an autobiography-第54部分

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I　returned　to　the　harbour　two　hours　before　the　steamer　was　to　leave。　To　commemorate　my　visit；　I　mounted　the　top　of　the　paddle…box；　took　out　my　sketch　book；　and　made　a　panoramic　view　of　Genoa　as　seen　from　the　harbour。　　I　did　it　in　pencil　at　the　time；　and　afterwards　filled　it　up　with　ink。　　When　the　pages　of　the　sketch　book　had　been　joined　together　the　panoramic　view　extended　to　about　eight　feet　long。　　The　accuracy　of　the　detail；　as　well　as　the　speed　with　which　the　drawing　was　done；　were　perhaps　rather　creditable　to　the　draughtsmanat　least　so　my　artistic　friends　were　pleased　to　tell　me。　　Indeed；　many　years　after；　a　friend　at　court　desired　to　submit　it　to　the　highest　Lady　in　the　land；　and；　being　herself　an　artist；　she　expressed　herself　as　highly　gratified　with　the　performance。

＇Image＇　　A　monk　on　board

The　next　station　the　steamer　touched　at　was　Leghorn。　　As　the　vessel　was　not　to　start　until　next　day；　there　was　sufficient　time　for　me　to　run　up　to　Pisa。　　There　I　spent　a　delightful　day　principally　in　wandering　about　that　glorious　group　of　buildings　situated　so　near　to　each　other　the　Cathedral；　the　Baptistery；　the　Campo　Santo；　and　the　Campanile　or　Leaning　Tower。　　What　interested　me　most　at　the　Cathedral　was　the　two　bronze　lamps　suspended　at　the　end　of　the　nave；　which　suggested　to　the　mind　of　Galileo　the　invention　of　the　pendulum。　Thousands　had　seen　the　lamps　swinging　before　them；　but　he　alone　would　know　〃the　reason　why。〃　The　one　swung　at　a　different　rate　as　compared　with　the　other；　being　the　result　of　the　chains　being　hung　of　different　lengths。　　Hence　Galileo's　discovery　of　the　principle　or　Law　of　the　Pendulum。　　This　paved　the　way　for　Newton's　law　of　gravitationone　of　the　grandest　laws　of　the　universe。

Some　of　the　finest　works　of　Andrea　del　Sarto；　son　of　the　Tailor；　are　found　here。　　Indeed；　the　works　of　that　great　painter　are　little　known　out　of　Pisa　and　Florence。　　I　was　reluctant　to　tear　myself　away　from　Pisa；　but　the　Ercolano　could　not　wait；　and　I　was　back　in　good　time；　and　soon　under　weigh。

The　next　port　we　touched　at　was　Civita　Vecchia；　one　of　the　most　dreary　places　that　can　be　imagined；　though　at　one　time　an　Etruscan　city；　and　afterwards　the　port　of　Trajan。　　I　did　not　land；　as　there　were　some　difficulties　in　the　way　of　passports。　　We　steamed　on；　and　next　morning　when　I　awoke　we　were　passing　the　coast　of　Ischia。　　We　could　scarcely　see　the　island　for　a　thick　mist　had　over…spread　the　sea。　Naples　was　still　hidden　from　our　sight；　but　over　the　mist　I　could　observe　the　summit　of　Vesuvius　vomiting　forth　dense　clouds　of　white　smoke。　The　black　summit　of　the　crater　appeared　floating　in　the　clear　blue　sky。　But　the　heat　of　the　sun　shortly　warmed　the　mist；　and　it　floated　away　like　a　curtain。

