Page:Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857 Vol 2.djvu/207

146 Salaris, at the lowest point of the valley, directly beneath, the fall down to which is between 200 and 300 feet by eye. The fall in the river bed has hence rapidly decreased, between Oliveto and this, as the volume of its united waters have increased, which now roll past a great river.

I arrive at Eboli once more, after a long and weary day's ride, and having thus completed an entire circle round the earthquake focus.

The night was clear and fine, and I arranged to have myself called up at midnight, after some sleep, to take an observation of the pole star, for correcting magnetic declination, as a check upon the more than doubtful solar observation made at Duchessa, on the outward journey.

The result, owing to enough wind acting on the legs of the theodolite, to disturb the image of the star, was less precise than I had hoped for. It gave 15° west as the magnetic declination.

Within the last few weeks I had "roughed it" a good deal, and had known most of the small miseries of camp life in the wet and cold of winter. Yet such is the undefinable charm, this sort of nomad adventure with an object clear in view, possesses, that this evening, while conscious that I had completed my circle of observation, and was about to return to the lights and fires of Naples, and of our so-called "civilized life," was almost the only one of sadness I had felt throughout my journeying, except when now and then in presence of suffering and wretchedness that I could neither relieve nor mitigate; and I am afraid I received the congratulations of my host of the Da Vozzi upon my anticipated return to "society" in a less courtly manner than they deserved.