The Osceola times., 1879-11-08
A POMPEIAN BIRD STORE.
Relies of the Canaries of Eighteen Hun
dred Years Ago.

No sooner was the excavation of this
chamber commenced than, as | have al
ready told you, number of bronze and
terra Gotta vessels, bronze fibulee, brace
lets and rings, iron keys, kitchen uten-
sis, and other articles of household use
were found almost in heap together
near the door,and among them consd-
erable number of small earthenware
pots, which | somewhat incredulously
heard described as drinking-cups for
birds; but there soon followed proof that
this had Leen the shop of a seed mer-
chant and seller of singing birds, and
very little Imagination was required to
see the place as it was the day before
the fatal eruption of 70. At first the
room seemed to be a mere receptacle for
miscellaneous collection of bronze and
earthcnwarc objects. There was no
special character about it. The walls
bore no traces of painting, but, as the
clearing was continued, to the left of the
door on entering heap Of millet seed
was carbonized that on taking up
handful it flowed between ones fingers,
for every grain was separate and distinct.
1t was taken away in basketsful. Close
to this quantity of hemp-seed and of
what appeared to be small beans in the
same wcll-preservcd condition were
found, and among them considerable
fragments of the sacks in which they
had been kept, the fibre and texture be
ing clearly distinguishable. Behind
these heaps and against the wall more
seed was dug out, mixed with pieces of
carbonized wood, iron hinges, nails,
and some iron hoops, evidently the re-
mains of small barrels and bins which
had been ranged on this side, while
along the opposite wall double row of
terra Gotta olle for holding grain was
gradually revealed. Suddenly there
arose cry, "un osSa," ''un schletro."
and the excitement became intense but
the bones were small-at first they
seemed mere fragments, and then the
director exclaimed, amid quickly follow
ing laughter, "a chicken" Here the
filling in had become somewhat solidi-
fed, and rs ii broke a complete skeleton
was that of little singing bird, entirely
imbedded in the mass, and near it were
fragments of other tiny bones. There
could no longer be any doubt that the
Use of the little terra Gotta pots had been
correctly described. 1t became clear
why so many of them were found there,
and that number of PLAIN bronze rings
of about an inch and half in diameter,
and pieces of fine chainwork discovered,
had been used for hanging birdcages.
But what connection had all those
bronze vessels and ornaments near the
door with seed and bird sellers shop?
This, also, soon became evident. As
a. ftr into
the room, great masses of carbonized
beams of wood were found each some
what inclined downward, and among
them n quantity of fragments of intonaco
and stucco wall facing, colored porphyry
with q border of green and white.
These were at once seen to be the re.
mains of the floor of the room above,
with some of the plastering of its walls,
and from the direction in which the
beams were lying, it was evident the
floor had given away in the middle and
toward the door Of the shop below, pre-
cipitating the greater part of the con-
tents of the upper room in that direc-
ton, he remainder falling toward the
middle, and il was here the elegant,
long-stcmmcd candelabrum was found
among the masses and fragments of
carbonized wood. Did the worthy bird
seller live above his shop? Did
this candclabrum and the various bronze
vases and other utensils form part of
his domestic furniture? Who can tell?
They were elegant in form, but for the
most part unornamented, and not out of
character with the requirements of n
person in that condition. There were
some finger rings of bronze, but none of
richer MATERIAL there was strigil with
a plain handle; there were womans
bracelets and fibule of delicate work
manship, but only of bronze, some glass
beads, and a delicate blue glass cup
broken in pieces. The smaller terra
Gotta vessels were all of the plainest
workmanship. Among them were three
small amphore with fiat bottoms for
standing ON the table, and the bronzes
were Of the variety of size and form
adapted to household purposes. Some
were like Jugs with one handle; others
were in the form Of flat oval tazze, with
two handles, and one Of these had two
others of smaller size lying within it.
Teere was one the exact counterpart of
a pint pot, several of fiat shape like cas-
seroles with a straight handle on one
side, and some without handles, like a
deep bronze soup plate.
The chief delight Of Choctaw would
be to proceed to Cincinnati and pare some
of the sdiposc tissue off the Fat Contrib
utor, if this from the Saturday Night
should happent to fall under his eye: "0ut
in the Indian territory young braves give
the girls Choctawfy."