From Vermont to Damascus

My friends in Springfield who have never been down to the sea, or crossed the big waters, perhaps have but little idea of the skippers that take people across from the New to the Old World and vice versa. To give you the length in feet of the “Normannia” would convey but little; but, when I refer you to the Adnabrown Hotel, which is a long building of one hundred and fifty feet, and tell you to place three of them in line, and then add seventy feet, you would have the length of our beautiful steamer. It is two stories high besides the attic, with a cellar two stories deep, and is a regular floating palace. Few hotels in the country are fitted up as nicely. Her engines have sixteen thousand horse-power, several times the power of all the motor wheels in Black River at Springfield. She has nine boilers; and, when they run her full speed, it takes three hundred tons of coal every twenty-four hours.

Mr. and Mrs. Weeden met us at the boat when we left New York, and presented us with some beautiful flowers. It did us as much good as medicine to meet our old pastor and wife. Mr. Weeden is the personification of a true gentleman.

Our party are all together in the dining-room, occupying four tables, ten at each, save one seat which is occupied by the steamer physician, dressed in uniform. We have on board a fine German band that gives us a large quantity of splendid music.

We sailed Saturday, the 16th. Sunday we had religious services. Dr. Horton, of Providence, preached a ringing sermon from Exodus xxxiii. 13. At this writing we have been on the way one week, have encountered no gales, but have found the ocean rather rough, and have had many sick. Racks have been on the tables most of the time. Mrs. Brown and myself have been in the dining-room and on deck every day. Our captain is polite. He found out that he had some sight-seers on board. So he proposed to change his course a little, and take us through the Azores, which was quite a treat. We could, with our field-glasses, see the houses, and fields on the sides of the mountains. These islands are very high, some of them running up seven thousand feet. They belong to Portugal, and are inhabited by that race; and the islands are said to be large enough to support three hundred thousand people. They raise olives, oranges, pineapples, figs, etc. The pineapples, which are of a very superior quality, are raised under glass. The inside is free from any woody substance and so soft it can be eaten with a spoon. They command high prices, selling for three or four dollars each. London epicures fill them with wine, and consider them a great luxury. The government sends ships to them about once in two months, to receive and deliver mail and supplies. Mists and fogs from the ocean keep everything verdant.

Our ship “Normannia” is officered and manned entirely by Germans. They are very polite and attentive. The table is luxurious, from four to six courses, abundance of fruit, apples, pears, oranges, pineapples, grapes, bananas, etc. But the poet sings, “What is home without a mother?” So many of the passengers sing here, “What is dinner without an appetite?”

Saturday Morning, 23d.

Had a smooth run last night, but have just met a north-easter this morning; and it looks as though we shall be “rocked in the cradle of the deep” for the next few hours. We expect to reach Gibraltar to-morrow night, where this letter will be sent ashore to take the first steamer for New York. We shall reach Naples Wednesday or Thursday, where I shall hope to write you again, as we expect to spend several days looking over the beautiful Bay of Naples, and get our feet on “terra cotta” again, as the man said, which we shall no doubt enjoy.

Sunday morning, instead of one of the band giving the trumpet call to rise, the whole band played a beautiful church hymn. It was very pleasant, and showed their respect for the day.

