The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-04-23

Unity and beauty, smoking his Dig pipe
sending up great volumes of smoke into tn
air. The weather has been beautiful for {
month, except two days of rain. We have
been eating green peas for several weeks.
A drive to Bai@ is full of interest, bott
on the route and at its terminus. Pass
ing through the tunnel you see table
with an inscription for the tomb of Vir
gil. About forty feet above the tomb it
self, where he was buried. Traversing the
wide campagna, you have view of th'
island of Niceta, rising out of the water
On the precipitOus height at one end is the
handsome castle, several hundred feet above
the bay. Underneath, and below the leve
of the bay is an ancient prison now disused
The road lies along the bay shore with pre-
cipitous rock on the land side, until you
reach the village, "Port-Sualh,' Angice
"bad smell, from the smell Of sulphur
which fills the air. From this village you
ascend to Solfatara, as far as carriage car
conveniently go. Gr@ue and I, with oul
courier, walked up steep, paved road, hall
mile to the spent volcano, which has moi
erupted for eight hundred years. The crater
is more than half-mile in circumference, the
outer rim reaching a height of a hundred
feet. Our guide said it was hollow under
meath, and to prove it, he lifted up large
stone and threw it on the ground, when it
sounded like drum, or like distant thun.
der. At the farther side of the crater a
sulphurous steam issued forth continuously,
with a noise of great cauldron under
ground. We approached within few feet
of the mouth, when the guide took from it
two pieces of lava so hot that We could not
hold them in our hands. From the top of
the adjacent height of hundred feet, and
from its sides issued columns of smoke.-
These openings have doubtless served, in
some degree as safety-valves to prevent sub
sequent eruptions. A little further on we
went through, sometimes under ground,
large amphitheatre. Underneath was
passage all around, with apartments
for the wild beasts, and still lower large
apartment where gladiators were instructed,
as in school, in their art. Further on we
passed Cicero's villa, the ruins of which
are imbedded in the hill near the top. From
that point were ruins all along in the same
position. Then coming to the ancient Baia,
there were the excavated temples of Diana,
and the temple of Jupiter. The temple OF
Venus is on the other side of the road, near
er to the bay. This is entirely excavated.
We went into this circular temple which is
now above ground. There are four semi
circular altars, or places Of worship; this
principal or larger one, probably for sacri-
fee. This circular wall is entire, and on
one side the dome is standing half way
to the apex. The wall is near fifty feet
high. Not vestige of the ancient city re-
mains above ground. 1t is all still buried
in the mountsin except the small portion
which has been excavated. The remains of
houses are stuck in the mountain side all
along the way, and the tiles seem to be in
perfect preservation. l shall not speak of
the views, which are very fine.
The sulphur baths are in the mountain
side still, abounding in sulphur vapor, the
work of nature. Not more than century
ago there was lake which was upheaved by
a mountain that stands. in its place, the dis
placed lake having thrown it to the other
side.
P.-Just returned from Vesuvius.
close with brief notice of it. We drove to
the observatory two thousand feet above the
level of the bay, through little mountains OF
lava. An eruption of lava thrown out years
ago is still smoking in many places. The
crater is more than two thousand feet high
er. This we did not attempt to reach,
through ashes and loose stones. From the
observatory we had grand view of the
wide campagua, of great extent and ferdli-
ty, with It's rim of mountains forming q
great basin. On the other side the whole
bay and city of Naples lay before US. The
desolation through which we passed is com
plete. There have been four eruptiOns il
the last fifteen years, and the mountain il
always smoking, ready to burst forth at any
time. l was much interested in a remarka
bic machine, invented by the scientific pro
fessor, Palmieri, who has control of the OBJ
servatory. An electric wire extending int
the atmosphere above, communicates with
the machine which is 80 constructed that i
marks the degree of vibration in the atmoS
phere, and from what direction it comes, thc
moment of the vibration, and the length o
its duration, week before an eruption take
place, increasing, as it approaches. Througl
this instrument he gave notice of the las
eruption, by telegraph, to the people of St
Sebastian, who fed from the village; ant
although many houses were buried, not
single life was lost. Tomorrow, the 8th
we leave this city for Rome.
COP PLEDGES himself that there will no
be one redundant thorn in the believers chap
let of suffering. No burden too heavy vii
be laid on him, and no sacrifice too great ex
acted from him. He will "temper the win