The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-08-30

RAISING GOZO We see the mountain
sides covered with villages and the
shore dotted with towns, all built Of
stone or adobe brick. Here and there
among the hills could be seen a castle
or an old time fort. A little after
noon we dropped anchor in the custom
house harbor, apparently right in the
middle Of the town-as the bay is
long aud narrow and appears more
like a street than a bay. On either
side of US are the walls OF the town.
This is a city of stone-all yellow
limestone, and not a patch of soil can
be seen except back from the city
where it has been deposited by the
industry of the natives. We are soon
surrounded by scores Of little boats of
yellow, blue or green, with high bows
and sterns like gondolas. The owners
are shouting aud wildly waving their
arms ~endeayoring to attract some
attention to their particular crafts,
that they may carry a load ashore.
Upon landing we go through the
walls by the Victorian Gate and 90
first to the p~ostofice. Coming out Of
the office we notice a stone set iu the
side of the building bearing the
inscription SIN this house Napoleon
Bonapart resided during the eventful
days in the history Of Malta, Jule 10
to Is, 179S." This reminds US that
Malta is an historic island aud has
been owned successfully by Egyptians,
Greeks, P%hoenicians, Romans, French,
Knights Of St. John, again by French,
then by English. We hear of it in
Bible times under the name OF
Mileta (the island Of honey. Here
St. Paul was supposed TO have been
shipwrecked and we drove to the bay,
nine miles from Valetta, where the
great missionary is said to have landed
when shipwrecked, and also to Citta
Vecchia, where we saw the cave in
which St. Paul is supposed to have
lived during his three months stay 10
Malta; also the catacombs where the
early Christians held services and hid
to escape the cruel prosecutions of
Rome.
While here we visited the governors
palace, armory, Notifications, libra
ries, and famous chapel Of Bowes but
it would be impossible to describe
these places in detail in one letter.
Malta has certainly some Of the most
picturesque spots as we'll as the most
historic spots in the world. The
paintings in some Of the churches are
works Of the old masters and the
sculpturing is perfect. After three
days enjoyment here we again sail
for Port Said, Egypt. Three days
and over we were on the Mediter-
ranean before reaching Port Said.
One cannot describe a perfect day
upon the Mediterranean. The pleas
ures OF an cean voyage on any other
water could not compare with these
perfect days. Then we reached Port
Said. l hardly know what to say /
regard to Port Said. Noted for being
the wickedest city ia the world, and
the details of its vice, pictured In the
"Light that Failed" by Kipling,
one could expect little but vice. |
will say that 10 my short stay l
decided that it wasa town that might
justly be famed for having the most
beautiful women and most villainous
and vicious men in the world.
Leaving early in the morning we
steamed slowly through the canal.
During the day we lay in the shade
Of the canvass looking out over the
desert, first on the African then on
theI Asiatic side. Occasionally the
monotony Of desert sands was broken
by a camel or by several camels with
their Arabian masters or by a palm
sheltered hut beside the canal. At
night a dance was given on the deck
and late in the night we emerged
into Bitter Lake. AS we set forward
and euioycd the beauties of the even
ing the moon rose out Of The desert
spreading such a magical light over
everything that We could easily
imagine we were In the land of the
Arabian nights. Late in the night
as we sat resting from the dance and
enjoying the beauties Of the night
the sky ahead of us began to grew red
and glow as though another moon was
tFlSing out OF the lake AS we drew