..•■V: v;:KV->;^^-'>;H-/0V>;^ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/bylandseaincidenOOfran BY LAND AND SEA INCIDENTS OF TKAVEL WITH CHATS ABOUT HISTORY AND LEGENDS BY HARRIET E. FRANCIS ILLUSTRATED TROY N. Y. NIMS AND KNIGHT 1891 COPYRIGHT, li!>1. BY J. M. FRANCIS & SON. FROM THE TROY TIMES PRESSES, TROY, N. Y. AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED TO THE GEANDCHILDREN OF THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. The materials for this volume were gathered by Mrs. John M. Francis of Troy, New York, during her residence abroad, while her husband was United States Minister at the Courts of Greece, Portugal and Austria-Hungary, and in a tour taken with him around the world. Unhappily, she did not live to superintend the publication of this work. But those who are aware of the purpose she had in view in prepar- ing it are permitted to state that whatever of novelty or fresh- ness there may be in her presentation of facts is the result of personal observation. Quick to apprehend the characteristic traits of a people or a country, she might easily have expanded these pages with an array of .details and statistics. But this was not her object. She desired primarily to enlarge the scope of the youthful mind by leading it to look away from itself and its environ- ments to a study of this spacious world of ours. The first ele- ment in such a process is to interest. It was, therefore, not a geography, a gazetteer, nor a formal work of travel that she proposed, but a simple sketch of the chief points which attracted her in some of the countries she visited, so expressed as to fix the attention of the young, and, by first diverting them, to end by instructing and leading them to develop an interest in the history, topography and peoples of all parts of the world. Or, in other w^ords, to quote from her own incompleted preface : VI PREFACE. "It is proposed by the author to have some chats with the young people on various subjects relating to history and the natural physical wonders of the world, introducing incidents of travel and several interesting tales translated from foreign languages. The chats will be arranged in chapters — hoping by this system of short readings not to weary the young reader." The fragmentary letters were compiled from correspond- ence with her children, relating to scenes and incidents coming under her observation during her sojourn abroad. There is no attempt at elaborate description, only salient points receiving attention, the object of the letters being to furnish in a familiar, conversational manner information most likely to interest or amuse the reader. With this statement of its purpose the volume is com- mended to the public, hoping it will meet with the results intended by the lamented author. JOHN M. FRANCIS. CONTENTS. PAGE. Chat I. Across the Atlantic to England, - - 1 II. France, Spain, and Portugal, - - - 9 III. Switzerland, Austria, and Norway, - 24 IV. Greece, - - - 4<) V. Turkey, - - 51 VI. Egypt, - - - - - - - - 61 VII. Arabia and India, ----- 79 VIII. China, - . - 99 IX. Japan, ------- us X. Home once More, - - - - . - 126 FRAGMENTARY LETTERS. Utah, - - - - - - - 139 California, - - - . . . - 141 Japan, - - - - - - - 146 China, - - - - - - - 152 Singapore, - - - - - - 161 Ceylon, - - - - - - - 164 Egypt, ------- 1^7 Austria, - - - - - . . 175 Hungary, - - " - - - • ISO Bohemia, - - - - - - - 184 Portugal, - - - - - - . 191 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE. 1. Lisbon, Portugal, - - - - - - 18 2. Chamouni, Switzerland, _ . . _ . 94 8. The Acropolis, Athens, ----- 4.0 4. Mars Hill, Athens, ------ ^4. 5. The Golden Horn from Pera, - - _ 52 B. Snake Charmers in Benares, Indi-4, - . - - 80 7. An Indian carriage and pair, Bombay, - 82 8. The Burning Ghat on the Ganges at Benares, 84 9. A Hindoo mother and children — Group of Indian men and women in Bombay, India, - - 86 10. Banyan Tree at Barrackpore, near Calcutta, India, - ------- 88 11. State Elephants of the Viceroy equipped for a Journey, Benares, - - - - - 90 12. The Taj at Agra, India, - - - - - 92 13. A Corridor in the Pal-ice at Agra, India, - 94 14. The Kutub Minar — A Corridor of the Mosque NEAR the Kutub Minar, Delhi, India, - 96 15. The Audience Chamber in the Palace at Agra, 98 IH. Jap-\nese Bed-room Scenes, - - - - 118 17. A JiNRIKSHAW AND CHINESE BaRBER, - - - 122 18. Niagara Falls, ------- 130 19. The Great Japanese Idol of Diabutsa at Kama- eura, near yokohama, - - - . 