Class _^^:?2^ 
 Book J 'r 
 
 (x)p}TightN°.. 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 
 
A TRIP THROUGH BIBLE LANDS 
 AND EUROPE 
 
Copyright Iiy i]r„, F. Oliver 
 Louden & riaiHiigum J'l-ess. 
 
lil-. 
 
 t 
 
A TRIP THROUGH BIBLE 
 LANDS AND EUROPE 
 
 A JOURNALISTIC RECORD OF A TOUR MADE 
 IN THE SUMMER OF 1914, JUST BE- 
 FORE THE WORLD-WIDE WAR 
 
 BY 
 
 GEORGE R OLIVER, D. D. 
 
 CHAMPAIGN. ILLINOIS 
 
 LOUDEN & FLANINGAM PRESS 
 
 1915 
 

 ^S-^ 
 
 DEC 30 1915 
 ©CU420118 
 
PREFACE 
 
 THE pages of this book are a journalistic record of 
 an auspicious tour taken just before the world- 
 wide war of 19 14. The book does not attempt 
 extended discussions of places or people. It does contain 
 the author's impressions and conclusions growing out of a 
 traveler's observations in the countries traversed. The 
 writer believes that there are many readers of like taste 
 with himself who will obtain pleasure from the facts and 
 incidents mentioned. Our travel letters from abroad were 
 read with such interest as to inspire the hope that a fuller 
 book account at this epoch of history will prove a wel- 
 come addition to travel literature and Bible study. 
 
 Our party was small and our conductor experienced. 
 His personal sympathy and presence throughout the trip 
 insured the largest possibilities for the time occupied and 
 places visited. The date of our journey was the most 
 attractive in the world's history. 
 
 A condensed itinerary follows which may guide the 
 reader in the selection of chapters as outlined also in table 
 of contents : 
 
 The Atlantic Ocean, Azores, Strait of Gibraltar, 
 Algiers (Africa), Sardina, Naples, Straits of Messina, 
 Greece, Athens, Mediterranean Sea, Alexandria and 
 Cairo, Goshen, Suez Canal and Port Said (Egypt) ; the 
 Holy Land and Damascus, Baalbek and Beirut (Syria) ; 
 Patmos, Vathy, Smyrna, the Dardenelles, Sea of Marmo- 
 
ra, Constantinople, the Bosporus (Turkey) ; the Balkans 
 including Sophia (Bulgaria), Belgrade (Servia), the Dan- 
 ube, Hungary and Dalmatian Alps ; Fiume and the Adri- 
 atic Sea ; Venice, Florence, Rome, Pisa, Genoa, Milan and 
 lakes of Italy ; Switzerland and her lakes and mountains ; 
 Germany and the Rhine ; Holland and the Hague ; Bel- 
 gium, her cities, her grottos and her Waterloo ; France 
 Paris ; the English Channel, London, her parks and 
 museums. 
 
 The illustrations have the special merit of being 
 nearly all original views taken by the author or under his 
 direction, though not always under the most favorable 
 circumstances. 
 
 The "Question Chapter" and "Our Journey in 
 Rhyme" are supplemental but furnish a key to the main 
 story of the book. By many they will be read with profit 
 before the other chapters are perused. 
 
 G. F. O. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. Crossing the Atlantic i 
 
 II. Algiers, Naples and Messina .... 12 
 
 III. Rural Greece and Marble Athens . . 19 
 
 IV. Ancient Ruins and Modern Customs . 27 
 V. Egypt's Pyramids and Shops .... 38 
 
 VI. In and About Cairo 47 
 
 VII. Going Up to Jerusalem 55 
 
 VIII. The Temple and Calvary 62 
 
 IX. Beyond the Walls -j^ 
 
 X. Over Hill and Plain to Nazareth . . 89 
 
 XL Nazareth and Galilee 98 
 
 XII. Damascus the Ancient ...... 11 1 
 
 Xin. Baalbek and Beirut 119 
 
 XIV. Constantinople and the Turk . . . . 130 
 
 XV. Through the Balkans 143 
 
 XVI. Venice and Florence 151 
 
 XVII. Rome Yesterday and Today . . . . 163 
 
 Xyill. Northern Italy ^173 
 
 XIX. Through Alpine Mountains and Down 
 
 the Rhine 180 
 
 XX. Holland and Belgium 190 
 
 XXI. Paris the Fashionable 201 
 
 XXII. London the Great 206 
 
 XXIII. A Question Chapter 216 
 
 XXIV. Our Journey in Rhyme ,. 225 
 
I. 
 
 CROSSING THE ATLANTIC 
 
 \0K many years it was the dream and hope of the 
 writer to make the trip to Bible Lands which he 
 now attempts to record. The novelty of the first 
 journey abroad has greater interest for him who makes 
 the trip than for those who read about it ; nevertheless, as 
 public address is of value largely because of the individu- 
 ality of the speaker, so this story may have special value 
 because of its personal viewpoint and conclusions. With 
 some desire for recreation, my chief purpose has been to 
 fieshen conceptions of the Bible story, renew memories 
 of historic study, and absorb missionary and civic facts. 
 The purpose of my journey was providentially favored by 
 the arrangement secured. Ours was the Palestine Party 
 conducted by Dr. Ray Allen, Rochester, New York. 
 
 We sailed out of Bush Dock, New York, on board 
 the S. S. Martha V/ashington, March 21st under the miost 
 fortunate conditions. Our Austro-American vessel with 
 six hundred steerage and two hundred cabin passengers 
 furnished an interesting study, if not companionship, for 
 
 I 
 
the fifty-two first-class passengers, half of whom were 
 made up of our party of Bible Land tourists. 
 
 Going abroad is a little like dying, so far as separa- 
 tions are concerned. Friends and native shores recede 
 and thoughts turn toward the distance. As we were 
 leaving the wharf, a party of three, careless of the warn- 
 ing given, found themselves belated and shut off from 
 shore as the gang plank had been pulled. They ran for the 
 exit but were too late. They cried to the captain for help 
 to get off the ship. Their useless pleadings, which vv^ere 
 later respected by the captain in his own way, taught us 
 a moral lesson. We watched the harbor boat that had to 
 be summoned while our ship was delayed that the unfor- 
 tunates might be transferred, a serious expense for care- 
 less postponement and disregard of "orders from above." 
 
 After scanning farewell letters and reminders from 
 loved ones, and exploring his new residence, the traveler 
 begins to adjust himself. Congenial companionship for- 
 bids loneliness. The social life of shipboard stimulates, 
 while the soporific air makes eating a pleasure and sleep- 
 ing a prolonged luxury. Though constrained by the 
 limits of the vessel and hedged in by the dimensions of 
 one's berth, there is freedom from care and opportunity 
 for private and social life that belong alone to the sea. Se- 
 clusion and quiet furnish a special inspiration to one who 
 loves to commune with nature and nature's God. A stud- 
 ent of Bible truth headed for Bible lands finds- unwonted 
 pleasure in the lessons furnished by such Scripture as the 
 23d and I2ist of the Psalms. Fear is banished as one 
 reads of Peter's fright in the presence of the waves, but 
 who sank not, because of his Master's voice and his 
 Master's hand. 
 
Meditation on some good advices given, helps pass 
 the time and prevent the ills so many expect when first 
 launched upon the deep. One of the best counsels, which 
 was well tested in this tour and may be of suggestive value 
 to others, runs as follows : "To have a good time at sea, 
 be natural, shun remedies, forget care, trust God." This 
 spirit enables one to prove the joy of faith and the 
 strength of the promise, "I will both lay me down in 
 peace, and sleep : for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in 
 safety." The distant and muffled throbbing of the great 
 engine reminds us of the ceaseless care of Him who never 
 slumbers. 
 
 We left port on Saturday. Sunday brings the privi- 
 lege of our first sermon on shipboard, which is heard with 
 interest by a select audience. The average traveler is 
 neither very religious nor studious ; possibly because 
 pleasure and business figure foremost in the ordinary 
 tourists thoughts. To keep a gracious and grateful spirit 
 and seek opportunities of lifting others' burdens would 
 make strangers less mindful of their own weal and more 
 careful of others' woe. To leave the superior comforts of 
 the first cabin and speak, through an interpreter, a Gospel 
 message to the crowded steerage herd below starts a new 
 appreciation of one's home atmosphere of liberty, soap 
 and prayer. 
 
 A ship well furnished, to the passenger at sea, is a 
 little world in itself, and a first trip passenger finds it a 
 new world indeed. Our Austrian captain has been in 
 charge of this ship four years. He speaks six languages, 
 is courteous and respectful of the comforts of his pas- 
 senger crowd ; as are also his four associate officers. The 
 discipline of the seafaring crew makes him a man to be 
 
 3 
 
respected as well as trusted. His orders are law. The 
 Austrian flag at masthead represents the Government. 
 RebeUion is crime and arrests can be made for any viola- 
 tion of law. 
 
 Our Marconi operators receive wireless messages 
 from the ever-active and sensitive machines, operated 
 night and day. These keep us in touch with receding 
 shores and with the whole world. If patronage will not 
 justify the expense of several thousands per year, the 
 wireless information is not printed but is only posted on 
 occasional bulletins or treasured in the officers' records for 
 their own guidance and pleasure. A daily news sheet, 
 printed on the largest steamers, is a very common bond 
 of union with the outside world while crossing the bound- 
 less, but not trackless, sea; for ship lines have their ap- 
 pointed paths in mid-ocean almost as well defined as rail- 
 roads upon land. 
 
 Competing steamship lines are jealous of their hon- 
 ors and proud of their records. Happy for the traveling 
 public of all continents that since the Titanic iceberg 
 tragedy of recent years, a new standard of safety rather 
 than speed is coming into favor. A wonder of modern 
 days is found in a statement that a great North Atlantic 
 passenger line, among many millions carried in seventy 
 years, has never lost a soul by accident. Another adver- 
 tises only one person lost in 800,000 passengers carried in 
 the past twenty years. It is not surprising that ocean 
 travel is becoming so in<:reasingly popular, for a well built 
 ship cannot sink at sea, and steamship rivalry makes it 
 possible to secure passage, cabin comforts and meals, 
 medicine, library, gymnasium, music, fresh air, tonics and 
 servants equal to the best hotels and at a cost less than 
 
 4 
 
Pullman car-fares, as a strong inducement to make the 
 trip across the seas. 
 
 What a debt we all owe to the primitive sailors and 
 to Columbus, who, as a daredevil, kept his tubs above 
 water and mastered his men so as to make them stay with 
 him to the day of discovery ! The progress we have made 
 in these centuries is impressed upon the thoughtful tourist 
 as he gazes at the life-boats, notes the movements of the 
 watchmen and studies the facilities for the comfort and 
 health of passenger and crew. 
 
 The charts on shipboard are a source of constant 
 interest and wonder to the watchful passenger. Those 
 who wish may learn of the ocean, the winds, the magnetic 
 variation of the compass, the ice and fog areas, the 
 changes of climate, the location of the patrol boats ; 
 though the average passenger leaves these valuable points 
 of information to the captain. From our journal I take 
 the memorandum of one day's log, which is bulletined 
 daily, as a sample of the information given the tourist 
 who cares to mark the facts : "March 23. Latitude 40 
 degrees, 10 minutes ; N. Longitude 35 degrees, 59 minutes ; 
 W. Course S. 89. Distance 361.8 miles. Average speed 
 15.39 miles. Thermometer 56, Barometer 29.6 degrees. 
 Wind N. N. W. 4. Sky cloudy. Sea N. E. quarter." In 
 addition to this our party are favored with a daily lecture 
 on nautical, geographical or historic matters of special in- 
 terest to the company of tourists who gather about our 
 conductor. His many trips across the sea and through all 
 countries maks him a court of information and appeal sel- 
 . dom found by travelers. To this, there is added his per- 
 sonal interest in the small company who are ready to do 
 his bidding as well as take his suggestions. 
 
Time passes rapidly and every twenty-four hours* 
 travel marks a change in the ship clock and one is daily 
 obliged to change his private timepiece, turning it forward 
 or backward a half hour or more according to distance 
 traveled east or west. 
 
 He who cares, may join us in a visit with the stew- 
 ard, guide and engineer to the engine room and the 
 stokers' work-shop thirty feet below the water line. To 
 explore the ship is to make a world tour in itself. We pass 
 the steerage cabin, walk down the narrow stairway and 
 upon grated floors far below the water's edge. We study 
 the engine pistons upon which our progress depends. The 
 electric motors, the ice plants, the pumps, the boilers, the 
 stokers who work in turns day and night without ceasing, 
 all tell of the forethought of captain and ship owners on 
 behalf of the traveling public. How little thought is 
 given by the public for these men who slave for the sake 
 of the cargo and passengers aboard ! But the rest given 
 at periods to the machinery as a necessity for its life as 
 well as to the laborers, reminds us of the law of the divine 
 Sabbath which was made for man. 
 
 I clip this from my journal to show a little of the life 
 on shipboard across the Atlantic : "Sea long today, calm 
 and beautiful sailing. The vessel rocks as it is lightened of 
 its ballast of coal in firing. Crew painting the masts. How 
 careless of peril, these "steeplejacks," but faithful sailors 
 and governed by rule and habit! Wind calm as a sum- 
 mer morning. Clouds fleecy. What a home spirit per- 
 vades our party family ! Four days at sea makes us feel 
 as if we had known each other for years. Very few 
 meals missed by any. Luxurious feeding : six courses for 
 breakfast, nine for luncheon, ten for dinner, with tea and 
 
 6 
 
crackers served on deck twice a day besides ! Too much 
 luxury. For recreation, spent an hour today in deck golf ; 
 later with deck quoits ; thirteen times around the deck 
 for exercise. Devotions in cabin and the reading of the 
 103d of the Psalms brings a grateful atmosphere, and 
 one of trust, to the heart who loves to commingle prayer 
 and correspondence, conversation and good diet, nature 
 study and curious inquiry, both for profit and diversion. 
 The 'Captain of our salvation' is also a fine sea captain. 
 His counsel and company make a sea trip a 'bon voyage' 
 indeed. A new text opens today : Mark 8 137 — 'He hath 
 done all things well.'" 
 
 We are traveling at the rate of three hundred sixty- 
 tour miles daily. Constant change of time produces a queer 
 sensation upon one unused to it. Many water marks 
 guide the officers of the ship, and by them, we may reckon 
 at any time just where we are in relation to port and 
 other vessels. These water marks are quite as dependable 
 as the land marks on shore. The compass, the chart, the 
 chronometer, the revolutions of the engine, the sun and 
 stars, all help locate the ship at sea. Only in fogs is a 
 ship likely to be "lost" ; and it is these that cause the 
 greatest peril to seamen. The fog horn at sea is the most 
 alarming and disconcerting sound that greets the tourist. 
 Alarm signals occasion unrest; but in emergencies, the 
 submarine warning bell system furnishes sure protection. 
 This device by which the light ship calls danger ten to 
 fifteen miles under water, where fog signals could not be 
 heard more than a short distance, is a triumph of modern 
 invention. 
 
 Let us take a trip with the captain to the bridge 
 where the officers in four-hour relays, resort to guide the 
 
 7 
 
vessel and guard the safety of the passengers and cargo. 
 Here is the new barometer with an automatic record run- 
 ning a full week till rewound, showing the pressure of the 
 air and the conditions of the atmosphere for many miles 
 about. The double compass, the telephone systems, 
 remind us how far we have distanced the sailing vessel 
 of the early centuries. We are shown an automatic 
 fire life-saving apparatus. -If a man fall overboard the 
 warning is given and the life-line is dropped at once, and 
 the fire falls upon the ocean, where it burns from twenty- 
 five to thirty minutes until the lifeboat can reach the spot 
 where the man has fallen. How the outlook increases as 
 we rise towards the clouds ! Five miles are visible from 
 the passenger deck ; ten miles from the bridge's lookout, 
 and fifteen miles from the masthead. 
 
 Let us thank the deck steward for a copy of a pro- 
 vision sheet which shows the quantity of everything need- 
 ed for supplying of boat, passengers, officers and crew, 
 for a single trip across the ocean from New York to 
 Trieste, Austria. It will entertain us to note that the 
 moderate size steamer must take in ballast, 1450 T. of 
 coal; 800 T. of fresh water — double the amount of water 
 necessary, to provide for emergencies. The amount of 
 flour, cigars, wine, poultry, meat, etc., for eight hundred 
 fifty people for a ten days' trip causes us to wonder. A 
 whole city's supply stores are here condensed and pre- 
 pared with forethought. Such provision for our bodies 
 throws light upon the meaning of such promises as, "My 
 God shall supply all your need according to His riches in 
 glory by Christ Jesus." Indeed, this is a Bible school as 
 well as a school of science. 
 
 But we are near the Azores, a possession of Portugal, 
 8 
 
Passing the Sphinx and P3 ramid Cheops. 
 
 Entrance to the Museum, Cairo. 
 
two thousand miles from New York. This quarter mil- 
 lion of people of peasant Portugese, seventy-five per cent, 
 of whom cannot read, are a peaceful, isolated, industri- 
 ous, clean and moral, though ignorant, class of strangers. 
 These inhabitants of the Hawk Islands, including Fayal 
 and Peco, are living on a strange volcanic formation, in a 
 beautiful climate with an average temperature of sixty- 
 five degrees. Its fertile fields on terraced mountain sides 
 run down to the clififs over which are spread many little 
 water-falls. It is eight hundred miles to Portugal and 
 one thousand miles to Gibraltar. Our glasses are brought 
 out and the mountains, gardens, farms, foaming water- 
 falls and church spires form a charming landscape. 
 
 We are soon in the harbor of Horta ; but the rain 
 begins to fall and the heavy rain and agitated sea prevent 
 the landing of our party. The yellow quarantine flag, the 
 Portugese, the Austrian and the U. S. Marine blue flag 
 are all shown in the harbor. A large motor boat meets 
 us ; also a row boat with officers to take mail and a few 
 passengers who must land in spite of the weather. We 
 get a fine view of the mountain streams, and the volcanic 
 rocks with their waving mountain lines against the sky. 
 Hedge fences around garden spots adorn the white and 
 clean cottage homes which dot the hillsides and extend 
 far up towards the mountain peaks. Peco (the peak) 
 is opposite Fayal and rises seven thousand feet from the 
 level of the sea and looses its head in the clouds that hood 
 its skyward brow. Guia is a segment of a volcano sixty 
 feet across. In the distance we can see the grape ter- 
 races, the grazing cows, the wind-mills upon the hill and 
 the old ruins of forts. Now the sun shines out and a 
 rainbow falls first prostrate upon the water, then in small 
 
segments of sky line, very distinct, and striking to the eye 
 of even the most experienced travelers. It is a charming 
 diversion to watch the spray of the waves dashing along 
 the abrupt cliff of the island or rushing through tunnels 
 of rock. We are leaving the islands, followed by a flock 
 of sea-gulls, and soon pass into a calm beautiful night 
 where the sun sets in glory, and the stars come out for the 
 first time since we left our- New York port. Observa- 
 tions of stars and sun supplement the calculations by 
 sextant and box, so that the seamen as well as passengers 
 welcome the starlit sky as they are pleased with the shin- 
 ing of the sun. 
 
 He who travels the sea is careless indeed of the best 
 sights if he fails to wait and watch the sun set in the clear 
 sky and the sun rise in a clear dawn. In two minutes and 
 forty seconds the sun sinks into the ocean like a great 
 golden eagle when, it may be, the fringe of fleecy clouds 
 crowns it all with changing halos. Our ship is wonderful 
 as a minature world, but the sea and sky are God-made 
 and surpass all else in panoramic grandeur. The Bible 
 reveals both God and man. If faith removes mountains 
 and plants them in the midst of the sea, who planted the 
 Portugese Azores in the great Atlantic? Alas, for the 
 faith that cannot even pull a sycamore tree out of root ! 
 How much of this futile faith we see in the priest-ridden 
 and self-indulgent religions that have, after centuries 
 of Gospel light and Bible teaching, dwarfed the life of 
 whole nations. 
 
 Another perfect day with ideal ocean, brings us 
 near the great Mediterranean Sea, the most important 
 body of water on earth. It is two-thirds as long as the 
 Atlantic is wide. It is the birthplace of history. It has a 
 
ragged margin and is twenty-five hundred miles long and 
 from six hundred feet deep near Gibraltar to fourteen 
 thousand in the Ionian Sea. It is the center of history in 
 all centuries. It is the area of Phoenician maritime life 
 and Bible history from iioo B. C. to the present day. 
 
 Rising early we are again thrilled by the glory of the 
 sun "with healing in his wings." Six ships appear in 
 sight. We are nearing the strait of Gibraltar and the 
 Great Sea. With our glass we behold for the first time 
 the Spanish coast with villages. Tarifa comes in view. 
 How barren the cliffs and hedged fields lining the moun- 
 tains, though grass and growth appear ! Not so with the 
 African coast, where Tangiers comes in sight and the 
 range of territory occupied by the French and where 
 Moorish watch towers crown the heights and remind us 
 of the two great continents toward which we sail. 
 
 Look at Gibraltar yonder, rising with a rocky front, 
 a monument and a symbol for all the ages. At a cost 
 of two hundred fifty million dollars, the English Govern- 
 ment has turned its abrupt peaks and bluffs into a fort 
 and interminable barracks. What a shifting crown of 
 fleecy cloud, like a bridal hood, now settles down upon it ! 
 Again it lifts, revealing the coasts of Spain and Africa 
 four to six miles distant on either side. Gibraltar towers 
 fourteen hundred feet and has on its northeast side a roof 
 of concrete to bring rain water to the barren fort which 
 honeycombs the top of the rocky cliffs. Old Gibraltar 
 stands like a defiant giant and is the wonder of the world. 
 Did Hercules plant her foundations? A greater than he 
 laid her base and raised her peaks ; monarch of all nations, 
 a tribute everlasting to our Father and our God. 
 
n. 
 ALGIERS, NAPLES AND MESSINA 
 
 ABOUT 3 P. M., Mar. 31, we are steaming into Al- 
 giers, Africa. A great stone wall forms a break- 
 water to protect the harbor. The crescent bay, 
 distant hillsides with beautiful residences, and the water 
 front crowded with great commercial houses form a most 
 charming picture. After a visit from the quarantine of- 
 ficer, our party are taken into a launch and we are soon at 
 the dock. Our friend, Dr. E. F. Freese, superintendent of 
 the Methodist Episcopal missionary work in north Africa, 
 has been notified and stands in waiting to welcome us. 
 I become his guest for the afternoon and evening while 
 Dr. Allen takes charge of the rest of the party for a visit 
 about the city. Two mosques with Moslem worshipers, 
 many loungers about the streets, an ancient cathedral, 
 native and French shops, a Moorish fort, and the mongrel 
 city crowd in the streets and alleys, remind us that we 
 have entered a strange land. 
 
 Soon, in company with Dr. Freese, we are in a tram- 
 way winding up the hillside to visit the girls' 
 hostel or mission house. -"We will get off" he said, "at 
 the Inn of the Two Stubborn Ones" ; and when we land, 
 there upon the face of the tavern is the explanation of the 
 name. A haltered mule, one of the stubborn ones, is pul- 
 ling against the other one, who is as determined and about 
 
 12 
 
as hard to overcome, from the artist's point of view, as 
 the mule. It is a woman puUing against a beast. The 
 sign is the first announcement in Oriental lands of the 
 degradation of woman in the thought of the people. We 
 will ascend to the school where they are preparing for a 
 bazaar. The teachers meet us in a flower covered yard 
 and welcome the missionary and his friend. A brief visit, 
 the songs of the student girls, the sacred atmosphere of 
 this Christian home where the girls from pagan and Mo- 
 hammedan families are lifted into ideals of Christian life 
 and learning, impress us at once with the value of Chris- 
 tian mission work in the midst of a degenerate Moslem 
 religion. Alas ! for the sad and desperate home life which 
 we meet in the Mohammedan countries everywhere ! A 
 similar contrast we find in the boys' school a little further 
 down the hillside. The flowers, the sunshine, and the 
 ministry of Gospel service and sacrifice in these schools 
 reveal the worth of a pure religion as compared with the 
 fruit of superstition and sin. 
 
 As my friend takes me by the arm for a walk among 
 the dens of vice, shows nie the forts, the gambling 
 natives, the French aristrocracy, wrecks of the former 
 greatness of the Moors, the drilling of the Zouaves, the 
 native loafers and the babel of languages to be found in 
 this commercial seaport, I seem to have entered a colossal 
 picture show. Later, when he brings me in a carriage to 
 his own Christian home where we talk of social and 
 religious conditions and past friendships in our native 
 land, I fancy what it will mean to the tourist who arrives 
 in heaven to meet a welcome which will bridge earth and 
 sky with holy memories. 
 
 My associates have had some strange and perplexing 
 13 
 
experiences but have landed aboard our vessel before me. 
 Piloted through the dark waters, I am safely landed by 
 my guide, where we continue our journey out into the 
 Mediterranean on our way to Naples. April ist is a day 
 of beauty on a quiet sea. A cablegram has been sent by 
 our conductor to our friends in America announcing our 
 safe arrival. Our cabin worship and Bible reading increase 
 our gratitude and lend us to covet more earnestly than 
 hitherto, for information, inspiration and future help, the 
 maximum of what we were ready to call "divine traveling 
 grace." 
 
 April 2nd, in the bright sunshine and with calm sea, 
 we have passed Sicily and are nearing Naples, where we 
 arrive in the early afternoon. Before reaching this most 
 beautiful bay of the world, we pass the Islands of Ichsia, 
 a point of which is called in Acts 28:13, Puteoli. This 
 is where Paul landed on his first journey to Rome. It is 
 a small Italian port back from the point projecting into 
 the sea. It is the first of the Bible towns of the many 
 we shall tour. Perhaps I should except Tarshish in Spain 
 which we have left many hundred miles behind us and 
 towards which Jonah started from Joppa ; but which for 
 well known reasons, he failed to reach. 
 
 Long before coming into the Bay of Naples, we sight 
 Vesuvius, the great and famous volcano which over- 
 whelmed Herculaneum and Pompeii in A. D. 79. Smoke 
 hovers over its crater, which a later setting siin covers 
 with an evening glory of fiery gold in mingled cloud and 
 smoke. What a calm and lovely bay is Naples ! Here 
 is the island of Capri on one side; and before us, sail- 
 boats dot the peaceful waters in all directions, while 
 various vessels of other nations crowd her docks. The 
 
 14 
 
city rises against the hills and seems to be made of lofty- 
 business blocks, old castles, churches and cathedrals, and 
 terraced residences of Oriental type arranged in crescent 
 form above the bay. 
 
 There is no hurry now. Our ship makes slow pas- 
 sage towards the dock. It is met by Italian venders of 
 fruit and flowers. On a long pole the boquets are pushed 
 for sale up to the passengers on deck. Boy divers are 
 about the ship calling for a shilling or lesser coin which, 
 if thrown into the water, they invariably dive for and 
 bring up either in their toes or fingers. Placing the 
 money in his mouth and sitting upon his boat, the diver 
 clamors for another coin and offers another plunge into 
 the chilly water. At last we are permitted to walk the 
 gangway and follow our conductor, who pushes the 
 guides away and lands us among the carriage men who 
 take us to the National Museum. Our time is short, but 
 we visit the ''Hercules," "The Captive Bull," "Father 
 Nile," and study the Pompeiian exhibits of paintings and 
 mosaics exhumed and framed as relics of the buried city. 
 In this museum are more objects of art, illustrations of 
 Pompeiian social and home life, than are to found in 
 Pompeii itself. One room is well guarded and from it, 
 women are excluded. It is explored with poignant aver- 
 sion, for it reveals the cause of the downfall of the 
 Roman Empire in the early centuries of the Christian era. 
 
 A tiamway trip through the city shows its customs, 
 its streets, its people. Naples is a conglomerate of an- 
 cient and modern life. Ox carts, mule teams, street-cars, 
 carriages and autos, dog carts and goat herds, poverty 
 and riches are mixed in a strange medley about the shops 
 and stores. Here we see an ox, a mule and a horse, 
 
 15 
 
all three yoked to one cart. Women are seen hauling 
 heavily loaded carts which should be drawn by horses. 
 In the narrow streets and busy marts, business men, street 
 venders and dray wagons crowd each other to the wall 
 and exhibit the competition and contrast of life in modern 
 Italy. 
 
 To lovers of nature, it is more agreeable to visit the 
 Aquarium, the best if not the greatest in the world. Here 
 is strange stuff, the making of nature's own hand. It is 
 worth while to see some things that are grown only in this 
 climate. The eels, the electric fish, the sea horses, the 
 nautilus, the game crabs, the multiform varieties of fish 
 that live only in southern waters, combine to make a 
 nature study of lasting impression. We loiter through 
 the park adorned with palms and along the boulevard of 
 the bay where the flowers bloom and pedestrians wander. 
 The cowled monk and gowned beggar compete with car- 
 riage men and all kinds of venders in plying their trade 
 upon the tourists who are supposed to be the best patrons. 
 
 At 9 P. M. our boat is steaming out of the harbor. 
 Enchanted by the lights along the shore of this bay of 
 beauty, our party will be pardoned if they gather on deck 
 and spend an hour in sacred and patriotic hymns. "See 
 Naples and die" says one writer; but we expect to live 
 and see it again, perchance. Certainly we shall not forget 
 its charm and the riches of its artistic and ancient sights. 
 We must say an early good-night to each other and rise 
 at 5 A. M., that we may have a good view of StromboH, 
 a smoking volcano near the head of Messina Straits. 
 Yonder it rises three thousand feet above the sea, belch- 
 ing smoke again and again. At its base and next the 
 sea is a quiet village, sure to be destroyed if ever this 
 
 i6 
 
Messina Straits, Italy. As seen from ship. 
 
 Temple of Jupiter, Athens. 
 
volcano should grow angry and disgorge lava like Vesu- 
 vius. But the people live in peaceful unconcern as do the 
 multitudes everywhere, though otherwise imperiled, in 
 the midst of familiar dangers all about them. 
 
 A little later we are in sight of Mount Etna on the 
 shores of "Sweet Sicily." We watch long until its snow- 
 capped, hazy crown and sides fade away. Later, as we 
 pass down the Straits, we reach Scylla on the left and 
 Charybdis on the right, perhaps five miles apart. The 
 sun is rising in morning glory upon the Straits and soon 
 brings Etna again to our vision. We have scarcely time 
 for breakfast. We hurry back on deck to watch through 
 our glass the snowy sides of Etna and the charming peak 
 .which rises 10,938 feet and emits above her white robe, 
 curling volumes of steady smoke. The heat melts the 
 snow near the crater, leaving a picturesque view rarely 
 seen anywhere in the world, of a giant gowned as a scare- 
 crow of the gods. 
 
 Our morning ride through Messina reveals the evi- 
 dences of the great earthquake of 1906, when perhaps 
 almost one hundred thousand people lost their lives by 
 the convulsion and the incoming tides of the sea. This 
 city which enlisted the sympathy of the whole world, has 
 still many temporary homes. Plaintive thoughts are 
 awakened while we recall the sufferings of these humble 
 people who lost their all "by the act of God" and, to this 
 day, are unable to answer why. 
 
 We are nearing another Bible port, now called Acre 
 or Reggio, which is the Rhegium of Acts 28:12-24, where 
 Paul stopped for a day on the way to Puteoli and Rome. 
 What barren slopes with beautiful terraced fields and vil- 
 lages along the foot-hills and seaside ! Our minds run 
 
 17 
 
back to the days of Caesar and the Phoenicians, of Paul 
 and his companions. What a wealth of story gathers 
 about these shores shadowed by craggy peaks and fringed 
 by vineyards and church spires ! Their history furnishes 
 fitting themes for evening chat as well as inspiration for 
 mellow dreams and midnight fancies. 
 
 We leave Italy and the Straits for a trip eastward 
 across the Ionian Sea. Here the water is two miles deep 
 and the waves are heavy. We are headed toward Patros 
 where we shall see Greece early in the morning. We shall 
 soon bid good-bye to our Martha Washington ship which 
 has won our admiration, if not our love, for her splendid 
 service in bringing us safe through 4500 miles towards 
 this ancient and classic land. Thus far nature has smiled 
 upon us : heaven has been propitious. All our party have 
 proved themselves lovely and a few of us can boast of a 
 sickless and ideal sea voyage. 
 
III. 
 
 RURAL GREECE AND MARBLE 
 
 ATHENS 
 
 APRIL 4th we are steaming into Patros, the western 
 port of this historic and greatest little country in 
 the world. We are packed up to leave our sea 
 home. This is a lazy and luxurious method of travel : no 
 worry, for our conductor shoulders all care and looks after 
 the baggage, the boats, the custom-house toll. He carries 
 our passports, opens our way, hires our carriages and re- 
 lieves us of paying tips. A guide who is a father to us, and 
 a friend, is worth more than we have to pay. It rests us 
 from embarrassment at every turn. At 8 A. M. we are 
 in the hotel and ready for a walk about the streets. This 
 third famous city of Greece was raised to honor in 1821 
 when she first lifted a standard against the Turk. Byron 
 loved it and died across the straits, almost as a Greek 
 hero and, they say, his heart is still buried there. 
 
 It seems best to visit first, one of the most important 
 Greek Catholic churches. The gorgeous eikon at the en- 
 trance, the fine paintings of the apostles and the conspicu- 
 ous representation of Deity and the Holy Trinity so 
 common to this class of churches in the east, entertain 
 us for a restful hour. The eikons of the Eastern churches 
 usually contain the image of Christ, the Virgin Mary, 
 some saint or martyr, richly framed and decorated in 
 
 19 
 
mosaic or with jewels and are shrines which are sup- 
 posed to have miraculous power. 
 
 Ascending the great street stairway, we have a fine 
 view of the gulf of Lepanto or Corinth. Here are the 
 Greek soldiers on the plateau drilling near the barracks. 
 Their cavalry of donkeys are being unsaddled, paraded, 
 and later reloaded with detached guns for mountain ser- 
 vice. We watch their maneuvers and walk up the heights 
 and are finally admitted to the watch tower of the fort 
 overlooking the bay. A complete view of the city, of the 
 mountains and the whole picturesque landscape for miles 
 towards all parts of the compass, rivets our attention for 
 hours. One of the ladies of the party, full of adventure 
 and with a climber's instinct and head, reaches the watch 
 tower first and, from its high peak, waves a small Ameri- 
 can flag to our party below. She stands in the presence 
 of a Greek soldier. Someone remarked that the United 
 States had captured and raised the Stars and Stripes. 
 But there was no protest against this band of Americans 
 taking playful possession of the Greek fort: on the con- 
 trary, we find a cordial welcome to this enchanting spot. 
 A Greek candy maker from Pennsylvania joined us, who 
 could speak good English. He explained his errand back 
 home as that of a volunteer soldier and pointed out to 
 us varied attractions from this tower. He directed our 
 attention to the tile-roofed buildings, the parading bu- 
 glers, the busy brewery in the plain, the snow covered 
 mountains, the wild flowers growing out of the rocks, 
 the olive orchards on the plain, the grazing flocks in every 
 direction, the tile-making yards of the city, the sail ships 
 and steamers of the bay, the fleecy clouds, the plowed 
 gardens with the peasant men and women. The domed 
 
 20 
 
churches speak of reHgion ; the landscape recites his- 
 tory, and picturesque nature praises the patriotic country 
 which welcome us. 
 
 Greece is one-fourth the size of New York state. 
 She leads the world's history in four respects : her litera- 
 ture, architecture, sculpture and language are the most 
 famous of all lands and ages. It has two and a half 
 millions of population. It is a mountainous country with 
 less than one-fifth of its land tillable ; but even to the high 
 mountains, the workable land is very rich. Only patches 
 of ground are framed and in many parts nothing but 
 grapes and olives are raised. Mulberry and orange 
 groves, with frequent flocks of sheep and goats, constitute 
 the possessions of the humble, but strong and historic 
 peasant people. Just now they are a proud and patriotic 
 folk. Every man under twenty-one years drills six 
 months to two years as a soldier. Thousands of Greeks 
 from other countries are returning to serve a term of 
 volunteer service in the army, that they may prepare for 
 war when it comes again. At present they are elated by 
 their recent victories over the Turks and Bulgarians. 
 
 Their chronology is thirteen days behind us ; for this, 
 by the Greek calendar, is the 22nd of March though we 
 had supposed it to be April 4th. We left New York on 
 the 2 1st of March and find ourselves in Greece one day 
 after starting. 
 
 Lunch over, we are on the train. Second-class pas- 
 senger accommodations in Europe are good enough for 
 first-class people. Our party are shut up in three com- 
 partments with our baggage and without intrusion. For 
 one hundred thirty miles we enjoy the finest scenery in 
 the world, equalled only by Switzerland and Colorado. 
 
We skirt the beautiful blue Gulf of Patros and pass the 
 foothills of the mountains on the north. Hour after 
 hour humble Grecian homes greet us where diligent peas- 
 ants are tilling the soil, mostly in grape culture. Burden- 
 some but effective methods are employed for irrigating 
 field and orchard with water furnished by mountain 
 streams. On the north is reared the snow covered head 
 of old Parnassus, the home of Jupiter and the gods of 
 mythical days. This diminutive railway, in contrast with 
 English or American lines of travel, has plenty of time, 
 and eighteen miles an hour is pretty swift passage in this 
 land. 
 
 Soon we near Corinth, with the Acropolis above and 
 the old ancient columns in sight. Excavations have been 
 stopped, and we will pass on to the modern Corinth 
 where Paul trod. A motley crowd of soldiers, boys, hack- 
 men, venders of fruit, and loafers entertain us in their 
 usual manner. A soldier, who speaks good English, tells 
 us during our fifteen minute stop, how he learned to speak 
 it in New York. Our native land has schooled multitudes 
 of foreigners. As a soldier, he is proud of his country 
 as all the rest are. We buy souvenirs, though we must 
 deal sparingly in the offered junk in all our tour if we 
 would get home without excessive baggage and an empty 
 purse. Our stop is over. The little engine bell rings, the 
 station signal is given, the conductor blows his horn and 
 the "all aboard" in Greek drives us back to our com- 
 partments and we are soon crossing the canal of Corinth 
 which connects the Aegean Sea and the Gulf of Lepanto. 
 The bridge over the canal is one hundred seventy feet 
 long, The canal itself is sharp and straight, seventy-five 
 feet wide and twenty-six feet deep and has a length of 
 
four miles. Caesar failed to build it, though he talked of 
 it, and it was only finished in 1893. It is the greatest enter- 
 prise for Greece in modern times and makes the shortest 
 steamer way from Venice to Athens. We admire its 
 enginering, though it is a baby conquest compared with 
 the pricelesss Panama and the great Suez Canal. The 
 afternoon passes happily while, raptured with the match- 
 less scenic views, we slowly wind along the foot of the 
 mountain on the one hand and the bluff of the stream and 
 gulf below. The fields, orchards and homes look clean 
 and inviting; and the ancient and well piked roads prove 
 that we are in a country in marvelous contrast with our 
 native land in size and cultivation. These coaches are 
 made for the daylight ride, and when night comes on, we 
 have little more than the memory of daylight and gor- 
 geous sunset and good hopes of brighter lamps as we see 
 signs of Athens in the distance. Our little engine finally 
 pulls us into the station and we are taken in carriages to 
 our hotel apartments in one of the finest hotels, where we 
 shall prepare for Palm, Sunday in the city that has been 
 noted as the home of famous people for twenty-nine 
 hundred years. 
 
 It is a high privilege to spend Lord's day in Athens. 
 The sun is bright and the weather ideal. A dazzle of 
 white morning light breaks into our room from the east- 
 ern sky. The boys are shouting the sale of papers on the 
 street below. People of Athens, as of old time, are still 
 wanting to know some new thing. They read and they 
 know. The strange language and customs of the Oriental 
 Greek compel a sense of loneliness in a foreign land ; but 
 the shops and faces are more homgeneous than we find 
 in Algiers or Naples, and more of a kind than we shall 
 
 23 
 
see in Egypt, Jerusalem or Constantinople. The Greek 
 signs in the street are in the same language that puzzled 
 us in boyhood school days. A Greek teacher of our party 
 takes pleasure in spelling out everything, while others pass 
 them all up and depend wholly upon our guide. This is a 
 marble city. Houses and pavements are dressed in white 
 so that the noonday glare of the sun is painful to one 
 unused to it. We are at once impressed that it is both 
 an ancient and modern city. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, 
 Demosthenes and Phidias speak to us out of the treasures 
 of art that we find here, while the modern buildings and 
 European garb tell us that we are in an age far distant 
 from the past. It is sacred, historic soil. Everything 
 charms and appeals to our thought. We are in school 
 and every stone becomes a teacher. 
 
 Dr. Allen announces that he will take us to the king's 
 church at 9 130 this morning. We find it full of men and 
 women ; the latter keeping in their places at one side or in 
 the galleries, while the priests and men singers chant the 
 majestic service. The candles and chandeliers are lighted 
 by the multitude, all to exalt the Christ. No organ or in- 
 strument, only the voices of men and priests sound the 
 praises. The people cross themselves reverently, bow 
 before the eikons and keep in harmony with th swing of 
 the censers and the chanting of the prayers from the full- 
 bearded priests and attendant boys and choir leader. 
 Here are the chairs of king and queen in, the transept. 
 Though not occupied today, they must not be touched or 
 trespassed upon. There is no gayety nor signs of joy. 
 Strangers are accorded a sincere welcome: this is a 
 noted feature of all the Greek Catholic cathedrals. There 
 is great reverence and a quiet, humble spirit manifest. 
 
 24 
 

 Allen Party at Partlienon, Athens. 
 
 Jail of Socrates, Athens. 
 
Today a memorial service is held and prayers are offered 
 for the dead. Sorrowing women and men come to the 
 front laden with emblems of mourning. The Agape 
 or love feast, is shared as the priest passes the blocks 
 of bread to all who come forward. 
 
 After a walk about the attractive parks and the re- 
 freshing lunch at the Hotel Grand, we are journeying at 
 three o'clock to Mars Hill. There is no reasonable doubt 
 that this stony eminence is the place upon which Paul 
 stood as the Areopagites, or city rulers, gathered to re- 
 ceive his famous address. We climb the difficult, much 
 wrecked and worn steps, and from the height of this ir- 
 regular Christian pulpit, we gaze upon the city to the 
 west, the Acropolis to the north, and from all points of 
 the compass, breathe in the gracious and historic atmos- 
 phere, bathing ourselves in the sunlight that seems almost 
 divine. Others have gathered on this same sacred height 
 to worship and it is proper that one of our number 
 should read the story of Paul's sermon on Mars Hill as 
 found in Acts 17:27-31. What a freshness and charm 
 gather about these words of that intruding Christian 
 apostle who so adroitly and with such courage and skill, 
 such unction and power, addressed the learned ones of 
 Greece and smote the idols which then covered all these 
 rocks and hills and highways ! Was his sermon a failure ? 
 Only Dionysius and a few others were converted. Many 
 were convinced of the truth concerning the Christ of 
 whom Paul spake. Centuries have passed. The then 
 idolatrous and pagan, but cultured, Athens is now wholly 
 a Christian city. Even the Turk has been driven out and 
 the whole country is nominally Christian in religion and 
 progressive in civilization. It is fitting that the prayers 
 
 25 
 
of American ministers should ascend and the whole party 
 should finally join in the hymn "Jesus, Lover of My 
 Soul," while Greek boys and strange faces about us look 
 in wonder and listen with interest. Even a crazy man 
 with astonished mien is silent in presence of the sacred 
 atmosphere. The spirits of apostles and philosophers 
 seem again assembled to pay tribute to the "Name above 
 every name" whose Gospel has conquered this famous 
 hill and nation at last. 
 
 On leaving this wondrous spot, apparently neglected 
 but embalmed in the affection of the Christian world, 
 we gladly join a little later, the worshipers in the English 
 Church and enter with spirit into the English service 
 of Palm Sunday as with them, we sing: 
 "Ride on in majesty : 
 In lovely pomp ride on to die, 
 Bow thy meek head to mortal pain 
 Then take O God, thy power to reign." 
 It has been a glorious Sunday and we rest with 
 gratitude in anticipation of a trip to the classic Acropolis 
 on the morrow. 
 
 26 
 
IV. 
 
 ANCIENT RUINS AND MODERN 
 CUSTOMS 
 
 THE Acropolis is the crowning glory of ancient 
 Athens. As we ascend the steps leading to this 
 classic spot we are reminded that this hill once 
 controlled the world. Athens was the first city of the 
 world ; the Acropolis was its first hill ; the Parthenon was 
 the center of the Acropolis ; and Athena, the first statue of 
 this forest of idols, was the center of the Parethon. Like 
 many of the hills around Athens, it is solid rock and was 
 utilized in prehistoric days. The Greeks made it steeper 
 and more unapproachable. It was first a political, then a 
 religious center. In 500 B. C. Athens was less than half 
 the size we now find it. The city clustered about the rocky 
 Acropolis which has for its background the distant moun- 
 tains, Hymettis, Pentelicus and Lycabettus. The ruins of 
 the Acropolis are built of white Pentelican marble from 
 which, indeed, the whole modern city is constructed. The 
 whole ruins, part of which were built 2500 years ago, 
 have a yellow shade but were once pure white, and still 
 show an eternal quality of high grade material which does 
 honor to the architects and brings great credit to the 
 tradesmen and builders who did their work so well that 
 neither years nor foes, robbers nor rivals, have been able 
 
 27 
 
to destroy what was once the supreme triumph of human 
 genius and artistic skill. 
 
