St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-01-30
Vesuvian Tips.

At the cone of Vesuvias one general
~ finds the same class of men seen at
Averno, and threats are often employ
ed to extract money. AT Vesuvias an
able-bodied man requires no help. As
cending by carriage to the plateau
where the Observatory stands, he has
simply to walk on to the base of the
cone, and. then climb the mountain of
ashes us he best may. He is sure. how
ever, of being followed by the frightful
looking creatures who haunt the scene,
and sometimes half Il dozen attend him,
pointing out the rough but beaten path
and enlarging upon the necessity Of
their valuable services. Arriving some
morning before the throng of visitors
come to drink the zinc loco, and make
Vesuvius merry, the solitary visitor is
impressed by the loneliness and desola-
ton of the scene. The path to the foot
of the cone lies through pillows of black
lava, resembling frozen mud, while in
threading tortuOus gullies no prospect
meets the eye but the sky overhead
and the dark pyramid of ashes rising in
front, crowned with its cloud of vapor,
popularity supposed to be smoke. There
is an indescribable solemnity in the
view, especially when it is remembered
that but thin crust lies between ones
feet and seas of liquid fire. Horeb it
self offers no such scene of desolation.
1t is, therefore, with IA sense of relief
that the foot of the cone is reached,
and the ascent commenced. Here
every foot gained enlarges the vision,
which ere long takes in the tanks of
the mountain, sweeping down and away
toward Herculaneum and POmpeii,
while beyond is the blue Bay of Naples
formed by the promontories of Sorrento
and Msene, and islanded by Capri,
Procida, and Ischia. But who could
enjoy anything here while the impor-
tunate Vesuvian is at hand, insisting
that the tourist shall have four men to
carry him up on chair, or at least two
men to haul with rope, which they
try to make fast around your waist
If you do not know them thoroughly,
you may give them tip to go away
but the uninitiated finds, to his dismay
that the only effect of fee is to make
them hold on, the appetite for lire
growing with what it feeds upon. Thus
the Villains pursue you to the summit
where you look into the crater, and
perhaps walk on its edge for quarter
of mile, roast an egg on the birthstone
rocks, and burn the end of your staff
to prove to the world that you have ac.
tually been there. In making the de.
scent, even the guides will not pretend
that you need help, siuce it is simply &
swift slide down an ash heap hundreds
of feet high, inclining at an angle of fifty
degrees. Your tormentors, however
will greet you at the bottom, and renew
their clamOrs for tips, which they Otter
frighten out of strong men. With Ital
ians the tip is an essential, and must bt
had. If necessary, a resort is made Il
cruelty, as when the wretches at Sor
rento come daily before your hotel
tOrmenting birds in order that Englisl
and Americans may purchase their ex
emption from suffering by dispensin,
small coins. An appeal to the polio,
was of no use but we heard with sat
isfactiOn, few days after, that at Flor
ence branch of Mr.. Bergh's society
the first in Italy, had been established
by the Italians themselves. The cruel
ty of the common people in Italy
something remarkable. Everywhere il
the villages we found the peasants put
ting out the eyes of birds to make then
sing.-B. f. De Costa, in Harper's Mag
asine for February.