The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-04-16

precipitous rock three hundred feet perpen
dicular, we wound along beautifully graded
road to the top, at the villa San Souci.-
From this point on both sides the view pre-
sented was of ravishing beauty. The city
with its amphitheatre of hills and villas, the
mountains, and villages are successfully pre-
sented to view. Going down the mountain
we passed several beautiful villas, meeting
hundreds of elegant carriages, many of them
with liveried servants, containing the elite Of
the city. This is the fashionable afternoon
drive.
Driving through the string of villages
which owing to the projection of the harbOr
inland, seem from our hotel to be on the OPP
posite side of the bay, we reached the village
of Portici in which is the entrance to Hercu-
laneum. Descending with lighted candls
about seventy feet below the surface
earth and under the houses of =
we came 70 the amphitheatre, (
portion hasSseen ,excavated. Tn,
of stone, and entire in the usual form
amphitheatre. Going twenty feet below |
saw the large theatre which it is estimated
held ten thousand people. The seats and
boxes and orchestra are discernable. went
no farther, for the ladies had deserted me at
the amphitheatre, but this was enough to
give me an idea of the city which had been
buried eighteen hundred years ago. In
making further excavations the workmen
said they could hear the carriages on the
streets above them, and | understand most
of the excavations which had been made
were filled up. Outside at considerable
distance is an open excavation, not more
than twenty feet below the surface, perhaps
one hundred and fifty yards in length, and
half that distance in width. These dimen-
sions are mere conjectureS. Many buildings
in ruins are exposed, among them the front
of palace with columns supporting porticO.
The statues and other curiosities which have
been exhumed l expect to see in the museum.
We then went on down the bay to St.
Sebastian, a large portion of which was
buried in lava by the volcano at Vesuvius a
year ago. Great masses of lava lie on the
ground from this place to the foot of the
mountain. Portions of several houses which
we're crushed, and buried remain standing
above the surface. The street has been cut
through the mass of lava which in one place
is stiini, SO hot, that water thrown on it Kissed
and ST. med, as if it had been thrown on hot
iron. The view from the extremity of this
mass of lava over the vast campagna, as
far as the eye can reach is very fine. There
are two peaks of Vesuvius, one of which has
ceased for many years to be volcanic; on
the sides of this are deep gorges that have
no doubt been torn out BY eruptions of lava
in past ages. l sometimes feel as if it was
hardly worth while to write about Naples, as
no description can give an idea of its sur
passing beauty. The city lies between a
range of hills, crowned with villas, and the
bay, spanning the convex side of the harbor,
in a crescent like form, opposite to the city,
and seeming to be on the other side of the
bay, from the projection of the harbor be-
tween, is a range of high mountains, the
whole forming panorama of which no de-
scription can give an adequate conception.
1t is built up with fine blocks of houses on
beautifully paved streets such as are not to
be found elsewhere in Europe, or America.
Victor Emanuel's palace is large and hand
some building, with beautiful garden in
front. There are many handsome churches
in different parts of the city. We went
through the Cathedral, the interior Of which
is very splendid. The chapel of St. Janosa
on one of its aisles, is famous for the mira
Gle of blood which is annually produced in
phial. If the miracle fails it is aScribed
to the displeasure of the saint.
TO BE CONTINUED.