150 20. A Chinese Junk, ------ 154 21. Natives of Singapore, - - - - - 16O 22. The Entrance to the Whampoo Gardens, Singapore, 162 23. Jewel Peddlers at Point-de- Galea, Island of Ceylon, - ------ - i64 24. The Exterior of the Pavilion of the Palace at Gezeereh, Cairo, - - . . - 170 25. The Pyramid of Cheops, the Sphynx and Temple of Chafra, Cairo, ----- 172 26. Entrance of the Monserrate Palace and the Square of D. Pedro, Lisbon, - - - 192 ix. BY LAND AND SEA. CHAT I ACEOSS THE ATLANTIC TO ENGLAND. Among the Rolling Billows — At the Mersey's Mouth — Vast London — A City that Five Millions of People Call Home — The Abbey and the Cathedral — The Great White Tower— Through English Parks to Shakespeare's Home —An Inn Whose Every Room is a Drama — Where an Im- mortal Poet Lived and Loved— A Queen's Huge Castle- Home — Splendor in China, Porcelain and Gold — The Cap- ital OF France and the Tomb of Napoleon — Wedding- Parties Among the Trees — Turning Southward. Let us begin our chat by sailing for England, following the path by which I first visited the Old World. About noontime I went on board the great four-masted steamship that was soon to cast off from the dock and move slowly away from her moorings. The Stars and Stripes were floating proudly from the masthead ; scores of loving hands were waving the last good-by, signal answering signal, and even some of the sturdy old tars were seen to wipe away unbidden tears as they took a farewell look at their wives and little ones who have come down to the wharf to see the ship off. The bag- gage is hurried on the deck, and tons of mail bags are tossed 2 BY LAND AND SEA. after the boxes and trunks. The passengers go below to open the steamer trunks, and arrange for the necessities of the voy- age, before it becomes too rough to attend to these Httle duties. As we approach Sandy Hook dinner is announced ; the seats at table are all occupied. Some of the inexperienced sea- travelers remark on the insufficient table service. Overhearing this, an old voyager says : "It will be all right in a day or two, ray friends. To-morrow there will be more waiters than diners." "How can that be?" ventured to ask a fair young girl who is making her first sea voyage. "Old Neptune will find us out by to-morrow, and in all probability will escort us a part of the way over. And when the old sea-dog comes out, many of the ladies remain in their cabins," said the traveler. When we crossed the foaming bar and passed out on the broad ocean I counted a score or more of ships, large and small, plough- ing through the briny deep in all directions ; some freighted to overflowing with human beings, and others loaded to the water's edge with rich products from the far-off Indies on their way to America. But soon our stately steamship began to toss and dip her prow deep in the sea, rise up and ride majestically over the mountain waves as they rolled higher and higher, now and then throwing a tremendous sea on the deck. However, I felt but little anxiety, confident of the strength of the great ship, and of the skill of the navigators of our time, who know well how to overcome the dangers of the sea. In less than a week, so swiftly do these splendid steamships now cross the Atlantic, we saw the green fields of "Merry old England " as we sailed up the channel and arrived at the entrance of the port of Liverpool, which lies at the mouth of the river Mersey. We took a pilot who safely guided the vessel to her dock, and in an hour we were on shore, bag and baggage, and hurried to the railwav station. There we took a train for SIGHTS IN LONDON. 3 London, anxious for a peep at the greatest city in the world, although we would gladly have waited a few hours to see more of Liverpool, and visit the quaint old city of Chester, which is not far distant. We arrived in London after dark. As we rode rapidly in a carriage from street to street until we reached our hotel, I was overwhelmed with the vastness of this wonderful capital and the endless crowds which thronged its labyrinth of streets. There are many entire countries, any one of which does not con- tain as many people as the city of London. Its population is about five millions. One of the most important sights of London is the Astro- nomical Observatory at Greenwich, on the river Thames. It is one of the landmarks of the earth, for time and distance are reckoned from this observatory, calculations of which are accepted by more than half the world. Following the Thames I took a glance at Westminster Abbey, one of the most renowned buildings in England. The Abbey is of the Gothic style of architecture, and is more than one hundred years older than St. Paul's Cathedral. It was built in the early part of 1500. Its walls enclose the sepulchre of the royal family and the tombs and monu- ments of many of England's most celebrated poets and states- men. The dome of St. Paul's Cathedral is easily distinguished by its size and height from other massive buildings in London. It is next in size to St. Peter's at Rome. St. Paul's is five hun- dred feet and St. Peter's six hundred and thirty feet long. The height from the ground to the extreme top of St. Paul's is three hundred and sixty-five feet ; St. Peter's lifts its cross four hundred and thirty-seven feet from its base. When Sir Chris- topher Wren was excavating for the foundation walls of St. Paul's CathedraJ jn J6T5, he found relics of an older structure. 