Litchfield enquirer., 1844-08-29
Lefters from Abroad. No. XV.
NAPLES. Dec. 10, 1s4

esg~E# NAPLES, Dec. 10, 1s43.
 My last letter was mailed to you from the Laza- retto at Malta, and like all my communications of a retrospective character. I am still somewhat in advance of my last letter, and will therefore retro grade to where left you. This eastern expedition I would not have abandoned for all we had previ- ously seen or are yet to see upon the continent In Greece and in other places there is many !" "Mecca of the mind" to which memory will make frequent pilgrimages and which, shall ever rejoice at having visited. The Byzantine city alone would amply repay us for the great expense and unpleas- ant encounters by sea we had incurred on our way, for it exceeded all we had anticipated, and will venture to say, that person, however vivid their
 imagination, could in their fancy portray any thing 90 beautiful. In short, our whole excursion from Trieste to Naples has been through perfect para disc, where there were, not one, but n.Gny Edens We left Constantnople late in the afternoon of the l7th of November, and remained upon deck, gazing upon its varied beauties, till darkness rendered all invisible. We were at our post betimes in the morning. and found we had passed the Sea of Mar mora, and nearly through the Dardanelles; the weather was cloudy and threatening, but remain ed till we had passed the castles of Europe and Asia at the entrance, looking my farewell on the plans of Troy, with its seemingly imperishable monuments, the mounds of Ajax, Patroclus, Achil- les, Eseytes, and of Antilochus, which, whether they be the tombs of the several heroes whose names they bear or no are landmarks that attract the eye for long distance, and will ever riv!t the wonder ing gaze of the idly curious, well as of the lover of classic lore. We had no sooner reached Tene- dos, than we were forced to seek shelter in the ca bin from the rain which had commenced falling the precursor of storm of which ere long we felt the full effect By 5, P. M., the wiRd had risen to a perfect hurricane. l secured dish of soup, and fearing to lose it, left the table and retired to my berth. The night was very dark; there was no moon, and we wefe sailiag uader starless canopy --the wind blew furiously, and the waves dashed over the bows of the vessel at fearful rate. The captain did not like to venture in the channel be- tween the island and the main land, and so took his course outside of Mitylene, which, though the sa- fest, was to us the most uncomfortable. We had been in our berth few hours astonishngly quiet- too Ill to speak, when all at once there was bus- tie and trampling upon deck the boat was suddenly still loud voices were heard above the, roar of the wind and waves then there was rush of those below to the deck above. MT. c. got up, opened the door and enquired of the maid 'what was the matter!" "A sailor had been washed overheard, and they were endeavoring to save him." Poor fellow! he with another were doing something to the anchor in the bow of the boat, terrible wave carried them overcome caught by the anchor and held fast, but the other must have fallen just Tn front of the wheelhouse, and was probably carried under Nothing could be seen of him, and it is most likely he never knew aught after the wave struck him that bore him to watery grave This was a sad beginning to stormy night; there was no sleeping by any one, and though our boat prov cd stanch and strong, she was i'll fitted to keep out the waves. There being only an open brass-work round the gangways, over which at night was spread tarpaulin, there was nothing to prevent the water rushing down the cabin, which it did at times with the nolse of waterfall the men were at the pumps all night, with four feet of water m the hold, and the walters were as constantly at work, baling and swabbing in the cabin. One poor negro woman who had her bed near the gangway, on sort of shelf, was 90 delugsd with the water that poured in upon her, that she nearly drown- ed before they discovered her. She had been a slave in Constantinope, as her seven years had ex pired, was now on pilgrimage to Mecca, thence ss missionary to her people to preach to them " the only true God, and MahOmet as his prophet" In the middle of the night wave dashed open our port which had not been properly secured. and de- luged US with little of the '' briny sea-" It through MT. C.'s cot into mine, but could only move a little to one side raised myself once and reached my hand to theoOr to feel if there was any water. found the carpet wet. but we were by no means aGoat. could do no more, but sunk back with sea sickness. and thought if Death were to stare me in the face, might rise to meet him, or to escape ifPossible but only ysuch emergency could give me strength. Thought too ofthe poor sailor suddenly called to his dread account, and hreathed prayer for his soul and the preservation of all in danger.
 The morning at length broke upon this, to us, sleepless and troubled night; but the captain find. ing he could make no headway, put into little port on the north side of Miayleae. where we re- mAiaed till one o'clock at night, all glad of respite from the tossing and tumbling we had experienced for the last twelve hours, and all complaining of headaches and lame backs. Byron says--
 There's not sea the traveller e'eT pules in,
 Throws up such dangerous pillows as the Euxine. |" \ have anlu hnnn Taar nnasnQh to faaA ,1r.oN sha