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The principal attraction of the museum was the group of statuary called the "Taurean Farnese," or Farnesian Bull; which is, in some respects, the most magnificent group in the world, not excepting the Laocoon. The Laocoon may be superior in some respects. But in the arrangement, the grouping the expression generally, as well as in the general execution, it is doubtful if this is surpassed by any piece of statuary in existence. It was discovered in the baths of Caracalla, considerably broken, and was restored under the direction of Michael Angelo. This celebrated group represents the two sons of Antiope tying Circe to the horns of a savage bull, to avenge the torments which she had caused to be inflicted upon their mother. Antiope stands near with her arms extended, imploring for the pardon of her rival, which she finally obtains. The whole group was originally chiseled from a single block of marble.

The ruins of Herculaneum no longer attract attention, but those of Pompeii are very interesting. There are the brick and stone walls of an entire city, 1800 years old, standing to the average height of fifteen or twenty feet. Scarcely a roof to be seen; once in a while an arched roof only; but both the exterior and the partition walls are standing, with great regularity. The walls have been repaired in some places, since the excavations were made, but the quantity of work of that kind is not very great.

These walls have not been exposed to the atmosphere much over a hundred years; some of them not that long; which fact accounts for their being so well preserved. Nearly every thing movable has been transferred to the Museum in Naples. So also from Herculaneum.

The streets of Pompeii may be traversed for a long ways. They are narrow and some of them winding, and have continuous rows of houses on each side. There are temples also, a theater and amphitheater, with the seats remaining, and many columns are standing, which supported these and other edifices. In some of the houses may be seen paintings on the walls, and remains of mosaic floors. The streets are paved with large, smooth, surface stones, not square and jointed together, but oval; and as they now are, they would make a rough road for carriages and wagons.

I found it very difficult to realize that the city had ever been covered with lava. It was some distance to the foot of Mt. Vesuvius, and the surface of the intervening ground seemed somewhat lower than that of the city itself. It was after I returned to Naples, and took in, with the eye the entire range of country, that I could understand that a mountain of lava had flowed from the heights of Vesuvius upon the doomed city.

A good deal of smoke is issuing from the volcano, and a new crater has

been formed within two or three weeks on the side toward Pompeii, which in the evening presents a line of fire for a considerable distance. A new eruption is expected soon to take place. The water in the wells near the foot of the mountain is said to always grow less, shortly before an eruption, and that is the case now.

Tuesday, Nov. 23. Visited Puteoli. In some respects I was disappointed with these ruins, particularly with those at the Temple of Serapis. Every thing portable had been taken to the Museum at Naples, even including the capitals of the pillars. The amphitheater is interesting. It is nearly as large as that at Verona. The walls are not standing to any great height, but the graded seats are there, unless there was marble or other covering over them, these being plain masonry.

The view of the bay, the winding shore, the sea and the mountains, is very fine at and near Puteoli. It reminded me strongly of the seaport Hilo, on the Island of Hawaii, the largest of the Sandwich Isands. That country, like this is volcanic, Hilo being at the foot of a volcanic mountain much larger than Vesuvius. Returning to the City I could see how much Naples has lately extended in the direction of Puteoli. Large blocks of handsome houses were just being completed.

Wednesday, Nov, 24, sailed in the Italian steamer "Leone" for Sicily. In embarking at any port on the Mediterranean, one has to fight against the extortionate charges of the boatmen, who are utterly conscienceless in their exactions. I should advise those who do not understand the language of the country, to place this matter in the hands of their landlord, under a prearrangement as to price.

After coasting along the Italian shore, passing occasionally a village or city of considerable importance but all similar in appearance, situated at the foot of mountain ranges, we arrived at Reggio. As I went on deck in the morning, a magnificent scene was unfolded to view. The weather, which had been cold at Naples, was now mild and pleasant. The air was clear the bay was calm-the sky was bright and beautiful. The shore on either side exhibited a semicircle studied with houses in every direction, and bounded by ranges of mountains. Just before us to the east was Reggio, with its semicircle of white buildings fronting on the sea. To the north this line was continued, with scattering houses for some distance. To the northwest, in plain sight, was Messina, a city of 250,000 inhabitants, lying within a semicircle of its own. Villages and houses lined the Sicilian shore also. To the southwest was Etna, looming up above the surrounding mountains, its upper half covered with snow,

and smoke and fire coming from the top; not belching forth a short distance, then trailing lazily down the mountain side, as was the case with Vesuvius, but shooting far up into the heavens, and mingling with the clouds.

Arriving off Augusta, on the Eastern coast of Sicily, we were subjected to a seven days quarantine. This was somewhat tedious, but there was a jolly company of Italians on board, and what with conversation, reading, games, and the usual shipboard amusements, we got along tolerably.

On the fourth day I tried my hand at some Italian versification, which was by request read at the breakfast table, and, as coming from a foreigner, was favorably received. As these notes are necessarily somewhat of a personal and desultory character, intended as a passing relief from the severer contents of the "Times," I will make no apology for here giving to the reader this bold attempt upon a foreign language.

