Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-12
letter from Our Consul TO
OlPSssa.
For the sunday Appeal.
ODEsSA RTSSTA January I

ODESSA, RUSSIA, January l.-O1 the
eve Ct our departure from Memphis to
assume the duties OF United States con-
sui at this post, many friends asked us
to wife them Of our experiences in En-
rope. This we would bs most hspDy to
do, but our travels having been some
what extensive, we sTe induced to ask
you to give space to few letters from
US. believing, as we do, that We mey
write OF mates Of sufficient Interest to
your readers generally 10 justify you in
| giving space FOR that purpose in your
paper. Correspondence ard travel have
made most readers comparatively well
aequ ainLed with the western part If the
4 continent OF Europe and with ths Brit
ISL Isles. Our letters will therefore very
briefly treat OF those parts, and
to great extent to this far
away eastern land so little known
this land Of coming ed civilization
aud barbarian. We sailed from New
York for Glsg)W on the evening Of
July LIST. We found two Memphians on
our steamer, Mr.. Munnew, Ct musical
fame, and Mr.. AdOlph Muier, Of Benson
& CO. The gOOd-byes spoken, the tears
OF pgr-ing shed, and our huge ship, WELD
ing to tire movements Of her massive
machinery; moved QUE into the bay OF
New York and steamed away toward
the sea. The passengers gathered on
deck to take last look st New York
and the scenes Of marvellous beauty
down the bay to Sandy Hook. The sun
was casting his last lingering beams on
tOWe- and spirs as we steamed away.
Darkness and distance combined to shut
from our view the besutifuiland we had
gust quilted, aud we SOW the stately city
sink down into the sea and swallowed
up by the dusky evening long before we
had reached Sandy Hook. As the
shades Of evening fell upon nature,
! SO fell sadness upon our hearts
IS we turned away from
the land OF our Rome snd nativity, and
thought OF the many changes that had
teen Kr.u 49, A.. mt 5a before we again saw
her shores. We soon ceased gazing tC-
ward what had been lefs bshind, and
Cooked with hope and expectation to
that OtheT l.nd TO which, by every
G.r0ke Of the machinery, we we're going.
The westher Was calm ard lovely, and
the sea, the first fOGr days out, was IS
smooth IS a mirror, always excepting
tE5 great, grand swelis that come anu
t. be seen until the morning NJ the
/
deck aud looked cut uUOn the face Of
tire OGsau, the white spray dsshiDg away
from lie srrnrnit OF the swells spsrkled
like beautiful diamonds IN the morning
sun. Our patriotism suggested tnSt the
old ocean had put on her jewels in recOg-
milton Of our national birthday. AS we
pa ssd by the banks of newfoundland, |
on the fOprth OF July, the winds stiff, |
fsnd little and we had she realization |
OF what we had anticipated Of the gram |
dueT o. tire stS. The captain displayed |
his flags at the tSlAaGs, and with |
his cannon fred salute Tor htha land
II the fTee.n 4 lunch 7ss prepared in |,
the caUin aad 80 were expected to drink |
some wine aud listen 10 al cystiOn set |
ting forth the peculiar qualities anu Viz !
tues II the "Oest govern ment under the /
Tan," etcS but the gentleman to whom |
was assigned that duty was on deck /
watching the waves Grd vhite-caps, in
which he, at that moment was very
much interested, and so the Epeechify- |
ing was dispensed with, and the WiGe ]
was drank in silence. As for US we took
no wiDe-neith6r lunch, our thirst as
well rs appetite had departed. The voy.
age passed pleasantly, the passengers
amusing themselves in such WAYS az
could be devised; some at cards, some |
walking the seams on deck, others
still, at "Hop Scotch" and IN every
way possible to pass the time. Mum
new, from Memphis had a hOrned-frOg
from Texas, Oi which he told wonder
full stories to CIedu.Ous passengers; how
it fastened itself upon the huge alligator
in the south and horned him to death;
how it fought its fellows and made car
mage terrible, etc. Another gentleman
from San Diego, California, also had
some c1TiOsiies Of the same nature, of
which wonderful tales were told. 1t
Wss surprising, most of all to as, to no.
tice the wonderful elasticity of the con-
science as exhibited by the stories that
were told of the beauties, products and
Of the various parts Of the
world from whica cur fellow passengers
hailed. After six days we had splen-
lid breezs, and at a time when we
thought some precautions should be
aiken the silOrs were ordered to spread
ne ships canvass, which, being done,
,he yielded before the wind, and with
)ne side Of her deck dipping almost
Town to the sea, the other poised high in
siT, she sped along ~ Tremendous speed.
Now and then great wave struck her,
and swept over her deck ard was fol- :
owed by another and another until one ,
Gould Imagine them great monsters beat
Dg Themselves against foe, hoping by
apid succession Of their blows to put
heir prey at disadvantage, and drive :
: from their element. Ny first expert
nee on the great ocean will never be
Orgotten. One broad expanse Ct water,
n University OF space, bounded only
y the hcTizoG-the great sWells coming t,
With endless succession; the ship, tiny !
peck as 1t were, mounting the advanc-
ng wave, and sitting for a moment on
ts crest, and then plunging into an c
bys5 of water, and again and again, c
sy after day, carried through the same Z
notion. At times the gallant ship ap- '
cared TO pause aud shrink back from q J
eLeWsl Of tae contest with the waves,
ut, urged On by the ceaseless throb of {
eT machinery, che plunged again into T
be swel s which seemed bent On Der de- q
tructiOr. How powerful they appear
} be, and how fail the ship, which
re med a giant at the wharf How
1OIt.e step from the steamers deck to
ternity. One feels SIS though in the very
resence OF Almighty God, RnG is Op-
ressed by ateellng or the insigm ficanCe
the creature as CCmpsTed with the
ODderfuT ms jes!y OF the Creator. Tue
1ean is gIald in all it's aspects-glAud
as caimDess, grand in iis raging; az
Don, in the radiant sunshine, anu uG-
sr the gentle rays OF the moon, when !
lie bright, beautiful phosphOrescent \
ght CLEANS ia the wake Of the ship;i
ways grand. Ye5 the green earth
'ems q grateful sight after twelve day ; T
2 the mighty waters, and We she'll
ever forget how beautiful the coast of
Gland looked to us as we approached Y
The sun was just coming up out of
ie sea IN marvellous splendOT. The P.
list, under its influence, cleared awsy, ~
id there, miles away, lay the dark
,ast Of Ireland like dream Of beauty,
way Oa the pathway Of our ship Jay
-. IL. -. e !.