Around the World in Seven Months

I stationed myself on the upper deck at 9.30 P.M., and remained there all night with the kind and pleasant captain for my only companion, only leaving when we were nearing Ismaïlia at six in the morning; and I was amply rewarded by sights such as I never expect to see again.

The five thousand candle-power electric light, with a Mangin reflector, spread the rays out fanlike, and illuminated the canal and vicinity for half a mile ahead and several hundred feet wide, so that the smallest thing on the land or in the water could be seen. The electric rays illuminated the water so that the white-painted buoys, of which you could often see three or four at a time, seemed to be lighted from the inside, as if made of translucent golden porcelain, and suspended in mid-air. The white sand on the banks of the canal might be readily mistaken for snow, and was in one place piled up fifty feet high, for a long distance, and the general effect was singularly weird, as the great steamer moved majestically on. When we reached the small Bitter Water Lake, the buoys were on stands fifteen feet high, out of water, looking as if they were made of silver, the pear-shaped domes like illuminated mosques. Once where there was an opening in the sand-bank, the light illuminated a hill some distance off, and it seemed as if I were looking upon a great city, with its mosques, minarets, churches, and buildings all being destroyed by fire. Several times, when approaching huge dredging machines, the electric light seemed to transform them into beautiful flower boats on which fairies might be dancing. As we entered the large Bitter Lake, the electric lights were put out and the vessel guided by a pilot increased her speed.

The tide rises seven feet at Suez, and forces the water up the canal to the Bitter Lakes, which operate like a safety valve, distributing the water and returning it when the tide recedes.

The Mediterranean being a tideless sea, the water runs naturally through the canal to the Bitter Lakes. Most of the commerce of the East passes through the canal, instead of around the Cape of Good Hope, as formerly. In 1887 there passed through the canal 3,137 vessels, of which 2,330 were British, and only three American. I know of no greater illustration of the fallibility of human judgment than that the English opposed the building of this canal. Lord Palmerston said it could not be built, and if done, would never pay, or be any good to commerce; and now seventy-five per cent. of the tonnage passing through it is British, and it is of immense importance to them, both politically and in a business way. But for the persistent energy of M. de Lesseps, it is safe to say the canal would not have been built for many years, if ever.

The average passages through the canal from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea have been eighteen hours, Captain Loggin having made the shortest in fifteen hours; but when the enlargement is completed, so that vessels may make an uninterrupted passage each way, the time may be reduced to twelve hours. The stock of the company has paid as high as twenty-one per cent., and I was informed that our steamer, the Khedive, had several hundred cases of silk on board, and that she would pay about seven thousand dollars transit charges. Every steamer passing through the canal now makes use of the electric light; those not having a dynamo on board hire one at Port Said in Suez for ten pounds sterling per trip, including two men to run it.

It is as cool here as March in New York, and I have on my regular winter clothing. The Red Sea voyage and the weather here have toned me up, and I feel in first-rate health. This is one of three fine hotels in Cairo, and is first class in every respect—French cooking, splendid bread and butter, and excellent beef and mutton, which have, no doubt, helped to put me in good condition, after the horrors of our campaign of the India cookery.

Mr. Norris sent a telegram to Baltimore last evening at 5.30, and had an answer at 11.30 P.M., so that we are all now in touch of home.

We have been this afternoon through the bazaars to the great Citadel and the grand Mosque, where I unfortunately stumbled over a prostrate man praying, with his face towards Mecca, and there was a little row, but I apologized and passed on.

Yesterday we started out at nine and did not get back to the hotel until four. We went first to the famous museum three miles distant, over the river, and saw an immense collection of antiquities, illustrating Egyptian history for six thousand years, including the mummies of the great kings, Rameses I., II., and III., and their wives and some of their children. Their remains are not pretty to look at, and it seemed to me to be sacrilegious to expose them for show in a museum at one franc admission. The museum building is very beautiful, having been erected by the Khedive for a palace, the same Khedive who was deposed by the English, and is now in exile in Italy.

One room had marble pillars three feet in diameter and thirty feet high, and the whole building is fitted up in the highest style of modern French art.

