Pompeii had suffered severely from an earthquake sixteen years before,
but had been rebuilt and adorned with many a stately building,
particularly a magnificent theatre, where thousands were assembled to
see the gladiators when this tremendous visitation burst upon the
devoted city, and buried it to a considerable depth with the fiery
materials thrown from the crater. "Day was turned to night," says a
classic author, "and night into darkness; an inexpressible quantity of
dust and ashes was poured out, deluging land, sea, and air, and burying
two entire cities, Pompeii and Herculaneum, whilst the people were
sitting in the theatre."
[Illustration: POMPEII--APARTMENT IN "THE HOUSE OF THE HUNTER"]
Many parts of Pompeii have, at various times, been excavated, so as to
allow visitors to examine the houses and streets; and in February, 1846,
the house of the Hunter was finally cleared, as it appears in the
Engraving. This is an interesting dwelling, and was very likely the
residence of a man of wealth, fond of the chase. A painting on the right
occupies one side of the large room, and here are represented wild
animals, the lion chasing a bull, &c. The upper part of the house is
raised, where stands a gaily-painted column--red and yellow in festoons;
behind which, and over a doorway, is a fresco painting of a summer-house
perhaps a representation of some country-seat of the proprietor, on
either side are hunting-horns.
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