The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-03-02
For the AEgis Dc htelligencer.
RecOllectiOns Of Travel In Europe.


For the Agis Dc Intelligencer.
RecOllectiOns Of Travel In Europe.
| NAPLES.
To awake in Naples, after having bee
accustomed to the chilling March wind
In Vienna, and to feel the soothing warmt
OF the mild climate of Southern Italy t
bask in the genial rays of the sun to not
the soft touch of the spring zephyr OF
ones cheek, must be one of the most pleas
ant experiences of life. say must be, 70
we did not experience it, as the mornin,
was damp and raw, and we felt the neet
OF fire. 1t seemed colder than we had hat
1t in Vienna; probably because we hat
expected 1t to be much warmer. But
little time made all good. The cloud
passed away, the sun shone out and lit VI
the beautiful barbor, the temperatur,
changed for the better, and we began t.
feel that we were indeed living under thu
clear, blue sky of Italy.
Fortified by substantial breakfast, We
sailed forth from our hotel to make the
best use of our time in seeing what
was to be seen. From the signal station
in the harbor we had the city spread out
before us like scroll. Crescent. shaped
embracing, as it were, the bay between its
two points, it extends back from the shore
like huge amphitheatre, the houses ris-
ing above each other like the tiers of seats,
as the higher ground is reached. Far to
the south Isl point, beyond which another
and smaller crescent is formed, and still
farther in that direction we could see the
volcanic heaps of Vesuvius, with its ever
smoking crater, towering far above. Be-
tween the city and the volcano, the
shore of the bay is dotted with little viii
lagos. built on lava beds poured out dur
ing former eruptions. On the rising
ground behind the city stand many beau
tlful villas and castles, among them the
renowned castle of St. Elmo, which is now
dismantled and used as military prison.
From our point ofview we commanded the
harbor, with its forest of mast and spars,
and were enabled to look out over the bay
on the distant Mediterranean, and to cast
longing glances at far famed Capri, which
we knew we could not see more nearly.
When we came down from our perch
and entered the city, now fully engaged
with the business of the day, we found
ourselves in what may truly be called a
human hive. Naples is the largest city of
Italy, having a population ofabout 450, 600,
and don't suppose there is another place
under heaven where so many people are
crowded together in such small space.
Inc streets are very narrow, and the houses
very nigh, built 80 as to contain many
families. The widest streets do not ex--
coed sixty feet and the ordinary ones range
from fifteen to thirty. Think of that,
with houses six or eight stories nigh on
each side. In these narrow streets wheel
ed carriages are very seldom seen, but they
are alive with people-men, women and
for the Neapolitans spend much
of their life in the open air, and it is not
uncommon to see women washing children
and performing many other domestic du-
ties in the streets, apparently oblivious to
the gaze of others.
All country produce, as far as | could
Judge, is carried about on the backs of
asses. 1t is comical TO see these little
beasts leisurely plodding along with huge
panniers slung on each side, filled with
provisions, and a lazy Neapolitan perched
on the top, quietly smoking. They save
themselves many steps by a simple device
which amused us much. From many of
the windows in the upper stories are sus-
pended small cords. The dealer comes
say the milkman. He does not starte the
neighbothood by ringing huge bell, but
with shrill whistle an' jerk at the cord,
a woman appears above. A little can goes
flying down and back, and the vender of
milk disappears. These lines of commu.
nication are very numerous, and pass in
almost every direction. You can nearly
always see some some small article flying
through the air, if you look toward the
narrow slit OF sky between the tops of the
houses.
l do not admire the Neapolitans, as a
class, though they have some qualities
which are considered good. In general
they are beggars, liars and thieves, and
will steal from you what their mendicsnt
lies fail to obtain. That they have energy
and perseverance, no one who has been
among them will doubt; and they would
all get rich if they would come to America
and use these qualities in some honest call
ing, with the same assiduity that they
now use them in villainy. l speak, of
course, of the lower classes. The shop
keepers have many of the qualities which
we are fond of attributing to the deluded
sons of Abraham. If one succeeds in OBJ
tanning the first price asked for all article,
he concludes he has found either fool or
an American-most likely both in the same
person.
One does not usually feel himself called
upon to seek impudence and pertinacity
in cab men, but verify believe that if the
10
would return looking upon themselves as
highly respectable, refined and decent cit-
zens. The Neapoltan cabby singles out
strangers as lawful prey, and believes him.
self right to use any means to make them
ride. l saw one drive for several hundred
yards alongside of an English couple,
cracking his whip over them and beseech-
ing them to enter his carriage. The boot
blacks are vile. They rap on their boxes,
on the pavement, point at your boots,
whistle and yell, showing every DISPOSE
ton to mash your toes if you don't employ
them.
The ladies of Naples are said to be beau
tiful, but l must confess that though we
kept our eyes open with a view of certify
ing ourselves as to the correctness of the
report, we were unable to verify it. We
saw many well dressed, very respectable
in point of looks, but none beautiful no,
not one. Perhaps we were too fastidious.
Vienna is well fitted to make one so in the
matter of female beauty.
ChurcbmeD are most numerous in Naples
as we'll as in other Italian cities, and they
make up considerable proportion of near
ly all assemblages of men,, One meets them
everywhere, of all kinds, from the black
silk-coated and silk hated priest to the
dirty, bare-footed mendicant friar. And
it is matter of interest to me to know
how they are all supported in country
where poverty, both national and personal,
is SO widespread, and where there are SO
many other mouths to feed. Yet they are
kept, and we'll kept, as their personal ap-
pearance plainly shows.