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VIETRI.

Nè qui giaccion paludi
Che del impuro letto
Mandino ai capi ignudi
Nuvol di morbi infetto:

E il meriggio a' bei colli
Asciuga i dorsi molli.

The balmy spirit of the western gale

Eternal breathes on fruits untaught to fail:

The same mild season gives the blooms to blow,
The buds to harden, and the fruits to grow.

PARINI,

ODYSSEY, B. VII.

On the borders of the Bay of Salerno, midway between that place and La Cava, appears the picturesque site of Vietri, on an eminence overlooking one of the most beautiful valleys, for its size, in Italy. Skirted by the road on one side, the approach at every step becomes more and more interesting; but the silence and solitude of its mountain scenery is broken, as you draw nigh, by the incessant bustle and activity arising from the business of a paper manufactory, of which the mills are put in motion by a stream that flows along the margin of the hills below. The vicinity, however, is diversified and enlivened by a number of variegated and picturesque dwellings, in the Italian style, and distributed in little groups at intervals over the hills and grassy glades,-some on apparently inaccessible and rocky eminences, projecting from the mountain

heights above; and others on gentle slopes, which breathe fragrance and amenity from their green, sunny, banks. The hills around are also beautifully clothed with verdure, fruits, or flowers, almost to their summits, which are nearly perpendicular, and afford a delightful relief to the somewhat monotonous character of the adjacent scenery.

Salerno is seen rising over a fine sweep of the bay, along the base of majestic hills, with hermitages and little cottages, placed, as at Vietri, on inaccessible projections. It is, however, by no means considered so salubrious as the latter place; and all the more wealthy inhabitants, during the summer months, are eager to exchange their residences for the fine bracing air of this little village. In proof of the bad air of Salerno, it is observed by Mr. Forsyth, "I remarked here a number of apothecaries, who are said to adhere very generally to their old Saracenic pharmacy."

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CETARA.

Mirerai rive selvagge,

Chiusi boschi, aperti prati,

Spechi ombrosi, apriche piagge.

CHIABRERA.

SITUATED on the same coast, but possessed of attractions of a different character, the secluded and unfrequented village of Cetara is more distinguished for its site, and the wildly picturesque and magnificent views it affords from the sea, than for its historical or antiquarian character. It lies between Salerno and Amalfi, and is almost inaccessible, except by water. A narrow, broken, and seldom-frequented path, following the irregular projections and recesses of the mountains, the base of which is washed by the sea, runs from Vietri, and winds up among the cliffs, on the brink of which is seen the little hamlet, but enclosed as it were in a natural bay, with the majestic mountains towering above. These, if less stupendous than the Alps, are more agreeable to the eye and the imagination, from the circumstance of being richly cultivated by the little peasant colony which they shelter and almost shut out from the world; not a foot of ground but is made to contribute to the support or the comfort of its cultivators.`

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