Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-11-06
ON The ISLE OF PATMOs.
A visit Among Happy People VINO D""l
In Pr.meyal simplicity. y

A Walt Among Happy People VINO D""ii
In Primeval simplicity. a
Situated in the A1gean sea, south 81
Smyrna, and less than twenty,nvs
miles from the mainland OF Aslh
Minor, Patmos is ten miles long, nve
wide. and less than thirty IN circum
ference. A narrow isthmus divides the
island into almost equal parts north
and south, with Port Scala on the
east and Port McrilSa on the west.
Here stood the ancient city, and mere
st. John landed, writes Bishop New
nan in the New York Christian Ad-
vocate. The coast is deeply indented.
The cliffs rise as If out OF the sea.
The valleys are deep and solemn. The
mountain peaks attain an altitude OF
one thousand feet, from which we haci
view of the islands and islets, OF bay
and sea, of vale and submits whose
magnifcence is beyond the limits OF
language. Here and there the palm
and the olive, the fig and the mulberry,
the cypress and the oak, the almond
and the pine, adorn the island and give
industry to the people. Five thousand
people dwell there in peace, industri
| policeman is the guardian OF life and
property. Patmos is one of the for
tuuate isles" No Turk has trodden
It's .,s8l, no mosque shadows its land
! scare. The sniap goyeln nent tax OF
twenty-five hundred dollars IS annually
carried By - tHpptygto the pasha Of
| Ehodts II Las ievcr had pray nor
slavery nor the plague. The air is
| clear and heaveulyss The people are
Greek Cnristians, gentle, intelligent
and happy. AS we passed through the
streets they came TO the door and
/ saluted us with genuine hospitality.
From the early dawn till our arrival,
the bold, massive, southwestern cliffs
of ,Patmos, like some huge cyclopean
wall rising from the sea, appeared to
view, and against this dark background
solitary sail was seen, white in the
morning light, moving slowly in the
| light breeze toward some neighboring
island. The approach was enchanting;
hour after hour in the stiffness OF the
! dawn we drew nearer and nearer; the
illusion of nearness was fascinating,
yet deceptive. The winds and the
waves had indented the rock bound
shore and carved out many grotto
which rcsounded to the voice OF the
deep. Now Mount Elias was distinct
ly seen, a thousand feet from sea level,
crowned with white temple to the
prophet, and anon the white city ap,
pearcd on the distant hills which clus-
ter around the Monastery Of st. John
the Divine" As it was near the Greek
Easter, a month later than the Latin
an ancient custom was observed, and
the exterior of each dwelling was
whitened in memory of the great
event. Soon we entered the quiet har'
Dor of La Scala, land-locked, describ
ing two-thirds of circle wherein ships
were at anchor. The lower town, the
village of Scala, the principal port, il
on the east side of the isthmus, on the
shores of quiet littlo bay, wherein
one-third of the people live, mostly
merchants, who deal in figs, grapes ant
other fruits. The upper town is on {
lofty hill, half an hours ride up +;
steep road paved with huge rount
stones, hard to the foot of man an.
beast. Our arrival excited the littl
village. Men, women and children
looked upon us wonderingly. Crowd
followed us, gave us flowers and wei
coined us to their homes. At the gat
of the monastery the monks receive,
) us in a formal and gracious manner
and we were guests in the "Monaster
of st. John the Divine" On the isl
that is called Patmos"