Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1907-03-21
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Scenes of Interest
In Different Lands

LETTER mob BY MILLARD A.JFNKENS.
Sea of Marmora. Feb. 29.--I find
myself so busy sightseeing on land.
and resting and getting ready for
more sightseeing at the next stop,
that it is next to impossible to find
time for readable article to send
home. should have liked to have
written on Spain, Gibraltar, Algiers.
Malta and Athens, devoting an ar
ticle to each, but could not find the
time; as l am writing a book on these
classic and sacred countries of the
Mediterranean, / am kept busy.
shall have to be satisfied to send a
short letter now and then, that my
friends may know that the journey
is prosperously progressing.
In Spain one could not but be i'm
pressed with the poverty of the
country. The military and the
priesthood seem to have things their
own way. The people bow to the
soldier because of his power, and to
the priest because of their own su-
perstition. The government taxes
them mercilessly to support both.
The people are indolent, the states
men selfish. No one seems to take
any thought for the future. No
wonder that anarchy is in the air.
The Spaniard is loyal to his cathe-
dral, but more so to the bull pen.
This cruel sport is to-day as popular
in Spain as it was four hundred
years ago. While driving in Seville,
| noticed along the piers thousands
of people on tiptoe of expectation
over something. / learned that a
famous Spanish bull fighter had
been killed in Mexico, and the ship
was bringing his body home. also
learned from a Spanish guide in
Lenea, Spain, that in the past few
months, in the cities of Cadiz, Gra-
NADIA and Seville there had been six
bull fighters killed. He said these
fights are held on Sunday, and that
when bull is killed the crowds
cheer, and when the fighter is killed
they hiss. Is there any wonder that
Spain is on the decline?
The Spaniard shows great respect
for the Americana He seems to be
well acquainted with the stars and
stripes. No wonder. He got a bit
overbearing down in Cuba and in
suited that flag, whereupenf Uncle
Sam gave him such a blow between
the eyes, he hasn't seen anything
bat stars and stripes since.
At Gibraltar, we had very pleas
ant visit. When first seen from the
sea, it appears to be a great barren
rock rising abruptly from the sea,
but when seen at closer range it is
covered with vines, trees, gardens,
and nesting on the west side is a
city of 27,000 population. The rock
of Gibraltar was first fortified by |
Taric, Moorish prince, in the year |
700 B. c. 1t was called;Gibe-lel- |
raric, or the Rock of Taric. 1t is
-hree miles long, three-fourths of
nile wide, and 14,000 feet high. 1t
S nothing less than a military volca-
10 ready to belch forth its fury at
moments notice. 1t is honeycombed
With galleries. with port holes every
fifty yards out of which a thousand
great guns, some of them weighing
me hundred and ten tons, brazen
losed war dogs, sniff the air.
The rock is in the shape of a
'rouching lion, looking defantly
across the neutral ground towards
opaln' as much as to say, IF you
want any more, I've plenty in my
shop left" Spain hopes to see her
yellow flag float over Gibraltar's
ramparts once again, but she'll new
er see it.
Leaving Gibraltar, we sailed for
Alglers, North Africa. Here in the
early days of our country the pirates
neld sway, forcing all nations whose
ships sailed the Mediterranean to
pay tribute to them. 1t was Com
modore Decatur, of the American
heet, who first resisted these sea :
robbers. When told by the Dew of
Algiers that he would take powder
as tribute, if he had no money, De-
catur replied, "Tll give.you the DOW