 The plan of my story forbids a detailed description 
 of these marvelous ruins, much less a scientific outline of 
 the great pagan temple which crowns this hill; The 
 Parthenon is the principal ruin. It is itself the remains 
 of a matchless edifice, composed entirely of marble. Had 
 it not been for the explosion of a powder magazine in the 
 year A. D. 1670, the outlines of the building would still 
 be intact. The multiplied stones and broken pillars scat- 
 tered about remind us of the sacrilegious bombardment 
 which defaced but did not destroy this triumph of the an- 
 cient ambition and classic skill. In front as we approach 
 it, is the spot where the goddess Athena, constructed by 
 Phidias as his finest work, stood on a pedestal twelve feet 
 square and thirty-nine feet high. It was the greatest statue 
 of history — unless we except his statue of Zeus — and cost 
 three quarters of a million dollars. As we stand with 
 reverent thought and mingled emotions in the presence 
 of this ruin, we seem to face the heathen world with its 
 multitudinous idols. We follow down the centuries and 
 find it again a Christian church for a thousand years, with 
 idolatry swept from its rocky heights. Then for three 
 hundred seventy years, the Moslem religion controlled it ; 
 and later the avarice of Roman armies and European 
 explorers reduced its treasures for the sake of other 
 museums and other cities. Now only the remnant of this 
 greatness stands to perpetuate the glory of the ancient 
 time and entertain the tourist and student of today. The 
 temple of the "Wingless Victory," the Erechtheum, the 
 temple of Athena and the great Amphitheatre on the 
 east side and beneath the walls, all remain substantially as 
 
 28 
 
in the early days to advertise the art and idolatry of that 
 age. But the one great lesson that comes to the Christian 
 tourist is the fact that all the mythology and idolatry, and 
 much of the philosophy and ceremony of both pagan and 
 Moslem epochs have been swept away and seem to have 
 taken their flight forever. In its stead is the sacredness 
 of the past, the quiet Christian atmosphere of the Gospel 
 of Jesus Christ, whose Name is above all names. He, 
 Himself, is the "Ancient of Days" at whose feet every 
 knee shall bow and every tongue confess. 
 
 -Let us take an afternoon drive. We will visit the 
 old Metropolitan church where we will hear the chime 
 of bells and see the stone from Cana of Galilee. We will 
 visit the monument of the Winds, whose octagonal tower, 
 varied relief statues and ancient water clock beneath the 
 conduit perplex and entertain the mechanics of our party 
 and start questions that nobody can answer. We will 
 have time to enter the Theseion, also a Roman relic later 
 used as a Christian church. The old Forum and storage 
 rooms of the market place, and the remnant of the mighty 
 gates that protected the city, gaze upon us as if they 
 would like to talk of the glory of the ancient days. The 
 graveyard lies along the way to the west gate. A fig tree 
 grows out of the wall and seems to clamor to speak of 
 what it has learned of the multitudes who used to press 
 along this highway of Grecian life. We can only take a 
 glance at the old Stadium, at the Byron monument, the 
 ruins of Jupiter and the Hadrian arch. We must not 
 sleep until we have entered and explored the prison of 
 Socrates, and taken a snap-shot of friends looking out of 
 the bars from the very spot where, tradition tells us, Soc- 
 rates stood when he drank the fatal hemlock. 
 
 29 
 
April 7th of the Gregorian calendar is March 25th 
 of the Julian record which prevails in Greece, Russia and 
 Austria. This is the ninety-third anniversary of 
 Greece's independence. Athens is the center of the cele- 
 bration for the whole country and is dressed in her holi- 
 day attire as at no other time in the year. The sunshine 
 and climate are ideal for a great day. We are awakened 
 at 6 A. M. by a drum corps and thirty officers and later 
 by the salute of guns in honor of the day. It is the 
 Grecian "Fourth of July." In 1821 Greece won her 
 victory over the Venetians and has since rejoiced in her 
 independence. 
 
 We Americans, of course, expect fire-works and 
 noise. On the contrary, barring the parade of soldiers 
 and royalty, it is a quiet Sabbath-like day ; indeed it is 
 a religious day. Everything centers in the display of 
 soldiers along the streets in their gala uniforms and in the 
 procession of the king and his officials to and from the 
 Metropolitan Church. As I watch the parade from a 
 lower balcony of our hotel, which faces upon the public 
 square, I am impressed with the dignity of the procession. 
 No excitement or confusion prevails. There is no rush 
 or disorder : there is no drunkenness or rowdyism. The 
 soldiers of the army and navy with the boy scouts in great 
 numbers, make a fringe for the crowd from the palace to 
 the church. People, in American and European dress 
 largely, fill the streets and the park or square adjacent 
 to the windows. As the king passes and other members 
 of the royal council, there is quiet cheering, then patient 
 waiting until worship is over and the royal procession 
 leturns to the palace whence they came. King Con- 
 stantine, who acceded to the throne March 18, 191 3, is a 
 
 30 
 
handsome and devout ruler, beloved of his people and 
 nation, peaceable in his relations to other countries, and 
 religious and honorable in his private life. "When the 
 righteous rule the people rejoice." It is a delight to find 
 a contented people whose patriotism has its chief form 
 of celebration in a pilgrimage to the altars of worship. 
 
 The record of the day, which, to us Americans, 
 seems like a Puritanic Sabbath rather than a holiday, is 
 incomplete without reference to our ascent of Mount 
 Lycabettus where St. George's Chapel is built on a high 
 rocky peak on the east side and near central modern 
 Athens. It is nine hundred feet high to the doors of the 
 little chapel, which we reach over winding path and 
 varied stairs of stone steps. At last the crown of the 
 peak is reached by only the stronger members of our 
 party. We are surprised to see the chapel crowded, for 
 it is a hard and long half-hour's climb ; but those who 
 want to go can go to public worship. On this day, relig- 
 ious service is prominent and apparently the chief em- 
 ployment of the citizens of Athens. We are reminded of 
 Paul's compliment to the city in pagan days when he per- 
 ceived that they were "very religious." The eikon of 
 "St. George Killing the Dragon," the perfume of the 
 incense, the miserable chanting of the humble choir at- 
 tracted us for a season, though gorgeously dressed priests 
 robed in silvered white, golden, scarlet and blue hues, 
 made a striking contrast with the discordant voices. 
 They are sincere and command our respect, however our 
 religious instincts may be shocked by the form of their 
 devotions. 
 
 This is a lofty and charming place for worship. In 
 
 31 
 
every direction the view is magnificent. The whole city 
 with the distant Acropohs and the intervening panoramic 
 view reaches from the mountains on the north to Salamis 
 and Piraeus on the south. The fields containing vine- 
 yards and the barracks of the drilling soldiers reach far 
 out on the plains towards the foothills. The white marble 
 glare mingles with the waving flags and banners and 
 the whole picture is crowned with dazzling sunshine. It 
 is a most inspiring sight which we would fain copy if 
 we had an artist's pencil and a month to paint the scene. 
 But we must descend for other studies and sights later in 
 the day. 
 
 We will pass through the public garden, view the 
 exposition building with its imposing architecture of 
 modern type, and wend our way to the site of the old 
 Olympic Stadium. This is a new and a restored building, 
 built and seated with marble from a nearby quarry, to 
 accommodate 50,000 people. It is remarkable in its con- 
 struction and acoustics. It is the center of thought for 
 the sporting world in these latter days as it was two 
 thousand years ago. The temple of Jupiter with its re- 
 maining seventeen columns is not far away. One great 
 column is prostrate, furnishing a good occasion for a 
 snap shot, and seems to speak concerning the end of all 
 greatness, while it affords a splendid opportunity for the 
 study of the architecture of the once magnificent temple 
 reared here in the heart of old and ancient Athens. 
 
 We will continue our stroll to the Theatre of Bac- 
 chus and study the plan of this public place of amuse- 
 ment. We will sit in the stone chair and upon the very 
 seats occupied by the thousands of pleasure loving people 
 of the centuries agone. It is only a passing pleasure that, 
 
 Z2 
 
in this i">lace where life was once sacrificed, Bacchanalian 
 revelry complete and ancient Roman drama displayed, 
 our party should insist upon the recitation of poems and 
 the singing of songs. We recall the days when this 
 theatre of Hadrian was in its glory, and he sat in this seat 
 with no rival and no prospect of future decline or de- 
 thronement. It has been a day of intense interest. The 
 life of the populace has been seen at its best. There is a 
 striking unity of dress, which for a city crowd, reveals 
 remarkable modesty, decency and good taste among both 
 men. and women. The combination of umbrellas, para- 
 sols, straw hats, overcoats, furs and various colored 
 garbs remind us of the California climate of our native 
 land. The hot and dazzling mid-day and cold nights 
 bring into requisition every variety of dress as well as 
 tastes of the Athenian crowd. 
 
 Another day finds us driving about the city. We will 
 make a morning call at the beautiful Byzantine Metro- 
 politan church. The shops and narrow streets reveal an 
 industrious, business-like people. Humble homes appear 
 on every hand. Donkeys, men, women, carts, all laden 
 and all quietly employed, inspire us with an admiration 
 of the contented and harmonious Grecian life. There 
 are few shade trees. The homes are walled up and shut 
 in. Now and then a hanging flower garden is seen, or a 
 blooming shrub protrudes from the wall. Our bad mem- 
 ory or our ignorance, or both, make us poor interpreters 
 of the Greek signs that prevail everywhere ; but we can 
 understand the palm groves in the public square and ap- 
 preciate the works of nature and admire the humble 
 flocks of sheep in the suburbs as we leave Kolonas where 
 we study two conspicuous and lovely white tombstones. 
 
 33 
 
Just a mile farther is the academy where Plato taught. 
 The ground around and beside the miserable hut chapel, 
 a deep well, fine gardens with flowers and vegetables, 
 form a pleasing resort for American tourists as it did for 
 the great teachers of Plato's day. Returning by another 
 route through the city, we see groups of women and 
 children drawing water at street corners, men building 
 and working in wood, iron, leather and all forms of trade 
 hfe. 
 
 We next visit the cemetery noted as the resting place 
 of the great Dr. Schliemann and thousands of others. 
 Peaceful tombs with burning lamps, the sign of the cross 
 at nearly every grave, impress the visitor with the fact 
 that this is the resting place of people who have inherited 
 a religious spirit, the love or art and unconquerable 
 patriotism. 
 
 We must find time for a brief visit to the National 
 Museum. Here is the Athena statue, an imitation of the 
 original great work of Phidias that was erected on the 
 heights of the Acropolis. This is a small one but very 
 striking. There is also a bust of the Christ, the finest 
 seen and never designated, though certainly of Roman 
 origin. The treasures of the Schliemann discoveries are 
 here. How they speak of the explorations, hopes and 
 friendships that have crumbled into oblivion and obscur- 
 ity, never to be fully restored until the Books are opened 
 in the great day when every man shall be rewarded ac- 
 cording to his works ! The signet ring relics, the house- 
 hold and commercial emblems of art and skill speak of 
 varied civilizations passed away because their votaries 
 could not or wonld not accept the light of God. There is 
 a pagan coarseness in these relics of past civilization, art 
 
 34 . 
 
and religion that makes a dark background for the pure 
 and undefiled teachings of Jesus Christ which surpass 
 the earlier mythological religions and philosophy as day 
 surpasses night. 
 
 This day of wonder studies and of scenic delights 
 is crowned by a cablegram from Mattoon, Illinois, read- 
 ing "Dry. All well." The interpretation is refreshing: 
 by the vote of men and women, twenty-three saloons are 
 exterminated in our home city and hundreds of others are 
 closed throughout the state. Prayer is answered and 
 hearts are thrilled. I took a Greek and an American flag, 
 attached them to the cablegram and passed it around my 
 table where sit representative tourists from five states. 
 All joined in congratulations over this victory for prohi- 
 bition in our native country. It was a hallelujah crown- 
 ing to a day of gladness and pleasure seldom enjoyed in 
 the history of our happy party. 
 
 Another day in Athens permits us to spend some time 
 at the Bema, or Demosthenes' rock, the scenes of early 
 oratory and debate when orators were in their glory and 
 patriotic themes and philosophical discussions were at 
 their height. We will mimic the early Grecian days by 
 some more performances, songs, etc., breathe the free 
 air and take in the fine view which this hilltop gives us of 
 various points in the city. Leaving it, we will visit the 
 Academy of Science with its mythological paintings on 
 its ceilings and walls and its library of 250,000 volumes. 
 The University building nearby has a charming chapel 
 and 2500 students. We mark the Schliemann home, a 
 monument in Grecian architecture and an honor to the 
 great German explorer. We note the gifts of eminent 
 scholars to the city and their monuments. It seems to be 
 
 35 
 
a custom to thus remember the men who poured out their 
 wealth or who sacrificed their Hves and learning on be- 
 half of the people. 
 
 Dionysius was one of Paul's converts at Mars Hill. 
 On Holy Thursday, we will enter the church that bears 
 his name. It is a Latin church, a genuine Roman Catholic 
 temple ; but, contrary to the custom in such churches, 
 there are no images. The Grecian Church has its in- 
 fluence on imported Christianity, for the Greek Catholic 
 Church forbids images in their cathedrals. Their adorn- 
 ments are in pictures, paintings and architecture. The 
 Parliament building comes in for a respectful share of 
 thought and we are permitted to sit in the gorgeous desks 
 and examine the king's gallery with its rich curtains. The 
 sessions of the Athens Parliament are held at night and 
 we forego the pleasure of hearing their debates, satisfied 
 with the study of their customs, their art and their people; 
 
 We have yet time for a trip to Piraeus and Falleron 
 by the sea. Pirjeus is the famous harbor where the ships 
 of all nations for three hundred years have floated. Its 
 blue waters are still covered with crafts of every size and 
 from every nation. The pennants float from the masts, 
 stretched by strong sea winds and made brilliant by the 
 shining of an unclouded sun. The fish market here is one 
 of the most famous in the world. In my journal, in mem- 
 ory of sights and odors that made a deep impression and 
 gave our party intense entertainment, I wrote in connec- 
 tion therewith, the word- "horrible." Therefore we will 
 leave the strange conglomeration of marketable stuff and 
 marketing cries and, crowding past the money changers, 
 offices on the sidewalks and the little church in the city — 
 for religion seems second to commerce here — we will take 
 
 36 
 
the tramway for a ride about the bay and peaceful return 
 to our hotel. We must prepare to leave on the morrow ; 
 but before we go, a few of our party will make another visit 
 to the Odeon Theatre with its great arches and trail of 
 departed pleasures, to the Acropolis, and to the park. We 
 will muse for an hour amid the ruins of the world that 
 passeth away though founded in solid granite and im- 
 perishable marble. We will have another farewell and 
 fading view of the Acropolis and the spires of modern 
 Athens as we take carriage for a drive to Salamis along 
 the macadamized road for five miles to the sea. This 
 road, straight as a rule, forty-five feet wide, enclosed 
 with great walls, adorned with pepper trees and curbed 
 in modern style, looks as if it would last for centuries. 
 Since 455 B. C. it has been called the "long wall." This 
 has always been the way of approach from the sea and of 
 all the world to this "hub of learning, of art and of re- 
 ligion." 
 
 We leave our carriages for the row boats that take 
 .passengers and baggage a mile across the bay until, wind- 
 ing in and out among all sorts of sea craft, we ascend 
 the ship stairway and find ourselves comfortably lodged 
 under the Union Jack of England on the S. S. Osnamieh. 
 It is an Egyptian vessel under English control. We are 
 full of pleasant memories of Athens the Great. We 
 turn our thoughts four hundred miles southward. In 
 a few hours we shall pass Crete. We have exchanged our 
 Greek coin for Egyptian money and, after two days and 
 nights, we land in Alexandria, the first port of Africa and 
 the pride of Egypt. 
 
 37 
 
V. 
 EGYPT'S PYRAMIDS AND SHOPS 
 
 OUR quiet voyage to Alexandria is a most restful 
 one. Our steamer is a small vessel, but its apart- 
 ments furnish us a fine opportunity for social 
 life and private reading. Good Friday marks a day of de- 
 votion and Scripture study. Our party unites in a common 
 tribute to our Divine Master, the Captain of our Salvation, 
 who gave Himself in holy suffering that we might enjoy 
 these lofty pleasures. Thunder and lightning with heavy 
 rain do not disturb our rest. My journal of Saturday tells 
 the following ship story : "Refreshed with slumber, we 
 breakfast at 7:30, lunch at 12, have tea at 4, dinner at 
 6:30. We again turn our watches forward thirty min- 
 utes to keep up with ship time going toward Egypt. The 
 water is blue, the sky is bright, the passengers are few 
 and quiet. Sea choppy and we find it not easy to prome- 
 nade ; but the voyage is full of relaxation and exhubera- 
 tion. This steamer is one of the Khedevial mail liners 
 from Constantinople to Alexander. Above my desk 
 hangs the calendar of the ship. Three dates appear : the 
 Christian, April 11; the Greek, March 29 ; the Turkish, 
 March 15, 1332, reckoning from the hegira of Moham- 
 med 582 A. M. The record is in four languages includ- 
 ing Hebrew. Studied the ship's log today and marked its 
 record. Thought on the record of our progress in 
 
 38 
 
Heaven's log book which holds a like statement concern- 
 ing our spiritual progress," 
 
 Easter Sunday is a beautiful balmy day on which 
 we enter the harbor of Alexandria. We drop anchor 
 and wait until the legal five days have expired for all 
 Constantinople vessels to remain at sea. A minister of 
 our party expounds the word and we hold a religious 
 service in the deck parlor. Why should not Christian 
 travelers keep up their public worship as well as private 
 devotions ? The quarantine doctor is very careful and we 
 must pass private examinations and receive certificates 
 of health before we can land in this port. This is to 
 fence against contagious disease which is often trans- 
 ported from one city to another in the Orient ; it is a good 
 law with farcical enforcement. After six hours in this 
 beautiful well walled bay, we are beside the moving 
 wharf. We hear red fezzed porters and agents calling 
 the names of their hotels from behind the wicket fence 
 erected to keep them back. Our baggage of suit cases 
 is carefully loaded with military precision and we are 
 piloted to our carriages, thence to the Custom House and 
 on to the train which takes us to Cairo. 
 
 Alexandria has a population of 350,000. It is the 
 second city in all Africa. It has the attraction of a mod- 
 ern and Mohammedan city where Egyptian customs and 
 civiHzation prevail. It is a most ancient port. Pompey's 
 pillar, an imposing column of red granite, one hundred 
 four feet in height, is the rrost attractive ancient land 
 mark on the seacoast in northern Africa. According to 
 early popular belief, it was reared in the memory of 
 Caesar's rival, Pompey the Great, who, fleeing hither after 
 the battle of Pharsalia, was murdered ; but the inscription 
 
 39 
 
indicates that it was placed here in honor of the Roman 
 emperor, Diocletian, three hundred years after Christ. 
 It stands upon an eminence of rubbish and near an 
 Arabian cemetery. It was near this that the great library 
 of Alexandria with its precious wealth of learning was 
 consumed by fire. The two lofty lighthouses on the 
 shore, the khedive's palace and harem, add interest to 
 the tourist who thinks of this city in connection with 
 Archimedes, Euclid, Anthony and Cleopatra and the 
 murder of the beautiful Hypatia. But we must hasten 
 on up the Nile to "Cairo the Magnificent." The train 
 is crowded. The bell rings and we are off at a forty-mile 
 per hour speed for the one hundred forty mile run along 
 the fascinating valley of the Nile. Eighteen and forty 
 miles an hour by rail illustrate the difference between 
 the management of the Greek and British governments. 
 What a new world Egypt seems to be ! We are in 
 the country of the Pharaohs, of Abram, Moses, Joseph, 
 and are about to explore the land which sustained God's 
 favored people for four hundred years. We can conceal 
 our protests at the presence of travelers who insist on 
 smoking fifteen cigarettes an hour in the presence of our 
 American ladies if we can put our heads up to the win- 
 dows and enjoy the vision of the fruitful valley and the 
 fragrance of the flowers that cover the walls and houses. 
 The farm scenes of plowing cows, burden laden donkeys, 
 busy Egyptian peasants and housekeepers, furnish var- 
 ied entertainment for us all. I wrote "housekeepers" 
 when "hut-keepers" would be more appropriate. There 
 are no fences or walls except those that enclose the 
 homes of the people. The irrigation trenches, eight to one 
 hundred feet apart, are in evidence everywhere. Water 
 
 40 
 
Cart and Arab "Women in Cairo Street. 
 
 Cairo Women. 
 
may be had in less than twenty-five feet throughout the 
 valley; and water wheels, turned by blind-folded cows, 
 appear on every farm. There often appears also the 
 primitive one-man bucket lever. Women and children 
 till the fields. Buffaloes, used both for milk and culti- 
 vation of the ground, are seen at work or at rest in 
 groups. 
 
 It is Easter Sunday but there is no sign of rest from 
 labor. There seems to be no Christ to lift the burden 
 of toil in this country. The villas of mud huts with 
 thatched roofs line the railroad. The Mohammedan 
 cemeteries with their mud mounds three feet high, with 
 head and foot marks of wooden posts, tell of the custom 
 that we shall meet all through the Moslem lands. On 
 these well-watered plains, as level as our native prairies, 
 are frequent palm groves. We see women cutting grain 
 and grass in the fields and trudging along the highway 
 to market with impossible burdens on their heads. Here 
 is a camel who seems to carry a wagon-load of green 
 alfalfa or Nile clover. The rider sits high upon the bur- 
 den, to which his contented brute servant turns his long 
 neck and feeds from the load he carries. Happy for the 
 pilgrim who is able, out of his cares, to live well and 
 make his own load lighter while he himself grows 
 stronger beneath his very task. We sing hyms in our 
 compartment and watch the panorama of peasant life 
 till the shadows of evening come on. But look ! All 
 talk is dropped while our eyes are fixed upon the match- 
 less sunset behind the palm groves. Our train rushes on. 
 The sun is a great wheel of fire turning among the palm 
 tops as we hurry towards Cairo. 
 
 Arriving in this great steel railroad station of a city 
 41 
 
of 600,000 people, we seem to be making a landing in 
 Pittsburgh instead of Egypt. Modern enterprise and civ- 
 ilization seem to have taken possession of this city of the 
 pyramids, which is none the less wonderful after 5647 
 years of recorded history. A well tested dragoman greets 
 our conductor and takes our party in hand. We pause 
 to wonder at the baggage which these Egyptian porters are 
 willing to carry: they pile load after load upon their 
 shoulders, strapping them around their foreheads until 
 they shame the very donkeys by the elephantine weight 
 which they tackle for the sake of coin. 
 
 We are soon landed in our hotel where we will rest 
 amid the noise and tumult of this great center of com- 
 merce, Moslem life and ancient scenery. We must get 
 a good rest to prepare for the sights of the morrow. It 
 has been a necessity that we should travel by rail on Sun- 
 day. This day has little recognition in this land save in 
 the reverent thought of Christian pilgrims and in the 
 Christian schools and homes that have been planted here 
 in spite of pagan darkness. 
 
 The hotel comforts of this "Eden Palace" promise a 
 splendid night's rest; but the boisterous voices of the 
 night rabble in the park nearby, continuing till 2 A. M., 
 make us wish for a resting place in some retired glade or 
 quiet desert spot. Nevertheless we rise early and at 8 '.30 
 are ready for sight-seeing. 
 
 We first take the tramway for Gizeh and the pyra- 
 mids. The morning sun is brilliant, the air is bracing. 
 We soon cross the famous Nile on a modern steel bridge. 
 The river is filled with boats and all sorts of Egyptian 
 water craft. All through the suburbs we enjoy the lux- 
 uriant gardens. Homes of great wealth and of extreme 
 
 42 
 
poverty are side by side. We pass the Arab soldier 
 guards, uniformed in white engaged in their morning 
 drill. The soldiers of the British army are much in 
 evidence. An hour's ride brings us to the shaded resort 
 of camels and donkey boys waiting for just such tourist 
 companies as ours. The pyramids are within easy reach. 
 Climbing upon the dromedaries that are made to kneel 
 respectfully for our accommodation, we begin our first 
 camel ride up the sandy road to the very presence of Old 
 Cheops, the leading pyramid of Gizeh. What a wonder 
 of the world! Other wonders have multiplied but they 
 have -never outlived this one. Standing upon the edge 
 of the wierd and sun-bathed desert of sand, it rears its 
 conical head four hundred fifty-one feet above the 
 ground. Its base covers eleven acres, originally thirteen. 
 Its surface was once smooth, but now no mortar covers 
 or joins the stone. The great blocks make difficult step- 
 ping stones which with assistance may be climbed to 
 the very summit. An agile Arab runs ahead of us, as- 
 cends to the very top in five minutes and a half and re- 
 turns to the ground in three. He then appeals to each 
 of the company for his share of "baksheesh" and fur- 
 ther seeks to guide the tourist up the sides of the pyramid, 
 a feat requiring an hour or more, which he made in less 
 than ten minutes. 
 
 Somewhere around 3733 B. C. this great monument 
 was built by 100,000 slaves. Thirty years they labored 
 to draw the great stones from the quarries nine miles 
 away. An ambitious king refused them anything to eat 
 but onions and bread while they built this monument for 
 his glory, and underneath it, prepared a sarcophagus for 
 his body. But his empty sepulcher tells the story of their 
 
 43 
 
hatred; for they removed his body and buried it in the 
 sands of the desert and his name and grave are unknown. 
 This is but a sample of the price of sin and slavery. It is 
 a sad tribute to the vain and wicked ambition of men who 
 dishonor the God who made them, by crushing their 
 fellow men. Surely "the memory of the wicked shall 
 rot" while "the righteous shall be in everlasting remem- 
 brance." 
 
 The Sphinx not far away and companion pyramids * 
 command our attention. This old rocky face, sixty-one 
 feet high, again and again buried in the sand and oft- 
 times exhumed again by explorers, is the greatest stone 
 idol in the world. The hole in the head, ten or twelve feet 
 across, was the hiding place of the ancient heathen 
 priest who talked and made people believe that the stone 
 was a god. The Sphinx was built a hundred years be- 
 fore the pyramids, says the Arab guide: nobody knows 
 when. There are nine great pyramids, six of them much 
 smaller than the other three. Their builders came to 
 naught and, like the tower of Babel, they rebuke the folly 
 of men ; while the God-made Nile, the life-giving boon of 
 all Egypt, keeps washing the shores where Pharaoh's feet 
 once trod. We close the day with the study of the beauti- 
 ful hibiscus hedges looking like tall fences of red poppies. 
 We delight in the fragrance of the marvelous rose gar- 
 dens. We admire the banyan trees and the palms. We 
 feast our eyes on ripe barley fields and the white plains, 
 where glide the "ships of the desert," the droves of camels 
 that crowd the highways towards the Cairo market. 
 
 On another afternoon our carriages take us to the 
 Mohammedan University. Here are 15,000 students in 
 a school that is called the largest in the world. With san- 
 
 44 
 
dais provided to cover our unhallowed shoes, we walk 
 through the court and temple, hear the Muezzin call to 
 prayer, and learn much about the Mohammedan and his 
 religion. The students' methods of study, their buzzing 
 rather than busy habits, their lounging, their sleeping, 
 their confusion of noisy tongues, do not contribute to an 
 exalted opinion of the superiority of the Moslem college. 
 A walk back through shops and narrow streets of 
 Cairo becomes a revelation. Merchants are grouped, those 
 of the same class being associated in adjacent stalls or 
 marts. Here is the perfumers' market ; there the jewelers' 
 stands, the metal workers and so on : all of them lazily 
 waiting, as it seems to us, for custom. We secure our bot- 
 tle of attar of roses, purchase various trinkets, pass a fu- 
 neral in the street and hear the wierd music accompanying 
 the same. But neither the afternoon journey through the 
 crowded marts nor the wierd sights that meet us as we 
 prowl about the streets after dark, give us half the pleas- 
 ure that we obtain as we close the day with a visit to the 
 depository of the Bible Society where the precious Holy 
 Scriptures are scattered in this great Egyptian center as 
 the leaves of life for the healing of nations. Nine differ- 
 ent tongues are represented in the languages in which the 
 Bible is here circulated. Thus is introduced the Gospel of 
 life which must at last conquer this land of slavery and 
 superstition. The work is being well done, for modern 
 civilization is being advertised in the very show windows. 
 European clothing, met everywhere, is in constant con- 
 trast with the pagan garb that seems to us to be the fruit 
 of the superstition and idolatry which belong to the age 
 of ignorance and sin. All fashions commingle on the 
 streets. Women dressed in silks and rags, men in the 
 
 45 
 
garb of the scholar and of the peasant; the beggar, the 
 dude, the street woman and royalty, all mingle by day and 
 by night. The park and play house, the hotel and the den 
 of vice, the school and the market, the museum and the 
 hospital: these tell of the pleasures, the sins, the am- 
 bitions, the fears, the burdens and the schemes of this 
 land of the Pharaohs and of Moses. 
 
 46 
 
VL 
 IN AND ABOUT CAIRO 
 
 ATRIP through Cairo would be imperfect without 
 a few hours in the National Museum. It is a fine 
 building near the British barracks. There is no 
 greater collection of heiroglyphics and mummies. It is the 
 treasure house of history. Recent explorations have added 
 greatly to its riches. One hundred pages would not de- 
 scribe the wealth of this store-house and one who has no 
 relish for relics or taste for ancient history will find the 
 long journey through its many rooms and corridors rather 
 tedious. A few glances only may be taken, which were to 
 the writer, suggestive of a thousand thoughts. 
 
 In the entrance hall are old funeral barks used in the 
 earliest dynasties to row the dead across the river Nile. 
 Here is the unique remains of one, thirty feet long and 
 twelve feet wide, which suggests thoughts concerning 
 death and the future life. A rudely carved wooden 
 statue found at Sakkarah, representing the head man of 
 the village, belonging to the second dynasty, is a fair 
 sample of art carving prominent in Egypt 5000 years ago. 
 The ancient Egyptian learning of 2000 B. C. is strangely 
 exhibited by the statue of a scribe ready to make a letter 
 on a scroll and send it on an important errand. Our 
 ladies of the party are drawn to tarry in the room which 
 shows fine domestic customs of bread baking, kneading, 
 
 47 
 
washing on an old primitive washboard, the making of 
 pottery, etc. The yellowish-brown statue of a man and 
 the white stone carving, that have stood the test of 
 thousands of years, are a monument to a prince and his 
 mother. But most striking of all is the goddess Hathor 
 in the form of a great cow. This remarkable exhibit is 
 found farther up the Nile at Thebes : the representation 
 of a king filhng himself with milk from a cow's udder; 
 the signs of life are carved about the head, while the 
 serpent guards from evil. A style also exhumed from 
 Thebes has on it the probable inscription of Man- 
 epta, in proof of the ancient Bible story, for it reads. 
 "Israel is wasted and his seed brought to naught." 
 
 What mummy riches are here! Rameses II., the 
 father of Pharaoh in Moses' day, actually lies before us. 
 He was a man of war and also one of the greatest Egyp- 
 tian builders. He fought the Hittites. The remains of 
 Manepta, his thirteenth son, appear well preserved in the 
 mummy five feet four inches long. If we had time, we 
 could tarry long before the jewels of kings and queens. 
 Gold collars, necklaces, wristlets, all for ornament 
 in the earliest days, are the counterpart of those 
 seen in modern Egyptian life in the very streets of 
 Cairo. The chairs, beds, chariots, are here' preserved as 
 faithfully as the mummies preserve the forms of men, 
 rams and other animals. What matchless embalming of 
 the dead ! Further astonishment overwhelms us as we 
 study their sarcophagi. -It is a record of a great nation 
 with much wisdom, but religious blindness concerning 
 the personal God of Israel. 
 
 Take time for an afternoon drive with us to Heli- 
 opolis. It is a cold and disagreeable trip in the rain, but we 
 
 48 
 
will stop by the way to see an Egyptian primitive water 
 wheel. These are turned by a blinded ox or cow, and for 
 six dollars a month, are made to irrigate from surface 
 wells, large adjacent tracts of ground. It is the most in- 
 expensive machinery for irrigation and has not been 
 changed in form in thousands of years. We will pass the 
 home of the Khedive, the wealthy king of Egypt, whose 
 plantation is beautifully fruited, stocked and cultivated; 
 and whose palace is walled high against all intruders. 
 Farther on, a few miles, we come to the most famous 
 sycamore tree — unless, perchance it were the sycamore 
 upon which Zaccheus climbed — to be found in the world. 
 It marks the spot where Joseph and Mary rested with 
 Jesus after their flight to Egypt. It is near a spring. 
 The sacred spot, walled and well kept, is a beautiful place 
 to meditate and dwell upon the traditions and history 
 of Bible times. At last we come to On, where rises to the 
 height of sixty-five feet, the obelisk of Heliopolis. Near 
 this spot, Joseph found his wife. For 4000 years this 
 shaft of stone has stood the storm, and its emblems which , 
 have been bathed in the sunshine of centuries, still speak 
 a language we fain would read. What sights it has wit- 
 nessed ! What faces have gazed upon its sacred in- 
 scriptions ! 
 
 If one would remember the trip to Egypt, let him 
 spend a day such as I am about to describe. We will take 
 a car at 7 A. M. for Gizeh. By previous arrangement, the 
 donkeys and camels, an equal number of each, with drago- 
 men and donkey boys to match, are waiting us not far 
 from the foot of old Cheops. Climb on the donkeys as- 
 signed you and lead the procession of eleven men and 
 tvv'elve women for a ten-mile ride to Sakkarah across the 
 
 49 
 
sandy desert skirting the Nile valley. It is April 1 5th. For- 
 tunately the day is a cool and somewhat cloudy one ; for 
 one unused to Egyptian sun risks much in a first long trip 
 across the hot sand at this time of year in this climate. It 
 is near the end of the tourist season, but all are eager to 
 take this journey and every one is at his best in the start ; 
 at the finish, he may be the worst, for this is the hardest 
 day of our three months' tour. My donkey boy twists 
 the donkey's tail, prods it hard, complimenting its rider 
 and runs ahead of the rest of the party, bragging first on 
 the donkey, and then on the "nice man" that rides it, only 
 that he may later plead for the present of a gold watch 
 and other smaller favors either at the end of his journey 
 today, or when "the very nice gentlemen" shall have re- 
 turned to his home in "Meriky." My saddle strap breaks 
 and the second boy runs to help fix it while we tarry in 
 the sand ; then there are two attendants, each pleading for 
 "baksheesh," or a present, or something to buy dinner 
 for himself, or certainly for the donkey. By and by our 
 "sure enough" donkey overtakes the procession and again 
 rushes to the front and, at last, after more than two 
 hours, we come to the oldest pyramid of the nine that 
 are grouped in this section of Egypt. 
 
 We will first reach and visit the tombs of Ty and 
 wife, remarkable for stone carving on the walls. The 
 now empty sarcophagus was robbed by the Romans who 
 discovered the bodies hidden away in this sepulchral home 
 of the solid rock. Farther, across the desert, near another 
 pyramid, have been excavated the tombs of the sacred 
 bulls, two hundred forty in number. These empty sar- 
 cophagi of the Egyptian Apis are most remarkable and 
 the only animal burial vaults yet discovered. Some of 
 
 50 
 
these are great troughs of stone thirteen feet long, three 
 feet high and from twelve to eighteen inches thick. How 
 these peculiar marble tombs were brought a distance of 
 six hundred miles from the Assuan quarry and buried 
 so deep beneath the sand and rock is the marvel that out- 
 wits the inventive thought of today. The tomb of Mar- 
 mont is another discovery and a strange find of this lo- 
 caHty. We shall require candles and a descent of ninety 
 feet down a modern winding stairway where we shall 
 visit underground rooms hewn out of the solid rock with 
 closed apertures where it was thought absolutely im- 
 possible to discover the body and that of the prince's 
 wife. Both tombs are now empty. Alas for human pride 
 and human plans ! The oldest pyramid, the "Step," is 
 more dilapidated than "Father Cheops" near Gizeh ten 
 miles away. Some of these pyramids are crumbling; 
 but all tell of the ambitions of a most ancient people and 
 all were doubtless viewed again and again by Abraham, 
 Moses, Aaron and Pharaoh. 
 
 Returning a mile or two to the Merrit shelter, we 
 lunch and prepare to retrace the sand path of the morn- 
 ing. We came a-back donkey. We will hope to improve 
 our condition by trading for one of the camels. At the 
 end of our day's trip, each member of the party will 
 wish he had tried another method of travel. Partly with 
 racing and resting, viewing the distant Nile, sheltering 
 ourselves from the sun betimes, and again from a re- 
 markable rain storm, and viewing the tombs of modern 
 Mohammedan graves scattered along the way, we will 
 come at last to the home of our chief dragoman who has 
 invited the party to refreshments. We dismount from 
 our camel or donkey, enter the home of this well-to-do 
 
 51 
 
business man of the village, who with his brothers, serves 
 us with refreshments. Our spectators are the camels 
 and donkeys that, braying and snuffing and looking in at 
 the low window of the walled room, called a Moslem 
 dining hall, seem to clamor for provender or to share in 
 our entertainment. Our host's wife and children are in 
 another building and are not presentable, especially to 
 the men of our party. British soldiers and policemen, 
 children and more donkey boys rally to the round-up of 
 the party under the palm trees of Gizeh where we dis- 
 mount and, pushing aside our crowd of beggars, seek to 
 rest our weary bodies in the tramway that will return us 
 to our hotel in Cairo. 
 
 Still another day's ride will take us to the citadel 
 overlooking the city and the distant plains. The great 
 Mosque of Sultan Hasan, just below the citadel hill is 
 one of the most imposing of the two hundred sixty-four 
 mosques in Cairo. Its massive gateway, sixty feet high, 
 is a model for many others. Its south minaret is two 
 hundred eighty feet high. Here in the center is a large 
 fountain for ablutions. The Kibla, or sacred niche, in- 
 dicates the direction of their worship toward Mecca. 
 This resort or altar is found in all mosques and con- 
 nects up these Moslem places of worship with the mother 
 city. In the center, under the dome, is the sarcophagus, 
 the burial vault of Khedive Ismail. The "Mohammed 
 Ali" mosque has a most striking and attractive dome. 
 The great court is paved with white marble and is bor- 
 dered with alabaster columns in poor state of preservation. 
 The interior is gorgeous but its decoration is of a tawdry, 
 offensive style, the chains spoiling the effect of the four 
 hundred electric lamps that have been recently introduced 
 
 52 
 
for illumination. About the court citadel are numerous 
 venders of alabaster and other articles, and children per- 
 forming all sorts of feats for baksheesh, with kindred 
 annoyances and entertainments as thick as flies. Speak- 
 ing of flies, everybody carries fly-brushes ; they never swat 
 the fly. The English soldiers swarm about the fortress 
 which dates back to 1166 when Saladin, according to 
 Arab history, brought stone from the small pyramids 
 at Gizeh to build its walls and towers. 
 
 The reverence for the dead khedives, priests and prin- 
 ces is very marked in all Moslem structures. I note this 
 ifiscription as a sample : "Behold with reverence. This is 
 the tornb of Sidi Azab. His benign presence illumines 
 the darkness." Over a chair in the citadel, among other 
 relics commemorating the memory of a noted long-lived 
 hero, are these words : "Only he who, by the favor of God 
 has lived one hundred years may sit here." None of our 
 party could claim the right, so we passed on. 
 
 Mosque after mosque wearies the visitor until he is 
 willing to seek entertainment in the street among the ne- 
 cromancers, sleight-of-hand performers, snake charmers, 
 and other scenes of modern life. With still greater pleas- 
 ure we follow our dragoman, Mohammed, to old Cairo. 
 Here we cross the sacred and famous life-giving Nile on 
 a primitive ferry-boat pushed by poles. We find our- 
 selves upon the Island of Stone, the reputed palace of the 
 daughter of Pharaoh. Near-by is the place in the river 
 which tradition points out as that from which Moses was 
 drawn out of the bullrushes. The ancient Nileometer, 
 one of two in the whole valley, was once used to measure 
 the rise and fall of the river. In Old Cairo, a little 
 distance from this traditional spot, is the Coptic Church 
 
 53 
 
which we find by pasing through the most filthy streets 
 and alleys. Here is the sacred crypt where the Holy 
 Family is said to have rested in their retreat into Egypt. 
 The baptismal font and other signs of devotion on the 
 part of this sect of the Christian faith form objects of 
 study, while almost pity is awakened for the devotees who 
 are girt about with both ignorance and superstition. Pov- 
 erty and oppression seem to abound. If Moses had seen 
 these filthy and wretched homes, he would surely have 
 been moved to lead them to a cleaner, if not more pros- 
 perous, neighborhood. 
 
 Other lands call us and we must take our farewell 
 view of the streets and groves, shops and hotels, misery 
 and wealth of this Egyptian center of civilization, as we 
 enter the railroad station and begin our trip across the 
 desert to the Suez Canal and up to Port Said. We 
 are on our way to Joppa and must stop a few hours 
 to view this port of entry. The Continental Hotel invites 
 us, and the bay, with its shipping, rests us while we take 
 a walk to the De Lesseps monument, which stands far 
 out at the end of a pier and honors the name of a man 
 who opened this canal by his enterprise and who, by his 
 failure, has connected his name with the great Panama of 
 the Western Continent. The steamer Kardak is a new boat 
 with fine accommodations. It is only a night's trip, for 
 tomorrow morning we will be lying outside of Joppa 
 waiting the boats which will land us at the wharf of this 
 entrance city to the Holy Land. 
 
 54 
 
VII. 
 GOING UP TO JERUSALEM 
 
 IT is a bright and cool morning when our steamer Kar- 
 dak comes in sight of Joppa. The shallow and rocky- 
 harbor is dotted with multitudes of boats containing 
 two hundred porters and hucksters bidding for our busi- 
 ness. At the signal for advance, the agile Syrian boatmen 
 shout and clamor up the boat's stairway for passengers 
 and luggage. Strange emotions come over us as we get 
 this first good view of. the port of entry to the Holy Land. 
 Into this famous harbor in Solomon's time, came timber 
 from the forests of Lebanon on rafts from the Phoenician 
 ports of Tyre and Sidon, to be used in the Temple at Je- 
 rusalem (II Chron. 2:16). It was here that Jonah em- 
 barked when he ran away from God's call to Nineveh, 
 We have soon threaded our way to the wharf and cus- 
 tom-house where my big suit case is again selected as a 
 target for the officers ; but with little delay, we have passed 
 inspection and are on our way up the narrow street 
 to the house of Simon the Tanner. It is still a tanning 
 neighborhood. On the housetop where Peter had his 
 vision which prepeared the way for the spread of the 
 Gospel to the Gentile world, we pause to read the story 
 of Peter, Cornelius, and the sheet let down from heaven 
 as found in the tenth chapter of Acts. We have reached 
 the fountain head of the Gospel stream. Mt. Car- 
 
 55 
 
mel's dim outline is first visible from this housetop. 
 A snap-shot is taken of our party, the bay, with a 
 bird's-eye view of the unique business city of Joppa. 
 We take a prolonged bath of holy sunshine wishing 
 our stay an hour longer; but we must press down the 
 little stairway, out through the hall, past the first crowd 
 of Palestine beggars with their accustomed and well- 
 practiced methods of importuning tourists. Our car- 
 riages are ready for a drive to the house of Tabitha 
 or Dorcas. We enter the little modern Greeek church 
 and study the pictures which celebrate the raising of 
 Dorcas from the dead and view the crypt-like recess in 
 the rock which is shown as the very spot where Peter 
 wrought this famous miracle. As in a hundred other 
 instances, the mist of doubt gathers about us as we 
 listen to the descriptions and assurances of the keepers 
 or guards who talk of these sacred places in the Holy 
 Land. But whether this is the spot or not, tradition 
 points it out and we know it was under the same sun- 
 shine an in the embrace of the same fragrant atmos- 
 phere ; and so we are inspired by the historic record and 
 entertained by the surroundings. The beautiful orange 
 groves tempt us as we return to our hotel, and we are 
 content to enjoy a splendid lunch at the "Hardegg" Hotel 
 with the best and sweetest and biggest oranges we have 
 seen in any country. 
 