Just after the mail was closed on board the “Normannia,” last Sunday, February 24, and my first letter to you was ready to start back for New York, we were beginning to sail up into the Straits of Gibraltar. It was a beautiful day, clear and balmy, mercury about seventy degrees. We had already sighted land on both sides of the channel; and, if you will take a seat with me on the upper deck, I will show you one of the finest pictures anywhere to be found,—the water smooth as glass, and the “Normannia” gliding through the water proudly as a queen. On our right you will see the coast of Africa, with rugged hills extending back, to all appearances, into the interior. On our left is the coast of Spain, with less rugged appearance, and I should say the much more desirable place for a habitation. We continue to narrow the channel until we reach the stone battlements. Some two miles before we reach this point, at our left, you will see the village of Trafalgar, where the great naval battle was fought and where Nelson lost his life. The town has the appearance of containing some fifteen hundred inhabitants, with buildings painted white, having a very neat appearance. The land for a mile or more up the channel has a very peculiar appearance, looking like the waves of the ocean laid up at an angle of fifteen degrees. With our glass we could see the beautiful green fields, divided into lots, with green hedge fences. All the time you are drinking in this beautiful picture the grand background will be the stone battlements of Gibraltar, just ahead of you, extending out into the channel. We reached this point just at sunset, which added greatly to the beauty of the picture. Just before reaching the fort, our steamer turns to the left into a beautiful bay or harbor, where we find war vessels of different nations. Saw the stars and stripes. The war-ship “Chicago” was anchored there. The Americans on board the “Normannia” cheered them with waving of pocket handkerchiefs. They returned it, and their band played one of our national airs. At this point we anchored; and small boats came out, and took mail, telegrams, passengers, etc. Many of our party went ashore, where you find Moors, Turks, and Spaniards, besides the soldiers. Selling rum and tobacco is the main business, and this is considered a wicked town. The streets are narrow and not lighted, houses built of stone several stones high. Back of the town is a wood where live the only wild monkeys known in Europe. It is a species without tails and one protected by the government. Whether this is because of the lack of this appendage I did not learn, but it no doubt had something to do with the matter.

Now, as you stand back down the channel, Gibraltar looks like a big Dutchman with a cap on, standing as sentinel, guarding the traffic from ocean to the sea. It rises fourteen hundred feet above the sea, is seven miles in circumference, and is connected with the mainland by a narrow strip of flat ground. It is composed largely of limestone, some marble, and was naturally full of caverns and cavities. In addition to this, England has honeycombed it through and through; and no one but the British war department and the soldiers know what there is inside. There are five thousand soldiers quartered here, and one thousand cannon. England spends a million a year running this Dutchman.

It was about 1785 when Spain and France combined to take this fortress away from England, and had a three years’ siege, but had to give it up. It is said to be the strongest and most important fort in the world. At six o’clock there was a cannon fired. This was a signal for every stranger to go outside the walls unless he had a permit from the head officer.

I will give you the outlines of one of the big guns at Gibraltar. Length, thirty-two feet; size of bore, 17.72 inches; the charge is five feet long; weight of powder, four hundred fifty pounds; weight of ball, two thousand pounds; force of blow, thirty-three thousand tons; distance, eight miles; will pierce twenty-five inches solid iron. This gun is fired only on the queen’s birthday and special occasions, at which time notice is given, and windows are raised in all the buildings to prevent the breaking of glass.

The “Normannia” left Gibraltar 7.30 Sunday eve. We had a smooth sail, and slept finely, quite different from what we found it on the old Atlantic.

Monday Morning.

We are sailing up the Mediterranean, which is lovely; and every one seems to be gathering up from the rough voyage of last week. We reached Algiers about 7 P.M., sailing up past Morocco. Algiers has about sixty thousand people, is controlled by the French. About sixteen thousand of that nationality were taken by the French in 1830. They have a large Arab settlement. Then there are Moors, Jews, Buddhists, etc., etc. As I said, the “Normannia” reached Algiers at seven in the evening, and was to leave at eleven. The town rises from the coast very abruptly, is lighted with gas, and looks fine from the boat. Having three hours to ourselves, we took small boats that the natives were running in the bay, and went ashore, then took carriages, and drove through the town two hours, driving through the Arab district. We saw Oriental life in full bloom; and from what we saw of the natives we soon made up our minds they were a people we should not care to sleep with, and were careful to be back on the “Normannia” before the hour of her departure.

Tuesday morning, bright and clear, and we are still sailing up the Mediterranean, water smooth as a glassy lake, the air soft and balmy, every one happy. Expect to reach Naples to-morrow at eleven.

The “Normannia,” which showed her antics on the old ocean, striking her nose into those big, rolling waves, throwing the water over her deck and bows, sending it rushing down by our cabin windows, seemed to have sown her wild oats before she reached Gibraltar, and has given us a splendid sail through the Mediterranean. We think of our Springfield friends, and wish we could treat them to a day’s sail on this beautiful sea, and enjoy the balmy air of a Vermont June day.