4 BY LAND AND SEA It is not yet determined exactly when the earher church was built. Another edifice of great interest is the Tower of London, sometimes called the White Tower because of its color. It is said to have had its origin at the time when Julius Caesar invaded England, although it has been much changed since then. The servitors and custodians wear richly-colored clothes of the style worn in the time of Queen Elizabeth. The crown jewels, including the famous Koh-i-noor diamond, are kept there and shown to visitors ; in another gallery is a row of mounted fig- ures in the mail armor of the days of chivalry. But to one who reads English history the chief interest of this ancient struc- ture is in the fact that it was for centuries the place where pris- oners of state were confined, and executed when condemned. Anne Boleyn, Sir Thomas More, Sir Walter Raleigh and many other characters famous in history pined and suffered within these grim old walls. Among various excursions which we made when in Eng- land was a visit to the renowned birthplace of Shakespeare at Stratford-on-Avon. It is a journey of three hours by rail from London. There were extensive parks, clumps of venerable oaks and elms, picturesque old water mills, quaint old villages with their gray stone churcheSj little old thatch-roofed cottages with moss-covered walls, and many other features of English scenery appearing before us as we passed through the country. We took lodgings in the Shakespeare Inn, the identical tavern where the poet went daily for his cup of sack. Time has made its ravages in the old building. There have been some additions to it, but in the general character of the rooms we were told no change had been made. All the rooms are named from the poet's plays, each having its name printed in black letters over the door. My room was the "Romeo and Juliet" chamber ; a friend who was with us was lodged in SHAKESPEARE'S HOME. 5 'All's Well that Ends Well ;" another friend occupied the "King Lear" chamber. The coffee-room is called ''As You Like It ;" the family sitting-room is named the " Merry Wives of Windsor;" the tap-room has over the door "Measure for Measure." One bed-room is named the "Desdemona" cham- ber, and so on, until the forty rooms of the house are all desig- nated. Tf w^e believe what is told us, the old house is still con- ducted as it was in the great poet's time. The bedrooms remain unchanged in size, and, judging from the appearance of the furniture in the rooms I occupied, there has been but little change in it. I am sure the modern toilet of a lady could not be made in one of these small bedrooms. The window-panes are five by six inches, and are set in very heavy sashes. Every- thing in and about the house indicates antiquity. We visited the house in which the immortal poet was born. The old servant there informed us that it " looks just as it did when the baby William lay there in his cradle." The house is now used as a museum for Shakespeare's relics. We went to the church where the poet was baptized. On one of the pews is a metal plate on which is engraved the name of the poefs father. We also visited Shottery, the little farm-house where Anne Hathaway's parents lived, about a mile from the village. The young poet, little suspecting his future renown, made fre- quent excursions thither to pay court to Mistress Anne, whom he afterwards married and who was his senior by several years. A descendent of the Hathaway family — an old lady far along in her seventies — occupied the old house when we visited it. She called our attention to the well, the very same out of which the family drew^ water in olden times. She showed us a few pieces of old delft ware which was used by the family in the days when William was accustomed to sup there. In reply to the question if one or two of those articles could be bought, the 6 BY LAND AND SEA. good old lady said, "Not for any money," We sat upon the same settee in the chimney-corner on which the young poet and Mistress Anne sat many a time. I can accept the age of the old hench, for it has been strengthened