in which it was buried, is far looser than that which covers
Herculaneum. In the former city, although it was anciently reckoned
only a third-rate place, there have already been discovered eight
temples, a forum, a basilica, two theatres, a magnificent
amphitheatre, and public baths. The ramparts, composed of huge
blocks of stone, have also been exposed. One of the most remarkable
places is the Cemetery. It consists of a broad path covered with
pavement, and bordered on either side with stately monuments,
placed over the tombs of the wealthy citizens of the place, and in
which whole families have been interred.

The houses were found filled with elegant furniture, the walls of
the apartments adorned with beautiful paintings. Numerous statues,
vases, lamps, and other elegant works of art, have been recovered.
Many skeletons have also been found, in the exact positions in
which the living men were caught by the deadly shower of
suffocating ashes. The excavators came upon the skeleton of a
miser, who had been attempting to escape from his house, and whose
bony fingers were still clutching the purse which contained the
treasure he loved. There were also found in the barracks at Pompeii
the skeletons of two soldiers chained to the stocks; and the
writings scribbled by the soldiers on the walls are still quite
legible. In the vaults of a villa in the suburbs were discovered
the skeletons of seventeen persons, who had probably sought refuge
there, and been entombed. The stuff in which they were imbedded had
been originally soft, but had become hardened through time. In this
substance was found a cavity, containing the skeleton of a female
with an infant in her arms. Although nothing but the bones
remained, the cavity contained a perfect cast of the woman's
figure--thus showing that she must have been imbedded in the