The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-31

objects which attracts the attention, ii Is an emence work of antient date. but when or for what purpose executed no precise account can be. given. 1t has been attributed to the lu-. aricus Lucul- lus. to afford an easy communication between Naples and his country resi- dence. which was contiguous to Baic on the coast of Putzoli, on the other side of the mountain.
 The opinion which carries with 1t the greatest appearance of probability. is, that the excavations were at first commenced with view to building Gas the mountain is composed of a species of earth which when exposed to the air assumes the durability of stone and of which most of the houses of Naples are composed) and that after considerable progress made in undermining the mountain the project was conceived of converting 1t into road. and thus communicate directly with the then important and commercial City of Put zoli: be that as 1t may, there is a per- fectly safe Road we'll paved. and of sufficient width for carriages to pass cache other with facility, entirely level with the base of the mountain.
 'The length of the Grotto Is some thing more than the third of a mile and the arch Is at least fifty feet. gen. orally lighted with lamps which ren- ders it's passage safe and convenient. it would otherwise be disagreeably dark, although there is an apperture made near the center with view to admit the light.
 At the Tomb of Virgil.
 Above the entrance of the Grotto on the side next to Naples. and probably contiguous to the road which formerly passed over the mountain. is to be seen the Tomb of Virgil, yet were it not admitted by general consent for ages v = A t.at the ashes of that great man were ever deposited here. The mausoleum fs vau1ted. the walls ten or twelve feet in night with three small appertures or windows in the roof to admit the light: in the walls are to be seen nitches where Urns might have been deposited. but none are to be found at this day. disappeared, and you look in vain for the Inscription.
 Mantuo me genEit. Celabri rap ruere. tenet nunc parthenope.'
 Tt Is a nude and barren spot and seems to be fit abode for Robbers and Assassins. am rather inclined to believe from the number of nitches. as we'll as the entire restitution of in' scriptions, except some of modern date. that 1t had been the mausoleum of some family resident in It's vicinity.
 'Tt is, however, visited with inter- est as the reputed room or that Hrst of Poets. you accordingly find engrav. ed on it's rude walls many names of great distinction, which would have found thier way to posterity without adopting this peuril~ mode of perpet- uating them.
 Passing the Grotto yoh visit the plain of SoIhtaro and Grotto du Chien: the first is a small plain greatly ele- vated, and was probably originally the sumit of hill but leveled by vol- cano. at this time in many places 1t emits smoke strongly impregnated with sulphur and in the mediate vi- cinity of the fisures or crevtces which cross it in every direction, great quan- titles of sulphurious matter is deposit ed, the whole to warm to walk on with out inconvenience.
 'grhe Crotto du Chien. or dogs Grot- to, so called from the circumstance Of thier using this animal for trying ex- periments, is about ten feet in debth, and is only remarkable for the qual- ities of the air which rests at It's bot tom. an animal when confined in 1t, evidences at first, great agitation, but in q very short time is deprived of mo- tion and apparently of lifei exposure to the open air imediately restores them. and they seem to have sustain cd no further inconvenience than temporary suspension of their funct- fons That the air cannot be of very noxious quality Is evidenced by dog now there which for several. and many times in the day has been subjected to this species of death. and yet he seems as strong and robust as most of his species. he evinee great terror on being taken into the cave"