Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-06-09
SIGHTSEEING IN EUROPE.
How Rome and Naples Appeared
to an Observing Tourist.
Interesting Objects Graphically
Described--A Timely
Letter.
oorespsndence Puhlie Lsdssr.

ROME, ITALY, June 10.
Here we are at last, in the etsrns
/ city, proposing, however, to 90 on Il
{ Naples in DAY or two. and return t
/ Rome later in the season. The Ma
: remme road from Pisa, which city VI
left at daylight this morning, follows
the Leghorn line for some ten miles
aud then branches of southwark from
Cole Salvetti.
At Cecina, near the coast, the train
stops for eight minutes, just Ions
enough 70 take breakfast in American
railroad fashion. Beyond the Etrus-
can town of Populonia, the famou;
island of Elha is dimly visible. The
train now runs through the desolate
region once the abode OF an enlight>
ened and cultivated race. During the
hot season the Maremme is stricken
with malaria, but steps are being
taken to drain and reclaim much OF
this fat country, which will restore it
again to state of cultivation and
salubrity. The towns along this
route are small, and mostly of modern
origin, although ruins Of larger and
more important cities of the Etruscan
age are frequently visible. At tlivita
Vecohia, the ancient port of Rome,
our train waits ten minutes, and then
runs near the sea coast to Palo whence
we travel towards the interior again,
crossing the Tiber at Ponte GaIera.
And now we are within the Campagna
di Roma; and soon the noble dome of
st. Peters comes to view, with nu-
merous spires and piles of ancient and
modern structures of world wide re-
nown. At the Hotel Costanzi we
found excellent ACCOMMODATIONS, riv.
alling those of any city we have visit
ed. AS our present stay in Rome will
be so brief, we shall only attempt to
get general view of its most interest.
ing features. Our FIRST drive was to
the Pincio, from which high stand
point we could overlook modern
Rome. A military band of music was
playing in the park on the Pincian
hill. and many fine equipages were
rolling along the smooth roads of this
popular breathing place
Below US was the Piazza del Popolo.
with its lofty Egyptian obelisk and its
Towering fountains, forming a beauti.
full foreground to the magnificent pan
Drama spread cut before us. Over the
Tiber is the ancient castle of st.
Angelo, and beyond this, st. Peters
massive front and unequalled dome
forms the back ground of the picture.
From the terrace of the Pincio we
rode over to st. Peitro in Montono,
where we gained a general view of the
city from a different quarter, extend
ing from st. Peitro on the lett, to the
splendid st. Paolo, beyond the walls,
on the right, and embracing a picture
of both ancient and modern Rome,
the details Of which we hope at no
distant day to explore. Beyond the
noble city are the Alban, the Sabine
and the VOlscian mountains, with
Monte Velino rising to height of
more than 5000 feet, in the remote dis
lance. We now rode through some of
the most interesting portions of an
cient Rome, glancing at the stupen.
dous monuments of a mighty people.
pausing Tor a moment before the mag
nifcent ruins that are the wonder Of
the world. and regretting that we
must postpone, for the present, a more
complete and satisfactory study of
these antiquities. Carriage riding is
very eheapin Rome, nice, easy We
hicle for two persons, with careful
and courteous driver, can be had for
sixteen cents for a course" to any
part ofthe city, while by the hour only
thirty cents is charged. Surely we
would not begrudge little additional
present to the poor driver who in many
cases has a family to support, and who
is so very grateful for even a slight
addition to his legal fee. We did not
find the beggars of Rome so impor-
tunate or so troublesome as We had
been lead to expect, in which we
have been very agreeably disappointed.
APRIL Is.
We came to Naples to.day, leaving
Rome at 8 am. 1t was raining, and
the weather was quite cold for this
time of year. Our Companions du
voyage" proved to be a couple OF
young Italians who persisted in keeping
the car windows open, admitting the
damp chilly air much to our discom>
fort. We saw the numerous arches of
an ancient aqueduct, Supposed to be
the Aqua Felice. which though look
ing very old has really been built but
800 years. On the left hand we got a
view of the Alban mountains, and
further on town on the mountain
side, with an old monastery not far
away. Passing through more rugged
country we come to cultivated fields
vineyards, and fruit trees, with some
pines looking as though all the lower
limbs were cut away, leaving the tor
branches in the form of "a tuft, appear.
ing in the distance like palm trees. A
dozen miles before reaching Naples
We could see the curling smoke from
the volcano Of Vesuvius, and soon the
graceful conical form of the mountain
itself became visible, We arrived a
Naples shortly after noon, and after
a superficial examination of our bag
gage for the sotroi duty, we took ,
carriage for the Grand Hotel, which h
, situated on the opposite end Of tn,
city from the railroad station. Tn,
streets are paved with very large ia
stones which are not evorywher
o evenly Joined, and as the carriag
!, wheels are unusually small, we 20
e pretty well jolted in the long ride o
y three quarters Of an hour through th
!. extreme length Of the city. As man
Q OF the streets are quite narrow an
J. crooked, the first impressions Of Ma
0 pies we're not particularly ENCHANTING
g Alter getting an excellent dinner q
the new Grand Hotel we took q etroi