The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-03-20
ON THE ISLE OF PArMos.
A Visit Among Happy People Who Dwell
In Prineval Simplicity.

Situated in the ERe0n sea, SOutn OF
Smyrna, and less than twenty-five
miles from the mainland OF Asia
Minor, Patmos is ten miles long, i've
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 Merika on the west.
Here stood the ancient city, and here
st. John landed, writes Bishop New
man 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 had
q view of the islands and islets, OF bay
and sea, of vale and SUBMITS whose
magnificence 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-
GUS and quiet. Order reigns, and one
policeman is the guardian Of life and
property. Patmos is one of the "for-
tunate isles" No Turk has trodden
its soil; no mosque shadows its land
scape. The small government tax OF
twenty-five hundred dollars is annually
carried by deputy to the pasha OF
Rhodes. It has never had piracy nor
slavery nor the plague. The air Is
clear and heavenly. The people are
Greek Christians. 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
a solitary sail was seen, white in the
morning light, moving slowly in the
light breeze toward some neighboring
island. The approach was enchanting;
hour afteE hour In the stiffness OF the
dawn we drew nearer and nearer; the
illusion of nearness was fascinating,
vet deceptive. The winds and the
waves had indented the rock bound
shore and carved out many . grotto
which resounded 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-
peared on the distant hills which clus-
ter around the Monastery Of st. John
the Divine" AS it was near the Greek
Easter, 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 q circle wherein ships
were at anchor. The lower town, the
village of Scala, the principal port. is
on the east side of the isthmus, on the
shores of a quiet little bay, wherein
one-third Of the people live, mostly
merchants, who deal in figs, grapes and
! other fruits The upper town is on
lofty hill, half an hours ride up q
! steep road paved with huge round
| stones, hard to the foot OF man and
beast. Our arrival excited the little
village. Men, women and children
looked upon US wonderingly. Crowds
followed us, gave US flowers and wei
coined US to their homes. At, the gate
of the monastery the monks recelvet
us in q formal and gracious manner
and we were guests in the "Monaster.
of st. John the Divine," on the ISL
J that is called Patmos."