JOTTINGS PROM A TRAVELLER’S JOURNAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1101, 16 November 1883, Page 4

JOTTINGS PROM A TRAVELLER’S JOURNAL.

[SPECI ALLY WHITTEN FOE “ THE ASHBURTON GUARDIAN.”] CHAPTER XXL—(Continued.) The City of Pompeii—An Obedient Husband — A Cold Drive —The History of a Buried City—An Awful Transition— A Stroll though Ruin an» Desolation. The next morning the wind had somewhat abated, and though an ominous bank of clouds was discernable in the distance, overhead it was fine and c’ear. After consultation with my better half, ’who was my travelling companion, wo decided to take advantage of the apparent break in the weather and visited the excavated city of Pompeii. We hired a carjjriagß, preferring the high road to the rail'way 'as; affording better opportunity of seeing the country, and the macoaroni that is generally hung out to dry hare and there along the road. But the advancing day belied the promise of the morning, and spoilt the anticipated enjoyment. “We had not proceeded far before the wind increased in strength and became bitterly cold, piercing to the marrow of one’s bones. Nor was this all—it began to snow. Our driver could not speak English, but I suppose he pitied us, and perhaps himself, for he kept turning round and making significant appeals with his eyes and his whip handle, which wo interpreted to mean “ Let us go back ; you surely are not thinking of going an to Pompeii in the face of this storm. ” I referred the question to ray fellow traveller “Shall we turn round 1” With characteristic energy she replied “No ; when I make up my mind to do a thing or go anywhere I - don’t like to be thwarted; Besides,” she added with philosophical composure and calmness, “ we cannqt stay much longer in Naples, And. to-morrow and the day after the weather may bo as bad or worse; we shall ‘never visit this part of the world again, therefore as wo have come this far let us go on. 1 know I shall suffer for this, but nevermind, we wont turn back.” I admired her pluck and indomitable resolution, and although somewhat anxious about the result as affecting her future health, submitted to her decision. It was not for ififi to show the white feather in the face" of such heroism. “Bravo,” I said, It is not the first time by many that 1 "have had the wind in my teeth, and snow and alebt disfiguring my beard, so drive on, Guiseppe.” Dn we went, the snow flakes falling thicker and faster, causing the landscape all around to assume the garb of winter. , We sought to protect ourselves. by the leather apron of the carriage, but it proved a poor defence against the‘driving wind. It had once, perhaps, been waterproof, but age and wear had made it thin and porous. In spile of every available contrivance we were pretty well saturated and miserably cold. How,ever, we held down, our heads and with ; dogged determination kept the tenor of our way, making the best of it. The issue proved the wisdom of our decision : our endurance was rewarded. We had passed Portico arid Resina, and had accompjished more than half the journey when the weather began to improve. The snow ceased, and though the wind continued cold and bleak, the sun occasionally peeped out, and ’ere long more than enough of blue sky to make a Dutchman a pair of nether garments became visible. We were not sorry to alight at the hotel Diomede, close to the entrance to Pompeii. A cup of hot coffee improved the circulation, stopped the chattering of cur teeth, and enabled us soon to forget the discomfort of the ride. • ‘A flight of steps leading from the hotel took us to the ticket oflbe. On payment : of two francs each we obtained the necessary passes, were furnished with a guide, arid proceeded to the ruins of the ancient city. It may be that some of my readers ’are 1 riot familiar with the history of Pompeii. For their sakes I must venture on a brief digression. History is silent on the Subject .until about 300 years before the Christian era. The origin of Pompeii, however, must have dated further back from the testimony of some of its monuments and remains. It was not until 82 years 8.0. that it became a Roman colony; aud as time rolled on, many wealthy patri.xiana.purchased estates and erected villas in the vicinity. In the year 63 a. d. an earthquake destroyed the greater part of the city, but the. inhabitants were too much attached to the locality to consider ( this a sufficient warning to quit the dangerous scene. They soon re-built the city in a style of superior elegance, in conformity with the advancing spirit of the times' But scarcely had the work of restoration and improvement been thoroughly accomplished before the final catastrophe occurred on the 29th August, A.D. 79. From that day the fate of the ! city was sealed. A shower of ashes, covering the busy to a depth of three feet, ushered in the dreadful tragedy. Many of the inhabitants were now convinced of the danger of : their, position, and escaped in time, z Rut the bulk of the population lingered till iti'Waa tori late to avoid >he fiery deluge. The shower of ashe- was followed by incandescent lava and pumice stones, ..and again st intervals, hot ashes descended upon the doomed city until tenements pnd temples, private and public buildings - ?rii every, kind were buried some twenty feet beneath the surfaces. Partial excavations were made in years immediately succeeding the catastrophy, and no doubt many valuables were recovered. But during the middle ages the buried City was forgotten;,its site was scarcely known. In the year 1748, during the reign of Charles ill., some statues and bronzes were accidentally discovered. This led to further arid systematic research, and the amphitheatre and some other portions of the''city were unearthed. Under the reign bf Murat, the Forum, the city walls j And maDY private houses were brought to ~ light, since then continuous excavations have been carried on. The greater portion ®f;sha city is now laid bare, but it is estimated that.it will take seventy years of fsteady labor, at the; present rate of progress,. before the entire area of the ancient,city ia cleared from the superincumbent mass. tJt A'visit to Pompeii ia an era in one’s life. It is impossible to walk about the silentrriiifs without being deeply impressed. Every thing you see is suggestive. The mind almost necessarily conjures up the images of ? the past; the period when the skeleton structures were full of life; when in .the now deserted streets the tide . of business.and pleasure was at its height. ‘ Enough now remains to fill the imagina- _ , tion with',, shkdowy conceptions of the * ‘sdene'which the city presented, but a few hours before the fatal overthrow; some of the inhabitants soberly engaged in the serious duties of their daily avocations—ofherawith reckless gaiety, entering anew upon the -pursuit of pleasure. How awful must the sudden transition have beon/from thoughtless security to the ’agonizing apprehension of irremediable danger, and a horrible death 1 Commencing ,at the 'Via Masina, 1 walked Irir sev oral hauls, up and down the scene of desolation and ruin; visited the . Forum, -,the temples -of Isis and Veriins, the Basilica and Tribunals, the Thalcidicum, the temples of Mercury • . iftnd'Jupiter, andlAugustus, the Thermos; > Ahe;;house of the tragic poet, so called . {because in it were found frescoes reproof Ranting .a.-poet rehearsing; and many other buildings . more or less ruinous or Intact. On one threshold is the figure of a dog, in beautiful mosaic, with the warn- >' Jng'mdtto jGave canem. I strolled down the Strada del Terms, to the house of SaUust, the atrium of * which is still gay -—' ; [To bri ooritiriued.]