on all sides with bands of iron, and the back legs are kept in place by two thick hickory blocks. Not far from Stratford is Warwick Castle, one of the finest remains of the feudal times to be seen in Europe. It is famous as the stronghold of the great Duke of Warwick, known as the King- maker, on account of his power in the long and terrible wars of the Roses. On our return to London we visited another famovis castle, now a royal palace. It is at Windsor, an hour's ride by rail from London, and Queen Victoria resides there most of the time. We were shown the State apartments, the Queen's drawing and dining rooms, and the chambers just made ready for the Princess Beatrice and Prince Henry of Bat- tenberg. The latter suite of rooms is called the " bridal apart- ment " and it is always given to the last married couple of the royal family. Nothing more cosy and comfortable can be imagined than this beautiful apartment. The sitting-room is elegant and cheerful in crimson velvet and gold decorations. The lovely little morning-room is prettily furnished in pink and white satin. The stately bed-chamber is upholstered in blue satin, with silver cord and tassel trimmings. The baths are marble. From the windows are seen vistas of stately old elms, and wide stretches of green lawns, with here and there beds of flowers. Beyond, one sees the noble forests of Windsor Park, with countless sheep grazing quietly on its lawns. The castle is very extensive. The building covers twenty- two acres, and is perhaps the largest in Europe. When the Queen is at Windsor, four hundred servants, including three head cooks, are employed there. Each chief cook has his own kitchen and assistants. One of the finest collections in the BEAUTIFUL PARIS. 7 world of the famous Sevres ware and antique porcelains is to be seen at Windsor castle. It is arranged in large ebony cabi- nets, lined with cream-colored satin. There are no less than forty-five of these cabinets in the different drawing-rooms and in the portrait gallery ; the Queen's drawing-rooms, four in all, have cabinets of choice porcelain along the four sides of the walls. We were shown the china pantry. This is a large room with shelves from floor to ceiling, filled with rich and costly old and new china. Of the porcelain in use there are ten services of rich Sevres, each of which is sufficient for a banquet of one hundred and fifty guests. This is splendid indeed. In the banqueting hall, adjoining the Queen's apartments, is a punch bowl made of thirteen thousand ounces of pure sil- ver, and heavily plated inside and outside with gold. Now let us visit Paris. It is a wonderful city to look upon, with its magnificent buildings, lovely avenues and gardens, its fine old cathedrals and numerous church spires. Beautiful Paris is the queen of cities. Among the many conspicuous edi- fices is the Hotel des Invalides, the resting place of the remains of Napoleon Bonaparte. In this mausoleum, at noon every day, a military burial salute is given by the Napoleon Guard in remembrance of the great French hero. When I witnessed this solemn ceremony, some years ago, there was still among the platoon of soldiers one tottering old man who had served under the famous general. Paris is not the gay city that it was during the empire, The political situation is too unsettled to allow much atten- tion to be given to its adornment, or even in preserving that which remains of the olden times. One of the most interesting buildings of the former Paris — the Tuilleries — exists no more as a palace. A portion of the building is now occupied as official bureaus. The gardens, however, are still well kept, although 8 BY LAND AND SEA. the absence of the once beautiful palace detracts much from their beauty. The splendid boulevard called the Champs Elysees — leading up to the Arc de Triomphe — is always bright with throngs of gay equipages and animated with amusing street spectacles. The Bois de Boulogne is a lovely park. It covers a lai'ge area and some parts are preserved to appear hke wild forest land. The Bois de Yincennes is still the favorite place for the bridal tour of wedding parties among a certain class of Parisian shop- people. The bride and gi'oom with a few favorite attendants, immediately after the marriage, which occurs in the chapel near the park, take a walk through the beautiful groves. The wedding party with uncovered heads, the bride's veil wafting to and fro with the fancy of the winds, present a very romantic picture. One might linger for months amused by the many inter- esting ancient and modern spectacles of the gay capital of France ; but there is yet much for us to see in our wanderings, and