others with donkeys completely covered all but their head and ears by huge panniers, one on either side, reaching nearly to the ground and filled with whatever they had to sell. One of these interesting animals was almost entirely enveloped in golden carrots, impelling the punster of our party, Mr. Lippincott, to remark that "that donkey was more than eighteen carrots fine." That this pun may not be credited either to vin ordinaire, or to the genuine Lachrimæ Christi," a bottle of which was, purchased by one of our party at the Hermitage, it is due to our friend to say that he got it off before lunch. Our road took us through the villages of Portici and Resina, situated very near the sea. The latter village has been built over the buried town of Herculaneum, the excavated portions of which are reached by about one hundred steps. Only a small part of the town has been excavated; and having seen Pompeii, and not having sufficient time on this trip to take a look at Herculaneum, we concluded to forego any satisfaction we might have enjoyed in visiting the latter ruins, which, we are informed, present nearly the same general appearance of those at Pompeii. Both towns were destroyed by the same eruption. It is not probable that any part of Herculaneum will ever be uncovered to the sun. Turning now to the left, we were driven on a smooth zig-zag turnpike up the hill, through and over immense lava beds, to a point called the Hermitage, which is at the end of the carriage road. The only buildings here are a tavern, a small chapel, and the observatory. They are situated on a ridge so high that when there is an eruption from Mount Vesuvius the streams of lava flow down on either side. The distance from this point to the base of the cone is

about one mile, and persons wishing to ascend the cone ride on mules or walk to the foot thereof at their pleasure. Dr. Merriman was the only one of our party who ascended to the mouth of the crater. the rest of us contenting ourselves with a ramble over the lava beds at the base of the cone, with an examination of the instruments in the observatory used for determining the conditon of the cauldron. and with the splendid view of land and sea afforded by our elevated position. We had a near view, also, of the great clouds of smoke, which come rolling up continually from the mouth of the seething crater. We walked over the identical beds of lava by which a party of tourists were suddenly overwhelmed and lost their lives in 1871. Hard now and immovable, these broad fields of lava, nevertheless, have an angry look, seeming to warn us to beware of a similar catastrophe to ourselves. The lava is of a dark color, like the scoriæ from an iron furnace, and has taken crude shapes, sometimes like coils of ropes, again like roots of dead trees, and then again swelling up into huge heaps, and, in the process of cooling, splitting open on the surface, presenting deep seams, or separating into smaller pieces. Dr. Merriman, in his ascent to the crater, outstripped all others with him, making the ascent unaided in just fifty minutes and the descent in ten minutes. tween Resina and the Hermitage, wherever there is a spot of ground not covered with lava, if no larger than a flower bed, grape vines have been planted, and gardeners were engaged in trimming and nursing them. One pleasant incident of this trip was our first meeting with Professor S. F. Smith, author of the National Hymn, "My Country, 'tis of Thee,' at the Hermitage. He is one of the Faculty of the

Be

Baptist Theological Seminary at Newton, Massachusetts. We all returned to our lodgings well satisfied with the day's enjoyment.

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CHAPTER LIV.

OME, FEBRUARY 1.—Our former traveling companion, Mr. Stickney, having joined us again at Naples, he and Dr. Merriman took final leave of us, and embarked for Egypt on the 18th of January. Dr. Parker and family returned on the same day to Rome, while we remained another week to keep company with Mr. and Mrs. Lippincott and finish up a little shopping, as well as to have executed a likeness in shell cameo, which we had just learned we could have done here on very reasonable terms. Naples is the place to buy all kinds of shell work, coral jewelry, and fancy articles in wood; and one can usually make such purchases there for one half or one quarter of the asking price. Having nearly completed our sightseeing there, we devoted the week to rest. We should not, however, forget to speak of a very interesting visit we made to the Aquarium in the Villa Reale. It is said to be the best in Europe. We also spent an hour agreeably in the Church of San Francesco di Paola, and went a second time to the Royal Palace. The Church is built after the style of the Pantheon in Rome. Its high altar is entirely inlaid with jasper and lapis lazuli.

We began now to think about securing our passage home by the Cunard Line, and we sent the company

the required £10 pledge for a good state room on the "Bothnia" for the 6th of May. We left Naples at half past two on the afternoon of the 25th of January, and arrived in Rome at half past nine. Finding all the rooms taken at the Hôtel della Pace, where we had previously stopped, we found equally good quarters at the Hôtel du Sud near by, both being under the direction of the same proprietors. We were now again in daily communication with Dr.. Parker and family, but Mr. and Mrs. Lippincott remained in Naples, and we have not had the pleasure of seeing them since.

In the Capitoline Museum there is an extensive collection of relics of almost every description, embracing statues innumerable, sarcophagi, bronzes, vases, and an endless variety of other curiosities, besides a large collection of paintings.

We saw

here the celebrated statues of the "Dying Gladiator, and the "Capitoline Venus." Half a day was barely sufficient for us to take a casual look at what is to be seen here, and it would require a volume to furnish a full description of even the more striking objects of interest in this vast collection. While we were at the Museum, General Garibaldi arrived in a coach at the Capitol, and was carried into the Chamber of Deputies, whence after a few minutes he was brought back in the arms of men, and departed amid the loud acclamations of the people assembled in front of the doorway. We were attracted by the noise, and reached a window just in time to see him reënter his carriage. He is evidently very popular, especially with the common people. From the Museum some of our party went to the Palace Rospiglioso to see the famous fresco painting of The Aurora," by Guido.

On the 27th ultimo, with Mr. Van Meter as our "guide, philosopher and friend," our whole party took carriages and were shown through many interesting parts of the city, embracing the Palace of the Cæsars, a view from the bell-tower of the Capitol, the Church of St. Augustine, the Ghetto, or Jews' Quarter, and the exterior of the House of Rienzi and of the Cenci Palace. The House of Rienzi "derives its present name from a long inscription over a doorway, which tallies with the bombastic epithets assumed by the 'Last of the Tribunes' in his pompous letter of August 1, 1347, when, in his semi-madness, he summoned Kings and Emperors to appear before his judgment seat." The Cenci Palace-the home of Beatrice Cenci and the "scene of many of the terrible crimes and tragedies which stain the annals of the Cenci family-is of great extent," having a court "supported by columns, and adorned with antique friezes of fine workmanship, and built with balcony over balcony of open work." Both of these buildings are situated in an obscure corner of the city, and near the Ghetto, which was formerly inclosed by walls, outside of which the Jews at one period were prohibited from showing themselves, "unless the men were in yellow hats or the women in yellow veils." It is a pretty rough looking place, and our curiosity was quite satisfied with riding through it. In an open space in front of a little church we observed letter-writers, sitting at their tables, engaged in writing letters for the illiterate. It is a regular trade.

We were particularly pleased with our visit to and view from the Capitol. From the bell-tower Mr. Van Meter pointed out and remarked upon all the points of historical interest within the scope of our