Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-06

out interesting bits of scenery along the
coast We wanted very much to get the
music of the songs. but were told that there
were no published music for them. One we
liked immensely, which Madame r. told
us was sung by the Caucasian men at their
dinners, a ringing, delightful thing. They
all stand and sing it at the beginning of the
dinner, then sing seated, between courses,
and frequently during the meal one or two
of them burst forth into song. All that aft
ernoon we skirted the shore in sight of the
magnificent mountains, with those of Asia
Minor also in view, panorama of peaks
seen across a sea almost unbelievabiy blue.
The Russian lady-mother was enthusiastic
in praise of the Caucasian coast for sum-
mer or winter residence. She had bought
a hillside under the coast range not far
from Batoum and was just putting up
two-thousand-dollar cottage, which was to
have roof of thatch, and to be painted
dark red. She hoped to have grove of
giant bamboo, some orange trees and a
tree plantation by the next year and was
going to spend six months of the year there
If possible. She sand that all the servants
were Turks and were the best and most
honest servants she had ever had, alb
solutely honest, that they were fine work
ers and very grateful for any kind of a
good word. When thought of the reports
we had heard of the Russian servants and
their inveterate dishonesty 1 wondered
Just how much the Turks could be trusted.
However. We heard afterward, and from
various sources. that the Turks were par
ucularly honest people. that IT was their
great virtue. Madame r. said that things
grew in a night in that delightful climate
and when l asked about fever, which is
supposed to be rampant in and about Ba-
toum. she vowed there was no such thing
among those lovely hills. She most cor
daily urged us to visit her and was pleased
when we gave her cards with our adj
dress in America. Her huband had been
an officer. her brother held a high position
at court, and her big, good-looking son-in-
law was In the guards. AS We had stopped
at NoVor1SSlSk on our way to Batoum, and
had not been at all impressed with it. save
with its barren ugliness. we regretted the
time to be lost there and still more the
parting from our delightful acquaintances
All or an afternoon we lay at the dock and
all of the night, too, although we were in
great danger of being blown away from it.
1or at eight violent wind sprang up and
nearly tore off the awning. The sky was
perfectly clear, the stars brilliant, but a
hurricane. the like of which | have only
read of. whistled and moaned and rushed
about the ship all night. The bay rose and
dashed furiously about US and the hawsers
creaked and groaned with the strain of
holding the ship.
A Hard Night of It.
1t was a dreadful night, and had there
been any kind of shelter near by the cap
tain would have put us off, but we were
several miles from town and there were no
droschkes in sight or hearing Even if
there had been it would have been impos-
slple TO drive in such wind. The cap
tain was up all night and In great doubt
as to the strength of his cables. and we
were thankful that they held, for in any
other case we would have been torn away
from the dock and dashed against the
stone breakwater. No anchors could have
held nor engines had strength enough to
cope with such wind and sea-
The next morning we watched with great
interest the arrival of two droschlkes of
passengers, but they proved to contain only
a melancholy young Russian and four
French officers, none of whom could speak
a word of English.
Leon came to inform us Of their arrival
and also to give US the information that
they We're of very high rank in the army
and the possessors of illustrieus names,~aA
or which was interesting, but we longed for
one other woman. We set sail to speak in
correctly at In the afternoon and the next
four days were made as pleasant for. us s
was possible, which was very pleasant in
deed. The ships officers did all in their
power to make us content, the captain or
dered dishes which he found that we liked
and on one lonely moonlight night took US
all up on the bridge. The captain we con-
slider very remarkable person. born in
Corsica of parents who could not even read
their language and who had not money
enough to give him an education, he had
educated himself and worked his way up
until at the age of fifty he commanded the
best ship of the Black sea merchant fleet,
besides which he had learned to speak
Italian, French and German, and could
understand English. He was poet, having
made a book of verses, and played almost
every kind of musical instrument
He greatly interested us, for although he
was apparently the most calm and self
contained of men, he acknowledged to being
a bundle Of nerves We prophesed and still
prophesy great things for the clever cap
tain Of the steamship Memphis
MARGARET STIRLING