GehejmelegationsraadBilleSteenAndersen

en Scene af »Værtshuset i Terracina«, som svarer til

Stedet og til Aubers »Fra Diavolo«.«

Dagens Frembrud næste Morgen bragte dem et

skjønnere Billede: Palmer, Kaktus, Aloer, som næsten

indhegnede Vejen og forkyndte Syden. »Jeg har aldrig

seet noget skjønnere eller mere ejendommeligt Landskab

end det, som Bugten af Gaeta frembød, efter at vi havde

besteget Bjergryggen ved Fondi, og den frie Udsigt

aabnede sig over denne henrivende skjønne Bugt af

Middelhavet, hvis himmelblaae Flade her indesluttes af en

malerisk Bjergkløft.« Det var endda kun en Forberedelse

til Neapels verdensberømte Bugt og dets Omegns vid

underlige Karakter. Vesuv var i stærk Gjæring, men

alligevel besteg de Bjerget indtil Krateret, hvorfra Røg

og Masser af flammende Lava og Stene uophørlig skjød

op som Kugler fra en Mørser, en Ødelæggelsens Veder

styggelighed midt i Naturens paradisiske Fylde og Skjøn-

hed. I min Broders Dagbog skriver han, efter at have

skildret sin og sine Venners Bestigning af Vesuv:

»The question came up whether we should, as we

intended, remain on the mountain the night over to see

the fires o f the volcano in the dark when the scene

must be truly awful or return to Paradise below. Our

large party were all for the latter, but me

—

and being

finally outvoted I had to submit and we/commenced our

descent in the most grotesque fashion by half jumping,

half sliding down the side o f the mountain on which

ashes had fallen like thick snow. The inclination was

so abrupt that, at every leap you took, you seemed tofa ll

through the air, but with a sense o f security —fo r when

you again touched the ground it was in a featherbed

o f ashes and after extricating yourself you made another

tremendous leap in the same manner. So our wholeparty,

shouting, racing and laughing at the extraordinary pro