The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-03-11
From Rome to San Reno.


Pisa. An hour or two on the Campsg-
na brings thss traveller to Civita Vec-
CHA, once tie great seaport aud naval
station of Central Italy, but now quiet
and deserted. Then skirting the
shores of the Mediterranean. the soli-
tude continues for the most part un.
broken. War and famine first scattered
the people who, in ages past. titled
these desolate fields and occupied these
ruined towns. and then came blight
of malaria, putting its black seal to the
sentence of doom. The stiffness of the
forest and the valley, which is natural
To the region. aud has never been dis
turbed. soothesand elevates the feelings;
bat the stagnant silence that broods
over the ruins of a city that was once
vocal with the busy hum OF men-the
solemn silence of house that has been
| occupied for years, aud resounded to
the happy shouts of children, aud is
| now left solitary to moulder away and
decsy-this is desthly to the savors of
the sepulchre,
After days Journey like this, it is a
relief to see the cid towers of Pisa come
in view. although this city has seen its
best days, population of 10000 be-
ing now reduced to oae-siYth of this
number Hoses must be plentiful
and rents cheap here. In walking
through these quiet streets. no one
would imagine this was once the capital
Of the leading commercial republic of
Italy. the seat of great university. and
almost unsurpassed in the beauty and
splend0r OF its marble edifces. A few
houre suffice TO see ell that Is worth
seeing now. The famous Leaning Tow
er-how distinctly we remember the
wood-cut IN the old autobiography
which first introduced us 10 its acquain-
tance--is one of those wonders of the
world which does not at all disappoint
your expectations. and as we looked up
and heard the great bells booming in
the air one hundred and ninety feet
from the ground. with the upper story
Of the tower overhangiug the base
some fifteen feet it seemed as il the
whole structure must come instantly
to the earth: but "a it has been in this
precarious condition for more than six
10 hp epN''e'
cause for apprehension.
In wandering through the cathedral.
a very interesting old ediflce and filled
with rare works of art. your attention
is called to large bronze lamp sus-
pended FROM the lofty ceiling, the
swinging of which first suggested to
Gslileo the theory Of the pendulum.
Myriads of people before him had
seen the old lamp swing. bat not with
his open eye and active mind; and this
is the com mbination which reveals to
man the mysteries Of science. Adjoin-
ing the church stands the Baptistry,
circular building, one hundred and fifty
feet in diameter, and one hundred and
sixty feet in hight, beautifully decorat-
ed, and surmounted by an immense
dome We have heard wonderful
echoes in our lifetime; but we never
conceived Of anything like the effect
produced by the shouting of two or
three rough notes in muiscai order,
which. as they rose ia the air, striking
the roof Of the dome anil bounding two
and fro, became TRANSMITTED into such
an unearthly harmony as was never
produced by any instrument made by
man. No words can give the re motest
idea of the richness and delicacy Of
this prolonged and slowly dying echo;
anu how the harshness OF en- ordinary
human cry cosld he straiued of all its
coarseness aud converted into this ex-
ouisite music, wa cannot understand.
1t seemed as though the gates Of Para
disc had been opened, and far of songs
of angles came stesling down to earth.
We have room 10 write of only one
of the curious things-in Pisa, and that is
the Campo Sasto, che earth for this
place of burial having been brought
from Jeruselam in ifty galleys. more
than siy hundred years ago. 1t has
now become q museum OF sarcophssi,
sepulchrsi monnments. 'nedallion.. stat
uets aud paintings. One of the old
frescoes represents the process Of decom
posns q human body by means of
scids' which served the same purpose
which is now aimed at by the advocates
OF cremation.
The road from Pisa 70 Genoa. which
runs all the way close to the sea, is in
great degree sobtsrranean. We count
ed more than seventy tunnels, and
then gave II up. dashing in AID ont OF
the darkness continually, Sith brief
snatches of pehbly beach. where the
fishermen were seen dragging their nets
gray old villages perchet up among
the rocks. each of them with ITS castle