The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-11-27

the central part of the island. The prin-
cipal town Is on the elevated plateau be-
tween the two great peaks, and is
reached by a road like the teeth of saw,
long tedious climb; ii on foot the jour
ney can be shortened somewhat by short
cuts from one piece of road to
the part next above, generally
by rocky steps, sometimes through
small tunnels. After leaving Capri town
the road zigzags again and then is cut
diagonally, with quite a grade, right
across the face of the highest peak, just
shelf in the solid rock with the sea far
below and the great peak towering above.
Visitors nearly all stay in the little
town along the cove where are several
hotels, faced toward Naples, with the
whole panorama spread out before them,
charming place to spend summer, for
there is always a delightfully."- cool
breeze off the bay, and they are only a
few feet from the water. Each hotel has
its own bathing house, and the baths
had in the Mediterranean at Capri were
by far the best l ever enjoyed anywhere,
the water is so pure and sparkling, and
so delightfully."- warm. 1t is impossible to
enter the "Blue Grotto" unless the sea is
extremely quiet, as the entrance is quite
wide and only three feet high, row boat
can Just be pushed through the opening,
but during the whole of our stay the
water was kept rough by the prevailing
northerly breeze and we had to leave
without seeing it. On one of the peaks
is ruined castle built by the Roman
Emperor Tiberias. A large amount of
very good wine is made on Capri, vines
grow every where and some olive trees.
The glow of Vesuvius at night, as it
flashed out after each explosion, could be
plainly seen from the balcony of our
room, such a peculiar ugly red, reflect
ing the fiery mass below. As we left the
island lot of small boys, burned as
black as negroes by constant exposure to
the sun, splashing about in the water,
begged for pennies to be thrown into the
water that they might dive after them.
The Italians are often spoken of rs a lazy
race, but we found them great workers;
they must work all the time or starve,
they can earn so little. On Capri are seen
boys and girls not over Is years old work
ing all day in the hot sun carrying two
large blocks of stone at time, the girls
taking them on their heads, the boys on
their shoulders, to building in process
of erection; their pay for from 10 to II
hours work day, being about lire, go
cents,) while men worked the same num-
Der of hours for two lire. No wonder
the children have no chance to grow but
become short, stunted, men and women;
people over feet inches in height are
rare in Italy. All the stone and mortar
was hauled up to the masOns by two
women who stood on a platform near the
top of the building, turning the wooden
windlass on which the rope was wound.
In Germany a good mechanic averages
about S5 per week, in Belgium still less,
where on account of the extremely low
wages they make iron work of all kinds
at prices which enables them to under
sell free-trade England in her own
specially, right at home. How any
American can see the way labor is paid
and lives in Europe, and not come home
a protectionist of the strongest kind |
could not imagine. l often had chances
to see in various countries what the men
carried in their dinner pals to eat and il is
really astonishing on how little they live,
particularly in Italy. A little common
sour wine, some bread, possibly little
fruit or some maccaroni, nothing else,
for meat is great rarity. noticed one
thing in Italy, and generally in Europe,
the very few candy shops, and the very
small amount of candy any where ex-
posed for sale. The children bought
and ate fruit invariably, as those here
buy candy. Along the coast beyond
Sonerto toward the sea were many old
stone watch towers, probably Roman, in
very good state of preservation. The
shores of the entire bay were covered
with olive trees, growing as far up the
mountain sides as there was any soil to
grow in, often the hill was covered to
| the top. The water of the bay is the
most vivid blue imaginable, yet when
seen under the keel of a vessel it is of a
bright green. We were landed al
Sorrento from the steamer by 9
small boat belonging to the
hotel, at the base of the great cliff, and
climbed up to the hotel by over 300 steps
cut out of the rocky wall, through tun
Inels, and in places upheld by heavy ma
sonry, the most romantic approach that
could be imagined. The town has wind
ing narrow streets, shut in by high walls
even the houses have no openings on tht
ground floor except the door, so 1t Il
like being in prison to walk or ride
about the town. Nothing can be seen o
the place except few shops and tn
places where the Sorrento specially of in
NEARLY all the fine building sites. l haC
heard much of the beauty of Sorrento bu
failed to see any. Lemons and orange
grow plentifully in the vicinity, and
steamer lay at anchor far below in til
/ bay taking on cargo. Every box ha'
} to be carried on the heads of men o
7 women, or on donkeys, about half
mile down the long grade to the sea, an
, then carried out to the steamer i'll sma
J boats. How commerce can flourish tn
+ way the Italians carry it on puzzled me
l Women or men would carry huge bo
, of fruit on their heads, while twO boxe
, were a full load for donkey. Ho'
/ tired they did look, and the pay was S
: pitifully small, and no chance whateve
| To ever do better there. Water is yer
4 scarce, saw men stripped 10 the wal'
: humping as hard as they could by th
s hour, bringing the water out of dee
= wells. Here were the funniest little ca
e Iiages, drawn by one horse, they locke
q like toys, and all were alike. We el
; gagged one for the IA mile drive along IL
il 6ay to Pompeii, but they are so small
q ia hard to get slowed away in one, esp
n cially with baggage. We ratified throug
q the streets, the driver perched on litt
IS front seat set up very high, and ascend'
n a long grade cut in the great cliff beyoI
N the town; here and there great walls
l. masonry carried the road over plac
X where not even shelf could be cut.
le the summit we were 1000 feet above u
II water, and all the way up had splend
ID views of Sorrento and over the bay. III
10 point Of the great cliff once passed, q
le road wound on downward grade alol
Id the coast, but far above the watt
~ through the villages which we had Sc
te on the cliffs from the steamer. l pitt
the many men and women we pass
H. who were plodding wearily along in
NJ hot sun and dust, often carrying gre
lie burdens on their heads or backs.
The road tended gradually downwa
DIS to the level of the bay, which it skirt
Ies for some distance, passing through I
zee busting city of Castellammare where il
zee great arsenal and naval station. In ma
he places the rocks fairly overhung
ic- road, towering far above it, and
in mountains rose just beyond. After pa
IN. ing through Castellammare we took
'au road to Pompeii, across perfectly
ely alluvial plain, where the waves OF
he bay once rolled, but which was filled
opt by the great storm of ashes that o'
led whelmed Pompeii. Before this cal
ing trophe, the sea came up to the city W
lns there is water gate in ut, but now
ito. coast is three miles away On this pl
ler- we saw the process of irrigation; in
of place small stream was used. but
: in usual method was to dig well,
gh, which was put a large wheel Y
Tiff. buckets about the rim, operated b
gar donkey by means Of a toothed wheel
TAX a long pole, although some were wor
and by two men. By the latter metho
self long pole with a heavy weight on
lner end was used, aud having two buc
ding attached TO the other end, somewhat