Naples March 1862

Wednesday 12th
Left Rome at six; after crossing its muddy Tiber, and dirty streets for the last time, I felt no regrets at leaving the Eternal City. We took breakfast at he Chivita Vecehia (?) and soon left this den of, it seems unkind to say rogues, but I believe the people have become fond of the title, and look on it as we do that of colonel or any other such. Chiveta Vecchia (?) is bad enough, but it is pleasant to think of its honesty when compared with Naples. I believe there is no other place where the people make so “much ado about nothing”. Where the boatmen scream at each other in such a way (in fact every body does) that it is impossible to think it will end without blows or something worse. Where the lazavoni(?) sings a sweet “io ti voglis bene assai”(?) under your window, and where the Women throw up their arms apparently in great anguish, because the fishmonger has perhaps charged a “guano” (?) too much for his fish.
I fear the babylon of Italy is almost a moral city when compared with Naples a second sink of iniquity. God grant the idols and superstitions may soon be destroyed, and that a sane (?) religion where where God will be worshipped in sincerity and truth may reform this degraded race. There are only two good streets in Naples the Chiacia (?) and the vis Toledo(?), all the others are narrow and filthy, We spent several hours at the “Museo Barbonico (?).” The most interesting statues were the Tarnenza (?) bull and Hercules a statue of Jupiter Imiosa (?), of Diana of Ephesisus of Antinous of Cicero Demosthanes Homer, Aristides, and busts of Seneca, Geno, Herodites, Xenaphron, Euripides Pato, and many others, most of the found at the Herculaneaum. Much of the papyrus with ancient writing was found in the same way, great pains is taken to unroll the scrolls in order to decipher the writing. The vases from Pompei Eluria (?) and Greece equal the descriptions we have so often seen of them. The kitchen utensils from Pompei and Herculaneum resemble our own. We saw rice and other grain which had been coverd by lava or ashes and thus preserved. Eggs looking as fresh as if they had been laid yesterday, figs and prunes all as black as coal. Visited the Church of St. January where the blood of the patron saint is kept, which the priests can liquefy at their pleasure.

Friday 14.
Lake Agname (?) on the road to Baine (?) was once occupied by a ___?, remnants of which are now beneath its waters. On its banks are three interesting grottos, first “ del cane” where a dog is held in for a few minutes and when taken out has been almost killed by the vapors. In another a man could not lie down five minutes without dying from the vapors of ammonia. In a third the walls are covered with hot sulphur, and smoke is coming out of the ground. In each grotto my feet were burnt by the heat. The “Lulfatara”.(?) with its dreadful rumbling and smoke looks as if it might well be one of the gates of hell. At Passouli (?) are the ruins of an amphitheatre, and those of a temple dedicated to Jupiter Serapius (?). Lake Avernus ? one? the cave of the Sybil(?) on its banks was more interesting than I can ever describe. Here it was that Enemas plucked the golden bow that gave him the power to visit the infernal regions. Without the magic bow but on the shoulders of strong men and with torches, we passed through the dark caves. The classes shores of Baine, the islands of Itchier, and Proceed, and Capri, cape Misname are all delightful remembrances of the past. Baiae? is now abandonded to beggars and fisherman, and the palaces that once belonged to Caesar, Nero, and Cicero are being washed away by the sea. In the ruined temples of Venus some of the “contadine” danced the “tarantala” which is not as graceful as our negro dances. Returning to Naples we passed again through the dark grotto of Pausilipes (?) which our cecirone said was the work of the devil. We drove through with shepards driving their flocks, with woman children and beggars, with “coricolas”? crowded by fourteen or fifteen persons and drawn by what Dumas calls “un cheval mort”.? Over the grotto is a monument which all strangers rush to see and which they call the tomb of Virgil. This is said to be a great mistake but as no one as found his real tomb, I will believe it to be the very spot on which we stood.

