Year: 1863




We find the following description of discoveries
made at Pompeii by those engaged in excava-
ting the ruins of that city. There are now
about two hundred men. women and girls en-
gagged in searching for relics and curiosities
among the ruins of the once populous city of
Pompeii. The writer says:


The excavations are being carried on in two
spots, near the temple of Isis, aud near the
house called that of Abbandanza, but we were
more Immediately concerned with the former
site. Here in a small street just opened, were
. found skeletons of persons which are now
attracting crowds. Failing in mass of
pumicestone, these unfortunate persons had
not become attached TO the soil, and it was
easy to cut away the ground beneath them :;
but above, fire, ashes and hot water had been
rained upon them from the fiery mountain
causing their death, and insuring their preser
vation for nearly 1000 years. On removing
the debris, which consisted of the roof and
the ashes which had fallen into the interior of
the house. something like human form was
discovered, though nothing but fine powder
was visible. 1t occurred to Cav. Fiorelli that
this might be kind of sarcophagus created
by Nessuvius, and that within were the re-
mains of one of the victims of that terrible
eruption. But how to remove or preserve
them? \ happy idea struck him. Plaster of
Paris was poured into an aperture, the interior
having been discovered to be hollow, in conse
quence of the destruction of the fesh-and
mixing with and uniting with the bones. re-
stored to the world Roman lady of the first
century Further researches led to the dis
covery of a male body another woman and
that of young girl; but that which first
awakened the interest of the excavators was
the finding of ninetyone pieces of silver money,
four earrings, fnger-ring, all of gold, togeth-
er with two iron keys, and evident remains of
linen bag. The first body, so to speak. is
that of a woman, who lies on her right side.
and, from the twisted condition of her body.
had been much convulsed. Her left hand and
arm are raised and contorted, and the kDuck
les are bent in tightly the right arm is broken,
and at each end of the fragments one sees the
cellular character of the bones. The form of
head dress and the hair are distinctly visible
On the bone of the little finger of the left hand
are two silver rings. one of which is guard
The sandals remain, or at least the soles, and
iron or nails are unmistakably to be seem
Though the body is much bent the legs are
extended as if under the influence of extreme
pain. By the side of this figure lay the bag
of which | have already spoken with the mo-
ney, the keys and the rings. and the cast of it,
with all that remains intermingled with or
impressed on the plaster, is preserved in the
same room.


Passing on to the inner chamber, we found
the figure of the young girl lying on its face
resting on its clasped hands and arms; the left
lying over the right the body is thinly COW
cred over in some parts by the scorn or the
plaster, whilst the skull is visible, highly pol
ished. One hand is partially closed, as if it
had grasped something, probably her dress,
with which it had covered the head The fin
ger bones protrude through the incrusted ash
es, and on the surface of the body in various
parts is distinctly visible the web of the linen
with which it had been covered. There was
lying by the side of this child full grown wo-
man, the left leg slightly elevated, whilst the
right arm is broken; but the left which is bent.
is perfect, and the hand is closed. The little
finger has an iron ring the left ear, which is
uppermost, is very conspicuous. and stands off
from the head. The folds of the drapery, the
very web remain, and nice observer might
detect the quality of the dress The last fig
ure have to describe is that of man, a
splendid subject, lying on his back with the
legs stretched out to their full length. There
is an iron ring Oh the little finger of the left
hand, which, together with the elbow, are sup
ported by the elbow. The folds of the dress
on the arm and over the whole of the upper
part of the body are visible the sandals are
there, and the bones of one foot protrude
through what might have been broken SAN
dal. The hair of the head and beard. By which
| mean, of course the traces of them, are there:
and the breath of life has only to be inspired
into this and the other figures to restore to the
world of the nineteenth century the Romans
Of the first century. The first was the mother
and the head of the household, for By her side
was the bag of money, the keys, and two sill
yer vases, and a silver hand-mirror, which was
only found on Friday. She was Of gentle
birth, too, the delicacy Of her arms and legs
indicate it; and colffured, too The hands
were closed as if the very nails must have
entered into the flesh, and the body is swollen,
as are those Of the others, as If water had aid
ed the cruel death. The child-perhaps her
child-does not appear to have suffered so
much, but child ike, it had thrown itself on
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