, 1874-05-23

tfon and no writer bus explained It In way that
can fully fnlorso, md have ITO theory OF my
own to offer III lieu OF tlioirs. To tho oyo, tho
Noman campagna should oo tho loa1thiost plain
@ srps Iss stoo 'sGns ns ss rsa NJ nat n'iss a
from ttB lil]-Bldos are bright, pure. and l.oa.hy
waters. Tho untlutntiona mako it everywhere
nclf-dralning aud dry grotild. AZ rcn,arkod, it
exactly resembles tho rolling prairios Of Kansas
no dryer Or hotter bctweon May aud October,
oru Kansaa or Ceutral Illinois. Dut 1t Is as
treeless, houaeloHs, and nntnhnhisod. ah tho uu
strange contrast to tho ,otlicr parts Of Italy,
which Hwhr1n NTH population llko beo-hvs,
and are plantoa oil oyer with trees, mulberry,
olive, oranE9, pine, chestnut, poplar. and other
9nn lar as the eye can pierce one s9ea
covered wlth short grasa mixed will wild
f!o"ers; but with no human life, excopt dark
.klnned, brfgand-looktug shepherds a1,d llortls-
mea' arensoa N cioaks OF eheeP,slinn and caf,
hat, and accompanied by wolfish- looking dogs,
which aid their naBtors i'll taking care of tue
hockb and herds. III every diroction tEin mclAn-
ohosy Hcene dcprosscs the mind OF The traveller,
and makes him feol Tint ho In passing through
LAND OF ullo5Ts.-
tho Rhadea Of tho great departed OF anotcnt
Rome. Tho dead city throws its solemn shadow
over tho wide plnin, which once toomed with
This plain is that world-renowned Campaign 30
inBoparally connected with the oariy history OF
Rome. It was once occupied mud Owned by 1T
tle commonwealthB which cost the Roman tribe
not road and sy1npathizod with the gallant
strugglo Of tho Veil, wloso city, not Ia miles
from Rome, stood sioge Of ton years before
Yielding and whose ruins arc distinctly visible
to thB dhy2
But at last, when Romo was weakened by Icon
tiongness aud Communion, tho barbarian GothB
strode over this Campagua with fire aud sword
anl after thom, tho Huns, and Lornbare1s, and
sarncenH. Every habisaton was destroyed,
murdered or dinporBed. Tho Campaigns never
again was populated. It grow over With grass
and weeds, and foil into the bands Of a few
propriotors who. for many centuries, have
devoted tbs land to pasturage. A few years ago,
tho number Of propriotors Of tho Campaign WAS
172, Of whom si1ty-four wore church-corpora-
tions, such as convent -ostatea for the support
Of monks, nunB and friars Tho ecclos1astics
had absorbed moro than half Of tho whole Cam
paEna and tho residue belonged to mobiles who
had descended from tho relatives Of Popes and
Cardinals.
The owners do not manage those ENORMOUS
ostates themselves, bnt rent tlon to d body Of
mid1lcmcu, about fifty III number, callol
MEnoANTI Dr gAa1pAaNA."
who reside IN Rome, aud were incorporated By
the Papal Government: Thoy havo all grown
very rlch, ,--somo Of them being omong tho
hocka and herds, aud llire the shepherds and
their yellow dogs. They employ oysreeers, who
ride about on horseback, under umbrellas, with
pistols in their boltg.-exactly like tho s1ave-
drivers on Southern plantations In the days Of
Chivalry,-And overlook tho herlsmon and ahep-
herds, and the cattle and shoop under their
charge. During tho yory hot aoaBon, when the
grasB willis and dries up mud tile heavens are
like brnHs, tho painting tloclss are driven from
the treoloas plain TO tho mountains, where tile
In 1yf1 1tA1 tar
arc procurabto.
It would not bo strictly accurate to affirm that
there ato no houses and no cultivation on tho
Campagna. There is on each estate ono, and
on Bon4o OF tile worry largest more than one
house, Of stone, also atorehouse and stable
the whole inoloaed by q high btono vail. Here
the overAoar and his various assistants reside !;
hut there Ia 10 permanent shelter provided for
the shepherds and laborers. Their habitations
eonsist OF mud-huts Oh tho hill-sides. near
springs; often in decayod, auciant tomb. or In
somo of the natural caverns which abound in
tho volcanic rocks.' Some Of them 1.-Two, with
their families, in covered carts, drawn by . DON
key, or mule, which arc moved about from enc
part Of tho vast estate to another.
But Ill the ground is not undor pasture. Por-
hapa ono-tenth OF 1t IL in cultivation,
... CHIEFLY IN WHEAT,
OF which it producos . yory large yield. 'The
ground ia plowod by white, iong-horued oxen,
aud tie wheat is sown In October and harvested
in June. Whom the grain is nearly ripe, mcsBen-
gers aro dispatched into tho neighboring mount
ains, who hire all abundance Of hands, Of both
soxes. to cut it down with tho sickle. Tho en1-
ployer furnishes food and wine, but no shelter.
The work begins at ,enrly dawn, and con-
dnues till nlght, with two hours rest at
noon: The oyeraoers ride up mud down
With flask Or oath. Tho. rcapera aud binders at
night throw the1nnelyes down beside thoir
eheavcs' their bodies hathed parspiration, mud
exhausted b., tho fatigue and fierce heat OF Tho
n}I fYr]E 1 1,oo1x
soon after sundown. Tho deadly malaria be-
gins to rise from tho plain, and tho poison Of
fever PASSES through their veins. Before tho
first wook ends, half the latyosters are Aick, and
drag their weak and weary legs to thoir moun-
taln- -holnea where
MANY or THEM DIE.
Before the SECOND week oloses halt tho remain-
ing hands are stricken down with the came re-
'norsolesa dlsoase, and arc buppy il they hare
strength to crawl lomo,-perchance to die ut
tious on which tho Campagua is oulti-
rated. Tho poor wretches who cut down the
grain receive for thus riukiug their lives for two
weeks tho miserable pittance Of francs a day
cents each The beauty Of the Caupagna to
the eye ot humanity becomes !onthsome and
hateful. This poisonous malaria which over
spreads the Canlpagna is al dendly to physical
health az tho mental niEhtHhale Of tho Dark
Ages was to the intellectual powers.
a Many argue that tho unhealthiness Of the
campagna is attributable to tho want OF oulti-
walton and the destitution Of trees. But tho
treeloss rolling prairics Of tho Western States,
which it 10 strlkiugly resembles, are not un-
healthy before they are cultivated, aud Why
should these plains 10 inHa!ubrious Some say
that the soil holds water, which, oyaporatiug
through the rich vegetable loain, sends up
,nalarious exAalation. But the loa,n il not as
deep. ricl, or humid as tho soil Of tile Illinois or
Iowa prairies. There ITO marshes or staguaut
water anywhere visible. Tho streams ruu low