Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-03-25
THE FLEETING SHOW
Some of Hts Facts and Fancies.
Written for the JOURNAL AND CoURIER.l


Isabella L. Bird Bishop, we'll known to
books of travel, "Unbeaten Tracks in
Japan" "The Golden Chersonese," and
others, Is one of those dauntless spirits
whom neither hardship nor suffering nor
danger can deter from carrying out the
plan upon which the heart is set. 1t is
nearly forty years since Miss Bird took her
FIRST trip to America and returning to
England was induced by her friends to
publish an account of her journey. This
6rst book, "An Englishwoman in Amer
iea," was published anonymously, and has
been followed by Eve other volumes, all
very bright and pleasing in their literary
style, and forming a series of picturesque
narratives well worth the reading of those
who like to find interesting and reliable
information and stirring adventure COM
bined in the same volume. For the COM
fort of those who believe that "the fine art
of letter-writing" has bsen lost, cheap mail
facilities, and the hurry of modern life en-
couragtng frequent and hasty correspond
encs only, it may be said that these fas-
cinating books have bsen mainly compiled
from tne lSGG0Tb sent Dy our tr2veller TO an
invalid sister in Edinburgh.
Her first trip, as has been mentioned,
was to America, going first to Canada, and
then from Prince Edward Island by coast
ing steamer to Boston, voyage attended
by various excitements and damages. But
she was safely landed at last, and after Wis
iting many of our larger cities she braved
again the perils of the Atlantic and reached
home safely, thankful to set her foot again
on British soil, and to hear of British sue
cess in the Crimean war. It was i'll health
that sent her travelling again, and this
time the Pacific ocean lured her. "Six
Months Among the Palm Groves of the
Sandwich Islands," now in its seventh
edition, gives a most delightful account of
her life at Honolulu, series of word pic
lures that almost bring to the readers eye
the feathery palms, the cool, deep ravines
with their beautiful ferns and moses, the
simple and friendly natives, and old
Mauna Loa, grim and terrible, the greatest
of VOLCANOES. From the Sandwich Islands
she went to San Francisco, and INDUCED
herself in a horseback journey among the
Rocky Mountains, the narrative of which,
found in her third book, is sufficiently
piqusnt and interesting. The same may
| be said of her lively record, "Unbesten
Tracks in Japan" descriptive of her next
! journey, which took her into out-of-the-
the aborigines of Yezo, and afterward to
the Straits Settlements.
Her latest journey was undertaken to
carry out O bequest OF her husband, Dr..
Bishop, physician of Edinburgh, who left
some money for the establishment OF
hospital In some starved and needy portion
of the world. No place was specified, and
with the definite object of deciding upon
the location for and planting this hospital,
Mrs. Bishop made the long and hazardous
journey of which we have the narrative In
her latest volume, "Persia and Kurdistan. VI
published Last year. She sailed mp the
Tigris to Bsgdad, rode from Bagdsd
to Tihran over the Zagros noun
tains In winter, travelling for ter
hours day, through snow and
blizzards, and sleeping In tent or oI
the floor of hreless caravanserai, Will
the mercury below zero. She suffered In
tenssly from the cold when the "demor
windn blowing from the Pamir desert,
table land of Central Asia, Is 900 feet high
and called "the roof of the world" d"-provet
, fatal to Eve men in caravan Just ahead o
here. Then came the fierce heat, As terri
BILE and difficult to be borne as was tn
frightful cold; there Was exhaustion an,
robbery, and perils on every hand, yet al
indomitable will carried her safely throuRl
: the long and arduous journey. The hospits
: was established at Cashmire, and the tray
, eller reached her own home at last, throug
she had felt sometimes ss IL she shouI,
ssalways be sleeping In stables and dar
dens, always utterine the call to boot an
} saddle two hours before daylight, alway
! crawling along mountain roads, Away
planning marches, always studying Asiati
character, and always sinking deeper int
barbarian
) In reading the narrative of her Journeys