We entered carriages and drove over a fine shaded road to the great Pyramids, where we arrived at noon. I at once announced my intention of going to the top of the big Pyramid, as did also Mr. Kolish of Vienna and Miss Roe of Cincinnati, the others of the party declining.

The old Arab sheik, who has charge here, appointed three stalwart Egyptians to assist me, and two others followed with jugs of water; with one man holding each hand, and another to push, we commenced the ascent. The stones were from two to two and a half feet high, making the tallest kind of stairs, but the men were careful and good at pulling and pushing, and I made rapid progress.

They stopped twice to rest, and then I found what violent exertions I had been making, for I was completely blown, and my mouth and throat as dry as if I had not had a drink for a month.

We rested at each stopping-place a few minutes, and rinsing my mouth with water refreshed me; then we rushed on, reaching the top in seventeen minutes. Such had been the violence of the exertion that I could hardly speak for fifteen minutes afterwards. Mr. Kolish being a stout young fellow got along first-rate, and Miss Roe being strong, cool, and fearless came up serenely. From the top the view towards the Nile was of unsurpassed beauty; long stretches of country covered with green as far as the eye could reach. Farther back was a boundless plain, but all sand and desolation. I intended to recite here Napoleon the First's address, "Soldiers of the grand army, forty centuries are looking down upon you," but I was so much engaged getting my breath that I forgot all about it.

After stopping on top for half an hour, we commenced going down, one man holding each of my hands and another holding a rope which was around under my arms. We got along very nicely with only one stop, indeed I think I could have come down perfectly well without help from any one.

There are 250 steps on the big Pyramid, and it is 480 feet high. At one o'clock we had a capital lunch, and then started for the Statue of Memnon only a third of a mile from the Pyramids. Some camels were kneeling ready to take us, and I mounted one. The beast squealed and got up first on his front legs and then on his hind ones, pitching me back and forth, but I hung on and got along very nicely.

The immense statue, partly covered with sand, did not impress me much, but a tomb which I entered near by was a wonder. I measured one of the big stones in the wall and found it was five feet square and seventeen feet long.

We mounted on camels again and Miss Roe and I had a race across the yielding sand, the Cincinnati young lady coming out ahead.

The beggars crowded around and annoyed the ladies so much that I spoke to the old sheik, and he went at them with a whip and scattered them very quickly.

We returned to Cairo the same way we went, observing on the road large numbers of camels, bullocks, and donkeys, and once I counted seven camels loaded with fresh hay. Thus ended one of the wonder days of my life.

Yesterday morning we left here on a steamer, and went up the swift-running waters of the Nile, passing numerous palaces, tombs, and all kinds of Oriental buildings, dozens of water-wheels run by bullocks, and once a steam-pump and boiler, all raising water for irrigation.

We had a stalwart and fancy-dressed dragoman, but he was of little use. We took along a nice lunch and picnicked on the boat, reaching the dock in three hours, where we found about a hundred donkeys and their attendants yelling, screaming, and pushing. After much trouble we each mounted one of the ugly beasts, and started for the ancient city of Memphis, seven miles away. There was a boy with a stick to each donkey, and every time he struck, my beast would kick and nearly unseat me.

A young lady from Boston, Miss Potter, was put in my charge, and several times we had splendid trots and gallops on the sandy roads and plains.

We met strings of camels and donkeys on the way in front, and our cavalcade of excursionists, stretched along the sandy road, presented a remarkable appearance.

Half-way we stopped to rest at a place where an immense marble statue of a king was lying in the sand. It was thirty feet long, and five feet across the face.

The donkey ridden by Miss Potter proved so bad that she changed him for another here, and we galloped over the sandy plain unto Memphis, our destination. There were half a dozen big pyramids in sight, and the whole country was covered with ruins. We were on a high hill, and looked down upon the Delta of the Nile and its cultivated fields, a scene of rare beauty, on one side, and on the other, vast sandy plains and deserts.

We walked to the entrance of the "Tombs of the Sacred Bulls." The passage-ways and tombs are cut out of solid rock and are all under ground. These passage-ways are a mile or two long, and thirty feet in diameter. They strongly reminded me of the sewers in Paris.

From these passages, were dug out of solid rock twelve rooms, each containing the statue of a "Sacred Bull," each one carved out of the rock, highly polished and covered with writing executed in a beautiful manner.

