Part 20 (2/2)

As the steamer was to remain in the harbour until two o'clock next day, I landed with the passengers and saw the wonders of the city

I felt as if I were in a neorld On every side and all around lorious sunshi+ne The picturesque narrow streets, with the blue sky overhead and the bright sunshi+ne lighting up the beautiful architecture of the palatial houses, relieved by ether with the picturesque dresses of the people, and the baskets of oranges and lehs on which they had been born and reared, the brilliant greenery of the inner courts into which you peeped while passing along the Strada Nuova, literally a street of palaces, threw ht Here, indeed, was architecture to be proud of--grand, iloriously ornaerbread order here!

The plan of these palaces is admirable They are open to the street, so that all the inner arrangements may be seen There is the court, surrounded by arcades, the arches of which rest upon colu to the great hall or the principal aparterine orange frees, surrounded by greenery, hich the splendour of the nificent effect I remembered that Genoa la superba was one ofof his first visit to Italy; and now I could confirm all that he had said about the splendour of its palaces

I do not know of anything n city, especially such a city as Genoa, and co that one has heard of--that has dimly lived in the mind like a dream--and now to see it realised in fact It suddenly starts into life, as it were, surrounded by its natural associations I hate your professional guides and their constant chatter Much better to come with a mind prepared with some history to fall back upon, and thus be enabled to co with the dead

I cli Genoa--for it is a city of ups and downs I wandered about the terraced palaces surrounded by orange groves and surveyed the fortified heights by which the place is surrounded What exquisite bits of scenery there were to sketch; what a rich combination of nature and art! And what a world of colour, with the clear blue sea in the distance! Altogether, that one day at Genoa--though but a succession of gliht spot in my life, that neither time nor distance can dim or tarnish

I returned to the harbour two hours before the steamer was to leave

To commemorate my visit, I mounted the top of the paddle-box, took out my sketch book, and made a panoramic view of Genoa as seen from the harbour I did it in pencil at the ties of the sketch book had been joined together the panora The accuracy of the detail, as well as the speed hich the draas done, were perhaps rather creditable to the draughtsman--at least so my artistic friends were pleased to tell me Indeed, many years after, a friend at court desired to sub herself an artist, she expressed herself as highly gratified with the perfore] A monk on board

The next station the steahorn As the vessel was not to start until next day, there was sufficient tihtful day principally in wandering about that glorious group of buildings situated so near to each other-- the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Ca Tower What interested me most at the Cathedral was the two bronze laested to the mind of Galileo the invention of the pendulu before them, but he alone would know ”the reason why”

The one swung at a different rate as co hung of different lengths Hence Galileo's discovery of the principle or Law of the Penduluravitation--one of the grandest laws of the universe

Some of the finest works of Andrea del Sarto, son of the Tailor, are found here Indeed, the works of that great painter are little known out of Pisa and Florence I was reluctant to tear myself away froood tih

The next port we touched at was Civita Vecchia, one of the h at one time an Etruscan city, and afterwards the port of Trajan I did not land, as there were some difficulties in the way of passports We stea the coast of Ischia We could scarcely see the island for a thick mist had over-spread the sea Naples was still hidden froht, but over theforth dense clouds of white s in the clear blue sky

But the heat of the sun shortly ware] Distant view of Vesuvius

A grand panoranificent under the sunlight The sea was so ss and towers and convents and spires were reflected in the water On our left lay the Bay of Baiae, with its castles and te froht lay Castellamare, Sorrento, and the island of Capri But the most pro cloud of white s, I took up my quarters at the Hotel Victoria I sallied forth to take my first hasty view of the Chiaia, the streets, and the principal buildings But, in accordance with my motto of ”Duty first, pleasure second,” I proceeded to attend to the business respecting which I had visited Naples That, however, was soon disposed of In a few days I was able to attend to pleasure

I made my way to the Musobrbonico, now called the National Museum

I found it a richof Greek, Etruscan, and Roman antiquities of every description

Not the least interesting part of the Museum is the collection offrom the ruins of the buried city of Pompeii Every spare hour that I could co this wonderful Museum

Herculaneum and Pompeii were also visited, but,my visit the mountain was in its normal state I ot to the top There I could look down into the pit from which the clouds of steae of the crater, stood close to itsof the blasts of vapour and sulphureous gases

To keep clear of these I stood to the ard side, and was thus out of harm's way

What struck ed lava rocks for the precipitous cliffs of the interior walls of the crater These brilliant colours were the result of the sublimation and condensation on their surfaces of the coht as if they had been painted with bright red, chrome, and all the most brilliant tints Columns of all manner of chemical vapours ascended from the clefts and deep cracks, at the bottoht hot lava

I rolled as big a e of the crater and heaved it down; but I heard no sound Doubtless the depth was vast, or it ht probably have fallen into thethis horrible pit edge, I tied the card of the Bridgewater Foundry to a bit of lava and threw it in, as token of respectful civility to Vulcan, the head of our craft

I had considerably e of the crater than I had in co down Once or twice, indeed, I was half choked by the swirls of sulphureous and muriatic acid vapour that environed e I sat down in a nook, though it was a very hot one, and made a sketch or two of the appearance of the crater But I feel that it is quite beyond my power either by pen or pencil, to convey an idea of the weird unearthly aspect which the funnel-shaped crater of Vesuvius presented at that time An eruption of unusual violence had occurred shortly before I saw it Great rounded blocks of lava had been thrown high into the air again and again, and had fallen back into the terrible focus of volcanic violence Vast portions of the rugged and precipitous sides of the crater had fallen in, and were left in a state of the wildest confusion When I visited the place the eruption had coed opening ofdown to--Where? Echo answers, ”Where?”

And yet there is no doubt but that the great mass of materials which lay around me as I made my sketches, had been shot up from inconceivable depths beneath the solid crust of the earth

There still remains an enormous mass of molten materials that has been shut up beneath that crust since the surface of the globe assumed its present condition The ed towards its centre of gravity, and the arrest particles resulted in intense heat

Hence the lobe in its primitive state

The inal cosreat part in the physical history of the globe

Volcanic action has been, as it were, the universal plough!

It has given us iven us picturesque scenery, gorges, precipices, waterfalls The up heaving agent has displayed the ent industry, to use thereat and sublime subject

I had remained near thewas approaching My drawings were finished, and I prepared to leave My descent froh every footstep went down soh the volcanic ashes I descended by the eastern side, and was soon at the base of the great cone Iround the erupted masses of lava, and also by portions of the lava streainal fluidity, had becoantic masses