The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-07-15
A ~Pompeiian House.

The Naples correspondent of the
Daily News writes: "The house which
was begun to be excavated at the cele.
bration of the centenary of Pompeii,
and is therefore called Casa del Centen-
ario,' and from which I then saw three
skeletons dug out, has proved to be.the
largest hiSherto discovered, and is of
peculiar interest. 1t contains two atria,
two trichnia, four ala or wings, a cali.
darium, frigidarium and t%epidarium.
1t occupies the entire space between
three streets, and most likely a fourth,
which has yet to be excavated. The
vestibule is elegantly decorated, and its
mosaic pavement ornamented with the
figure of a dolphine pursued by a sea-
horse. In the first atrium, the walls of
which are adorned with small theatrical
scenes, the pavement is sunk and broken
as if by an earthquake, and there is a
large hole through which one sees the
cellar. The second atrium is very spa
cious with a handsome p~erisylle, the
columns-white and red stucco-being
twenty-six in number. In the centre is
a large marble basin, within the edge of
which runs a narrow step. On the
pedestal at one side was found the statu-
cite Of the Faun which I lately de-
scribed.
The most interesting place in the
house is an inner court OF room, on one
side of which is the niche, with tiny
marble steps, often to be seen i'll Pom
pelian houses. The frescoes on the walls
are very beautiful. Close to the floor
runs a wreath Of leaves about a quarter
of a yard wide, with alternately a lizard
and a stork. Above 1t, about a yard
distant, droop, as if from over a wall,
large branches of vine or ivy and broad
leaves like those of the tiger-lily-all
very freely, naturally, and gracefully
drawn. At each corner of the room a
bird clings to II of these branches.
Then comes a space, bordered at the top
by another row of leaves, in which is
represented a whole aquarium, as if the
room were lined with tanks. There are
different sorts of shells and aquatic
plants lying at the bottom of the water,
and swimming in or on it all kinds OF
fish, jelly fish, seplas, ducks and swans,
admirably sketched, with "a light yet
firm touch. The ripples made by the
swimming ducks are indicated, and II
duck is just flying into the water with a
splash. On each side Of the niche this
amusing aquarium is enlivened by II
special incident. To the left a large oc-
topus las caught a monstrcus murana
Qamprey)-which turns round to bite
in its tentacles; to the right a fine lob
ster has pierced another murana through
and through, with his long, hard ~feelers,
or horns. These creatures are painted
in the natural colors very truthfully.
On the left wall of the room, above
the fishes, are two s~phinxes, supporting
on their heads square marble vases, on
the brim of each of which sits u dove.
Behind the niche, and or the left side
of the room, runs a little gallery with a
corridor underneath, lighted by small
square holes in the border of hanging
branches. The wall of this gallery be-
hind the niche is decorated with a wood
land landscape, in which, on n side, is
represented a bull running frantically
away with a lion clinging to its launches;
on the other, a horse lying struggling
on its back. attacked by a leopard; all
nearly the. size Of life. On each side of
the doorway is painted, respectively, a
graceful doe and a bear. The other
rooms are also very beautiful; n with
a splendidly elegant design on a black
ground; in another q small fresco repre-
senting a man pouring wine out OF an
amphora into a large vessel.
The bath rooms are large and elegant,
the cold bath spacious and Of marble.
In one room a corner is dedicated to the
lares and penates, and in the fresco dec
Grafton, among the usual serpents, ETC.,
l noticed the singular figure OF a Bac-
chus or bacchante, entirely clothed with
large grapes. In n of the mosaic
pavements is a head of Medusa, the
colors very bright and we'll preserved.
As some of the rooms are only ~excavated
to within two or three feet Of the floor,
it is possible that many valuable orna-
~rox, lot ho fOurA no