Each of us carried a candle, and it was very hot, so much so that one of the young men came near fainting and had to hurry out. It was a curious and weird scene, fifty or more people, each with a candle, wandering about in the dark. After looking at the tombs, we all returned to the upper air, and went to the tomb of a great king near by, which was under ground, and contained several large rooms, all made of highly polished white marble, covered with writing and carvings; processions of men and animals, beautifully executed, and in the best state of preservation.

Mounted on the donkeys once more, men and boys surrounded us, offering all kinds of things for sale. One young fellow showed me the skeleton of a lady's hand, and offered to sell it for a shilling, but I declined. It was a rough ride back to the river, the donkeys being very uncomfortable creatures to ride. Once the one ridden by Miss Potter greeted some of his friends in a field, and brayed with tremendous energy.

We were very much fatigued and glad to get to the boat.

The return voyage was very pleasant, and we reached Cairo at 5.30 P.M.

The landing from the steamer was made in boats, and was rather rough, the sea running high and there being no breakwater.

This is said to be the oldest town in the world, and is certainly the dirtiest one I ever saw. We drove all about, going first to the house of Simon the Tanner, situated near the sea. We saw the tank in which he used to tan his leather, and went on the top of the house, where he and his family used to sleep. We then went to the house of Dorcas, situated in a grove of orange-and lemon-trees, and I bowed my head to her memory, for she not only did good to the poor herself, but her example has caused countless millions of Christian women in all the ages since to do the same, very often in associations named after her.

The oranges raised in and about the town are very large and fine, and much exported. Great crowds of Turks, camels, and donkeys were in the market-places.

Coming near the Jaffa gate our driver ran against a heavy-loaded camel, and caused him to tumble almost into our carriage, but he fell partly under it, and the wheels ran over one of his legs and broke it. The owner of the camel, a big Turk, when he saw the mischief, sat down by the side of the road and wept. The carriage stopped at the Jaffa gate, and we walked to the new hotel, a large handsome building of stone, all the halls being paved with marble. It was so very cold that I had a fire made in a small stove in my room. Here, as in all the countries I have lately visited, fuel is very scarce and dear; that used here was the roots of trees.

At last the dream of a lifetime has been realized, and I have been on the top of the Mount of Olives, to me the most interesting spot on earth. It had been raining, making the slippery stones of the streets very disagreeable. Accompanied by an excellent guide, I walked from the Jaffa to the Golden Gate, along the street of "Solomon and David," and mounted a small good-natured donkey, who carefully took me over a rough road to the top of the Mount. Thence I looked upon the scenes so often described in the Bible, rendered more impressive to me from the thought that on the very spot where I was, must have stood David and Solomon, Christ, St. Peter, Paul, and the Apostles! They must have looked down in their time, as I did, upon the winding Jordan, the Dead Sea, Bethlehem, and the mountains and valleys beyond. The other view was towards the compact walled city. It seemed to me that I could see the great army of Titus encamped on the hills beyond the Jaffa Gate, preparing to assault it with their battering-rams. The scene was a very impressive one. After admiring the beautiful church lately erected by the Russians, on top of the Mount, I passed down by another and rougher path, and rode entirely around the city, the guide carefully explaining every thing as we rode along. The Mosque of Omar, built on the spot where Solomon's temple stood, is a splendid edifice, the outside being made of various-colored tiles, and the inside of mosaic work, with the most exquisite stained-glass windows.

At length we got away from this almost enchanted spot and went through the markets and bazaars, which do not differ much from those of other Oriental cities: narrow dirty streets, small stores, and crowds of long-bearded old men, exactly as you see represented in all pictures; women, black, brown, and white, with their faces modestly covered, but barelegged and nothing on their feet except sandals; even these were often left off.

We took a carriage and went to Bethlehem, five miles from Jerusalem, and attended religious services held in various churches by the Russians, Catholics, and Copts. Every thing we saw was of great interest, the view from the hill superb, and the people and scenes on the way wonderful to behold.

