The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25
A SU NEE JOURNEY
FROM VIEW FORK TO WARSAW.


odessa the Crissea, asd the southern Aspects
Of the CaHessss-
Our ship had scarcely been fastened TO the
wharf at Odessa when a Russian officer came
on board and informed me that orders had been
given tina. our luggage was not to DO subjected
TO Custom House examination, and, upon my
inquiring the source Of such politeness, i was
told that 1t was done at the instance Of DR..
Thomas z. Hcenan, an old friend Of ours, who
for several years hhs been Consul Of the United
Rtates at that port. DIR. Hcenan appears To be n
persona Ordtu. not merely with the Americans.
English. French, and other foreigners at Odessa,
but with the Russian officials and Russian so
ciety as well. lie soon sftcrwsrd came on
board in person. and was most warmly
welcomed. lie Informed US also Of an
amusing occurrence that had taken place
an hour or two before. which we found
afterwasd exploited at length and with a good
deal OF wit In the Odessa JdeSfnfk. The police
had been informed that when our party arrived
IL would be their duty not only TO receive us
with marks Of courtesy, but to escort US and
our impedimentH TO the hotel where lodgings
had been secured for is. A Russian steamer
had arrived pretty cary IL tac morning, and
the police officers inquired II there were any
Americans among the passengers. Two gentle
mon answering TO the description were found.
sAAAHAt 'AAf' hfNg "rs" 80
formed that they were expected. that their
trunks were to be passcd unopened, and that
the officers would nj once conduct them To their
lodgings. Surprised but not displca Sod by this
intelligence, the two gentlemen, both OF them
nrrs hants os some description hniling from
Boston. Immediately started for the hotel. but.
ON arriving there. they declared that the rooms
TO which they were shown could not be intended
for two persons only. and so the mistake was
found out. Thus the Paestnik had a chance to
laugh at tho police. on account OF this blunder.
and the rare opportunity was well improved.
Odessa Is indeed Il very charming city boast
Ing some 100000 inhabitants. Spread out over
al elevated and rather irregular surface. it
fronts the sea with n bluff perhaps seventy
feet in height. Along the outer border OF this
blum Is a neat little park called n boulevard.
much frequcnted by Indies and children. The
streets are wide, the public buildings many OF
them very handsome, the private houses spa
cious and elegant. We spent n part Of three or
four afternoons at the athletic grounds fur
nishei by the city, where cricket Is played
mainly by foreigners and lawn tennis cultivated
by clubs OF ladies and gentlemen. 1t was also
our good fortune TO attend u celebration in the
cathedral on the day OF the new Emperor cor
onation In Moscow. The singing was mag
nifcent, Ms I have almost always found It in
Russian Orthodox churches, though tho choir
consists OF male voices alone and no instruments
are allowed. A review in the adjoining public
square following after the "Te Deum" in the
church, was quite impressive. both for the mar.
tial appearance Of the soldiers and the precision
Of their movements. Lieut.. Zen. Felony. the
political Governor and military commander OF
tho province, received us with extreme gracious
ness. recalling the time when, as a subor-
dinate officer, he had visited New York with the
Russian feet toward the closc OF the civil war.
Leaving Odessa at about 3 in the afternoon
10y a Russian ship-and wc are bound to say
that these ships arc elegant. comfortable, and
satisfactory-wc went directly to Sevastopol,
landing b that famous seaport OF the Crimca
bcto-c noon the mex day. The entrance into
the inner harbor Is broad and without any OBJ
stacle. and the city which was destroyed in the
Crimcan war OF 1854 now shows no scars OF
that calamity, but stretches out along its ridges
and sunny slopes In a way most attractive
and hospitablc. Like tho hotels of Russia in
general. those OF Sevastopol are spacious, clean.
and in every way agreeable. and the drives
around the town are picturesque and pleas
ing. quite apart from their interest as memor-
able scenes In modern history. In this latter
respect. however. it Is not too much to say
that there is scarcely another place in Europe
which can vie with this corner OF the Crimea.
The Malakof. the Rcdan, the Mamelon, the
vast field on the southeast tn 1t slopes toward
Balaklnva, the monuments that mark the
charge Of the Light Brigade, the cemeteries
OF the English. the French, the Italians, and the
Russian defenders Of the place, perhaps the
most gallant OF all, and Balaklava itself, with
its wonderful harbor, whose entrance Is go mar.
row that two ships cannot navigate il together,
absorb the mind with memories Of that ire
mendous struggle, at once one OF the most heroic
and F,ont ,,Ha IL ,r.a- ~ 49,
because it has left no permanent fruits, and the
questions they fought about then are essentially
the same as those which still confront the
contending powers.
The immense historical interest OF the Crimea
has combined with a certain comparative mac
feasibility to prevent the universal recognition
OF its extraordinary natural beauty and attrac-
tiveness as q semi-tropical region quite near to
tho Caucasus. But II was not until we
had finished with the sights and the men,
Dries OF Sevastopol and Dalaklava that we
came to appreciate the strange charm OF the
Crimea and the delight it has in store for
travellers who arc not too much in
a hurry. Starting in the morning from
sevastopol and driving with one or two
changes OF horses, we traversed the southern
projection Of the peninsula. and at about 9
o'clock In the afternoon passed through the
Gates of Baidar. as the passage through the IaIla
Mountains is called, and looked down upon one
of the noblest spectacles in the world. Immedi-
ately before us lay the boundless sea, the shore
rocky and broken, with villages, churches,
castles and little seaports. all made accessible
by the great road cut into the mountain side
here and there, and then built out upon walls
over some abyss or valley below, alone enough
to make thename of Prince Michael Worontzoff
forever memorable in all southeastern Russia.
The vegetation on the mountain slopes toward
the sea Is wonderfully varied and interesting.
The prevailing trees are oaks and beeches, with
p!nion pines. Expresses, myrtles. mulberry trees,
and occasionally fig trees mingled among them.
! was greatly impressed by a kind OF dwarf
beech which l had never seen In any other sylvia,
and OF which we passed that day hundreds of
specimens. 1t often lay stretched out almost
fiat upon the ground, and again where the soil
and the exposure were favorable, it would as
sumo a form of perfect regularity and rise to
the height OF six or eight feet. Tho leaves arc
exceedingly small and lustrous, making 1t n
very decorative plant. 1t seems surprising that