Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by

D. AUSTIN WOODWORTH,

the Clerk's office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York.

STEREOTYPED BY THOMAS B. SMITH 216 William St. N. Y.

PRINTED BY

J. D. TORREY,

12 Spruce Street.

YOUTH'S CABINET.

NAPLES AND ITS ENVIRONS.

BY FRANCIS C. WOODWORTH.

APLES presents a great many attractions to the stranger. Its situation is one of almost unparalleled beauty. It is built to a considerable extent, on a hill, which overlooks the Bay of Naples, with the pretty islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida, and, away in the background, the blue Mediterranean. Nor are these all the elements which enter into the charming landscape, spread out before you. As you take your stand on the summit of the hill, near the Castle of St. Ermo, you can see the fine little villages of Resina, Torre del Greco, Sorrento, and Torre del Annunciata. Mount Vesuvius, too, continually emitting clouds of smoke, is in full view. That old giant forms a part of almost every landscape which one can take in Naples. I could hardly help frequently wishing, while here, especially in the night time, that the volcano would give me a chance to see such an exhibition of fire-works as he is accustomed to provide once in a while. At present, he is by no means in an excitable state, and seldom gives vent to anything more formidable than smoke. He is one of the most inveterate smokers I know of.

I think beggars are more plenty in Naples than any other Italian city I visited. That's saying a good deal, I am quite well aware,

and possibly it is saying a little too much. It may be that Rome will consider herself entitled to the palm in this respect. If so, rather than be at the expense of having the census of the lazzaroni population taken in the two cities, so as to be enabled to decide the case accurately, I would yield so far as to acknowledge that there were six beggars in one city to every half-dozen in the other. Many of the lazzaroni of Naples, I am sorry to say, do not scruple to steal a little, now and then, if they do not get a competent support by begging. One day I took a long promenade in the city, and visited portions of it where I never had been before. I was soon lost, but I did not care for that. I wandered on, intent only on seeing what sights of interest there were to be seen, well knowing that when I wished to find my way out of that labyrinth of short, narrow, dirty lanes, I could easily do so by means of one of the cabs which abound in every part of the city. Well, I saw quite strange, curious sights, though I had to pay for them rather more dearly than I anticipated. Several beggars, that looked as if they might have been cannibals, (though there is an old and I suppose a good adage that "you should never hang a man for his looks") accosted me at different times, and one or two of them, I recollected afterwards, approached pretty near me before I could get out of their way. I had in my coat pocket, when I went into that district, a new silk handkerchief, one which I had purchased in Europe, and which, consequently, I valued very highly. But when, after emerging from that district, I felt for the handkerchief, behold it was gone! Some beggar had filched it from my pocket. My loss, I suppose, may be regarded as an illustration of the fact that all valuable knowledge is more or less expensive.

"But does not

A curious set of people are the maccaroni-eaters. everybody eat maccaroni in southern Italy?" you ask. Yes, almost everybody. "Then why do you call a particular class of people maccaroni-eaters? why not call them all so?" I will tell you. There are certain people, of both sexes-generally men rather than women, though—who eat maccaroni for the amusement of spectators. You will find them at every corner, almost; and if you wish to see an exhibition of their inimitable skill, you pay a grano or two (not more than a couple of cents generally) for a dish of maccaroni; the pro