Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-09-23
A VISIT TO PATMOS.

the place where John the Evangelist beheld and
wrote his visions. The description OF St Jonn,S
Chapel, the cave in which the beloved dsc'P!e
was confined, and where the Saviour revealed him.
self cannot but suggest many holy, beautiful, and
unutterable thoughts:
How different the associations connected with it'll
How bright and beautiful is the face Of the beloved
disciple, which rises before every one, when the
place of his exile and his wonderful visions is
toned! Our visit there was as unexpected rs it
was delightful. few hours after passing through
the Icarian sea, high wind came careering over
the deep, and as could make but little progress
against it, it was determined to make the port Of
the Island Of Patmos, which had been some time in
view on our star5oard bow. As We approached it.
the chief town presented quite . picturesque ap-
pearance, on the top Of lofty hill, overlooking
great part of the island and the boundess The
island itself seemed, at . distance, like mass OF
barren rocks; and even when entered its quiet
little bay, we could discover only here and there
any signs of vegetable life. On the sides of the
hills, on one side of US, few men were digging up
small patches of earth in the midst of innumerable
and almost impossible rocks, while on the opposite
side lay small fishing town of few hundred in
habitants, its low white houses struggling along the
beach, and imparting almost any other idea than
that of comfort or welcome:
There was an air of extreme poverty all around
us and though visit to the little city on the sum
init might have changed my opinion, yet lett Pat
mos, feeling that its people had sunk perhaps as low
in ignorance and ineticiency as any Of that portion
of the Greeks who are still subject to Moslem do
minion. Patmos belongs to the Turks, though the
sole Turk on the island is the Governor, who sent
us his compliments, and his regrets that the quar-
antine regulations of the port prevented him from
seeing us in person. A rapid walk of half an hour
brought to the chapel of St. john 1t is built on
the side of precipitous HILL and consists of an
angular mass of buildings, rising three stories one
above the other. The principal entrance was in the
second story. Entering, We found ourselves in
low count, and were invited to sit down upon some
rude wooden benches, till the Padre or Greek Priest
made his appearance In the meantime We were
surrounded by company of Greek youths whose
curiosity and surprise were as much excited by our
foreign dress and language as were ours at finding
ourselves in such scene. The priest finally ap-
peared in flowing black beard and dark dress, and
after short interview invited US to ascend to his
apartments. We found that the youths were his
pupils, and the rooms to which he had introduced
principally devoted to instruction. Among
the books of instruction saw some from the Amer
lean Mission press at Smyrna, and on the walls were
suspended maps, not indeed of very modern date,
but sufficiently correct to give some true ideas OF
the distant parts Of the earth, and even of America
l noticed this popularity one of the officers OF
the Saranac had informed me that, in one OF the
islands of the Archipelago, where an American YES
sci had been for the first time, venerable Greek
priest asked him where America was; and after
some explanation finally sale, &C yes, remem-
Der there was a new country discovered some time
ago by Columbus" This was little worse
than the question asked me by quite an intelligent
Greek at Athens-a priest of the Roman Catholic
order" what language was spoken in the United
States?" When replied to him that the English
language was spoken there by over twenty millions
of people, he did not express any surprise, but
looked at me as q sailor who "could spin a long
yarn" out of thread of his own invention This
priest Of Patmos, however, understood the great
world Of the West little better, and had felt the
influence of some of the ideas which our missiona-
ries have set in motion through the Smyrna press
He was surrounded by company of bright boys
who read to very beautifully out Of their modern
Greek books, and exhibited to us their copy-books
Their inkstands were an exact copy of the writers
inhorn," described by the Prophet Ezekiel three
thousand years ago, fitted to hang in the girde by
the side, and to carry the pen within them l OBJ
tanned one as curiosity, and treasured it up among
the memorials of Patmos. After gratifying himself
by exhibiting to his school, the priest led the
way to the chapel, which was the special object of
our visit This is situated in the very lowest part
OF the strange pile OF buildings clustered here to-
gether. 1t is, in fact in the side of hill to
which you descend by several fights of steps, and
into which the light of heaven never penetrates
The ceiling is the natural rude arch Of the cave in
some places fifteen or twenty feet high, while on
one side you can touch it with your hands. In the
highest portion is the principal altar, before which
light is kept perpetually burning; and behind it,
and around the walls are pictures of the Virgin and
Of saints, Of the poorest possible character. The
great point of attraction however, is on the low
sides Of the cave. Here the priest held up his
waxen candles against the ceiling, and gravely in
formed us that the assures We saw there were made
by the "great voice as of trumpet, which John
heard behind him on the Lords day, saying, I am
Alpha and Omega, the first and the last" 1t was
while captive in this subterranean prison. and re-
ceiving his daily bread through a small aperture
fad hryt y,rio IN he Sc A.
that he turned his face in the direction of the mi
lacuous voice, and saw the splendid vision of his
Lord. Here were the seven golden candes!icks,
and in the midst of the candesticks, one like unto
the Son of Man, clothed with garment down to
the foot, and grit about the paps with golden CIR
die. His head and his hair were white like wool.
as white as snow, and bis eyes we're as fame Of
hire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they
burned in furnace and his voice as the sound of
many waters. And he had in his right hand seven
stars and out of his mouth went sharp two edged
sword; aid his countenance was as the sun shneth
In MS strength" 1t was on the rocky floor where
stood that John fell at the feet of Jesus as dead"
and he laid his right hand upon him, saving fear
not; am the First and the Last am he that liv.
eth, and was dead, and behold am alive forever
more, amen; and have the keys of hell and DEATH"
At my request, the priest repeated the original
Greek Of this sublime description, and though some.
what modified by modern tones and words, vet it
was something to hear Johns description Of the
reported in the very words which he had written
down With the pen of inspiration, by Greek of
patmos, and in place which well-authenticated
tradition points out the spot where the APOSTLE
was hono.ed with such visions of the Lord. Near
by, in the dark corner of this portion of the cave
hung an old Greek painting, decayed and rusty with
the ages Of several centuries and greatly venerated
by the priests and people. It is poor attempt to
put on canvas the person of Christ in the midst of
the candlesticks with the seven stars and the two
edged sword 1t was, of course, only a most painful
degrading of the glorious subject, and another illus
traon Of the bad taste of the superstitious and ill.,
educated descendants of Zeuxis and Apelles and
Parhasus In the same part Of the cave, also, was