circulated, and produced decidedly enlivening
effects.

At about eleven o'clock, we were
marshalled into a large room up-stairs, where
supper was laid in the same style as dinner
had been; and, indeed, it consisted very nearly
in the same routine: it occupied, to be sure,
less time. Dancing followed once more; and,
like all after-supper dancing, it was done with
spirit. The languor of the previous displays
was now succeeded by vigorous and amusing
movements. Before supper, in fact, it had
been really hard work to dance in a room by
daylight. In the middle of summer, the
evenings are so light in these northern
latitudes, that we had not required candles before
supper.

While the greater part of the company
were thus engaged, I was attracted by the
sound of voices in chorus outside, and
wandered away to find out what was going on. I
found a group of seven or eight of the young
men of the party, who were singing Norsk
and German songs in parts, very beautifully.
They stood under a chestnut-tree on one side
of the hall-door, and the light from one of the
windows of the dancing-room fell on the group
with capital effect.

Singing in parts is an accomplishment
much valued in Norway. In Christiania there
are various clubs or societies established for
the practice of part-songs, — one among the
students, another among the shopkeepers, &c.
The Norsk national air, " For Norge Vigempers
Födeland," was sung with great applause.
It is a most inspiriting strain, of modern
origin, being the composition of Mehul. Our
own national air was also performed among
the number, and was, I found, claimed by
Sweden as well as by Germany.

By this time it had really become late—
past midnight — and some of the party, who
had several English miles to drive before
they should reach home, began to think it
high time to take leave.

The hostess was again assailed with thanks;
but this time the burden of the compliment
was, " Tak for idag " (Thanks for to-day).
The horses were put to, the wondrous
carriages again drove up to the door, looking
exceedingly clean and respectable in the uncertain
twilight; and the company dispersed,
after the "Vortens Skaal " (The Host's
Health) had been performed by the
before-mentioned choristers.

UP VESUVIUS.

I ROSE in particularly good time, and
proceeded at once to Portici by the first train.
The reader must be informed, or reminded, of
the existence of a snug little railway in this
part of the world, that runs along the smiling
shore of the Bay of Naples, and connects
the capital with the charming watering-place
of Castel-a-mare. On this railway, Portici
the nearest and most convenient starting-point
for Vesuvius is one of the stations; and
another station, a few miles further down the
line, is the town of Pompeii. The dry bones
may hope to live now that Pompeii is become a
railway station. Getting out of the carriage
at Portici, I walked on to the neighbouring
village of Resina, and there halted for breakfast.
Most of the Vesuvian guides live here ;
and, while I was cracking my eggs and sipping
my coffee, a posse of these worthies were
noisily disputing outside for possession of my
person. Putting my head out of the window,
I presumed to choose my own custodian ;
beckoned one, who seemed the most intelligent,
up to my room, and made an arrangement by
which I agreed to give him for the day's
services the sum of one piashe (about four
shillings), and the customary drink-money.
A traveller in Italy, or indeed in any other
country, will always find his wheels oiled as
he passes through it, if he make a point of
quietly acceding to the expectations of the
people in such little matters.

By eight A.M., under orders of the guide, I had
left Resina, and we were on our way to Mount
Vesuvius. The road beyond the village was
tolerably easy, until we came to the edge of
an extensive bed or stream of hard irregular
lava that had found its way out of the volcano
in the year 1849. The eruption of that year
caused considerable damage to the vineyards,
burning them up, and completely destroying
the fertility of the ground for some miles
around the base of the mountain. The grapes
cultivated on these slopes produce an excellent
wine called Lacryma Christi; it has some
resemblance to Champagne, and fetches a high
price. We walked, or rather, stumbled, across
this sterile tract; and, in about an hour and
a half, reached a small hermitage, where
visitors can have the pleasure of signing their
names in a book, and of being fleeced in the
purchase of a box, containing minute fragments
of granite, and other equally scarce pieces of
stone. There is always something to be bought
on a show-mountain; on Snowdon they sell
worsted stockings.

A little farther on, stands the Royal
Observatory. A small company of soldiers are
stationed here for the protection of travellers
—a precaution by no means needless — against
robbers; guides included, for they look upon
a traveller a little too much as a bit of booty.
Another hour's hard toiling brought us to the
base of the cone; for so the upper part of the
mountain near its mouth is termed. Before
attempting to ascend this cone — which is by far
the steepest and most difficult part of the whole
ascent — we halted, and laid in a good supply of
bread and fruit, and wine, supplied by a man,
who followed in our train. I should observe,
that travellers can ride up to this point on
horses or mules; but, since I had enjoyed
some previous experience in Switzerland, and
did not anticipate more difficulty than the
mountains in that country present, I resolved,
much against the inclination of my guide, to