SECRETARY'S REPORT. 265 



The situation of Naples is probably finer, on the whule, than 

 that of any other city in the world. Grandeur indeed is as 

 much a characteristic of that city, as size is of London, or 

 beauty of Florence. Wo were soon located in couifortable 

 quarters, looking out upon the bay, and in sight of Voisuvius, 

 and after the necessary preliminary arrangements, took a drive 

 over the city to get as good a general idea of it as possible at 

 the outset, and then over the beautiful road to Pausilipo. This 

 was just at sunset of an excessively hot day, and all the fashion 

 and splendor of Naples appeared .to have turned out for an 

 airing, after being shut up all day in their houses to avoid the 

 heat. It gave us a better idea of the life of that class of people 

 than we could have got in a week at any other hour of the day. 

 We met the two princes, sons of Victor Emanuel, who were in 

 Naples at that time, and showed themselves freely to the people. 



The streets of Naples are paved with lava, and like those of 

 most other southern cities are narrow, the houses very lofty, an 

 arrangement no doubt designed for protection from the heat of 

 summer. All the buildings have that peculiarly light and airy 

 coloring which is seen in the paintings of southern European 

 cities. Tliey are built mostly of tufa, a kind of volcanic rock, 

 very easily quarried. The environs of the city are as attractive 

 as the city itself, more so in fact. Innumerable villas overlook 

 the circling bay, most of them surrounded by gardens and 

 walks shaded by the beautiful trees, olives, blossoming olean- 

 ders, vines with their luscious clusters hanging in graceful 

 festoons, groves of oranges and lemons, loaded with their 

 golden fruit, and pomegranates in the utmost profusion. We 

 remained here nearly a week, and hot as it was, improved 

 every hour. 



Pompeii is about twelve miles from Naples, and we started 

 very early in the morning to spend a day among its strange 

 and interesting ruins. It is well known that this luxurious 

 city was overwhelmed and buried by the ashes and cinders of 

 Vesuvius in the year 79 after Christ, and that it remained 

 wholly unknown down to about the middle of the last century, 

 when it was accidentally discovered, and excavations com- 

 menced. Nothing has thrown so much light upon the domestic 

 economy of the ancients as the discoveries which have been 

 made there. It stands forth now an immense city, though not 



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