 There are different ways of reaching Jerusalem from 
 this famous place ; but the rail route of fifty-three miles 
 through Sharon's plain and Judea's rugged hills is the 
 one laid out before us. The Agricultural School of the 
 "Alliance Israelite," the scattered flocks of goats in va- 
 rious directions upon the hillsides, come in for early at- 
 
 56 
 
tention. Lydda station on this route is about ten minutes 
 from the place where Peter was sent for and notified of 
 Dorcas' sickness ; and where Eneas was restored, who 
 was sick of the palsy (Acts 9:32-35). In a short time, 
 the plain of Sharon comes in sight. The typical rose of 
 Sharon is not so conspicuous as are multitudes of smaller 
 flowers that are seen throughout the stony fields covered 
 by grazing flocks. A few miles further on this little 
 narrow-gauge railway brings us to Ramleh, the home of 
 Joseph of Arimathaea and the birthplace of Samuel (I 
 Sam. 1:1). Ramleh was of great importance and re- 
 nown during the crusading period. It was founded by 
 the Arabs and was surrounded by stone walls with no 
 fewer than twelve gates. The country round about is 
 very fertile, with many olive groves. The view of the 
 tower is interesting. The village of Akir, the ancient 
 Ekion whither the Ark of God was sent. from Ashdod, is 
 pleasantly located among the trees and now holds a 
 flourishing Jewish colony. 
 
 To the left of the railway is a mound that marks 
 the site of the ancient royal Canaanite city of Gezer, 
 which has a history running back nearly 5000 years. 
 Though assigned to the tribe of Ephraim, they found 
 difficulty in driving out the tenacious Canaanites, who 
 occupied it until the time of Solomon. It was here that 
 Samuel set up his Ebenezer, or Stone of Help. Recent 
 researches of the Palestine Exploration Fund have re- 
 vealed wonderful information concerning the early in- 
 habitants and successive peoples of this particular lo- 
 cality. The rude pillar stones, the caves, large jars, and 
 the skeleton of an infant that had been sacrificed in the 
 worship of a temple, showing the heathen sacrificial rites 
 
 57 
 
of the earliest days, all make it a place worthy of stu- 
 dious, examination. In some Christian tombs have been 
 found such illustrations of the early Christian faith as 
 a signet ring bearing an early portrait of Christ. 
 
 But our train hurries us on through deep ravines 
 and near caves where prophets were hid and battles were 
 fought. Samson himself walked and rested about these 
 mountain sides. Out from the rugged terraces of rocks 
 that seem scarcely habitable for goats, and up from the 
 deep ravines about which we wind, there seem to come 
 voices that tell tales of the distant past and turn our 
 thought to Bible story of the ancient Israelite and his 
 conquered foes. Already our Bible begins to freshen as 
 we turn to its pages and read with a new zest because we 
 are facing the land of sacred story. At 6 P. M. our train 
 pulls into the station a mile out of Jerusalem. A car- 
 riage awaits us, our driver whips up his half-fed team 
 and rushes around the well-made road till we come in 
 view of Jerusalem, the city that is the center of this great 
 and sacred land. We are driven to the door of the Hotel 
 Fast, just outside the walls and the best hostelry for 
 tourists, where we will abide for the next ten days. The 
 street is full of pilgrims from every part of the world, for 
 it is the Saturday before Easter Sunday which, in the 
 Greek Church, comes this year on April 19th. Thousands 
 of Russians and Armenians have crowded the city for 
 the privilege of getting their candles lighted from the 
 holy fire of the Holy Sepulcher at the famous hour of 
 twelve o'clock on Saturday preceding Easter. 
 
 According to the faith of the eastern Catholic 
 Church, there occurs each year in the rotunda of the 
 Church of the Holy Sepulcher, one of the strangest sights 
 
 58 
 
of the whole world. At the particular hour named on 
 this day, it is believed a fire descends from heaven upon 
 the tomb of Christ. As a matter of annual exhibit, the 
 fire does proceed out of a circular opening and its glim- 
 mer is eagerly sought by thousands who press together 
 about this sacred spot at the appointed time. Many of the 
 people hold their places amid the heat and stench of the 
 great crowd through the whole preceding night. Often 
 lives are lost because pilgrims are trampled to death in 
 the rush. As many as three hundred people have lost 
 their lives in the panic that sometimes seems to make the 
 mob -insane. The fire at last descends and the sacred 
 flame comes out through the hole in the side of the chapel. 
 Suddenly the great bell clangs as if for an alarm of fire. 
 Extended candles, torches and tapers tied together are 
 lit and borne by runners to other chapels of the church 
 and to other altars of worship. They rub the sacred 
 soot from these torches, lighted from the holy fire, upon 
 their bodies. They let the fire play around their faces 
 and naked breasts assured, as they say, that it will not 
 burn them. These candles will be saved and used on festal 
 occasions and will give comfort to weary thousands upon 
 their death beds in distant lands. 
 
 This, my first Sunday in the Holy Land, is a notable 
 and beautiful day. It is our second Easter this year. We 
 are guided to the place where a repulsive rabble are push- 
 ing their way into the Holy Sepulcher. Each Christian 
 sect has rights. The time is divided for the service. 
 The furniture, carpets, rugs, etc., on the floor in front of 
 the altar are changed as ordered by the respective priests 
 of the flocks who have the right of sacred service in the 
 different chapels. The Latin, the Greek, the Armenian, 
 
 59 
 
the Coptic, priests all have privileges here which the 
 Turkish government recognizes and protects them in 
 enjoying. It is about the only sign of liberal treatment 
 that we find among the Moslem officers. Turkish soldiers 
 are in evidence, although in this part of the city, the 
 Christians seem to have the right of way in religious 
 customs which the Jews and Mohammedans despise and 
 slight, but are obliged to recognize and submit to, however 
 offensive to their faith. Because of the crowd about the 
 temples of Christian worship on this day, I prefer to 
 spend an hour in the American Church of the Missionary 
 Alliance outside the city. Dr. Robinson of Chicago, in 
 charge of the School of Archaeology, occupies the pulpit. 
 His excellent sermon on "Be sure your sin will find you 
 out," attended by earnest singing and prayers, adds to the 
 sacredness of the day and rests our souls as well as our 
 bodies on this holy hill. 
 
 At twelve o'clock we are returning to meet the pro- 
 cession of priests coming from the Holy Sepulcher. At 
 3 :30, one of our party entertains and delights our com- 
 pany in the hotel dining-room as he expounds, "The 
 common people heard Him gladly." At 4:30 we 
 will spend an hour in the Russian Christian Church. 
 In this vicinity is a hostel for men and women and a 
 great tem.ple where there is a jam of pilgrims waiting 
 upon the leadership of priests and choir. The procession 
 by twenty or more priests and the mitered high priest 
 carrying his crucifix,- entertains us and begets feelings 
 of wonder rather than of devotion. Pilgrims are passing 
 candles and giving alms and all seem to welcome the 
 strangers. It is a day of general devotion — ceremonial, 
 ritualistic exclusively — but sincere. Having stood in the 
 
 60 
 
jam for an hour, until we are almost suffocated, we are 
 obliged to push our way out into the fresh air and sun- 
 shine of the street. Here we observe, exposed for sale, 
 all symbolic contributions to worship, such as candles, 
 emblems, crucifixes, and crowns of thorns actually woven 
 for the benefit of those who carry them long distances 
 and wear them as an inspiration to faith in time of hu- 
 miliation and prayer. We have seen the pilgrims kissing 
 the Stone of Unction near the reputed tomb of the Savior, 
 who was crucified but is not here. Truly our faith says, 
 "He isnot here. He is risen." If this is the place where 
 the Lord lay, we are glad that His throne of grace and 
 help is to be found as we look upward rather than press 
 onward in to the midst of this strange and foreign crowd. 
 
 6i 
 
VII. 
 THE TEMPLE HILL AND CALVARY 
 
 JERUSALEM is the chief Bible city of the world. 
 After seeing Mt. Zion, "the city of our God," the 
 i22d Psalm has a fresh meaning. "Our feet shall 
 stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded 
 as a city that is compact together, whither the tribes go 
 up." The historic city within the walls covers but two 
 hundred ten acres ; its entire length from north to south is 
 but two-thirds of a mile ; you can walk from one side of it 
 to the other in ten minutes, and an hour is easy time for a 
 trip entirely around its walls. Outside the walls in the 
 suburbs, it is a modern city, especially to the northeast 
 where there are numerous colonies of Jews and buildings 
 of various Catholic and Protestant missionary societies. 
 The total population of Jerusalem is near 100,000 and 
 the whole of Palestine, west of the Jordan covers about 
 6000 square miles, or one-fourth less than the size of the 
 state of New Jersey. A bird's-eye view of the city again 
 confirms the Bible record, "As the mountains are round 
 about Jerusalem." I have seen the city and viewed the 
 mountains. There is no shadow of doubt as to this being 
 the same city and these same mountains and streets looked 
 upon and traveled by Jesus Christ, the Savior of the 
 world. Again and again, the most ancient phophets, 
 
 62 
 
priests, and apostles compassed these same walls and trod 
 these rocky paths. That the number of tourists to the 
 Holy Land is limited to a few thousand each year as 
 compared with the hundreds of thousands who visit 
 Europe, is due partly to the government; somewhat to 
 the discomforts of travel; and, possibly, to a lack of in- 
 teiest in the study of Bible lore. 
 
 Our first day's exploration takes us by David's Gate 
 and along the outside walls through the Armenian quarter 
 of the city. Here we come across a funeral of a poor 
 man in the Armenian cemetery. He is being buried in a 
 shallow and irregular rocky grave wrapped only in a 
 winding sheet. His old widow sits at a distance weeping 
 in genuine grief, while the grave digger and priest come 
 almost to blows over disputed details of interment. We 
 take a look into the deep and capacious cisterns, of which 
 there are many underneath the chapels. They furnish 
 the water supply of the whole city. It is a marvel to 
 strangers that better water privileges have not been pro- 
 vided for a city built upon a rocky hill as is Jerusalem. 
 Its wretched water system is both peril and a wonder ; yet 
 the people live on and there is no improvement, but rather 
 decline of comfort and convenience after the lapse of 
 4000 years. Good water and clean society are revealed 
 as attractions of the New Jerusalem above : they are quite 
 lacking in the old city on earth. Indeed, sunshine and 
 water, particularly at certain seasons of the year, are 
 both quite perilous, especially to tourists. In the summer 
 season the head must be well protected, and the heat is 
 quite excessive ; though the temperature between the 
 shadow of a "great rock in a weary land" and that of 
 the direct rays of the sun often varies from thirty to fifty 
 
 63 
 
degrees. Though our journey through Palestine is in the 
 latter part of April, I am carrying a white umbrella, 
 which serves a double purpose of cane and shelter. To 
 one unused to the steep rocky cliffs, the irregular stones 
 of the pavements, the winding streets and the unshaded 
 hillsides, both of these ends need serving. 
 
 As we pass down the outside of the walls to Hinnom, 
 and to the Dung Gate, and then down the steep descent at 
 the southeast to the pool of Siloam, we have a fine view of 
 the distant landscape. Equally striking are the miserable 
 natives who are seeking a livelihood by bearing from the 
 springs of the valley burdens of water that would seem 
 to be enough for a donkey. These women plod on with 
 their gardening, working with ancient tools that give 
 no hope of success or profit. 
 
 We follow a Turkish soldier, with uniform and 
 sword, as a guide to the Mosque of Omar. Down 
 through the crooked, narrow and dirty streets inside the 
 walls, we pass a heterogeneous crowd, similar perhaps to 
 that which trod these pavements in the first century. 
 We elbow Jews, Moslems and Druses, Armenians, Abys- 
 sinians and Mohammedan shieks. Here are the Greek 
 merchants and peddlers, Syrian travelers, Russian pil- 
 grims, white-robed Dominicans, Franciscans, wild looking 
 Arabs from the desert. There are green turbans and red 
 fezzes, missionaries with sun helments, eastern priests 
 with stove-pipe hats. There is a jumble of colored gar- 
 ments, a babel of tongues and rival religion going to and 
 fro all day long. Even the clock at the Jaffa Gate tells 
 a double story, one face of it revealing Turkish time and 
 another, the Grecian time. The Turks and Arabs count 
 their time beginning with sunset ; but as time is little 
 
 64 
 
Temple Site and Mosque of Omar, Jerusalem. 
 
 Temple Area, Jerusalem — Only Grassy Plot about City. 
 
reckoned with in the Orient, it matters little what time 
 of day it is, so we journey in daylight. 
 
 Our guard has gotten permission for us to enter the 
 Mosque of Omar, found in the great and matchless 
 Temple Area of thirty-five acres. Standing on the side 
 next the tower of Antonio, we recall history of three 
 Jewish temples, one pagan, a Christian church and finally, 
 - a Moslem Mosque with its "Gate of Paradise." The 
 "Dome of the Rock" is doubtless the site of the Temple 
 of Solomon. This Mosque of Omar, with its gaudy 
 windows and symetrical dome, is perhaps the most in- 
 interesting historic and sacred spot, outside the Holy 
 Sepulcher, to be found in Jerusalem. It has no graceful 
 ininarets rising about it, such as are seen in connection 
 with other mosques. We enter through the east entrance 
 which is known as the "Gate of the Chain." The dome of 
 the Chain is a small model of the Dome of the Rock, to 
 which it is adjacent. This name is based upon a curious 
 legend which is thoroughly believed by the Moslems about 
 the city. They say that David held his law courts upon 
 this spot and special measures were taken against in- 
 justice. To insure righteous decisions, a chain was let 
 down from the sky to within three feet of the ground. 
 Every witness called upon for his testimony was required 
 to take hold of this chain with both hands. If his word 
 Vvas false, one link dropped from the chain to prove his 
 word a lie. A law suit was once held here between a 
 Moslem and a Jew. The Moslem had been on a pilgrim- 
 age to Mecca, and before leaving Jerusalem, he gave the 
 Jew a sum of money to keep in trust. On his return he 
 declared the Jew had failed to return the money ; hence 
 the suit. In presence of all parties concerned the old 
 
 65 
 
Jew appeared, with gray beard and stooping shoulders, 
 leaning upon a very thick staff. That he might take hold 
 of the chain with both hands, he gave his cane to his 
 Moslem antagonist. Seizing the chain he said, "I 
 solemnly swear that I have repaid the money in question 
 and that this Moslem has it in his possession at the 
 present moment." No link fell from the chain. The 
 Moslem handed back the Jew his heavy cane and, taking 
 hold of the chain, said "I solemnly swear that I have 
 never received the money from this Jew." The chain 
 thereupon disappeared and has never been seen. The 
 crafty Jew had concealed the money in the hollow staff. 
 When the Moslem held it for him, he had paid him back 
 his money. He told the truth ; but as it was his intention 
 to deceive, it became a lie. The poor Moslem thought 
 that he was telling the truth while he was swearing un- 
 consciously to falsehood ; hence, the chain being of no 
 use in determining the truthfulness of testimony, was 
 carried back to heaven. The little dome has suspended 
 in the center of it, a rusty old chain which gives it the 
 name. 
 
 The interior of the Mosque of Omar gives one an 
 impresion of coldness and gloom. There are many 
 beautiful arches, pillars and piers, principally of marble. 
 Some of these are believed to have been taken from 
 Herod's Temple and inserted by the Arab architects. The 
 upper portions of the eight walls are filled with lovely 
 mosaic designs about wjhich are found texts from the 
 Koran, some of which have reference to Jesus the Mes- 
 siah. The dome is supported by four piers and twelve 
 columns, all arranged in the form of a circle. Beneath 
 the dome, there is an enormous drum which is ornamented 
 
 66 
 
with costly mosaic work. The dome itself is painted 
 with gilt. The colorings of the windows is striking and 
 the porcelain exterior causes a subdued light. A great 
 perforated screen protects what is known as the "Holy 
 Rock." Standing on the stone balustrade, the visitor 
 obtains a good view of the remarkable rock which is 
 said to have been the threshing floor of Araunah, or Or- 
 nan, on which David offered his sacrifice (II Sam. 24:16- 
 25). Near the southeast corner of this rock is a large 
 round hole through which we descend to the cave be- 
 neath. About the center of the floor, near where Abram, 
 David, Solomon, Elijah, by tradition, are all said to have 
 offered worship, is a large circular slab of stone which, 
 when stamped upon, gives forth a hollow sound. Our 
 guide will not permit its being lifted. It is supposed to 
 have been connected with a sewer which carried away 
 the blood of sacrifices. Many good authorities hold that 
 this holy rock is the place of the Holy of Holies, instead 
 of the altar of burnt offering. An indentation in the 
 stone here is said, by the Moslem people, to have been 
 made by Mohammed's head when he took his flight 
 upward. 
 
 We will turn our backs upon the Mosque of Omar 
 and enter the Mosque El Aksa, a magnificent structure, 
 very large but not so richly decorated. This stands to 
 the south of Omar and from it is seen the verdant por- 
 tion of the temple area, the only grassy plot I found in 
 Jerusalem. Above it shines the beautiful sun and over 
 it grows a great olive tree, inviting the weary pilgrim to 
 rest awhile. But beneath this rocky level, are Solomon's 
 stables in the southeast portion of the Omar enclosure 
 and we must enter through a low and narrow doorway 
 
 67 
 
and dark stone staircase. These are great vaults and 
 passages formed by long series of massive columns that 
 support the paved platform from which we have come. In 
 their present condition, they are probably of medieval 
 origin. A glance shows blocks of stone which formerly 
 entered into other structures. During the siege of Jeru- 
 salem, many thousands of Jewish people took refuge in 
 these subterranean vaults. That they were utilized for 
 stables is proved by the mangers and holes bored into 
 pillars for the tethering of animals. But let us keep 
 within the walls and retrace our steps up to the temple 
 area again and climb the wall from which we may view 
 the southern slopes leading down to the Pool of Siloam, 
 the valley of Kedron and across to the Tomb of Absalom. 
 The outlook from the wall eastward to Olivet is most 
 enchanting. 
 
 We soon leach the Golden Gate, which is now walled 
 with masonry and to which there is no access from the 
 east. It has been closed since the 8th century, but the 
 interior may be seen through a small window in the 
 outer walls. It is doubtless the "Gate Beautiful." The 
 Mohammedans believe that some day a Christian king 
 will enter Jerusalem through this gate, which will mean 
 the downfall of their power ; so they jealously guard it, 
 making it very difficult for anyone to approach it from 
 either side, and hope thereby to prolong their possession 
 of Jerusalem. This incident reveals their expectancy of 
 coming doom, which may- be seen in various legends and 
 may be found in the very atmosphere that pervades the 
 Moslem worship. Their religion is one of apprehension, 
 lather than of faith and hope. There is another tradition 
 among the Moslems which says that when the end of the 
 
 68 
 
View of Garden of Gethsemane. 
 
 Newman Mission, Jerusalem. 
 
world comes, Jesus will sit upon the wall above the col- 
 umn and Mohammed on the Mount of Olives, and between 
 them a rope may be stretched over which all men must 
 attempt to pass. The wicked will fall and be annihilated 
 in the valley below. Other strange traditions and legends 
 confront us everywhere among people of this faith. 
 
 The Pool of Bethsaida, not far away, with the Scrip- 
 ture story in seventy-eight languages about the walls, 
 compells our attention. Twenty-five feet below the street 
 we may, after going down the old stone steps, touch the 
 very water that held its healing power in the days of our 
 Lord. Some of our pilgrims unite their Christian faith 
 with Irish superstition and, after dipping their extremi- 
 ties in the famous pool, retrace their steps in hope of new 
 health and strength. 
 
 The Church of St. Anne and the monastry of the 
 Mother of the Virgin Mary, where Mary was born, next 
 attracts us. Monks are waiting here and worshiping. 
 The Greek Catholics who are now in possession, extend 
 a kind welcome. We soon pass over the Via Dolorosa 
 to St. Stephen's Gate. The Roman pavement is shown 
 where, we are told, the soldiers played games during the 
 shocking scenes of Calvary's famous afternoon. The nat- 
 ural rock arch continuing the Ecce Homo arch spans the 
 traditional path over which Jesus carried the cross. 
 While trying for access to one of the monasteries, our 
 conductor, thinking it necessary to use his limited Arabic 
 vocabulary to secure a key or gate-keeper, talked his 
 labored question to a young native in the street. After 
 looking intently into our leader's face, he said in the best 
 and plainest English, "What you want is a key, is it not ?" 
 We could never tell in Jerusalem how near we were to 
 
 69 
 
our mother tongue. We soon reach another station of the 
 sad way, where the picture may be seen of Veronica and 
 the stained handkerchief with which she wiped the per- 
 spiration from the Savior's face. It is a strange irony of 
 fate that the Jews, who once excluded all Gentiles from 
 the temple area, are now themselves debarred from enter- 
 ing the precincts of the noble sanctuary. The utmost 
 that is allowed them is to pray at the outer walls of the 
 sacred enclosure. Here, every Friday afternoon, which 
 is a preparation for the Sabbath, and indeed at various 
 days during the week, many of the Jews resort to what 
 is known as the "Wailing Place." In all my wanderings 
 about the city, nothing made a more memorable impres- 
 sion than the faithful devotion shown by these wailing 
 Jews, who meet to lament the destruction of their temple, 
 the loss of their inheritance and to pray for the restora- 
 tion of the Jews to their beloved city. The Lamentations 
 of Jeremiah, various of the Psalms are chanted in Hebrew 
 and form the basis of their petitions and supplications. 
 Old men and women, young people and children, were 
 here with their open Bibles. I heard them chanting their 
 lamentations and watched them kissing the walls with 
 realistic devotion and deep emotion ; for I more than once 
 beheld the tears of sorrow which indicated the sincerity 
 of these ceremonial petitions. 
 
 The atmosphere of Jerusalem is as ceremonial as in 
 the days of Jesus. Our walk through the city on Satur- 
 day, the Jewish Sabbath, discovers the stores of the Jew- 
 ish quarter all closed and the curtains, which form a street 
 wall, pulled down. Passing across and through the Mo- 
 hammedan quarter which adjoins the Jewish quarter, 
 merchants are running full blast. Now that we are in 
 
 70 
 
the Jewish section, let us visit their synagogue. It is a 
 queer place. Confusion and devotion with ceremonial 
 ritual combine to revive the record of early Jewish wor- 
 ship. Here at the door is a modern boy. He assumes to 
 have the authority with right to hold up our party for 
 baksheesh, though our conductor soon finds that he has 
 nothing to do with the building. We push him aside and 
 enter the synagogue. The women are worshiping in their 
 galleries. The men are busy at their altar. Jewish 
 worship in Jerusalem is carried forward on a small and 
 penurious scale. The glory of the past is departed: the 
 Jew has lost out and is surely not yet come to his own. 
 In the same locality and in striking architectural 
 contrast, is the German Lutheran church dedicated by 
 Emperor William of Germany a few years ago. 
 
 Leaving the modern features of Jerusalem, we will 
 walk down for a few hours' renewed visit to the Church 
 of the Holy Sepulcher from which, on previous visits, we 
 were crowded out. This is the modern representative 
 of the ancient churches erected 326 to 335 A. D. by the 
 emperor Constantine. We enter the church from Chris- 
 tian street. Descending by a flight of steps, we land on 
 the south side of an open court. The court is paved with 
 limestone and occupied by venders of olive wood, mother- 
 of-pearl, beads, etc. The facade is a most beautiful 
 place of work. There are two doorways, above each a 
 window ; on the lintel, a base relief of French workman- 
 ship of the I2th century. Scenes of the "Raising of 
 Lazarus," "Entry into Jerusalem," "The Last Supper," 
 etc., are works of great merit. The eastern doorway is 
 closed with masonry. In front of it is a flight of steps 
 leading to the Chapel of the Agony. Entering the Church 
 
 71 
 
of the Holy Sepulcher, which is free for visitors and 
 pilgrims at this season, we find immediately in the front, 
 the "Stone of Unction." This stone, which is kissed by 
 the multitudes of Christian pilgrims, though scarcely 
 ever so honored by Christian tourists from America and 
 Great Britian, is supposed to commemorate the anointing 
 of the body of Jesus when taken down from the cross. 
 The stone itself has often been changed, the present slab 
 having lain there for one hundred years. Near it are 
 large candelabra, and above it are lamps which belong 
 to the various religious orders. On the left, is a spot sur- 
 rounded by an iron rail where the women stood when 
 Jesus was laid in the tomb. South of this place, is a 
 flight of steps that leads to the apartments of the Ar- 
 menians. The Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher is in the 
 center of the rotunda which we now enter. It contains 
 eighteen piers which support the royal arch. The piers 
 are connected by arches, above which is the iron dome 
 with a gallery for spectators and worshipers. The en- 
 trance to the Chapel of the Angel is a low doorway ; with- 
 in are fifteen lamps always burning. In the center is a 
 fragment of the stone that closed the mouth of the sepul- 
 cher. The tomb, as it now appears to view, is a marble 
 bench, two feet high, six feet four inches long and three 
 feet wide. Above the tomb are marble reliefs belonging 
 to the Greeks, Latins and Armenians. Lamps owned by 
 three communities of Christians and, a few of them, by 
 the Coptic Church, hang from the ceiling. On the days 
 of special worship and celebration, these varied Chris- 
 tian sects, led by their priests, take turns in ceremonial 
 services. 
 
 Our guides and guide books reveal the Church of the 
 
 ^2 
 
Hearing a Lecture in Bethleiiem Court. 
 
 Ready to Leave Jerusalem by Carriages. 
 
Holy Sepulcher as a bewildering forest of Chapels, aisles, 
 vaults, courts and hallowed spots at various levels ; all 
 of which are presented as historic and around which 
 there is so much of the artificial and story of tradition, 
 as to leave a sincere stranger in the maze of doubt, though 
 he is entertained and instructed by the variety of the reve- 
 lations. Here in the Greek cathedral near the rotunda is 
 shown the "center of the world" which is said to be built 
 above the garden of Joseph of Arimathaea. In the 
 middle is a cup with a flat ball called the earth's center. 
 We enter the "Chapel of the Parting of Christ's Rai- 
 ment," the "Altar of the Penitent Thief," the "Chapel 
 and Chair of St. Helena" the "Chapel of the Crowning 
 with Thorns," and ascend steps leading to the "Chapel of 
 the Raising of the Cross" and the "Chapel of the Nail- 
 ing." Near-by are "Adam's Chapel," the "Chapel of the 
 Archangel Michael," the "Chapel of Mary Magdalene," 
 and the "Rock of Calvary." Your guide will show be- 
 neath the altar, the hole, now lined with silver, where the 
 cross was fixed. The position of the crosses of the two 
 thieves is also marked on the floor. On the south, a 
 brass slide, when pushed back, discloses the cleft of the 
 rock as stated in Matt. 27:51. A door opens into a pas- 
 sage which leads to the apartments of the Greeks in 
 another direction. Separated from it, is the Latin Chapel 
 marking the spot where Christ was nailed to the cross. 
 Near the "Altar of Adam" and behind it in the apse, is 
 an opening closed by a wire grating through which they 
 show you the rock of Calvary and a cleft of the natural 
 rock. According to a strange early tradition, Adam was 
 buried at Golgotha. We are told that the blood of Christ 
 flowing down through this cleft is supposed to have fal- 
 
 72, 
 
len on the skull of the first man, Adam, and raised him 
 to life. This tradition is believed to be the origin of the 
 skull representation beneath the feet of Christ on a 
 crucifix. 
 
 The great Cistern of Constantine still remains and 
 retains its original features of great depth and large di- 
 mensions. Near-by are the tombs of Godfrey de Bouillon 
 and Baldwin the First. Relics of these heroes, honored 
 for their sacrifices and triumph, fill a chamber of the 
 Greek church. Not far away is the edifice known as the 
 House of Caiaphas, though there is no just cause to re- 
 gard it as the genuine site. This is near the Armenian 
 Cemetery referred to elsewhere and it is here we are 
 shown the spot where the cock crew. How they know 
 that this is the spot, they do not explain, only that so the 
 story runs. On emerging from the doorway of the house 
 of Caiaphas, we come to the place railed Coenaculum, or 
 the upper chamber where the last supper of our Lord with 
 His disciples is said to have been spread. After paying 
 the fee for admission, we are ushered in. From the 
 earliest centuries, the descent of the Holy Ghost on the 
 day of Pentecost is thought to have taken place here. 
 The whole work of the building seems to date from the 
 14th century, though they point out the very stone on 
 which the disciples sat while the Lord washed their feet. 
 In a room adjoining, covered with a gaudy spread, is a 
 sarcophagus which, they tell us, is an exact imitation of 
 the cofifin of David in the- sepulchers below. Strange that 
 this building, which originally belonged to the Franciscan 
 monks, has been in the possession of the Moslems for 
 nearly four centuries. 
 
 Having visited the traditional site of Calvary within 
 74 
 
the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, I must invite the 
 reader to the Gordon Calvary outside the present walls, 
 which thousands of tourists believe is the true Calvary. 
 We will pass out of the Damascus Gate and across the 
 road which runs parallel with the northern wall of the 
 city. A remarkably shaped limestone cliff and mound, 
 some five minutes' walk from the old natural rock wall 
 of the ancient city, is the place which Gen. Gordon dis- 
 covered and labeled Golgotha. The garden tomb is pre- 
 served and controlled by an English society who collect 
 the admission fee through the keeper who resides in the 
 place. Of course, this location, which appeals to many 
 travelers because of the garden tomb, the spring of fresh 
 water beneath, and the circumstance of its being un- 
 doubtedly "without the walls" and outside the gate, is 
 rejected by all tradition and faith of the Christian priests 
 and pilgrims of both Greek and Latin Churches. A 
 drink from the under-ground spring referred to, a quiet 
 rest in the shade, a snap-shot of the tomb and a pleasing 
 survey of the surroundings of the Gordon calvary and 
 garden, make a deep impression upon our hearts and 
 compel us to wish, at least, that this might be the spot 
 where our Lord was crucified. If we cannot find the 
 place where the Lord lay, we shall hope to see Him upon 
 His throne. 
 
 75 
 
IX. 
 BEYOND THE WALLS 
 
 OLOMON'S quarries are underneath the north wall 
 of the city, being entered from an outside street. 
 This cavern is believed to extend as far as the 
 Temple Area, though it is as yet unexplored. It is so 
 named because tradition tells us that the stones used for 
 the building of Solomon's Temple were hewn in these 
 underground caverns and thus made ready, were conveyed 
 to the House of the Lord and placed "so that there was 
 neither hammer nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the 
 house, while it was building" (Kings (i'.J^. Candles must 
 be carried, permission obtained from the Turkish keepers, 
 and great care taken as one's way is threaded through 
 the declivities where there are marks of the mason's tools 
 and the niches where they placed their lamps. Some large 
 blocks are nearly detached from the mother rock. There 
 is unfinished work which connects it with the activities 
 so marked in Scripture history. 
 
 The "Tombs of the Kings", not far away, are well 
 worth a visit ; for here there are excellent specimens af 
 rocky excavations. Twenty- four broad rock steps with 
 water channels cut on either side leading into cisterns at 
 the farther end, lead to a roomy rock-cut court ninety by 
 eighty feet. Further on we are admitted to the real 
 tombs which are entered through a low passage formerly 
 closed by a great rolling stone which is still to be seen 
 
 1^ 
 
Donkeys at Damascus Gate, Jerusalem. 
 
 Street Scene, Jerusalem. 
 
in its groove. There are many receptacles that are sup- 
 posed to have been the burial places of high rank per- 
 sons. It is generally agreed that they are the family cata- 
 combs of Helena, a Jewish proselyte who settled in 
 Jerusalem after her husband's death about 48 A, D. 
 
 Passing homeward through the burning sunshine, 
 we will turn our camera upon a drove of donkeys stand- 
 ing in the market place by the wall, and other street 
 scenes, and finally rest ourselves on the hillside where we 
 may enter and enjoy the Schick exhibit of the models of 
 the Temple in its various reconstructions. Every visitor 
 may well look upon these rare models which have been 
 seldom equalled and are backed by the authority of long 
 time residence and most scholarly study. 
 
 Another half-day finds us driving out of the road 
 northeast to Scopus and the picturesque ridge and range 
 of hills which lead us back to Mt. Olivet and the Church 
 of the Ascension. It is a rare afternoon with a clear 
 sky and long vision. Ascending the tower we have a 
 thrilling view, not only of the city from the east looking 
 westward and south, but of the plains of Judea and the 
 distant Judean hills towards the Dead Sea. This is with- 
 out doubt the place from which our Master ascended and 
 where He bade the disciples an affectionate farewell as 
 a cloud received Him out of their sight. The "Stone of 
 Ascension" is shown us, where we pause to rest. Cer- 
 tainly we are not far from the foot-prints of Him who 
 is to come again in glory and who once departed from this 
 sacred hill. 
 
 After tender meditation we reverently walk down 
 over the stony and precipitate road which leads us near 
 the Russian church and into the next most sacred 
 
 77 
 
spot of all the Holy Land, the Garden of Gethsemane. 
 Here again our doubts disappear. We feel assured that 
 we are near the place of Christ's night of agony and 
 prayer. A kind monk who keeps the Garden, gives us 
 a hearty welcome, bidding us pluck flowers and rest in 
 the shadow of the great olive tree, whose gnarled trunk 
 and spreading branches look as if they had seen centuries 
 of life. We are not in a hiirry now. Our party is quiet. 
 Our conductor opens his New Testament and reads the 
 four Gospel accounts of the sacred night of prayer with 
 the disciples. One of our number offers a prayer while 
 we all bow in reverence and gratitude. The sunshine 
 touches the fragrant flowers with the kiss of heaven, 
 while our souls are bathed in the atmosphere of devotion. 
 We carry from the place emotions and memories never to 
 be forgotten. 
 
 The Russian church up the hillside contains paint- 
 ings of the rarest kind and is itself a monument of vener- 
 ation and religious life most creditable to the country 
 who reared it at a nation's expense and who sustains it 
 by permission of the Turkish government. 
 
 Near to the garden and a few rods farther to the 
 north is the Virgin's Tomb. The entrance to this place 
 is a stone doorway with a broad flight of marble steps 
 leading down to a chapel and shrine where enthusiastic 
 and credulous tourists are shown the actual sarcophagus 
 of the Virgin, the tomb of Joseph and the tombs of the 
 Virgin's parents, and other relics. 
 
 The Valley of Kedron that leads from this spot down 
 to the Pool of Siloam beyond the Valley of Hinnom and 
 the Dung Gate, contains no surface water, except in the 
 rainy season. The Pool of Siloam is fed by water which 
 
 78 
 
flows through an artificial tunnel from the Virgin's 
 Fountain. This Siloam Tunnel is supposed to have been 
 cut by Hezekiah to convey water from the Valley of Je- 
 hoshaphat to this pool, in which was discovered in 1880, 
 the famous "Siloam Inscription" now in the museum at 
 Constantinople. It is surely the same valley and this is 
 the same road that was often and again trod and crossed 
 by Apostles in our Savior's day as well as by kings, 
 prophets and priests in all the historic past. 
 
 Having compassed the city, we must take a drive 
 down the Bethlehem road. After leaving the Jaffa Gate 
 at Jerusalem, we climb a high steep hill, pass on our right 
 some almshouses, on our left the British Ophthalmic 
 Hospital, and continue our way along this road of the 
 ages towards the "House of Bread." This highway to 
 Bethlehem cuts the Plain of Rephaim, or Valley of the 
 Giants, where David had more than one conflict with the 
 Philistines (II Sam. 5:18-25). Ascending the hill we 
 come to the "Well of the Magi." The well itself, from 
 which we draw water but are forbidden to drink, gives 
 forth a strange echo. Tradition tells the story that the 
 wise men, trudging along this road from Jerusalem, sat 
 down to rest. While stooping to draw water, they saw 
 to their surprise, the reflection of the star which they 
 saw in the east and "the star which they saw in the east 
 went before them till it came and stood over where the 
 young child was." 
 
 In a few minutes we reach the site of Rachel's Tomb. 
 The Bible story tells us that "Rachel died and was buried 
 on the way to Ephrath which was Bethlehem" (Gen. 
 35:19). The main road here branches off to Hebron. 
 We enter the dome-covered building containing the tomb 
 
 79 
 
of Rachel. This burial place has little doubt connected 
 with it. It must be near the spot. Today it is crowded 
 with forty pilgrims who. with tears and prayers as they 
 are seated and standing about the wall surrounding the 
 tomb, pay sincere tribute to their spiritual grandmother 
 while they offer their prayers and read their sacred 
 Scriptures in deep devotion and great commotion. It 
 was a rare fortune to find the tomb open on our arrival ; 
 for, like the "Wailing Place" in Jerusalem, it revealed the 
 strong hold that tradition has upon these pilgrim Chris- 
 tians and Jews. 
 
 x-V short distance farther on our way, we have a mag- 
 nificent view of the terraced fields, vineyards and or- 
 chards round the suburbs of Bethlehem. We enter the 
 village and find the Bethlehem Court, probably unchanged 
 for two thousand years, used partly as a village loafing 
 place and partly as a sheep market. The inhabitants, 
 both men and women, are comparatively of an intelligent 
 ancestry. The garb of the women is different from what 
 we find in Jerusalem and other parts of Palestine. Their 
 faces are more beautiful and seem to reflect the Scripture 
 character of Ruth and Naomi. The men and boys in 
 shops and stores seem to be industrious. The manufac- 
 ture of various souvenirs out of mother-of-pearl, olive 
 wood, etc., makes the village famous and constitutes a 
 noted shopping place for tourists. At the farther end of 
 the village and court-yard, we are confronted by the 
 Church of the Nativity. - 
 
 Saint Jerome, who died A. D. 420 and spent many 
 years in the village confirms the Scripture story of the 
 Nativity. He spent the greater part of his life among 
 the inhabitants of Bethlehem. There is every reason, 
 
 So 
 
therefore, to suppose that Constantine's Church built 
 upon this spot, celebrates the exact location of the Kahn 
 where Jesus was born. This is the oldest existing church 
 of Christendom where Christian worship has continued 
 unbroken. Crossing the large pavement in front of the 
 church, we note the porch and the interesting old nave 
 which is flanked on either side by a double row of aisles. 
 A portion of this church is set apart for the Greek, 
 another portion for the Armenian, Christians. The win- 
 dows and other portions of these chapels look shabby 
 because poorly kept, through jealousy of religious fac- 
 tions. 
 
 Underneath the central platform is a crypt which is 
 reached by a flight of steps down to the "Grotto of the 
 Alanger." This, we are told, is the actual place of 
 Nativity. Underneath are altars decorated with costly 
 hanging lamps. The silver star is fixed in the pavement, 
 round which is the Latin inscription which reads, "Here 
 Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary." The natural 
 rock of the cavern is clearly visible, though the whole 
 place has been turned into a chapel. Passing through at 
 the farther end of the chapel, is a passage way in the 
 solid rock through which we reach a small chamber with 
 an altar representing the dream of Joseph, ordering his 
 flight into Egypt. Another chamber contains the tomb of 
 Saint Jerome and his female disciples, Paula and Eustachia. 
 At the north end of this chapel of Saint Jerome, is point- 
 ed out his study room where he spent most of his life in 
 translating the Bible into Latin version called the Vul- 
 gate. ^ 
 
 Leaving the hallowed place of Jesus' birth, we 
 walk into the court and out to the open street and climb 
 
 Si 
 
the wall at the edge of the village, -where we have a 
 beautiful view of the Field of the Shepherds. The place, 
 however, is celebrated by a grotto, the "Cave of the 
 Shepherds." This grotto idea is very common through- 
 out Palestine. The fertility of Bethlehem and vicinity 
 is in great contrast with the stony desert-like hillsides 
 and valleys beyond. In the, olive groves and vineyards, 
 stone Avatch towers appear in many directions, which 
 shelter the guards who protect their fruit and crops by 
 night. In some parts, arbors made of branches and 
 boughs of trees constitute a "lodge in a garden." Whole 
 families sometimes summer in these lodges or towers. 
 The blessing of the Most High seems to rest upon this 
 beautiful Bethlehem, the house of the "Bread which came 
 down from heaven." 
 
 If there is sufficient time alloted for your visit to 
 Jerusalem, the greater part of two days should be spent 
 in a trip to Jericho and the Jordan valley. Starting early 
 and driving around the north wall of Jerusalem and 
 eastward past the Garden of Gethsemane, we follow the 
 road so often trod by the Master on His way to Olivet. 
 We soon halt at Bethany. This is the most convenient 
 opportunity to visit the tomb of Lazarus, the house of 
 Mary and Martha, and other points of interest in this 
 famous Jerusalem residence of our Lord. The tomb of 
 Lazarus, now a Moslem shrine, is entered by a deep de- 
 scent of twenty stone steps. It is a roomy cave in the 
 rock beneath, and doubtless once belonged to a wealthy 
 and prosperous Jew. After a long enough stay, the read- 
 ing of the eleventh of John revives the story of the mir- 
 acle concerning Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and 
 Mary. In ascending the steps, we are impressed with the 
 
 82 
 
fact that if this is the depth of the tomb from which he 
 came, that there was an appropriateness in the loud voice 
 with which he was called, and the miracle included a lift 
 as well as life. We find it not hard to believe that this 
 is the real tomb. The traditional home of Mary and Mar- 
 tha is a less likely spot, though the locality is without 
 doubt the real Bethany village of our Lord's day. 
 
 Incidentally, we look in here upon a Moslem school 
 of thirty-five children, all studying in noisy concert from 
 printed platters of wood as from plates or slates, and 
 all swaying to and fro as they continue, with glancing eye 
 at the strangers, while the teacher looks up with a smile 
 of welcome. Of course there are no girls here. They 
 are excluded by Mohammedan custom. They call it a 
 school, though with us, it seems only like a damp and 
 dismal cellar, inferior to an American resort of swine or 
 temporary shelter for sheep. Escaping from the dirty 
 and importunate beggars that inhabit the neighborhood, 
 we are glad to wend our way down the steep path to our 
 carriages and hasten on our way along the now well 
 graded road towards the Inn of the Good Samaritan. 
 
 At the bottom of the hill, there is a wayside spring 
 which Christians call the "Apostles' Fountain." Here our 
 Lord and His apostles must have frequently stopped on 
 their journey between Jerusalem and Jericho. It is the 
 last natural water supply on the road to the Jordan val- 
 ley. Meeting and overtaking many pilgrims, some on 
 foot, some on donkeys and others in carriages, we pass the 
 strange red strata of rocks which come to the surface 
 in the hill sides along the way. We will halt at the Good 
 Samaritan Inn on the hill. This half way house between 
 Jerusalem and Jericho, is a typical walled stone shelter- 
 
 83 
 
house for the refreshment of man and beast. It must 
 have been an elegant retreat for the man who fell among 
 thieves in the Good Samaritan's day. The rain is drip- 
 ping through the roof, but we find it a good resting 
 place, being entertained by the relics and refreshed with 
 the hot coffee. 
 
 Our next stop on the way to Jericho is the cliff over- 
 looking the Monastery of Saint George. This Greek 
 Chapel is perched upon the rock above the valley and 
 winding path. The brook, called Cherith, at the bottom of 
 the cliff never runs quite dry and is said to be the one from 
 which Elijah drank when he was fed by the ravens, or 
 as some read it, by the Arabs. Whether these dry moun- 
 tainous barren hills of Judea are wanting in fertility be- 
 cause the timber was anciently removed and the soil 
 washed into the valleys, or whether it is a blighting curse 
 on this land that rejected Christ as the Messiah, is a fit 
 subject for conversation as we pass down this famous 
 road, though we may not be able to reach a satisfactory 
 conclusion. The occasional flock of goats, the passing 
 donkey, and the aged pilgrim who trudges along the pike, 
 all seem to partake of the poverty of the country. The 
 lonely and hidden road seems a very appropriate resort 
 for thieves and Arabian robbers ; but our party are safe 
 and will soon rejoice in the first view of the Dead Sea 
 and the Jordan plain. 
 
 After reaching the modern Jericho, we drive a mile 
 up the valley to see Elijah's Spring and the Jericho of 
 Joshua's day. The spring which bears the prophet's name 
 because of his having sweetened it in his day, is utilized 
 in a reservoir near Old Jericho. This water now irrigates 
 the surrounding plain, dotted with gardens and orchards, 
 
and also supplies with water the inhabitants of the mod- 
 ern Jericho just behind us. The remains of the old city 
 whose walls were leveled by divine power after Joshua's 
 march around it, are still to be seen. Recent explorations 
 by a German society has revealed large stones and ancient 
 homes, the construction of which could scarcely be ex- 
 celled by modern engineering. The commanding position 
 of this site at the head of the plain, guarding the entrance 
 to the pass above in the rocky mountain west of the hill, 
 shows the wisdom of choosing this location for an ancient 
 fort. It was up this pass that Joshua ascended to Ai 
 after the destruction of Jericho. We are in sight of a wild 
 range known in early times as Mount Quarantana, from 
 the tradition which makes it the scene of our Lord's forty 
 days' fast and temptation in the wilderness. 
 
