The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-02-03
DAILY PRESS.
ND
Thursday Morning, February 8, 1870.
From Alexandria to Italy.
Great Stern on the Mediterranean.
From Alexandria to Italy.
Italian Scenes.

fine morning, with the water sparkling in
the sunshine, and a strong, fair breeze to as
sist in urging us on our way. We Showed
our heels" to many a sailing craft, and not
few steamships, at which our captain rubbed
his hands, and looked complacently over our
own steamer, forward and aft, and aloft-and
all was enjoyable.
But l dare say it has come to your knoyl-
edge that the sea is somewhat tickle. To-
wards night the aspect of things changed,
and our captains face assumed look of anx-
| iety-
''For the sky showed it might come on TO blow
| And carry away perhaps mast OF so."
ts~And the sky for once was true to its fore
poui" AT dark the shril piping of the
am "niss'e. irequently saluted our
ears, and there was a hurry about taking in
sails, and disposition to stow everything
close generally; and by o o'clock we were,
staggering along in the grasp of gale that
was evidently no every day affair." Retiring
to my snug state-room, however, managed
to keep comfortable, and to go to sleep. 1
was aroused next morning about daybreak by
a tremendous crash. A sea had broken on
|
thing movable. Getting on deck, scene
presented itself such as one must see to ap-
preciate. l was once victimized by hurr-
cane in the Caribbean Sea, and have been
stormed at, on the Atlantic and in the Gulf
of Mexico half dozen times; but in these
cases it was amidst mists and rain that con-
fined the view to a few yards around the
ship. Now the wind-tempest was holding
riot under a cloudless sky, and the wide waste
goaded into frantic pillows, and sparkling all
over as with diamond dust, glared upon the
view to the very horizon! Like overborne
| gladiators, the waves seemed to crouch and
shrug and moan under the lashings of the
gale!
The officers and men were drenched
through, and with wry faces were clinging to
the rigging wherever they could find the
least shelter; whilst the ship, rolling fearfnlly,
| often ON her beam ends, and constantly wash
ed with the waves, with her bows buried up
and pushed under by the full power of the
steam vibrated in every part under the COM
bined pressure.
Watching the chances l at length gained
position beside my English friend, who was
| clinging to the shrouds on the after deck. I
could not help the remark that the scene was
magnificent. "Magnifcentw said he, ait is
absolutely frightfulr Of course there was
no disputing about terms, under such cir
cumstances, especially with one who never
seemed to have any fears.
But thanks to the good sbipwrights Of New
castle, who fitted her iron plates and braces,
and riveted them so firmly our ship still con-
tinues to wallow on. l have consummate
admiration for these English-built iron steam
ships. They never succumb to any pressure,
where there is sea room, and it is only when
dashed on a rocky shore or against an ice-
berg; or they come in contact with each 9TH
er, that they prove vulnerable.
will not attempt 10 describe the condition
of things in the cabin meanwhile = the
shrieks, imprecations, prayers and groans of
the sea-sick and exhausted, commingled with
the shrill swapping noise of the iron braces
and the frequent clash of breaking glass and
crockery; / can only say that preferred the
wind and the drenchng sray, on the quarter
deck. to such a combination of disasreaables.
On the third day out, at evening, we made
the Island of Gambia, and layng-to under its
mountains for five or six hours, found
smoother water, and had time 10 refresh the
inner man, which meanwhile had been al
most entirely neglected. But it was while
running the gauntlet of the Candian sea,
down which the wind had rake of two hun
| drpd m q hot fho al;
will not trouble you with detail of our ad-
versities and discomforts herewith only men
tion the fact. that with storm-sails set, under
a full head of steam, the ship was nine hours
in making distance of nine miles!
| Striking the coast of Greece, we got along
m ore smoothly under its protecting hills; then
In turn we closely skirted the coasts of the
Islands of Zante, Cephalonia and Confu,
| with the eterEal SHOWS of Albanias lofty
SUBMITS il constant view) and finally crossed
the straits of Otranto to Brindis, where we
arrived just after the gale had spent its fury.
Brindisi was the ancient Brundusum of
the Romans; and the famous Appian Way,
extending from the eternal city, four or five
hundred miles in length, and admirably grad
ed and paved throughout, here had its termi-
nus. The town is small, but has sheltered
harbor, with deep water close to the shore,
and its neighborhood is a perfect Wilderness
of ancient Roman remains.
From Brindisi, we put away on the rail
road for Naples. There is little to interest
the tourist on the Adratic side of southeast
ern Italy, in the general aspect of the coun-
| try. For more than two hundred miles, it is
almost dead level, generally without fences,
and with no trees but the evergreen and olive,
| which, set at regular distances apart, checker
the dark soil everywhere-the intervening
spaces being unusually devoted to agriculture.
At Giardenetto, going westerly, the first
slopes of the Apenines begin to show them
selves. Gradually the railroad works in
| among the mountain activities; and on you
go through scenery ever varying in its as
pects-now running along the side of some
precipitous steep, then plunging into the
| darkness of long tunnel under lofty noun
| tain, from which you emerge perchance to
| skirt bend in some turbulent stream-anon
crossing some ravine on stone bridge,
| where, looking down, the view makes you
| shudder Thus the way continues, alternat-
ing, until you arrive in the immediate vicinity
of Naples and any observant person who has
passed over it can come to the conclusion on
| ly. that it must have taken almost the wealth
of an empire to build it. .A
The fame of the beautiful location of Ma
pies is worldwide and can only say its
| scenery in every respect, realized my highest
anticipations. Its environs are as interesting,
also, for their "reminiscences as for the diversi-
| ty and beauty of their natural features-com-
| pretending Vesuvius, Sorrento and its noun
| tains, the ruins of Pozzuoli, Virgil's tomb the
islands of Ischia and Procda, Baiae and Mis-
enium, Herculaneum, the unearthed Pom
| peii, ct Get.
At present, Vesuvius is reposing quietly
putting great volumes of white smoke from his
upturned mouth. 1 have paid my respects to
him, and from his steep activities beheld as
glorious prospects as earth can anywhere fur
nish-mountain and valley, city and sea,
Islands and promontory, villa and hamlet, Or
chard and vineyard, so disposed that art
could not suggest any change that would i'm
prove the grand and beautiful panorama.
1t tha