Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-04-07
HOME FOLKS ABROAD
Our TOWnsman Mr. Henry
We'll Writes Again OF
His Travels.
Two Letters Received at 0nce Tell
Interestingly and InStructlvely
OF What He Is Seeing on
His Tour Towards
Jerusalem.
On Board Grosser Kurfurst,
March 9, 1909.

Dear Joe Argus:
One would suppose that travelling
on the ocean would give anyone an
abundance of spare time for letter
writing, but as a matter OF fact there
is always something goln on ABOARD
ship to attract ones attention, and
there is something Observation-Disclosures
NAV. erhap call it by the name OF
laziness-to keep you from it. But l
promised myself to give you a synop-
sis of our trip unless I find it too bur-
densome. We have been here now two
days doing up Constantinople quite
industriously, and have only one more
day here, but l shall refer to this city
later, and will now take up our jour
in sequences.
We left Funchall, Madeira, on the
evening of February 10 for Gibraltar,
where we arrived Sunday morning. The
carriages were in waiting on our ar
rival, and we proceeded at once to
round up the town and up the rock
by a graduated road as far as we
were allowed to go. By a recent Or
der of the commander no visitors are
allowed to view the Notifications, and
L was rather disappointed, as we were
told that we at least could view the
lower galleries.
The neal approach to Gibraltar is a
most impressive sight. From a dis
lance it does not seem SO formidable,
but looks so as one sees the picture OF
the Prudential advertisement. How
ever, when you get close to 1t the rock
seems to expand and rise. The aver
age height is 1,400 feet and it's length
about three miles, and it is sever
miles in circumference. The rock is
honeycombed with galleries and tun-
nels and has batteries at various
heights to the very top and though l
don't think hat the guns from the
rock command the entire entrance to
the Mediterranean, as Centa, b other
pillar of Hercules on the African
shore, is too far to be reached by them.
The English nave recently made great
improvements here. They have built
fine drydocks that would take care of
foul war vessels at n time. They
have also recently completed a fine
harbor at a cost of over twenty million
dollars. We found seven of their peace
Ike at anchor. The town is at the
foot of the rock, though within the
lower line of Notifications, and COM
prises a population of $4,000. There
is nothing very striking about the
town, the main population are Eng
lish, though you see quite a number
of Moors here, and occasionally a gen-
uine negro. AS it was Sunday, all the
shops were closed, therefore we could
not see much in this line. The streets
are macadam and good sanitary con-
ditions prevail. This cannot be said
of the Spanish town, Lenia, across the
border. Being inquisitive about how
it looks l took a drive there. After
leaving the Rock we drove through
neutral territory, a strip OF
land about half a mile wide. A fence
on each side of the neutral strip di-
vides the English from the Spanish
territory.
On entering the Spanish town the
contrast is great. The streets are
filthy, as we'll as the novels of houses
They had some kind of feast and the
streets were crowded with masquer.
aders. The drinking saloons and shops
were open. Our guide cautioned Us
not to approach too closely, "insults
ladies and picka polka" We were real
ly glad to beat a retreat to our boat.
We leave Gibraltar at 6 p. m. Sun
day and arrive at Algiers Tuesda!
morning. 1t was a bright pleasan
surprise. The harbor, as of most O
the Mediterranean towns, forms
semi-circle; the town is terraced t.
the mountain top. The dazzling whit
buildings and emerald hills in tn
background blending with the pur
plish haze and azure sea togethel
make a picture long to be remembered
There are many fine avenues of tree
in modern Algiers and palms, orange
a and pepper trees are everywher
in evidence. At the upper end iron
the French quarter are beautiful vii
las and fine modern hotels, visited a
{" WAASNA CoO ~ WSoAtAJ Ah5AAoA
French, Russian and some, sprinklin
of Germans and Americans. The cit
is composed of two distinct parts, Q
which the lower French Algiers is a
gay and modern as Paris, fronted b
boulevard Republique, lined wit
handsome and attractive shops.
A startling contrast to the Frenc
district is the Arab Algiers, whic
rises to the west of the barracks an
forts. The houses with their barre
tiny windows, narrow streets inacces
sible to vehicles, winding, terrace
walks between where the upper ste
ries almost meet. Here you encounte
the different tribes of Arabs in thei
everyday life as they cook, eat, s1eeI
market, pray, loaf; but it seems tia
the biggest majority do the last. w
are continuously reminded by gu
guides to keep close together am
keep a careful watch on our yaluables