Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-09-19
NOTES OF EUROPEAN TRAVEL.
Interesting Extracts from Private
Letters of Miss Kate Millikan to
her Family.
HOTEL De GENEvEvE, NAPLES, !

| HOTEL DE GENEYEVE, NAPLES Z
SIS E-s August l, 1873.
We were up early, and five of US went
/ before breakfast to Miss Hosmer's studio,
a short distance from our hotel. She was
not there, but her foreman kindly uneov-
cred her works for US. The loveliest of
the collection was that of Beatrice Cenci,
asleep on a bench in prison, with her
arms folded over a pillow and her head
resting on them; it was the same pure,
sweet face that shines out of her picture.
went out on the round verandah, at the
back; it was trellised with five-finger ivy,
and a lemon tree, with half-ripe lemons,
stood at the corner; red and pink olean-
ders, with pomegranate and citron trees.
Then we went to Lombard's studio, where
we saw in marble ssThe Story of Susan
nah," I" Cleopatra winning Caesar, -
''Zephyr teaching Cupids to Play" GIVE
with Cain and Abe, ""Song of Solomon
Tell him, if you see him, O daughters Of
Jerusalenl, how I languish," etc., and
FfFinding of Moses.'' We then went
home, had breakfast, and in half an hour
the sweet, fresh morning found us speed
| ing southwark to Naples, with the arched
acqueducts on the west aud olive orchards
and festOoned vineyards on the east, with
the purple Sabine Mountains for back
ground ,and faint and far off-vioIet in the
the sweet Italian sunshii.e-lay the AL
ban Mountains. Roman ruins met the
| eye on every side; the bare, brown .
parched earth ere long was frightened
by strip of heavens own blue to re-
lieve its dreariness. This was the Mede-
terranean Sea, along which the railway
skirted for a time, while olive orchards
skirted the railway on seither sidez Be-
yond Velletri the Volscian Mountains ap-
peared in the west, and from here the
railway passed continuously through la
va cuttings. The carts here have two
wheels with the shafts as high as the
horses neck, and appears to rest on their
backs. ---rr
/ The further south we went the more
barren and desOlate grew the mountains,
the soil more sterile and the beggars more
numerous, if such a thing is possible
Grapes, peaches, plums, prunes, lemons,
pears, melons, ETC., are for sale at every
station. The barren mountain sides are
AONAOO W AOAA anu 6ElduO"J Willie
a sickly growth of Indian corn is seen
here and there. At Casserta the Royal
Palace was opposite the station, and had
a CHEEKY look to my eyes, inasmucl1y that
it had a aflnely-shaded lawn witira' plenty
of shrubbery; rare thing here.
From this point Vesuvius is visible,
with its pillar of cloud by day and its
flame by night; but the latter is not visi-
BILE -now-at least, not from my room, to-
night. The country gradually becomes
more fertile; the fig, orange, lemon, cit
ron, ETC., are fine, large trees, in orchards
like we raise apples. The vines are again
festooned from tree to tree. The road
twists and winds tortuously along, but
we finally reach Naples and are driven to
our hotel, which we reach at five in the
evening and are shown to our rooms at
once. Mine is corner room, on the 5th
floor, looking out on Vesuvius and the
Surrounding country for, thirty miles. =
The floors are porcelain tiles-pretty, but
treacherous.. Woe beto the unhappy in
dividua1 who takes not heed to his steps
verify, the wicked do stand on slippery
places-es especially on Naples floors. L as
lcend and descend the intermfnahle stairs
with fear and trembling. not knowing
but at each step 1 may be brought low
Iron bedsteads and chintz furniture-the
first I have, seen-but Git looks cool an6
airy after my velvet-furnished room a
Rome, with its ffeas. Of course, Inquired
!, Flor letters; alas, there were none for me
/ ETwO days more, and we turn our face!
northward, and homeward. 1t seems tel
years since left America.
Friday morning we went to the Muse
um, and stayed till dinner-time, lool1in,
at the old Roman pots, kettles, bath-tubs
stoves, weights, measures, bedsteads, an
what not. They are the most awful-1ook
ing old collection you. ever .beheld, gree
with rust, age and ashes and we'll the!
might be, after being buried 1900. years
There are, SO many, statutes, that wer
Efeund in the excavations and broueh
sFhere. cannot begin to tell YOU of tn
bread, peas, grapes, beans, figs, etc., ths
s are preserved here, even to eggs; til
tdainty glass totlet-Sets, bronze ornament
for mantles, little pigs, dogs, cats, deer
ho1ses-everything you could think of, 0
"b1S hAO" W ILlC tL1CIOubSS nGT0:. a
ter dinner, we went by rail to Pompei
This sounds strange, don't it? Neverthe
less,w went by rail to Pompeii and wal
ed up hill, through lovely grove, an
through a field of corn, with beans Q
, each side, just as in the orchard at hom,
Then we went through an opening in
stone wall and were in the excavation
We walked about it a distance of ov,
three miles, and went over the groun
where they are now at work. alwa7
thought it was lava that overwhelmed Il
city, but it was ashes and dust-the ash
at the bottom; it was, in appearance.
y though an old ash-hopper had been EN-
tied over the city, burying the people u
der it; then the fine dust covered up e
erything smooth and level. Not a yesta,
of a house is to be seen from the to
They have built hall where they ke,
the bodies that have been found Who'll
They are a ghastly sight, and in all DC
lures of agony;a dog, curled up in
misery aud mouth wide open, as II sna
ping in its agOny-the collar and cha
ystill around its neck; two women :
their heads buried in their arms. 4
frescOes on the wallis are just as f. esb
if done year ago. I got GlOneT n ster
scopic views, which will give Won I
- ter idea of what would like to tell v,
We did not get home till O'clock an,
= is midnight Row-ana we are to be cal
at in the morning~-sta' rting at for
suvius, over which the sullen clouds
hanging, while q dnlt-red glare is en-
it, ted from the top of t. g crater. We will
to Rome Saturday Tight, and ON Mona
start home, via, T. urin, Pisa, Genoa ,