we must proceed onward and southward. CHAT II. FRANCE— SPAIN— PORTUGAL. The Vine-Covered Hills of Southern France— Castles and Bandit-Caves — Across the Spanish Border— A Robber- Band Surrounds a Diligence — How a Countess Saved Her Treasures — Money in an Englishman's Boots- A Dtn- ner-Party with Jewels for Souvenirs — The Storied Al- HAMBRA — Spain's Centre — Madrid — Foot- Washing at Se- ville — Canvass that Master Painters made Beautiful — The Fame of Portuguese History — Cork and Tiles— How Ulysses Founded Lisbon — The Queen and the Diamond Counterfeiter — Driving Turkeys to Market — Pelted at THE Carnival — Flour and Perfumed Water — Missiles from all Hands— Ladies Barefooted in a Religious Pro- cession — Oporto — Students and their Caps — Fish women Adorned with Gold and Silver— Pilgrims Climbing on THEIR Knees to the Shrine on the Mountain-Top. Rushing over the railway past many a lovely valley, and many an old castle crumbling on picturesque heights, we at last reach the south of France and look upon one of the pleas- antest parts of the European Continent, where some beautiful pictures are brought to view, linked with interesting remem- brances. The slopes of this long mountain range dividing France and Spain, and extending through some of Spain's richest pos- sessions, are intense^ picturesque. The pretty, vine-clad villas, the romantic old chateaus, the little villages of the mountains, 10 BY LAND AND SEA. walled in with laden fruit trees, the groves of chestnuts, the many miles of mulberry trees festooned with white and purple fruit, offer a pretty panoramic view to look upon. And now and then may be seen a little hamlet with its church spire towering high above the low cottages. And again, far above the gardens of the Pyrenees, rise famous old castles with their turreted towers, many of them long since reduced to ruins, but still interesting to look upon. Inter- spersed among these old ruins are many grottos and caverns, which formerly were the dens of the bandits ; and perhaps even in our days may be found some of these human terrors. We don't like robber stories, and none should enter into our chats, but I must relate an incident that occurred not many years ago, for it is amusing rather than thrilling. The story was told me by a French lady who witnessed the scene. This lady, Madame , was making a day's journey in a diligence over one of the mountain roads in the lower Pyre- neean range. Among the half-dozen passengers was a Spanish countess and an Enghshman. The countess was dressed in the garb of an humble peasant, and in her appearance gave no indication of her station in life. The day had passed without incident or unusual adventure until just at night-fall, when suddenly a peculiar signal was sounded by the post — horn a signal that is given by the coach- man when he discovers at a distance a band of suspicious look- ing men, and it is well understood by Spaniards. The disguised countess quickly remarked that if any of the passengers had money or jewels with them they should dispose of them as best they could, in order to save them from the bandits. The Enghshman said he had four thousand pounds in bank notes with him and asked how he should hide his money. The countess told him to take off his boots, puU out the inner soles and lay the bank notes in between the soles and put them STOPPED BY ROAD AGENTS. 11 on again. He did as recommended, even the countess assisting him so as to hasten the work. In a few minutes the diUgence had overtaken the men, and immediately four stalwart bandits, disguised, seized the horses by the bits, while others presented themselves at the doors of the carriage. They politely saluted the passengers, saying smilingly, " Your money or your lives, gentlemen." All denied having any money. The countess with an innocent look pointed to the Englishman's boots, giving a certain signal, and said, ' ' Gentlemen, examine his boots. " The bank notes were quickly found and taken, whereupon the bandits thanked the gentle- man for having so much money with him, and quietly disap- peared in the thicket, believing they had secured all the treas- ure in the diligence, and that the informer was one of their band. As soon as the diligence had got under way again, the Eng- lishman showed great indignation, as did the other passengers also, and all were loud in their expressions of anger that the informer had suggested to their fellow traveler where to conceal his money, and then without hesitation had disclosed the fact. After this free and certainly not uncalled-for expression on the part of the occupants of the diligence, the countess told him who she was, corroborating