The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-05-07

, the galleries of Rome. 1t makes one feel i'm.
pressed with the greatness of iil".pa>t 10 ST,
even the cXc"Il"ncc "f The painting: whi,h VIZ
! regard as comparatively m0lcrn art.
Painted upon the wal s o; The houses and tenn.
pies tie frwscJcing compares ftvti:lb!y wiin
that of to day. The culor* were mostly bri-hi
and rich ana the whole showed Il TASTE which
gives an idea Of the cultivation ami luxury
which existed during the days ui the krpub.
! lie.
| From Naples the ascent of EcSnsiu>-thc
! preS"rvcr as well as destroyer may he easily
made. Every ihciltty iSat hand for those whn
will make the climb with the least cXerinn
and Inconvenience. But for an cnterprisin.
walker the trip involves neither cXpcns" nr
too great labor. In fact from the fr0i twD and
Il half hours of ordinary walking suffice t.>
reach the top. But the climb for most Of the
| way has to hc made over fields OF lava and
ashes which at least does not make it easy,
and we preferred 10 take il somewhat more
| lriSurcy. Scrambling over immense blocks
Of hardened lava one moment, sinking deep
| in the soft ashy earth the neX:, we gradually
| reached the summit. Before the top is attain
cd 1t Is necessary 10 pass through the clouds
of Suphurous smoke which arc usually blow
| ing down to one side, as well as issuing in
| thousands OF small cracks scattered over the
sur ace. Many or these little holes show con.
siderable warmth, and Il lite grubbIng with
| Il slick Will al lwayS prepir y bed for cook ing
your eggs If they are at hand.
gin to replace feelings Ol curiosity. Every
minute is occurring outbreaks OF more or less
! violence and masses of molten lava Is seen
| flying into the air, falling to every side and
! threatening woe to him who stands too near.
l. A favorltc way of earning 4 few pence is thus
offered to the numerous guides. elc., who are
always ut hand, who run forward and sccur.
ing a small piece Impress n coin into it while
in Its molten state, and then long before II Is
cooled, offer II to you, usually at Il price treble
what they will accept gladly. Being dGSirouS
OF securing my own piece waited tnr II par
tlcuarly gentle outbreak and observing q
ran forward to secure it. Scarcely had
placed my stick upon il, when an on! break OF
more than usual violence scntn mass OF red
hot stones into the air. II is not neceS Sary "a
say that my retreat was more rapid than my
advance, and ] waited only long enough Ia
throw my piece ahead of me before / sought
Il safe distance. ASwe stood at a safe distance
IN acquaintance app AIRED Nho had been en-.
tcrpriSng enough to lug up his camera, and
we gladly let ourselves he photographed with
the smoking crater of Vesnvc at our backs.
| AS we started down we heard loud report
and looking back saw tile air around filled
with blocks, some much larger than our
heads. When we reached the foot the moon
had commenced to shine, and we enjoyed an
| exquisite view of FcSuve behind ANA Naples
with It's bay before us. while far to one Side
| lowered the rocks of Capri
| AT the foot Of Eesnve lies Pompeii-ihe city
Of the dead, restored in many respects as II
was 500 years ago Nothing is more interest.
| ing than TO walk the streets, paved as they
were In days of old, and with the stones
grOoved by the wheels that ran through then,
and picture The lie that once animated them
| Here stood Il temple ut whose shrine wol shi D.
pers kneIt and on whose affairs sacrifices were
made-there the theatre whose seats were I'll.
ell by spectators probably even more pleasure
seeking than their descendants OF the present
day-here the mansion OF q Lucreiius, whose
! banquet halls once rcSOunded 10 laughter and
mirth and there again the tombS Of DiOmed
| 10 remind us that rs life was The same so was
death alsu. Not the least interesting is the 10
cation OF the scenes of Bnlwer'S novel, whicl,
derives an additional interest after Po:npeii Is
| viewed. The House OF GlaucGs as selected by
| Rulwer Is pointed out, as also the Villa Oi
| Diomcd-both splendid specimens OF Roman
luxury In those days. The lord of the manor
! lacked little then that wealth could give, and
enjoyed life with an case truly Lurretian.
| The remains Of many OF the houses of Pom
peii show that the private houses were often
on scale almost palatlal. As is usually the
! case in Southern countries the life was largely
| In the open mir and not the least handsome
part of the dwellings were the open gardens
and courts In the middle in which played
fountains, and which were adorned with the
hanus0meSt statImry. Here The family gath.
cred and friends were received, and the soft
ness of the climate made Il retreat to the In
| ner house but seldom nee. sSary. On this nc
count the rooms, especially those for sleeping
we're paratively small and badly lighted
although adorned with beautiful frcScocS and
| not lack ing In beauty. \ visit TO PompeiI
| makes us feel that the world is not SO much
| more blessed to-day than IL was then.
y. w. =.