Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-09-02


vented his appreciating natural
scenery. However that may have
been, 1t seems impossible that he
should not have been impressed by
the splendid views that anyone sail
ing up the coast OF Sicily through the
Straits OF Messina and along the south
Italian shore enjoys, says Rev. DR..
Francis e. Clark in his series, In the
Footsteps OF st. Paul" In the Christian
Herald. He would have seen at first
smiling, Undiscovered hills: and before
he had gone Tar. glorious Etna. snow.
capped for much Of the year
An ever-changing panorama delights
the eye until we come to Reggie, the
ancient Rhegium. Alas, pitiful sight
there greets the traveller today. Mes.
sina on one side OF the narrow strait
and Reggie on the other were both
wrecked almost beyond recognition by
the disastrous earthquake OF 1908. On
the Messina shore one sees great rows
OF little wooden houses scarcely larger
than henhouses. These are the port
able bungalows which were transport.
ed from America. ready-made, to re.
lieve the sufferings of the houseless
and homeless people. They are still
occupied, for little has been done to
build up the ruined cities.
The authorized version of the thir
teenth verse of the twenty-eighth chap.
ter OF Acts says in describing st.
Paurs journey after leaving Syracuse
and from thence we fetched com.
pass and came to Rhegium." An anus.
ing story Is told of an infidel who de.
clared, misquoting Luke's words, that
now he had proved the Bible to be q
lie, since in the book OF Acts ii was
said that they fetched a compass
aboard Paul's ship. and everybody
knew that this was long before the
compass was invented" The revised
Version haa taken the wind out OF the
inaccurate infidel's sails, to speak nau
tically, by translating the passage in
more modern phrase: And from
thence we made circuit, and arrived
at Rhegium." Here st. Paul's ship evil
IDENTIFY waited for one day, perhaps to
discharge some cargo, or possibly wait.
ing for fair wind, which soon blew,
for we are told that after one day q
south wind sprang up. and on the Sec
ond day We came to Puteoli," 1872
miles to the north OF Rhegium.
Between scylia and charybdis.
Shortly after leaving Reggie we
pass between Scylla and Charybdis.
the tabled monsters Of antiquity, the
rock and the whirlpool, which have
been robbed OF all their terrors since
steam navigation came to bless the
world, and to make the travellers bur
dens and dangers light. Soon after,
the active volcanic mountain OF Strom-
boil, on one of the Lipari islands, is
seen. and all the way along the glori.
ous South Italian shore reveals itself;
splendid mountains rear their heads
in the near distance. their sides clothed
with vineyards and olive and orange
orchards far up their slopes.
As we approach the Bay of Naples
the scenery becomes constantly more
enhancing. We see the promontory
of Sorrento across the Bay of Saler-
no. and soon Capri with its blue grot-
to comes in sight on the left, and tow.
ering Vesuvius with Its constant
plume OF smoke on the right.
Sailing across the Bay OF Naples,
past the spot where the notable city
of the present day is situated. place
which was then comparatively insig
nificant, our travellers came to Pute-
oil, or Pozzuoli, as it is now called, at
present decadent suburb of Naples.
This miserable and dirty town Of
some 10000 inhabitants, as it now Is,
is connected by trolley and steam rail-
way with Naples, and is often visited
by the modern tourist who wishes
to see the remains of the ancient tenn
pies and amphitheater and the mighty
mole, which still tell of the ancient
glories of Puteoli.
Nearby, too. is the volcanic field
of Solfatara. not mountain, but a
fiat plain, the crater of low volcano.
into which one can thrust his cane In
many places and find smoke and sui
phurous vapor issuing from the hole as
he withdraws it. Probably there are
few more dreary or disreputable places
in italy than this modern suburb Of
Naples. 1t has not the ragged pic.
which somewhat redeems
tho warrt ctums IF Ma ntGs hnf lie a
squalid, unwholesome town Of the
worst type
Was Noted Roman Resort.
1t is difficult to realize that 1t once
might have been called the Liver
pool OF Italy that here was the Lu-
crime lake. which supplied the pam
perad Romans with their famous oy