 Returning to our hotel for noonday lunch, we pre- 
 pare for a drive across the plain of Jericho towards the 
 Dead Sea. There are scanty patches of flowers and grass, 
 although the plain is too saturated with salt for the sup- 
 port of any extensive vegetation. The carriage road is 
 a varied track over the plain, across a steep banked wady, 
 meandering for some six miles to the shore of the Dead 
 Sea. We are now at the northern shore, not far from the 
 mouth of the Jordan. This sea is the lowest body of 
 water on the earth's surface, being 1300 feet below the 
 level of the Mediterranean and 4000 feet below the sum- 
 mit of the Mount of Olives. Our party scatter for a stroll 
 in different directions along the edge of the lake. Some 
 are prepared to take a bath in the salty waves, which, to 
 the inexperienced, is somewhat dangerous on a windy 
 day. The peril is from the saline character of the water 
 rather than from drowning; for one cannot sink in this 
 
 85 
 
salty liquid. The sea is forty-seven miles long and five 
 miles across. It has extraordinary specific gravity, an 
 acrid taste and is incapable of supporting animal or vege- 
 table life. Whether its waves lie smooth as a sheet of 
 glass in the summer's sun or dash upon the sandy and 
 rocky shore as it is lashed by the fury of the winds, there 
 is a lonely charm about its desolation. The surrounding 
 plain is the hottest, at some seasons of the summer, to be 
 found in the world ; and one can almost imagine that the 
 city of Sodom, which stood probably at the southwest end 
 of the sea, could have been consumed by spontaneous 
 combustion. 
 
 After an hour's rest and study of this strange inland 
 sea, a drive across the plain brings us to a popular resort 
 on the Jordan river, a place not far from the crossing of 
 the childern of Israel. It is now a frequent resort of pil- 
 grims, who bathe in this muddy stream and wash their 
 shrouds which they bring with them, as a preparation 
 for a peaceful death. There are no "stormy banks" of 
 Jordan here today ; the waters are calm and the sun 
 gloriously bright. Our little party divides into two boat 
 loads and we have a long ride up the stream and find it 
 delightful recreation. After taking a snap-shot of the 
 water, the boats and the bathing pilgrims, and after re- 
 freshing our minds with the history of this locality, we 
 return across the salty and now barren plain to the little 
 tavern in the modern town of Jericho. Bedouin tents, 
 flocks of cattle, goats and sheep are scattered along the 
 way. The natives crowd round our carriages and follow 
 us with importuning cries for baksheesh. As the night 
 comes on, a strong wind accompanied by rain reconciles 
 us to the indoor shelter as heavy clouds and the shadows 
 
gather about us. We have taken a bottle of water from 
 the Jordan river and must watch that it is well boiled 
 and returned safely to the bottle as a souvenir. We 
 carefully deposit it in our grip with the pebbles from the 
 Dead Sea and other slight mementoes which contribute 
 to make this day one of the most memorable in our whole 
 Oriental journey. 
 
 Rising early, we leave this wretched and apparently 
 blighted village at 6 A. M. A stiff breeze blows and the 
 rain continues to fall during our long and disagreeable 
 drive up the road past the Samaritan Inn to our home 
 hotel in Jerusalem. Most of our party are soaked and 
 bedraggled, if not chilled, in this remarkable downfall 
 which, however discomforting to tourists, becomes a rare 
 blessing, particularly to Jerusalem inhabitants, who are 
 rejoicing in an inch fall of rain which came just in time 
 to prevent water famine and great distress among the 
 people. Coming up the road from the Samaritan Inn, 
 we pass the reputed tomb of Moses. Nobody can tell us 
 how they found out from the angels where he was buried, 
 but here is his tomb, according to tradition, inside the 
 promised land though he Jiimself was not permitted to 
 enter alive. 
 
 Saturday afternoon brings a few hours of leisure 
 and the privilege of shopping about the streets and 
 suburbs of the city. Some of our party are permitted to 
 visit the lepers' home across the hill. This is a perfectly 
 safe place to visit, though the sight taxes the sympathy 
 of the stranger who beholds the suffering and misery of 
 the pitiable inmates. What an inspiration to find in this 
 land of distress, poverty and sin, such a glorious illus- 
 
 87 
 
tration of Christian charity and exhibition of the Christly 
 spirit as found in this institution ! 
 
 My second Sabbath in Jerusalem brings the high 
 privilege of preaching the Gospel at the Church of the 
 American Missionary Alhance, at lo A. M. The text, 
 "Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you," heads 
 a simple message delivered to the mission students and 
 many visitors from many lands. The Sunday School and 
 educational work in this mission, as well as that of several 
 other schools in and about the city, furnishes a hopeful 
 outlook for the religious life of the growing population 
 of Jerusalem. It seems to be the opinion of the long resi- 
 dent missionary teachers of the Protestant faith, that the 
 hope of Palestine and particularly of ancient Jerusalem, 
 is to be found first in the teachings and exemplification of 
 a pure Christianity. 
 
 There are many who think also that the return of the 
 Jews to Palestine and the possession and control of the 
 country by the Jews, according to prophecy, will solve 
 the problems of both the land and the people. 
 
On the Way Across Plains to Nazareth. 
 
 Mt. Tabor from Hill above Nazareth. 
 
X. 
 
 OVER HILL AND PLAIN TO 
 NAZARETH 
 
 AT 7 o'clock, Monday, April 27th, we are called to 
 our carriages in which is loaded our baggage pre- 
 paratory to a forty-mile ride across the country to 
 Nablous and thence through Samaria to Tiberias by the 
 Sea of Galilee. We will take our farewell view of the walls 
 of the city and the surrounding hills while we drive slowly 
 over the winding and stony roads leading northward. The 
 rocky fields covered with flowers, the burdened pilgrims on 
 their way to market, the loaded donkeys and camels, 
 crowd our carriages. The ever changing panorama of 
 hillside and valley deepens our impression of this pic- 
 turesque land. 
 
 Our first stop is at El Bireh, which is the ancient 
 Beeroth. This village, abundantly supplied with water, 
 lying on the slope of a beautiful valley head, furnishes a 
 fine view of the Holy City twelve miles south. An old 
 tradition says this is the village where the parents of 
 Jesus first discovered that the child was not among the 
 pilgrims returning homeward from the feast (Luke 2:44- 
 45). From this halting place it is a half -hour's drive to 
 Bethel, leading to the right. Here the forlorn and deso- 
 late surroundings recall the lonely night which Jacob 
 
spent with the angels for his attendants and God for his 
 keeper. Bethel occupies the summit of one of the prin- 
 cipal roads between the Mediterranean and the Jordan. 
 It marked the natural boundary between Ephraim on the 
 north and Benjamin on the south. 
 
 From this point, every mile of our journey brings us 
 into a more attractive and fruitful district. The whole 
 country round about is sacred to the memory of Bible 
 history. Shiloh is not far away. Our carriage road 
 towards Shechem leads us forward until a most beautiful 
 plain with zig-zag roads opens before us down the hill- 
 side. We stop at a ruined khan at the foot of a hill and 
 take our lunch under the trees where Christ, by tradition, 
 spent the night before his memorable interview with the 
 woman of Samaria at Jacob's well. 
 
 Descending into the plain, we pass Hawarah on the 
 hillside, noted for beggars who race to meet us and fol- 
 low our carriages two or three miles down the road plead- 
 ing all the way for coin. What a lazy life these country 
 villagers live ! How persistent their beggary ! How 
 miserable their condition ! In a couple of hours we are 
 at Jacob's Well, one of the most holy sites of Palestine. 
 There can be little doubt that this is the place named in the 
 New Testament narrative. We enter the enclosure which 
 now belongs to the Greeks. It is covered by a chapel where 
 an attendant lets down a light over the curb stone where 
 the weary Master sat at the noon hour. We sight the 
 water seventy-five feet below and drink frorh the same 
 well that quenched the thirst of our Lord and of pilgrims 
 innumerable down the centuries. Like all spring water 
 in Palestine, it is luke warm and tastes flat ; only the water 
 from the snow covered mountains seems fit to drink. 
 
 90 
 
A few hundred yards to the north of the well, at the 
 base of Mount Ebal, is the small village of Sychar where 
 the woman of Samaria lived; and near it, in easy view, 
 is the high domed sepulcher, recently renewed, which 
 marks the place of Joseph's tomb. 
 
 Returning to our carriages, we turn west into the 
 beautiful valley and soon arrive at Nablous, the famous 
 Shechem between Mounts Ebal and Gerizim. Ebal, to the 
 north, is barren and desolate with scarcely a sign of 
 vegetation. The lower slopes of Gerizim on the south, 
 at the foot of which is our hotel, are clothed with 
 foliage, fruit and flowers. Gerizim looks like the "Mount 
 of Blessing" while sterile Ebal is indeed the "Mount of 
 Cursing." The natural outline of the mountainsides 
 shows the possibility, in Joshua's day, of the "Amen" 
 shout being heard from one mountain to the other, for 
 on the sides of both Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim 
 there are natural amphitheatres which act as sounding- 
 boards. One speaking loudly and in clear voice can be 
 heard across the valley (Deut. 27:12-15). Mount Ebal 
 rises 3000 feet above the level of the sea, and 12,000 feet 
 above the valley of Shechem. The view from its sum- 
 mit gives a fine glimpse of Carmel, of the Plain of Es- 
 draelon and the mountains of Galilee. Mount Gerizim 
 is not so high, but has greater historical interest. Along 
 the base of Gerizim there are eighty abundant springs of 
 pure fresh water. On its top is an old Samaritan temple 
 referred to by the woman of Samaria (John 4:20). The 
 greater part of the mass of ruins at the summit belongs 
 to a church and castle erected in the sixth century. 
 Twelve great stones near the foundation of the castle 
 are declared to be the indentical stones taken out of 
 
 91 
 
the bed of Jordan during the crossing of the IsraeHtes in 
 Joshua's day. 
 
 The village of Nablous where we spend the night 
 is one of the oldest in Palestine. It is the first city in the 
 Holy Land mentioned in the Bible (Gen. 12:6). The 
 miserable inhabitants, as we enter the village, are forming 
 a funeral procession in the little grave yard. The boys of 
 the city are insolent and beggarly and inclined to throw 
 stones at our party, so that it is not safe to go out alone 
 in the evening. Before night settles, we must visit the 
 synagogue of the Samaritans. Their number has 
 dwindled to one hundred eighty people. After a dismal 
 trip through narrow, filthy streets, beset by lepers and 
 beggars, we come at last to the house of the Samaritan 
 high priest. He is undoubtedly a lineal descendant of the 
 ancient Ephraimites. Here we see the world-famed Sa- 
 maritan manuscript roll, scrupulously guarded, bearing 
 evidence of being ancient enough, if it be not the original 
 manuscript of the Pentateuch and book of Joshua. After 
 paying our fee and taking our look, we retire full of 
 wonder and meditations. How sad to hunt the footsteps 
 of Jesus and find no Jesus-men in the country ! Surely 
 gross darkness has come upon the people. A little while 
 was the light with them. They rejected it and darkness 
 reigns. What a lesson for those who receive conviction 
 and reject Gospel light ! Today has furnished a comment 
 on the non-progressive spirit of this land. Men and 
 women are plowing, reaping flax, pulling weeds, in the 
 same manner and with the same implements of 2000 years 
 ago. Either they are perfect in work like the bee or as 
 far behind this age as was Ishmael. I cannot indite the 
 emotions that are stirred by treading the sacred ground 
 
about Shechem. It requires a journey to the spot to realize 
 the flood of thought and feehng that rushes upon one's 
 soul in the presence of such hallowed memories. It is 
 good, it is great, to be here. 
 
 Leaving Shechem at 8 A. M., we pass the heavily 
 loaded camels in the highway and the caravan of resting 
 camels in the edge of the village. I note the water con- 
 duits built in arched stone and running from hillside 
 springs to reservoirs, some of them now in disuse. Two 
 miles northwest we pass the ancient Tirzah, "Delight." 
 It is beautifully located and once shared the honors with 
 Shechem of being the capital city of the northern king- 
 dom. In Solomon's Song 6:4, the Church as spouse is 
 referred to in the words "Thou art beautiful as Tirzah." 
 After an hour's drive we dismount and leave the road for 
 a walk across the fields and a climb up the hill through 
 an orchard by a winding path to the summit of Samaria. 
 A native boy, pert and persistent in his manners, offers 
 his guiding step and chatter. He volunteers to show us 
 the best road to take and, for reasons best known to him- 
 self, insists on faithfully acompanying us for the next 
 hour. Of course his reward is sure. 
 
 We come first to the alleged tomb of John Baptist, 
 over which is a church. The tomb is ten feet under- 
 ground and shut in securely by rock. The minaret of a 
 Moslem mosque covers the remains of an old crusader's 
 church of St. John Baptist built about 1160 A. D. Early 
 Christian tradition places the event of John Baptist's 
 death here in Samaria, while Josephus says it occurred 
 east of Jordan at Machaerus. 
 
 At the western height of Samaria Hill are the. re- 
 mains of a very fine basilica. I took a view of the wreck- 
 
 93 
 
ed pillars, the inotuiinents of the past. The present was 
 represented by three women whom onr conductor chose 
 to call the "Palestine hay-wagons." On their heads were 
 great bundles of newly cut grass. These peasant women 
 consented to transfer their faces and burdens to my 
 camera — for consideration. Crossing the hill we come 
 to the remains of the Caesarea Gate of Herod's city. 
 These may be the ruins of Ahab's palace when king of 
 Samaria; if so, this is the Bible scene of II Kings 6:24 
 and 7 :20. Perhaps, below in the plain, the Syrian camp 
 was pitched. To this gate came the four lepers who sat 
 at the entrance of the city and said. "Why sit we here 
 until we die?" It was here that the brave prophet Elijah 
 came to rebuke Ahab and foretell the long drouth soon 
 to visit the land. 
 
 While our party rested on the steps I took a view of 
 our companion tourists from the statue said to be erected 
 to represent Herod Caesar. The extensive ruins show 
 how greatly they valued this as a site for a temple, palace 
 or tower. Farther down the hillside are the remains of 
 the colonnade of two thousand columns in two parallel 
 rows, one hundred sixty of which may yet be counted. 
 The remains of the Greek Amphitheatre erected by 
 Herod the Great mark, it may be, the location of some 
 magnificent but demolished temple. Samaria was a 
 place of great strength and beauty. It is six miles north- 
 west of Shechem, built on an oblong hill rising 1542 feet 
 above the level of the sea. It is encircled by a broad deep 
 valley and hills beyond, and from this height one may 
 view the Mediterranean in the distance. This city was 
 in its glory 920 B.C. Tirzah and Shechem had been 
 ca]>itals of Israel, then Samaria became the head city for 
 
 94 
 
Women of Samaria laden with Hay. 
 
 Ruins on Samaria's Hill. 
 
two hundred years until the captivity of the ten tribes. 
 It soon became the seat of idolatry, and the prophets 
 Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and Micah prophesied hard 
 things against it. Ahab built here a temple for Baal (I 
 Kings 16:32), which temple was destroyed by Jehu (II 
 Kings 10:26-28). The desolate ruins on this ancient hill 
 and the massive stones lying about are a most impressive 
 comment upon Scripture prophecy. In Micah 1:1., we 
 read, "I will make Samaria as a heap of the field and as 
 plantings of a vineyard, and I will pour down the stones 
 thereof into the valley." All this desolation is to be seen 
 around this hill where once stood the splendid city of 
 Samaria. Memories of the record of Ahab, of Jezebel, 
 of Elijah and of Herod crowd upon us. There are seen all 
 about this historic hill, traces of the vine terraces and re- 
 mains of threshing floors used in the latter days by the 
 Arabs. Returning to the top of the hill, we get another 
 view of the barren hills and desolate plains which testify 
 to the fulfillment of God's threatenings upon the sins of 
 His people. We follow our guide down the long slope of 
 Samaria and overtake our carriages in the valley, where 
 we are struck with the miserable modern life of the farm- 
 ing populace. Turning eastward we ride along the plain 
 of Dothan, still called by that name, where that historic 
 town once stood. We are crossing the plain now where 
 Joseph's brethren were feeding their flocks when he came 
 to visit them. Here they sold him to the Ishmaelites who 
 were conveying loads of spices to Egypt. We are now 
 upon one of the most ancient highways of the world which 
 was once the principal trade route between the Euphrates 
 valley and Egypt. Elisha was dwelling at Dothan when 
 the Syrians were sent to capture him. Here his servant 
 
 95 
 
saw the vision of the chariots and horsemen appointed as 
 a divine protection against their enemies. We reach 
 Jenin at 3 130 P. M. This village is remarkable for its 
 abundant springs from which water rushes in a great 
 stream through the village and is utilized in reservoirs 
 for irrigation. The view of Mount Carmel, the groves 
 and prosperous fields in the plain below the village, en- 
 tertains the tourist while the gardens and mulberry trees 
 furnish refreshment and restful pleasure. 
 
 The route from Jenin to Nazareth extends north 
 across the plains of Esdraelon. After taking a last look 
 at the palm trees and great cactus hedges in the suburbs 
 of Jenin, we pass great flocks of sheep with their shep- 
 herds along the plain, and small villages and a white- 
 domed Moslem shrine on the hills. A ruined tower oc- 
 cupies the heights and possibly marks the site of the 
 watch tower of Jezreel. Widespread fenced fields reveal 
 the best type of cultivation which we have found any- 
 where in Palestine. This is the heart of the great battle- 
 field of Israel. On the plain land about us occurred the 
 memorable battle between Barak and Sisera (Judges 4). 
 A short distance to the east in the valley of Jezreel, Gid- 
 eon utterly defeated the Midianites (Judges 7:1-23). 
 The "Fountain in Jezreel" where Saul and his army 
 camped is not far away. Shunem, the place where the 
 Philistines encamped when they came up against Saul, 
 was the home of the Shunamite woman as recorded in II 
 Kings 4 :8-37. Stirring events of Old Testament history 
 attach to the scenes and villages along this plain. The 
 battle of Mount Tabor between the Turks and the army of 
 Napoleon the Great in 1799 was fought in this neighbor- 
 hood. Looking towards the north on the Galilean hills 
 
 q6 
 
i^^^^ 
 
 Nazareth Women Returning With Water Jars from Mary's Well. 
 
 Mission School in Nazareth. 
 
we discern a few of the white houses of Nazareth. It will 
 be an hour before we reach the foot hills though, in the 
 clear atmosphere, they seem quite near at hand. 
 
 The cultivation of the fields is on a larger scale than 
 we have seen. On one plantation we count seven modern 
 plows and planters drawn by mules or horses. This plain 
 of Esdraelon is largely owned by a Beirut landlord who 
 is making an effort to introduce modern machinery. If 
 the laws of the country shall encourage or permit im- 
 proved implements, this soil is capable of the largest pos- 
 sibilities. 
 
 y7 
 
XL 
 NAZARETH AND GALILEE 
 
 WHEN we reach the foothills of Galilee, the 
 stronger members of our party descend from 
 the carriages to relieve our weary horses. Again 
 and again as we walk up the steep hill, we turn for a view 
 of the beautiful plain we have left behind us. The sum- 
 mit at last crossed, picturesque Nazareth, bowered in ven- 
 dure, breaks on our view. "Can any good thing come out 
 of Nazareth ?" It is still a miserable and uninviting town. 
 Our welcome is the best part of the hotel accomodations at 
 this place. We spend an hour in the enjoyment of Ara- 
 bian songs and in conversation with our host and the street 
 venders who press about our hotel for tourist patronage. 
 Nazareth is famous only because Jesus lived here. It 
 was probably never more populous than today, with 
 10,000 inhabitants, mostly Christians. There are numer- 
 ous well managed institutions of religion and philan- 
 thropy in the village, mostly under English patronage. 
 The Protestant orphanage on the elevated terrace above 
 the tov/n is most worthy of a visit. In the Church Mis- 
 sionary School we rest and talk with the sixty-four girls 
 and their teachers. The school is of a high Christian 
 tone and the girls exhibit the results of superior training. 
 They make the most of this boyhood home of Jesus. It 
 is pleasing to hear these Christian girls, taken from 
 
native homes, sing such songs as this one: 
 
 "We are Httle Nazareth children, 
 And our Father placed our home 
 'Mid the olive trees and vineyards 
 Where the Savior used to roam. 
 
 For the Lord, who loves the children. 
 And was glad to hear their praise, 
 Cares that Nazareth children know Him, 
 Do His will and choose His ways." 
 
 And we know that He is coming. 
 Every knee to Him shall bow, 
 And the joyous shouts to greet Him 
 Shall begin in Nazareth now." 
 
 Again, they repeat this tribute to their Master and 
 King : 
 
 "O Nazareth, lovely Nazareth, 
 Name ever dear to me ; 
 For Jesus played and Jesus prayed, 
 A happy boy in thee. 
 
 But now to that fair city. 
 We need not go today. 
 Jesus is near ; Jesus is here 
 To listen as we pray." 
 
 A pure and intense Gospel life is the only redemp- 
 tion for the modern inhabitants of Galilee. We have not 
 time to visit the medical mission and other Church insti- 
 tutions. We must visit the Franciscan Monastery at- 
 tached to the Church of the Annunciation. The old monk 
 who takes us through the premises speaks good English. 
 
 99 
 
He shows us the double altar recently built and the 
 chapel in process of construction ; also, Murillo's original 
 painting of the boy Jesus, and Joseph with the Mother 
 near by. It is, perhaps, the sweetest and best original 
 painting found in Palestine. A beautiful edifice has been 
 built over the traditional site of the Virgin's home. In 
 a crypt beneath the high altar the tourist is shown the 
 room where the Angel Gabriel is said to have appeared 
 to Alary ; also the traditional Mary's kitchen and Joseph's 
 workshop. 
 
 A Jewish synagogue, now converted into a Greek 
 church, possibly was in existence in the time of Christ 
 and is said, with some measure of probability, to be the 
 place where Jesus delivered his memorable first discourse 
 (Luke 4:16-30), which so aroused the hatred of His 
 fellovv^ citizens that they hurried Him to the brow of 
 the hill to cast Him down headlong. The Mount of 
 Precipitation, or "Brow of the Hill" is a questionable 
 site about which there is much division of opinion. It 
 seems most likely that it was the hill above the orphanage 
 from which a most enchanting view may be had ofMount 
 Carmel and the Sea, the mountains across Jordan, Mount 
 Tabor, Little Hermon, Mount Gilboa, Mount Hermon to 
 the north and other transporting views of earth, sea and 
 sky. 
 
 But, best of all, this is Jesus' own town. He walked 
 these same streets for thirty years and there can be no 
 doubt that He passed His life among this same kind of 
 townsmen. He went into the synagogue with the anoint- 
 ing of the Spirit upon Him and said "This day is this 
 Scripture fulfilled." But how few of the people seemed 
 to know or feel the wonderful power of the Christ spirit ! 
 
We dare not leave the village until the most interesting 
 spot in Nazareth is seen: namely, the so-called Mary's 
 Well in the valley east of the town. From this spot, close 
 to the Greek Church of the Annunciation, the waters are 
 conducted by a stone aqueduct to the village fountain. 
 This spring in the basin, from time immemorial must have 
 been frequented by the women and children for water. 
 We take snap-shots of many water carriers who come to 
 draw water for family use and carry it away in jars upon 
 their heads just as did the carpenter's wife with her Holy 
 Child in the primitive Gospel days. 
 
 Before we leave this interesting locality, let us look 
 into the shop of the ancient clay potter. He is plying his 
 art with a deft hand and spinning his wheel with his 
 foot. After baring his arm he turns his wheel and proves 
 his skill while we note the changing form of the "clay in 
 the potter's hand." In his little dismal shop, this skilled 
 workman spends his long day at a wage equal to five 
 francs or one dollar, which is less than one-third of what 
 his services would command in America. 
 
 The time has come to leave Nazareth for Tiberias. 
 The French hospital and Russian mission are passed as 
 the road climbs the steep summit over-hanging Nazareth. 
 From my journal, I copy these words which were written 
 while yet enjoying the sights of this famous village: 
 "Note before we leave it, our last view of Nazareth. It 
 contains 5000 Greek Christians, 1500 Latin Christians, 
 2500 Moslems, 700 Protestants, English and Baptist mis- 
 sions with hospital. Eight men with the mayor, appointed 
 by the sultan, constitute its municipal court. Its citizens 
 are industrious and belated Nazarenes. If they had re- 
 ceived their Lord 2000 years ago and had retained His 
 
teaching" since, they need not today have been so far 
 behind the times in civiHzed comforts." 
 
 Close to an old shrine, we pause to take a good view 
 of the magnificent landscape and a last view of Nazareth. 
 The road winds down rapidly into the picturesque village 
 of Kefr-Kenna. This town with its conspicuous churches 
 is known as Cana of Galilee. The well of Cana is shown 
 us, from which water was drawn and turned into wine 
 at the celebrated marriage feast (John 2:1-11). In the 
 Greek church we are welcome to examine what professes 
 to be the two identical water pots used on the memorable 
 occasion of the marriage where Jesus performed His 
 first miracle. They would probably hold about nine or 
 ten gallons each. On the site of the house in which the 
 wedding took place, are the ruins of a monastery and 
 fragments of an ancient wall. IMount Carmel and the 
 Great Sea are seen to the northwest. We enter the plain 
 where lived the tribe of Naphtali. We pass a large and 
 flourishing village on our right and soon arrive at the 
 base of the mountain known as the Horns of Hattin. 
 Near this road the most bloody and decisive battle of 
 the Crusaders was fought. The Christians were defeated 
 by the IMoslems. This terrible conflict, which was waged 
 in defense of the doctrine of the Prince of Peace, was 
 fought almost on the very spot where our Lord, by tra- 
 dition, delivered His wonderful Sermon on the Mount. 
 The view from the carriage road makes us believe that 
 we can walk to the summit of the Mount of Beatitudes 
 in ten minutes. As a matter of fact, it will take us a 
 half-hour but it will well reward our toil; for here, 
 where were uttered our Lord's famous words, we re-read 
 this glorious and matchless sermon (Matt. 5:1) and get 
 
 102 
 
our first view of the lovely waters of the Sea of Galilee. 
 
 "A city set upon a hill cannot be hid." May Christ 
 not have pointed to Safed as He uttered the words? 
 Yonder it lies, twelve miles to the north like a broad 
 piece of white marble upon the brown mountain side. 
 It is the highest city of Galilee and is regarded by the 
 Jews as one of the four sacred cities of the world ; the 
 other three being Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias. I 
 must photograph the members of our party while we rest 
 on the Horns of Hattin and in sight of the great basin 
 where the multitude might well have sat to hear the 
 Master while He "spake as never man spake." Surely, 
 as a recent traveler has fitly said, Palestine is an illus- 
 trated edition of the Bible. 
 
 This country has such an important relation to his- 
 tory, prophecy, and the future, as to make it a coveted 
 object of study by all scholars. It is not so pleasing to 
 the average tourist, though the introduction of a few 
 railways, good highways and comfortable hotels, makes 
 it much more inviting than in former, years. The Sultan 
 of Turkey has built a railroad from Damascus to Mecca, 
 Arabia, partly for the accommodation of religious pil- 
 grims to that Mohammedan shrine. The government is 
 also about to complete a line from Gahlee to Jerusalem. 
 This will connect the heart of Palestine with the ports of 
 Joppa and Beirut. 
 
 The great rocky hills and stony ground everywhere 
 impiess the stranger as he tours Palestine. Even the 
 plains are covered with stone ; but even with a scarcity 
 of rain, flocks of goats and sheep seem to subsist. They 
 are seen scattered over the mountain side or resting in the 
 valleys and always attended by a peasant shepherd whose 
 
 103 
 
sole daily business is to watch his flock. Watchmen 
 guard the herds from trespassing on the grain which is 
 mostly barley and wheat. No fences through the country 
 separate the pastures or possessions. Another feature 
 of the country is that the people live exclusively in stone 
 or mud tile-covered dwellings grouped in villages upon 
 the hillsides, some on very steep ascents, and invariably 
 surrounded and protected by walls. A small village will 
 report 2500 or 5000 inhabitants when a stranger would 
 guess 500 as the maximum number. Of course there are 
 in eastern Palestine and Syria, nomadic Bedouin who are 
 the descendants of Ishmael and their dark tent homes may 
 be seen here and there, particularly east of the Jordan. 
 They cling to their peculiar garb, to the horse, and es- 
 pecially to the sword and gun which they carry as a part 
 of their necessary outfit. Hills and plains, houses and 
 gardens, are dotted with varied-colored native flowers, 
 adding beauty in springtime to the otherwise drear land- 
 scape. 
 
 The influence of France and England is shown by the 
 predominence of the French and English languages about 
 the shops and hotels. I have found that French money 
 goes first in Palestine, then English, and third, the "coin of 
 the realm" or Turkish money. Greek and Italian coins 
 are not used in commerce. 
 
 As we come into northern Palestine and Syria we 
 find great illiteracy apparent. In Damascus and larger 
 cities, barring such coa&t cities as Beirut, one never sees 
 a person reading a periodical and never sees one sold on 
 the streets. Perhaps ninety per cent of the people can- 
 not read or write. Girls are never educated. There 
 are no schools for them under Turkish government. Boys 
 
 104 
 
Dancing Dervishes taken near Hot Springs on Lake Tiberias. 
 
 Ruins of Capernaum. 
 
are schooled to a limited extent, if their parents pay for 
 their tuition. Of course there are numerous Church 
 schools conducted by the Greek and Jews, Latin 
 Christians, and a few by Protestants; otherwise it 
 is a country of ignorance and semi-civilization. Poverty 
 waits on ignorance and native-born inhabitants are piti- 
 ably wretched, though contented or stolidly indifferent 
 to their helpless, if not hopeless, condition. They seem 
 not to care for any different or better life. 
 
 Nothing is more thrilling than to stand for the first 
 time on the brow of the hill overlooking the blue waters 
 of Galilee. The farther shore is bordered by precipitous 
 cliffs, beyond which rises the gently rolling landscape. 
 The hills are barren; the mountains away to the north 
 reveal the magnificent snow-clad Hermon. The waving 
 outlines of the shore and the blue expanse of charming 
 Galilee awaken a troop of pleasing meditations. The 
 Christian heart approaches these shores thinking of Him 
 who taught the multitude, comforted His disciples and 
 controlled the waves. The very air seems charged with 
 the Master's words : hill and valley are written with large 
 letters telling the Bible story which centers about this 
 most beloved portion of the Holy Land. 
 
 In Luke 5, this sea is called the Lake of Gennesaret 
 which means "Garden of the Prince"; in Christ's time 
 this land was a fertile region with fruits and several pop- 
 ulous and prosperous villages about its shore. Isaiah calls 
 it "The Sea." It is also known as the "Sea of Tiberias" 
 and is, by carriage road, about one hundred miles north 
 of Jerusalem. The lake itself is between twelve and 
 fourteen miles long, and six to seven miles wide and is 
 beautifully encircled by the hills. The Jordan, a muddy 
 
 105 
 
stream, flows into it frem the north, coloring the spark- 
 ling blue waters and forming an outlet at its southern 
 extremity. Its depth is from one hundred to two hundred 
 feet. This was really the center of trade for the 
 provinces of Galilee. Near Tiberias, the water is pol- 
 luted with sewage but elsewhere is fit for drinking pur- 
 poses, though made somewhat brackish by salt springs 
 along the shore. 
 
 Our headquarters during our sojourn are at the 
 hotel in Tiberias. The restful atmosphere at this early 
 season is not so intolerably hot as a little later. It is 
 gratifying that there should be served to us at our first 
 meal by the sea-shore, fine fish from the sacred waters 
 we have come to visit. He who cannot enjoy a 
 moonlight night at this seaside is either skeptical in his 
 faith or dulled in his fancy. These hallowed shores are 
 so unchanged after the centuries as to leave no doubt 
 about their indentity. The lake is too expansive to be 
 hidden under either mosque or chapel ; neither can it be 
 monopolized by sordid Christians or greedy Turks. In 
 the morning we shall find ourselves rocking the waves 
 on our way to Capernaum. Of course we will be for- 
 given for singing again and again to the time of the boat's 
 motion,. 
 
 "O Galilee! Sweet Galilee! 
 Where Jesus loved so much to be ; 
 
 Galilee! blue Galilee! 
 
 Come, sing thy song again to me ! ■ 
 
 And when I read the thrilling lore, 
 Of Him who walked upon the sea, 
 
 1 long, oh, how I long once more 
 To follow him in Galilee. 
 
 106 
 
It is also proper that on the water and shore of this 
 famous sea, we should carry our New Testament and 
 read the Gospel stories of miracles and sermons of the 
 Divine Master. 
 
 Our boat ride across the lake northeastward is glo- 
 rious and the day perfect. Our launch is stranded at the 
 mouth of the Jordan ; but two of our boatmen, partly 
 stripped, leap into the sea, Peter-like, and putting their 
 shoulders to the launch, push it off the shoals. We are 
 then pulled southwest to the site of Capernaum where 
 we land at the steps and walk through the ruins of the 
 synagogue built by the centurion in Jesus' day. The 
 carvings on the stone pillars, the symbol of life repre- 
 sented by the egg, and other Scripture emblems in the 
 step and court decorations show the Jewish origin of 
 these remains. It was a costly building with very great 
 stones. The remaining floor is seen, with the stone ap- 
 proach to the sea. The excavations have now ceased on 
 account of the wars and the premises are kept by an old 
 monk who lives near by. We tarry to meditate on the 
 healing of the centurion's servant by Jesus at this spot 
 and on his prophecy against Capernaum in Matthew 
 1 1 :24 and Mark 6th and 8th chapters, all of which have 
 been literally fulfilled. The same fulfillment of prophecy 
 is noted in the case of the destroyed cities of Chorazin and 
 Bethsaida. Doubtless this synagogue we have just visited 
 is where Christ's wonderful discourse was spoken as 
 recorded in the 6th chapter of John's Gospel. Capernaum 
 was called our Lord's "own city." It was while He was 
 walking on the beach near the town that He called Peter 
 and Andrew to become His disciples. Here Simon's 
 wife's mother was healed of her fever. His miracles 
 
 107 
 
were here multiplied and again and again the waves and 
 waters obeyed His voice. But alas ! the cities have been 
 cast down. They were convinced by His deeds and dis- 
 courses, but they rejected Him and His Gospel and today 
 the very streets where He trod are obliterated and the 
 buildings exterminated because they did not receive Him. 
 "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." 
 "The letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Hfe." 
 
 According to record and tradition, Tiberias was not 
 the scene of Christ's ministry. Perhaps He never visited 
 it, though it is one of the four sacred cities of the Jews. 
 It was founded or rebuilt during the reign of Tiberius 
 Caesar and stands as the metropolis of Galilee. From the 
 beginning it distinguished itself from all other towns on 
 the sea by adherence to Roman manners and architecture. 
 For some reason, Tiberias alone was saved from the 
 shameful curse of being exalted unto heaven and then 
 "thrust down to hell." On a high plateau to the south- 
 west of the present city stood the citadel of Tiberias and 
 the palace of Herod, where the king spent much of his 
 time. Near by there are several ancient tombs of renowned 
 rabbis. We took pleasure in visiting the medicinal hot 
 springs to the south of the town, which are a constant 
 resort of tourists and natives, bedouins and Christian 
 pilgrims. We find the well kept Medical Mission Hos- 
 pital of the Free Church of Scotland, a splendid monu- 
 ment to the spirit of the Master who healed the sick and 
 ministered to the bodies 'as well as the souls of people in 
 His day. 
 
 While taking a lonely walk along the shore, I fell in 
 with a government clerk whose name was Abraham, who 
 proved a most hospitable and useful guide. He seemed 
 
 io8 
 
like a clean and worthy young man, could speak English 
 well and had been trained in the school at Jerusalem. He 
 is paid twenty dollars per month as secretary of the 
 governor of this province. The governor's salary amounts 
 to about seventy dollars per month. He insisted upon 
 taking me to his home and showing me the village, while 
 he confessed that his Turkish government is a "very 
 weak government." He had serious faults to find with his 
 Moslem neighbors who drink "araka" and get drunk on 
 it, despite the religious law against drunkenness. He 
 said that Christians and Jews alike drink this stuff, 
 greatly to their bodily and mental detriment. He stated 
 that the climate here in the summer season is almost un- 
 endurable, even for the natives. Nothing but their stone 
 houses prevents them from sunstroke in the oppressive 
 noonday hours. There are fourteen synagogues in this 
 town of 10,000 people and the muezzin calls to prayer 
 are often heard from our hotel window. 
 
 Our New Testament passages are illuminated anew 
 by our visit to Galilee. With refreshed bodies, souvenir 
 shells and other reminders of our never-to-be-forgotten 
 visit to this region, we push out in the government launch, 
 the next morning, across the waters of the lake to the 
 south and in about forty-five minutes have reached Sa- 
 mach, where we will take the train for a day's ride to 
 Damascus. The snowy Hermon forty-eight miles to the 
 north appears, the sight of which continues almost all 
 day. During our one hundred forty miles' ride we have 
 a view of the Sunnim mountain and Lebanon range thirty 
 miles further north and west, whose snow glows in the 
 Syrian sunshine. 
 
 While waiting at the station of Samach, located at 
 109 
 
the south end of the Sea of Galilee, an Arab restaurant 
 keeper charged us four metaliks, or five cents, for sitting 
 on the sofa he had placed in the open shed of the station 
 adjoining his restaurant. After remaining a few min- 
 utes of the hour, we entered the train; but the zealous 
 Arab followed us to collect his four metaliks, which I 
 paid, only now he asked five. I drove him away after 
 paying the four. He touched his head in wrath; but 
 whether he meant something was out of fix with my pate 
 or his own, I could not divine. 
 
 no 
 
Wall where Paul was let down in basket at Damascus. 
 
 Bread for Sale in Streets of Damascus. 
 
XII. 
 DAMASCUS THE ANCIENT 
 
 /^• g' " ^ HE journey by rail to Damascus is a pleasing one. 
 Our party occupies four apartments. We brought 
 individual lunches from the hotel, some of us hav- 
 ing provided coffee or lemonade as refreshment for the 
 day, for there is no dining car. A splendidly engineered 
 serpentine road up the mountain and through tunnels, con- 
 ducts us in sight of gushing hot springs and rippling 
 streams as we climb to the plateau Hawaran. Flocks of 
 goats and sheep with their shepherds in the deep gorges 
 below us look like ants. Numerous stops are made ; three 
 signals are given : first, the bell rung by the station agent ; 
 second, the horn blown by the train man, and third, the 
 quick engine whistle and the "all aboard" call often added 
 to insure that all the passengers aie ready to start. If 
 some run to fill bottles at a hydrant near the station, 
 the train will be delayed to accomodate them. These 
 Oriental trainmen are not so cruelly prompt as to 
 leave anyone behind if he should not be "on time." This 
 Arab country is dotted with black rocks and ruined vil- 
 lages. Part of the soil seems fertile, but mostly it is a 
 barren plain till we come near Damascus. 
 
 Our first attraction is the river of Pharpar which 
 is a feeble and almost absorbed stream, scarcely worthy 
 the name of even a creek at this time of the year. Late 
 
 III 
 
in the day Damascus comes into view, the ancient city 
 of all the old cities. We enter it under very different 
 circumstances from those attending Saul in his day. This 
 city is still a destination much to be desired by weary 
 travelers, and our minds revert to the Bible story as our 
 eyes behold the multiplied domes and minarets of the 
 mosques that distinguish this commercial center of the 
 Orient. Our carriage driver from the station loses his 
 way and keeps driving us about the city ; but remember- 
 ing that we must reach the Palace Hotel, we venture to 
 instruct our guide on the front seat and finally land with 
 the rest of our party. We find a hearty welcome and, 
 best of all, our first good water which provides a longed- 
 for refreshment. It comes from porous jars and speaks 
 of the snowy fountain of the near-by mountains from 
 M'hich it springs. 
 
 Dam.ascus is located in a luxurious, well wooded and 
 fruitful plain. The city itself, with its 180,000 inhabi- 
 tants, has many villages in its suburbs and vicinity. The 
 plain round about containing one hundred twenty square 
 miles is made both famous and productive by its rivers 
 Abana and Pharpar, of which Naaman the Syrian so 
 proudly boasted (II Kings 5:12). Orientals have called 
 Damascus the "pearl set in emeralds." It is oval, shaped 
 somewhat like a hand mirror. Its color is a pearly gray 
 owing to the plaster and stone in the houses that look like 
 concrete. The buildings appear as one .great plant 
 jammed together in one^enclosure. The city is surrounded 
 on all sides by myriads of trees which, in the early sum- 
 mer, give an "emerald" setting to the "pearl." 
 
 There is no older city of renown which has main- 
 tained a continuous existence and business life dating 
 
Veiled Women in Street of Damascus. 
 
 Crowded Street in Smyrna, Asia. 
 
from its foundation ill the earliest ages of human history. 
 If Rome is the "Eternal City" then Damascus is the 
 "Immortal City" ; for long before Rome was founded 
 Damascus was as populous and beautiful as she is today. 
 Four thousand years ago, when Abraham, who is said 
 to have received a special revelation near the city, em- 
 ployed his servant Eliezer of Damascus, he probably 
 saw the same types of costume and faces, and observed 
 the same fashions and habits of daily life as are wit- 
 nessed by modern tourists. Pharpar is an inferior river 
 scarcely worthy the name and is much of the time ab- 
 sorbed by the sands of the plain. Abana is the main 
 glory and life-giver of Damascus. It rises in a deep pool 
 fed by the mountains and rushes full-fledged, twenty to 
 thirty feet wide, in a long series of water-falls. By it, 
 not only are the gardens irrigated, the plains and orchards 
 made perpetually fruitful ; but nearly every street, bazaar, 
 courtyard, hotel and dwelling is supplied with cold fresh 
 running water. Having thus blessed the people, beauti- 
 fied the city, sustained commerce, ripened fruits and en- 
 riched gardens, the river broadens into shallow, marshy 
 lakes and disappears in the sands some fourteen miles 
 beyond the city. 
 
 Sunday, May the 3rd, the Syrian sun shines clear 
 and hot. The gray walls and pavements dazzle our eyes 
 while we make a Sabbath day's journey through the 
 crooked streets with our competent guide, that we may 
 join in worship with the people of the Scotch mission and 
 school. There are but few Christians among this great 
 Moslem and Jewish population. It is a hard mission field, 
 though the Bible story is closely interwoven at many 
 points with scenes which we are soon to visit. Much of 
 
 113 
 
natural beauty and many ancient landmarks are seen 
 as we wander about the streets. Silver poplar trees tower 
 above the walls and native houses. In mid-summer, 
 fruit trees abound with apricots, walnuts, almonds, plums, 
 figs and pomegranates. Vineyards are cultivated in the 
 mountains near-by and the famous Damask roses and 
 myrtle trees grow in great luxuriance. We are eight 
 hours ahead of American time and feel a little lonely in 
 our Sabbath separation from friendly Church associates 
 across the seas. It is, therefore, a great joy to meet by 
 chance with Dr. Carl G. Doney, President of West Vir- 
 ginia Wesleyan College, and his family in the hotel, where 
 in the afternoon we hear a Gospel discourse from a min- 
 ister of our party on the conversion of Saul as he neared 
 Damascus. An unusual interest attaches to the story in 
 the Acts of the Apostles, as we read of the light above 
 the shining of the noonday sun. With grateful hearts 
 and stirring emotions we spend an evening hour upon the 
 roof of our hotel hearing the Muezzin calls to prayer 
 and watching the zealous Moslem men performing their 
 ablutions and acts of evening devotion in their mosques 
 nearby. 
 
 Early the following morning, our carriages are 
 in waiting and we drive to the house of Ananias near the 
 street "Straight," which is still a straight street running 
 through the heart of the city. This house is an under- 
 ground chapel where tradition locates the home of this 
 sainted man who laid his hands upon "brother Saul." 
 Pictures of recent date on the walls portray Saul as 
 kneeling with closed eyes before Ananias. Though the 
 Moslem destroyer has raided and controlled this city for 
 centuries, we are not left in doubt that we are near the 
 
 114 
 
locality described in the record of Paul receiving his 
 sight. The same conviction of certainty possesses us as 
 a little further on we come to the house where Paul was 
 let down in a basket to escape the persecution of the Jews 
 who sought to slay him. It is near the park of poplar 
 and myrtle trees; a stream from the Abana river flows 
 by ; we perpetuate our interest with a kodak view of the 
 window and wall where Paul escaped ; also of a plane tree 
 called the "Tree of Mohammed" not far distant, which 
 is so venerable as almost to justify the tradition that it 
 is 1 200 years old and began to grow at Mohammed's birth. 
 We must see the modern as well as the ancient Damascus, 
 therefore we will visit the brass and wood work factory 
 employing six hundred people. Here is a most pitiable ex- 
 hibition of child labor, not to say slavery, where children 
 from five years and upwards are made to sit and toil 
 with chisel and hammer amid a racking noise like a boiler 
 shop for many hours of the day, receiving for their labor 
 less than half a franc or ten cents, with no prospect of 
 schooling, no companionship but their crude uncultured 
 shop-mates, and no shelter but the poorly ventilated 
 rooms of the Oriental homes which, among the poorer 
 people, are unworthy of even the name of house. Here 
 in another part of the city is the "Naaman Lepers' Home." 
 How grievous to behold these miserable creatures ! We 
 shrink from them and turn aside with gratitude that there 
 is some show of philanthropy on behalf of these wretched 
 folk, who are the creatures of Oriental filth, ignorance 
 and sin. 
 
