Octavio Cassano's Diary
Octavio Cassano’s Diary: A leather bound folio that is somewhat weathered. It is bound with a leather strap and lock, good grade paper.
May 1, 1858
London, 10:30 AM
I, Octavio Cassano have decided that I will keep a diary of our travels and what we find. I see this book of paper blank with possibility and am like a giddy schoolboy! This trip was called for and funded by the patron of the British Library of London by Anthony Panizzi. May the Lord bless him and keep him, this is amazing work, and I am thankful he picked me to lead it. We have been underway for a few hours. Weather is rough and wet; I look forward to the sun on the Amalfi coast.
May 3,1858
Shipboard, 1 PM
I gathered Edward Gibbons, an Englishman, Henry Baraday, an American, Grimiscos Antolodo, and Paulo Rivagati (both Italian gentlemen like me) in my cabin to coordinate our plans as we approach Italy. Each of them brings with them a wealth of knowledge not only of archeology but also of ancient Italy. I am blessed to work with such talented scholars.
Edward Gibbons I met at the Library, a man of letters and knowledge. We worked together at a dig in Egypt. A smiling, charming man, Edward is quick of mind and keen of eye. He finds many connections that I would otherwise miss. I value his advice, and I look forward to seeing what he finds.
Henry Baraday is a determined researcher. Almost always with his bloody pipe, the Virginian has spent a lot of time in Europe, working on uncovering the parts of our history that have been lost. Panizzi introduced us, he is solitary, and often can be found checking the papers for news of his home country. He studied in Philadelphia, and has shown to be perceptive and intelligent.
Grimiscos Antolodo and Paulo Rivagati…they are a team. At once lively and entertaining, they are sharp and well versed in archeology as we know it. There are those who claim that there is more to their teamwork than meets the eye, but I doubt that. Both are good men, though they heartily dislike working apart. Grimiscos is the doer of the pair, while Paulo seems to be the verbal link. It is the seldom that makes Paolo short for words. Whether speaking or singing, Paolo is seldom silent.
As a team we are going to change the way the world sees Italy on this trip!
May 10, 1858
Pompeii, 8 PM
The ship ride from London was rough, the weather getting better as we approached Italy. Naples is a lovely city, and I am glad to be back in my home country. We made dock by 1 PM this afternoon local time. We spent a while unloading and gathering our supplies. At dinner tonight I met Petrosio Giovanni, he has been instrumental at arranging transport, laborers, and equipment for our dig. Petrosio is a man of medium height and fine featured. He has been blessed with the flawless skin of our kind, and a fine head of dark black hair. He dressed as a Lord of the Manor and seems very wealthy. I don’t believe he is married, though women came and went on his arm tonight. While he was engaging and kind, to be truthful diary he at times exhibited as cold a demeanor as I have seen in some time. I do not mean to impugn his welcome, but whenever we were not looking, he seemed to be watching us as if apart, sniffing us for food and not our kind host. I will be glad to be on the road. The ship has made me unkind.
May 12, 1858
Naples, 8 PM
Weather is warm and moist today. We spent the day loading wagons and mules with supplies. The roads between Naples and Pompeii are cobblestone at best. There is no rail line between Naples and Pompeii. I have hired twenty local men to act as laborers. The Mountain Vesuvius puffs contentedly above us. I am so excited I can barely think of sleep.
May 15, 1858
Herculaeum, 10 PM
Edward is doing many drawings along the way. I think I will give him my diary from time to time to sketch what we see as he has a better hand for it than I. We spent some time here examining the ruins of Herculaeum. Much of this has been excavated by the Italian government, and while they are willing to talk to us, they are not really willing to share findings yet. Damned nationalistic pride getting in the way of research. Travel is slow, we are carrying a lot of equipment. I wish we had been able to set off the ship farther down the coast, but it is unavoidable.
May 17, 1858
Pompeii, 8 PM
Our party arrived in the town of La Civita. Only a few scattered hovels are here that people live in. A parish church, and some scattered businesses, a diner, a black smith. A dry goods market supplies the rural needs of this town. At the same time, the humps and bumps of the old city buried here are evident. Here and there I can see pillars, and the edges of buildings, crumbling parts of walls. As in many places, a town has been built on the bones of a city built beneath it. In the structure of the current town in places
