THE STORY OF PLINY 215 



the enormous bed of cinders. Amongst these 

 Herculaneum and Pompeii. The volcano buried 

 them alive/' 



"With the inhabitants?" inquired Jules. 



"With a small number, for most of them, like 

 Pliny and his mother, had time to flee to Messina. 

 To-day, after being buried eighteen centuries, Her- 

 culaneum and Pompeii are exhumed by the miner's 

 pick, just as they wen- when caught by the cloud of 

 volcanic cinders. Vineyards cover them where they 

 are not yet cleared. " 



"These vineyards, then, are the roofs of 

 houses!" said Emile. 



"Higher than the roofs of houses. The traveler 

 who visits the quarters not yet uncovered, but made 

 accessible by means of wells dug for the purpose, 

 descends underground to a great depth." 



