Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1890-06-27
Five Da, 5 at Sea.
tFor tho GnArnie,

On the seventh of May we went
aboard the India and Italian Mail
steamer, bound for Alexandria,
Egypt, and sailing from the port
of Naples, Italy. Soon after going
on board the gong sounded, signal
flag raised, and amid the usual
emotional scenes OF parting by
the seaside, we sailed away Tor
the shores of the Dark Continent.
All seemed to have friends to
say good bye to them, but with us
there was none to take notice of
our departure or our arrival IN
the land where we were going.
In due time we were out Of the
beautiful bay of Naples and Gid
ing over the dark blue waters OF
the Mediterranean.
The crew were putting all in
ship-shape. the passengers fixing
birth and baggage for the voyage,
| and the sea was rolling on.in
higher waves as we left the
sheltered shores. Soon the har-
Dor light house, hills and coast
range of mountains were, as it
! seemed, all buried beneath the
> sea just over and beyond the
horizon.
1 Vesuvius with it's great smok-
ing chimney fingered long in
I sight, but it too was soon hid by
the waste of waters. Then the
t sun sank, and like great ball of
fire, seemed quenched by the
g waters beneath which it set. Then
s the rolling sea, the half moon and
the stars in cloudless sky were
o all that was left to look upon, save
a signal light of some passing
ship in the distance. Yet this
II all has charm about it. In the
: the solitude of some quiet place
on deck we sat for hours each
u might watching the Illuminated
path left by the ship. Un-
til weary of watching the waves
we tarried on deck and as with
the Arab of old who sailed over
/ the same waters, the "New toll
gave sweeter rest to every night
Il we passed on ship-board, and,a in
the past, we retired and new moth,
= ing more until the usual clatter OH
y deck at day break reused us from
1t sleep to see the sun rise at sea in
all It's beauty; now for the first
l. time, in all the morning light >>we
It beheld the fair and historic
scenes that lie along the Siciliar
G shores. We tarried here while
l. and to aid the knowledge We
= gained at Naples on the shore OF
Lake Averno in the blue grottoes
II and the grotto of El-Inferno, and
e ramble down to the dark shores
of river Styx where Virgil made
d old Charon come with his boat te
e row them over In-all this we saw
l. new scenes which inspired Virgil
Dante al Tasso to write as they
e did. Leaving the Island of Sicily
t, our ship sailed southeast for three
days and came in sight of the is.
land of Gambia, one of the islands
of the Grecian archipelago. They
were lonely, barren and in the
distance seemed inhabited only
h by the wild sea birds with coas
h lined with drift wood from othel
e shores. Sailing away from these
D. we next came in sight of the isl'
IS Of Rhodes, now apart OF Turkisl
10 territory, and sailing Oh to tn,
j. southeast ON the morning of Ma,
i. 18th we came in sight of the Afri
can coast near Alexandria, Egypt
a Tfen was there a longing, hunge
h and thirst to go Oh shore ant
,r ramble in the city of Joseph ant
If the Pharos. There was hun
le dred scenes just by, to claim plac
,e in our diary.
ef The small boats of the tur banet
a. natives, the stately man-of-war
r ships of the English navy whicl
l. confirms her supremacy of tn
to sea. No stars and stripes were t.
be seen, yet one American vesse
er will be here tomorrow 9Th
D. Alliance" from Norfolk, Va. AL
b. is excitement on board. TIL
lie pilot, the custom house, the in
IL specting officer and other officials
as all in strange garbs, and speakin,
u a strange language are here. Moth
It, ing is familiar save patent medi
e. cine, pictures cf Cod-liver-oil
Sc U. S. seal oil cans and SINCE
m Sewing machines, among the car
st 90 on board. As we nesred tn
ar landing we saw the donkey boy
is in dresses, the turbaned Turk ant
Of Arab, and the cammels comm!
- down to the docks. So there coult
H. he no doubt that we were in an
ir other quarter of the globe and il
D. the land of the Arabs, camel.
ht and pyramids. Yet much as
in wanted to 60 on shore it was lik'
'y stepping into the dark, for wher,