Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1889-10-16

days travel were entertaining themselves by
singing several familiar hymns. At the close
OF one of the pieces jackass stuck his head
through the tent door and braysd vigorously
in the most unearthly and vigorous manner.
As the startled tourists were trying to rscov
or their composure their Arab dragoman en-
tered the tent and in broken English re-
he tink he know" It is needless to remark
that the bishop was not asked to make any
further contribution to the entertainment Of
the evening.
EASTERN CONSERVATISM.
As we approach the East 1t is fully appa-
rent that many of our modern ideas Of COM
fort and civilization are practically ignored.
On the arrival of our train at Brindis we
waited nearly an hour for the protracted and
wearisome table d'hote dinner to begin,
though it had been ordered three days be-
fore. One wash basin alone was available
for twentyssix persons, who waited until
others had completed their ablutiens.
At the wharf in the darkness Of the night
we groped our way along with difficulty to
reach rowboat, which was to convey us to
the steamer soon to sail for Patras, Greece.
Then we climbed up a rope ladder to the
deck. On leaving the steamer at the end of
the route the small boat was again brought
into requisition to convey us to the shore.
The possibility of dredging the channel or of
building a pier over the shallow water evil
thorities.
ERUPTION OF vEsUvIUs.
During our tarry at Naples side trip was
made to Vesuvius, which has now been in an
actiue state for several months. Though the
ascent was accomplished with difficulty, the
panoramic view of Naples and its wonderful
bay, with Capri, the resting place of brave
old Garibaldi, and other adjacent islands,
was a great delight. Down into the fiery
and awful throat of Vesuvius we gazed. For
few moments. the view was clear and unob-
structed in any manner. At brief intervals,
with terrific snorts and putting like an i'm
mense blast furnace, masses of lava and 9TH
er debris were shot into the air to the height
of perhaps one hundredand fifty feet, which
fell in showers in every direction. The spec
tacle was sublimely grand and not wholly
destitute Of spice of personal danger.
For franc, about twenty cents, our
guides would run to the very edge of the
belching monster and place coin or key
from your pocket into the molten lava.
When cool the pieces are carried home by
tourists as souvenirs. All the mountains In
the vicinity and for miles distant, even as we
approach the Ionian Isles and Grecian archi~
pelago, give undisputed evidence of their
volcanic origin.
Vesuvius is perhaps the oldest active vol
cano. Many others, once terribly destruc-
tive, have become absolutely extinct. Stra-
bo erroneously declared in his day that this
was then the condition of Vesuvius. He was
mistaken.
The burial of seven towns in A. D. 70 by
this volcano, including Herculaneum and
Pompeii. can never be efaced from the pages
of history. Nor can its frightfal and de-
structive violence, in 1922 and 1872 notably
in our day. Even now the foremost and
most conspicuous scientist of modern times,
including Professor Palmieri, regard its pres
ent Indications with grave apprehension.
Examinations by competent experts are reg
ularly made, in order that timely warning
may be given to the people in the valley and
on the sunny slopes of the fiery monster.
The cultivation of the grape in numerous
vineyards is being carried we'll up Its sides.
Great clusters of the ripe and delicious fruit,
including an abundance OF figs on nearby
trees, gladdened the eye as we made our pro-
gress slowly upward.
As the hot sides of the volcano warm and
warp our shoes, while steam issues from va
rious crevices in Its crust, and sulphurous
exhalations almost take away the breath Of
the tired and putting tourist who slowly tolls
toward the summit, he thinks of John Ran
dolph's colored coachman. Having conveyed
his eminent master to the Hot Sulphur
Springs of Virginia, he gszed with dismay
as the boiling water gushed from the ground,
exelaiming, "Massa Randolph, let's drive on
to the next village; hell amt more than q
naf mile off, sure as vou're born"
RUINS OF PoMPEu.
Here Is the city of siiencel Street aftel
street with no vehicles and no pedestrians
save few visiting tourists. Stores withou,
goods or customers. Homes of the rich and
poor, yet no one at home, and temples oi
lust with brazen, disgusting and obscene EN-.
blems, happily destitute Of occupants or vic
Tins.
Comparatively few lives were lost at the
| time of its burial in volcanic mud and ashes
| over eighteen centuries ago, timely warning
having been given. The sidewalks and
| heavy stone pavements are we'll preserved, as
| are most of the buildings. Grooves made in
| the streets by the Roman chariots are plainly
visible. Fountains, baths, bakeries, the
doctors Office and other places still remain.
In some instances painted signs on the stuo-
| coed walls of stores exist, showing the kind
| of business that was conducted at the spot
Even the ancient cemetery has been ex-
| humed, revealing well preserved monuments
describing the virtues of the departed, one g
| boy of twelve years of age.
We drank at the old we'll that quenched
| the thirst of the Inhabitants of Pompeii be-
| fore its disastrous overthrow. In many
places the walls of buildings have been re
stored in a measure to prevent utter deatruc-
ton and decay. Soldiers guard the spot by
direction of the Italian authorities to prevent
vandalism on the part of visitors.
Eighty loaves of bread were found In the
oven of the public bakery, during the earlier
excavations, where they had been left by the
fleeing proprietor. The elder Pliny lost his
| life at the time the city was destroyed, and
to the younger Pliny we are indebted fol-
much valuable information relative to the
eruption. Thirteen skeletons were found in
| one house, of which five were the remains Of
females. The panic was SO great that the
| rich sought safety at the homes of the plebi-
an, who in turn fled for refuge to the palace
| of the patrician. Many bodies were found ir
extensive wine vaults. Some who had es
capped lost their lives in returning for theil
valuables, which were found by their re
| mains, and from the skeletons of others belti
of gold and silver were subsequently taken
Owing to the fact that the great amphithea
ter was filed with many of the people attend
| ing some sort of play, and the timel!
warming given, to which reference has beer
made, the loss of life was reduced to COM
paratively minimum point.
| The acoustic properties of the vast amphi'
| theater are remarkable. Repeated expert,
| ments made by members OF our party proved
| that every word spoken could be distinctly
heard at the remotest portion of the struc
\ ture, though uttered in q moderate tone O.
| voice. Excavations are still in progress
| though carried on in straggling and unsys'
| tsmatic manner, with few laborers. Will
| competent engineers and full force of men
| such as were employed at Johnstown, Pa
| after it's fatal destruction, the whole wori
might be accomplished in three months
| And yet sporadic efforts haye been in pro
gress for more than seventeen centuries!
| GREECE.
| The sail from Brindisi to Patras, alread,
noted, was a delight. Islands around which
| so many classical associations cluster in song
| tradition or sober history, lent peculia
| charms to the voyage. With quiet sea
cloudless sky and balmy atmosphere, on
seemed almost in pleasant dream.
Corfu, where we touched for few hours
| to receive and discharge passengers anG
| freight, presented an attractive appearance
| The buildings. like most of those in southern
Europe, were of the yellowish white stone o.
| stucco.
A fleet of small boats surrounded US witt
almost magical promptness, on our arrival
to convey passengers to the shore. Lik'
other eastern harbors, no effort is made tt
| deepen the channel or construct pier to &C
| commodate vessels of much draught of wa
1 ter.
/ Gases of wine, empty wine casks, som,
iron tubing, with few other articles, com
prised the amount of freight left by ou
| steamer, which served to indicate the limited
| huainesa done at thiS loca1itv StaamarH IL