＇Image＇　　Distant　view　of　Vesuvius

A　grand　panorama　then　lay　before　us。　　Naples　looked　bright　and　magnificent　under　the　sunlight。　　The　sea　was　so　smooth　that　the　buildings　and　towers　and　convents　and　spires　were　reflected　in　the　water。　　On　our　left　lay　the　Bay　of　Baiae；　with　its　castles　and　temples　and　baths；　dating　from　the　days　of　the　Roman　Republic。　　To　the　right　lay　Castellamare；　Sorrento；　and　the　island　of　Capri。　　But　the　most　prominent　object　was　Vesuvius　in　front；　with　its　expanding　cloud　of　white　smoke　over　the　landscape。　　On　landing；　I　took　up　my　quarters　at　the　Hotel　Victoria。　　I　sallied　forth　to　take　my　first　hasty　view　of　the　Chiaia；　the　streets；　and　the　principal　buildings。　　But；　in　accordance　with　my　motto　of　〃Duty　first；　pleasure　second；〃　I　proceeded　to　attend　to　the　business　respecting　which　I　had　visited　Naples。　　That；　however；　was　soon　disposed　of。　　In　a　few　days　I　was　able　to　attend　to　pleasure。　I　made　my　way　to　the　Museo　Borbonico；　now　called　the　National　Museum。　I　found　it　a　rich　mine　of　precious　treasures；　consisting　of　Greek；　Etruscan；　and　Roman　antiquities　of　every　description。　Not　the　least　interesting　part　of　the　Museum　is　the　collection　of　marbles；　pictures；　and　articles　of　daily　use；　dug　from　the　ruins　of　the　buried　city　of　Pompeii。　　Every　spare　hour　that　I　could　command　was　occupied　in　visiting　and　revisiting　this　wonderful　Museum。

Herculaneum　and　Pompeii　were　also　visited；　but；　more　than　all；　the　crater　of　Vesuvius。　　During　my　visit　the　mountain　was　in　its　normal　state。　　I　mounted　the　volcanic　ashes　with　which　it　is　strewn；　and　got　to　the　top。　　There　I　could　look　down　into　the　pit　from　which　the　clouds　of　steam　are　vomited　forth。　　I　went　down　to　the　very　edge　of　the　crater；　stood　close　to　its　mouth；　and　watched　the　intermittent　up…rushing　of　the　blasts　of　vapour　and　sulphureous　gases。　To　keep　clear　of　these　I　stood　to　the　windward　side；　and　was　thus　out　of　harm's　way。

What　struck　me　most　was　the　wonderfully　brilliant　colours　of　the　rugged　lava　rocks　forming　the　precipitous　cliffs　of　the　interior　walls　of　the　crater。　　These　brilliant　colours　were　the　result　of　the　sublimation　and　condensation　on　their　surfaces　of　the　combinations　of　sulphur　and　chloride　of　iron；　quite　as　bright　as　if　they　had　been　painted　with　bright　red；　chrome；　and　all　the　most　brilliant　tints。　Columns　of　all　manner　of　chemical　vapours　ascended　from　the　clefts　and　deep　cracks；　at　the　bottom　of　which　I　clearly　saw　the　bright　hot　lava。

I　rolled　as　big　a　mass　of　cool　lava　as　I　could　to　the　edge　of　the　crater　and　heaved　it　down；　but　I　heard　no　sound。　　Doubtless　the　depth　was　vast；　or　it　might　probably　have　fallen　into　the　molten　lava；　and　thus　made　no　noise。　　On　leaving　this　horrible　pit　edge；　I　tied　the　card　of　the　Bridgewater　Foundry　to　a　bit　of　lava　and　threw　it　in；　as　token　of　respectful　civility　to　Vulcan；　the　head　of　our　craft。