 The streets, shops and chapels, while associated with 
 repulsive sights of overloaded donkeys, veiled women, 
 burdened children and lazy men, are marked by evidences 
 
 115 
 
of industry and prosperity. The work-shops turn out 
 hand-made goods. Working implements are thousands 
 of years behind the times, but the stores reveal great 
 Oriental enterprise mixed with European life. It is a 
 low order of commercial life and we shrink from the 
 thought of living and doing business in some of these 
 miserably dark, damp and unhealthy dens in the wall. 
 It is a good place to purchase souvenirs and several of our 
 party provide themselves with curtains, inlaid chairs and 
 deft handiwork of wood, lace and linen. The people have 
 a kindly spirit and respond to the strangers with a bland 
 "good morning" as we pass. We here have our first ex- 
 perience with Oriental ice-cream, which has the form 
 without the flavor and, like many of their mixtures, is very 
 uncertain in composition as well as in its method of manu- 
 facture. 
 
 We must not leave the city without a visit to the 
 Mosque of Omeiyades. In the days of Naaman of 
 Syria, it was the famous House of Rimmon (II Kings 
 5:18). This temple was so magnificent in architecture 
 and decorations, that Ahaz, king of Judah, who was 
 familiar with all the glories of Solomon's Temple, was 
 struck with wonder at the altar in this temple and had 
 one made like it in the Temple of Jehovah in Jerusalem 
 (II Kings 16:10). Early in the Christian era, this build- 
 ing was completely destroyed and on its site a splendid 
 Roman temple was dedicated to Jupiter ; but some remains 
 of the earliest temple are seen. On the lintel of one of the 
 gateways, we find the words, "Thy Kingdom, O Christ, 
 is an everlasting Kingdom, and Thy dominion throughout 
 all generations." This inscription may be seen by ascend- 
 ing to the roof of the bazaars outside the mosque. Early 
 
 116 
 
in the 5th century A. D., a Christian cathedral was erected 
 over the ruins of this temple, which was famous for two 
 centuries, at which date Moslems again seized the 
 building and converted it into a mosque. This mosque 
 with its costly tiles and priceless mosaic was completely 
 wrecked by fire A. D. 1069 and again in 1400 A. D. A 
 costly shrine of John the Baptist is here exhibited, beneath 
 which his head is said to have been interred. A few 
 indifferent worshipers are to be seen about this mosque, 
 with its prayer rugs, Mecca niches and gorgeous windows. 
 Careless of our irreverent gaze, they continue their silent 
 prayers while we visit the tomb of Saladin. At the west- 
 ern end of the court is a remarkable structure standing 
 on columns. It is called the Dome of the Treasury. 
 Inside it were found a few years ago, some extremely 
 ancient manuscripts. Another domed structure called 
 the "Dome of the hours" is found in the eastern end of 
 the court. Among the minarets of this mosque, is one 
 called the minaret of Jesus (Isa), because the Moslems 
 teach that Jesus will come here first to judge the world, 
 in this, its most ancient city. 
 
 Strolling leisurely through the bazaars and along 
 the streets, we study the stalls of the cotton merchants, 
 shawl-makers, silversmiths, vegetable venders and dealers 
 in a hundred other lines of merchandise. Have you ever 
 heard such bustling activity and incessant din of shrill 
 voices from the street hawkers ? Have you ever seen 
 such gay colored costumes with endless variety of shades ? 
 What a general light-heartedness and ceaseless mob per- 
 vades the street life of Damascus ! It is a continuous 
 kaleidoscope, a ceaseless panorama by day and by night. 
 A restless activity marks Damascus as the climax city 
 
 117 
 
of enterprise in all the Orient. Once every year this 
 city is crowded with thousands of Moslem pilgrims for 
 the great Haj, or sacred procession to Mecca, which leaves 
 the city over the long street Meidan, through the "gate of 
 God" as it is called. Many of these pilgrims to Mecca 
 now go part way on the railroad which is completed as 
 far as Medina. 
 
 The famous street called "Straight" was once a 
 broad thoroughfare. It is now a comparatively narrow 
 foot-way and you see by the closed archways where the 
 street once ran. A visit to the public library shows us 
 a dismal affair, inferior to a cheap second-hand book 
 store in an American city. The school for boys is an 
 indifferent institution supported only by private tuition. 
 The pupils are comparatively few though bright and 
 cheerful. Their primitive desks look old-fashioned indeed. 
 Their prospect of an education is sadly limited. Upon 
 inquiry we learn that there are only ten schools here, five 
 Mohammedan and five Christian. They are all of private 
 character or under benevolent patronage. The stamp of 
 ignorance and oppression so notable in the Turkish Em- 
 pire is plainly seen upon the present inhabitants. The 
 soil and climate of this valley are equal to the best in the 
 world ; but the want of Christian life and western civili- 
 zation stands in the way of all progress. 
 
 We left Damascus, regretting only that our visit was 
 so brief. 
 
 ii8 
 
Landscape and Road nearing Sychar Well. 
 
 Lebanon Mountains Viewed from near Grand Hotel, Baalbek. 
 
XIII. 
 
 BAALBEK AND BEIRUT 
 
 RAILROAD trip via Ryak to Baalbek takes us by 
 the irrigated gardens, picturesque parks and locust 
 groves above the crystal Abana and enhances our 
 appreciation of Syria. 
 
 Baalbek, a town of about five thousand inhabitants, 
 proved to be a surprise and a most delightful place to 
 visit. It is the site of the most magnificent temple ruins 
 in existence. The Turkish government controls the 
 premises, including about eleven acres enclosed by walls. 
 Four thousand tourists annually visit this small town and 
 gladly pay a dollar apiece for admission to this wreckage. 
 The foundations and pillars here surpass in some respects 
 the Acropolis in Athens. They show the Pagan zeal for 
 the sun-god, Baal ; also the Roman devotion to Jupiter and 
 Bacchus. 
 
 The word Baalbek is of Phoenician origin, a probable 
 contradiction of Baal-Beka. There are many Bible ex- 
 amples of places beginning with the prefix Baal : for ex- 
 ample, Baal-gad (Joshua ii :i7), Baal-hazor (II Sam. 
 13:23), Baal-zephon (Ex. 14:2). All such cases show 
 that a shrine or temple dedicated to Baal was built at 
 the place named, for the use of Baal worshipers in this 
 vicinity. Baalbek, therefore, was probably the central 
 temple site for the town and villages along the valley in 
 
 119 
 
which it is located. The original temple was doubtless 
 dedicated to Baal and his associate deities in remote ages 
 of the past. According to Arabic traditions, Adam and 
 the patriarchs lived near here, and Cain, the son of Adam, 
 built it in the year 133 of the creation and peopled it with 
 giants. The ruins which we now visit belong chiefly to 
 the Roman and Arabic epochs. The largest of the 
 temples erected on these ruins was one to the honor of the 
 Roman sun-god. A second temple associated with it was 
 the Temple of Bacchus. A Christian basilica was erected 
 exactly upon the altar of burnt sacrifices when the Jupiter 
 temple was destroyed. During the Crusades and the Mo- 
 hammedan wars, Baalbek was a fortified fort of great 
 renown, but was ruined again and again and was de- 
 stroyed by Timur the Tartar in the 14th century. Not 
 only have these sublime monuments suffered by the at- 
 tacks from powerful armies ; periodical earthquakes have 
 wrought terrible violence among these structures of stone. 
 Some of us made two or more extensive visits to these 
 ruins, for the impression is so overwhelming that one 
 feels drawn with reverence and awe to the presence of 
 the massive stones and pillars which present themselves 
 like giants of another age. 
 
 Before entering the gate, a visit to the cyclopean 
 wall will richly repay the tourist. Three gigantic blocks 
 of stone remain in their place in the unbroken wall at the 
 north west, corner of the ruins. These colossal stones rest 
 upon four granite courses of rock which would be con- 
 spicuous in themselves far their size, were it not for the 
 fourth composed of six stones each about thirty feet long 
 and thirteen feet high. This course is continued round 
 the north side of the wall. On the top of the six stones. 
 
At Baalbek Pillars. 
 
 Six Titan Pillars of Baalbek Ruins. 
 
Ruins of Temple at Baalbek, Syria. 
 
 Sample Column of Baalbek Ruins. 
 
rest the three greatest building stones in the world. These 
 are sixty four feet long, thirteen feet in height and ten 
 feet wide. Startling as these stones are in size, they have 
 been carved into shape and placed with such accuracy 
 that, while no mortar or cement has been used to unite 
 them above or beneath, they have been placed side by 
 side so squared and leveled, that you can hardly detect 
 wh ;re one stone ends and the next begins. Not even a 
 knife blade or a piece of paper can be passed between any 
 two of them. Each stone has been computed to weigh 
 about one thousand tons. One modern explorer of good 
 authority has calculated that it required 40,000 men to 
 move these enormous stones from the quarry a mile away 
 and lift them thirty-five feet above the ground. The mate 
 for one of these great stones is found in the quarry at the 
 opposite side of the present village, partly quarried and 
 apparently nearly ready to be placed in the unfinished 
 wall adjoining the three gigantic stones above mentioned. 
 Ascending the great flight of steps on the east we 
 reach the Propylaea, and enter the court through twelve 
 great columns flanked on either side by noble wings. We 
 next come to the fore-court which is hexagonal. The 
 great court westward from the unroofed hexagonal fore- 
 court, has the dimensions of an average city block, four 
 hundred feet long, three hundred eighty-five feet wide. 
 There are many unfinished carvings and decorations. 
 Everything about this court is colossal. On an elevated 
 platform in the center of the star, stands the remains of a 
 Christian Church. Beneath it, under the floor, is built a 
 stone altar designed for the sacrifices of burnt offerings 
 to Baal. It is similar to rock-cut altars in other localities. 
 To the north and south of the great altar, are basins 
 
with stone decorations representing sea-lions, horses, 
 flowers, etc. Beyond and westward still from the altar is 
 a great flight of steps leading to the Temple of the Sun. 
 Six stupendous columns on the south side of this temple 
 remain standing. These are nearly ninety feet high ; the 
 shafts themselves measuring sixty-five feet. The Temple 
 of the Sun seems never to have been finished and there 
 were fifty- four pedestals for mammoth columns like the 
 six that stand. 
 
 South and opposite the great court and the Temple 
 of the Sun, is the Temple of Bacchus, perhaps the finest 
 ancient building in Syria and Palestine in anything like 
 a good state of preservation. It has been greatly devas- 
 tated by the destroyer and probably shattered by con- 
 vulsions of nature ; but at the entrance doorway to the 
 temple are most skillful carvings of vines and ivy, the 
 symbols of Bacchus. It is the most magnificent door 
 to be found in any ancient ruin. The roof of the temple 
 has entirely disappeared.. Scenes from the life of Bac- 
 chus are exposed in reliefs which are sadly defaced. The 
 figure of the god leaning against a tree is discernable. A 
 lofty statue, possibly of Bacchus, once stood against the 
 west wall. Here is a secret chamber similar to those 
 found in old Christian churches. A Saracenic guard- 
 house dating back to the thirteenth century stands facing 
 the Temple of Bacchus. The exit from the temple is by 
 means of a vaulted tunnel, part of a system of vaults 
 or caves under the temple. 
 
 A fine view of the surrounding country is obtained 
 from the remaining heights of the temple and guard- 
 house. A short distance southeast of the village is a half - 
 ruined circular building of the same elaborate order, 
 
 122 
 
adorned as thes€ temples just referred to. It is known as 
 the Shrine of Venus. Some of the crosses cut in the 
 stone walls in the interior indicate that it was once used 
 as a Christian church. I confess to emotions of gladness 
 and gratitude while walking through the ruins of Baalbek. 
 Signs of earthquake and vandalism point to defeated am- 
 bitions of Pagan religionists. Did Jehovah not rebuke 
 the wicked world and princes in the day of the building 
 of the Tower of Babel? May not these mammoth ruins 
 serve as His comment upon the tyranny of slavery and 
 idolatry in these early days ? May not Providence be 
 speaking a rebuke to Roman degeneracy as these great 
 prostrate pillars lie shattered and broken upon the 
 ground ? May not these unplaced stones and ruined carv- 
 ings near the Temple of Bacchus be regarded as a divine 
 denunciation of excessive wine drinking, busy pleasure 
 seeking and false ambition? The quarries nearby are 
 silent : the altar of sacrifice is mute : the carvings are 
 faded by the storms of centuries, defaced by the hatred 
 of rival armies ; the laughing gaiety of luxury is turned 
 into the dirge of death. War and foes have set aside 
 the pride of man. The moon and stars that God made, 
 shine tonight with undimmed glory. The rippling brook 
 of clear water sings its song as when these temples were 
 reared. The snow-capped Lebanon looks down on these 
 broken columns and seem to say, "Only God is great." 
 What the Creator orders and what God does, alone sur- 
 vive the pinch of centuries. 
 
 The sunshine and scenery of a day's ride from Baal- 
 bek to Beirut atone in part for our discomfort because 
 of a promiscuous crowd of natives. Some of us manage 
 to exclude the Turkish cigarette both for our own and 
 
 123 
 
our ladies' sakes. The mountain crossing of the Lebanon 
 was most magnificent. The distant valleys, the mulberry 
 and silk industries, the flocks and olive groves, the bab- 
 bling brooks and rushing water springing from mountain 
 side, the snowy Lebanon glistening under the sun, the 
 cooling breeze of the mountain heights and the distant per- 
 spective of landscape and valley all go to make up a most 
 memorable day of travel. The shores of the Mediter- 
 ranean are noted for their romantic beauty at many points. 
 Few places, however, are more delightful than Beirut with 
 its handsome sweep of Saint George's Bay. The pictur- 
 esque residences of the city, their walls painted in glowing 
 colors with red tiled roofs, have a fine background in the 
 terraced mountain sides. There are innumerable mul- 
 berry and pine groves. The white clumps of buildings 
 mark the sites of various villages dotted about the slopes 
 and heights of the mountain ranges in the distance. The 
 snow covered ridges of the lofty Sunnin crown the 
 scene. It is a caes in which nature outdoes art. 
 
 Beirut has a good harbor, deep water, solid masonry 
 breakwater and jetties. All vessels may find safe an- 
 chorage here. It is a city of 130,000 and has the most 
 thriving export and import trade of any city of Syria. 
 It is really the seaport of Damascus and is the head of 
 the government of western Palestine. Grain, silk and 
 wool are the principal exports. There are, large Turkish 
 barracks for the government soldiers here. A British 
 company controls the excellent water supply. The French 
 own the city gas. Arabic and French are generally 
 spoken, though the American College and the British Syr- 
 ian schools, and constant inflow or tourists from Britian 
 and America contribute to the spread of the English lan- 
 
 124 
 
guage. Few, if any, ports unite mountain resorts with 
 coast privilege so near at hand. The Beirut inhabitants in 
 an hour's time may migrate to the mountain villages five 
 thousand feet above the level of the sea. The contrast 
 in climate is also very marked. 
 
 There are not many ancient landmarks about Beirut 
 and suburbs. One of the most notable is the Crusading 
 Castle on the margin of the sea near the harbor. Frag- 
 ments of an ancient monastery, prostrate columns, are to 
 be found here and there. One of the most striking and 
 fashionable parks in Beirut is the pine grove planted 
 by a famous Druse prince for the purpose of protecting 
 the plain of Beirut from drifting masses of red sand which 
 are borne in upon the gardens and plantations. These 
 pines are intersected by broad handsome roads and boule- 
 vards. It is the people's popular resort. On Fridays and 
 Sundays a well trained band m.ay be heard here and the 
 gay populace fill the grove in gala attire. At the extreme 
 west of Saint George's Bay is Beirut Head. Just off the 
 beautiful cliffs which terminate the shore drive from the 
 city, are seen the pigeons' grottoes. The water dashes 
 into the inlets, and about the cliffs are multitudes of birds. 
 The air is most transparent and the distances are ludi- 
 crously deceiving. Attempt to throw a stone from the 
 cliff and your guess at the greatness of the distance will 
 thoroughly humiliate you. 
 
 A fine carriage road drive seven and a half miles 
 along the shore of the bay to Dog river,furnishes a happy 
 opportunity for observing the employments of the people 
 as well as the features of the country. Of course we 
 must stop to see the silk worm industry. The gray rock 
 walls and red tile roofs offer a striking contrast. By the 
 
 125 
 
side of the mulberry orchards, are stone houses and sheds 
 containing the shelves where the silk worms are daily fed 
 with the leaves of the mulberry trees. Silk is the leading 
 article of export from this region. All the year round 
 the springs from the mountains supply the homes 
 and irrigate the gardens and orchards. The city water- 
 works are said, by their superintendent, to be the finest in 
 the world, except those of Portland, Oregon. 
 
 On our way we will stop for a visit to the Maronite 
 Church, said to be the oldest organized Christian church 
 in the world. It is near where the disciples were first 
 called Christians. It is a simple structure after the Latin 
 Catholic type, but the architecture is modern. The Maro- 
 nites in this district are numerous and their priests have 
 the liberty not granted other Roman Catholic priests : 
 namely, the right of matrimony. 
 
 We soon reach Dog River. The "Dog" or "Wolf" 
 after which the river is named, is a stone, fallen from a 
 cliff and largely covered in the sea. The cliffs of the 
 rocky hillside are famous for their eight or more 
 inscriptions of Assyrian and Egyptian origin. The 
 carvings are found on the rocky ledges above the bay and 
 near the river and date back, the Assyrian to 700 B. C, 
 and the Egyptian to 1300 B. C. It is a marvel that the 
 centuries have not worn them beyond recognition and 
 that, unguarded, they have not been seriously defaced. 
 The Roman bridge with its arches and near-by mountain- 
 side niches form a monument of Pagan pride and the 
 view of it makes a famous rustic scene. Everything that 
 man has wrought shows signs of decay ; but here, as 
 elsewhere, the mountain stream is fresh with new beauty 
 and the flowers by the highway bloom in the glorious 
 
 126 
 
sunlight as if to mock the ravages of time. Even the 
 rocks are worn into fantastic shapes along the seaside 
 and cliffs. The old fashioned saw-mill continues to serve 
 its owner. Peasant women sitting upon the ground ply 
 their art of cleansing in their own Oriental way. The 
 shops by the roadside lazily appealing for patrons, the 
 sheep driven along the highway, ready for shearing or 
 slaughter, present an Oriental picture not likely soon to 
 be effaced. 
 
 A part of the day must be used to visit the German 
 cemetery near the center of the city. To our party, the 
 chief attraction here is the grave of Bishop Calvin Kings- 
 ley, who died April 6, 1870, on the first Episcopal tour of 
 the world. It is a sacred spot for all Protestant tourists. 
 In this city that so blends western civilization and east- 
 ern custom, we walk about the humble monument upon 
 the pavement of decorated pebbles and mark the graves 
 of other heroes who lie beside him. But the inscription 
 from his tomb rivets our attention and starts the pro- 
 foundest veneration for our missionaries who have sacri- 
 ficed all to make the wildern^^s blossom as the rose. 
 These are the words we copy from his granite shaft : 
 "May his tomb unite more closely, Asia and America. 
 Erected as a tribute of appreciation and esteem by order 
 of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Church." 
 
 The Protestant Girls' School not far away, with its 
 modern facilities, thorough instruction and charming 
 faces, is most interesting. Not less so is the room where, 
 during sixteen years, a father and later his son, translated 
 into Arabic the text of the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 Our day would be incomplete if we did not visit the 
 127 
 
Syrian Protestant College on the hill where we find the 
 largest and best sample of Christian education in the 
 East. Dr. Howard Bliss is president of the college. At 
 four o'clock we join the great body of a thousand students 
 who are entering their chapel for- daily worship. Mature 
 young men in varied garbs and representing three con- 
 tinents are marching in with serious step, to hear the 
 reading of the Scriptures and to join in the songs and 
 prayers which mark this hour of every day. They repre- 
 sent a great variety of religious faith. The Mohammedan, 
 Jewish, Druse, Maronite, Greek and Roman Catholic, 
 Armenian, Syrian, and Protestant British and European 
 boys fill the great chapel. They listen attentively to the 
 Word of God as read b}^ their President and then join 
 with enthusiasm in the hymn : 
 
 "Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer. 
 That calls me from a world of care, 
 xA-nd bids me at my Father's throne. 
 Make all my wants and wishes known." 
 
 The school is supported largely by American be- 
 nevolence. It is a cross between a kindergarten and a 
 university. While all faiths are respected, the pure Gos- 
 pel of Jesus Christ and the chaste morality of the Christ- 
 ian Bible are constantly magnified and mingled with the 
 best scientific instruction. The results are wonderful. 
 Nothing we have seen so thrilled us. Smoking, drinking 
 and gambling are forbidden among the students. This 
 institution, which is patronized by governors, princes and 
 every type of citizenship in the East, will certainly stand 
 for many years as the hope of the Turkish Empire and 
 
 128 
 
of Syria. The Arabs and Moslems are being deeply im- 
 pressed with the triumjihs of missionary zeal through our 
 Christian schools. A better day is dawning because a 
 higher life has come to the people through the missionary 
 teacher. Whatever may be the outcome of the present 
 world-wide war, the Christian college will be recognized 
 as the means of promoting progress and fulfilling 
 prophecy. 
 
 On concluding our pilgrimage in Syria, I wrote in my 
 journal these words : "This day at Beirut has surely 
 be-en one of the best of all our trip, and fullest of inspira- 
 tion and rest." 
 
 12() 
 
XIV. 
 CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE TURK 
 
 "Equador" of the French Hue is our steamship for 
 Constantinople. The Governor-General of Beirut, ac- 
 companied by Turkish soldiers and martial music, is tak- 
 ing the same vessel for the same port. Forty or fifty 
 boatmen crown about us to get baggage and passengers. 
 At last we have pushed through them all and are landed 
 upon our comfortable ship for a four-day journey. 
 
 Viewing the city of Beirut as we leave the bay, I am 
 deeply impressed with the fact that a city port under 
 commercial and Christian influence from the west, ceases 
 to be the Arabic and Oriental city which its location leads 
 us to expect. It is outwardly modernized as are the 
 customs of the people. Through our glass we study Pat- 
 mos in the distance, with its convent on the mountain 
 peak. We recall the vision of John while we re-read the 
 letters to seven churches and try to think after him the 
 thoughts which thrilled him as he passed over these very 
 waters under the wrath of Nero, but basking in the smile 
 of the Divine Master. 
 
 At twelve o'clock, most of our party are ready to 
 take a boat for the town of Vathy, now a Greek city, 
 the largest on the Isle of Samos, containing 25,000 in- 
 habitants. Several hundred Greek soldiers are about the 
 streets. These men give six months to the service of 
 
 130 
 
Greece for five leptas (one penny) a day with clothes and 
 board. The town, since rescued from the Turks two 
 years ago, has driven the Moslems out. The new Greek 
 has come in and he is taking pride in building up a city 
 clean and progressive. The harbor is a beautiful natural 
 bay, very transparent to a great depth. Along the walled 
 wharf we find many star sea-urchins, queer little animals 
 of the lowest order. They are like small star-fish, about 
 two and a half inches across with porcupine quills which 
 move about and serve as fins. When skin and spines are 
 retnoved, they are said to be edible. 
 
 Smyrna is a great commercial center and also a Bible 
 city. We drive through the streets past the Turkish 
 palace, ascend a hill by a zigzag road, walking part of the 
 way, until we reach at last the tomb of Polycarp, Bishop 
 of Smyrna. The tomb is painted green and is one of the 
 most famous shrines for the resort of Christian pilgrims, 
 although it is under the control of the Mohammedans. 
 From this tomb of Father Polycarp, we ascend to Mount 
 Pagus where we have a rare view of the fortifications of 
 the Romans and a bird's-eye view outlook on the whole 
 city and bay. From this lofty view point, we turn our 
 eyes toward Ephesus, another of the cities marking the 
 location of one of the seven churches of Asia. We recall 
 Revelation 2 :8-ii, "Ye shall have tribulation ten days : be 
 thou faithful until death, and I will give thee a crown of 
 life." Smyrna is the only city of the seven church cities 
 of Asia Minor that still lives. In every other case the 
 candlestick has been removed out of its place. Prophecy 
 has been fulfilled and Ephesus with its ruins, and the other 
 cities wholly ignored and obliterated, serve as further 
 fulfillment of the prophecy of the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 131 
 
Remounting our carriages, we descend the hill past 
 the Roman aqueduct which crosses the valley. Women 
 are pounding their family washing in the flowing stream. 
 Various shops, shaded nooks and Roman ruins^ are passed 
 before we reach the Caravan Bridge. This is a metro- 
 politan city. Our procession takes us through the Jewish, 
 the Turkish, the Armenian and the French quarters where 
 bazaars are open and trading caravans confront us and 
 all sorts of prosperous shopping and commercial enter- 
 prise show how 200,000 people do business today. After 
 ten hours' visit in Smyrna, we are on shipboard for the 
 Dardanelles. 
 
 To see the vessel piloted through the "Narrows" we 
 must rise early. A sunrise over the Asiatic hills in these 
 straits with Europe to the left and west and Asia on the 
 east, furnishes a memorable picture. Nature and man, 
 science and invention, commerce and religion form a 
 constant kaleidoscope by which we are entertained to the 
 point of reverence, wonder, gratitude and hope. The 
 afternoon brings us in sight of Constantinople. From 
 the deck we study in advance the mosques against the 
 horizon, We turn our glasses on the Golden Horn. Al- 
 most as interesting as the minarets of the mosques, is the 
 sight of Dog Island which we pass on entering the city. 
 Here we are told, 170,000 dogs were banished, first to be 
 fed and later to die and to be cast into the sea. There is 
 now scarcely a dog to be seen in the street's of Constan- 
 tinople where, a few years ago, they were almost as thick 
 as the fleas in Cairo. 
 
 Riding into the harbor, we turn our glass upon 
 Scutari, the Asiatic side of Constantinople. Galata and 
 Pera appear on the right of the Golden Horn, which is 
 
 132 
 
an arm into the sea into which our vessel slowly glides. 
 Onr ship is welcomed by an army of red caps, the "fez 
 brigade" of porters, boatmen, committees and venders, 
 who crowd about our ship. We are first huddled in the 
 custom house to await the presentation of our passports, 
 which formality is soon over. Thus far our soldiers, 
 clerks and foreign officers have caused us little if any 
 delay at these customs stations. 
 
 Constantinople is now the civic head and ecclesiasti- 
 cal heart of the Turkish Empire. It is the "City of Con- 
 stantine," named after him because, on the conquest of 
 his enemies in Italy, he chose to make this "city on her 
 seven hills" the new Rome and capital of the Roman Em- 
 pire. Three hundred years after the death of Christ, 
 this now wonderful city of one and a quarter million 
 inhabitants became the metropolis of the Christian 
 Church. The Greek Catholic Church first had equal 
 sway with the Latin Church. Saint Sophia, now the most 
 gorgeous mosque of the world, was once a Christian 
 church and was built to represent "divine wisdom." It 
 is the glory of old Stamboul, as Saint Peter's is the coro- 
 net of Papal Rome. Justinian enlarged it thirteen hun- 
 dred years ago and was so elated by its finished splendor 
 that he exclaimed, "O Solomon, I have surpassed thee !" 
 It was completed about 500 A. D. at the cost of $60,000,- 
 000. On the west door, is the inscription, "I am the 
 door," in memory of Christ's words. The erection of this 
 building marks the division of the Greek and Latin bod- 
 ies. A part of the ground on which this gorgeous mosque 
 now stands was bought from a woman named Ann, only 
 on condition that she might be buried beneath the struc- 
 ture. Her request was granted. 
 
 133 
 
In 1357 A. D., Mahomet II captured all Constanti- 
 nople and changed this Christian monument to a mosque, 
 since which it has been used as a place of Mohammedan 
 display. The cross and other emblems of Christianity- 
 have largely been effaced, though some of them still re- 
 main to be seen upon the walls. Constantinople is the 
 only city in the world that occupies parts of two conti- 
 nents. The Strait of Bosporus, a great and natural water- 
 way, divides Asia and Europe and connects the Black 
 and Marmora Seas. This wonderful city is built on both 
 sides of the Bosporus ; the European city being divided 
 by the Golden Horn into Stamboul on the south and 
 Galata and Pera on the north. Stamboul is the purely 
 Turkish city with its Moslem mosques and Turkish 
 homes and shops. The other is the European section of 
 business and residences more modern. The Golden Horn 
 is bridged in a modern way and a most modern street- 
 car system connects these two portions of Constantinople. 
 Scutari, the Asiatic portion across the Bosporous, com- 
 bines the character of both the other divisions of the city. 
 This is wheie the recently exiled Sultan lives in a palace 
 by the water's edge, though no strangers ever see him 
 since the young Turkish party dethroned him in the revo- 
 lution a few years ago. After the Sultan's residence was 
 destroyed by fire nearly half a century since, the Turkish 
 sovereigns have removed their palaces to the shores of 
 the Bosporus on the Galata side. Modern improvements 
 have broken down the old city wall at Seraglio Point 
 where the Sultan's palace used to stand, and the old fort 
 has become an attractive park, livaling in beauty those 
 of European cities. The new government has become 
 quite modern and has rid the city, not only of the street 
 
 134 
 
Soldiers near Sultan's Palace. 
 The Sultan going to Weekly Prayers at Mosque. 
 
 Scene on Bosporus, Constantinople. 
 
dogs, but of many other offensive features of Oriental 
 city life. 
 
 On the Stamboul side, the mosques are numerous 
 and their minarets pierce the sky and adorn the city from 
 every point of view. Running through Stamboul is seen 
 the remains of great aqueduct of Valens, twenty feet 
 broad and in some places fifty feet high, with varied and 
 winged old arches and towers. On every hand through- 
 out the Turkish quarter are the old latticed or barred 
 windows. These have been built manifestly to protect 
 their women from being seen. The veils worn by the 
 Moslem women on the street serve the same purpose. 
 Woman is discounted in all the empire of Moslem and 
 women are not much in evidence on the streets or in the 
 shops. Paint on the houses is regarded as a sign of pros- 
 perity and is heavily taxed by the government ; so many 
 of these city houses are without paint and show a most 
 dilapidated condition outside. The reason is to be found 
 in the fact that is is cheaper, in the present administration, 
 to permit the houses to go unpainted and weather-beaten. 
 In many parts of the city, there is revealed much modern 
 enterprise. Donkeys for burden bearing, are being dis- 
 placed by the ox-carts, of which there are many in the 
 streets. Under present conditions, the horse and automo- 
 bile are getting ahead and the street-car system is a most 
 up-to-date affair. Even the pigeon that used to abound 
 has been frowned on by the modern Turk. Better still, 
 ancient walls are being torn down and neglected grounds 
 transformed into beautiful parks. 
 
 But in all this marked improvement of recent years, 
 there are no schools worth the name. There are no play- 
 grounds for the children or the public. The Turk does 
 
 135 
 
not care for amusement and games. Active sports are not 
 a part of his program. His greatest pleasure is "keyeff" 
 which has been translated "sweet idleness." The men sit 
 round the tables, smoke their long pipes, drink water and 
 wine, play dice, etc., as they while away the hours in 
 quiet story-telling or dreaming meditation. Their univer- 
 sal belief in fate or "kismet" makes them submit to mis- 
 fortune as the inevitable will of Allah. They are not dis- 
 tressed over any loss and are not given to suicide or de- 
 spair. To the casual tourist, the Turk does not seem 
 to be a fierce and warlike fellow, as many suppose. A 
 polite and hospitable gentleman, he certainly never seems 
 to be in a hurry nor greatly given to enterprise ; although 
 in the latter respect, there is a marked advance over the 
 old regime since Mahmud V., the present Sultan and 
 brother of the former one, took control of the palace. 
 While the present Turkish government really retains 
 Adrianople and other cities lost by battle, it is the opinion 
 of many that the results of dealing out the territory to the 
 various kingdoms, following the recent Balkan war, is 
 proof of the stronger political force of Germany and 
 other European powers, rather than a show of justice to 
 either Greece or Bulgaria. 
 
 It was our fortune to reach Constantinople at the 
 opening of Parliament and to be in the city on Friday to 
 see the sultan making his weekly parade to the mosque 
 for prayers. It is a great sight when, with martial music, 
 if such their band noise may be called, the gaudily arrayed 
 soldiers in varied uniforms of white, blue and gray, the 
 cavalry with flags, the guards on foot and horseback, ac- 
 company the aged ruler of the Moslem Empire in his 
 
 136 
 
carriage drawn by black Arabian steeds from the palace 
 gate to the mosque. 
 
 These Turkish soldiers receive about penny a -day 
 and their living, while their sultan ruler receives his 
 millions ,to maintain a royal palace, the dignity of his 
 sultanship and to protect his life, which he seems to be in 
 constant dread of losing. Of course the visitor is shown 
 the tomb of Mahometll., who took the city at the battle of 
 Plevna in 1453 A. D. Here also we find the model of 
 Mecca's greatest mosque with seven minarets and the 
 central "Stone of Mohammed," probably a black aerolite 
 found somewhere. The great mosque of Achmet, gor- 
 geous with six minarets instead of two or four, is the 
 place where the sultan and members of court appear on 
 state occasions. The sultan's gallery is ceiled with rose- 
 wood. Near-by is the Stamboul cemetery noted for the 
 distinct and separate style of tombstones for men and 
 women. 
 
 Hippodrome square with its column of stone, built 
 perhaps as the pride of some early ruler, contains the 
 "Serpentine Column" with its bronze monument, peculiar 
 and famous beyond anything in the open parks of the 
 whole city. In this same square is the conspicuous obe- 
 lisk from Heliopolis, Egypt, with its Egyptian emblems 
 and granite foundation eight feet under the street level, 
 but all enclosed by an iron fence. 
 
 The Mosque of Saint Sophia before referred to, with 
 its inscriptions, its borrowed columns, its imported dec- 
 orations, its partially effaced Christian emblems, its in- 
 laid gold work, its exquisite and unequalled dome, one 
 hundred twenty feet broad and yet so flat as to be a 
 wonder of archhitecture, is a day's study in itself ; for it 
 
 137 
 
is a combination of cathedral, mosque, and art museum. 
 No wonder that opposite this church, Justinian erected 
 the statue of King Solomon, bearing a grieved expres- 
 sion occasioned by the superiority of this temple when 
 compared with his own in Jerusalem. It is a rare privi- 
 lege to stand in front of the great west door, to study the 
 fish tablets which remain as emblems and the great altar 
 which marks the separation of the western and eastern 
 Catholic Churches. The structure is the triumph of Con- 
 stantine and Justinian and also the selfish monument of 
 Mahomet II., the Moslem conqueror. The Christian 
 must be pardoned for feeling sad over the fact that the 
 Crescent should conquer and, for five hundred years, hold 
 sway over the Cross. But would it have been so if 
 Christianity had remained pure? We pass the question 
 to our reader. Or was it that the place of temple and 
 conquest might not be unduly glorified? Solomon's 
 temple at Jerusalem and Justinian's church in Constan- 
 tine's city have both been leveled, marred, abused or de- 
 graded to turn the eye of worship to the invisible Christ, 
 who is glorious above the sun, more dazzling than the 
 gold of Ophir, and more precious to the one who believes 
 than the jewels of kings. 
 
 The church of Saint Irene, called the "Peace Church" 
 is now transformed into a museum of war. Think of it ! 
 Here there are the mementoes of Turkish warfare in every 
 age. All kinds of war weapons are here exhibited, from 
 the rudest to the most modern gun, from the battle-ax 
 and coat-of-mail to the great chain hung across the Gold- 
 en Horn in 1453, when Mahomet II. lifted his ships over 
 the hill and let them down on skids inside. Sample flags 
 and souvenirs of conquering Mohammedans are dis- 
 
 138 
 
played. Every type of soldier's clothing of cavalry and 
 infantry is illustrated. All forms of Moslem priests 
 with their garbs and ceremonies are represented. A 
 museum of Turkish and Christian cruelty may here be 
 seen in the "Christian Church of Peace." Forsooth, shall 
 it be? One day, the King of Peace will smite it all and 
 obliterate this too with a touch of His hand ; for even the 
 cross within is not wholly obscured by the great flag and 
 Turkish emblems of war. Maybe it will be a Church of 
 Peace by and by and "Peace Day" may yet triumph above 
 the din of battles. 
 
 -The museum in Stamboul contains the most beauti- 
 ful sarcophagus in the world. All agree that this is the 
 "Sarcophagus of Alexander" taken from Sidon some 
 twenty-eight years ago, with many others including that 
 of the "Weeping Women." The "Alexander" is noted 
 for the delicate carving in marble, all wrought from the 
 solid block. There are carved about thi§ marvelous monu- 
 ment to the dead, scenes of war and strenuous figures of 
 horsemen and soldiers in action; perhaps an attempt to 
 reproduce Alexander's battles. Lions are boldly carved 
 on the four corners of this sarcophagus and a dainty lion 
 head is seen in the hair of the hero. This mammoth piece 
 of rare workmanship was made as early as 300 B. C. in 
 the days of Pericles. Twenty-six of these marble 
 caskets were found in the same place and at the same 
 time. 
 
 You will pause to study the empty tomb of Tabnit, 
 King of Sidon, as a sample of stone carving. The in- 
 scription on it reads, "Disturb me not: I have neither 
 money nor jewels." But in the sarcophagus were dis- 
 covered both. They were taken and his mummy skeleton 
 
 139 
 
lies under glass near-by. 
 
 In the Assyrian room we find a great tablet fifteen 
 feet high with multitudes of stone sculptures, mostly from 
 the third century A. D. There are many royal caskets 
 containing solid figures larger than those on the marble 
 casket of Alexander. Jewelry buried with them was 
 taken out of holes in the stone. 
 
 We see in this same museum, the famed "Stone of 
 Cursing" taken from the Court of Gentiles in Herod's 
 temple at Jerusalem. On it is the suggestive inscription : 
 "Who goes beyond this barrier will be responsible for his 
 death, which will surely follow," reminding us of the 
 Bible warning, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Vases 
 and cups of all sultans from 1453 to 1876 are arranged 
 in striking contrast. Gaze upon seals on cylinders in use 
 by kings from 2500 B. C. to 300 A. D. Think of it! 
 Letters baked in clay, belonging to the most ancient days 
 of recorded history, are to be studied in this collection. 
 
 But Stamboul must be resigned for a visit to Scutari 
 on the Asiatic side of the Bosporous. We will spend an 
 hour with the howling dervishes. This is one of a re- 
 spectable sect of the Moslem faith. There are also the 
 dancing devishes, whose ceremonies are similar and 
 equally shocking. No cloak of charity or admission of 
 their sincerity can avert the pity and disgust with which I 
 refer to an hour in this place of religious nonsense and 
 pagan worship. The room is twenty-five feet square. 
 There are, perhaps, a score of men engaged in the "cere- 
 mony" for it is not a "service" ; unless they serve them- 
 selves for the revenue made out of the fees which are 
 scrupulously charged for admission to this show of stupid 
 religious fervor. To us, it is "will worship" and idolatry 
 
 140 
 
of the blindest sort and worthy the rebuke which our 
 Holy Scripture gives to "vain repetitions." Their hid- 
 eous music, their waving bodies and gestures, their mon- 
 otonous groans and grunts, their ceremonial treading 
 upon children, their sacrilegious if not cruel perform- 
 ances in the name of religious worship, are a reproach 
 to holy things and a shame upon modern civilization. 
 Leaving this shocking ceremony of the Dervishes, I felt 
 like writing, "farewell, idolatrous and degenerate Asiao 
 the Lord have mercy and hasten deliverance !" 
 
 On the hill is the great Moslem cemetery with its 
 thousands upon thousands of neglected and dilapidated 
 tombstones and great grove of cypress trees. This is the 
 largest graveyard of the world and marks Scutari as a 
 Moslem center indeed. 
 
 The streets of the city are clean, in marked contrast 
 with the cities of Syria; but the ideals of the people are 
 by no means being exalted to the level of western or 
 European civilization, to say nothing about those of Bible 
 Christianity. The people are a heterogeneous group of 
 all nationalities. Business enterprise is slowly amalgating 
 the people. We picked up an advertising dodger on the 
 street, printed for business reasons in five different lan- 
 guages. If the enthusiasm of English or Yankee sales- 
 men may be joined with the uplifting hand of the Chris- 
 tian missionary or even with the revolutions of war, to 
 supplant the degrading customs and their selfish religion, 
 a better day will dawn for the Mohammedan Orient. I 
 leave this Moslem country with the burning wish that the 
 few good things about the Mohammedan faith may be 
 speedily absorbed into the excellencies of western learn- 
 ing and the Christian religion. 
 
 141 
 
A dreadful fatalism pervades all Moslem thought. 
 Moral responsibility and freedom of action are excluded ; 
 hence, their religion permits no conception of sin or place 
 for atonement. Every thing is as God willed it. The 
 religion as JMohammed is sensual and never spiritual. 
 Its worship is mere form. The character of the Moslem, 
 like that of the Allah he worships, is despotic, cruel, 
 treacherous and dishonest. Moral decay is common to 
 all JNIoslem lands. Dr. E. F. Freese, for years resident 
 missionary in Algiers and well posted on conditions, says : 
 "The moral rottenness of Islam cannot be exaggerated. 
 Teaching that a lie is no wrong in war, in trade, or to a 
 woman, the average IMoslem easily becomes an expert 
 liar." Its ideas of heaven and hell are directly the oppo- 
 site of the teachings of the New Testament. 
 
 The Turkish government is as weak as the Moslem 
 religion is imperfect. On excursion boats and in public 
 places, boxes are patriotically passed for collections to re- 
 plenish and support the Turkish navy. The popular and 
 governmental disregard of women is not merely un- 
 christian, it is barbarous. The want of public schools is 
 a shame to civilization. Its religion with nine command- 
 ments, is only a travesty on that of IMoses and Christ. 
 Its superstitions and records are as ragged crape on the 
 sepulcher of love. 
 
 142 
 
1' 
 
 
 
 ■P^^ ^f: 
 
 \. 
 
 ^umamm 
 
 1^ 1 . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 fe^'^:; \ 
 
 Mb-^ 
 
 
 
 ^Sp^ / 
 
 |Kj' ■ "" • 
 
 
 ■H 
 
 / 
 
 ijp5*'.> 
 
 -^kiJi 
 
 1^:^ 
 
 
 g^n^^^ -*-%^ 
 
 aafcamj 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 ■~"'<SIW^ ' ' 
 
 Ine 
 
 !??%'* - : J 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 ^~ 
 
 ^^_ ^ * i 
 
 ■■■'•■■ 
 
 ^ 
 
 P 
 
 
 Ancient Roman Bridge over Dog River, Beirut, Syria. 
 
 Gipsy Row in Sofia, Bulgaria. 
 
XV. 
 THROUGH THE BALKANS 
 
 A THOUSAND mile journey through the Balkans 
 is not a common trip even among tourists. The 
 interest in the Balkan kingdoms has grown in- 
 tense in the last few years. A correct map of European 
 Turkey, Roumania, Greece, Servia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, 
 Montenegro, Albania and Austria Hungary must be quite 
 recent if at all reliable. Since the final allotment of the 
 "powers" the border lines have been erased. Turkey is 
 much smaller than she used to be. She will yet be driven 
 wholly from Europe. 
 
 Our little party are well located in compartments of 
 the train running from Constantinople to Budapest, 
 Vienna and Fiume. The railroads in Europe are owned 
 by the several governments through which they pass. Close 
 inspection of the passports of travelers causes some delay. 
 Armed soldiers do duty at the railroad stations and es- 
 pecially at border points between the little kingdoms ; for 
 these nations are rivals of one another and are slow to 
 accept each other's issue of money. They have very 
 different dialects as well as distinct religious customs and 
 personal costumes. In the temporary absence of our 
 conductor at the station, armed officers approached our 
 party and, in a foreign tongue, insisted on our revealing 
 
 143 
 
why we were standing around, what we were doing in 
 their country and where we were going. 
 
