12

Mr.. EDITGR:- linking eOine VI JouI
readers, particularly those in Barre, would
be interested in hearing from one of our
- Barre boys" who is now travelling n Italy,
| beg leave to send you part of letter written
TO his friends
NAPLES, February I'd, 1873.
Here we are in the |
famed city of Naples, that lies almost under
the shadow of Vesuvius. 1t looms up majes |
ically in ull sight of our hotel, apparently
not more than three miles away, but really |
about ten. We left Florence last Monday
morning, and after long days ride reached
Rome about 6t o'clock in the evening. The
scenery from Florence to Rome is fine, for
the railroad runs much of the way not far
from the snow clad peaks of the Apprentices,
while in the valley where we are, everything
is rs green as June The smaller towns IN
Southern Italy are built each in a compact
lump, streets very narrow, and very filthy.
and were usually located near the base OF
some mountain that they might be more
easily defended. We only stopped day and
half in Rome, but left our visit there until
our return from here. The old saying is,
"S See Naples and die, and think one con-
demned to stay here would die. Of all the
filth and squalor, begging and misery that
l ever saw, Naples caps the climax. 1t is by
far tie largest city in Italy, and contains
between 600 600 and 700 COO people.
Its narrow streets swarm with people, like
bees in hive. l suppose as many as one
third of the whole population live by beg
giug aud thieyipg, and if a Well-dressed man
goes on the streers the beggers stick to him
like ticks In all these respects. it lie prob
ably by far the worst city in Europe. In
the streets as we go along we see donkeys
loaded with all sorts of things. Even in
the outskirts of the city, nearly everything
is transported ON the backs OF donkeys
Often YOU see them loaded with straw OF
brush so that you only see the head of the
donkey in front and the tail behind, the dri-
YER always hanging en- to the tail Some
two wheeled carts are used, and We often
saw cow and donkey harnessed together,
and in one case We saw a cow, donkey and
horse harnessed side by side. They do not
use bits in the horses mouths, but have 8
strap around the nose TIE bay of Naples
is q beautiful sheet of water nearly aurroun-
ded by sharp, black mountains, of which
Vesuvius is the chief, making the scenery
very bold and striking. Day before yester-
day we went up Vesuvius. We left the
hotel in company with some other Amerl-
leans, with two carriages, each having three
horses abreast, with bells on, and guide
with US. After a ride Of about four miles
through a dense crowded thoroug hfare,
flied with the most miserable lot of human
ity that | ever saw, we arrived at Hercu-
laneum, where we stopped to see the ruins
Of that buried city. We took canes along
to keep off the beggars, some of whom woulc
follow US for long distance. Part of Her
culaneum has been uncovered and part il
underground We visited first the under
ground part, where passage ways have beer
cut, with chambers, &C. We took each
candle and with the guide went down step
about sixty feet, then through long passag
ways and saw parts of rooms with frescoes
columns, parts of an amphitbeater ths
would hold Is 600 people, remains OF stat
utes, walls, &c. This city was buried tn
same time as Pompeii "a. D. '79) and wa
city of 10000 inh4 btantS; we then visite
that part that had been excavated and say
streets, houses, parlors, urns, &c. just as the
were buried 1900 years ago. Vesuvius
the most active, and has been the most dc
stluetive volcano in the world. Herculaneun
though five OF six miles away from it, wa
covered from forty TO sixty feet deep wit
lava and ashes.
We then pushed up the mountain, passiD
through vast fields of lava that were throw
out in 1858 and 1859; also 1868 and III:
I'm April, when several villages were pa
italy destroyed}, up to what is called tt
hermitage. We did not go up to the top OF tt
crater, but near enough for all practical pu
poses. A huge volume of smoke pours o.
all the time, though lava and stones only o
casionally. We warmed our hands and fe
BY the hot creyices, where hot sulphuro
smoke issues, and we could have cooked eg
oy letting them down in three or four lea
Ihe volcano seems when you 60 up like
h0Irld old monster, as it has been active
destroying lives and property by the who