The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-02-20


cient times called the "Propontis," and
on into the narrow Dardanelles, or Helles-
pont, where for seventy miles the shores
of Asia Minor are on one side and the
Thracian Chersonesus of Europe on the
other.
On the European coast near the entrance to
the Dardanelles stands the important city
of Gallipoli, and nearly opposite in Asia
is Lapsaki (Lapsacus), back of which at
Grannicus Alexander the Great won his
famous victory over the Persian king.
Further on is Abydos, where the devoted
Leander braved the terrors of the rush
ing waters to swim across TO his beloved
hero at Sestos on the other shore. 1t was
a long, cold swim for fellow to have to
make regularly in order to see his best
girl, but Byron proved it could be done
even when there was no such powerful
and all-compelling motive. In comparing
this effort with that of the love-lorn
Leander he sentimentally says:
If in the month of dark December,
Ieander, who was nightly wont
(What maid will not the tale rememberf)
To cross thy stream broad Hellespont.
"'Twere hard to say who Jared the best,
Sad mortals thus the gods still plague you;
He lost his labor, my jest,
For he was drowned and I've the ague."
The narrowest part of the Dardanelles
is only one and half miles wide, and 1T
was at this point that both XerXes and
Alexander crossed over with their great
armies. The Turkish government has
here erected two strong forts that COM
pletely control the channel, known as the
castles of Europe and Asia. Continuing
along toward the entrance to the Egean
sea the bold outlines of Mount Ida may
be seen rising in the interior, beneath the
shadow of which the renowned city OF
Troy prospered and flourished in the old
Homeric days, and entering the archipel-
ago the islands of Samothraki, lmbro,
Lemnos and TenedOs are in distant view
the latter being the place where the
Greeks are said to have concealed them
selves at the time of their pretended
abandonment of the siege of Troy. Ar
rivlng at Mitylene, the steamer stopped
for several hours and all hands went on
shore for a stroll around the city. 1t has
a population of some twenty thousand
people, but there is little OF interest to be
seen about it beyond its old castle of the
middle ages. The island of Mitylene, or
ancient Lesbos, was in the palmy days of
Greece the proud rival of Athens in
learning and culture and it was here the
burning Sappho loved and sung" Sap
pho, Terpander. Alceus, Arion and
other celebrated poets were born
here, besides Pittacus, the statesman,
Theophanes the historian and TheOphras-
tus the philosopher. 1t is now province
of Turkey, but the inhabitants are gener-
ally Greeks and Christians with q small
sprinkling of Mohammedans. They are
primitive in all their habits and the coun-
try people curiously live up stairs in their
houses, leaving the lower floor for the
grain, poultry and cattle, makinga strange
combination OF barn and residence.
From here we sailed on to Smyrna,
where we cast anchor in the harbOr not
far from the L. $. man-Of-war QuinnabOg,
and my eyes were gladdened once more
by the sight of the star-spangled banner
waving proudly over her. 1t is seldom
that the American traveller has the pleas
ure of seeing his country's flag floating at
any masthead, owing to the restrictive
policy established by our republican
friends. which has practically driven Van
kee shipping from the high seas, and re-
cent results would indicate that the policy
of self-immOlation is to be continued for
the present, at least. However, we are
told that truth is mighty and will pre-
vail" therefore, let US hope that in 1892
we may vet be permitted to behold 1.-THE
glory OF the coming of the Lord" In the
meanwhile, we democratic Hoosiers can
pleasantly meander along under the eX-
cellent president which Indiana has fur
nished the nation, content in the knowl-
edge that the country has at last found
the right shop at which to apply for pres
idents, whether of the republican or DEM
ocratic faith. WILL +. ENGLISH.