The engineers are surveying for a railroad from Jaffa to Jerusalem and the people expect that it will be completed in a year. The journey may then be made in an hour. The moon came up at 6 P.M., and as we passed along the road through the mountains I saw sights and scenery not to be soon forgotten. I felt safe, for every few miles there was a stone watch-tower, occupied by guards, and often we met them on the road, mounted and armed with guns. It was a ride of thrilling interest, for over this route have passed many times the heroes of old, and on yonder field of Sharon, now smiling with flowers, was once fought a great battle. The carriage rushed on, and half-way we changed horses. Being very cold, I walked ahead for a couple of miles, meeting caravans and single camels, and numerous donkeys laden with wood, and men coming from the fields with their oxen and their ploughs. The black-eyed natives eyed me curiously, but said nothing, and soon the carriage overtook me, and I was so well warmed up by my walk that I felt comfortable for the remainder of the trip.

We were detained for two days at Jaffa on account of the rough sea, which prevented steamers from landing, but being in a comfortable hotel, I was content and spent the time looking about the ancient city.

A young Arab offered to sell me a tame hyena for twenty francs. It was nine months old, and as playful as a young dog. At last the sea became smooth, and I entered one of the heavy boats, and the three strong Turkish boatmen put me over the rough waters in good style on board the Russian steamer Poccir from Alexandria bound for Odessa.

On the 28th instant, in the morning, I came on deck, and found that we had arrived at Beyrout, and after partaking of a glass of tea and some bread, I took a boat and went ashore, and there engaged an Arab guide. The first call we made was on Mr. Bissenger, our Consul, formerly from New York, with whom I had a pleasant talk. We then went along the streets lined on both sides with fine stores occupied by English and other foreign merchants, and then through the bazaars of the native town. We inspected a fine palace, splendidly furnished, owned by a Russian nobleman, who has not been here for seven years, but who keeps it open, with servants in attendance, ready to be occupied by himself and family at any time.

We drove out to a handsome public garden, and came back over the famous Damascus road built by the French. A fine macadam roadway, over which are run diligences to Damascus, eighty miles away, but now it is blocked by heavy snow in the mountains, and consequently two hundred travellers are detained in Beyrout. One gentleman tried to get through on horseback, but the snow was too deep, and he was obliged to return. The bay is a beautiful one; as seen from the city, a range of mountains looming up around it, the lower ones being covered with cedars, and the higher, including Mount Lebanon, capped with snow.

It will be remembered that Solomon obtained the cedars from these mountains with which he built the temple at Jerusalem. I had some anxiety about my passport, as it had not been endorsed by the Turkish Consul at Cairo, but a fee put into the hands of the customs officer was sufficient, and he permitted me to depart without even looking at the document. We got aboard the ship at noon, and after a nice lunch, including excellent red and white Odessa wine, the steamer whistled, and we were off. During the afternoon we stopped at Napoli, which is a well-built town, extending along the shore a mile or two, with the snow-covered mountains for background. Here a dozen passengers got off, mostly Turks. There was a heavy sea, and the small boats could only be brought up to within six feet of the ship's ladder, so the passengers wishing to disembark had to jump. The steam engines were kept in constant use from 4 P.M. until midnight, taking on board from lighters three thousand large boxes of oranges for Odessa.

The steamer and the lighters pitched about, and it was a sight to see how skilfully every thing was managed.

The cooking on this ship is excellent, though some of the food is new to me, and I look with some surprise to see the Russians drink a small glass of raw brandy before each meal.

We arrived at the ancient and important city of Smyrna yesterday at 10 A.M., and went ashore with Mr. Zucker, Swiss Consul to Chili, who speaks English, and very kindly assisted me in making known my wants.

We employed a guide and went through the city, which is a large one, containing two hundred thousand people.

The foreign streets and stores are very fine, but those occupied by Jews, Turks, Armenians, and Greeks are very dirty and disagreeable.

After a couple of hours' walking about in the heat and dirt, we came back to the street running along the bay, which is a couple of miles long, well-paved and clean. A dozen large steamers were at the docks, and much business going on. We saw numbers of fine buildings, hotels, and cafés.

Mr. Zucker and I called on the United States Consul, Mr. Emmet, and I was agreeably surprised to find that he was an old acquaintance, formerly in the Comptroller's office of New York.

