With fragrant turf, and flow’rs as wild and fair
As ever dress’d a bank, or scented summer air.”—Cowper.
We arrived at Terracina at eight o’clock, and at five in the morning recommenced our journey. After travelling five or six miles, we crossed the barriers between the Roman and Neapolitan states, where our passports were examined by the commandant of a small fort placed there. After this, the country expands itself into the vale of Fondi, the mountains retiring in such way, as to form a beautiful amphitheatre, richly clothed with luxuriant and diversified woods. Our road passed through the middle of this vale; a fine lake formed by the waters of innumerable mountain streams, which run through the plain, bounding it on the right,—beyond which lay the sea.
At Fondi, a small town situated in the above vale, the Appian road exists in its original state, composed of broad rough flag stones closely laid together, but without any cement interposed between them. The town of Fondi, like most southern towns, has a gloomy appearance, in consequence of the narrowness of the streets, and unglazed state of the windows. We now passed through Castelone, and after descending a steep hill, reached Mola de Gaieta, where we breakfasted at an excellent inn, delightfully situated, and commanding a fine view of the sea. Near this place, on the right of the road, we passed an ancient tower, said to be the tomb of Cicero, erected on the spot where he was murdered.
“Mola is in itself an insignificant place, but it derives interest, if not grandeur from its beautiful site; it consists of one street, formed by the Via Appia on the side, at the foot of a range of broken picturesque hills and mountains, covered with corn, vines, and olive-trees, and topped with rocks, churches, and towers. The waters that stream from these hills, unite and gush forth in a fountain close to the town. The most conspicuous and striking object from the town of Mola, is the fortress of Gaieta, crowning the rocky promontory of the same name, with its white ramparts and batteries.”
On leaving Gaieta, we passed over the river Garigliano by means of a wooden bridge. Our road after this, lay through the defiles of Mount Massicus, which communicates with those of Callicula, a mountain covered with forests, and we reached St. Agado about seven in the evening, when we took up our quarters for the night; here I was compelled to sleep in the same room with a man whom we had accidentally taken up on the road, and to which, being satisfied he was an indifferent, character, I at first strenuously objected, but finding I could get no other accommodation, I at length acceded, on condition that a third bed in the room should be also occupied; which was then filled by the servant of the Italian lady.
We set out from St. Agado at four o’clock in the morning, and at ten reached Capua for breakfast; here our vittureno drove us into the stable-yard, and left us to get our breakfast where we could, for the inn was fully occupied by Austrian officers, who were quartered at this place: there was no resource, but to put up with a bad breakfast at a miserable coffee-house.
We were informed, that an English carriage had been stopped by banditti the preceding evening, about a post on the other side of St. Agado, one of the horses shot dead, and their courier wounded; but the robbers becoming alarmed, took to flight before they had secured their booty. We congratulated ourselves upon an escape, having passed over the same ground only two hours before this actually occurred.