I　had　considerably　more　difficulty　in　clambering　up　to　the　top　edge　of　the　crater　than　I　had　in　coming　down。　　Once　or　twice；　indeed；　I　was　half　choked　by　the　swirls　of　sulphureous　and　muriatic　acid　vapour　that　environed　me　before　I　could　reach　the　upper　edge。　　I　sat　down　in　a　nook；　though　it　was　a　very　hot　one；　and　made　a　sketch　or　two　of　the　appearance　of　the　crater。　　But　I　feel　that　it　is　quite　beyond　my　power　either　by　pen　or　pencil；　to　convey　an　idea　of　the　weird　unearthly　aspect　which　the　funnel…shaped　crater　of　Vesuvius　presented　at　that　time。　　An　eruption　of　unusual　violence　had　occurred　shortly　before　I　saw　it。　　Great　rounded　blocks　of　lava　had　been　thrown　high　into　the　air　again　and　again；　and　had　fallen　back　into　the　terrible　focus　of　volcanic　violence。　　Vast　portions　of　the　rugged　and　precipitous　sides　of　the　crater　had　fallen　in；　and　were　left　in　a　state　of　the　wildest　confusion。　　When　I　visited　the　place　the　eruption　had　comparatively　subsided。　　The　throat　of　the　crater　was　a　rugged　opening　of　more　than　forty　feet　diameter；　leading　down　toWhere？　　Echo　answers；　〃Where？〃　And　yet　there　is　no　doubt　but　that　the　great　mass　of　materials　which　lay　around　me　as　I　made　my　sketches；　had　been　shot　up　from　inconceivable　depths　beneath　the　solid　crust　of　the　earth。　There　still　remains　an　enormous　mass　of　molten　materials　that　has　been　shut　up　beneath　that　crust　since　the　surface　of　the　globe　assumed　its　present　condition。　　The　mineral　matter　that　formed　the　globe　had　converged　towards　its　centre　of　gravity；　and　the　arrestment　of　the　momentum　of　the　coalescing　particles　resulted　in　intense　heat。　Hence　the　molten　condition　of　the　globe　in　its　primitive　state。　The　molten　lava　of　volcanoes　is　the　survival　of　that　original　cosmical　heat。

This　heat　has　played　a　great　part　in　the　physical　history　of　the　globe。　Volcanic　action　has　been；　as　it　were；　the　universal　plough！　It　has　given　us　mountains；　hills；　and　valleys。　　It　has　given　us　picturesque　scenery；　gorges；　precipices；　waterfalls。　　The　up　heaving　agent　has　displayed　the　mineral　treasures　of　the　earth；　and　enabled　man；　by　intelligent　industry；　to　use　them　as　mines　of　material　blessings。　This　is　indeed　a　great　and　sublime　subject。

I　had　remained　near　the　mouth　of　the　crater　for　about　five　hours。　Evening　was　approaching。　　My　drawings　were　finished；　and　I　prepared　to　leave。　　My　descent　from　the　summit　of　the　crater　edge　was　comparatively　rapid；　though　every　footstep　went　down　some　fifteen　inches　through　the　volcanic　ashes。　　I　descended　by　the　eastern　side；　and　was　soon　at　the　base　of　the　great　cone。　　I　made　my　way　by　tortuous　walking　round　the　erupted　masses　of　lava；　and　also　by　portions　of　the　lava　streams；　which；　on　losing　their　original　fluidity；　had　become　piled　up　and　contorted　into　gigantic　masses。

At　the　extreme　edges　of　the　flow；　where　the　lava　had　become　viscid；　these　folds　and　contortions　were　very　remarkable。　　They　were　piled　fold　over　fold；the　result　of　the　mighty　pressure　from　behind。　It　was　sad　to　see　so　many　olive　gardens　burnt　and　destroyed；　the　trees　were　as　black　as　charcoal。　　It　is　singular　to　see　the　numbers　of　orange　and　olive　growers　who　choose　to　live　so　near　to　the　〃fiery　element。〃　　But　the　heat　presses　forward　the　growth　of　vegetation。　To　be　there　is　like　living　in　a　hothouse；　and　the　soil　is　extraordinarily　fertile。　　Hence　the　number　of　vineyards　quite　close　to　the　base　of　Vesuvius。　　The　cultivators　endeavour　to　enclose　their　gardens　with　hard　masses　of　lava；　so　as　to　turn　off　the　flow　of　the　molten　streams　in　other　directions；　but　the　lava　bursts　through　the　walls　again　and　again；　and　the　gardens　are　often　utterly　burnt　up　and　ruined。　　A