 Having passed Adrianople, we soon leave the Turk 
 behind us and meet evidences of Bulgarian thrift in the 
 home and in the field. Their land is varied by beautiful 
 contrasts of plain, stream, trees and snow-crowned moun- 
 tains ; there are herds of the finest cattle and sheep. Their 
 methods of farming are much belated, but are far supe- 
 rior to those of the antiquated Turkish Empire. Mosques 
 disappear. Many facts betoken a national patriotism and 
 Christian conscience. The Lord's Day is very generally 
 observed in country and village by the cessation of all 
 work in garden, street and field. There are no fences, 
 either of stone, wood or hedge, in the agricultural regions. 
 No farm houses appear. Each flock has its herdsman, 
 who is ver}^ likely an old man. At the time of our pas- 
 sing. May 15th, the spring is backward and crops are not 
 well started. Ownership is marked by the non-plowing 
 of the narrow strips between land holders. The people 
 of Bulgaria and Servia do not reside on their land, but 
 keep to the villages, which seem quite far apart. The 
 corrals for flocks appear in sight between villages. The 
 roads are finely macadamized, though not numerous and 
 only in main directions from city to city or between 
 villages and the natural highways. By the side of the 
 streams appear old-fashioned water-wheels, many of 
 which have long been in disuse. Our train passes a Sun- 
 day parade of gaily dressed Bulgarian women with great 
 heavy hoes upon their shoulders. These implements are 
 the emblems of field and garden toil ; their bearers seem 
 to say, "We can conquer these fields ourselves, while our 
 men go to war in defense of our homes." The type of 
 
 144 
 
At Railway Station in Bulgaria, near Sofia. 
 
 Marching Soldiers near the Kalemegdan Park, Belgrade. 
 
Looking at the Danube from the Fort in Belgrade, bombarded. 
 at opening of the War between Austria and Servia. 
 
character varies as we pass from one section to another. 
 This is indicated by the garb of the people and the extent 
 and nature of the cultivation of the fields. The women 
 of these countries, especially on the bounds of Servia, are 
 field workers and outnumber the men at the hoe handle 
 and plow two to one. Farm machinery is not plentiful. 
 Oxen are far more numerous than horses except in the 
 city, where the latter are used for transportation. 
 
 We spent some days in Sofia, the capital. The czar 
 is a Roman Catholic ; the prince, Boris, is an orthodox of 
 the Greek Christian Church ; and the czarina, or queen, is 
 a Protestant. The government is therefore broad in 
 granting religious liberty to all. This city is noted for its 
 clean and perfectly paved streets. Its parks are ideal and 
 its hotels the very best we have found. Enterprise and 
 progress are seen in its modern school buildings. In no 
 other city have we seen such a gorgeous Christian temple 
 as is now being completed. This church cost a million 
 and a quarter dollars in American money and is built as 
 the pride of the nation. The entire interior, including 
 walls, ceiling, naves, transepts and windows and doors 
 are adorned with paintings of Scripture and church his- 
 tory by the very finest artists of Bulgaria and Russia. 
 Nothing is to be found more striking in style, even in 
 Venice, Florence or Rome. 
 
 Parliament is just in session and through an influen- 
 tial friend, and English land-holder, we are permitted to 
 spend some time in the capitol hearing an address by a 
 former president, Dr. DanifT of the London Peace Com- 
 mission. His subject is "Who is responsible for the re- 
 cent Balkan wars and what is the outcome?" It is a 
 great speech, though we could only interpret its meaning 
 
 145 
 
and effect by the faces of the audience. A thousand 
 people, most of them men, crown the galleries and en- 
 thusiasm is intense ; for it will not be forgotten that 
 Bulgarians are quite bitter over their treatment in the 
 diplomatic adjustment of the boundaries. They won out 
 on the battlefield against the Turks but had to cede back 
 much of the territory gained by the price of their blood. 
 Now they are compelled to admit to seats in their Parlia- 
 ment, at least a dozen red-capped Turkish representatives 
 of a people whom they despise, both religiously and 
 racially. If the little kingdoms in the Balkan region could 
 unite, they v/ould be better off and the world would feel 
 the force of their influence. But in view of the racial 
 divisions of the people, such a consumation seems very 
 remote. At present the charity of the Protestant people 
 in Bulgaria and also that of the government is burdened 
 with thousands of refugees driven from their homes by 
 war and prevented from returning to Grecian domain 
 unless they yield their national spirit and loyalty, which 
 they refuse to do. We find them herded in buildings like 
 sheep, six families, twenty-eight persons in all, living in 
 one room twenty-five by thirty feet, sleeping on mats on 
 the floor and subsisting, nobody knows how. But these 
 are incidental fruits of the Balkan war. War is a hor- 
 rible octopus, every arm of which is far reaching and 
 distributes poison and death, pain and suffering. 
 
 At Sofia our little' party, so kindly welcomed by the 
 city, is broken up by illness and death ; for it is here that 
 our conductor's wife was taken ill. The discovery of 
 malignant small-pox in a great hotel after a tourist party 
 has been feted and welcomed for several days, is likely 
 
 146 
 
to produce consternation among the employees. The 
 result is such a quarantine of members of the party as to 
 make an event of startling interest to us and to the whole 
 city. It becomes an occasion to test character and try 
 faith. But God guides and overrules in the emergencies 
 of travel as in all other issues of life. In this case we 
 found the Christian missionaries residing in Sofia more 
 than equal to the demands. No better class of people 
 are to be found in the Orient than the heroic men and 
 women who wait to bear the burdens and suffer the 
 deep deprivations caused by sickness and disaster. The 
 venerable Dr. Clark of the Congregational Church, the 
 Rev. Dr. Elmer E. Count of the Methodist Episcopal 
 Mission and the Rev. Mr. Holiday of the American 
 Board with their families and associates are choice ex- 
 amples of the true missionary under all circumstances 
 which test men's faith and try their souls. The prog- 
 ress of the schools and the promotion of revivals, the 
 support of philanthropies and the care for the suffering 
 all prove the invaluable worth of a pure Gospel life and 
 enterprise where it is most needed. The pure social 
 atmosphere of these missionary oases inspires the tourist 
 and makes him wish to pause in his travels. It was 
 gratefully appreciated that in the sickness of Mrs. Allen, 
 resulting in a lonely quarantine death, the queen herself 
 should join our missionaries in rendering every possible 
 kindness and help and thus prove the value of the true 
 Christian spirit which, in bearing another's burdens in 
 Christ's name, makes all the world akin. The death of 
 one whom we had been pleased to call the "queen" of the 
 party is a stunning affliction to our conductor and a 
 grief to us all ; but, strengthened by faith in the divine 
 
 147 
 
Father and aided by good fortune, we are permitted to 
 pursue our journey and later are reunited, 
 
 Belgrade, the capital of Servia, has a king and palace 
 but a poorer peasant class of subjects. But the national 
 pride is seen in the record of their heroes and in the 
 preservation of their forts. The great Danube river 
 flows by and the palace of their king is indeed a credit 
 to the prosperous little city where he lives. It was here 
 in 1907 that King Alexander and Queen Draga were 
 slain in a way that reminds us of Huerta's regime and 
 the assassination of President Madero in Mexico. 
 
 Belgrade is the city on the Danube where the Euro- 
 pean world-wide war began. Our days of sojourn here 
 gave us a most favorable insight into the soldier life and 
 civic pride of the Servians. The monument of Black 
 George the Conqueror, in Kalemegdan Park is cherished 
 and preserved in highest honor by the whole populace. 
 While there were no signs of outbreak when we passed 
 through, some of us felt that there were indications of 
 a volcano. Martial music and the moving of soldiers, the 
 stressing of patriotic sentiments and the suspicion with 
 which foreigners were regarded, pointed to a slumbering 
 fear of the nations roundabout. When members of our 
 party crossed the Save and Danube to Semlin in Hun- 
 gary they were denied landing because without passports ; 
 and returning, this excursion party were refused for a 
 time, re-landing at Belgrade. When we arrived in the city 
 a soldier halted us until full explanations were given and 
 we were then allowed after most careful inspectoin, to 
 pass the porters. The old brick fort near the park, which 
 enabled this people to defeat Mahomet II., the conqueror 
 of Constantinople, did not present a formidable appear- 
 
ance and it is no wonder that Austrian guns have reduced 
 it and compelled the surrender of the city. 
 
 Our train has barely crossed the bridge into the 
 Hungarian kingdom, when all baggage must be carried 
 into the customs house and our passports carefuly ex- 
 amined before we proceed. One passenger must be left 
 behind because his passport has expired. During the 
 day's ride across Austria Hungary, we are deeply inter- 
 ested in its great plains and unprecedented herds of fine 
 cattle, hogs, horses, geese and ducks. Signs of unusual 
 prosperity now appear. The people seem more thrifty 
 than any in eastern Europe. The homes, both of village 
 and country, are larger and more inviting than those 
 of Servia or Bulgaria. It is not surprising thatAustria 
 Hungary supports comfortably 20,000,000 people. 
 Churches neatly painted and well located are seen in all 
 villages. The white mortared houses and the tiled and 
 thatched roofed dwellings seem clean and spotless out- 
 side and within. Vivid colors mark the dress of the 
 people. Peasant women of Agram wear snowy linen 
 skirts even when at work in the fields ; while white 
 trousers are common among the men. Purple or white 
 head-dresses are very conspicuous, and in the summer 
 season men and women, as v/ell as children, go barefoot. 
 The railroads inspire the utmost confidence. Trainmen 
 are beautifully uniformed; and at every grade crossing 
 in country and village, there is a signal man and gate- 
 keeper who fixes the gate for every train and opens it 
 when danger is past. The best ballasted road, protecting 
 blocks, careful watchmen, overhead bridges where 
 needed, as well as train comforts for passengers, teach 
 
 I4Q 
 
some important lessons to Americans who too often 
 magnify speed at the expense of safety. 
 
 The approach to the Adriatic Sea through the Dal- 
 matian Alps is unsurpassed even in America. The beauti- 
 ful green terraced fields mingle with rocks and water- 
 falls. The perfect pine forests like symetrical and taper- 
 ing church spires, the towering but wavering mountain 
 outlines, the blossoming flowers and orchards in garden 
 and on hillside, all crowned with ideal sunshine, afford 
 us a day of rest and delight. The panorama is one 
 which thrills a stranger with gladness never to be for- 
 gotten. The long dreaded railroad tour of a thousand 
 miles, though lacking in luxury, has been very eventful 
 and attended with sights most refreshing and restful. 
 I wish I could join with a hundred of my friends in re- 
 newing this trip, especially through the Dalmatian 
 mountains. 
 
 Now the sea comes in sight. We are nearing Fiunie. 
 Winding down the mountains, we clap our hands in 
 ecstasy at the sight of the blue waters of the Adriatic sea 
 and the glorious sunset of the western sky. Our steamer 
 is waiting in the port of Fiume to carry us to Venice. 
 A quiet night' s rest with pleasant memories and we shall 
 wake in the sight of the beautiful city "Whose streets are 
 water and whose vehicles are boats." 
 
 ISO 
 
XVI. 
 VENICE AND FLORENCE 
 
 THE tourist who enters Venice by steamer in the 
 early morning is strangely impressed with his 
 unique surroundings. He will be landed, not by 
 the usual small boat, but by means of a gondola rowed 
 by one boatman with a single oar, which is slowly worked 
 by the man who stands on the stern of his little craft. 
 The few passengers soon come to believe that by-and-by 
 they will safely arrive somewhere. There is no other 
 mode of travel in Venice except by foot. There are no 
 carriages or beasts of burden of any sort. With difficulty 
 men wheel carts and carry loads over the arched bridges, 
 three hundred of which are said to span the canals 
 which thread the city. Let the gondola man take your 
 hand and help you up the submerged steps to the door 
 of your hotel ; watch your step. Most of the hotels and 
 business houses of this water-girt city face upon the 
 water. There are many thousands of these gondoliers 
 who ply their art in doing both passenger and freight 
 traffic in the city. 
 
 Venice was founded on a hundred islands about 
 500 B. C. The Rialto is the most famous bridge and 
 for centuries was the only bridge that crossed the Grand 
 Canal. It is a relic of the early glory of Venice. Its huge 
 
 151 
 
arch is entirely of marble, is one hundred fifty feet long, 
 cost half a milloin dollars and is said to rest on twelve 
 thousand trunks of elm trees. This bridge, like many 
 of the architectural ancient landmarks, is weather-beaten 
 and shows the finger marks of time. Yet all is facinat- 
 ing because around it clusters the charm of the history 
 which crowds one's thoughts as he walks through these 
 ancient streets. There is even a special charm about 
 our hotel because it is said to have once been a palace, 
 though used as a public house for tourists for the past 
 five hundred years. 
 
 One is scarcely located in his room till he is off for a 
 jaunt through the streets. These wind about very ir- 
 regularly and are very narrow, often from four to eight 
 feet wide ; but they are kept clean though they are dark 
 and apparently unhealthy. The Grand Canal is the princely 
 avenue of this famous city, which is lined with churches, 
 palaces, hotels and splendid dwellings. When first built, 
 Venice was the link between Europe and Asia and con- 
 trolled the commerce of the world. The first bank deposit 
 was estkblished here. Venice boasts the first printing of 
 books in Italy. The first newspaper was issued and sold 
 in this city for a "gazetta" from which comes the word 
 "gazette" so common today. A boat ride in the moonlight 
 with Italian singers aboard; a seventy instrument band 
 concert in Saint Mark's square in the evening with ten 
 thousand people for an audience; or a journey by day- 
 light to the parks, art galleries and busy shops will furnish 
 restful entertainment for every available hour. All other 
 cities resemble one another. Venice is like itself alone. 
 It is the quietest city of great size you were ever in. It is 
 indeed the "city of silence." If the gondoliers would 
 
 152 
 
Feeding the Pigeons in St. Mark's Square, Venice. 
 
 Gondolas and Rialto Bridge, Venice. 
 
Rialto Bridge, Venice. 
 
 Piazetta Pillars in Venice. 
 
lower their tones, you could sleep all hours of the 
 twenty-four so far as noise is concerned. Venice has its 
 "Bridge of Sighs" near which there are modern prisoners 
 still, and over which thousands have passed to their doom 
 of execution in the dungeon which they still show 
 travelers to remind them of the cruel age of the Doges, 
 who occupied the palace near-by. The industries of 
 glass and lace manufacture, fishing, etc., will assure you 
 again and again that these are not an idle or beggarly 
 class of Italians. They are proud of their city and have 
 a right to be. They are intelligent and industrious and 
 seem to be a superior type of people, in contrast with 
 the southern Italians so often found on the immigrant 
 ship. 
 
 Every traveler takes an early morning stroll to see 
 Saint Mark's Square which occupies an acre, well paved 
 and facing palaces and shops on three sides, with Saint 
 Mark's church on the fourth side of the square, which 
 includes the tower clock and the bell tower known as 
 the Campanile. The tower and cathedral are not attract- 
 ive enough to hasten us in oiir morning walk through the 
 flocks of pigeons that gather upon the pavement to be 
 fed and coddled by the travelers and natives who delight 
 to pet them. The Ducal palace and Saint Mark's are 
 worthy of a long visit. The cathedral is eight hundred 
 years old and is a sort of Christian mosque. Its mosaics 
 of glass and gold cover nearly forty- six thousand square 
 feet. This is called the "Church of Gold." Above its 
 door are the four great bronze horses that were once in 
 Rome, then in Constantinople, again in Paris and now 
 back again in Venice to stay as the guests of the city per- 
 haps to the end of time. As we enter the church of Saint 
 
 153 
 
Mark's we pause before the alabaster columns, some of 
 which were taken from Solomon's Temple and others 
 from Jerusalem and Athens. We gaze upon the statues 
 of the twelve apostles and the Virgin, and mark the 
 gorgeous decorations of a thousand years. There are 
 signs of decay within and without. They seem to speak 
 in the voices of the past and bring back the forms of 
 noble Venetians who have gone in and out over these 
 magnificent marble stairways. 
 
 A separate volume would be required fitly to describe 
 the art treasures of the Ducal Palace alone. Tintoretto's 
 "Paradise," the largest oil painting in the world, seventy 
 feet long and about twenty-five feet high, is seen here 
 above the throne of the Doges. It was completed by the 
 artist when he was eighty years old. If you join our 
 party today as we walk through the art galleries of the 
 Doges' Palace, you will probably not forget the stairway 
 where the Doges were crowned in the days of their glory. 
 Many of the art treasures will be passed by or forgotten 
 as you note the "black letter box" in the wall, and descend 
 to the prison and see the place of execution where human 
 blood ran fresh and strong in the days of inquisition. 
 The great iron bars of the windows spelled despair for 
 all who passed over the "Bridge of Sighs." Here we 
 ^re told are more than two hundred modern criminals 
 who are waiting a more humane closing of their career. 
 
 In the afternoon we shall find outselves in the 
 Academy of Art, studying the paintings which are the 
 attraction of artists the world over. Most famous among 
 these, and copied the oftenest perhaps, is "The Annun- 
 ciation" or glorification of the Virgin among the angels. 
 Here is an example of the finest art of the day when it 
 
 154 
 
was made. As a work of art, it would be foolish to find 
 fault with it ; but in company with many other visitors I 
 can but faithfully record a protest against the foolish and 
 un-Scriptural thought that has been wrought out by the 
 skilled brush. Many of the great artists in their efforts 
 to portray the religious beliefs of the age in which they 
 lived, simply reproduced their own prejudices. Art is 
 thus made to contribute to bigotry rather than to truth. 
 
 Wearied with the bewildering display of art, we 
 will rest ourselves with a boat ride around the Grand 
 Canal and a walk through the public gardens. The 
 Italian sunshine gilds the marble columns, the garden 
 trees and flowers with a glory with which no artist can 
 compete. The paradise above may be more beautiful and 
 the eternal days more restful ; but it is doubtful whether, 
 in this world, may be found such a union of famous art 
 and natural beauty as. charm the tourist in a visit to this 
 city by the sea, "Venice, the Only," There is not another 
 city like thee. 
 
 Venice is a good preparation for a visit to Florence. 
 This attractive city of 230,000 inhabitants is not only a 
 monument of modern enterprise, but the chief sanctuary 
 of Italian painting and sculpture. No tourist in Europe 
 can afford to miss Florence. Michael Angelo made it 
 famous with his chisel ; Savonarola made it sacred with 
 his martyrdom. It is a "beacon light" of medieval 
 history. 
 
 We left our Hotel Luna in Venice for our railway 
 station in a gondola. The time-table says our train leaves 
 the station at 14:40 and arrives at Florence 23:20, forty 
 minutes before midnight. Reserved apartments give us 
 a smokeless or "non fumier" ride to Bologna where we 
 
 155 
 
change cars after a fine restaurant dinner where our party 
 of sixteen thirsty prohibitionists sit down to a well-laden 
 table burdened with just one hundred eight generous 
 bottles of wine and liquors. For more reasons than one, 
 we dare not fall in with the fashion of our Italian 
 friends on this memorable occasion. Having escaped the 
 enticements of Bacchus, we feast our eyes on well culti- 
 vated vineyards, prevented however, from watching land- 
 scapes, because of the concealment of night and our pas- 
 sage through forty-eight tunnels. 
 
 The streets and all modern improvements are so 
 thoroughly wrought as to command an American's deep- 
 est confidence and respect. The ghosts of poets, artists, 
 ecclesiastics and statesmen seem to confront you as you 
 pass through the streets or sit in meditation at the window 
 of your hotel. This is the home of Dante, once driven 
 from the town but now honored by a monument which 
 calls him "the supreme poet." Florence . hanged and 
 burned Savonarola in the public square A. D. 1498, and 
 now asks the world to honor the spot which is marked 
 by a bronze disc near the old palace of the Medici. Galileo 
 the astronomer, whose tomb now graces the church of 
 Saint Croce, was scoffed by his fellow citizens and ban- 
 ished from their company as a crank. How a few cen- 
 turies change the reputation of the hero, the artist, the 
 reformer! This age rejects the faithful servant: the 
 future crowns the martyr. 
 
 After the downfall of Rome and the gloom of the 
 dark ages had passed, the light of Italian art and literature 
 shone brightest in Florence. Today it is a beautiful 
 modern city well sheltered and surrounded by vine-clad 
 hills. The river Arno flows through its sacred precincts 
 
 is6 
 
as it has done for the past six centuries which cover 
 the main epoch of this famous resort. Its galleries, 
 palaces and churches contain the chief exhibit of Roman 
 Catholic art on canvas and in marble. It has a religious 
 rather than a civic history ; its famous men of genius and 
 religion have made it what it is. One cannot know re- 
 ligious life or art in Italy from original sources until he 
 has studied the treasures of Florence. The plan of these 
 pages forbids my giving more than a traveler's hasty 
 glimpse of features that entertain and instruct. 
 
 It is a pleasing education to spend one's first hours 
 with a competent guide in the galleries of Uffizi and Pitti. 
 Before entering these treasure-houses of art, we are 
 shown the Vecchio, with Neptune fountain in front. 
 Nothing equal to this great bronze exhibit of sea deities 
 can be found. It has been the adornment of this open 
 court for almost four centuries. Near it and in front of the 
 Palazzo Vecchio, we reverently gaze upon the spot, 
 doubtless historic, where Savonarola was burned in pres- 
 ence of the multitudes because he would not retract his 
 utterances against the Papal religion. Standing thus in 
 front of the old town hall whose walls were once red- 
 dened by the flame which consumed this hero and echoed 
 the curses of the crowd who glorified in his agony and 
 defeat, we could but thank God for the triumph of the 
 reformer after these centuries have reversed the verdict 
 of his accusers. 
 
 Close to the Grand Palazzo and on the other side of 
 the square, is the celebrated "Portico of the Lancers," 
 so called because the Duke's spearmen were once stationed 
 here beside the palace. Michael Angelo planned this 
 piazza, of which Lorenzo de Medici said, "Nothing finer 
 
 157 
 
can possibly be invented." This loggia is now used to 
 shelter rare works of art. Among the master pieces here 
 are "Perseus holding up the head of the monster 
 Medusa" and the marble group of John of Bologna, 
 entitled "The Rape of the Sabines." This is really an 
 unparalleled outdoor street exhibit of statuary. 
 
 My journal record permits only the mere mention 
 of certain pieces of art in the Uffizi gallery, all of which 
 are of untold value because of their authorship and some 
 are of unmeasured merit. Reference is made to only a 
 fev/ of these which most impressed the writer. The- 
 "Death of Adonis" by a pupil of IMichael Angelo ; "The 
 Adoration of the Child by the Wise Men" by Giorgione; 
 "The Annunciation" by Leonardi de Vinci ; "The Birth of 
 Venus on Shell" by Botticelli ; Fra Angelico's "Madonna 
 and Child" ; "The Knife Grinder" by an unknown sculp- 
 tor ; Correggio's "A.doring the Child" ; "Raphael's 
 "Madonna of the Gold Finch" ; Ruben's unfinished "King 
 of France" ; "The Boar Hunt" by Snyder ; the inlaid 
 tables, the work of twenty-two men for twenty-five years 
 at a cost of half a million francs, with natural stone for 
 every variety of color : these are but a few in the wilder- 
 ness of attractions which we must soon leave for a walk 
 through the old Florentine bridge called Ponte Vecchio. 
 This long passageway from the Uffizi on the one side of 
 the Arno to the Pitti palace on the other, is practically 
 a public street adorned with works of art, and made fa- 
 mous by poets and hrstorians of all the world. 
 
 The Hall of Saturn in the Pitti Palace, which still 
 is used as a residence of the king and queen when they 
 visit Florence, is in itself a most wonderful house of art 
 treasures. One writer has said that "If Europe should 
 
lose every gallery of art save this, it would still be rich." 
 The floors are of the finest inlaid material. Tables of 
 mosaic, malachite, gold and silver at fabulous cost con- 
 front us. You are bewildered with the elaborately dec- 
 orated walls, the gorgeous roof and sculptured marble 
 statues. Among the sweetest and most attractive works of 
 art are Raphael's unequalled painting, familiar the world 
 over, "The Madonna of the Chair" and Carlo's "Magda- 
 lene." 
 
 .But we have only a few days instead of v/eeks in this 
 city. We hasten later to the Monastery of Saint Mark's 
 where we tarry in the refectory or dining-room of the 
 monks. Chief among the attractions of this resort are 
 Fra Angelico's paintings. He is called the "Angel 
 Brother" because of his painting of angels and angels' 
 faces. They are chiefly interpretations of the Madonna 
 and the crucifixion. Here- again I am compelled to raise 
 the question for others to answer whether a different 
 type of spiritual life from that represented by the monks 
 of this age, would not have given a different interpreta- 
 tion of both truth and fancy when transferred to canvas. 
 
 We will visit the monks' cells where they wrote, slept, 
 looked out of narrow windows and meditated in their 
 dreary days of confinement. Here is the very bedroom 
 of Savonarola, with his desk and chair. We will sacredly 
 touch them and wish we might take them for relics. As 
 there is little doubt about their genuineness, they com- 
 mand our veneration for the sake of the man who used 
 them. Here is some burnt wood, the smoke of which 
 choked our hero before his martydom. We seem to hear 
 him speak as his voice thundered, "Be brave, ye have 
 
 159 
 
work to do. Don't drift." This holy reformer's foot- 
 prints we tread with reverence. 
 
 But we pass into the academy which now shelters 
 Michael Angelo's immortal statue of David. The story 
 bears repeating, of how a rejected block of marble lying 
 unused for fifty years was admired by this genius, who 
 seized his chisel and enthusiastically carved the statue 
 which is the pride of the city and the crown of all sculp- 
 ture. This Bible character of David with the pebble in his 
 hand commissioned to kill Goliath, stands erect, eighteen 
 feet high. The look of faith and courage, the historic sling 
 and the confident purpose of this Bible hero chiseled in 
 marble, rendered the artist as immortal as King David 
 himself. The completion of this statue was so eventful in 
 Florence that for manny years they reckoned the events of 
 history as happening so long "after the completion of the 
 David." For many years it stood in the open court of the 
 city. The original, now sheltered in the academy, has 
 niany imitations but no equal. It is sufficient to lift its 
 author to the first place among the sculptors of all hist- 
 ory. Fra Angelico's "Last Judgment" is worth a long 
 study and starts fresh comment upon the Scripture state- 
 ments of our Lord. 
 
 In the afternoon we will visit the court of the 
 National Museum, or the Loggia of Bargello. This was 
 used as a prison till 1864. Here are found war relics, 
 coats-of-mail, a ten-inch gun decorated for the sake of 
 art rather than utility, and a vast variety of absurd ideas 
 of war in contrast with the progressive thought of our 
 day. The old staircase is being copied by artists from 
 various parts of the world who make long journeys to 
 this court as to a school of rarest value. But we must 
 
 160 
 
Trajan Arch, near Forum, Rome. 
 
 Round Temple, Rome. 
 
pass out through the rain, and in spite of the storm, visit 
 Dante's old birthplace. The Battistero or Baptistry with 
 its great bronze doors, of which it has been said they were 
 "good enough for paradise," has enough work and dis- 
 play of artistic skill to challenge days of study. The 
 Duomo is the giant cathedral of Brunelleschi. Its gate- 
 way, corridors and internal architecture, illuminated only 
 by candles, are majestic beyond description ; but the dome 
 which rises as the crown of the building is the superior 
 of all other domes, unless it be that of Saint Peter's at 
 Rome. Near-by is the graceful shaft of Giotto's Cam- 
 panile. This is the most striking, most graceful and tal- 
 lest monument of Gothic architecture in all Italy. 
 
 Every eager traveler will want to visit the Church of 
 Saint Croce, the Westminister Abbey of Florence. Here 
 are the tombs of many men famed in the history of the 
 city. Alichael Angelo's tomb pays tribute to his genius 
 in the statutes of Sculpture, Architecture and Painting. 
 The one bows in sorrow, another weeps, the third holds 
 a brush in pensive mood. Above this monument are paint- 
 ings from the artist's own hand. Dante's monument is 
 here, although Ravenna has his tomb. The immortal poet 
 was driven from his native city but is here honored above 
 all others of his class. By his monument are statues of two 
 weeping ones, while the third is ready to crown him. 
 I am struck with the inconsistency of placing in this 
 Christian church the monument of Nicolus Machivelli, 
 the famous political deceiver, or champion diplomat, ac- 
 cording to Roman and Jesuit policy. He was the author 
 of the famous motto, "The end justifies the means." But 
 I entertain no protest as I stand in the presence of the 
 tomb of Galileo, the great patrician and scientist of Flor- 
 
 i6i 
 
ence. He is represented as holding a telescope in one 
 hand and, though blind in his last years, seems to have a 
 clear vision of distant things. The big round world is 
 under him, for he has compassed earth and slcy. 
 
 Continuous rain spoils the reputation of Florence 
 with our party, but we must give it the word of praise for 
 being the best paved and cleanest city of its size we have 
 found in Europe. It is also the cheapest and most de- 
 sirable city for shopping for an American tourist. Let 
 us take another walk across the bridge of the River Arno, 
 view the city from the heights of Michael Angelo, bid 
 it farewell and hasten to Rome. 
 
 Free from the charms of the city, we may rest our 
 eyes upon the summer fields and well grained and grape 
 planted plains, every foot of which seems occupied to 
 advantage. The grape vines are trained on trees planted 
 in regular order for the purpose ; for wine making and 
 grape culture are the chief industries of this part of 
 Italy. 
 
 162 
 
XVII. 
 ROME YESTERDAY AND TODAY 
 
 IF you would forget Rome, never enter it ; for, as 
 someone has said, "You may take your leave of 
 Rome, but Rome will never take its leave of you." 
 In the old Roman Forum we are shown the point which 
 was thought to be the center t)f the world. Surely it has 
 been the center of history for more than twenty cen- 
 turies. The government still keeps a live wolf near the 
 monument of Romulus and Remus, out of respect for the 
 fabled founding of the city many centuries before Christ. 
 No city is such a blend of the ancient and modern, not 
 even Athens. All about the city are evidences of the 
 old Pagan civilization which framed laws when savages 
 were hunted where Paris now stands. Nothing like the 
 Coliseum at Rome exists elsewhere. It transcends all 
 previous imagination and estimate. Not far from this 
 ancient ruin is the yet unfinished and now greatest monu- 
 ment in the world ; that of Victor Emanuel II., who, on 
 the 20th of September, 1870, broke down the modern 
 wall now visible and marched down "September Twen- 
 tieth Street," took possession of the palace and pro- 
 claimed Italy united forever. This edifice cost over 
 $5,000,000. It is of colossal proportions and publishes a 
 victory greater than any of ancient days. Garibaldi and 
 Emanuel overlooking the business center of Rome and 
 
 163 
 
the historic Tiber and Saint Peter's seem ready for new 
 conquests and you can ahnost hear them speak from their 
 statues, the best word of prophecy concerning Italy's 
 glorious future. 
 
 Rome bears now the marks of rapid progress. It 
 has grown to over half a million, which is more than 
 thrice its population in the days when Church and State 
 were united under Papal rule. As one drives about the 
 city or rides on the excellent tramway cars, he is surprised 
 at the multiplication of modern business blocks as he is 
 bewildered by the ancient ruins and weather-beaten 
 cathedrals. Perhaps no city in Europe has a better water 
 supply than Rome. The m,ountain water flows through 
 aqueducts and supplies fountains everywhere ; sparkling 
 streams gush from monuments and flow through parks 
 in refreshing splendor. The Italian language seems the 
 universal tongue, but we are not confronted by an army 
 of beggars as in many port cities. You drive to the left 
 instead of to the right on the highways. Customs all 
 about remind one that he is half way between New York 
 and Jerusalem. English speaking clerks abound at the 
 hotels and in most of the shops. An international postal 
 system, express and transportation companies, and all 
 forms of commercial thrift maks it as easy to live in Rome 
 as anywhere. Prices are lower because wages are smaller. 
 Italian laborers and mechanics receive, for the same labor, 
 from one-half to one-third what the same workmen 
 would earn in America^ Wages are still lower in south- 
 em Italy and Sicily. 
 
 If one would see Rome in a few days, he must 
 carry eyes on all sides of his head, looking at once to- 
 wards art, religion, history, politics and business. He 
 
 164 
 
must watch for buildings that are famous, paintings and 
 busts that are historic. He must Hsten to guides, bells, 
 guards, drivers and clerks. To see the ecclesiastical past 
 we must visit about fifteen churches, from Saint Peter's 
 the largest in the world, to the Pantheon, which is a 
 cross between a cemetery and a cathedral ruin. Saint 
 Peter's with its past glory and its present prestige, its 
 ashes of the apostle and the bronze statue of Saint Peter 
 so revered by the Latin Church, is the most attractive 
 place for tourists, though not so popular as a place of 
 worship. A responsive service conducted by twenty-two 
 priests showed only ten of the laity of their faith present 
 and perhaps fifty spectators. Of course on state oc- 
 casions, there are crowds ; but a stranger has not far to 
 go in Rome to learn that the masses of the citizens are 
 less interested in the Church and less subservient to her 
 mandates than in former days before the separation of 
 Church and State. 
 
 On crossing the Tiber on our approach to Saint 
 Peter's, the tomb of Hadrian or Castle of Saint Angelo is 
 most prominent. We pause first to gaze at the yellow 
 stream whose sands and turbid waters have engulfed 
 such countless treasures and hold the secrets of many a 
 victim of royal or papal tyranny. No longer the 
 mausoleum of Hadrian himself, this tower is called the 
 castle of Saint Angelo from the days of Pope Gregory the 
 Great because the angel Michael is said to have appeared 
 to stay the plague. 
 
 The Sistine Chapel adjoining the papal residence 
 forms a part of the Vatican which contains no fewer than 
 a thousand rooms and is the art and library treasure 
 house of classic Rome. On certain days only the public 
 
 165 
 
are admitted. Papal jurisdiction is complete in the Vati- 
 can and in Saint John's Lateran Church, in which latter 
 cathedral, they tell us, repose the heads of both Paul and 
 Peter. But I was more interested in visiting the Sancta 
 Scala or "Sacred Stairs" of twenty-eight steps, on which 
 Luther climbed till his conscience, awakened by the voice, 
 caused him to arise with the words, "The just shall live 
 by faith." Here is the birthplace of Protestantism, where 
 Luther began his career as a reformer. The tourist will 
 find the faithful still devoutly climbing the same stair- 
 way hoping for relief and rest to their souls, 
 of a cathedral, is useless as such, being in the suburbs of 
 
 "Saint Paul's without the walls," though in the form 
 the city ; but it is an exquisitely beautiful monument to 
 the great apostle. They say his remains rest beneath the 
 altar. Surely the corridors of eighty magnificent solid 
 marble columns, forty feet high, the strangely entwined 
 mosaic pillars in the cloister court, the lofty Latin cross 
 and the noble architectural facade constitute a majestic 
 tribute to one whose epistles and whose inprisonment 
 have forever made venerable this city of Pauline toil and 
 suffering. 
 
 The Maritime prison in another part ofthe city where 
 Paul and Peter and thousands since Nero's reign have 
 been incarcerated, brought fresh meaning to the New 
 Testament words. "I am now ready to be offered and the 
 time of my departure is at hand." Our party will not 
 soon forget the sad circumstance under which we gather- 
 ed in this prison where were read to us those final words 
 of the martyr apostle, "Henceforth there is laid up for 
 me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the right- 
 eous Judge, shall give me at this day : and not to me only, 
 
 i66 
 
but unto all them also that love His appearing." Our 
 faithful conductor only a few hours before had received 
 the telegram announcing the unlooked-for death of his 
 wife, who had passed to her crown on the day preceding. 
 
 It is an interesting comment upon the modern and 
 ancient religious life of Rome, that the Jesuit Church is 
 one of the richest and most worshipful, and the most 
 largely attended of any church in the city. Protestants 
 have, under the present government, perfect religious 
 liberty where once they were refused recognition by the 
 Church and State, both being controlled by the voice 
 f-rom the Vatican. Saint Peter's with the Vatican and 
 Saint John's Lateran church, the place of the early papal 
 residence, are the only portions of the city now under 
 exclusive control and authority of the Church. No laws 
 of Italy apply in the worship of the Lateran palace. In 
 this old palace of the popes, mass can be celebrated at the 
 high altar only by the Pope or someone appointed to 
 represent him. 
 
 The Coliseum, built by the slave labor of myriads of 
 captive Jews, where Christians were once devoured by 
 lions and where gladiators died in deadly combat to 
 satisfy sixty thousand blood-thirsty spectators, is a 
 stupendous ruin. We pass from Paganism to Christianity 
 again when we step from the Coliseum and the great 
 Roman Forum to the church of "Saint Peter's of the 
 Chain." I scarcely know in such transitions, which is 
 the greater, my pity of the paganism of Nero's day, or my 
 disrelish for the superstitions which cluster around the 
 Roman Catholic traditions. They say the chains which 
 actually bound Peter are kept here, and in August of each 
 
 167 
 
year, are brought forth to confirm and promote a super- 
 stitious faith. 
 
 Turning from the distrust of tradition to the glory 
 of architecture and the beauty of art, we are confronted 
 with the work of Michael Angelo as seen in his original 
 "Moses" to be found in this church. This has indeed no 
 equal in chiseled marble except the majestic "David" in 
 Florence by the same incomparable sculptor. 
 
 Every Christian tourist must visit the Catacombs 
 outside the city along the Appian Way. These under- 
 ground tunnels with their inscriptions and sarcophagi, 
 their emblems and evidences of faith, bring us very close 
 to the real sufferings of heroic Christianity in the third 
 and fourth centuries. How they thrill the soul and in- 
 struct us in the simple faith of early primitive religion! 
 
 In the Cathedral of Saint John's Lateran, we visit 
 the exhibit of large statues of the apostles with symbolic 
 emblems designating the character of each. Paul bears 
 the "Sword of the Spirit" which is the Word of God 
 open ; Matthew treads on an open money bag ; Peter has 
 a key in his hand to unlock the gates ; Philip, with a cross 
 in hand and his foot on the dragon, reveals victory over 
 beastly passion ; Thomas holds a square as if he must 
 know without doubt ; Bartholomew displays a skin and 
 knife, for he is said to have been skinned alive; James 
 reads an open Bible ; Saint John appears with the eagle ; 
 Andrew leans on the cross. 
 
 As we have further time, we will visit the pavilion in 
 which is found Guido Rehi's "Aurora" or Apollo the sun 
 god in his chariot attended by seven hours in female 
 form. The colors of this famous painting are gorgeous. 
 It is painted upon the ceiling and may be studied by re- 
 
Constantine Arch near Coliseum, Rome. 
 
 Appian Way, Rome. 
 
Garibaldi Statue, Rome. 
 
 Birds-eye view of Rome from hill near Garibaldi Statue. 
 
flection in a mirror placed upon a center table. This is 
 one of the most attractive pieces of art in all Rome. 
 Strange that this young artist of twenty-six years left 
 behind him little else to perpetuate his fame. 
 
 You cannot leave Rome without carrying deep im- 
 pressions of the view, first and last, of Saint Peter's and 
 the Vatican. These buildings with the open court in 
 front and the obelisk, have been famous for centuries. 
 On this spot Nero persecuted the Christians, pouring oil 
 upon them and burning them alive. Now Christians are 
 safe from tyrany, if not from taxation. The obelisk 
 standing in this geometrical square, when raised here was 
 to be lifted in reverent silence. For some cause it would 
 not come to its place, and at last, one of the workmen 
 cried, "Wet the ropes." It was done and the lofty 
 monolith was anchored to its foundation. The wise me- 
 chanic was pardoned for opening his lips to secure the 
 triumph of the work. 
 
 The dome of Saint Peter's is obscured by the long 
 facade in front. This unequalled cathedral occupies 
 eighteen thousand square yards and is nearly twice as long 
 as Saint Paul's in London and is equal to two of the 
 Mosque of Saint Sofia. Every one is impressed with 
 the stupendous dimensions of this marvelous court of 
 worship : In it you could hide an army. The old red 
 sandstone and marble pavement is a most historic one, and 
 is not likely to be forgotten by the visitor. Charlemagne 
 knelt here in 1800 to receive the crown which was placed 
 upon his head by the Pope. The Jubilee door in Saint 
 Peter's, opened only once in twenty-five years, will long 
 be remembered. Raphael's "Transfiguration" in mosaic 
 is so fine that one can scarcely believe that it is not a 
 
 i6q 
 
painting. By the wall stands the dark bronze statue of 
 Saint Peter, whose foot, worn but not defaced by the 
 touch of hand and human lips, has doubtless been kissed 
 by thousands. A halo is about his head, two keys are in 
 his hand, and one finger points upward. Above and 
 about the base of the dome are the words, "Thou art 
 Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church." 
 Under the great high altar, about six feet below the floor 
 of Saint Peter's is a gold urn said to contain the remains 
 of the great apostle. Two fine alabaster columns four 
 inches thick stand in front ; and near-by, at the base of the 
 staircase. Pope Pius VI. is represented kneeling in wor- 
 ship. At least seventy-five candles surround the crypt of 
 the altar where Peter's remains repose. In the side 
 chapel, mass is being said, chants sung and the great 
 organ is accompanied by a choir of musical voices. The 
 confessionals in eleven different languages, with one priest 
 attending each, are here for the accommodation of those 
 who feel their need of the father confessor. The great 
 chair of Peter is being repaired. Pause for a long study 
 of the monument of Alexander VI : Death is coming out 
 of the door and England is under the foot of religion; 
 because, about 1600, the English Church rejected the 
 Papacy. One will not forget the "Last Judgment" by 
 Michael Aneglo as seen in the Sistine Chapel. It is not 
 very attractive in outline or colors and has been draped 
 and retouched by later artists ; but it is great and original 
 and only Michael Angelo could have made it. Here also 
 I have noted in my journal, as taking a strong hold upon 
 memory, Raphael's "Saint Jerome" and his "John Bap- 
 tist." His "Transfiguration" of Christ is the genuine 
 original painting made in 1483- 1520 and presents Jesus 
 
 170 
 
on the throne, Mary ruHng with Him, and the Holy 
 Spirit as a dove always above the throne. Days are 
 needed for the study of the paintings and statuary to be 
 seen in the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel. 
 
 Of course we must look in upon the Capuchian 
 monks where, with fine floral decorations above and 
 strange chanting of priests and monks in the chapel, we 
 are taken to the lower rooms where there are four 
 thousand human skulls, skeletons, etc., piled up in hideous 
 groups reminding us of Ezekiel's vision of "dry bones." 
 Pay your franc and buy five pictures of the five rooms 
 and you have done your religious duty as estimated by 
 these kindly gentlemen who welcome foreigners for the 
 Catholic Church, what the howling dervishes are to the 
 sake of the coin they receive. These men are to the 
 Moslem religion and faith. 
 
 The Pantheon with its broadest dome in the world, 
 one hundred and forty-three feet across with equal height 
 and a thirty foot opening through which abundant light, 
 fresh air and rain from the sky descend, is a place for 
 every traveler to visit. Victor Emanuel is buried here; 
 also Raphael the painter and King Humbert. On the 
 door is written as a relic of the Middle Ages, "Indul- 
 gences full, sufficient and constant for life and for death." 
 The great pillars of the Pantheon are said to be the "oldest 
 stuff" preserved in Rome.. It is neither a church nor a 
 temple, but the blend of cathedral and ruined mosque. 
 We sign our names on the register and go outside to the 
 round temple and other views, among them the old stone 
 "Mouth of Truth" to which Romans once placed their 
 hand and swore in most sacred form by their pagan gods. 
 
 We have barely time for a glimpse of the church of 
 171 
 
Saint Cecilia. Under the marble altar is the original 
 statue. A most gorgeous crypt and tomb to this patron 
 of music has been reared. No finer Christian structure is 
 erected to womankind anywhere than this monument of 
 Saint Cecilia. Its rich mosaic of gold and glass, its 
 polished pillars, its beautiful arched and inlaid workman- 
 ship form a rare tribute to a somewhat traditional but 
 most beautiful character. It seemed to us an idolatrous 
 waste of money. 
 
 From the Capitol Hill Museum, requiring many hours 
 of study, one is likely to carry away a distinct pleasure 
 from having sat in the presence of two famous pieces of 
 statuary, "The Marble Faun" and "The Dying Gladiator." 
 The busts of philosophers and statesmen from Homer 
 down to the present ; the ,"Boy with a Thorn," "Doves in 
 the Basin," and the "Roman Wolf" are certain also to 
 attract the tourist and consume his time. 
 
 Art is yet alive in Rome and religion is not wholly 
 efifete. Even in the shadow of wasted cathedrals and 
 pagan pillars, like an olive orchard in a desert, may be 
 found water springs of pure religion. Some of the best 
 missionary work and the finest schools are to be seen in 
 Rome. I would gladly tarry at Rome's fountains and 
 museums, walk about her monuments and shrines, linger 
 among her books and beside her master paintings. Her 
 schools and her shaded parks comfort and profit the 
 studious tourist. This Scriptural and classic city upon 
 her seven hills and alive-as by the presence of a thousand 
 ancient philosophers and patriots, constrains us to bow 
 with veneration. This is Rome, the great central city of 
 law, art, oratory and religion. It grips our memory. The 
 impress of its former glory and of its present day mag- 
 nificence can never be effaced. 
 
