American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-08-09
A Remarkable Woman.

One Of the most remarkable women Of
the day is the Princess Dora d'Istria
This is her pen name, her real one be-
ing Princess Helena Ghika. She Is 9
native of Wallachia, but now resides
on the banks of tie Arno, at Florence
Italy. She is Iinguist, b0tanist and
writer, all of the first rank. Her native
home was In she heart of the agitation
on the Eastern question: She has made
an especial study of the peoples of the
Western races who still continue under
Turkish Government. Noperson living
understands the condition and needs OF
these people better. This knowledge
prompted her, at the beginning of the
Russo-Turkish hostilfties, to write Sc
ries of vigorous and eloquent protests
against the wat, and appeals for arbitra-
ton instead of arms in settling interna-
tional difficulties. For q number OF
years she has devoted herself to the
study of Oriental poetry. She spent
much time in researches, especially into
the poetry of the Turkish Nations. The
results of her fabcrs have been given to
the literary world in four papers. Her
aim was to give a picture of the life and
ways of these hidden Eastern Nations
through collections of their poety. The
first was published in 1875, and treated
of the poetry of the Oriental Turks.
The second paper was devoted to the
" Poetry Of the Ottoman and covered
the time when the great Turkish EN-
pire was in its most f1ourishing estate.
The Persian Empire a. Empire Per-
san,se) appeared in the Penn Monthly,
in this country, and describes the EN-
pire in the days of its decadence, when
it is sunk in Incidence and sensuality.
The last paper, which closes the series,
is "La Poesie des Persans sous les
Khadjars," a picture of the manners
and customs of the Aryan element of
the Persian Nation under the reign of
the three last Kings of Iran.
Dora d'Istria has lately been elected
member of honor of the Free German
Institute. Her writings furnish con-
tributions to the department of Oriental
which will have great and
permanent value. Although so busy
with her Oriental studies, this gifted Ia
dy has given much attention to acclima-
tizirg foreign trees and plants at her
Italian home. It was she, mainly, who
the Eucalyptus gzobulns into
Italy. She caused one of these trees to
be planted at the Piazza San Marco q
few years ago. It grew SO rapidly that
in few years it looked like tree 40
years old. The eucalyptus takes up the
moisture from the soil, and for this rea-
son Dora d'Istria is making strenuous
efforts to have it planted in hot and
swampy places, especially on the bar
rem shores of the Mediterranean. When
one thinks about the matter, this would
seem to be the tree to set along the edges
of the bayou at Memphis. 1t has the valu-
able property of growing enormously in
q short time. A paper on the culture of
this tree was printed in the Revue de Be-
logna for last January. Here is an Ell
tract:
"The best season for this tres accord
ing to the Princess Dora d'Istria. is ufl-
the winter, and it is beau
tiful sight to see it in this rigorous sea-
son, as then these gigantic myrtles are
covered with white flowers. Although
dampness is favorable to these exotics,
they bear drought perfectly. 1t is said
that the Eucalyptus globulus, much
more delicate than the kind that grows
Oh the Australian mountains, could not
endure the cold of Tuscany, but the
Princess declares. sFere it bears the
climate very well up to this time"
The Princess cultiv ates magnificent
gardens at her own home, on the banks
Of the Arno.