counter. The jars were open-mouthed, and the
men who kept the shops were accustomed apparently to dip the wine out
of them, in selling to their customers.

After passing through a number of these streets, the party came at
length to a great public square called the _Forum_. This square was
surrounded with the ruins of temples, and other great public edifices.
The columns and porticos which bordered the square are all now more or
less in ruins; but there are still so many of them standing as to show
exactly what the forms of the buildings must have been when they were
complete, and how the square must have appeared.

In another part of the town were the remains of two theatres, and
outside the walls an immense amphitheatre, where were exhibited the
combats of wild beasts, and those of the gladiators. There are a great
many ruins of amphitheatres like this scattered over Italy. They are of
an oval form, and the seats extend all around. The place where the
combats took place was a level spot in the centre, called the _arena_.

In viewing these various ruins, Mr. George and the two students seemed
most interested in the theatres, and temples, and other great public
edifices, while Mrs. Gray and the children seemed to think a great deal
more of the houses and the shops. There was one baker's shop with the
oven entire, and three stone hand mills, in which the baker used to
grind his corn. There were a great many curious utensils and implements
found in this shop, when it was first excavated; but Mr. George said
that they had all been removed.

"I wish they had let them stay here," said Rollo.

"It would be a great deal more interesting to us to see them here," said
Mr. George, "but they would not have been safe. The government has
therefore built an immense museum at Naples, and every thing that is
movable has been carried there. So we come here first to see the town
and the remains of the shops and the houses, and then afterwards we go
to the museum at Naples to see the things that were found in them."

* * * * *

After rambling about in Pompeii for several hours, the party went out by
another gate, where they found the carriage waiting for them, and so
returned home.

CHAPTER IX.

THE MUSEUM.

The great museum at Naples is one of the most wonderful collections of
curiosities in the world. It is contained in an immense building, which
is divided into numerous galleries and h