GehejmelegationsraadBilleSteenAndersen

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en Scene af »Værtshuset i Terracina«, som svarer til Stedet og til Aubers »Fra Diavolo«.« Dagens Frembrud næste Morgen bragte dem et skjønnere Billede: Palmer, Kaktus, Aloer, som næsten indhegnede Vejen og forkyndte Syden. »Jeg har aldrig seet noget skjønnere eller mere ejendommeligt Landskab end det, som Bugten af Gaeta frembød, efter at vi havde besteget Bjergryggen ved Fondi, og den frie Udsigt aabnede sig over denne henrivende skjønne Bugt af Middelhavet, hvis himmelblaae Flade her indesluttes af en malerisk Bjergkløft.« Det var endda kun en Forberedelse til Neapels verdensberømte Bugt og dets Omegns vid­ underlige Karakter. Vesuv var i stærk Gjæring, men alligevel besteg de Bjerget indtil Krateret, hvorfra Røg og Masser af flammende Lava og Stene uophørlig skjød op som Kugler fra en Mørser, en Ødelæggelsens Veder­ styggelighed midt i Naturens paradisiske Fylde og Skjøn- hed. I min Broders Dagbog skriver han, efter at have skildret sin og sine Venners Bestigning af Vesuv: »The question came up whether we should, as we intended, remain on the mountain the night over to see the fires o f the volcano in the dark when the scene must be truly awful or return to Paradise below. Our large party were all for the latter, but me — and being finally outvoted I had to submit and we/commenced our descent in the most grotesque fashion by half jumping, half sliding down the side o f the mountain on which ashes had fallen like thick snow. The inclination was so abrupt that, at every leap you took, you seemed tofa ll through the air, but with a sense o f security —fo r when you again touched the ground it was in a featherbed o f ashes and after extricating yourself you made another tremendous leap in the same manner. So our wholeparty, shouting, racing and laughing at the extraordinary pro­