 172 
 
Leaning Tower of Pisa. 
 
 Campo Santo, (Holy Field) Pisa. 
 
XVIII. 
 NORTHERN ITALY 
 
 UNE first is an ideal morning and the Italian sun- 
 shine adds glory to the plains by the sea. The fields, 
 orchards and pastures clothed with flocks and herds 
 afford a beautiful panorama of western Italy. After six 
 hours we are again anchored in our hotel at Pisa. There 
 are but few noted sights in this city and most of these 
 are in a group. A few hours will suffice for a satisfying 
 visit. We look first at the Campanile or leaning tower. 
 This great monument is a freak in architecture and has 
 raised a thousand questions in every generation of visitors. 
 It is one hundred seventy-nine feet high and encloses 
 two hundred ninety-four now much worn stone steps. 
 It contains in its belfry seven bells, one of which weighs 
 six tons. To view the surrounding country and write 
 postal cards in the top of this tower amid the clanging of 
 bells may satisfy the novelty seeker, but it does not 
 answer the question so often raised as to whether this 
 tower really sank to its present position or was built so 
 at the beginning. After examination, I was personally 
 convinced that it was an architectural fad. It required 
 one hundred seventy-five years in building and cost an 
 incredible sum of money, with no advantage but to draw 
 the curious and satisfy the sense of wonder. There are 
 other leaning towers in northern Italy. This one has 
 served a good purpose to both philosopher and traveler. 
 
 173 
 
Of equal interest is the Baptistry near-by. The 
 strange musical echo under the dome of this building, 
 which is one hundred ninety feet high, is to be found no- 
 where else. The musical reverberations that return the 
 exact tones of voice from singer or instrument, prolong- 
 itig the same, serve as a happy entertainment to those who 
 are fortunate enough to spend a half-hour experimenting 
 with varied tones and songs. 
 
 The great Cathedral close at hand, which is seven 
 hundred years old. contains the famous hanging bronze 
 lamp which is called Galileo's lamp. The swinging of 
 this lamp from the lofty ceiling is said to be the origin 
 of the pendulum in all the grandfathers' clocks of modern 
 civilization. Some very queer paintings are found upon 
 the walls. A most remarkable pulpit of carved wood 
 shows marks of genius in the builder and makes famous 
 the otherwise ordinary cathedral. From this we pass to 
 the Campo Santo or burial place, lined by corridors, where 
 repulsive paintings illustrate gross medieval theology and 
 Bible interpretations concerning hell and heaven. Here 
 52,800 people are buried in twenty-three shiploads of soil 
 brought from Jerusalem by the Crusaders. It is a weird, 
 cold and dismal place of faded beauty from which we 
 are ready to make an early exit, desiring to return no 
 more. Pisa was once a port of the sea, but now has re- 
 treated and the intervening miles to the shore are oc- 
 cupied by farm land, gardens and residences of much 
 attractiveness. 
 
 Our railway journey from Pisa to Genoa is along the 
 coast. This road, built at an incredible expenditure of 
 engineering genius and money, is almost a railroad 
 through the rocks. One of our party counted eighty- 
 
 174 
 
seven tunnels on this route of about one hundred two 
 miles. 
 
 Genoa, with a population of 272,000, is a city of lofty 
 and well built palaces and business blocks. Our hotel, 
 the "London," is an excellent one near the station and 
 close to the monument of Columbus. We must visit this 
 city ; for what American would pass by the native city of 
 Columbus? A snap shot of the monument is taken. The 
 carved granite figures on the four sides of this famous 
 structure, properly interpreted, would make a little book 
 of , Columbus' history. A visit to the birthplace and home 
 of Columbus where he lived as a boy, reveals the inscrip- 
 tion on the old residence near the new city post-office. 
 We are told by an old janitor, that this is "all there is to 
 see." 
 
 In the suburbs of this city there is the most noted 
 "holy ground" or Santo Campo to be found in Italy. Our 
 conductor, who has traveled the world over, tells us that 
 this is the greatest cemetery he knows anything about. 
 It is artistically formed and carefully preserved. Strik- 
 ing monuments are located in the ground, on the rotun- 
 das, in corridors, in the mausoleums and vaults, every- 
 where, and in all this exhibition are revealed the combined 
 artistic taste of many centuries of religious art and 
 veneration for which northern Italy is famous. Personal 
 loves, Christian faith, all sorts of emblematic thoughts, 
 are depicted in sculpture. Marble is wrought into vol- 
 umes. Family tombs are made into art galleries of af- 
 fection. A modern crematory has been attached. A 
 richly adorned domed chapel has been erected in honor 
 of the thousands whose dust consecrates the ground. 
 Indeed, it is a most significant and suggestive city of the 
 
 175 
 
departed. It is in great contrast with the Mohammedan, 
 Jewish and French cemeteries to be found in Constanti- 
 nople, Paris and the Holy Land. 
 
 We have time and must visit the cathedral of San 
 Lorenzo, built 1 100-1300. It is noted for its black and 
 white marble stripes. In it is shown a small sarcophagus 
 which, they tell us, was brought from Jerusalem by the 
 Crusaders. On the outside is carved the story of John 
 the Baptist and other Scriptural matter ; the actual chain 
 with which his hands were bound is shown. Only men 
 are permitted to view this sarcophagus and women must 
 step aside and all for the reason that a w^oman caused 
 John to be beheaded. The richly carved walnut seat of 
 Paganinni where the renowned artist played his violin, 
 and the seats occupied by the choir who accompanied the 
 master violinist, furnish interesting features of this 
 cathedral. The Madonna painted on wood by Luke is 
 shown us — a very doubtful piece of art. This and other 
 famous paintings are kept covered by curtains. 
 
 A tramway ride about the city and up the incline to 
 the top of the hill, where we have a charming view of 
 the sea-port, the sea, and the whole city, leaves a delight- 
 ful memory. We later take our final view of the Mediter- 
 ranean harbor as we push across the country to Milan. 
 We are informed that Genoa furnishes a most remark- 
 able illustration of conditions growing out. of excessive 
 taxation and papal oppression coming down the centuries 
 of Italy's history. The magnificent palaces and homes 
 that adorn the hillsides are not owned by private resi- 
 dents, but are rented and controlled by city government. 
 The reason for this is, that they were taxed so heavily in 
 
 176 
 

 Duomo Cathedral, Milan. 
 
 133^ 
 
earlier days that the nobles and wealthy owners were 
 obliged to turn over their property to the city for taxes. 
 Burdensome taxation has blocked civilization and entailed 
 poverty and distress upon multitudes in Italy. It has 
 thus been made a country of great monuments, famous 
 architecture, mammoth cathedrals, marvelous highways, 
 ail at the expense of the people, who are compelled to a 
 life of comparative ignorance and poverty by undemo- 
 cratic or aristocratic ideas of government and religious 
 control. People are tenants rather than possessors. 
 Taxes are levied to keep up the army and navy. Beggars 
 and peasants are multiplied and chained to ignorance and 
 povert}' as culprits were bound to soldier guards. 
 
 After passing forty-four tunnels, one of which is five 
 miles long, we reach Milan.. This is one of the best built 
 and most intelligent cities in all Italy. No finer type of 
 Italians can be found anywhere, not even in Rome. They 
 are scholarly, well dressed, modern and enterprising. 
 There are few signs of poverty or ignorance such as we 
 find in most other cities, especially in middle and south- 
 ern Italy. It is a paradise for tourists. Here we will 
 have time to study the outside and inside of the Duomo 
 or White Cathedral, and the famous "Last Supper" by 
 Leonardo da Vinci. The Duomo is the most ideally 
 Gothic structure to be found in Europe, unless perchance, 
 we except the cathedral at Cologne. It is five hundred 
 feet long, two hundred fifty feet wide and one hundred 
 fifty-five feet high. It was destroyed by Attila 452 A. D. ; 
 again by Frederick Barbarossa in 1162, but was rebuilt 
 in 1386 by Visconti. Within are fifty -two pillars. Here 
 are the statues of the apostles, among them the noted 
 statue of the "Skinned Bartholomew" and the "Martyred 
 
 177 
 
Nathanael." The rose-colored windows, one with ninety- 
 eight scenes in the Hfe of Christ, and another with as 
 many from the Old Testament, are marvels of beauty and 
 require days for study and interpretation. The cathedral 
 itself is cold and dismal and has many chapels. It is un- 
 inviting though very majestic. Tourists will take pleasure 
 in climbing four hundred ninety-five steps to the pinnacle 
 of the church and walking about the tower, where they 
 will obtain an ineffaceable view of the city, the surround- 
 ing country and the distant Alps. A visit to this cathedral 
 and city makes such an overwhelming impression upon 
 the traveler's mind as will forever silence any regrets for 
 having come across the sea, even though he should have 
 seen nothing but the view from the tower of the Duomo. 
 
 The Victor Emanuel archway, the church of Saint 
 Ambrose where he is said to have baptized Saint Augus- 
 tine, the tomb of Saint Ambrose, the fine ancient wood 
 carvings and crypt of the eminent Bishop Basil and the 
 original "Last Supper" are strong inducements to visit 
 this city. The new family cemetery of Milan is said to 
 be the most beautiful of modern cemeteries in all Italy. 
 Surely it is a tribute to the Christian faith concerning the 
 dead, as well as to monumental art which finds its origin 
 and inspiration in the faithful and sometimes foolish af- 
 fection of the human heart. 
 
 Leaving Milan at 8 A. M., June 4th, we are fortunate 
 in securing excellent quarters in a "non fumare" (no 
 smoking) compartment. This ride along the lakes and 
 through the tunnels of northern Italy on an ideal June 
 day with pleasing company, good health and clear vision, 
 is about the acme of a traveler's delight. Near Milan 
 are mulberry orchards with silk culture ; rice fields also 
 
 178 
 
abound. The meadows with new mown hay, the women 
 harvesters, the good roads with stone guards along the 
 way and perfect gates at all grade crossings furnish a 
 picture of the industry and life of northern Italy most 
 pleasing to the stranger. Tunnels, by contrast, insure the 
 finest views and provide short and safe passage; thus it 
 is that sorrow often leads through tunnels of suffering 
 that we may have a better understanding of God and 
 duty. 
 
 179 
 
XIX. 
 
 THROUGH ALPINE MOUNTAINS 
 AND DOWN THE RHINE 
 
 THE engineers of Europe seem to have built for 
 safety and eternity. They cut through the moun- 
 tains rather than round the curves. We have 
 now passed by rail through two hundred fifty-three tun- 
 nels. The greatest of these and the longest in the 
 world, is the Simplon which is twelve miles long and 
 unites Italy with Switzerland and does away with the 
 forty miles' drive over mountain roads, reducing the 
 time from ten hours to thirty minutes. We take our 
 noonday lunch in the diner, three thousand feet under 
 ground as we pass through this tunnel. Modern science 
 and enterprise have introduced electric engines and 
 guaranteed both the comfort and safety of travelers. 
 Again we observe as we shall see throughout Europe, 
 how speed is sacrificed to safety, a good lesson for Ameri- 
 cans to learn from their European neighbors. 
 
 As we journey from Italy to Switzerland, I am re- 
 minded that nature is more wonderful that art. The Alps 
 are more startling than the statues of Rome or Florence ; 
 and tourists love the lakes and valleys more, for Switzer- 
 land is crowded with hotels filled with people from 
 England and America. Someone has said that the modern 
 
 1 80 
 
rush of tourists has enervated the Swiss life, making it 
 easier to serve the seeker of health and pleasure than to 
 till the soil or carve the wood. There remain however, 
 many opportunities of admiring the Swiss handicraft 
 and homely customs of the rural and village peasants. 
 Nature and mountains have made them devout, loyal and 
 industrious, if not great and heroic. One must admire 
 this little country with its ancient methods, snowy 
 mountain peaks, rippling streams, dashing fountains and 
 last, but not least, its clean streets and inviting beds. 
 This people are hospitable and know how to take care 
 of strangers and you need not be scared at their prices, 
 as in some countries where travelers abound. 
 
 You have not seen Europe unless you have come in 
 contact with the mountain scenery of Switzerland. Its 
 railway travel views are superb beyond all others. The 
 great abrupt heights of towering peaks covered with 
 snow, the picturesque Swiss plains and the serpentine 
 streams lined with grassy carpet a thousand feet below 
 our train, the surprise glimpses caused by darting in and 
 out of short tunnels, form a moving picture show which 
 cannot be reproduced on canvas. 
 
 Railroading in Europe is invited and made easier by 
 their ticket system by which, in Switzerland, Belgium and 
 elsewhere, one can purchase for a few dollars, a railroad 
 ticket on which you may ride for thirty days, day and 
 night, stopping when and where you will. 
 
 The old church spires with their peals of from five 
 to seven bells, the native costumes of mountain and valley, 
 the water-falls that defy description as they gush from the 
 mountain sides down the dizzy heights, the varied forests 
 and glaciers, the changing flocks and simple pedestrians 
 
 i8i 
 
or field workers, can only be seen by long railway or 
 tramway journeys ; and these are part of the luxuries 
 which draw tourists and refresh the soul of one who 
 loves nature and folks. 
 
 A fortunate hotel rest in Interlaken compels a thank- 
 ful spirit. You must admire and enjoy the clean, homely, 
 simple comforts which come to you by the way of the 
 downy pillow, the polite waiters, the restful atmosphere 
 and the abundant supply of wholesome food. The shop 
 displays bewilder and entertain you ; while the lurid twi- 
 light glow of Jungfrau will comfort and inspire your 
 soul as you sit by the waters of the quiet, restful and 
 glorious Interlaken. No wonder it is a village of hotels ! 
 Nature has invited the people and the Swiss hospitality 
 and industry confirm the call to this, one of the most 
 peaceful and unique summer resorts of the whole world. 
 
 If you have ever toured Europe you have been mis- 
 guided if you have not taken at least one trip in summer 
 up the Alps above the snow line. Come with me as we 
 take the train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen. The 
 sun is bright, the air is a tonic. On the way we pass the 
 mountain steeps on either side of the railroad. The 
 waters rush down the gorge towards lakes Brientz and 
 Tuhn. The cliffs rise perpendicularly to such dizzy 
 heights as to test your vision and to strain your muscles. 
 Now and then the water dashes in great streams near your 
 car window. The pines cling to the rocks beneath them, 
 rising to kiss the skies. ^After twelve miles by train, we 
 leave the station and wander through a village and up the 
 great foothill till we get a close sight of Staubbach Falls 
 pouring in limpid stream, from its lofty source, which the 
 wind turns to "water dust." This is why it is called 
 
 182 
 
"Dust Stream." The sparkling spray drops nine hundred 
 eighty feet, the greatest height of any water fall near 
 human dwelling. After visiting with the shopkeepers 
 along the village road, we ascend the stairway up the 
 rock behind the spray. We gaze at the mountains beyond 
 the valley for a background and take a kodak shot 
 of Jungfrau and other mountains in the distance. 
 
 But we have just started on our day's trip. We 
 hasten to take a cog-vv^heel electric tramway and cross the 
 narrow valley. Up the incline our engine slowly creeps. 
 The village disappears ; that is, the people grow too small 
 'to distinguish, and the houses become toys in the deepen- 
 ing valley. Passing tunnels and water sprays, we study 
 the Swiss cottage bungalows and cow shelters on the 
 mountain sides ; for far up to the edge of the pine tree 
 belt, the Alpine herdsmen dwell and watch their flocks 
 and, morning and evening, carry their milk to the villages 
 far below. 
 
 Now we stop at the village of Wendern, a hotel town 
 four thousand three hundred feet up the mountain side. 
 We ascend in steady turns of our great electric engine 
 to Wendernach, a still loftier station, and then, a thous- 
 and feet higher till we have passed the last tree and find 
 snow in the gorges and ravines on either side of the 
 track. Scheidegg is our noon station. We have been 
 wisely advised to bring our heavy wraps, and well enough ; 
 for it is winter here. The snow rises in drifts to the 
 height of our car roof. Great snow banks hang above 
 our hotel. Our party enjoy a snow-ball game and take 
 each other's pictures in the snow. After lunch we enter 
 another tramway that bores its way through snow drifts 
 up six thousand feet higher than Scheidegg, which itself 
 
 183 
 
is six thousand seven hundred seventy feet above sea 
 level. At this point, Jungfrau the pride of Switzerland, 
 is almost touched in her forehead, and will be a year later 
 when a "lift" is built to her very crest. A few of our 
 party must venture on a glacier with an old mountain 
 guide. Never mind the danger and wet feet; the snow 
 must be waded, the crevasses crossed. But hark ! it is 
 thunder! the lightnings flash, the clouds gather, a storm 
 is on. It is snowing till the sky is black. We must 
 hasten to shelter. About the hotel the dogs are hitched 
 to a sled and the adventurers return to find the cars 
 covered with snow which later turns to rain. 
 
 The excursionists, after warming and drying them- 
 selves, Vv^rap up in blankets furnished by the tramcar 
 company, and ride down the other and east side of the 
 mountain toward Grudenwald and the valley of Inter- 
 laken. It is snowing hard and later it rains in icy drops. 
 We pass again through snowdrifts and reach out for 
 handfuls of snow in midsummer. We have been to the 
 height of Eigergleschen, have seen the glacier face to face, 
 and now watch the mountain climbers coming down the 
 pedestrians' path through rain and snow; but they are 
 full of glee and mingle their shouts with the Alpine 
 hunters and herdsmen eight thousand feet toward the 
 sky. 
 
 It is a long slow run to the valley ; but the blending 
 of the mountain scenery with the glory of the setting sun 
 forms a picture which outdoes any description of artist 
 or poet. Be patient. It has rained all afternoon, but the 
 dust is on the street by our hotel when we return. The 
 setting sun may yet throw its ruddy glow as with a 
 painter's great pencil, upon the brow of Jungfrau as you 
 
 184 
 
Bernese Oberland Mountains, Switzerland. 
 
 Staubbach Fountain and Mountains near Interlaken, Switzerland. 
 
Mountain View, Interlaken, Switzerland. 
 
 Group of Tourists in Snow at Scheidegg June 5. 
 
sit in the village and gaze toward the famed mountain 
 peak you visited in the early day. Twilight in Switzer- 
 land at this season, reaches to 9 P. M. and later. Nature's 
 sun-pictures of snow and mountain crag are so over- 
 whelmingly grand that the delighted traveler drops his 
 pen in description, and only longs to witness such sights 
 again and again. 
 
 The season is cold and rainy, for this country, but a 
 boat trip on Brientz Lake to the upper end, past beautiful 
 falls with hotels scattered along the shore is not without 
 comfort and pleasure. A quick transfer of baggage by 
 the gentlemen of the party brings our stuff and crowd 
 into comfortable compartments where we rest till we 
 reach Lucerne by the way of Brunig Pass. This route 
 overlooks beautiful Swiss valleys far down in the meadow, 
 checkered with cottages, white church spires and cozy 
 villages that seem like distant nests of goose-eggs. On 
 either side the rugged snow-capped mountains, pine 
 forests, cliffs and gorges, water streams and pastures, 
 continually engage our vision and stimulate our thought. 
 As is the custom on European railroads, tickets are not 
 lifted till the end of the journey ; and we are happy to 
 find ourselves in Lucerne for a Sunday rest. 
 
 A beautiful cool Sunday sunshine permits us to at- 
 tend the English Church service where we find, for the 
 first time in Europe, a crowded sanctuary ; and hear an 
 excellent expository Gospel sermon on Isaiah, sixth 
 chapter. The Swiss take great pleasure in music and 
 band concerts in the park draw great Sunday crowds. 
 A friend gave our party a great treat of Swiss songs by 
 a male quartette. Of course every visitor to this city 
 will resort to the park where is seen the famous "Lion of 
 
 i8s 
 
Lucerne." This rock-carved memorial of Swiss heroism, 
 by Thorwaldsen, makes the city itself famous, if not the 
 whole nation, and it is an advertisement of the soldierly 
 courage as well as an exhibit of the artistic skill peculiar 
 to this rock-girded and devoted little country. The 
 prostrate figure of the lion, thirty feet in length, lying in 
 a monstrous niche hollowed out of a clifif, is seen to have 
 a mortal wound. The spear has pierced his side. In his 
 agony he guards the Bourbon shield and lily which he 
 has defended at the cost of his life. Chiseled in the rock 
 are the names of the officers of the Swiss Guard who, in 
 defense of Louis XVL, gave their lives at the opening of 
 the French Revolution. Also we read the eloquent in- 
 scription, "To the fidelity and bravery of the Swiss." 
 
 A half-day's ride to the upper end of Lake Lucerne, 
 though taken through the rain and mist,, gives us a very 
 happy view of this placid body of w^ater nestling at the 
 base of the mountains. Schiller's monument and Tell's 
 Chapel are indications of the faith the Swnss have in the 
 story of William Tell, whom they believe to be a veritable 
 hero, as Schiller has recorded. 
 
 The peasant and home life of this romantic people 
 are as interesting as the snowy peaks and limpid lakes, in 
 which nature has done her best and which she has dupli- 
 cated nowhere else on the eastern hemisphere. 
 
 The reader has already discovered that I am giving 
 only a skimming account of a hasty trip. Only surface 
 scenes and facts can be' recorded, and this book is the ac- 
 count of things which most instructed and entertained the 
 writer on this tour. Having enjoyed for a brief visit the 
 pure air and sweet w^ater of Switzerland, let us take a 
 passing glimpse of Germany and the Rhine. 
 
 i86 
 
We shall be delayed a half-hour at Basel while the 
 custom officials perform their task upon our baggage ; but 
 we shall be safe at Strasburg at lo 130, in time for a visit 
 to the Notre Dame at 12 o'clock. We must not be a min- 
 ute late if we would see the greatest clock in the world, 
 which is erected in this old cathedral. At 12 125 by our 
 time, one hundred fifty people are gathered in front of 
 the clock. At the exact signal of 12:30, the door of the 
 clock opens and its full parade performance begins. An 
 angel strikes the first quarter, another turns his hour 
 glass, while the old man is seen to strike the last quarter. 
 Childhood, youth, manhood and old age take part as the 
 apostles pass before their Master. His hand is uplifted to 
 bless them. When Peter appears, the cock flaps his 
 wings and crows in good imitation of nature. The days 
 of the month are shown, the eclipse is calculated and 
 most complex events, historical and scientific, are ex- 
 hibited ; so that the world does not wonder that the in- 
 ventor, who completed the first clock, was put to death, 
 lest he should sometime make another like it. They tell us 
 that the builder of the first clock lived until he had spoiled 
 its works so it would not strike after his death. After 
 seeing this wonder clock, we have interpretation of the 
 fact that the cock is found on so many cathedral steeples 
 throughout Europe. It is a reminder of the weakness of 
 human nature and the peril of denying one's Lord. It is 
 an interesting fact that the original Strasburg clock was 
 completed in 1354 A. D. by an unknown artist. This was 
 a remarkable piece of workmanship at that day and was 
 called the "clock of the three sages." It finally ceased 
 running and the magistrate of the town decided to have 
 another one built. The second masterpiece clock was 
 
 187 
 
finished 1574 and kept running for over two hundred 
 years. In 1836, the town of Strasburg caused this curious 
 monument to be repaired. The old case and many of the 
 pieces of the former clock are preserved in the Chapel of 
 Notre Dome today. 
 
 We have yet time before we leave the city, to see 
 the statue of Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. 
 It shows him at work as he lived here in the days of his 
 toil and trial. The old tower of Notre Dame, four hun- 
 dred sixty feet high, crowns a very fine Gothic structure 
 showing a faded grandeur of architecture whose original 
 magnificence was the price of the sale of indulgences in 
 the middle ages. We are still more interested in the 
 modern laundry where one hundred or more women in 
 the canal of the river surrounding the city, are kneeling 
 in boxes of straw and rubbmg on boards or rinsing outside 
 the prepared boats where they work away in real German 
 style ; for women work in Germany in field and shop. 
 The men are soldiering or otherwise engaged, as it seems 
 to the casual traveler. 
 
 We are soon on the train by which we arrive at "Bin- 
 gen on the Rhine." Homes, parks and military drill fields 
 of Germany are rapidly passed on the way. The houses 
 and methods of farming, as well as the costumes, are in 
 striking contrast to those of Switzerland. Every yard of 
 soil seems to be utilized. There is no waste of material or> 
 opportunity. Economy and industry prevail everywhere. 
 In these respects a foreigner is obliged to admit that 
 "Germany is great." 
 
 After a good night's rest at Bingen, we will enjoy 
 "Market day" on the streets of this famous village. Early 
 in the day women are seen in great processions, carrying 
 
 188 
 
Ledge of Lurlie on Rhine. 
 
 Castle Port and Grape Vineyard on Rhine. 
 
Women in Market at Bingen on the Rhine. 
 
 Castle Scene on the Rhine. 
 
loads of produce on their heads. The market is crowded 
 with typical salespeople, produce and purchasers. We 
 feel like typical tourists and make ourselves at home, 
 taking a snap-shot of strange sights, including one of a 
 Zeppelin airship which passed over our hotel while we 
 were waiting for the boat to carry us down the Rhine. 
 Of course we have little time to read Caroline Norton's 
 poem which is used by the hotel men and citizens as an 
 advertisement of their town. 
 
 The boat is at hand and we are resting our minds and 
 eyes on the beautiful terraced grape fields on either side 
 o'f the river. We pass the towers and historic monuments 
 along this river which is connected up with the books of 
 romance and history by most confusing and entertaining 
 stories. The old castle and ruins, Mouse Tower, the 
 Geyser Island, high bluffs and winding landscapes, 
 are left behind us. We become thirsty and long for 
 lunch and a drink of water, but water is ten pfennings 
 a glass ; milk is higher still ; the principal drinks are wine 
 and beer. These, our German companions in travel pre- 
 fer to all the temperance beverages on which Americans 
 dote. 
 
 Cologne is at last reached by water, and "Cologne 
 water" is sold at a fine price and there are infinite varie- 
 ties, all of them said to be genuine. The chief attraction 
 is the great Cologne Cathedral, which many regard as the 
 finest spire and belfry of the Gothic, yet seen in all our 
 trip. 
 
XX. 
 HOLLAND AND BELGIUM 
 
 OTTERDAM is our headquarters while in Hol- 
 land. June nth, we take train for Amsterdam, 
 fifty-two miles northeast. For the first time, and 
 the last, in all our three-months' journey, we missed the 
 train just one minute. To one who has just landed in 
 Holland there is enough to see during an hour's wait, 
 even at a railroad station. It seems only a few minutes 
 till we catch a through train which hurries us past beds 
 of flowers, tulips, lilies, etc., for which Holland is so 
 noted. Three features of country life make Holland 
 famous and attractive : they are its windmills, canals and 
 flower beds. Small herds of handsome Holstein milch 
 cows decorate the green fields that are fenced by ditches 
 wide enough and deep enough to prevent crossing except 
 where bridges span the water. The country looks like a 
 flat, floating and bisected meadow. No land has been more 
 faithfully portrayed by the artist. Its herds, its wind- 
 mills, its dogs, its costumes, make is a good subject for 
 the artist and a unique attraction to tourists.. 
 
 The Holland of today is below the sea level and is 
 protected by its strong dikes everywhere. Much of the land 
 used for grazing and farming is redeemed from the sea. 
 We are told that eight thousand more square miles of 
 Zuyder Zee will be reclaimed when the government car- 
 
 190 
 
ries forward her plans. The whole country is checkered 
 by canals. Amsterdam is called "the vulgar Venice." 
 Everybody is at work, especially the women who, as in 
 German countries, share heavy burdens of toil. Dogs 
 are harnessed to all sorts of carts. Modern invention is 
 gradually doing away with many earlier customs as well 
 as costumes. A few of the unique dresses of men and 
 women are yet to be seen on the streets, although a trip 
 to Marken is necessary to witness the wooden shoes, 
 striped gowns and baggy trousers the Dutch used to wear. 
 
 The Hollanders are very exclusive and unique. Their 
 language, money and habits impress strangers as those of 
 an independent folk. The life and quiet monotonous 
 atmosphere should commend their land as a location for 
 rest-cure sanitariums. Their industry and cleanli- 
 ness are very conspicuous : they are enemies of dirt. 
 Even the rural stables, though included within the same 
 roof as the residence, are often as clean and sweet as a 
 parlor. We found one cheese stable carpeted. They use 
 water less for drinking than for scrubbing ; and when 
 not drinking, they seem to be smoking. Women work at 
 everything in Holland, from making bread and cheese to 
 drawing carts and blacking shoes for English tourists. 
 There are few loafers. They are sturdy, stout and have 
 a reputation for being both peaceable and progressive. 
 The one national machine to which they cling is the Dutch 
 windmill, hundreds of which may be seen across the 
 plains. These work pumps, grain-mills, saw-mills, and 
 furnish power for a hundred purposes of manufacture. 
 A man's wealth in Holland is sometimes estimated by the 
 number of windmills he owns. 
 
 The educational system of Holland is very much 
 191 
 
superior to that of her Catholic neighbor, Belgium. Her 
 religion is Protestant, but quite phelgmatic and cere- 
 monial. Her art treasures show signs of an original type 
 of genius. The art of Amsterdam as seen in Ryk's 
 museum will linger in the mind of the first visitor, along 
 with that of Florence and Venice, though it is less pre- 
 tentious. Bold colors and striking fidelity to national life 
 and history appear in all paintings of Rembrandt and of 
 less famous artists. We are immensely entertained by 
 Rembrandt's "Night Watch," one of the most famous 
 paintings of the country. The ruling feature of art in 
 Holland galleries is the faithful depicting of home and 
 rural life and historic scenes of their own country. The 
 realistic, not the fanciful, prevails. While we study the 
 paintings of this museum, two young groomsmen with 
 their brides, in typical Holland costume of peasant type, 
 stride through the halls and prove more striking and 
 distracting than anything upon the walls. Their high 
 colors, butterfly head-gear, heavy skirts and stunning 
 features confirm the statement above made, that nature is 
 more entertaining than art, though art may seek to re- 
 produce real scenes of life. 
 
 In the same city may be seen alongside small street 
 shops, the rarest diamond cutting house in the world. 
 Here the art of cutting diamonds is shown in all its at- 
 tractiveness and the finest gems are prepared to adorn the 
 crowns of European royalty. 
 
 He who visits Amsterdam will want to take a boat 
 ride to Zaandam where Peter the Great is said to have 
 resided in an old house for three months incognito as a 
 worker in ship building. Ships are still built here. The 
 old house twelve by thirty feet, with its tile roof and ten- 
 
 192 
 
Along the Rhine, ApoUinaris. 
 
 Boating on Canal, Amsterdam. 
 
inch sideboards, its end window, its sitting-room and 
 bedroom six by four feet, is an idol with the people, and is 
 kept up at the expense of the Czar of Russia. A tablet 
 inscription within this old cabin is said to have been pre- 
 sented by Napoleon, or by Alexander, who was here in 
 1840. It is a tribute to Peter the Great and reads as fol- 
 lows : "To the great man, nothing is small." This build- 
 ing has stood for nearly three hundred years. The bronze 
 statue of Peter with his axe, hewing lumber for a ship 
 which also appears, stands in the public street of the town. 
 Of this, the natives are very proud. 
 
 But a visit to Holland would be incomplete without 
 some time spent in The Hague. It is here we find the 
 rarest prison exhibit in the world which is a display of all 
 the torturing devices employed in the inquisition period 
 from 1300 to 1600 A. D. The identical prison cells and 
 instruments of cruelty are open to the inspection of the 
 public. These are in awful contrast with the exquisite 
 and artistic House in the Woods where Queen Wil- 
 helmina spends at least two months of every year. In 
 this palace was held in 1899, the first Peace Congress, 
 representing thirty-five nations. One hundred forty 
 representatives were present. In this peaceful and park- 
 adorned city we find also that monument of Andrew 
 Carnegie, the Peace Palace, costing over a million of the 
 philanthropist's American-earned money. It appeals to 
 all visitors as a school house to teach rulers and kings 
 how to beat their swords into plowshares and their 
 spears into pruning hooks. It is a strange travesty that 
 no Peace Congress has yet been held in this Palace of 
 Peace ; and, that while writing these pages the 
 European and world-wide war would seem to prophesy 
 
 193 
 
its use as a kennel for the war dogs or as a hospital 
 for wounded princes and heart-broken queens. 
 
 Before leaving Holland, we must take a glimpse of 
 the Pilgrim Church at Delft Haven where our Pilgrim 
 Fathers held their last service before embarking on the 
 Mayflower. The portraits of Miles Standish, John Alden 
 and members of the White family, and the old pulpit 
 all speak volumes for the sturdy integrity and religious 
 devotion of the stock from which sprang the civilization 
 of New England and Manhattan. 
 
 Belgium is best studied from its radiating capital and 
 headquarters, Brussels. This city is often called a 
 "second Paris." French is much spoken here. French 
 signs and customs greet us on the streets. It ranks in 
 beauty and attractiveness with Paris and Vienna. It has 
 superb and well-shaded boulevards : the residences are 
 magnificent. Its finely constructed pavements, cleaned 
 every night, its Palace of Justice, its Museum of Arts, its 
 cathedrals and hotels make it easily one of the leading 
 cities of the world. 
 
 Our first study is not of the city itself, but of the 
 most famous battlefield of the world, Waterloo. We 
 will take a carryall, containing thirty persons, drawn by 
 two horses ; then a street-car and a railroad train through 
 a pleasing suburb till we reach the town of Waterloo and 
 soon find ourselves at the foot of the Lion Mound. We 
 ascend the two hundred twenty-six steps and view with 
 mingled emotions of sadness and gratitude the fields 
 where 72,000 of Napoleon's troops on June 18, 181 5, were 
 defeated by Wellington's 67,000 though at the cost of 
 25,000 lives. Blucher reinforced Wellington and won the 
 day : the Old Guard of Napoleon was driven back and the 
 
 194 
 
little general met his first great defeat. The fate of the 
 European allies was sealed. England and Protestantism 
 rather than French infidelity was made triumphant. What 
 an awful price ! But God must seal His power in blood 
 and make His voice heard against the pride and dictation 
 of the Little Giant who, in the early nineteenth century, 
 exalted himself above all militant forces, even above 
 Deity himself. The painted panorama of Waterloo 
 Battle near-by adds interest to the locality and gives an 
 impressive though unsatisfactory view as gathered by the 
 artist. Besides the heroes' mound at Waterloo crowned 
 by the massive lion, there are other monuments. One 
 constructed by the English and Dutch bears this inscrip- 
 tion, "To the memory of their companions in arms who 
 gloriously fell on the memorable i8th day of June 1815, 
 this monument is erected by the officers of the King's 
 German Legion." Nearly a mile distant the French have 
 a monument to their fallen braves, where is seen, without 
 words, a statue of a wounded eagle, signifying the de- 
 feated Napoleon. 
 
 During the few months since our visit to Waterloo, 
 Belgium has become one great battlefield and ruin. Its 
 cities have been captured, its people impoverished and the 
 whole country subjected to the conquering foe and lies 
 prostrate in the agonizing throes of an unpardonable 
 war. A chai acteristic of the Belgium people was ob- 
 served while we took our lunch at a hotel near Waterloo, 
 where those who refused wine with meals were charged 
 twenty-five centimes each as an inducement or constraint 
 to drink wine. Such is Europe, especially Brussels, the 
 greatest drinking city we have yet met. It is remarkable 
 how fully the people, of the city particularly, give them- 
 
 19s 
 
selves, men, women and children, to wine drinking. 
 
 Belgium is almost one great town; the people are 
 herded five hundred to the square mile throughout the 
 whole kingdom. The inhabitants of Belgium are com- 
 posed of two distinct races, the northern provinces con- 
 tain the Flemish, a sturdy race of Teutonic origin akin 
 to the Dutch, whose language resembles that of Holland. 
 This portion of Belgium constitutes what is known as 
 Flanders, including the old cities of Ghent and Bruges. 
 In southern Belgium, which is a factory and agricultural 
 region, are the Walloons, descendants of the Gauls. They 
 are of a high-strung nervous temperament more like the 
 French. Many of them speak the French language and 
 the old dialect of southern France. The country at large 
 is loyal to the religion of the Roman Catholics. 
 
 A day must be spent in visiting Liege and the Grotto 
 of Han. In making this, trip we will see Namur, Dinant, 
 Rochefort. Our conductor carries tickets on which are 
 the individual photos of his party, giving a five days' 
 privilege of traveling by rail anywhere in the kingdom. 
 The final station is reached and we are directed through 
 a village of poorly kept cottages and stable odors till we 
 reach the edge of a fine grove, an arbor of horse 
 chestnuts, cross a rustic bridge and come to the entrance 
 of the Lesse river under the mountain, where we explore 
 this most wonderful grotto that has its counterpart in the 
 Mammoth Cave of Kentucky. Part of our journey is by 
 boat on the v/aters of the underground river. At last, by 
 the aid of electric lights, we climb stairs and on up the 
 heights through a mountainous park of stalactite and 
 stalagmite formations and rocky tableland. The electric 
 adornments, the echo caverns, the rumble of the river in 
 
 196 
 
Holland Windmill. 
 
 Milk-cart with Doa: at Monnikendam. 
 
Market Girls at Marken, Holland. 
 
 Holland Family, Marken. 
 
the dungeon caves and gorges, the light of the flashing 
 crystals, the multitude of strange echoes and weird out- 
 lines of giants, fairies, goblins, make a deep impression of 
 the wonderful works of nature and the secret handiwork 
 of the Creator. We have traveled today two hun- 
 dred miles and have visited the coal mines and fac- 
 tories, monuments and churches of Liege, so soon and 
 unexpectedly to be defaced by great siege guns of their 
 martial neighbor, the Kaiser of Germany. How sad to 
 recall how wretched the war has made this diversified and 
 resourceful country ! Beautiful shaded highways that 
 were made into boulevards by double rows of shade trees 
 are no longer the charm of the country. The smoking 
 factories and beautiful homes, rural gardens and fields, 
 bear the scars of the cyclone of war. The lofty needles 
 and walls of rock remain, which rise sometimes to hun- 
 dreds of feet. The quarries, then busy, are now silent. 
 The green-houses which were cultivated by the acre, are 
 no longer productive. I count it an almost saddening 
 good fortune to have passed throughout the length and 
 breadth of rural and city Belgium only a few weeks 
 before the ravages of the war dogs. 
 
 We will take another outing and visit Tournai, noted 
 for its wonderful cathedral, majestic in proportions but 
 somewhat faded and dilapidated. Its windows and arches, 
 its pillars and pulpit, with its sounding board having in 
 the ceiling the emblem of the Holy Spirit in the form of a 
 dove, will not soon be forgotten. Four majestic towers 
 adorn the outside. One of the organs within is playing 
 to the chants of a dozen old priests who perform their 
 ceremonies for conscience' sake and for the comfort of a 
 few scattered women worshipers. Strangers seem to 
 
 197 
 
annoy them and we pass out to view the city tower which 
 is a beauty of architecture, surpassed only by a larger and 
 similar one in Ghent. 
 
 We visit Ghent, where we find a modern railroad 
 station which rivals some of our best stations in America. 
 The city hall, cathedral and the tower are all places of 
 interest. Our conductor wisely insists that we visit the 
 Beguinage where seven hundred nuns live, worship and 
 ply their tasks. Their church is unlike any we know. 
 It is seated with stools and chairs very much as an Ameri- 
 can Sunday School room. Twice a day these sisters meet 
 for worship and meditation, for study and prayer. They 
 live two or more in a home or stall, one of which we enter 
 and find the inmates kind and ready to sell postal cards, 
 candy, pamphlets, etc. They have not renounced mar- 
 riage and may return or withdraw from the hermitage 
 at will. This institution was intended as a shelter and 
 boarding place for girls unprotected, possibly disap- 
 pointed. Here they can live and die in ease and seclu- 
 sion, doing limited works of charity when demanded. 
 It is one of the few such communities found in the 
 Netherlands. 
 
 I here deserted my party and returned alone to Brus- 
 sels. Thrust out upon a perfectly strange language with 
 no one to interpret, I am fortunate to fall in with a com- 
 mercial Hollander who has adopted Brussels as his busi- 
 ness center, can speak English, knows the country, the 
 schools, the religions and has no reason for telling any- 
 thig but the truth to an American, who welcomes his 
 kindness. I observe with interest the great wheel carts 
 with front wheels half the diameter and one-fourth the 
 size of the back ones. My native traveling companion 
 
tells me that there is a great difference between the Hol- 
 lander and the Belgian as there is a great contrast in their 
 school systems, their business acumen and their social 
 habits. The Belgian king, supported by the people, is 
 progressive beyond the average of countries where the 
 Roman Catholic religion and schools abound. They are 
 seeking to transform their native country into a veritable 
 park. Alas that the ravages of war should blast the hopes 
 and labors of a whole generation in a few sad months of 
 havoc and ruin ! 
 
 He who visits Ghent will also wish to view Antwerp 
 - and its magnificent harbor and superb quays, once the 
 pride of Napoleon I. A busy city today, it is but a hint 
 of what its commerce was in the i6th century. Then, two 
 thousand five hundred ships could find shelter in its har- 
 bor; no city in Christendom could equal Antwerp in 
 wealth ; her massive warehouses were the deposits of 
 precious wares from every land ; her cathedrals, palaces 
 and works of art made her a marvel of cities. But the 
 Spaniard sacked Antwerp and burned millions of dollars' 
 worth of property and reduced five hundred marble resi- 
 dences to blackened ruins. Shall history repeat itself ? 
 Read the records of the war which began in July 1914. 
 Ask the fleeing refugees and count the ruins that follow 
 the German siege of Antwerp when king and soldiers are 
 driven from the realm, and the sea-port pride of Belgium 
 is degraded by the overwhelming superiority of German 
 guns and soldiers. 
 
 Thanks that Brussels is spared such degradation and 
 destruction. No one will tarry long in Brussels without a 
 visit to the Cathedral of Saint Gudule. Its magnificent 
 windows are an art gallery. Its great altar is a museum. 
 
 199 
 
We must not sit with our backs to the altar even to rest 
 and admire the architecture of this cathedral, lest a rebuke 
 come from the keeper of this great hall. Note the great 
 pillars, the beautiful illuminated image of the virgin, that 
 the light is shining from the rear in long distance reveals 
 in rarest brilliancy and beauty. The costly black linden 
 wood pulpit is symbolically carved to exhibit the angel 
 expelling with drawn sword, Adam and Eve from the 
 garden ; also the figures of beasts representing the lower 
 passions, which are being driven out by the presence of 
 Mary. 
 
 We will cross the flower market, view the city hall 
 with its four rows of gabled windows and numerous 
 Scripture images outside. We will admire the Guild 
 House across the square, once used in the middle ages 
 for tradesmen and called the House of the King, but now 
 used as flat residences and clubs. But the building of 
 buildings in this "second Paris" of Europe is the palace of 
 Justice, covering 27,000 square feet and costing $10,000,- 
 000. It is simply the national courthouse, but is a work 
 of architecture and art, and a museum in itself. Here are 
 revealed the loftiest conceptions of ancient justice as seen 
 in historic paintings and in the statues of Demosthenes 
 and Lycurgus. 
 
 The shops and boulevards of Brussels are veritable 
 galleries of art, an Eden of pleasurable resort. As notice- 
 able. as some of their finest buildings are their ridiculous 
 efforts to attract the English tourists. Witness this sign 
 which we note as we are leaving the city : "Keepsake at 
 scheep price." Having seen the child of Paris, we must 
 hasten to Paris itself. A fast train awaits us and a de- 
 lightful afternoon gives us a view of rural Belgium and 
 France, the country of vines, fashion, art and progress. 
 
 200 
 
Royal Palace, Brussels, with Children in front. 
 
 Lion Mound, Waterloo, Belgium. 
 
XXI. 
 
 PARIS THE FASHIONABLE 
 
 A FEW days in Paris leaves a foreigner incompe- 
 tent fully, or perhaps fairly, to judge its people. 
 An impartial tourist can only give his personal 
 impressions growing out of his own observations of the 
 city in contrast with other places. Henry van Dyke in 
 "America for Me" says that "Paris is a woman's city with 
 flowers in her hair." Strange would it be if, in this city 
 where the modes are made which dominate the world, 
 woman should not figure in great prominence. Nor is 
 she always of the Joan of Arc and Madam Curry type. 
 It would be better for Paris if it were so. 
 
 One is first struck with this fashion center as a city 
 of shops and business life. Much of the shop display has 
 reference to the feminine taste. Jewelry stores seem to 
 predominate. In a very small and obscure shop I noticed 
 one article alone exhibited in the window, which I could 
 not buy for the simple reason that I had not at hand 
 400,000 francs or $80,000 ; and this was only one of many 
 such bargains appealing to the street multitudes. Paris is 
 an intensely commercial city and has few scruples as to 
 moral questions. Pictures and articles are exposed for sale 
 which could not be sold publicly in any American city. 
 Play houses are open which would be closed by the worst 
 police force I have yet heard of in my native land. Men 
 
 201 
 
and women of the finest physical type crowd the streets. 
 
