The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-08-15

so much privacy and magnifcence.
She had four rings on one of her hands,
set with engraved stones, five gold
bracelets, two earrings, and thirty-two
pieces of money were found lying near
her. Close at hand were found the
skeletons of three other females, sup
posed to have been her slaves.
The villa of Diomede, Immediately
outside the walls. judging from the ru-
ms lett, must have been an extensive and
magnificent establishment, decorated in
the highest style of art and embellished
with statuary, paintings, fountains,
bathing-rooms and gardens Beneath
the portico, and below the level of the
| gardens, was the wine cellar, long
archway not less than 100 feet in length.
A long row of wine jars, encrusted in
lava, each about four feet high, stands
in this vault. On the night of the erup-
ton the owner appears to have lost the
love of kindred in his effort to save his
own life, for his skeleton was found,
| and that of an attendant, near the
garden-gate, the one still holding in
his bony grasp the key of the villa,
while the other was carrying a purse
containing 100 gold and silver coins,
and some silver vases. While thus en-
deavoring to escape to the sea-shore the
members of his family had taken refuge
in the wine cellar, where seventeen Of
their skeletons we're found near the
| door, as if they had attempted to re-
trace their steps after finding that the
place afforded no sufficient shelter from
the fiery tempest. From the gold brace
lets on the necks and arms of nearly all
of these skeletons, it would appear that
they were mostly females. Two were
the skeletons of children, whose skulls
still retained some strands of beautiful
blonde hair. After they had perished,
probably from suffocation, the floor of
the cellar was inundated with fine al
luvium, saturated with the hot water
that poured from Vesuvius, which hard
ened upon the bodies and took casts,
not only of their forms, but of the most
delicate texture of the linen they wore,
and of the jewels which adorned their
persons. One cast of a young girl in
the museum possesses exceeding ele-
/ gance of form, the neck and breast es-
pecially are perfect models Of female
/ beauty. We also examined the spot
where the skeletons of a mother and
three children were found, all closely
folded in each others arms, which were
decked with gold ornaments, elaborately
worked, and enriched with pendent
pearls of great value.
Of all the temples in Pompeii, that of
Isis attracts the most attention, for the
reason that it figures so extensively in
4 P,11x So oc+ nax, <,e r.
was here that Arbaces performed his
miracles and enslaved the minds of the
people. The court presents all the ar
rangements for that worship. In one
end is the s'sacred well of lustral puri-
fcation,' to which there was descent
by steps. Near it is the altar, upon
which we're found the charred bones of
q human victim, who was figure OF
Harpoerates, with his fingers upon his
rlips to enjoin silence upon the Worship
ers in regard to the mysteries they
might witness. In another part was
figure of Isis, in purple drapery, partly
gilt, holding a bronze sistrum and a
key. In one of the rooms skeleton
was found holding sacrifcial ak, with
which he had cut through two walls in
the attempt to escape from destruction,
but perished before he could penetrate
the third. The subterranean passages
and the secret stairs by which the priest
could obtain access to the interior OF
| the altar, and deliver the oracles as if
they came from the lips of Isis herself,
were examined with interest.
The barracks near the Herculaneum
/ Gate were undoubtedly the headquarters
of the defenders of Pompeii. Four
skeletons were found in the guard-room
with their legs fastened in iron stocks.
In the sleeping-apartments there were
numerous helmets of bronze and iron,
with bolts, lances, swords, leather belts,
etc. In the rooms of the officers above
were found helmets of various kinds,
with swords, as well as various articles
of female ornament of the richest kind,
leading to the supposition that the wives
of the officers lived in the barracks with
them. Among the female ornaments
found were two necklaces of massive
i gold, one of which was set with twelve
emeralds; several gold rings, earrings
and bracelets containing precious
stones, gilt pins for the hair, and chests
of fine linen and cloths of gold. One
Of these upper rooms contained eighteen
skeletons of men, women and children.
The total number Of skeletons found in
the barracks was sixty-three-
The excavation Of Pompei is still
progressing under an annual appropria.
ton of $12, ,0o0.-Cor. Baltimore ADseri
can.
THE "Sweet Singer OF Michigan
spoke a piece on the Fourth at Cedal
Springs. Mich, and the Norristowr