Ourjourneyhitherwasthroughthemostbeautifulpartofthefinestcountryintheworld; andeveryspotofitonsomeaccountorother,; nounwholesomeairs,orviolentheats,yetheardof: Thepeoplecallitabackwardyear,andareinpainabouttheircorn, wine, andoil; butwe,whoareneithercorn, wine, noroil,, Cisterna, Terracina, Capua, andAversa, 'sdominions, thefaceofthingsbeginstochangefromwideuncultivatedplainstoolivegrovesandwell-tilledfieldsofcorn,intermixedwithranksofelms,everyoneofwhichhasitsvinetwiningaboutit,-trees,theorangesinfullbloom,andmyrtlesineveryhedge,makeoneofthemostpleasingscenesyoucanconceive; besidesthat,theroadsarewide,well-kept,andfullofpassengers,,whichIthinkfornumberofpeople,,,moreindustriousthanItaliansusuallyare; theyworktillevening; thentaketheirluteorguitar (fortheyallplay)andwalkaboutthecity,oruponthesea-shorewithit,-naked,andthebiggeronesdancingwithcastanets,; itisonthemostlovelybayintheworld,andoneofthecalmestseas: ,suchasthebayofBayaanditsremainsofantiquity; thelakeAvernus,andtheSolfatara,Charon'sgrotto,etc.,WehavebeenintheSybil'scaveandmanyotherstrangeholesunderground (IonlynamethembecauseyoumayconsultSandy'stravels); butthestrangestholeIeverwasin,hasbeentodayataplacecalledPortici,,astheyweredigging,theydiscoveredsomepartsofancientbuildingsabovethirtyfeetdeepintheground: Curiosityledthemon,andtheyhavebeendiggingeversince; thepassagetheyhavemade,withallitsturningsandwindings,,manyhousesadornedwithmarblecolumns,andincrustedwiththesamethefrontofatemple,,andwiththesethekinghasadornedhispalace; alsoanumberofstatues,medals,andgems; ,thatintheemperorTitus'stimewasover-whelmedbyafuriouseruptionofMountVesuvius,! Butburnttoacoal,,whichatpresentsmokesonlyalittle,wherewesawthematerialsthatfedthestreamoffire,; toolittleinconscienceforsuchaplace.