Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-03
Rowboats Heavily Laden.

As the steamer anchored rowboats
came out from shore, half a dozen Of
them crowded with passengers. some with
baggage. The prospect of a good view Of
the blue grotto grew less as boat after
boat discharged it's human cargo and.
despite the pleading calls of the uniform
ed porters, whose hatbands bore the
names Of the hotels blazoned on boards
erected in the bows returned shoreward
empty. Fully seventy persons came aboard
and only six left the steamer.
The run over to Capri is shorter than
from Naples to Sorrento. but 1t is likely
to be unpleasant for those who have
qualms when the sea is humpy. Today it
was calm, but chill wind came between
the headland and the island and sent
many shivering below decks. Yesterday,
that many of the tourists were incapaci-
tated and had no desire to see the blue
grotto and could not have been tempted
by one that showed all the colors of the
spectrum.
Capri itself is sufficiently picturesque
to repay a close inspection. without ref
erence to the holes in the rocks. The
eastern extremity is a sheer cliff rising
800 feet from the sea. almost perpendicu-
lar. This is the place where, according
to tradition. the Emperor Tiberius. who
spent the last ten years of his life. with
but little interruption. on this island, had
the victims of his wrath flung to death
on the rocks of the shore. 1t is unde
niable that If the tyrant INDUCED in this
CHASTITY pastime, which is gravely doubt
ed by some students of Roman history.
he chose most effective place for the
performance.
Remains of the largest of the twelve
villas erected by Tiberius on Capri ap-
pear short distance back of the edge of
the cliff. on which comparatively mod
ern chapel stands, bold and command
ing site for a place of worship. The ridge
of the island falls away to the westward
of the east and west length Of the island,
and there, in the middle of saddle be-
tween the heights. lies the city of Capri,
invisible from the sea. Just westward the
rocks rise again precipitously. almost as
abruptly as the easternmost point of the
island, forming rough lakeland. sloping
off to the west coast, where the descent
is sharp. The highest point of all in
Capri is Mount Solaro, just west of the
central cliff. 1920 feet.
The effect of the island, rising thus
steeply from the sea, is striking from
any point of view. The mountainsides are
bare and gray, save in the milder slopes,
where vegetation is possible. Olive groves
and vineyards occupy the gentler hillsides
and the plateaus. Hotels and villas are
scattered here and there in commanding
positions. Roads cut zigzag up the
heights can be traced by the retaining
walls.
Water a Wondrous Blue.
The water of the Bay of Naples is a
wondrous blue, and as the shores of
Capri are neared the color becomes more
pronounced, owing to the shoaling. The
steamer anchors in liquid turquoise. Out
! come the rowboats, before the chain be-
gins to rattle, and in a few minutes the
now familiar process of putting off and
felyi i've 10 IL, Yorn RyIf
here only few embark. while several
dozen go ashore.
| After short wait the steamer weighs
| anchor again and starts OF along the
| coast toward the western end of the is
| land Experienced tourists. or those
with good advice, go below to the gang
ways to be among the first to visit the
grotto. In about ten minutes, during
which the Rena Elena runs within a
| length of the gray rock wall, which
| reaches several scores of feet above her
| decks, the engines are reversed and i'm
| mediately a swarm of tiny boats appears
on the blue surface. Fastening toward the
steamer Each boat holds two passen-
gers, and many heart grows faint al
the prospect of voyage in one Of them
however short. and especially in view OF
the often-related difficulty of entering the
grotto.
| Not sign of an entrance to the cav
ern appear as We leave the steamer. blu,
after a short pull the little bark is
brought to point where the rock wall is
darkened A statue of the Virgin Is lei
into the cliff thirty feet from the surface
of the sea, alongside of a hotel adver-
tisement. impudently placed in this posi-
tion of advantage.
The small boats are by now clustered
pear. The ladies OF ny party are in one
of those ahead and MY comDanion is a