Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-23
NAPLES BY MOONLIGHT.
Graphic Description by q Los
Angeles Girl.

Angeles Girl.
Written for the HERALD
1t was midnight in Naples, and sat on
the balcony of the Hotel de Vesuve. l
looked out on the beautiful bay, while the
moon shed her rays over the old castle. As
the silvery light was reflected in the blue
waters of the bay, 1 recalled many pictures
had seen Of this enchanting spot.
Ever since have been old enough to appre-
ciate travelling have wished to see Naples.
At last my brightest hope was realized
| unconsciously turned my head to the left
and beheld the lurid flame of Vesuvius,
with its massive curl of black smoke wind
| ing westward, and, taking in the whole
panorama-the azure sea, the castle, the
dancing reflections of the moon, and the
| flaming red of the volcano against the
bluest of Italian skies-the perfect stiffness
of the great city made it seem more like a
page from some fairy tale than picture
OF real life.
1t was more than 1900 years ago that
| Vesuvius poured forth the streams of fire,
| liquid mud, ashes and red hot stones that
| destroyed the ancient cities OF Pompeii an d
Herculaneum, the latter being buried un-
der ninety feet OF lava, which, after cool
ing, hardened into peperino stone, 80 that
the buildings have to be quarried out and
which accounts for the fact that little has
been done in comparison with the work of
excavation at Pompeii, which was de-
| stroyed by cinders alone.
| Off to the west is the Island Of Capri. and
| / thought of the fine view obtained from
| the deck of the steamer, from which one
can have an idea of the beautiful situation
of Naples and its picturesque surroundings.
The shore, the white buildings, the purple
hills behind, and the cerulean sky above
| (perhaps tinted by the smoke of Vesuvius)
and the deep blue Of the sea-all taken
| together-make lovely picture.
Naples lis is the largest city in Italy having
the amphitheatral slopes of the hills.
| The Neapolitans are a very lazy set, living
in warm climate and having little to do.
The poorer classes live, eat and dress in the
streets, ald at night men, women and
children roll themselves up in piece of
mating and sleep on the sidewalk. They
| are very ignerant and superstitious class
of people. The women are treated very
| badly. and 1t is not an uncommon occur
renee to see woman, donkey and an OK
drawing cart, with real good man Il sup
| pose) behind the team smoking q cigarette.
As the day dawns and the moon drops
down behind the hills, I see the milkmen
driving around their cows to supply the
wants of the better classes. The door of a
house opens and a dame comes out with a
jug and halls one of these milkmen. He
drives up a COW, and, taking three legged
stool which he always carries with him,
animal, after which he delivers the non
watered fluid, receives his pay and moves
on to another house.
There! hear the bolts draw in the old
prison, built as a castle in 1854, and two
hcrsemen come out, and, as the clanking of
the horses hoofs die away in the stiffness
of the moon, 1 am awakened from my
reveries by being called downstairs to So
so breakfast of coffee and rolls, as we are to
make an early start for Pompeii.
GEORGE TRUMAN.