Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-12-19
Letters from Rayard Taylor.
NUMBER III.
A GERMAN HOWE.
- ANA3ANtA nv 1AOAA6s
Correspondence Of The N. Y. Tribune.
GorHA. Germany, Nov. 4, 1856.

| HOOIHA, OSTiiiluy " NOV Il 1000.
had an interesting interview on my way
from Lausanne hither. At Bale the dill
gence from Neutchatel and Bcrne came to-
gether at the railroad station, and their re-
spective passengers were deposited in the
cars for Heidelberg and Frankfort. We
found ourselves in the company of three
strangers, one of whom immediately attrac-
ted my notice. He was a slender man,
about thirty-fve years old with black eyes
and beard, and pale yellow complexion
He spoke German with perfect correctness,
but slowly, and addressed me in very toIer-
able English; yet could not fix upon his
nationality.
happened causually to speak of Venice,
when he stated that he had Just come
thence. He then mentioned Corfu, and we
compared our impressions of that island; !;
then of the Grecian isles, then of Lebanon
and the Syrian Shores Il know Syria very
WELL" said |, "from Jerusalem to Aleppo."
$50 do l." said he. II travelled from Alep-
DO through Asia Minor to Constantinople,"
I continued. sand l." he rejoined, "went
from Aleppo to .Nineveh, down the Tgris
to Baghdad, and thence to Bombay" a
also visited Bombay" | said, ''traveled in
land to the Himalayas, and down the Gan
ges to Calcutta" "Just the route travel
ed," he again replied. "But," 1 remarked,
9there are few Germans who travel so ex-
tcnsively as vou." at is true that few
German travellers visit India, but there are
several German missionaries stationed there
81 have heard of one" answered
Sprenger, who has written most admira-
bic Life of Mohammed" "Whyp he ex-
claimed, in mingled surprise and delight,
81 am DR.. Sprengerp
regretted that I could spend but six
hours in the society of so estimable man,
and so thorough a scholar. He was return
ing home from an absence of thirteen years
in India, bringing with him quantity of
rare and valuable Arabic manuscripts. He
had passed year at Damascus, where he
had many opportunities of making acquain-
tances among the Desert Arabs, and I was
gratifed to find that we entirely agreed in
our estimate of the character of that noble
race of men. He was fortunate enough to
get possession of a geographical work of
the fourth or fifth century, a work of excee-
ding value and Importance, which he intends
to translate and publish. He also informed
me that he had met in Damascus with the
former Lady Ellenborough, who is now
married to an Arab shekh, and pronounced
the story of her murder, through the jeal-
ousy of the other wives, to be entirely false.
On landing at Trieste, DR.. Sprenger was
gravely informed by the authorities that his
collection of Arabic MSS. must be submit
ted to the inspection of the Censor, before
he could be permitted to retain possession
of them. "Why" he demonstrated, "theY
are Arabic" $50 much the worse" said
the officer; at is the more probable that
they are insiduous and revolutionary
"But," he again urged, ''the Censor cannot
read them" "That is unfortunate foryou,"
was the answer, "you will have to wait until
we find man who can, for there is no know
ing what dangerous sentiments may be con-
cealed under these heroglyphics" And 50
the traveller was obliged to part with his
treasures, until the subimely stupid Austri-
an Government shall be convinced that
there is no treason in the heroics of Antar
or the word jugglery of Hariri of Bosrah.
For the past fifteen days 1 have been qui-
etly settled in my German home, dividing
my time between excursions into the Thur
ingian forest, and the preparatory studies
for the North. Gotha is one of the quiet
est towns in Germany, but it would be diff
icult to find pleasanter one. 1t is built
on the undulating table-land at the foot of
the Thuringian hills, 1000 feet above the