Rollo in Naples

ng

as soon as it was light, dressed himself in a hurried

id Mr. George, "w

ght up into the air; but Philippe says he thinks it is going to be a fi

g tables. There were already two other parties in the room. There was one consisting of two gentlemen that were going to Vesuvius. There was another large

a basket containing provisions. Mrs. Gray had a small book, formed with leaves of blotting paper, to press the flowers in, which she meant to gathe

an empty knapsack for, u

specimens in,"

"I wish I had thou

aid Mr. George. "It is big enough t

eated in the carriage, shut the door, mounted the bo

hen they came to a long and exceedingly busy street, with the port and the shipping on one side, and stores, shops, hotels, and establishments of every kind, on the other. The street was crowded with people going to and fro, some on foot and some in carriages. A great

laning, or gluing together the parts of tables or chairs. Then there were a great many family groups, some sitting in the sun around a boat drawn up, or upon and around a great chain cable, or an anchor; and others gathering about a fire made in a brazier, for the morning was cool.

y rapidly through these scenes-so rapidly, in fact, that Mrs. Gray

e day," said Mrs. Gray, "and then I can

eggars. If a gentleman and lady attempt to walk together in any of these

n a carriage, and tell the

ll come then around the carriage. The only way

d the confines of Naples, the road was thronged with people coming into town, some on foot, with loads of produce on their heads, some driving donkeys, with immense burdens of vegetables loaded in panniers on their backs, or drawn in carts behind them. There were omnibuses too, of a peculiar kind, filled with people,

e calashes coming into town, and b

d Rollo, "that one horse

h," said Mr. George. "The wheels run almost a

111-

OMING IN

before the door of a kind of inn in the midst of a crowded street. The moment that the carriage stopped, it seemed to be surrounded by a crowd of ostlers, donkeys and donkey drivers,

o Philippe, when he saw that Phil

aneum," said Ph

, amazed. "Why, I thought Her

"it is. He means that th

ldren, through a door in a high wall, which led into a little court, and thence they passed into a sort of entrance hall, leading into a building. Philippe, who had preceded them, opened a closet, and took out some small candles. He lighted these candles by means of a lamp hanging against the wall, and gave one to each of the party. There was an open door near, with a broad flight of stone steps lead

alian, and then Philippe went on, leading his own party down the stairs. The stairs

f day. It grew brighter and brighter, until at length Mr. George and Rollo, who were at the head of the party, after Philipp

"the well that they were digging wh

a, smooth and hard, just as they had be

, was covered with moss and other green plants, which had been induced to vegetate there by the rain and the su

ut of the rock. By holding the candles up to the sides of these chambers, the party could see here and there the r

e stage had been brought to view. Before it, in a range, were the seats for the musicians. On each side there was a massive pedestal. The guide said that there

uppose," said Mr. George, "wh

interest in seeing t

lainly to be seen by holding the candles down close to the ground. In other

hat the hot lava did no

so," said

lian, with the exception of a few English words and phrases, which he pronounced in so outlandish a mann

ting to was one of the original windows of the edifice. And then he would go on with a long

eir hands as they came up, and Philippe paid him his fee. Mr. George led the way to the carriage, which was still waiting at the door. I

get in. They got in, and Mrs. Gray took her place on the forward seat of the car

r seat, Mrs. Gray

ng to ride here now, and let you

aid Mr. George; "plea

l," said Mrs. Gr

k seat, which was a great deal better than the forward

after shutting the door and mounting the box

ought to have this seat

our," said Mrs. Gray. "There is no rea

Rollo; "because

t it is no reason why I should always take it. Indeed, it is a very good reason why I should not; for it is not at

with the disinterested and considerate spirit which Mrs. Gray manifested in this case, that he se

ich had come down from the volcano above. This land was very fertile; and as both the soil itself and the rocks from which it was formed were of a rich brown color, the country looked even more fertile than it really was. The road was excellent. Indeed, as Philippe had said, it

g windings and zigzags of the road, the heads of the horses were turning continually into different directions, each person in

fing, which border it towards the sea, and a long line of hamlets, villages, and towns, extending, like a white fringe upon a green

undred years. From the road where the carriage was now moving, the party could look down upon the beds of these streams, and as the lava had already become partially decomposed, they looked like immense fields of rich brown soil turned up by the plough. These valleys, b

said he, "to hold the lava of a thousand

ter extremity of a spur of the mountain, a mile or two from the foot of the great cone. The road to the foot of the great cone lay along the crest o

upon them so pleasantly, that they presented a very attractive appearance. The Hermitage was a plain, but neat stone building, massive and white, with a broad area before i

escend, he led the way into the house. There was a boy at the door to receive him. The boy led the way up a narrow flight of stone stairs to a sort of hall, surrounded on every side by massive walls of stone. There were two or three desolate-looking rooms opening from this hall. The r

s and forks, bottles of wine, and any thing else that they required. He was dressed in the costume of his o

of refreshments. He soon found a table that was unoccupied, and having placed ch

e refreshment here, I will go and make the preparations for cont

l and in the rooms, to see what was to be seen, taking care, however, to go now and then to the table to get fr

made, and then the whole party went down stairs. There were two portantinas a

you may get into yours first, s

ith a lift, and then a gentle toss, they raised it up to their shoulders. Rosie was a little frightened when she found herself going up so high into the air;

feel?" ask

ully," s

bearers lifted her up upon their shoulders in the

s order the party moved in quite a long procession from the area before the Hermitage, and began to follow the winding p

elle

arers, 8 to e

y dri

apm

hment

id

s, which he hoped to sell to the party by

ellers could see, all the way, the immense cone, which formed the summit of the mountain, rising into the sky. They saw that they were gradually drawing nearer and nearer to the foot of it, and on looking up they could see another party, which had preceded them i

place among the trees, very near the foot of the grea

he, "we are coming to

asked Mr

eys there, standing together among the rocks and trees?

key boys stopped the donkeys, and held them by the head for the riders

the men put it down, and went to Rosie's

" said Rosie. "I l

ld out to go up the c

d Rosie; "and I wish

e, and wait there until you come down. But you may go up

rers lifted her up upon their shoulders again, and the strapmen that Philippe had provided came with their straps to Rollo

127-

AS

so he let Josie have them both. Josie put his staff through the

him, and pulled

with the two strapmen pulling him up by their straps. Then the refreshment man, with his basket of provisions on his head. Last of all came the bearers of the portantina, with Ros

buono manos, sometimes begging for the money in very earnest and noisy, but suppliant tones, and sometimes demanding it in a very loud and threatening manner. Mr. George, however, paid no heed to these requests, but steadily refused to give the men any money, sayin

this way for nearly an hour, a