The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-01-17
In THE FAR EAST.
Enjoyable Letter From a Former
0skaloosa Minister.

The following letter from Rev.
Bray to Mr.. Edris viii be of interest
to all our readers:
"Beirut, Syria, Dec. II, 1900.
Dear Brother Edris:-Your last
welcome letter was received while we
were in New York. We were glad to
get it and learn that you were all
we'll.
We sailed from New York on the
9th of October as we expected to,
and we went ashore at Naples on the
18th of Nov. Ours was stormy voy-
age, hence were two days late in
reaching Naples. Mrs. Bray and my
self ate our breakfast on the 2sth and
skipped the dining room until Thurs
day morning. We were On deck
Wednesday and lunched outside the
dining room. Well, / will say moth
ing about sea sickness, for no pen
could do that subject justice. We
had very pleasant company of pas
sengers and enjoyed the trip after
we got on deck. Our ship touched at
the Azores. We went ashore at
Ponta belgrade and visited the city.
We went into large garden where
we found orange and lemon trees
full of fruit and saw some large palm
trees. 1t was tropical garden full
of tropical vegetation. We spent 6
hours very pleasantly on shore, see
ing the many curious things. We
passed through the Straits Of Glib
raltar in the early morning, so that
we only saw the general outlines of
the fort. We found very pleasant
home at the Britanique in Naples.
Fourteen !of our passengers made
this hotel their home while in Naples.
This city is old and peculiar; no one
trusts another. The milkmen are
forced TO take their cows with them
and milk the COW in the presence of
each customer. So also with the
goats driven around and MIXED,
while the customer stands by. Every
thing is fenced and locked in Naples.
Great iron fences and stone walls are
everywhere. We spent a day in
Pompeii looking at the ruins of that
ancient city. How her pomp was
laid low.
From Naples to Rome, about six
hours by cars. Rome is cleaner and
more thrifty than Naples. Yet Rome
is not what she should be. We spent
four days in Rome. each one crowd
ed full. 1t is strange feeling that
comes over you as you gaze on ruins
thousands of years old. The past is
present l had read of Rome, her
ruins, palaces, baths, temples and
churches, but my ideas were far
from the truth. Her churches are
wonderful in their paintings, marble
columns, affairs, bronzes, vases,
images and worshippers. will not
attempt to write of these but when |
see you 1 will tell you something of
them.
We returned to Naples, thence
sailed for Port Said in Egypt. This
voyage was ideal-vessel one of the
very best, passengers intelligent and
agreeable, service on board first
class, sea smooth and the scenery
fine. We passed by Stromboli, an
active volcano. We saw the shores
of Sicily for many miles, also the
mountains of Italy. We passed
through the Straits of Messina at
noon so we had a good view of the
shores and cities on both sides. We
also saw Mount Aetna, but it was
Handicapped so that we could not
see it's top.
Port Said is fat, sandy port, with
no special interest to the traveller,
though learned that our American !
coal was in yards for the supply of
the vessels We waited at Port Said |
one day for a ship, which we boarded |
in the evening for Beirut. We drop |
ped anchor about II p. m. on Mon !
day, Nov 26th. Our vessel had been !
to Alexandria, where there had |
been few cases of che plague, so we |
went into quarantine in the port of
Beirut TOR two days. On Tuesday we !
were taken to the quarantine station |
and there fumigated; were returned |
in the same boat we came in, back to |
our ship, and to the unfumiRated |
crew, there to rem ain for two days! |
The quarantine officers get no pay,
except when quarantine is on, hence |
1t is often on. Two days of this de-
lightful ~ experience, cost US s14.
Mrs. Graham, our daughter, came
alongside our ship and we chatted
with her, but must not touch her.
Wen, it ended, and on Thanksgiy- !
day we came ashore and were soon
in the bone of our daughter. We |
found the Dr. and wife well; and we
are now rested and shall enjoy our
selves. have been into our garden |
and have picked and eaten several |
ripe oranges. The temperature varies
lin the morning from 80 to 60, and |
at moon from so to 75--one day it wac
50 in the shade. The mountains an d |
the sea are in full view. On SUMMON
there is snow. This mountain is
from $500 to $500 feet high.
The mountains arr cultivated clear