her statement by showing a paper of identification. She said that she had taken this means to save herself from the robbers, as she had with her a much larger sum of money than the gentleman had lost, and that she would with pleasure restore the full amount, and regarded her- self as very fortunate that she was able to save the larger part of her own treasure, all of which would certainly have been taken from her, as the bandits generally examined every unprotected person who came in their way on the high roads, adding that she had resorted to this ruse, not only to save a part of her own treasure but also as a protection to the other 12 BY LAND AND SEA. passengers by giving out the idea that she belonged to the bandits' band, and had procured the information as to who in the diligence had money. After the explanation of what certainly appeared to be a gross act of treachery, the countess invited the company to dine with her on the following day in her chateau in the town where all were to leave the diligence, and would be obliged to remain a day awaiting the next post conveyance, at the same time remarking that not one of her traveling companions would finally regret the disagreeable adventure. At the hour designed on the next day the invited guests presented themselves at the chateau, not knowing whether a snarl or a pleasure was in store for them. The countess received them in a splendid audience room, and at once presented the Englishman not only with his lost four thousand pounds, but an additional thousand, and to each of her guests a valuable jewel. The dinner episode was charming, and the guests departed delighted. Being on the frontier of Spain, let us take a glance at that country on our way to Portugal. We may think of Spain as being richer in historic lore and works of art than in the beauty of its landscapes. A large part of the Spanish domain is covered with olive, cork and chestnut groves. All of these products are, as we know, in demand the world over. The greatest treasures of Spain are its Alhambra and picture gal- leries. The Alhambra, which is in the city of Granada, is men- tioned in the early historic annals of Spain. It was the palace of the ancient Moorish Kings. There is a record of the exist- ence of a part of the palace in 884, when it was spoken of as a "terrestrial paradise." To form an idea of what it must have been in the magnificence of its early days one must imagine MADRID AND PORTUGAL. 13 himself in the palaces of "Arabian Nights " renown as pictured in these fairy tales. But large additions have been made from time to time to this most interesting edifice. This monument of such interest and splendor has been immortalized by the magic pen of one of our own authors, Washington Irving. Madrid is situated about the center of the dominion. A little church stands just outside the city, which occupies, it is said, the exact central point of Spain. The city rests on high ground, and the soil, for nearly a hundred miles in every direction, is sandy, rocky and arid, and cannot be cultivated to any extent. Seville is a beautiful city. The ceremonies of the Roman church are celebrated here more fully and more strictly than in any other European city. The religious ceremony of foot- washing, according to the Bible tradition, is still observed here as well as in Austria. When we reach Vienna we may be able to witness this most remarkable ceremonial at more leisure than we can give to it in this evening's chat. There is a beautiful drive in the heart of Madrid, called the Patiro, where magnificent turnouts may be seen and beautiful women wearing mantillas on their heads instead of bonnets. The Madrid picture gallery contains one of the finest col- lections in the world. Masterpieces by Murillo, Titian, Tinto- retto, Velasquez, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck, Teniers, Guido Reni and other renowned painters are there. How much one may learn by studying the works of those masters ! From Spain to Portugal is but a step, comparatively speak- ing. Portugal is a small country but has a brave people. The hidalgos, or nobility of olden times, were a heroic race. Hero- ism and bravery ai^e emblazoned all over the national history. Spain had her Oohimbus and Ponce de Leon ; Portugal had her 14 BY LAND AND SEA. Vasco da Gama, and her national poet Camoens. The Portu- guese were the first European navigators of the waters of the East Indies since the time of Alexander the Great. They made discoveries of islands and countries which had never seen the Christian cross until raised by the Portuguese pioneers. The peninsula comprising Spain and Portugal has exper- ienced frightful