The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-04-21

knights of Malta lie buried beneath
it, and marble slabs in the pavement
mark their resting places.
The Tuesday following our stop al
Malta was full of interest. We were
awakened at o'clock in the morning
to get our first view of Greece. and
from that time until evening when
we reached SYRIA we were not out Of
sight of land. How strange it seemed
to be sailing among "The Isles OF
Greece !" One of my first thoughts
was of a morning years ago when the
subject of my graduating essay weigh
ed heavily upon my mind. The topic
of the essay was the very unrestricted
one of Greece AS / sat in the
library of the w. +. Seminary
searching for something that would
help me in my work of composition
found this sentence "Greece is q
classic land, arched by the bluest OF
skies and surrounded by the bluest of
waters" Those few words were my
! inspiration, and from that time the
essay became positive delight.
The Greeian islands seem as barren
and rocky as any landscape in Persia,
/
ing their villages upon the slopes of
the very highest points, dreary habi-
tations some of them are, 1 judge.
Our second stop was at SYRIA on the
island of Syria, one of the principal
ports of commerce between the east
and west. The city presented bril-
liant appearance as we approached it
in the evening. 1t is built on the
slopes of two adjacent hills and rises
terrace by terrace from the edge of
the water to the very summit of the
hills. While walking about Malta, l
had wondered why, when there is so
much uninhabited level land in the
world, people should perch them
selves upon barren, precipitous rock,
in SYRIA the wonder grew upon me.
From SYRIA to Smyrna was only a
nights run, and strange enough it
seemed to find ourselves in a city
built upon the site of the city contain
ing one of the seven churches men,
toned in Revelation. We visited the
Mission schools and also went to the
Smyrna Rest" The latter visit
recalled to me the day when 1 enter
ed Oxford. Miss West, the founder
of crest" was there, and she W as the
first missionary 1 had any remem-
brance of seeing. 1 looked at her
with awe and wonder. 1t was excit-
ing merely to look at one who had
been to such a distant and strange
place Little did l then dream that
one day would be following in her
footsteps, and in the very boat, too,
in which she once crossed; for when
we returned to the ship and told the
Stewardess of our visit to the 'fRest"
she remembered Miss West very well.
Sunday morning, Nov. Goth, 1
awoke to find that we were anchored
just outside the Dardanelles, waiting
for permission to pass. How beauti-
full everything was that morningl 1
was unable to ascertain the exact spot
where Byron swan across, but think
it not unlikely that the clear waters
of this strait helped to strengthen his
deep love of the sea.
On Monday morning was up early
prepared to enjoy our entrance into
Constantinople, for Constantinople
viewed from the sea is a sight which
all tourists describe with enthusi-
asm. AS we drew near the city it be-
gan to rain, and l saw nothing.
We were in Constantinople from
Monday until Saturday waiting for a
boat, but as it rained all the time and
L had some shopping to do for the
overland trip L did little sightseeing.
did, however, visit the wonderful
mosque st. Sophia, and on the way
saw Cleopatra's Needle. 1 have seen
the four obelisks now brought from
Egypt; one in New York, one in Lon
don, one in Paris and this one in
COnstantinople, said to be the best |
preserved of all.
Saturday evening, Nov. Goth, we
started on our Black Sea trip. My |
hope that it would be clear as we
passed through the BosphorOus was
vain. 1t rained dismally, and l ven
tured out on deck only for a moment
as we passed Robert College. Very
soon after starting we found it conven-
lent to retire to our berths. Oh, what
a night! Our rolling and pitching
on the Mediterranean was like the
gentle rocking of a cradle. The idea
Of sleep never even entered our minds.
A bout 8 O'Clock Sunday morning the
boat stopped. Then, for the first
time, we were able to spsak to each
other. All we could say was ut
was awful, but we are one night near
er our destination" Alas! we soon
earned that such was not the case.
The sea was so rough that the Cap
ain had been obliged to put back into ,
he Bosphorous, and so after our night
# agony we were only fifteen miles
rom ConstantinOple; and there we re-
NAMED for three days waiting for the
torn to abate.
We expected to be five days on the
Black Sea, in reality it took us seven
cen days to go from Constantinople I
o BatOum. The discOmforts and dam
ers Of the trip are indescribable, but .
must say word regarding one very y
eriOus misfortune that befel us. On u
ne first night of our Black Sea trip q
wenty large bottles of olive-oil broke
'ose in the hold of the ship and our u
aggage was deluged with the con-
,nts. | lost less than any other
lember of the party and so did not
eel like complaining, it was bad b
lough at the best. +
AT Batoum We met party of Per- Z
an missionaries who left New York Il
yenty-One days after we did and p
ached the hotel within an hour af- g
4 our arrival. We had expended FL
UGH sympathy upon that party 81