ins many palace-like buildings,
including the finance and police offices. A pretty spring, the
water of which falls down some rocks and forms a cascade, is also
worthy of mention.

A little to the left we come upon the Medina-square, boasting the
finest fountain in Naples. Between these two squares, beside the
sea-shore, lies Castel Nuovo, said to be built quite in the form of
the Bastille. It is strongly fortified, and serves as a defence for
the harbour. This is a very lively neighbourhood. Many an hour's
amusement have I had, watching the motley crowd, particularly on
Sundays and holydays, when it is frequented by improvisators,
singers, musicians, and mountebanks of every description.

Not far from the harbour is a long street in which numerous kitchens
and many provision-stalls are established. Here I walked in the
evenings to see the people assembled round the macaroni-pots: it is
advisable, however, to leave watch and purse at home, and even one's
pocket-handkerchief is not safe.

Of the shouting and crowding here no conception can be formed.
Large kettles are placed in front of the shops, and the proprietors
sit beside them, plunging a great wooden fork and spoon into the
cauldron to fill the plates of expectant customers. Some eat their
favourite dish with fat and cheese, others without, according to the
state of their exchequer for the time being; but one and all eat
with their fingers. The army of hungry mortals seems innumerable;
and during feeding-time the stranger finds no little difficulty in
forcing a passage, notwithstanding the breadth of the street. Not
far from this thoroughfare of the people two "Punchinellos" are
erected. In one of these the Marionettes are a foot and a half, and
in the other no less than three feet high.

There is, besides, a theatre for the people, where pieces of tragic
and comic character are performed, in all of which the clown plays a
prominent part. The remaining theatres, the Nuovo, the Carlini, and
others, are about the size of those in the Leopold- and Josephstadt
at Vienna, and can accommodate about 800 spectators. Their
exteriors and interiors are alike undistinguished; but in some of
them the singing and playing are very creditable. In one of these
theatres we are obliged to descend instead of to ascend to reach the
pit and the first tier of boxes.

Naples contains more than three hundred churches and chapels. I
visited a number of them, for I ent