 The low moral tone of the city has been traced by 
 some to the Voltaire infidelity that has impressed itself 
 upon the nation. There is a general revolt against the 
 Church, including the Pope, which is felt everywhere. 
 Upon their monuments and in their cemeteries is found 
 very scant reference to religious faith or the future life. 
 This is in striking contrast to Italy where religion has 
 long had sway to the advantage of the moral atmosphere. 
 If the exhibit of nude art so marked in Paris, has con- 
 tributed to lofty morals, we have not yet been able to 
 discern the evidences of such results. In our visit to the 
 leading cemetery of Paris, we find the tomb of Abelard 
 and Heloise bearing the story of love and life on the 
 monument; but few tokens of Christian faith or fear 
 mark the tombstones. Death is a matter of fact; and 
 submission to it is philosophic. There is little emotion 
 depicted or sentiments of hope expressed on any of the 
 tom.bstones. Even many of the corpses hold a limited 
 lease of from two to thirty years. Some have a perpetu- 
 ity of occupancy, but we saw others being dug up because 
 their time lease had expired. It is refreshing to discover 
 in one of the parks a monument to Lafayette which reads 
 as follows : "Erected by school children of the United 
 States in grateful memory of Lafayette, statesman 
 soldier, patriot." This shaft was placed as a tribute by 
 the Daughters of the American Revolution to the fellow 
 soldier of Washington, a patriot of two countries. 
 
 Paris is famous for fine art and science as well as 
 for its wine and women. The Louvre and Luxembourg 
 Galleries contain many of the most famous masterpieces 
 of painting and sculpture to be found in the world. Here, 
 
 202 
 
as in no other city, we find a multitude of American and 
 European artists engaged in various rooms copying such 
 paintings as Millet's "Angelus," "The Gleaners," 
 Raphael's "Madonna," Leonardo da Vinci's "Mary and 
 Elizabeth," Bonheur's "Plowing with Oxen" and other 
 rare treasures. The "Mona Lisa" portrait which was 
 stolen in recent months by an Italian employee, has been 
 returned to its place on the wall of the Louvre and is 
 more popular than ever. Some of these paintings, like 
 "Delusions of the Lost" and "The Gleaners," cost $50,000 
 and upwards and could not be taken from these galleries 
 'at any price. Luxembourg Gallery is the noted deposit 
 of marble statues ; among them, Milo's "Venus," the 
 world-famed original from which copies are to be found 
 in other art halls. 
 
 It is worth while to visit the Bastile Corner where 
 the former position of the prison is marked by colored 
 stone in the pavement. Here the French Revolution had 
 its start and a mob began to change the map of history. 
 Close by is seen the "Twenty-eighth of July" monument 
 on which we read the famous French motto : "Liberty, 
 equity, fraternity,"said to have been written by Napoleon. 
 The monument of Charlemagne, "the always victorious," 
 who was crowned at Saint Peter's by Pope Leo III., 
 stands near the Notre Dame Church. He is ever an 
 idol of the French people though his tomb is at Aix la 
 Chapelle. The Notre Dame church with its imposing 
 facade portraying the Resurrection and Judgment, its 
 artistic windows, its unfinished towers and its eleven 
 various charity boxes for donations from visitors and 
 worshipers, is said to be the pride of Paris. But the 
 Pantheon, with its bronze statue in front and its paint- 
 
 203 
 
ings within is more worthy a visit and a more interesting 
 study. The worshipful and sainted Genevieve, the patron 
 saint of France, appears in many paintings. Joan of Arc 
 also is immortalized in four scenes representing respect- 
 ively her call, her triumph before Orleans, her crowning 
 by the king, and her burning at the stake. 
 
 We must content ourselves with only an afternoon 
 visit to the suburbs of Paris where Louis XIV. built "for 
 the glory of France" — that is, for himself — the royal 
 palace and gardens which attract the whole world. As a 
 residence of royalty, Versailles is connected only with 
 Louis XIV. and his successors. As a national museum it 
 contains the entire history of France ; and with canvas, 
 marble and bronze, immortalizes her great sovereigns, 
 poets, soldiers and statesmen. An easy and accurate 
 translation of an inscription on one of the many monu- 
 ments which Louis XIV. caused to be erected to his own 
 honor is this, "The State, it is Me." Everything about 
 the palace, including his dying bed and room in which 
 he breathed his last, displays the egotism of the man 
 who thought his kindom was immortal. The mainte- 
 nance of this museum of royalty and its surroundings is 
 a burden to the republic which has deprecated the idea 
 of empire, but which retains an intense loyalty to the 
 memory of its national heroes. Many millions of dollars 
 were spent upon this wonderful palace. To walk through 
 the rooms and corridors at Versailles, one must travel 
 seven miles. The longest apartment is the "Gallery of 
 Battles" ; the most imposing hall, the "Gallery of Mir- 
 rors." The gardens and resorts adjacent to the palace 
 have a world-wide fame. The fountains, avenues and 
 statues are full of charm and sacred to the memory of the 
 
 204 
 
Royal Palace Gardens, Versailles, Paris. 
 
 In rear of Royal Palace Versailles, Paris. 
 
darkest days as well as the most romantic scenes of French 
 history. 
 
 A three million dollar regent diamond from the 
 queen's crown, and the sword of Napoleon are shown, 
 reminding the present generation of past glories of a 
 wrecked kingdom. We must take time to look at 
 Napoleon's magnificent tomb. Twenty-one years after 
 his death, through England's generosity, his remains were 
 brought back in great pomp from Saint Helena to repose, 
 at his request, on the river Seine among the French 
 people he loved. The gorgeous porphyry sarcophagus 
 lies under a richly gilded and illuminated dome three 
 hundred feet high and near the Hotel Des Invalides, the 
 home of the veteran soldiers of France. Napoleon's 
 mausoleum is more like a temple. Spotless marble lines 
 the floors and walls. Four mighty piers uphold the dome. 
 Directly opposite the entrance is a magnificent altar with 
 an imposing canopy. From the stained glass windows in 
 the roof of the dome there fall into the marble crypt and 
 upon the sarcophagus beneath, beautiful rainbow hues. 
 This tomb on a clear afternoon surpasses, in brilliancy, 
 every other similar memorial unless it should be the Taj 
 Mahal of India. It is a plaintive fact that on the right 
 and left of the tomb of Napoleon are the resting places of 
 Duroc and Bertrand, two of his faithful friends ; one 
 falling on the battlefield beside him, the other sharing 
 with him his sad captivity at Saint Helena. Beneath the 
 dark green pedestal, a gigantic star is formed in the 
 mosaic pavement. Around it are inscribed the names of 
 the chief battlefields of Napoleon in the days of his 
 triumph. 
 
 The pride of the nation is shown by the monuments 
 205 
 
of various states and provinces set up in the Concorda, a 
 great popular park of Paris. The one devoted to the lost 
 provinces of Lorraine and Alsace is draped in mourning 
 under the words, "France still lives and will continue the 
 same." I saw nothing else in France that more clearly- 
 pointed to the readiness of the nation to take up war with 
 Germany than this memorial wreath. 
 
 An early Sunday morning walk in the Place de la 
 Concorde will give a quiet sunlit view of the Gate of 
 Triumph and the Champs Elysees. This is said to be the 
 grandest triumphal arch ever constructed. It too, stands 
 in memory of Napoleon's victories, and portrays notable 
 events in Bonaparte's martial life. On this boulevard 
 one may see modern France in all her busy rush, especially 
 on the Sabbath afternoon. I noted sixty carriages of 
 various kinds passing in a minute, or thirty-six hundred 
 per hour, besides pedestrians by the hundred. 
 
 Parisians are not a worshiping people. Sparse at- 
 tention is given to religion and almost exclusive thought 
 to pleasure and parade. It is a grief to notice what is al- 
 lowed on the Sabbath in the vending of wares of 
 all sorts. To a Protestant with a heart for worship, the 
 English Wesleyan church furnishes a splendid place where 
 one can hear a sermon of rare value by one of the great 
 English preachers, Dr. F. W. McDonald. Pastor Wag- 
 ner, author of "The Simple Life." also was heard by 
 members of our party with great satisfaction. He and 
 other missionaries are doing their utmost to lift up a 
 standard of righteousness and pure religion in this city 
 of pleasure that seems to wait and cry for a better life. 
 Happy if out of the agonies of war there shall be born 
 a new era of temperance, miodesty and virtue. The re- 
 
 206 
 
sources of the country and the spirit of the French people 
 furnish a splendid foundation for intelligent and civilized 
 progress. 
 
 The Eiffel Tower now used for a Marconi wireless 
 station is still doing business with its "lift" to carry pas- 
 sengers to its lofty outlook and stands as a monument 
 of modern thought and expansion as well as of invention 
 and competition among the nations of the world. 
 
 Paris has been described by one writer as "the 
 world, the flesh and the devil all on the ground floor." 
 If this is unjust, is only expresses a popular opinion 
 of the moral needs of a great mass of French people 
 whom we believe are susceptible to such ministries as will 
 raise the French nation above the reproach that has been 
 heaped upon it in the past. 
 
 Our program of travel compels us to leave Paris on 
 Monday, June 22nd. It was a delightful railroad trip 
 down the Seine to Havre. We pass through Rouen, the 
 town in whose streets Joan of Arc was burned at the 
 stake. Now she is honored by the whole French nation. 
 We little suspect that this beautiful and romantic country, 
 covered with orchards, well- worked fields and gardens of 
 grain and produce, is so near the havoc of war and death. 
 
 207 
 
XXII. 
 
 LONDON THE GREAT 
 
 THE English Channel is crossed during the night, 
 and at 6 130 in the morning we land at Southhamt- 
 on and are soon comfortably lodged at the Bon- 
 nington Hotel in the heart of London. After wandering 
 through lands requiring fifteen languages, it is a home 
 comfort to reach a country where you can understand 
 the sign boards and the talk of the streets. While the 
 dialect of England and the face of her people are quite 
 distinct from those of native Americans, you will surely 
 feel that you are getting back to your own folk when you 
 touch Great Britain. 
 
 I am reminded of Dr. Johnson's statement that "he 
 who is tired of London is tired of existence." London 
 in June dress is surely a city to be enjoyed. It is the 
 New York of Europe. Judged by its buildings, its area 
 and its men, it is a city of great riches and vast power. 
 It has six great centers, with a distinct type to each of 
 them, and all are joined by quick transit railways both 
 above and underground. The perfect asphalt pavements 
 and great variety of 'their methods of transportation 
 quickly impress visitors. A wise American tourist v/ho 
 has traversed the globe, informs us that no city equals 
 London in transportation, cheap and effective. The 
 double-decked electric stage is a specialty in London 
 
 208 
 
Monument in honor of King Albert. 
 
 Victoria Monument in front of Buckingham Palace. 
 
Buckingham Palace, London. 
 
 Plumed Guard near Palace, London. 
 
streets, and the system of speedy, careful and accommo- 
 dating travel is an astonishment to those from other parts 
 of the earth. The buildings are not of the sky-scraping 
 order, but are substantial and well constructed. Few 
 structures in London are above five or six stories high. 
 Van Dyke says "London is a man's town." The study 
 of men and buildings is a two- fold object of our visit to 
 the British Isles. 
 
 It is also a city of churches. Saint Paul's Church is 
 the largest Protestant place of worship in the world. 
 .Dingy without and black, it is gorgeous within on account 
 of its pillars, arches and magnificent aisles. The recent 
 finish of the ceilings and decorations have added greatly 
 to its interior appearance. It looks reverent and rich ; but 
 is is an abbey and almost a rival to Westminster itself. 
 In the crypt below where one old keeper and janitor has 
 had charge for eight years, are found the resting places 
 of many of the famed dead, among whom are Henry 
 Venn and Robert Lytton. The inscription in memory 
 of Christopher Wren, the architect of the building, com- 
 pels our attention : "Here lieth Christopher Wren, archi- 
 tect. Reader, if you inquire for my monument, look 
 around." The stamp of Wren's genuis and models is said 
 to be found in the commercial and church architecture 
 throughout London and all England. We stand with 
 reverence before the tablets which mark the burial places 
 of Joshua Reynolds, Benjamin West and Edward Land- 
 seer, among the artists. Henry Milman, dean of the 
 Church and author of the "History of the Jews and Latin 
 Christianity" has also a place among the great. Not less 
 honored is Sir George Williams, the founder of the 
 Young Men's Christian Association. Arthur, Duke of 
 
 209 
 
Wellington, who died September 14, 1852, sleeps among 
 the great in this cathedral. Directly tmder the dome in 
 the central palace of all is the inscription which pays 
 tribute to Horatio Nelson. 
 
 The funeral car of Wellington, hastily constructed in 
 eighteen days, is a magnificent piece of workmanship. 
 Only yesterday at Paris we saw the tomb of Napoleon; 
 today at London, that of Wellington. These martial 
 heroes of neighboring great powers rest with famed 
 scientists, statesmen, clergymen and authors. Britons 
 delight in cherishing the memorials of this hero as do the 
 French the memory of Napoleon. What destiny was 
 wrapped up in the events of Waterloo ! While I write 
 the English and French fight shoulder to shoulder in 
 solid loyalty against a common foe. 
 
 Westminster Abbey may well be visited after we have 
 seen Saint Paul's. A religious service is in progress and 
 as we enter, the chanting of the choir blends with the 
 peals of the organ. Here is the graveyard, the mausoleum 
 and the monument of the great ones of English history. 
 It is refreshing first to behold the statue of "Wm. E. 
 Gladstone. Aged eighty-nine years." We bow low and 
 tread softly as we approach the slab on the floor that 
 marks the resting place of David Livingstone, the Apostle 
 to Africa, who died May i, i8/'3. The atmosphere seems 
 sacred as we read this inscription and quotation to his 
 honor : "May heaven's^ richest blessing come down on 
 everyone, American, English or Turk, who will help to 
 heal this open sore." Herschel the astronomer and 
 Charles Darwin the scientist lie side by side ; but no tribute 
 compares with that over the rem_ains of General 
 Charles George Gordon, "Who at all times gave strength 
 
to the weak, his substance to the poor, his sympathy to 
 the suffering and his heart to God." He died at Khar- 
 toom, January 26, 1885, "^ save men, women and chil- 
 dren from imminent and deadly peril." The religious 
 sentiment that is discovered in abbey and cemetery in 
 England, as well as the appreciation of the merits and 
 virtues of the departed is a marked characteristic of 
 Britons in contrast with the French and Orientals. 
 
 Westminster stands alone as a national sepulcher and 
 church. Here we find also the "Throne Chair" in which 
 all the English kings and queens are crowned on corona- 
 tion days. Underneath and attached thereto is the stone 
 which the custodian and many good authorities believe to 
 be the genuine stone which Jacob used for his pillow at 
 Bethel many thousand years ago. Within a few days of 
 our visit a portion of the chair was destroyed by a bomb 
 supposed to have been left by one of the suffragettes. This 
 and similar destructive efforts throughout the city in the 
 months preceding caused orders to be issued which shut 
 out women from some public resorts and have concealed 
 from everyone valuable sights which were open a year 
 ago. The woman tourist is under suspicion as an icono- 
 clast. Keepers of the British Museum insist upon a 
 guarantee before the female members of our party are 
 admitted through the gates. 
 
 The British Museum is admitted to be the greatest 
 in the world and is the resort of scholars and travelers 
 alike ; for here are historic and Bible manuscripts and rare 
 treasures in relics, ink, stone and canvas, which the world 
 can ill afford to lose sight of. Only the Congressional 
 Library at Washington is of greater interest to even an 
 American. 
 
Of course we cannot leave London until we have seen 
 London Tower. Here, enclosed in an iron cage and 
 watched by armed guards, are the crown jewels including 
 some of the finest diamonds of the world. The imitation 
 of the Kohinoor, the king of all diamonds, is displayed. 
 The imperial crown worn by the king at Delhi, 191 1, and 
 the old scepter with a mounted dove are most interesting. 
 The two largest diamonds are in the crown actually worn 
 by King George in going from the Westminster Abbey 
 to his palace ; one weighs three hundred nine carats, and 
 the scepter diamond, five hundred sixteen carats. The 
 value of these jewels of royalty is roughly estimated at 
 $35,000,000. The Chapel of King John, under the same 
 roof, where knighthood was instituted and which has 
 stood for eight hundred thirty-six years, is still used every 
 Sunday for worship. The British armor room, exhibit- 
 ing coats-of-mail, swords, spears, flags and instruments 
 of torture of other centuries, furnishes a strange object 
 lesson. The gun carriage that carried King Edward to 
 his tomb is here. The cloak of General Wolfe and the 
 armor of King Henry VHL may be seen. All this armor 
 is polished every week and is constantly on exhibition. 
 
 Just outside is the court where I rested near the 
 marked spot on which Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, 
 Queen Catherine Howard and thirty-nine others were 
 executed. We climbed the old prison tower and were 
 glad to forget its gruesome history . Saint Peter's Vin- 
 cula Chapel, which Macaulay says contains the "saddest 
 corner of earth," is near by. In the corner of this chapel 
 rest fifteen of the most famous political martyrs of 
 English history. 
 
 What a story comes to mind as we stand in the sun- 
 212 
 
A Crowded Stage, London. 
 
 First Barracks in Whitehall, London. 
 
shine and motley crowd of Trafalgar Square ! Bucking- 
 ham Palace, the monuments of Queen Victoria, Lord 
 Nelson and others, hold us like magnets. But the greatest 
 monument of all is that erected by Victoria to the honor 
 of Albert, her consort. It cost $3,750,000 and is a most 
 startling and impressive group of statuary. The world- 
 wide conquests of the British Empire are here revealed 
 in marble and granite ; also the biography of all English 
 and classic literature. Sweetest and best is the atmos- 
 phere of domestic life and Christian faith shown in this 
 tribute of affection of England's greatest queen for her 
 husband. 
 
 Hyde and Kensington parks combined have an area 
 of six hundred thirty-eight acres ; thirty-two acres are 
 used for pleasure lakes and lagoons. Numerous smaller 
 parks are all open to the public. When an Englishman 
 was asked how they came to have them in such fine con- 
 dition, he replied, "Mow them and roll them for four 
 hundred years." Hyde park itself is a monument of 
 progress and English taste. Here all sorts of public 
 harangues and speeches are allowed at all times. 
 Preachers, reformers, socialists and cranks of every type 
 assemble from Sunday to Sunday and from night to night, 
 before thousands, and air their opinions unmolested. 
 England is surely a broad-minded old mother who de- 
 serves our admiration and esteem. 
 
 The religious atmosphere of London is of the highest 
 type. Over the facade of the royal exchange, the Bank of 
 England with its dead windows and its incomparable 
 treasure within, may be read the words, "The earth is 
 the Lord's and' the fullness thereof." The abiding in- 
 fluence of pious Queen Victoria, of Spurgeon's Taber- 
 
 213 
 
nacle, and of the zealous General Booth, are felt in spite 
 of the Rothschilds and the English sports. The sturdy- 
 virtue of the people, in pleasing contrast with many other 
 cities, and her institutions of philanthropy and missionary 
 zeal, make London the Christian metropolis of the world. 
 
 It was my privilege to pass from the matchless Lon- 
 don Zoo to the City Temple where we enjoyed a noonday 
 sermon of great merit and Gospel power from London's 
 now most famous preacher, R. J. Campbell. Modern 
 enterprises, and such attractions as Dickens' "Old Curios- 
 ity Shop" unite to claim the tourist's attention in his 
 jaunts about the city. 
 
 It would be strange if a party containing a half- 
 dozen Methodist ministers would take no account of City 
 Road Chapel and Wesley House. We are booked to sail 
 tomorrow but we must see the home where John Wesley 
 studied, preached and finally died in peace. The room 
 where he breathed his last seems sacred with his dying 
 words, "The best of all is, God is with us." His furniture, 
 his plates, teapot, candlestick, pen, books and a lock of 
 his hair are scarcely less interesting than his prayer room 
 where he spent hours in supplication for the whole world 
 which became his parish. Here also is a bough from the 
 tree under which Wesley preached his last sermon out of 
 doors at Winchelsea. The clock which he used and the 
 ordination papers which he signed have a special charm 
 for all Wesleyan visitors. I stood in the John Wesley 
 pulpit of this City Road Chapel which he built and oc- 
 cupied, and studied the emblems of the Triune Deity 
 carved on the front of the gallery. I sat in John Fletcher's 
 chair which stands in front of the pulpit. I read the 
 inscriptions on the tablets in memory of Thomas Coke,. 
 
 214 
 
Adam Clark, Joseph Benson and noted the jasper columns 
 contributed by various branches of Methodism. The 
 memorial window in memory of Bishop Matthew Simp- 
 son is another fitting adornment of this chapel. Come 
 with us while we visit the grave of Wesley back of the 
 church. Note the nearly consumed candle on Adam 
 Clark's tomb, and the grave of Richard Watson. I 
 seem to have reached the fountain head of this stream 
 as I gratefully copy from her tombstone the following 
 tribute to Susannah Wesley the "mother of Methodism :" 
 
 *Tn sure and certain hope to rise 
 And claim her mansion in the skies, 
 A Christian here her flesh laid down, 
 The cross exchanging for the crown." 
 
 Bunhill Field's burial ground just across the street, 
 contains the dust of Isaac Watts, Daniel Defoe, John 
 Bunyan, and many thousands of other never-to-be-forgot- 
 ten heroes of the world's thought. The army of dead in 
 the heart of this great city seems to speak louder than 
 the living multitude. 
 
 Our tour is nearly ended. After brief glimpses of 
 many other sights we prepare for our homeward sail 
 across the sea. 
 
 The lands of the past and those yet to come 
 Can woo me no longer, I'm on my way home 
 
 215 
 
XXIII. 
 
 A QUESTION CHAPTER 
 
 In touring Europe just before the zvar, did you ob- 
 serve any latent preparation for coming conflict f 
 
 I think we saw seeds of conflict in the friction of 
 soldier elements in Egypt ; in the inexplicable movements 
 of soldiers in Palestine ; in the suspicions and clash of race 
 prejudice in the Balkan nations ; in the domination of 
 martial pride in Germany and the keen "never- forgive- 
 you" spirit of the French in their published attitude to- 
 ward Germany because of being robbed of Alsace and 
 Lorraine. 
 
 What conditions in Europe furnish the ultimate cause 
 of the international zvar of 19 14? 
 
 1. Paganism. Its sediment has settled into the 
 bottom of society. Morality without love ; progress with- 
 out purity; philosophy without Christ. 
 
 2. Worn-out Catholicism. A compromise blend 
 of moral prohibition, degenerate Christianity, pagan 
 superstition and ceremonial bigotry. 
 
 3. Rationalism supported by regal ambition, militar- 
 ism and unmissionary and anti-Christ religion. 
 
 4. Infidelity fruiting in opposition to Church con- 
 science, disrespect for moral law, and the practice of 
 social liberalism and vice. 
 
 5. Mohammedanism, a mongrel counterfeit of 
 Judaism, marked by monarchial oppression, poverty, igno- 
 
 216 
 
Six Ministers en Route. 
 
 before Wesley House London. Susanna Wesley Monument. 
 
Elephants at Morning Bath in Zoo. 
 
 Riding a Turtle for Fun. 
 
ranee, religious zeal, patronage of vice and the idolatry 
 of self. It is fed by sin, must be punished with blood, 
 and purged by fire. 
 
 Name some of the superlative sights of your tour. 
 
 The oldest city in the world, — Damascus. 
 
 The largest city in the world, — London. 
 
 The longest tunnel — Simplon, 12 miles through the 
 Alps. 
 
 The largest church, — St. Peter's at Rome. 
 
 The largest pyramid, — Cheops, Cairo, covering 
 eleven acres and 452 feet in height. 
 
 The completest museum, — The British in London. 
 
 The highest structure, — Eiffel Tower, Paris. 1000 
 feet high. 
 
 The deepest depression, — The Dead Sea. 
 
 The biggest monument, — Emanuel IL, at Rome. 
 
 The largest Moslem City, — Constantinople. 
 
 The largest amphitheatre, — The Coliseum, Rome. 
 
 The most famous volcano, — Vesuvius. 
 
 The most notable mummy, — Rameses IL 
 
 The most wonderful clock, — Strasburg. 
 
 The most famous sculpture, — Venus of Milo, Louvre, 
 Paris. 
 
 The most famous battlefield, — Waterloo, Belgium. 
 
 The largest Protestant Church, — St. Paul's, London. 
 
 The most beautiful sarcophagus, — The Alexander in 
 Constantinople. 
 
 The largest building stones in the world, — Ruins of 
 Baalbek. 
 
 The greatest city of Bible story, — Jerusalem. 
 
 What is the hope of Palestine f 
 
 The breaking down and displacement of the Turkish 
 217 
 
government; the overthrow of Moslem religion, oppres- 
 sion and taxation; the introduction of education to sup- 
 plant ignorance ; the return of the Jews and the fulfill- 
 ment of Bible prophecy. 
 
 Is Christianity a failure in Bible Lands? 
 
 It is not being tried in Europe and Bible lands today 
 either in ruling palaces or in democratic circles. De- 
 pleted and diluted Christianity has failed. The pure 
 Gospel of the New Testament is the only preventive and 
 cure of this most unreasonable war of history. The 
 Christian missions form the oases in the wilderness. 
 Social and commercial, life and even the prevailing re- 
 ligions of the Orient seemed like a desert. The mission 
 houses and schools were the fruit trees, shade and water 
 springs of the sun-cursed and demoralized peoples we 
 were compelled to study. The missions were heaven spots 
 in our journey. They give the promise of reforma- 
 tion for all lands. They are the only hope. The unmis- 
 sionary churches and philanthropists are threatening 
 rather than redeeming factors in this generation the world 
 over. 
 
 What explanation can you find of the present barren 
 condition of the once prosperous and "promised land" of 
 Palestine? 
 
 While some explain it as the result of cutting down 
 the forests and vegetation, non-cultivation of the soil and 
 its consequent degeneracy, the best light , comes from 
 Deuteronomy 29 122-29 "So that the generation to come of 
 your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger 
 that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see 
 the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the 
 Lord hath laid upon it ; 
 
 218 
 
And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and 
 salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any 
 grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and 
 Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the Lord over- 
 threw in his anger, and in his wrath : 
 
 Even all nations shall say. Wherefore hath the Lord 
 done thus unto this land ? What meaneth the heat of this 
 great anger ? 
 
 Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the 
 covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which he made 
 with them when he brought them forth out of the land of 
 Egypt: 
 
 For they went and served other gods, and worshiped 
 them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not 
 given unto them : 
 
 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this 
 land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this 
 book : 
 
 And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, 
 and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into 
 another land, as it is this day. 
 
 The secret things belong to the Lord our God; but 
 those things which are revealed belong unto us and to 
 our children forever, that we may do all the words of 
 this law." 
 
 Is the overthrow of Jerusalem and the Temple on 
 the site of the Mosque of Omar traceable to a like cause f 
 
 God is unchanging and rules the events of all genera- 
 tions. Study the following passage from I Kings 9 :6-9 : 
 
 "But if ye shall at all turn from following Me, ye 
 or your children, and will not keep my commandments 
 
 219 
 
and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and 
 serve other gods, and worship them : 
 
 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I 
 have given them ; and this house, which I have hallowed 
 for my name, will I cast out of my sight ; and Israel shall 
 be a proverb and a byword among all people : 
 
 And at this house, which is high, every one that pas- 
 seth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss ; and they 
 shall say. Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, 
 and to this house? 
 
 And they shall answer, Because they forsook the 
 Lord their God, who brought forth their fathers out of 
 the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, 
 and have worshiped them, and served them : therefore 
 hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil." 
 
 What is the effect of Oriental begging? 
 
 Its first effect upon the untried tourist is to entertain, 
 then to weary and possibly disgust him. Many travelers 
 fall into the habit of yielding to the cry for "baksheesh" 
 as an added expense of travel. But this is doubtless a 
 damage to the beggars whose wits will often outwit the 
 wisest. They are never satisfied with what you give them 
 but ever clamor for more coin. Our party were forbidden 
 by our conductor to give tips or answer appeals for 
 "baksheesh" ; but a good hearted lady who made a plea 
 of poverty to a persistent little boy in Baalbek was met 
 with a pitiful "Then I give you baksheesh," which out of 
 his savings he forthwith proceeded to do. Later on he 
 came running to her with the appeal, "I give you, now 
 you give me." And he won his point, much to the amuse- 
 ment of the lady's companions who had heard the first 
 
appeal. All tips and private begging should be dis- 
 couraged by tourists in the Orient. Soldier policemen are 
 stationed about Cairo to protect visitors from the plague 
 of beggars. They have not yet provided against the bar- 
 gaining hypocrisy of street and shop venders who crowd 
 the tourist's path and match his Yankee shrewdness with 
 the Oriental three-priced, verbose profession of honesty 
 in order to sell you useless souvenirs "very scheep !" 
 "very scheep !" 
 
 What cost does such a trip as this to Bible lands 
 represent? 
 
 $1000 to $1200. 
 
 What are the most desirable conditions for such a 
 tour? 
 
 If possible, make the tour in the calm just before the 
 outbreak of war. 
 
 You must have average good health and just leisure 
 enough to prevent hurry or loafing — good touring is work 
 and recreation combined — money enough for first-class 
 passage, good hotels, guides, etc. To go with a small party 
 is better than to go alone or with a crowd. A competent 
 conductor who knows the route, can read and speak at 
 least a smattering of 15 languages, can make change with 
 a dozen different kinds of money and know when he is 
 cheated ; who can make quick bargains with 33 hotel keep- 
 ers and twice as many ticket ofiEices, who knows the cus- 
 toms and prices in all countries ; who can save your time, 
 soothe your anxieties, answer your questions in your own 
 tongue, and look after your baggage ; who will meet you on 
 ship-board and hand you your final ticket home without 
 making you feel robbed or bossed : that is the kind of a 
 
 221 
 
conductor to engage if you can find him. We found him. 
 Congenial companions who will enjoy the things you enjoy 
 are to be devoutly wished for. The trodden paths of 
 tourists are easily found. Break into your program and 
 be independent to think and draw your own conclusions 
 from discoveries made. Don't trust too much to guide 
 books, nor yet discard them. 
 
 Name Scripture passages which are illuminated by 
 customs observed in Bible lands today. 
 
 Ezekiel 16:4 — "Thou wast not salted at all nor 
 swaddled at all." Sinful Jerusalem is corrupt because not 
 "salted or swaddled" as babes to preserve them. Natives 
 of Bible lands believe that a child's body unless salted 
 soon after birth will become corrupt or diseased and die. 
 So mothers bathe the babes in brine or wrap them 
 mummy fashion, in powdered salt and oil for from seven 
 to forty days. 
 
 Luke I :63. — "He asked for a writing tablet." Native 
 schools are most inferior rooms where tenets of religion 
 are chiefly memorized and a smattering of reading and 
 writing taught by means of memory lesons inscribed on 
 thick flat board "slates" smeared with whitewash. The 
 lesson is written on this board and remains till fully 
 committed to memory. Sometimes messages are sent on 
 these tablets from place to place. Boys only are schooled. 
 I have visited such schools in Palestine and Syria. Girls 
 are not worth educating-and scarcely worth naming. Only 
 Christian Mission schools provide education for girls. 
 
 Deut. 19:14. — "Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor's 
 landmark." The fields of Palestine are not marked off 
 by fences or hedges. Corner stones are used instead. 
 
 222 
 
Sometimes an unplowed strip marks the division of lands. 
 No man dare tamper with his neighbor's landmark. 
 
 Matt. 3:12 — Whose fan is in his hand, and he will 
 thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor (R. V.). 
 
 The Palestine peasant uses no modern machinery, 
 but works largely with implements and methods four 
 thousand years old. Oxen are tied together and tread 
 out the corn" (Deut. 25 -.4). Or a heavy board is studded 
 with sharp spikes, is turned face downward and dragged 
 through the grain as referred to in Isaaiah 41 :i5 — "I will 
 make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth." 
 
 Matt. 6:19. — "Lay not up for yourselves treasures 
 upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where 
 thieves break through and steal." 
 
 Thieving is very common in Bible countries today. 
 It is done in the open field. 
 
 When the grain is separated from the chaff, the tax 
 assessor appears to claim at least one tenth of the produce. 
 The same is true of the fruit of olive trees. Often the 
 priest next comes in for his measure of the grain or fruit 
 for the benefit of the Church. Other portions are used to 
 pay back taxes or overdue debts. The balance is taken 
 to their homes to be stored in mud-made bins plastered 
 over at the top with bung holes at the bottom which are 
 kept closed by dirty rags or rubbish. These mud-bins are 
 thus easily accessible to worms and moths. Thieves can 
 •easily break these treasures open. 
 
 Matt. 6:30 — "The grass of the field which today is 
 and tomorrow is cast into the oven." It is a common 
 sight in the Holy Land to see women and children gather- 
 ing dr};- twigs, grass and manure and loading them in 
 bundles upon their heads or upon donkeys to be carried 
 
 223 
 
to their homes or to market for fuel. Such fuel is kept 
 in store for quick meals which are served free with ac- 
 customed Oriental hospitality, to the music of the "crack- 
 ling of thorns under a pot" (Eccles. 7:6). 
 
 Isaiah 52:10. — "The Lord hath made bare His holy 
 arm in the eyes of all nations." Isaiah 53 :i — "To whom 
 is the arm of the Lord revealed." 
 
 All who travel in Bible countries note the clumsy 
 costumes of the people. But the loose flowing robes per- 
 mit the air to get at the body in hot seasons, and the 
 many folds protect from cold and serve as lounge gar- 
 ments when they lie or squat on the ground or on floors of 
 their homes, which means the same thing. The pointed 
 long sleeves often contain pockets and when tied together 
 and thrown about the neck, the whole sleeve is drawn 
 above the shoulder and the arm bared for action. It is 
 what we do when we "roll up our sleeves" for any task. 
 It means something unusual is about to be undertaken. 
 Hence, when the Lord bares His "holy arm" there is 
 "something doing" of almighty qualities. 
 
 Psalm. 23 — One will never be able to read this psalm 
 of all ages with fullest appreciation till he has watched 
 the herds and studied the shepherd life of Palestine and 
 Syria. Lambs are the special care of the shepherds. 
 They are given in payment. They must be handled, 
 named, and treated almost as we guard our children in 
 the Occident. The intimate relations of sheep and shep- 
 herd gives everlasting glow to the words "The Lord is 
 my shepherd, I shall not want." No other care, no other 
 house than the one He provides will suffice. Surely His 
 "goodness and mercy shall fllow me all the days of my 
 life : and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." 
 
 224 
 
XXIV. 
 
 OUR JOURNEY IN RHYME 
 
 The Palestine party, Ray Allen in lead, 
 Have crossed the wide ocean at Orient speed. 
 Their number recorded is twenty and three ; 
 Their spirits congenial, their minds are care free. 
 
 Count Birks, Brown and Amstutz, add Morris and Frye, 
 With Potts, Smith and Witham, all men of keen eye. 
 Forget not Lou Monchow, our weighty "bach" brother. 
 Queen Allen, first Lady, we call her our "Mother." 
 
 Recall Madame Curtis, many years a good teacher ; 
 Miss Crawford, her chum, has the semblance of preacher ; 
 Mesdames Morris, Smith and Witham, with Switzer 
 
 girls three ; 
 Then Robsart and Hayes, and Miss Freeman still free. 
 
 This party of tourists, now over the seas. 
 On camel or donkey, by carriage, thro' fleas. 
 Are ready for wonders, are anxious to learn 
 Of places and people wherever they turn. 
 
 The rain cannot daunt, nor strange languages thwart 
 The purposes firm they hold in their heart; 
 They would tread holy lands revealed in His word. 
 They would freshen the story oft told of their Lord. 
 
 See Athens with beauty and grandeur renowned. 
 Acropolis Mount with wrecked glory full crowned ; 
 We honor Mars Hill, Paul's footsteps retrace. 
 And leave with regrets this most marvelous place. 
 
 225 
 
Old Egypt and Cairo next captivate thought; 
 Cheops, tombs and Sphinx by ancient hands wrought, 
 Till oppressed by the mysteries hid in the sand 
 We buy ourselves beads from this Nile-favored land. 
 
 We soon enter Joppa, then Simon's roof seek. 
 
 Find Tabitha's well, meet Latin and Greek, 
 
 Churches sacred, mosques many, rocks, flowers and plain, 
 
 Orange, olive and "baksheesh" again and again. 
 
 To Zion the Great her mountains belong; 
 Her water so bad, her odors so strong, 
 Her Omar so grand and worshipers poor, 
 Gethsemane's trees and Bethlehem's lore. 
 
 We climb Olivet's summit and gaze toward the sea; 
 And Bethany's hill where Christ loved to be ; 
 We drive to the Jordan, we drink at the well. 
 We pass on to Nazareth, only to tell 
 
 Of the days spent with Jesus by Galilee's wave. 
 Shall we now count our blessings He so mercifully gave? 
 Shall we cherish His name who walks with us still. 
 Rewarding our visit to Zion's loved hill? 
 
 We pass to Damascus under Syria's sun. 
 
 Where Paul made his record of service begun. 
 
 Here Naaman had lived and Abana still flows, — 
 
 Dogs and dirt crov/d the streets, what else no one knows. 
 
 Moslems are thriving by shopping and prayer. 
 The Harem man fusses and gives us a scare ; 
 But Baalbeck restores us with wonderful sights 
 Of vast pillars, with sto'nes and ancient delights. 
 
 Beirut shows her vineyards, her mountains, her sea, 
 Her silk- worms ; and schools which promise to free 
 The great Turkish empire from ignorance and war, 
 And turn Orient eyes again to Christ's star. 
 
 226 
 
We fitly absorb all the sights we have seen 
 And face towards the sunset to be sea-sick again. 
 But onward "Equator," screw onward our wheel 
 And make us more thankful as better we feel. 
 
 In Constantine's city at last we arrive. 
 At Kroecker hotel, where we care not to live. 
 We first gather our party, the Aliens to praise. 
 Lest fortune shall part us before many days. 
 
 We now visit Sophia, the mosque unsurpassed ; 
 The dervishes shock us ; the Golden Horn's crossed ; 
 The Sultan and Bosporus all have been seen, 
 We leave Asia and Fez caps ; good-bye, harem screen. 
 
 The Balkans await us ; we hasten to cross 
 By rail this weird country, not thinking what loss 
 Confronts us — Our loved "mother" grows ill. 
 Then falls at Sophia — 'Tis our Father's strange will. 
 
 The sad news at Belgrade, and later at Rome 
 Compels us to weep, though we know she's at home." 
 Our leader is crushed, our party distressed ; 
 But duty calls forward ; our faith gives us rest. 
 
 Venice raptures our vision. St. Mark's stratles our 
 
 thought ; 
 We ride in gondolas, canals strangely wrought 
 Into streets compel us to laud her sweet charms 
 And sleep quite serenely, all free from alarms. 
 
 Florence opens before us with galleries fine, 
 All full of art gems ; they are as a vast mine. 
 For Angelo's "David" we scarcely can wait — 
 Cross Arno's old bridge; read the heretic's fate. 
 
 The seven-hilled city, our old classic Rome, 
 Must be seen with its treasures, and hither we come. 
 The tombs and the Forum, with all their rich past, 
 St. Paul's and the Vatician, St. Peter's at last. 
 
 227 
 
View Aurora's bright colors, and Rome of today, 
 Modern life with foundations which seem laid to stay. 
 Emanuel's monument, Italia's firm hope ; 
 Admire the fountains, say farewell to the Pope. 
 
 Plow north through the tunnels, see Pisa's strange tower, 
 Touch the home of Columbus ; feel the thrill of that hour ; 
 Find Milan's Cathedral, so grand and so high 
 That it woos up its stairway our brave brother Frye. 
 
 The Alps now confront us by tunnel and pass. 
 Their peaks, cliffs and snow-caps, enhanced by our glass ; 
 We enter rough Switzerland, the goal of one brother, 
 Who finds barber and pleasure as not in another. 
 
 We climb to the glacier, we drink of the fountain, 
 We play with the snow-balls, we descend the mountain 
 To find Lucerne's "Lion" and sail on her lake. 
 Swiss music enchants us ! How can we forsake ? 
 
 But Strasburg and Bingen and all the fair Rhine 
 Afford us such pleasure we need not the wine 
 Of even our Germans, so good and so stout ; 
 We buy Cologne water while traveling about. 
 
 But Holland awaits us, soft bread and all such. 
 Good cheese, cows, dogs, Heaven bless the Dutch ! 
 Their women are clean ; and their men care to work ; 
 Their money is queer ; ; their mills go with a jerk. 
 
 Their fences are water, their towns are all "dammed," 
 But their Hague is a jewel, their markets are jammed ; 
 Smell their flowers ! These Dutch, let us hope they are 
 
 good, 
 We can never forget their "House in the Wood." 
 
 Three days next in Belgium to see Waterloo ! 
 Remember the "Palace of Justice" there too ; 
 The grotto of Han with its underground river ; 
 Her mines and her fruit from the bountiful Giver. 
 
 228 
 
But Paris surpasses them all in the light • 
 Of women, and clothes and jewels at night. 
 Of course art is at par, and beauty is seen 
 In fashion and paintings, in sculpture and green. 
 
 Napoleon, their warrior, the tall Eiffel tower. 
 The Louvre and the Luxembourg, all have their power 
 With railways and wine to bring tourists there 
 And leave many wrecked with tales of despair. 
 
 We hasten to England to finish our tour, 
 Old London, the rich, though friend of the poor, 
 Her churches, her Abbey and history are great ; 
 Her men and her methods are quite up-to-date. 
 
 We honor St. Paul's built by Christopher Wren, 
 Old Westminster Abbey with tombs of famed men ; 
 While City Road Chapel and cemeteries near 
 Recall Wesleys and Bunyan, DeFoe and Shakespeare. 
 
 Nelson and Gladstone, and Trafalgar Square, 
 
 The "Tower" and the "Jewels" say "There's power in the 
 
 air." 
 While the British museum and great crowded stage 
 All prophecy peace and a new golden age. 
 
 Oh, Palestine Party, 'tis blessed to know 
 
 The Master is with us wherever we go ; 
 
 In sunshine, in shadow, we'll acknowledge His love 
 
 And hope we shall meet the Aliens above. 
 
 Our mission is searching, our finding is joy ; 
 We are journeying heavenward, there without alloy 
 We shall answer all questions in unbroken light ; 
 We shall press His sure footprints where all will be 
 bright. 
 
 Good-bye chained Orient, America's free ; 
 Her flag's full of stars, and those stars shine for me. 
 The lands of the past, and those yet to come 
 Can woo me no longer, I'm on my way home. 
 
 229 
 
ON SEA HOMEWARD 
 
 Old ocean throbs with sighs subhme, 
 Her thoughts she seems to keep. 
 
 She watches o'er the wrecks of time 
 Beneath her waves asleep. 
 
 Her white caps speak of His command 
 
 Who rules from sea to sea, 
 Who holds the billows in his hand 
 
 From fear to keep us free. 
 
 When ships are driven for and near, 
 
 'Tis He who opens ways 
 For merchants and for tourists clear 
 
 While pass the happy days. 
 
 Far down, the silent cables bear 
 The words of toil and kings. 
 
 The wireless messages in air 
 
 Proclaim a thousand things. 
 
 The serpents great and fish at ease 
 
 All have their home at sea, 
 But graves of loved ones, wrecks, disease. 
 
 Start thoughts of what might be. 
 
 But ocean's depths and Father's love 
 
 Mean both the same to me, 
 If only His great eye above 
 
 Shall watch o'er land and sea. 
 
 The voice of waves declares the day 
 
 When there shall be no sea 
 And righteousness shall lead the way 
 
 And slaves to sin be free. 
 230 
 
Before His throne a crystal sea, 
 
 In prophecy is blest, 
 For saints thro' all eternity 
 
 To walk and be at rest. 
 
 With awe and faith for ocean's deep. 
 And thanks for friendship's tie, 
 
 Hope soars beyond the grave's long sleep 
 To Heaven's glad home on high. 
 
 231 
 
ilipiiiilii 
 
 
 0:i;lt;;|'|ii;i!||!|i;j>.,. 
 
 ;.'- i!riU"vvfl:lw'!i.;.:.!!i'a 
 
 :.h:i?!:i!'M;;!;iiiit' ;t;*fe« 
 
 :..siiiiii 
 
 ''''''Sliiw 
 
 ■■'M«,:l;i!ji',-;t!if,ii,M5i; 
 
 v■::;:■^l#::!^!!f:;;i4#i| 
 ;. :;.;:j'i';i!,'.Ml|l;,;;5:>.;.(:i" 
 
 
 ill 
 
 i:SliFii lilii 
 ^:i'^-|%|!iSj!iiiii