Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-14

fornia, Florida and Nassau they could
hardly compare with these attractions
in Funchal. Many English spend their
winters there filing the hotels.
The inhabitants are mostly of the
poor, laboring classes with beggars ev-
eryNhere. All kinds of fancy work in
Guiding straw and willow products of
all designs give employment TO the
masses. AS our steamer cast anchor it
was surrounded by nsarly a hundred
crafts of all descriptions, loaded with
u great variety of wares for sale, or
occupied with divers, calling for coins
to be thrown into the water, when they
would plunge in and they generally
caught them before they reached the
bottom.
Early In the morning of March 10 the
renowned rock of GibTalter appeared In
view in all its grandeur An hour later
We dropped anchor in the spacious har-
Dor filed with q large fleet of all ma
tons. chief of which were several large
English men -of-war. After landing the
party was taken thru a half mile of old
abandoned galleries. The main ones
and ports on top of the rock are not for
tons on Gibralter are so closely kept
that the public are beginning to doubt
their reputel imnensity; but without
question it is a stronghold that will
stand against any attack that may be
made upon 1T. The city Of the same
name is conpactly built on the west
side and part way up the rock, the is
land, If such 1t may be called, is threa
miles long, one-half wide and 1850
feet high. The population Is 10000
composed of English. Spanish and
French. The city of Liniae in Spain,
one mile from the rock furnishes most
of the laborers for the work about Glib
ralter. When one looks on this strong
fortress and meditates on the prowess
of England he should not allow his
mind to revert to the Boer war.
Our sailings are nicely arranged,
which are two nights and one day be-
tween ports. The morning of the 21st
found our ship anchored in the har-
Dor of the quaint old Moorish city or
Algiers, Africa. which has a mixed
population of $1,000. Prior to 1880 IL
was the rendezvous of pirates, who al
most destroyed the commerce of the
Mediterranean, when France sent a
fleet and. with the help of other ma
tions, drove them from land and Sea,
since which time Aigiers has been gov
erned by France, and wonderful im-
provements have been made in the city.
The lower streets have been straight
ened and widened, with trolley lines
now in operation, and automobiles arc
in use. From the points OF architecture,
uniformity and solidity of the build
ings, nearly all of which are five stories
high, the new city, with other beautl-
full features, is remarkably attractive.
The old town on the hillside, founded
centuries ago by the Moors, has stooe
the ravages of time like the rock OF
which it is built. Its narrow, crooked
and steep streets, with a dense popu-
lation Of Arabs, present scene that is
intensely interesting to the traveller.
Here the Mohammedans flourish in all
their glory, but the female faces. ex-
cept the eyes, are hidden under wells.
The mosques were objects OF great In
terest and were visited by most of our
party, who were shown thru them, bus
we had to put on sandals so as not to
pollute the floors and rugs of their sa-
cred temples. Their ablutions and
humble postures in their deyotions
showed a spirit of reverence that no
one would question. One Arab said;
Your God has given us nice day,
the first in a month" Algiers is an inn
portant commercial place. The ship
ping in the harbor and traffic on the
streets Indicate that.
we reached the island of Malta in
the early morning of the ed. There
are several narrow, deep harbors, on
the hillsides of which IS situated thc
solidly-built city of Valetta, containing
10000 people The old city Of Citti
yecchia. founded 700 B. c., with the
thickly- settled island, gave total pop>
ulation of 10000 on an area of seven
teen by nine miles. The shipwreck o.
ST. Paul and the heroic defense of the
knights of st. John make the early
history a memorable one. There is an
ancient ST. Paul cathedral and mag
nificent one in honor of st. John. Many
places associated with st. PauIs So
journ here are pointed out, but except
ing the bay, where the shipwreck oc-
CURED, much doubt of their accuracy
is entertained. A novel sight was the
driving of herds Of goats thru the
streets and the delivery of milk direct
from the udders. Malta is celebrated
for its fine laces and other fancy work,
and the ladies of the cruise supplied
themselves with selections at very low
prices. There are many things of sur
passing interest about Malta to which
only long letter could do Justice.
This is the seventeenth day OF the
cruise, and our ship officers say: Not
in their long experience have they seen
such uniformly fine weather and calm
seas The Mediterranean is about
like mill pond. All are getting SO ac>
customed to our good ship that it has