Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-28

breakwater blocking up It's entrance, sun
burned hills around 1t and not a scrap OF
green anywhere, another Ansona town! 1t
exports naphtha and cement.
Here as soon as our gangway was put
out the usual rush Of porters began. for
they always have the right Of way, and they
clad in indescribable costumes, principally
rags, but always with hood or rag of
some kind to answer as such, thrown over
their heads. One Of them especially inter-
ested US, for he had as head gear a very
dirty flannel shirt, with the arms hanging
down over his shoulders, and how he kept
1t on we could not imagine but he ran UP
and down the long ladder into the hold with
lightning rapidity, and 1t never once fell of.
They were Of many races-Turks, Caucas-
ans, Jews, Armenians, Russians and Per-
SLAMS, and all chartered at the top Of their
voices In Russian, ! take 1t, making tre-
mendous noise, and all carried by heavy
loads which rested on straw cushions on
their backs, which were bent nearly double.
Declined With Thanks.
We were urged and implored by the Turk
in French, the Russian in German, the
courier in broken English and the little old
Caucasian gentlemen in pantomime, to 'go
and visit that so great an elevateur that
never, no never, except in your SO very
large vile of New York, madame, Is ap
equal one to be SEEM This from Leon,
our treasure Of a courier, and O., being
amiabnity itself, and of phlegmatic make
up, would have gone. but rebelled and de-
clared vigorously that nothing would in
duce me to spend an hour OF my time in
specting a hideous grain elevator, so, In
spite of reproachful and astonished glances,
l led my party in the opposite direction,
followed at varying intervals by all the
others. We had a hot pull up the hillside,
but a lovely view of blue bay and fawn-
colored hills we sat in the meager shade
of a bush. From that point the red-roofed
houses of the town opposite us made an at
tractive picture, for certainly distance was
kind here and added much enchantment to
the view.
While were waiting there we saw the
Russian Black sea fleet in the distance, and
in they all come the little torpedo boats
steaming briskly ahead and the big gun
boats numbering along in the rear, entered
the harbor and at once dropped anchor with
rattle of chains. On the way down we
passed barrows Of watermeIons for SALE
and on my expressing a desire for one the
four men instantly bought one each and we
walked along the wharf, the proud posses
sors OF four extremely hot, but as they
afterwards proved-very fine watermelons.
When We came on deck the next morning
We were overjoyed to see the mountains, the
Caucasus, magnificent range that 1t is, with
the highest peak, Elbrous, $500 feet, snow
capped and swathed half way up in gar
ment OF mist. Nothing can exceed the
beauty of the Caucasus as one sees them
from the ship, peak rising beyond peak,
masses piled up against each other, except
their beauty, when one is in among them
and can see that, unlike other high noun
tainS, they are green, covered with deep
grass to their very tops. Beyond and
ahead of us rose the mountains of Asia
Minor, which at that point seemed almost
equally imposing. The scenery was wonder
fully fine as we approached Batoum, for the
well wooded coast range, the Adjares, closes
in around the bay and Batoum and makes it
one of the prettiest ports imaginable. We
landed at o'clock, after a regretful fare
well to the captain and those of our friends
VINO were to leave us, and drove to the
Hotel Imperial in the golden haze of love-
ly sunset. MARGARET STIRLING,