The Republican journal., 1902-02-27
UP THE MEDITERRANEAN
Notes of VOYAGE en- Route to the Holy
Land,


A friend in this city has received a
letter from Miss Avis Morrison who is
accompanying her aunt Mrs. Adams on
a journey to Egypt. from which we are
permitted to make the following ex-
tracts. The letter was written ON the
5. 5. Commonwealth, and dated The
Mediterranean, Jan. 20, 1902 -
We have had very small number of
passengers this voyage-only I2q first
saloon, though many second and steer
age. The majority have landed now in
Italy. but about sixty new ones have
joined US. However, We like the smaller
list, for there is then so much more
| room on the decks. To think we have
oeen three Sundays on board. We seem
TO have had all sorts of things to DELAY
| US: hrst hurricane gales, then stormy
head winds and following seas. Next
our coal was of inferior quality. which
would not have been so bad had there
been plenty of it, but it threatened to
give out,and to cap the climax we reach
Ell Genoa III time to see the Furst Bis
march steaming out of the harbor with
oand playing, colors flying and 1000 tons
OF coal which had been engaged for us ,
1t was then a. III. and We had to wait
until the next morning before resuming
the journey, as We were announced to
leaVe at that time and expected pas
SengerS. However, we had such a de
Hght1ul day in Genoa driving about the
naIro" picturesque streets with the
prlght colorS and gaily painted houses
everywhere. The police seemed the
most 1DSnTd and inf bair
tall silk hats. white gloves and canes,
ready for anything but duty. Then the
dear little donheyS, some with panniers
and some without. all presenting most
moth-eaten looking coats. and loaded
to within the last straw" | quite fell
IN love with the military capes worn bv
the soldiers and thrown up over the
shoulder IN the most beautiful dds i'm
aglnable. On the way out to Campo San
10 we saw women at the river banks
washing clothes and beating them
against the stones, hanging them on
the nelghboring bushes or spreading
them on the ground, whichever was
most convenient. At Naples we did
no sightseeing, as we expect to be
there for couple of weeks later. | |
was up early to see us enter the
harbor, but on account of the haze
1t was most unsatisfactory. Now and
then we would catch a glimpse of some
passing island or Vesuvius would show
clearly above the low lying vapors. It
is such fun entering an Italian port. As |,
soon as we drop anchor we are sur /
rounded by innumerabe small boats i,
filled with vegetables, fruits. pastry, |
tortoise shells, etc, and musicians who |
sing accompanied by violins. guitars, |
mandollns and tamborineS. They catch !
the pennies in huge umbrellas. There |
are also boats with beautiful flowers. |
and bouquets are tied to long poles |
with small bags to put the money in |
and many of us parted with our sheckles /,
for violets and queer little yellow bios !
oms. But the strangest are the men
who dive IN the water for the pennies
thrown them. They are powerful swim !
mers staying i'll the water such a long
time, too.
WeWere so fortunate as to have three
hours IN Gibraltar, which is such curl
Gus old town. with English, Jews Span
lsh. Arabs. Turks and Moors. iabbering
on all sides, and all making such bril-
liant picture IN their various costumes.
with the red coats of the garrison everv-
where. y Moorish market was in full
blast AS we entered the city. and it all
seemed like a holiday festival About
six we again started on our journey. a
beautiful evening glow on the rambling
old town, with the black rock towering
high above it. Gradually the lights
appeared one by one in the houses and
high up among the Notifications. until
it all seemed like fairy land On the
opposite shore twinkled the lights of a
small African town as we steamed off
up the blue Mediterranean filled with
the pleasantest of memories.