TALBOT1060

Naples,
Thursday
Feb. 27. 1823

My Dear M^r Feilding,

I think you had much better defer coming here till the end of April, as you originally intended: for, tho’ Naples is always interesting, it must be much more so in fine spring weather. The Campagna Felice, an immense plain covered with trees & vines, is now utterly leafless; which in May must be quite beautiful – Besides the society here would not make you amends for that you would have at Rome. The Compton’s [sic]¹ were to have sailed today, but it blows a gale of wind – & the air is so thick, we cannot see anything of the opposite shore of the Bay. I have been amusing myself with my Theodolite, which Amici ² has repaired very well – I find the height of Vesuvius just 4000 feet, and the diameter of the Crater 660 yards – Its depth is extremely difficult to measure, what with puffs of smoke, and there being no remarkable object at bottom to serve as a point de mire, ³ and hardly room enough on its narrow rim, to establish the stand of the instrument. I found the depth 640 feet, more or less; most people imagine it greater, for it is a most awful abyss –

The highest mountain I could see from Vesuvius, is the Monte Miletto in the Abruzzi – I measured it, and found it to be 7340 feet. – I saw very distinctly the Monte Circello near Terracina, which is nearer Rome than Naples, & from the top of which one must have a curious & interesting view of the whole country between the 2 capitals – It is near 70 [illegible deletion] miles from Vesuvius, & looked like an island – It is in fact, completely insulated, and surrounded by the Pontine Marshes; –

Yours most affectionately
W.H.F. Talbot

I wish you would explain to me how lending the Sinking Fund helps the Agricultural Distress. ⁴ – Can you let me have Galignani, ⁵ after you have read him, for I hardly ever see a newspaper.

I don’t know which is the more magnificent collection, the Vatican, or the Studi ⁶ here.

[illustration]

Behold a rude sketch of the Smoke from Vesuvius on the evening of Saturday the 22^d – as it appeared from our window distant ten miles – We had been up that morning, & the smoke had been increasing all day, till it arrived at the form & magnitude [I]⁷ have traced.

Monsieur

M. le capitaine Feilding
Palazzo Ceva
Roma