At 4 P.M. we went on board, and were soon off. The steamer had been invaded by a dozen young Englishmen, and on interviewing them I found that they belonged to a foot-ball club of Constantinople, and had been to Smyrna playing against a club there. They were a jolly set of young fellows, and made things lively on the ship for the remainder of the trip.

The wind blew hard all day. It was cold and disagreeable, and we saw little of the land, though we were passing through the famous Dardanelles, the Hellespont of the Greeks, past the site of the ancient city of Troy, of which Homer sung, and I would have given much for a bright day or a moonlight night so that I could have seen the exact place where "Leander swam the Hellespont." But this was not to be, so I turned in and slept until morning, and when I came on deck found that we were at anchor in the world-renowned and beautiful harbor of Constantinople.

A big Turk took my trunk and bag on his back, and we went up an ill-paved and dirty street, a quarter of a mile long, and almost as hard to climb as the Pyramids of Egypt, leading to a nice and well-paved avenue, lined with fine shops, on which was the Hotel Pesth, where we found comfortable quarters.

I had a cup of tea, and then sallied out to see the city. There are few carriages to be seen in the streets, but great numbers of large and homeless yellow dogs, all of the same shaggy breed, apparently well fed and happy and certainly good-natured. There were twelve of these dogs on the walk opposite the hotel, and I counted 164 on one of the main streets, about a mile long. We remarked that they were about as thick all over the city, and there must be as many as fifty thousand altogether. We walked down a fine street to the water, and along the shore for a mile or two, and again admired the beautiful bay, which poets have raved about for centuries, and which most people think the finest in all the world.

We went as far as one of the big palaces belonging to the Sultan, which faces the water. It is twelve hundred feet long, and has two grand entrances built of white marble. There we took a circuit around the hills, and saw many great buildings, barracks, schools, etc. Once we saw a regiment of horsemen drilling in a large square. The men were tall and fine-looking, and the horses excellent. There were two fire alarms while we were out, and it was enough to make a New York horse laugh to see the arrangements for putting them out. The engine, so called, was an ordinary force-pump with two handles, placed on a platform and carried by a dozen men, who were followed by fifty more, in a leisurely way. There are no water-works, and many large and very old wooden buildings, so one can readily see that there must be destructive fires here sometimes.

I have been here a week, and have seen many mosques, including the immense and famous St. Sophia, which must have been in days of old very magnificent, but it has been largely robbed of its treasures, and is now quite dilapidated.

The weather here is very bad, cold, rainy, and blustering, much as we often have it in March. There was a heavy fall of snow two weeks ago, and the streets are wet, slippery, and disagreeable. On the 6th instant we made the famous trip up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea, which has been so often written about. There were four of us, Mr. Zucker, myself, and two friends, all sedate, over sixty years of age, and representing a combined weight of nearly eight hundred pounds.

We left the hotel at 9 A.M., walked a short distance through the middle of the muddy streets to a cable road, which we took, and in ten minutes were in a busy street near the water. We then crossed a fine iron bridge and went on board a side-wheel steamer. Looking across the water we could see the great hospital buildings where Florence Nightingale immortalized her name, by her care of wounded soldiers during the Crimean war. Steam was up, and soon we were away, going along near the shore of the European side and making about ten landings. On the shore, buildings have been erected, sometimes a hundred or more together, so that practically speaking the ten miles to the Black Sea is a continuation of the city. Palaces are to be seen all along, several of them belonging to the Sultan, and one very large and splendid one occupied by the Persian Ambassador.

The ranges of hills near the water are largely cultivated, and even now are covered with green grass, the whole presenting a panorama of great beauty.

We stopped at noon, went on shore and had an excellent lunch at a German restaurant, and then took another boat as far as the Black Sea, and returned along the shore of Asia, stopping at numerous places to take on passengers and mail, and in an hour reached the city.

There was a lot of women on board, with their faces more or less covered. Once as the steamer was passing a house I saw a very pretty sight. A couple of little girls made signals to our captain, and a larger one held up, for him to see, a small white puppy. The white-headed old sailor smiled a grim smile, and the swift steamer swept on.

One day I took a guide and went to see the famous native bazaars, where under one roof were several hundred small stores, the passage-ways narrow, wet, and ill-paved, such as you find everywhere in the East, filled with every thing native and foreign one ever thought of. An Armenian pulled me into his store and showed me elegant stuff, sofa pillows, silks, shawls, and gold embroidery, but having no use for such things I came away without purchasing.

