Morning journal and courier., 1892-05-06
ATHENS, April g.

ATHENS, April 22
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 The boat from Triest for Patras, adver- tised to reach Brindisi at ten last Sunday night, did not put in an appearance till seven Monday morning. Two eminent New Haven citizens were therefore put to the discomforts and miseries of 8 nights vigil; for the boat might unawares and unsignalled arrive at any time. About two a. m. the elder and larger of the twain, with sleepy mutter that he didn't care drachma, or something else com mencing with a ''d," whether the boat came or not, retired to his room, wound himself up for four hours nap by pc culiar anatomical contrivance highly re- commended to travellers, and slept the sleep of a we'll disciplined conscience and 8 New England proof digestion. So at half past seven, when on board the next morning, he appeared as brilliant daisy amid field of stubbsge. The boat was crowded and our two travellers were forced below into 8 narrow cabin where even the typical angle-worm could hardly have found elbow room for his turning. It was all very well during the day, for the sea was smooth and the day was fine. But, oh the miseries of the night! Hardly were we out of sight of flat Italy before the mountains and islands of Epirus be- gan to loom up in the distance. As the boat approached it was seen that the coasts were bare of trees and bare of soil, and that only here and there and at wide in tervals were there indications of habita- tion and cultivation. You will be told that elsewhere are groves and fertile plains, but nowhere in Greece where the ordinary traveller goes will he see wood crowned hills, sparkling brooks or fertile meadows. With hills washed bare of soil, and with plains filled with rocks and rub bish, what can be donei How can soil be supplied and vegetation be made to flour ish anewi This is one of the many ques- tions which must be answered before Greece be nation except by sufferance.
 About seven we steamed into Corfu and came to anchor in its spacious and lovely harbor. Thanks to long English protec torate, and to the continued efforts of Eng fish cultivators, Corfu is not barren and presents a marked and happy contrast to the coast opposite. At Corfu a large con- tingent of Turks came on board to swell our already crowded numbers and all chance of comfort departed. There was a chief Turk, evidently Turk of position and importance. He wore large nose and looked for all the world like Blaine. Then there were minor Turks and two Turkish women who kept everything GOV cred up but the end of their Blaine noses. Then a retinue of Turkish servants who camped on the lower deck and made them selves as comfortable as if they were camping out in the great desert. Soon Corfu faded away in the distance and night covered us as with curtain. About two a. m. the elder of the two New Haveners could not stand the stufiness of their joint state-room any longer. So he upped, dressed-feeling for his duds in the dark It was a strange night, with leaden at mosphere. The boat moved slowly and with scarcely a sound through the dull and heavy water. The moon, low down, shone as if tired of shining for the few folks who might be awake at such an hour. The air was filled with 8 slate colored misty gloom through which islands and headlsnds appeared and disappeared like gigantic ghosts of the past. There were no horizons, no breaks between water and sky; a weird blending of land, air and sea- The ship itself was 80 dim as to be phan- tom like. You felt the presence of a crew of forlorn and sleepy spirits: Though the map had been carefully studied the even ing before, and times and distances care fully calculated, it was all guess work at first. Little by little the eye grew awake and the lesden gauge less opaque. Surely way off to the left in the dusk must be Actium, where Augustus did etc., etc. Don't let us be pedantic, for there is no guide book handy for dates and particu- | lars. And here comes Santa Maura rush. | ing out of the blackness as if ready for a | collision. It Is too dark to see if there be anything left of the Venetian castle | which so long, but in vain, held for Chris tianity against the Turks. How odd tha, all the Christian civilization of the Orient should have been as utterly destroyed by | the Turks as Professionalism was utterly | destroyed in France by St. Bartholomew If churches can't use force they will have l to go to the wall. But here comes Ithacs | and Ulysses, with Penelope and all the lit
 tie Ulyssians, in the royal barge out before
 sunrise for bath and airing, and to catch
 fish for the family breakfast. How histo
 " fades away into utter nothingness ir
 the light of romance, poetry and tradition
 All the dates and facts history can muster
 disciplined and led by the most truthful | one bzush of fancy's wing. Show, if yor
 can, one historic woman who compares
 with Penelope! What a comfort to tn, | storm tossed male on the sea of moderr
 matrimony to think that such creatur,
 could have lived and lived on in the pleni
 tude of faith and constancyl
 But now we turn eastward and there ar,
 glimmers of approaching daylight ove
 where must be Missolonghi, where GreciaI
 independence fought unnecessarily agains
 odds and showed anew the lesson man vii
 never learn, that there is no physical pow
 CT in unaided moral force. What wrons
 writers do in making us think that skillfu
 force can be overcome by silly fortitudel
 The first to come on deck was the un
 speakable Turk; and his first act was witl
 most gentle and paternal gesture to awak
 en his followers encamped on the deck be
 low. Then he came up stairs, seated him
 self and twirled a cigarette. Seeing h.
 was not alone he twilled another and witl
 perfect courtesy offered it. Remember in
 sun wasn't up yet. How he did look lik
 Blaine. Poor chap; when started in witl
 my "job lot" ingos I found he was ston
 deaf. Then his camp below began t
 move and we looked on together; he watch
 ing my curiosity with pleased and sympa
 thetic interest. They unrolled and un
 rolled and yawned and yawned; and thel
 sat tailor fashion in a circle. Then one
 who seemed to be chief, brought out string of beads, aud there must have beer a prayer, for they all bowed. So did m,
 dear old Turk. So did I. Then each on
 made and smoked a cigarette. Then on who had large bag, and who must hay been commissary, produced lot of tin ! cups and saucers. spirit lamps and recer