Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-07-10

holder. view which fully repays the
hard climbing which it has cost to OBJ
tain The principal branches OF indus
try in Genoa are silks, iron and filigree
iewelry The streets are very narrow
and crooked, the buildings very high,
and people numerous, so that the scene
presented is somewhat weird and un-
pleasant. but is abundantly relieved by
the presence of the Genoa ladies in their
UNIQUE and most becoming costume,
consisting of silk robes of various hues,
and white or black lace wells falling in a
most graceful manner from the elegant
ly-dressed head and the shoulders, and
sometimes over the entire person. 1t is
impossible to resist falling in love with
them-I mean the costumes, not the la
dies. t-..r. III. ..-...
| left Genoa late in the evening, and
next morning, June 5th, arrived in Flor
ence, the most beautiful of all the ltal-
ian cities. Here | spent three days, rev.
cling amid rich galleries of art, the stu
dos of painters and seulptors, but with
especial interest through the studio of
Vermont's most worthy son, Hiram Pow
ers. s.--...-.
Florence is indeed a beautiful city,
having a most delightful climate, bright,
blue skies, a noble river (the Arno), fine
streets, numerous churches, pleasant
suburbs and cultivated society, develop
ing tastes of the highest order | left
Florence with sad regret.
One days journey, through the center
of Italy, by way of Folignio, Perugia
and other places of historical interest,
brought me to Rome, where for four
days, with the aid of carriage, guide and
book, I explored this classic ground,
visiting St. Peters, the Vatican, with its
wealth of sculpture and paintings, many
of its three hundred churches, the Nam
ertine prison, Coliseum, Forum, Capt.
toline, or palace of the Caesars, the Qui-
rinal (the royal palace of the King of
italy,, roaming through its gorgeously-
furnished reception rooms, drawing
rooms, throne room, dining rooms, sleep
ing apartments and picture gallery.
sat in the chamber of the Italian Parlia-
ment, and witnessed their method of
voting on important questions. / wan
dered through the dark passages of the
catacombs, drove over the old Appian
way, saw the grave of st. Paul, the holy
stairs, the Sistine Chapel, and the Del
Corso, with a hundred other things Of
historic and traditional interest, which
utterly bewilders the mind of the be-
holder
From Rome l journeyed to Naples, the
distance being about one hundred and
sixty-three miles, through the most lux
urious portion of Italy, perhaps of the
continent Of Europe, reaching this large,
populous, busy, noisy, dirty, clean, mag
nifcent city of cheats and beggars on the
9th. 49,. ....... ....... ....-..... ...s. 49,.
No where on earth are the lines of
Heber more appropriate: {" Where
every prospect pleases, and only man is
vile !" for | do assure you that the peo-
pie here are vile enough. But you soon
lose sight of all this moral pollution in
admiration of the lavish expenditure of
the beauties of nature grouped in the
grandest panorama that the human eye
ever looked upon. .....-.
We assembled Mount Vesuvius on horse
back, crossing the lava beds and follow
ing the crooked pathway until we reach
ed the hermitage, from whence we walk
ed to the foot of the cone, looked into
the yawning mouth out of which, in
1872, came the stream of liquid fire
which buried the village of st. Sebas-
tian, and destroyed so many lives. As
| stood on this drcary mountain sur
rounded by vast fields of lava, the city,
villages and bay nesting far down be
lOw the white column of sulphurOuS
smoke curling up from the crater, hav-
ing as my only companions two Villin-
ous-looking Italians, | felt awfully inn
pressed with the Almighty powers of
God, and the utter weakness of man.
Fascinated with the grandeur of the
scene and filled with deep emotion, !
fingered on the mountain until sunset,
descending by moonlight, and leaving
my horse at Resina l drove to Naples
and went to the supper table excessively
tatigued, but satisfied with the day S
work. ....... .....
The next day, June 18th, [ visited
POmpeii, the eXhumed city of an anti
christian age, and | viii not attempt to
describe my feelings as | roamed the
ancient, worn streets, walked the ruined
temples, palaces, forums, wine cellars,
and ampitheatres or as [ looked upon
the forms of men and women lying just
in the attitude in which the storm of
ashes overlook them eighteen centuries
ago; or as | walked over the table-land
of ashes that still covers large portion
of the city; but promise to try to tell
the story on my return home. ...-..-
From Naples / retraced my steps
northWard via Rome and the sea coast
to Pisa, where, after climbing the lean
ing tower, visiting the Duomo and
Baptistry, passed quiet night at Ho-
tel de Londres, and coming through
Florence | arrived in Venice yesterday
morning, where pleasant and grateful
surprise awaited me; for as | was con-
veyed to my hotel met L. K. Fuller,
Esq, of Brattleboro, who, with his esti-
mable wife, had just arrived from Wen
ma. We spent the day in visiting St
Marks, the palace of the Doges, float
ing on the canals, and examining the
prisons of the Inquisition, etc To-day
| have devoted to rest and a little silent
chat with dear friends far, far away,
unannoyed by the sound of horse or car
riagc, for there are none such in this
queen city of the Adriatic. My next
will date from Switzerland. 0.....
.-.... ....'. ANGLO.