Chapter 30 Summary

The phrase "See Naples and die" is meant to express how beautiful Naples is. Mark Twain agrees that it is beautiful, but only from a distance. High up on the side of Mount Vesuvius, Naples is beautiful. But, he says, don't look at it up close. In Twain's eyes, Naples is ugly, disgusting, smelly and holds people of no morals. It is as crowded as New York, but nothing like New York. In Naples, the elite wander around the street with the homeless, and vagrants dwell pitifully on the palace steps. It is not a nice place at all.

One necessary stop along the ascent of the Vesuvius is to the Grotto Del Cane. There are tales of this cave that say dogs go to sleep and never wake up. People, too, if they decide to sleep, will never wake up. Twain is...