I.

NAPLES, Feb. 27, 1895.

We arrived at this place to-day at eleven o’clock A.M., at which time you were, no doubt, rubbing your eyes, and deciding whether you would turn out for a day’s work or have another nap before doing so, as we have gained six hours since leaving New York, and shall probably, for the present, leave Springfield time in the shade.

As we sailed up the Bay of Naples, we saw in our front a beautiful city of some three hundred thousand people. The city was in amphitheatre style, lying in the form of a crescent, buildings largely white, from one to six stories high, nestling among the palms, olives, figs, lemons, orange, and pine trees, and a great variety of tropical plants, giving a beautiful contrast. This, encircling the bay, gave us a picture of rare beauty. The “Normannia” anchored in the bay, and small steamers came and took the passengers and baggage ashore. Seemingly one-half on board left the steamer at this place. The custom-house officers here are very strict, but the Gaze Company had made arrangements to let us through without a very rigid examination. Cigars, tobacco, and liquors are what they are after; and our crowd were pretty well played out in those goods before we reached Naples. Nine cigars, or what they call a day’s stock, is all a man can bring ashore without duty. Naples has impressed me as a charming place. It is, in my opinion, the “Pasadena” of this section of country. Some Americans may desire to be wedded to this charming spot, but I am willing to admire its beauty and pass on. America is good enough for me. The customs are exceedingly funny here, and no doubt will appear so all our journey through. Everything in the way of traffic moves slowly, and is queerly done. You will see an ox and a cow yoked together, next a cow and a horse; and then will come along a horse, cow, and donkey, all attached to the same vehicle. The little donkeys that are driven in the two-wheel carts would set young America in Springfield wild. As to horses, they go from the ridiculous to the sublime, from the poor creatures to turnouts that will match anything in Saratoga. They seem to vie with each other in trimming and ornamenting their harness, tugs, breeching, bridles; and every conceivable strap is filled with brass or nickel nails, studs, or buckles. The driving of the pleasure teams is like Jehu,--furiously.

The great nuisance of the country is beggars, hucksters, and hawkers. The beggars will beset you while walking or riding. They will run beside your carriage with an alertness that indicates training in the business.

The arrangement for delivering milk will, no doubt, interest our milkmen in Vermont. The cows are driven into the city twice a day. You will see a man with one or more. A woman will come out with a tumbler, the man milks it full, and she pays him two cents for it. He then drives on, furnishing his customers with any quantity desired. Goat’s milk is furnished in the same way. You will see droves of from ten to forty of them. This milk, they claim, is for the children; and there is no end to their number. The woods are full of children here in Naples. These goats are driven mostly on the sidewalks, and have equal rights with the pedestrians. The teams and traffic go on in the streets. However, they have one advantage over us: they need no law against the adulteration of milk.

As I said at the commencement of this letter, we reached this place on Wednesday, the 27th, about noon; and, as we had been on the “Normannia” eleven days, we took our lunch, and then spent the rest of the afternoon in resting, looking among the stores, getting our bearings, etc. Thursday at 8.30 our carriages were ready, our managers on hand with all their plans made, and we took a drive through the city, in the forenoon going through the museum, said to be one of the most wonderful in the world; that is, for antiquity. Here we found the relics from Pompeii, showing plainly there were art and science in those days. One thing that impressed me was a hot-water heater for warming their rooms, also instruments for examining the stomach. I told Dr. Dunning we ought to have had one on the steamer during the rough days on the ocean. Of ancient glass, statuary, etc., there was no end. The kings and queens of ancient days were there. Our managers through their efforts had secured a chance for us to visit the royal palace. This was a treat of a lifetime. So, after leaving the museum, we went directly there. We first went to the gardens on top of buildings, then we descended and commenced the apartments, and I should say we went through some thirty of them,--the theatre, banquet-room, chapel, banquet hall, common dining-room, office, study of the king, throne-room, etc. Such splendor I had never imagined before. The wall and ceiling were covered with the richest of Gobelin tapestry, the finish and furniture of blue and gold, and white and gold. Our eyes were dazzled more than I expect they will be with the rays of the Egyptian sun. From this place we returned to our Hotel Royal, and had lunch. Then we took our carriages again, and drove through the orange and lemon groves, some eight miles, to Puteoli, where Saint Paul landed on his way to Rome as a prisoner. (See Acts xxviii. 13.) From this place he struck The Three Taverns, where his friends met him, and Paul thanked God, and took courage. We expect to go to Rome to-morrow. Whether we shall stop at The Three Taverns or not, I cannot say to-day, but may write you later. On the way out to Puteoli we visited the tomb of Virgil. Had a full and delightful day. Friday morning we took a small steamer, and had one and a half hour’s sail across the Bay of Naples to Sorrento. Sailed along near the base of Mt. Vesuvius, and could almost hear the boiling and hissing of the elements within. The smoke and flames can be plainly seen from our hotel. We reached Sorrento before lunchtime. Stopped at Hotel Victoria, which is designed for tourists and is beautiful in all its arrangements, standing upon a high cliff of perpendicular lime-rock. You can stand on the front court and drop a pebble two hundred feet into the Mediterranean Sea. Sorrento is said to be the Mecca for tourists. You have the blue waters of the Mediterranean in front of you, and the mountains wild, yet cultivated and beautiful, behind you. They are made up of ravines and ridges, terraced and fruit-bearing to the top, where you see the vineyards. Added to that are the lemon, orange, and figs, with a large abundance of olives, the peculiar color of the olive leaf giving the landscape a soft, velvety appearance which is very pleasing to the eye. The roads that have been built by the government around and about and over these mountains are just wonderful. They are macadamized with the limestone, which is broken up by hand by the natives. On the sides heavy stone-faced walls beautifully laid, it must be by skilled hands. After lunch we took a ride on one of these roads to the top of the mountain, visiting an institution called “La Deserta,” home for orphan children. The managers were glad to see us, treated us with their native wine and oranges. From the top of this building we had one of the grandest views that often fall to the lot of man to revel in. From this point we returned to our hotel.

After dinner we were invited to an entertainment arranged by our managers. This was given in a hall in our hotel by some twenty Italians, mostly young people, instrumental and vocal music, with acting and dancing which was modestly and beautifully done; and much of it was original and very amusing. Some of our ministers laughed more that evening than they have before for twelve months. All I could say was, “Well done, boys and girls of Italy.”

Saturday morning we took carriages for Pompeii. This ride of sixteen miles is said to be the second finest in all Europe. We had the beautiful blue waters of the sea on one hand and the towering mountains, ravines, and ridges with the tropical verdure on the other, and a road so fine that horses did not break the trot the whole distance. At Pompeii we had lunch, then spent two hours with guides travelling through the ruins of that wonderful city. They are still excavating, had just uncovered a beautiful mansion with fine statuary, paintings, etc. This was interesting to us, as most of the furnishings and fittings have been carried away. We saw many of them in the museum at Naples. They send officers with you, and do not allow you to take away the first particle of anything; but I imagine a little dust stuck to some of our party before they left the city.

Some of the party went up Mount Vesuvius, and returned to Naples by train in the evening. The others took carriages for Naples, reaching there at 5 P.M.

A quiet Sunday has been spent here, some attending church. To-morrow morning at 7.30 we expect to start for Rome, reaching there about noon, leaving there for this place again. Saturday we leave here for Brindisi, where we take steamer for Egypt.