Omaha daily bee., 1892-11-06


forms delicate barrier from the msdding
crowd OF gossiping hshwives Here the
great purpie figs are bursting 10 be picked,
while the grapevlnes, bending under their
burden OF luscious white and purple and
pink bunches, twine and interlace them
selves around the lemon and orange trees.
Iheir fruits are now green aud tiny, but the
Greeks value them more SO and gather them
TO preserve for their favorite sweets. The
feathcry olive, its leaves a silver gray-toue.
barmonizes well with the rich dark green Of
the stately cypress. Their load OF smatl
nbo lruit must amount TO millions on tree.
ihe fragrant pomegrlnato blossoms are
mingled with the ripe pale pink fruit, which
hhVlug ourst open gives peep at tne pearly
mouth
When we first came hgs and grapes were
sun uuripe and mulberries with cream were
all the rage. The peasants laughed us 10
scorn. They grow wild the mulberrtes)
and tho Greeks only value them for their
Juice, with which they concoct liquor called
raku which they serve in tiny glasses 10
callers. II is Iearfully strong, one spoonful
suifc'ng TO upset an American. T6s was all
very Wen, but we wondered why we couldn't
hire small boy for love or money to pick
theni tor u.s. We soon learned tue my stery,
10 our sorrow, when our own inuoceuts au-
Feared TO our startled eyes after having
climbed the moura trees. They were dyed "a
gorgeous blood crimson from head to foot
ana hence!orth those we're their moura lmul-
berrv) costumes, for IT'S a stain that can't
be wipeu out, ana will always ue a reminder
oil bllssful times perched up in moura trees.
Progressive Greeks.
You NAV wonder at our palatial quar- tors,
Tor such they are, these big, high-ceilinged
rooms and great manoral halls. with mosaic
noors, tnat have breeze through them even
at the hottest time of day, compared with
the mud floors and scanty interiors of the
natives. Perhaps there is no such palace
on any other island; at least, it is extremely
ulmcult to tind good accommodations IN
these outoi-the-way places, where as yet
only an occasional archeologist comes seek
Ing after adventures.
Now the Greeks are every BIT as enter.
prlslnR as we are. and considering their
lneager advantages hund rcdfold more SO
Our landlord is one of eight sons n native
of Batu, and with lots of push. Think YOU
no stayed here to vegetate after reaching
mans estate! Not he. He struck out for
Constantlnople, thus evading the compulsory
Two years OF army life in his own country.
HaVlng amassed what would be TO Batuan
minds an enormous fort4ne in the hotel busi-
ness, he shows his love for patrls py turning
homcWard and raising this monument to
his industry, also laying out fine vegetable
garden stocked with all good things, even 10
Indian corn. His Hotel a. AnEleterre'' is
known far and wide, and be tells stories by
the hour OF distinguished travellers, scholars
auu princes and mllioDaires, with their
yachts. who have put up with him.
Another brother was OF studous Dent and
all the nclghbors united in raising the sum
required TO take him through the university
course at Athens, where he did them great
credit, and is now a prosperous, rusthug
lawyer In the city OF lercles. He also
his summer outing. and the rustics
look up to him as sort of god, with his
Athenian toilet and his fine, CLASSICAL
Greek; and then they speak with great
prlde OF his brilliant stroke in capturing
with his clever wiles a high class Athenlan
woman, much Travelled. who brought him a
snug little dot or hundred thousand or So
Oh. they're clever rLscals, these modern
Grceks, and haven't lost q bit OF the old
tricky spirit The old man and his good
wlfe are stilt living and bask IN the enjoy
ment of their children's good fortunes One
OF them was the "little pig who stayed at
home" He keeps the best shop in the vii
lage aud even imports fresh bread and fruit
from SyTa. They can't pin the rising gener.
alton down long here, and fishing and tramp
ing ous the grapes at vintage time become
monotonouS after a while, so they spread
their wings ana HE them to Athens or Syra,
which are usually only stepping-stones for
England or France or America.
The Fishing Fleet.
But didn't finish describing the picture
we nave continually before US to delight our
eyes. The Batu fleet, three or four pretty
Varl-colored fishing smacks. lie idly at an
chor, aud when strong wind sweeps down
naught can be more graceful than their
swaying forms. Their bright colors, red and
blue ana yellow, contrast charningly with
the now greenlsh-grav sea and the cleaning
whltewashed dwellings with their red tiled
roofs, and the bronze-coloreu rocks that tut
out In dark Irregular masses from the land.
picturesque fisherman in scarlet Jacket
ana great baggy trousers seems to fit right
into our scene as he throws out his
net Tor haul. Some urchins are
Just rounding the point IN a little old
rowboat, with no doubt supply of tadpoles
Tor our dinner. for whales or even dolphins
are scarce around here. But though the fish
are dimInutivc, if you take them by their lit
Tie tails la Gree one makes a dainty mouth
tul. They deem the heads u delicacy and it's
all In the way YOU look at 1T.
But, dear Inc, this first letter will be ALI a
preface. ! simply started out to introduce
TO you our fair isle, expecting to plunge at
once into tale of one or another of our de-
lightful EXCURSIONS 10y boat or on foot or
donkeyback, Tor our adventures would fill
VoluneS. must content myself this time
however, with giving you a little taste of
what pIcnicking among these isles is, for we
have made ii fine arr. We are in the habit
OF taxing guest or two for variety and
practice In Greek. In fact they have lately
begun 10 follow US uubidden, divers of the
small fry, and we have been obliged to stop
TINS imposition by getting of as quietly as
possible, which is pretty noisily at best as
III is no smaiI trlck TO set the calyacaie in
motion, with all its paraphernalia of bathing
apparatus, paraSols, lunch, maps, books
writing materials (that are never used), etc,
etc.
Last night during this hullabaloo Of prepa
ration Miltlades, the demarch's son, han
pened up bringing us musk melon as a sort
OF excuse, for he comes very often, consid-
erlng that there are girls In our family,
something never allowed here. He traces
ms ancestors back TO the Pelasgians and
SAYS his grandpapa built that wall over az
PaiGopolis, where wo were the other day.
AS 1t Is 1000 years Old or So | don't believe
our SWEETEST British cousins could boast
such family tree. lie is a senior this
year at the University of Athens where hers
pursuing the law course. He is very brio hit
ana entertaining ana good COMPANY in This
Isolated spot; he only lacks that broadness of
view which distinguishes our nation, and we
are last Improving him. We were amused
the other day to hear his conclusion As the
result OF careful observation into our va-s,
~ was mat the women "rule tho roostj in
America, going on TO say that he had actually
seen tue American missionary here CARRYING
water from the spring for his wife. OF
unmaniy proceedings! But of this later.
ON on u Prince of Picnic.
Donnlng our straw broadbrIms, in which
our cavalier informs us we are "out of
sight, with our baskets tucked under our
arms in true rustic fashion, we are soon nm
our way across the sands, fairly siding along