Another day I called on Mr. Sweeney, our Consul, and later upon Mr. Solomon Hirsch, U. S. Minister, who kindly gave me all the information I wanted about Constantinople. Returning through the lower part of the city, where there was a large crowd of people, I saw a dog-fight. A strange black dog had invaded this part of the city, and a dozen yellow ones went for him fiercely, causing an immense row and confusion, until a Turk appeared with a big rope, thrashed them all and sent them yelling away.

One morning we took a carriage, and went to see the Sultan make his weekly trip to a mosque. We drove some three miles to the front of the mosque through the mud and snow.

This mosque is a new and beautiful one, and soon after we arrived, there was a great gathering of horse and foot-soldiers.

The horsemen were fine-looking, and rode splendid horses. They formed several deep in front of our carriage, but I got on a high fence, so as to have a good view, and stood there in the snow and rain for an hour, waiting for his Highness. At length there came a band of music, a troop of cavalry, and many decorated officers, followed by an open carriage containing the Sultan, a dark, black-bearded middle-aged Turk, wearing the national red fez. He passed slowly on to his devotions, and I was asked if I would wait and see him return. I said most decidedly not, and returned with my friends to the hotel and to a late but excellent breakfast at 2 P.M.

After an examination of my passport and baggage, and considerable delay, I got on the train, composed exclusively of Mann boudoir cars, lighted by gas, including dining-car; and every thing first-class, quite as good as any thing in America, except the vestibule trains from New York to Chicago. The road-bed is so perfectly constructed that the cars run easier than on any railroad I was ever on. You could read with comfort, and some of the passengers were writing. My journey from Constantinople was a solitary one, our party having separated, and other friends being left behind. Passing through Bulgaria and Servia, little was to be seen except vast plains, sometimes cultivated, but often not; mud houses with thatched roofs, and oxen ploughing in the fields. We then went up and over big mountains, covered with snow.

The second morning when I arose we were in Hungary, and the scene had changed to every appearance of business and activity. Four oxen, attached to a plough or to a four-wheel wagon, were to be seen all along the route. There were vast cultivated plains, and beyond them towns, villages, and houses, all looking in good shape. We arrived at Budapest after two nights and one day on the train. I spent two days in Budapest, and found it one of the most beautiful cities in Europe—handsome, well paved, wide, clean streets, splendid hotels, stores, and public and private buildings. This city is the capital of Hungary; the King, who is also Emperor of Austria, resides here for a portion of the year.

In one of my trips about the city, I saw him driving out in his royal coach. Leaving Budapest at half-past two one afternoon, after a fine journey of five hours, I arrived in Vienna, and was accommodated at the Imperial Hotel, which was first-class in all respects.

A week was passed in Vienna. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, many think even finer than Paris, and I thoroughly enjoyed the comforts of civilization once more, all the more, no doubt, from having been partly deprived of them for so many months, as recorded in the previous pages. I called on Colonel Grant, the United States Minister, who was very polite and kind. I dined with him and his charming family, and attended a diplomatic reception given by Mrs. Grant. I also dined with the distinguished Dr. Kolish and his family, some of whom spoke excellent English, and passed a very agreeable evening with them.

Passing on to Berlin, I there saw a grand review given by the Emperor to the Prince of Wales; and from there went to Dresden, in which delightful city several days were spent, going often to the large and splendid gallery of paintings, and lingering in front of that wonderful work of art, the "Sistine Madonna." One evening I went to the Grand Opera, and one afternoon drove around and through the city. Two American young ladies were kind enough to accompany me and to point out the various objects of interest. We met the King of Saxony, driving out in a showy royal carriage.

Hamburg came next, one of the most beautiful and enterprising cities in Europe, and then Bremen, where I boarded the North German Lloyds steamer Eider.

Every thing about this splendid ship was so perfect that one could not suggest an improvement; the table being of extraordinary excellence. We made a quick passage, and in eight days I landed in New York, April 8, 1890, having been absent exactly seven months. The distance travelled was 27,816 miles: 18,786 by water, 9,030 by land.