The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-06-23
Letter from Rev. DR.. Hoge.
CoNsTANTINoPLE, May I'D, 1880.

leCCer expect TO write you during this
splendid tour by saying that it was on
the bright and calm evening of the 10th
inst, that we left our pleasant quarters
in the hotel Bellevue, at Beirut, and the
kind friends there who had shown us 80
many attentions and came on board the
Austrian Lloyd steamer, Medea, bound
for Constantinople. The Medea took the
place of the regular steamer on this trip
because of her superior size, in order to
accommodate the immense number of pas
sengers leaving Syria at this time of the
year. Among these were seven1 hundred
Pilgrims returning to their homes in Bull
garia, Romania, Armenia, and even as far
north as Archangel in Russia. While we
were IN Jerusalem we heard of woman
who had made the pilgrimage to the Holy
Land, on foot, all the way from Arch
angel, and it had taken her three gears
Thus she was striving to work out her
salvation, and mistaken though she was
as to the means, such examples are both
affecting and instructive There is a
wonderful pathos in this poor woman s
toll and self-denial in order to attain her
end. 1t was zeal worthy of better
cause and worthy of imitation for a bet
ter purpose.
Scenes on Deck.
These pilgrims covered the whole of the
forward deck and the lower deck, amid
ships, and then scores of them had to be
put down in the hold Representing as
they did so many kindreds and tongues
as well as so many religious faiths, they
dwelt together in unity while on ship
board. They never left the places as
signed to them at the commencement of
the voyage Occupying few yards of
the deck, there they remained, day and
night, contented if not happy. One of
the officers of the ship informed me that
among the stearage passengers the Turks
were uniformly the best and the Greeks
the worst behaved He said the Turks
never asked questions, were never impa-
tent to get to land, and when a storm
came up they seemed utterly Indifferent
to it. Whatever happened, ait was the
will OF God, and no concern of theirs.
We had two or three Pashas on board.
One of them had several of his wives and
their servants with him. They were
among the second class passengers, though
their lord and master was not, and in
stead of being enclosed in temporary
pen of boards, made on deck, as these
women sometimes are, to seclude them
from observation, they sat with the others,
and were only partially yelled So home
ly were they, with one exception, that
they were in no danger of being stared
at. The Medea was one of the best ships
in which [ ever sailed-with courteous
officers, good table, attentive servants,
and the vessel itself was as steady as a
North River steamboat. Some steamers
have the trick of rolling even in smooth
water, but the Medle0 went on evenly
and with so little vibration from the en-
CINE, that one could hardly tell whether
she was in motion or at anchor, without
looking over her sides at the blue water
through which she was SO quietly darling.
Cyprus.
The first port we made was at La1miko
in the Island of Cyprus. I was glad to
land here, since this island has obtained
such new Importance in consequence of
having come under English rule. 1t re-
mains to be seen how the problem will
be solved of combined English and Turk
ish government. Wandering through
Larnika l went into the Court House and
there l met Maltese lawyer who spoke
very good English He said he regretted
did not come in little sooner as one of
the Turkish courts had just adjourned
and would probably have been inter
ested in seeing the mode of procedure
He assured me that nothing could be
more confused than the present system,
owing to the want of clearly defined
limits between the jurisdiction of the ma
tive and the English courts. doubt
whether two races dissimilar in capacity,
education, and traditions can exercise CO.
ordinate authority in any country. One
race or the other must rule 1t is con
trary both to reason and experience that
it should be otherwise. Larnika is a
shabby town of narrow streets filled with
miserable shops and dirty coffee-houses.
1t contains dreary looking Mosqne, a
Franciscan church, and a Greek church,
called st. Lazarus, which is somewhat
interesting as specimen of Byzantine
architecture. All the country about it
is arid and destitute of vegetation And
yet Larnika was once stronghold of the
Phenicians, populous and powerful
city. Many valuable antiquities have
been found among the ruins, which have
been removed to European museums.