Saturday 15.
This has been our most delightful day in Naples. We drove through the city which is one of the busiest in the world, no one seems too lazy but the “lazaronis”. Arriving at Portici we descended to Herculaneum over which the present town is built. The theater is under ground but late excavations are exposed to the sun as at Pompei. “Torre del Greco” is the town that suffered so much from the late earthquake and eruption of Vesuvius. We proceeded to Pompeii and spent the day amongst its wonderful ruins. Much of the city has been recently excavated and as the ashes are removed form the frescoes they look as they had been painted yesterday. Each house has its garden on which every room opens, they rooms are very small and without windows or fireplaces. One room in the house was heated by pipes in the wall just as we do at the present. A small piece of window glass has been found and which shows that though the ancient did not use it as we do at least they knew what it was. Their kitchens and ovens were like our own, and in them were found bread cake chicken and fish bones, besides the utensils which belonged to them, all of which are kept in the museum. The house of Sallust and Deomede ? are shown. In the latter is an impressions of a womans figure who took refuge in one of the cellars. The Appian way lead to Rome and was on both sides used as a burying ground. These tombs having for so long been buried by the ashes are better preserved than those on the same road near Rome. Before our drive home in the evening I had never realized the magic beauty of Italian scenary. The moon had risen over Vesuvius , Capri, Itchier, Procida, Misname, Baiae, were all veiled in hues the azure sky might envy, hues, the artist has never caught, hues which none can create but “natures own sweet and cunning hand.”
Thursday 20th
We returned yesterday from our delightful trip to Sorrento. Early Monday morning we took a carriage at Naples and after passing the fields of lava, the shattered house of “Torre del Greco”, the fertile valleys, and the town of Castellamare, we soon approached the orange groves of Sorrento. To me who has lived in our delightful climate, and has in January seen gardens full of flowers, Sorrento cannot produce the same as on an Englishman or Russian. One of the chief charms of Sorrento to me was the industry of the people. As we ascended one of rocky hills and saw with what care it was cultivated, we thought the people almost deserved the name of Swiss. The view, from what had once been a monastery, was beautiful as a dream; it would not be otherwise when composed of the bays of Salerno and the Naples of Vesuvius with its terrible crater resting in the clouds, and at its feet the villages who with reason tremble at every groan their great enemy utters. Towards Salerno is Paestum (?) with its admirably preserved ruins , and Amalphi, ages past one of Italy’s greatest cities, and celebrated as the place where the Pondets (?) was found. Tuesday morning we set out in a small boat for Capri. On each promontory along the coast are ruined towers built by the Taracans(?) when Calabria and almost all of this country was held by them. On arriving at the azure grotto a little boat approached us which we entered, and pushing through the low aperture we launched on the blue water of the grotto. As we rowed back to Capri the tinges of the water were as various as they were beautiful. The blue of the grotto contrasted with the dark hues of the Mediterranean, near the shore the water in many spots was entirely green, and in the sand below the moss and pebbles danced in fantastic garbs.
Who can forget the scene on the beach at Capri? Women with saddled donkeys, men with horses, cicevones doing their best to entrap you, children trying to sell black coral, girls clamoring to be paid because you put your foot on their bench on leaving your boat.
We quieted on woman by taking her donkey, with the assistance of her whips which she never spared we reached the ruins which were once the palace of Tiberius, a place is shown called “salto de Tiberio”, but I did not know that he added suicide to his other crimes. We went to the chapel which a lonely hermit guards. His form was emaciated and at his side hung the knotted cord with which I suppose he mortified the flesh. I felt we were talking to one of a different sphere and watched this poor hermit, and I wondered what “Angilina” had caused his doom. He brough(sic) out the strangers book and Willie wrote down our name besides giving him a small pittance which is requested of visiters(sic). The view from the terrace surpassed the one at Sorrento for in addition to the two gulfs we saw the broad ocean and the Sirens islands dreaded by Ulysses and Enemas. The island of Capri is celebrated for its mild climate which in some cases of consumption is very beneficial. The paths are narrow and only to be ascended on foot or on donkeys. The fruit trees are in blossom, the peach is blushing at the whiteness of the pear, and the vines are looped from tree to tree. We get in our boat and there is another clamor for more money. The woman whose donkey we hired jumps in the boat and declares her “buona mano” is not enough, the sailors do not mind her and begin to row home. She soon jumps back to shore, thanks us for paying her more than she expected, and wishes us a good journey!
The baths of queen Jane(?) were built on an ancient temple of Hercules, but they are both in ruins now and all that remains is what may be called a grotto where baths are still taken in summer. At five in the evening we left Sorrento on out way to Naples although the driver and hotel keeper told us the road was not safe at night. I began to be alarmed on reaching Castellamare, and requested Willie to inquire of a guard, who could have no interest in detaining us another night, whether we had anything to apprehend. He assured us the road was unsafe and advised us not to run any risk. We drove to an immense hotel which requires a novelist to fill with frightful forms. We were conducted through mosaic floored halls and rooms until we reached one which was prepared for our use. On our way to Naples the next morning, I was glad that we had not again passed the lonely fields of black lava at night; although we wondered at a government which did not protect travelers from robbers within eight or ten miles of one of the largest cities of Europe.

Saturday 22nd
Left Naples with cheerful hearts unlike most travelers. I could not admire the fading beauties of Vesuvius, Procida or Itchier, clad as they were in their evening shades. Souvinirs(sic) of all kinds were soon lost to me, Naples with its charm, filth, and rogues, nor could I admire the islands of Sardinia , Corsica and Elba that we passed; was there ever philosopher that could endure seasickness, it is worse than toothache. We arrived in Marseilles on the 26th, I believe all travelers feel as we did on arriving once more in a civilized country. Poor Italy, I fear that with such a degraded race it will require years to form a solid government. We had only a few hours to admire the fine port, streets and stores of Marseilles, we left at half past nine on our way to Paris and after passing many interesting cities, such as Avignon, once the Papal See, Lyons, the great manufacturing town where the Rhone and the Savone meet, Dijon, formerly the seat of the great dukes of Burgundy, and a lovely country celebrated for its wines we were again in the great city which for beauty stands unrivaled. We left very soon for Brussels and so tired had I become of sights, that is passing I took little interest in Mons (?) celebrated for its siege. It delights me to be in this charming capital where I think I will let months pass without seeing any sights.