The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-09

| self, who spoke English He was sailor, and
had been In America and knew q great deal
| about affairs there as most Europeans do. He
wanted to know if the war was over in the
States, and II the slave trade was still kept up
The last inquiry was uttered with sigh, as II II
recalled many pleasant passages connected
with that romantic traffic.
The transit Of nine hours to the Pirteus was
over a sea of glass. The quartermaster ut the
helm must have steered by instinct. He made
no use of the compass. And as he was at the
stern and depended for his sight on looking
through and around al the passengers on the
quarter deck, 1t is a marvel how he brought us
across for the sea here is as full of islands as
plum pudding Of raisins. and all alike.
Bold. barren rocks several hundred feet high,
most Of them uninhabited ranging from half q
mile 10 two or three miles In extent; few OF
them have any NEUROLOGICAL or historical ASSOC
citation. though they relieve the monotony OF
the voyage and break It's tedum by their fro
quency and irregularity, and lend sometimes o
beauty to IL by the purple crowns they wear
when in the distance. When
THE P1HBUs
rose In sight with its cluster OF glorious Mono
ries. made sure should experience an OK
altation an enthusiastic excitement. proper
tionate to the scene, and demanded by the nc
tual realization OF long cherished. romantic
hopes. felt nothing of the kind when we
turned into that renowned harbor. One never
s moved as one expects and longs to be at the
first sight of a famous place.
Whether the practical necessity Of attending
to my luggage. and guarding 1t from the pirates
who boarded the ship the instant she let go her
anchor. engrossed my thoughts. or the appre-
tension Of getting wet from the rain then be-
ginning to descend. or the admiration of the
beautiful rainbow stretching over Phalerum
towards Aegna. or wonder at the neatness and
regularity Of the stone buildings on the PirBus,
or anxiety to catch the train for Athens, or all
combined. so 1t Is. landed there the same as
would In Genoa, Naples. or any other CONNER
cial place. Prosaic as it was. the landing was
effected In comfort and in a few minutes was
seated In a railroad car bound for Athens. four
miles distant.
We had not long to wait And over a plain
filled with olive and cypress: by orchards Of
peaches and long stretches of vineyards and
gardens of figs and pomegranates: across stony
roads, bordered by sycamore and pepper trees,
and gay with the oleander: skirting groups Of
factories, with long chimneys, plumed with
black smoke: and flat rooted houses. before
which children we're playing and dogs barking ;
with marble wells near by, where doDkeys. with
heavy panniers, were waiting to be watered we
soon were gliding smooth and fast.
Presently. in one OF the turns Of the track.
looking ont OF the carriage window saw on
tho summit OF q lofty rock. towering high over
all things else in view, the columns and pedi-
ments of Doric temple. The spirit of the
spot then breathed upon me and imagination
asserted her rights. Twenty three hundred
years rolled back their scroll and was living
and moving among the Athenans, when Peri
ces presented them the Parthenon framed by
Ictenus and adorned by Phidias. The noblest
representations in art, of grace, majesty and
beauty. placed on the most imposing site on
earth associated with the brightest intellects
that have ever shono. memorials Of the BIRTH
growth and death of races. 1 felt now in the
presence Of the temples on the Acropois no
lack Of the piety and sadness congenial to the
place.
Alas, oil in ruinsl
Turks, Venitians. earthquakes and Elgin
have brought them to this.
But, thank God, though this upper city of
beauty Is In ruins. the spirits who planned it
are immortal. No tickle Athenian Democracy
can Danish them from our memories, or hem
lock them from our constant and perpetual
worship.
At last | am in Athens
Yours truly, J. HIN,