n and lost and replaced by new fashions, but here, in one lump,
stamped down hard for ever, are the things caught in a second of time
and held in an iron grip while the years rolled by.

Passing on we find a small temple to the Egyptian god Isis, and this was
the very first object to be discovered. Some men quarrying for stone
struck upon it and thus the long-lost site of the town was found. Then
we see the public baths with all the arrangements for heating the water;
the Pompeians, like the Romans, were very fond of bathing. But it is the
little things of everyday life that impress us most, and we are brought
up suddenly by seeing on a wall a poster of the day advocating the
return of one particular candidate to what was the Pompeian Parliament.
This carries us right back into the midst of them! So does also that
drinking-fountain by the street side, where the marble has been worn
hollow by the hands of those who leaned on it as they stretched forward
to drink at the spout!

We can walk through the market-place where the people bought and sold,
and look down into the great amphitheatre where the shows which they all
loved were held; but as our ship leaves at four o'clock we shall have to
tear ourselves away and hurry back along the little line again, running
round the base of the sullen brooding mountain which may at any time
hurl down his thunder-bolts on the vineyards which still creep up his
sides. Past Herculaneum, now partly unburied, and so to gay Naples,
where the sun is breaking out.

On the quay we see barrows covered with a curious flesh-coloured fruit
about the size and shape of a large pear, and this is quite new to us.
We discover these are called Indian figs; but why Indian? They are grown
here and are a popular native fruit. They are covered by a thick skin,
easily peeled off, and are full of juice and very large pips; they have
a sweetish rather sickly taste, but one can imagine they must be a great
boon to the poor Italians who can get a good refreshing drink for almost
nothing.

Once aboard we discover that something has gone wrong--a propeller has
dropped a blade and the ship will not start for some hours. We might
have stayed longer in Pompeii after all!

There are compensations for everything and soon we find that this delay
is going to be a good one for us, for it will enable us to see two other
volcanoes which otherwise we should have missed in the darkness.

We ask the night-steward to wak