One day I went to visit the Museum or Studii, as it is called, which is situated at the extremity of the Strada di Toledo on the land side.  Here is a superb collection of sculpture and painting; and this building contains likewise the national library, and a choice and unique collection of Etruscan vases.  A large hall contains these vases, which were found at Pompeii[96]; they are much admired for their beauty and simplicity; each vase has a mythological or historical painting on it.  In this Museum I was shewn the rolls of papyrus found in Pompeii and Herculaneum and the method of unrolling them.  The work to unroll which they are now employed at this Museum is a Greek treatise on philosophy by Epicurus.  It is a most delicate operation to unroll these leaves, and with the utmost possible care it is impossible to avoid effacing many of the letters, and even sentences, in the act of unrolling.  It must require also considerable learning and skill in the Greek language, combined with a good deal of practise, to supply the deficiency of the words effaced.  When these manuscripts are put in print, the letters that remain on the papyrus are put in black type, and the words guessed at are supplied in red; so that you see at one glance what letters have been preserved, and what are supplied to replace those effaced by the operation of unrolling; and in this manner are all the papyrus manuscripts’ printed.

Visit to Pompeii and Ascent of Vesuvius.

11th Oct.

We returned, Mr R——­ D——­ and I, from our visit to Vesuvius, half dead with fatigue from having had little or no rest the whole night, about three o’clock to Naples.

We left Naples in a caleche yesterday after breakfast and drove to Portici.  Portici, Resina, and Torre del Greco are beautiful little towns on the sea-shore of the bay of Naples or rather they may be termed a continuation of the city, as they are close together in succession, and the interval filled up with villas.  The distance from the gates of Naples to Portici is three miles.  The road runs through the court yard of the Royal Palace at Portici which has a large archway at its entrance and sortie.  We proceeded to Resina and alighted in order to descend under ground to Herculaneum, Resina being built on the spot where Herculaneum stood.  There are always guides on this road on the look out for travellers; one addressed us, and conducted us to a house where we alighted and entered.  Our guide then prepared a flambeau, and having unlocked and lifted up a trap door invited us to descend.  A winding rampe under ground leads to Herculaneum.  We discovered a large theatre with its proscenium, seats, corridors, vomitories, etc., and we were enabled, having two lighted torches with us, to read the inscriptions.  Some statues that were found here have been removed to the Museum at Portici.  This is the only part of Herculaneum that has been excavated; for if any further excavations were attempted, the whole town of Resina, which is built over it, would fall in.  Herculaneum no doubt contains many things of value, but it would be rather too desperate a stake to expose the town of Resina to certain ruin, for the sake of what might be found.  At Pompeii the case is very different, there being nothing built over its site.