The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-09-26


SYDNEY. Aug. 7.-CCopyrighted, Louis
K.Opsch, 1894. )-Pitched. shaken. twist
ed. flung, sickeaed, bruised. dis
mayed. alarmed. are some Of the words
which describe our feelings while cross
ing from New Zealand to Australia. We
heard that the passage was like crossing
the channel at Calais from France TO Eli
g-and but that instead Of the a0ur aad
a hat it would be four days and half
1t was worse than We expected and
worse than usual. We had nearly six
days of il. The only alienation of the
voyage was the captain. who was JOY
a the time 10 be Jolly. serious - The
time TO be serious and deeply religious
at all times. Converted in a pres5y-
terrain church in New Zealand, he has
become a flaming evangel, preaching on
board his steamer once or twice every
Sabbath.
Our rough sea experience prepared US
for flu. appreciation Of one Of the bright
est panoramas Of the land and sky tha,
ever unrolied before mortal vision. Capt
Neville said TO us. I'VE VIII soon DE in
sight Of the Australian coast, and when
we approach the harbor Of Sydney come
up on my bridge and I viii point out 10
you the objects Of interest" Thank
you" was our reply to the unusual in
vitation. for sea captains do not ordIn-
arily Ike to have company on the steam
er's bridge. In few moments We
climbed to the side Of the captain. Grea,
walls of rock butt by the eternal God
reached along the coast and stopped only
wide enough apart to allow ships to en-
ter and to keep the boisterous ocean Out
"Yonder," said the captain. lis the re
treat in the rocks which in the twilight
deceived the captain Of the Duncan Dun
bar 10 mistake it for the harbor and 20
aim for IL, crashing into destruction. All
on board persisted save one man. who
was picked up after ne had fioated down
onto the shelving"
Safe-y we rode in between the two great
brown pillars of Hawkesbury sandstone.
and then began the revelation Of harbOr
such as nowhere else In the wide world Is
to be found. The whole scene Is an "Odys-
sey." a "Divina Commedia." an Old Tes-
lament and a New Testament OF grandeur
and love.iness. You cannot for a moment
relax your energy OF watching without
missing something which You cannot see
again. The white palaces of the merchant
princes of sydney shine through the foil
age Of the tries. Dipping 10 the bay are
gardens ab.oOm in Writer, and lawns wita
an emerald-like unto the fourth layer OF
the wall OF heaven. Tropical plants and
tropical flowers stand side by side with
the growths Of more rigorous climates.
whey ards and orange groves, pOmegTan-
ates and guaVas and piEeapples growing
in a reve.ry Of luxuriance. Norfolk pines,
palm, MOretOn bay fig and eucalyptus
stretch their he
Complete bewitchment of landscape,
Steady cried the captain to the man
at the wheel Steady But no observer
can keep very steady while watching this
ever changing ever Inspiring ever en-
chanting scene. "YOnder is the monastery.
Yonder, just coming in sight. is the adj
miraPs house. YOnder is the university.
Yonder are the houses Of parliament.
Yonder are the Old prisons. There is the
governors residence" Here sweeping up
close to your steamer are launches with
eXcursionists. Yonder are sailing boats.
so small they suggest a fluttering sea
gull.
While the area Of the harbor is said to
be nine square miles, the water line of il,
if followed up and down all its inlets,
would be 1,200 miles The ripping waters
kiss the beach, and the beach embraces
the bay AT the next turn OF our steamers
wheel more garniture of island and har-
Dor and met and promontory. Oh how
the marine loveliness played hide and
seek" amid the islands, Five grim bat
teries pointing their Armstrong guns at
us. but only in pay. "Yonder," says the
captain, lis a French steamer, yOnder an
American and yOnder an Englishman."
Sydney harbor is so broad and honest
that no pilot was needed TO come on
board. Room here for all the navies
of the earth to ride in and secrcte them
selves so that they could not be found
W.T. bout much search. Room for the
Great Easterns Of the past and the Cam
panias Of the present to wheel without
peril. Room to welcome all the centuries
and generations and ages which are yet
TO -op anchor in its clear depths. He
only belittles and bedwarfs and bemeans
Sydney harbor who compares 1t to the
bay Of Naples or the entrance to Rio
Janeiro.
God works by no model, and this har-
Dor was Of divine origination He works
with rocks and walters and skies as easi-
~ as architects work with pencil and
rule and compass, and he intended this
harbor not to be repetition OF anything
that had ever been done and to make
1t impossible for any human engineering
or landscape gardening or hydraulics 10
initiate II is a winding splendor, an
unfolding glory, transcendent illustra-
ton of what omnipotence can do in the
architecture of an ocean gate.
The day we entered 1t clouds OF all
hueS were LOOKING down INTO It's nllfGOf,
beauties OF all styles were walking its
opaline pavement; grandeurs Of all char
lots were rolling across its crystalline
highway. On the captains bridge we
stood until near enough TO the wharf 10
see the deputation of clergymen and
prominent citizens who We're waiting TO
come aboard 70 greet us, and when they
thronged the cabin of the steamer and
addressed us in welcoming words We
were compelled by our own feelings to
reply, Brethren and friends, after sail
ing against head winds and over very
rough seas 1t Is most delightful TO get
into this beautiful harbor Of Sydney and
into the still more beautiful h2rbOr OF
Christian fellowship"
But I was up before daybreak next
morning looking at the harbOr. The win
dow of my room in the Australia hotel
takes in the enchantment, and l watched
the coming of the day into the harbor.
The whole sky first took on pallor not
sicl<iv but healthful. as though there
were white wings from the other side
shining through.
THEN there came corruscatiOns and
deep indigoes and irrad.ations and sad
nesses of color and unrolling scrolls
prophetic of more light, and somber and
holy CLEANS and rhapsodies OF advancing
day. and then banners Of victory over
the darkness. Then in this wall of
heaven the gates began to swing open.
1t was no sudden swinging back of the
panels of fire. There was no grinding
of the gates on the amethystine hinges.
There was no clang of bolts hurled back
and gradual and overpowering movement
e. IL. 20