The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-08-10
FOR Til" Cecil WIKI:
NOTES OF FOREIGN TRAVEL.
Rome the Eternal.

another strange peculiarly in the Euro
pean hotels, which will now mention. moi
because il Is Of any Importance, but Ia al
American it seems funny enough. Ii i,
this-iu not IA single European hotel vii
you find particle of toilet soap You
must carry your own soap with you wher
ever you 60, or do without ii. Certain i,
is, the hotel keepers will not provide you
with it.
came TO Rome from Naples by railway
on the LIST of July, 1879. The country
through which the railroad runs is very
rich, very productive, and very hilly. The
only thing noticed on the way, with par.
ticular interest, were sections of an old
Roman viaduct, with its crumbling arches,
and which were used in ages long since
passed and forgotten, for the purpose OF
carrying pure spring or river water over
the dismal Pontine marshes, nearly sixty
miles to the city of Rome. We, in this
country, look with wonder upon aud praise
the ingenuity of that man who discovered
could be slaked by conveying the waters OF
the Croton TO their doors. But let us think
little about the stupendous works the
Romans performed in building these aque.
ducts. There are several aqueducts around
the city Of Rome, but will only describe
the ruins of one Of them, because the de.
scrption of one will answer for all, and the
one shall describe is the ruins OF the largest
and is'directly along the Appian Way, and
is seen from the cars in coming from Ma
Piles Just before you enter the city Of Rome
This aqueduct is called Aqua Marcia -
Its whole length was originally about fifty
miles, and about six miles of this aque-
duct were sustained with lofty arches car
rying the water tank or channel over the
Pontine marshes, and which arches are one
of the picturesque ornaments of the Cam.
pagna. presume they are about seventy
feet in height and are built OF brick; but
are in ruins. This aqueduct was built one
hundred and forty five years before Christ
was born; and while He was upon earth it
supplied the city of Rome with fresh, clear
and pure water from its fountain head
nearly sixty miles away. The arches of
the aqueduct are double, or rather built so
that an arch surmounts an arch. Upon
them was built the stone trough through
which the water flowed do not know
whether the trough was covered or not ::
but | think it was open, for what could
pollute the waters at so great a height {?
These arches were built of brick, while the
with Roman cement, the making of which
cement may be considered as one of the
los. arts in the present day. | do not know
what the Roman people do for drinking
if they have reservoirs, water works and
basins; but | do know that il they drink
the waters of the Tiber, il must certainly
be filtered, for muddier, ycllowcr and
more putrid stream of water it was never
my fortune to behold. | used the appear
ance of the water as an excuse, and drank
wine all the time, much to my own gratiti-
cation and pleasure. Iou have all doubt
lessly heard Of the " Tiber's Yellow Flood"
\ better description of it cannot be given.
1t is very muddy stream, especially in the
Spring of the year.
The Appian Way is paved road or high
way, running from Rome to the ancient
town of Brundusum, now called Brindls.
| presume the whole length of the highway
is about three miles. 1t is about twenty
five feet wide, paved with thick quare
stones, and has low curbing on each side
like our modern streets, and runs through
the Pontine marshes just outside of Rome.
and continues ON through Italy until it
reaches the Adriaiic, almost in straight
line, and is in good repair, the whele length
Gus highway was built as far as Capua-a
town about one hundred and thirty five
miles from Rome-by Appius Claudius
Caecus, he commencing the work in the
year 3l2 Il. c. and finishing the roadway
AS far rs Capua five years thereafter. The
name "Appiau Way" is derived from the
name of its builder, Appius. Claudius was
his first name, and " Caucus shows that
he was blind, that being the meaning of
the word. 1t is said that Appus Claudius
Caecus was Il very illiterate and cruel des-
pot; that he made the people of Italy work
by turns and by squads upon the roadway;
that he ruled his subjects with an iron
hand. But even If he was tyrannical and
cruel, he knew how 10 build a road through
marshes, over valleys and through hills
which, even to this day, is travelled upon
as common highway, even by persons
who do not know, nor care to know, from
whom it derived its name
All travellers to Rome generally visit. i'll
the first place, the Coliseum. Around this
magnificent ruin hovers the secret and hid
den mysteries of the Roman empire. Ii
was commenced in its construction when
Christ was ON earth, and completed A. d.
80. 1t was commenced by the Emperor
Nespasian and finished by his son Titus
shape, the longer axis being six hundred
and fifteen feet and the shorter axis five
hundred and ten feet. Around the inte.
rior Of this immense building are still To
be seen the stone seats ascending by grada
tons up to the third window of the build
ing. Upon these stone seats sat at one
time the beauty, the fashion, and the rah-
BILE of Rome, and witnessed, with I'M
blanched cheeks, gladiatorial shows and
human beings torn to pieces by wild beasts,
and men pounded to death by the frightful
cestus. In the first tier of seats, and di-
rectly opposite the den where the wild
animals were Gagged is the seat of honor,
where the emperor generally sat to witness
these iEhuman contests. On either side of
him were the seats set apart for the exclu-
sive of the ladies of his household. In
all gladiatorial contests these ladies held
under their control the life or death of a
vanquished gladiator. Two gladiators en-
ter the arena, armed with two edged
sword and with a small round shield, their
bodies encased in chain armor They