The streets are hollowed by the rolling car
In sinuous furrows; there the lava stone

2018 Retains, deep grooved, the frequent axle's scar.
Here oft the pageant passed and triumph shone,
Here warriors bore the glittering spears of wars
And met the full, fair city smiling on

With wreath and pæan !-gay as those who drink
The draught of pleasure on destruction's brink,

The frescoed wall, the rich mosaic floor,
Elaborate, fresh, and garlanded with flowers,
Of ancient fable; crypt and linteled door
Writ with the name of their last tenant-towers
That still in strength aspire, as when they bore
Their Roman standard-from the whitening showers,
That formed their grave-return, like specters risen
To solve the mysteries of their fearful prison.

It has been estimated that not more than a quarter of the city is yet uncovered. A visit from some royal personage is illustrated, by the disclosure of what is beneath a chosen spot, the latest being when the Duke d' Aumale (son of Louis Philippe, and allied by marriage to the royal family of Naples), was expected in 1850. Prof. Silliman deemed it rare good fortune to stand by and see the moving of materials which had not been disturbed since the catastrophe." And so indeed was it--and certain is it that if those cities

"

could be transplanted to our western shores, a dezen Barnums would be on hand to realize a fortune therefrom. Is it well that the excavations should be so slow? Trayelers usually return a decided negative and call the King of Naples all sorts of undignified and uncomplimentary names, for allowing such treasures to remain so long concealed. But Mr. Hilliard thinks differently, for he says "the shroud of earth and ashes preserves what it hides. As soon as a house is exposed to the sun and air, the process of decay begins. The fine colors of the frescoes fade, the rain washes away the stucco, and the whole aspect of things undergoes a deteriorating change. For the sake, then, of those who come after us, it is better that the work should go on moderately, that they may have the privilege of seeing the same fresh revelations which have been vouchsafed to us; and not be obliged to content themselves with records of faded beauty and traditions of decayed splendor," Admirable philosophy and philanthropy this, for which the Neapolitan Sovereign should send a gold medal to his learned apologist-but alas! it is hard to feel their force when casting your eye over acres beneath which lie dwellings, temples, statues, and abundant et ceteras, equal in beauty and interest with those removed, if not superior. Yankee curiosity will prompt the exclamation: "I wonder what is beneath!" This is quite certain, that at the rate of present procedure our descend; ants through many centuries, will have much to enjoy in the way of "recent discoveries" in Herculaneum and Pompeii.

With less of repining over what we could not see, than gratitude for what had been witnessed, we left the city,

Welcome Return to Lodgings.

calling for an half-hour at the palace of the Neapolitan Sovereign in Portici, and finding a cup of tea and night's repose at our pleasant quarters most welcome after the fatigue and excitement of this never-to-be-forgotten day.

CHAPTER XIX.

Vesuvius, Museum and Churches.

Could nature's bounty satisfy the breast,
The sons of Italy were surely blest.
But small the bliss that sense alone bestows
And sensual bliss is all the nation knows.
In florid beauty groves and fields appear-
Man seems the only growth that dwindles here
All evils here contaminate the mind,
That opulence departed leaves behind.
Here may be seen in bloodless pomp arrayed;
The paste board triumph and the cavalcade.
Processions formed for piety and love,

A mistress or a saint in every grove.-GOLDSMITH.

MOUNT VESUVIUS we did not ascend. This needs explanation, so opposed to what my reader thinks he would have done, before and above all things else. Our stay in Naples was brief and with most of us, health was what we were seeking; whereas an ascent of Vesuvius, besides occupying a day, would be a retrograde step in the way of obtaining what we were sent hither to find. Hence we contented ourselves with standing at the base and gazing upon the unceasing volume of dark smoke which rose lazily from the summit of that lofty, lava-crusted mount. We met several companies who had made the trip, and were not by any means encouraged by their representations to attempt the feat, so great the inconvenience and fatigue, with so little to be realized in the way of pleasure or gain. Any description of this volcano, I will for the reader's sake omit, and only detain him with the narrative of an incident which occurred just before our arrival, as found in the journals of

Fatal Ascent of Vesuvius.

the day. It reads thus: "Some Germans of good family, on a recent occasion, had toiled to the summit of Mount Vesuvius, and after resting themselves on that sulphurous bed, they descended the steep incline to the mouth of the crater. There was little smoke that day, and the scientific gentlemen began to get into danger without being aware of it. The guides having had quite enough of soft ashes and hard work in the ascent, sat down on the upper rim of the crater, not feeling inclined for more exertion. So many people had gone to peep into this chimney of the infernal regions, day after day, without an accident, that these lazy guides preferred some sour wine and a slice or two of lemon sprinkled over with salt, a very common comestible amongst the lower orders of Neapolitans, and a little siesta, to look after the souls and bodies of those entrusted to them. of the most adventurous of the Germans, finding he could bear the little sulphur which seemed emitted from the crater, resolved to penetrate further; but scarcely had he placed his foot upon an apparently solid projection, than the whole crumbled beneath him, and he was precipitated at least one hundred feet. The interior of the crater seems as soft as the exterior, for the first words heard from the unfortunate man were, that he was not hurt! In vain he tried to extricate himself; whatever he grasped mouldered in his hand. He could not regain his feet-of this his companions above were informed.

One

They seemed to have become more stupified than the unfortunate victim; for instead of dispatching the guide to the Observatory of the Hermitage for ropes or assistance of some kind, they stood listening to their friend below, who gave them the idea of going elsewhere than where they re