Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-04-27
FROM OVER THE OCEAN.
Travelling In Italy-The Blue Grotto
at Capri.

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Our driver had neglected to light up
the side lanterns and as we were going
down one of the principal streets a bare
chested boy came rushing up to the car
riage, lighting a match as he ran along
the side. Then he lit the lantern while
he chung On the carriage aud asked for
some money. We vntcHed him and saw
that he made regular business of light
ing the carriage lanterns.
Our attention was soon called away
from him by ne gallery of Humberto |,
which was brilliantly Illuminated by
electric lights. We passed ever so many
large and handsome tortoise shops, and
the next forenoon we were invited in
one of these to watch them make he diff
ferent articles. A large tortoise was hang
ing in the window, and on examining it
we saw why the dark tortoise costs
more han the light. The dark is on the
outside, and there is much more OF it than
there is of the light.
Plain tortoise she'll articles cost about
the same in America as here, but carved
ones are much less expensive. We saw
them welding pieces to make the thick
lorgnettes. A paper pattern is put Oh
piece of tortoise and afterwards it is cut
and formed according to the pattern.
Then the comb is curved by soaking it in
cold water. 1t is polished twice-first by
pumice stone aud water to make it
smooth, and then by oil to polish it. The
gold decoration which you see on the
most expensive pieces is inserted by heat.
The morning was taken up with this,
and in the afternoon we took an excur-
sion out to the extinct volcano Solfatara,
and to PoZZuoii, to see the cele
brated amphitheatre. Before we got
to Solfatara we stopped to see the
"dog grotto". 1t is grotto out
OF which carbolc acid gas arises, and so
called on account OF the experiment with
dog that is performed for strangers.
A flight Of steps leads from the entrance,
which is the size of an ordinary door
downwards, nobody knows how far, and
upon these the dog is put, and when held
there for only very short time becomes
insensible.
II kept under the gas, the depth OF
which Il white line on the rock wall in
dlcates, some time, the dog would die.
Some Roman emperor had several of his
prisoners killed in this way.
We did not want TO this experiment
tried with the dog, so the guide showed
us the one with the torch. He took
bucket and filled it with gas as you would
with water. Then he put the lighted
torch into it, which Immediately made it
go out, but after turning it upside down,
so letting the gas in, the torch burned as
well inside as outside of the bucket.
Near this grotto WAS another one called
the arsenic grotto, where the experiment
(if it can be called one) WAS made on
ourselves. The guide told us to lean over
the ground and take a deep breath while
he famed the gas over our faces. Such
queer feeling as it was!
Some Roman sulphur baths near by
were also interesting. They are still used
in summer. The heat in some OF the
rooms was very depressing, and the
suIphuric smell was not very agreeable,
but we tried to endure it because the
guide said it WAS very healthful. In the
meantime he dropped lighted match
down hole i'll the side Of tub, and
Immediately smoke began to rise not only
from the one but from all the others in The
next room. These small volcanoes con-
meet with Nesuvius. In one small room
the stone walls are white, dotted here
and there with yellow and red. We
broke off some OF the W hite alum and also
some OF the sulphur, which, with the red
arsenic, make nice souvenirs of our visit
to that place.
We then continued the drive along the
Mediterranean to Solfatars. This volcano
used to be the shape OF Nesuvius, but it
has lost its shape in time, the top having
sunk in, and it looks now like white clay
plain completely surrounded by hills. 1t
WAS so hot as we walked across it, that it
seemed as il we were walking on rubber,
the earth, below which is boiling hot wa
ter, being only six meters in depth.
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