Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-04-07
Aboard GrOsser Kurfurst,
March 81. 1909.

MdTCH IL, 1SUJ.
My deal Joe Argus:
We left Algiers on the evening of
Tuesday, February %, and arrived at
Genoa ON Thursday, the 25th. We
experienced quite a change in the
climate; from a balmy summer atmo-
sphere we encountered cold, wintry
weather as we approached Genoa; the
wind was blowing at a high speed, and
very penetrating. 1t took us nearly
two hours to make a landing.
Most of our passengers stayed ON
board except those who got Of for the
were quite a number, but we recruited
our passenger list probably to the TX
tent of our losses. The new contin-
gent were mostly Germans, and some
French. They are a swell lot Of o
pie.
pie in America in the military line
than almost any nation. A foreigner
coming in contact with so many cap
tains, colonies and generals would
surely take us for a Warlike people,
and to ooh at the new contingent one
would imagine that the civil titles of
our foreign friends would indicate a
nation of nobility and municipal Off
GERS. They surely outshine our Amer
lean contingent; they never appear
for dinner except in evening costume,
and there is not very much mixing be-
Tween the two natiOna1itieS
Having been in Genoa before, but
having missed the most noteworthy
sight here, I proceeded with some of
our party to the "Lauto Campo" This
is the cemetery and a visit there will
surely repay any one, though he
should chance to go as we did, in a
snowstorm.
This cemetery is a series of arch
ways covering a hollow square with
a beautiful chapel in the center of one
of the arcades. These arcades are
probably 20 or % feet wide and are
lined on both sides with tombs, most
of which are magnificently sculptured.
Generally h figure of the deceased is
reproduced in life size and in very
many instances the death scene with
the entire family group is reproduced.
The sculptures are wonderful and un-
doubtedly were produced by the best
Italian. talent.
Our boat only stopped six hours at
Genoa and we were not sorry. Our
trip was intended for a sunny cline
and we did not expect to encounter
the coolest winter weather.
We arrived on Saturday morning al
Valetta, in the Island of Malta, some
600 miles south of Genoa. Here we
find the weather more to our liking
an ideal, sunshiny day, and we had
no use for overcoats.
Our visit to Malta was a most agree
able one in fact a delightful surprise
as we expected to see little but forti-
: fcations.
AS a fortress Malta is considered
quite as formidable Is Gibraltar, an6
far more useful, as it forms a centra
/. link in the chain that unites England
5 to her Eastern possessions. The for
, tifications are very impressive, anC
? one of the finest and deepest harborI
/ on the Mediterranean. Here we say
: about seven of England's peace max
5 ers at anchor. This island is abou
IL miles long and s miles wide, and i
practically a solid rock. Yet this i
covered at many places with rich sol
f which produces two or three crops
S year.
The city of Valetta has about 5000
Inhabitants, probably one-third Eng
Elish, and the remainder are mixed, blu
considered mostly a distinct individ
ual race, and are still proud of bein'
Maltesians, though no doubt they hav
degenerated greatly since they Dor
: the title of the Knights of Malta, an,
freed the Mediterranean from tn
hordes of pirates that invested it.
r The places of interest on the islam,
r are the Church of st. John, with tn,
chapel of st. Carlo, the governors pal
t ace and h Church of the Monks.
e The Church of st. John is the mos
conspicuous object in Malta; in fact
one Of the most remarkable in Europe
|. It's floors are slabs Of inlaid and deco