Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-04-17
A VIRGINIA Girl ON A
TOUR OF THE WORLD.
Miss Marie Hill of Summerdean,
Who is En-Route to India, writes
Interestingly About Her Trip
Across the Atlantic.
Friedrich der Crosse,
Iol L

|
ship, love and remem brance!
Leaving New York as we did after
fearful storm of wind, snow, rain an
slush, we expected something of tn
Kind on the sea, only to find it like
mill-pond, with nothing to appeal t.
the imagination, even, for the first tw,
days.
Since, we have had one or two rathe
rough days, with rain, but generally
sea and sky have been serene and lovely
and we have not had qualm of sea
sickness. OF course sister Mrs. White
is too much of ''salt" for that malady
Perhaps escape through courtesy.
On the 9th we sighted another steam
er,soon caught up with and passed her
two miles off. 1t was pleasant to set
some sign of life outside of our shell or
the apparently limitless extent of wa
ter. The weather is warm as we entel
the Gulf stream and the sailing fine.
March 11th.-There is quite gale on
this morning. Rain dashing all ovel
the ship, but it's such steady ship we
feel no uneasiness. Nothing but storms
keeps me off the deck, even write my
letters there.
we have made few acquaintance
among the passengers, enough to afford
partners at bridge and other simple
amusements occasionally. Nearly all
the passengers are foreigners, mostly
Germans and Italians. Those we have
met speak, English also. There is one
lovely, elderly lady from the U. S.
cnaperonlng young girl, both of
whom we find very agreeable. Our
vis-a-yis at table are gentleman and
his wife, who are very nice to us, too.
March 14th-Yesterday when we
reached the Azores, lat. 40 degrees we
expected to put off letters in sealed
barrel, to be picked up by a boatman
for that purpose, and taken to the Is
land Consulate for mailing, as they
usually do. This time, however, the
captain countermanded the order.
About 10 o'clock we saw ahead the dim
outlines of mountains rising out of the
sea. Then how excited everybody be-
came, watching the land grow nearer
and nearer. felt like Columbus NV
self. We were hours passing and we
saw three of the group. They were
green with trees and fields of growing
corn, which appear at intervals clear
to the tops of the mountains. Indeed
the islands are nothing but mountains,
about the height and general appear
ance OF the ones at home in Virginia
though furthermore rugged; ages young
er than the Alleghanies, and not worn
smooth and round. Schools of leaping
rolllcklng porpoises, near the islands,
raced US, the professor in the lead, and
all OF us screaming with laughter.
Today we have sighted two. vessels.
One liner bound for New York which
we signaled and saluted with the Ger
man flag, the other was a small freight
schooner bound for Portugal from the
Azores.
Sunday, March l5th-I was surprised
that there was no assembling for divine
service, as is the case on most English
and American ships, l believe. The
Kaiser is such religious character l
should think his devotional tendencies
would extend to even his domain on
the seas. Tomorrow we reach Gibral-
tar, and go on shore at s o'clock,
March 17th.-We walked up in the
Mediterranean this morning-shipa and
all We had an exciting morning 60
ing on shore for three hours, getting
back in time to sail again at noon. I
was astonished at the wonders of Gil
braltar, for the big crock" isn't all
there is Of it, by any means. The town
is on the other side of the rock and ex-
tends from the edge of a beautiful har-
Dor far up the precipitous slope, SO that
the little crooked, cross-streets are
just tramways, each step being a yard
wide and about eight inches deep. The
burden-bearing, huckstering little dom
keys, and herds of milk goats that we
saw, go up and down as serenely as
they walk the broader streets running
at right angles to these stairways. At
last L have seen the pink, yellow and
grey stucco houses of odd construction,
that we read about in Spanish history.
While having all the picturesuueness
of an old Spanish town, it is clean and
well ordered, as it is English ground.
You ought to see the Notifications. The
whole town is surrounded by great
breastworks and embankments, barri-
cades and 'Tommy Atkinses." Ma
rines are marching in every direction.
The whole mOuntain-for Gibraltar is
simply whole mountain-is bristling
with batteries, and on every peak is a
signal or Marconi station.
The season corresponds with early
May in Virginia. The trees are in leaf,
the gardens and parks tangle of grass
and flowers, pansies, japonicas, easter
flowers and geraniums, the latter grow
ing like vines on lattices, and in pro-
fusion of bloom. Also innumerable
orange trees covered with fruit and
blossoms. Of course We were beset by
fakirs, selling fruits, flowers and even
Assyrian scarfs and every Eastern COM
modify. Besides our ship there was a
+. and 5. steamer bound for the East,
in port too. Laden with fresh fruits
and flowers, we were tired, though
happy band, as we went back on board.
We sailed in sight of the mountainous,
Southern shore of Spain for four hours,
while off to the South we could see the
faint, blue outline of the African noun
ta;ns. l could scarcely believe if it was
l seeing all these wonders.