Page:Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857 Vol 2.djvu/18



was after the sullen sunset, of a wet and wild day, before we were able to reach the bottom of the ravine beneath Montemurro. We had mistaken the way in the rapidly-gathering darkness, and had to cross the stream, here small and shallow, again, and to urge the mules, jaded with the long day’s march and the fatigues of the continuous ascent and sticky mire of the last three or four miles, up the steep clay bank, beyond A (Photog. No. 259), and beneath the town (Photog. No. 262), where the deep clays into which they sank to the knees, were encumbered by the stones and ruin of the houses above, that had pitched out over and shot down the bank. It was with much difficulty that the laden animals were got to the summit, which brought us almost directly, on to the plateau of ruins, and in a few yards more we stood in front of the great monastery of St. Francisco, on what had been, a Piazza or Largo, and comparatively unencumbered with rubbish (Photog. No. 260, Coll. Roy. Soc.).

VOL. II.B