St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-07-04
ITALIA LETTER.
Gulf of Lyons.
French Steamer IN loses"
oath May, 1900.

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Our Steamer Moses" is on good
terms with the clerk of the weather
and thus far the voyage has been an
ideal one, the ships doctor without
occupation, and the captain with a
holiday look as if commanding a
pleasure yacht. Last year on these
same waters we were in gale, the
ships atmosphere was very different.
These French steamers are greatly
inferior to those of the P. and O. SER
vice, but they are we'll differed.
Our captain is Corsican about the
size of Napolean 1, but sporting a
cresent-shaped moustache like the
German Emperor. Hehas no English
side to his tongue and just at this
time the French are not specially de-
sirous to cultivate that accomplish
ment. Too many English victories
lately in South Africa to be crafty
ing to these neighbors of England.
At noon of the 22nd instant we were
along the dock at Tunis and there
we remained until noon the 23d
when we sailed for Biserta, six hours
along the coast towards Algiers.
There we dined and left at mid
night, and at daylight this morning
we were off the western coast of
Sardinia, and now we have just
entered the Gulf of Lyons, with a
good prospect of reaching Marseilles
in the morning sufficiently early for
the Paris and London passengers to
catch the morning express train.
North Tunis is such a French-Arah
city that it always has an attraction
for the tourist. A few years since
all steamers anchored at Goletta,
just off old Carthage, but now can
al connects that old harbor ten
miles distant, with Tunis, and tram
way cars connect the docks with the
city. New Tunis which the French
have made, is quite pretentious.
The Boulevards, wide from cars run
ming in all directions, houses and
shops quite Paris-like in external
features, but the desert and Paris
come together in the street life of the
city, and camels and donkeys and
Arabs, with their white turbans, and
Jewish women with their brilliant
eastern costumes divide the honors
with automobiles, bicycles and the
brilliancy and fashion of the Bots de
Boulogne. Biserta, which the
French call "coaling station" has am
billions no doubt of a naval sort,
and some day it may be to the French,
what Malta is % the English. From
the sea you pass into a narrow can
al then into a lake of small size, out
of which through another canal you
enter a second lake and here is Biser-
ia. 1t seems like a good place to
hide in. Malta has very much more
the look of belonging to a nation
which is mistress of the seas. These
lakes at Biserta are stocked with
fish and the fishing rights are owned
by French company, whose shares
it was told were more profitable
than those of the Suez Canal. In
the market at Tunis, fifty miles away
one sees every where displayed fish
from Biserta,' just as you notice
paris Soap" and "CoIeman's mus
tard" staring at you in all the rail
way stations ofEngland. Biserta was
on fete the evening we were there.
Some French official was leaving for
"Tonquin," and the whole place.
with the military band, gave him a
send off. Lord Roberts will not re-
ceive as noisy demostra ton when
he returns victorious to London.
The French are gifted in all that per-
taips to Mysteries. Swallows MUIR
muir" but deep waters are dumb"
The arrival of this French celebrity
and another Frenchman of some 70
years, who was said to be a large
stockholder in the Biserta fisheries
gave an aristocratic tone to our
passengerlist. Wehope this infusion
French aristocracy will not give an
evil eye" to the ship and make it
necessary to toss overheard these
Jonah's.
Grand Hotel de la CIoche,
Dion, May &c
The Gulf of Lyons and the Bay of
Biscay have an unsavory reputa-
ton. Both are favorite Fairgrounds
of the Gods of the winds and though |
Aeolus has his headquarters on the
Lipari Islands the parade grounds |
where he goes through some of his
most excitinp manOeuvreS are South |