Ecco, la quarantena!
Sette giorni in Augusta.
Non molto spiacevole,
Ma benino, benino.

Venezia, Calabria,
Oppure Buenaventa;
Tutti i paesi d' Italia
A bordo del Leone.

Ed un signore straniero
Solo, un Americano.

LA QUARANTENA.

Gli Italiani gentili,

Le signore hanno multa bonta;
Giocare, parlare,

Cantare, ballare,
E molto piacere.

Ecco, la quarantena!
Sette giorni in Augusta.
Non molto spiacevole,
Ma, benino, benino.

The next day a shadow fell upon the company. A deck passenger had died, and it was whispered about that it might be the cholera. In that case the vessel would proceed to another part of the Island and the quarantine be extended twenty-one days. Seven days had been barely tolerable; the thought of twenty-one days more could not be endured.

According to the regulations, a physician at Augusta should come on board and examine the case. But the ship's physician reported the case as non-cholera, and the local physician, fearing, perhaps, that he might be obliged to differ with him, did not come aboard at all, and our doctor returned with the joyful news of a disembarkation, to be made the next day. All was now joviality; and having had tolerable success before, I again invoked the muses. The following is the result, and the passengers were in sufficient good spirits to receive it with hilarity:

LA QUARANTENA.

Il quarto giorno, ecco!
La morte trista a bordo.
Subito il grido cambiato.
Non piu benino,
Ma malino, malino.

Non piu cantare,
Non piu ballare,

Ma il serio parlare,
E poco giocare.

Tutto in tempo

Adesso imminente

Un altra quarantena.

E gia con lunghe faccie,

II.

Bisbigliano i passegieri,
'Ventuno giorni un po troppo,
Ventuno giorni un po troppo.'

Ma ecco un medico.

A bordo del Leone,

Con scienza ed eloquenza
Rese certo lo sbarco.

E gia il grido cambiato.
Non piu malino,

Ma una volta ancora,
Ecco la quarantena!
Non molto spiacevole,
Ma benino, benino.

On the morning of the 3d of December, we disembarked, and an hour or two afterward I was in Syracuse. Here I revelled among the Greek and Roman ruins for a week. Syracuse exhibits more evidence of antiquity than the other ancient cities. In those the old structures have to be picked out from among the new. But here they show themselves at every turn.

The vice-consul at Syracuse was also postmaster. While I was in his office he received a letter from the Department at Rome, complaining that mice had several times been found in the mail bags from Syracuse and that they had destroyed some mail matter. He treated the matter as a good joke, enjoyed a hearty laugh at the expense of the General Post Office Department, and cried out: "Just as though a body could prevent mice getting into a mail bag occasionally!"

December 9, took the cars for Catania, thence to Messina. At Catania visited the remains of a Greek and Roman theater, which were exceedingly interesting; the Greek having been built about 400 B. C. and the Roman super-imposed in the same place, and upon the same foundation 400 years later.

There are no horse-cars in Catania, though the City claims 100,000 inhabitants, and there is but one public omnibus. The streets are kept the cleanest of any I have seen.

December 12, embarked at Messina, on the steamer Giava, for Alexandria, where we arrived on the 15th. The first thing seen from the boat was the City in the distance, then the shipping in front of it, then the extensive clay banks, with a good many wind mills. Lastly the long pier

consisting of huge granite blocks thrown promiscuously one on top of another. The upper ones were cut in the form of regular cubes.

When the boat had cast anchor, there was an animated scene, the water being covered with Egyptian small boats hastening toward us and competing for passengers; the natives dressed in the cap, frock and overjacket, with a bright contrast of colors.

Going through some of the poorer streets on the way to the hotel, every thing seemed yellow and dirty, many of the natives appearing as if just cut down from a smoke house. But the next day I found streets new, clean and handsome.

C. B. W.

THE RUSSIAN QUESTION.

The peace of Europe is disturbed, and war, which has been imminent for three years, seems difficult to be averted.—The principal disturbing factor is, as it has been in several previous wars, the ambition of Russia.

The breach of the treaty of Paris is a mere pretext. Though the great powers have a right to name the Prince of Bulgaria, if the other powers are willing to waive that right, there is no reason why Russia, if she really desires peace, should not also do so, especially since it has been shown that the reigning Prince is popular with his own people.

Too much was yielded to Russia when Prince Alexander abdicated the throne, a step he never would have taken except upon the advice of Bismark, who was willing to sacrifice every thing in Bulgaria to what he considered the then present advantage of Germany. The German blood that flowed in the veins of Alexander was nought to the Mephistophelian statesman, who coolly stated in debate at the time, that the friendship of Russia was worth more to Germany then that of all the friends of Bulgaria, in Germany.

Alexander had shown himself a brave soldier and a wise ruler. He was idolized by his people, and had he, even then, notwithstanding the advice, which was by no means given as an ultimatum, stood his ground, as the ruler of a people who were determined to be independent, there would have been a war, it is true, but it would have been a war which could not long have been averted, and which would have resulted in the independence of Bulgaria, and probably of Poland. The Bulgarians, under

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