earthquakes at times. The earthquake at Lisbon of 1T55 was one of the most terrible in its consequences of any known in the history of the world. It is said that more than 60,000 persons perished that day. A large portion of Portugal is covered with cork and olive groves. The commerce in cork is one of its largest industries. The landscape everywhere is picturesque. The valleys are cov- ered with grapes, and the highlands with olive and cork for- ests. Many of the houses in the larger cities, and, also in the smaller towns, are faced outside with bright -colored tiles laid on in picturesque designs, often in Moorish and sometimes in floral patterns. The effect under the bright sunlight is bril- liant, the colors glistening like precious stones. In some of the old palaces the inside walls are covered with blue and white tiling halfway up the ceiling, depicting battle scenes, pictures from family life and noted historic events. I found in an old Portuguese book the following very inter- esting legend respecting the founding of the city of Lisbon : It is related that Ulysses, the hero of Greek history, with a band of followers, during his long wanderings on the seas endeavoring to find his native isle, Ithaca, after the conquest of Troy, came into the River Tagus. Here he found the har- bor so delightful, after his long and dangerous buffetings on the seas, and the products along the shores so satisfying to his half -famished men, that he determined to trace out and occupy a city close by the shore. This he did, and erected a temple to AN INTERESTING LEGEND. 15 Minerva, Darning the new city Ulysippo. The intruding cus- toms and the overbearing manners of the Greeks at last drew upon them the hostihty of the natives, and Ulysses was com- pelled to abandon the hope of making a permanent settlement in this genial climate, and induced his men — many of whom were inclined to remain with the natives — to sail again in search of his beloved Island of Ithaca, always hoping once more to meet Pe-nelope and Telemachus, his wife and son, from whorp. he had been separated so many years. An interesting tale is related of one of the early queens of Portugal, which has been immortalized by Auber in the opera of "Crown Diamonds." The story is dated in the year 1700 ; the scene is laid in Portugal. The opera is in three acts. The first act is located in the Estremadura mountains ; the second In the Castle of the Duke de Campo-Mayor, in Coimbra ; and the third act in the royal palace in Lisbon. The story goes as follows : The young queen of Portugal, still in her minority, becomes aware of the embarrassed cir- cumstances of the Kingdom, and resolves upon a novel way to assist the pecuniary condition of her country. She hears of a man who has been sentenced to death for coining false money. She has him secretly brought before her and tells him she will spare him life if he will make an imitation of the crown jewels, but it is to be done under the strictest secrecy, and so perfectly that the deception shall not be discovered. Thereupon the con- demned man collects his band of workmen, and chooses for his laboratory a deep cavern in the rocks of the Estremadura mountains beneath an old hermitage. In the garb of a gypsy girl, the young princess from time to time visits the secluded cavern under the pretense of going to the chapel in the hermitage, and carries to the counterfeiter each time some of the diamonds of which he is to make the imitation. 16 BY LAND AND SEA. In the meanwhile an accident occurs to one of the hidalgos or nobility, who chances to be traveling in that country and has been thrown from his carriage and seriously hurt. He is brought to the hermitage for rest. Accidentally he falls through a trap-door into the cave where the men are at work, and the gypsy princess happens to be there at the same time. The young nobleman is obliged to remain some time in the cavern before he can be removed ; he becomes enamored of the pretty gypsy girl, who does not repel his advances, for she knows full well who her companion is. However, the time comes for them to separate. The young man swears that he will not divulge what he has seen in the cavern, and the princess gives him one of the real jewels as a souvenir, and requests him never to part with it. The false jewels are at last finished, and the chief of the band, with the disguised princess, starts for Lisbon. Mean- while the crown jewels are missed, and the country is filled with armed police searching for the robbers. The chief and the gypsy are arrested on suspicion and taken to Coimbra, where they are brought before the Minister of Justice. There the nobleman meets the gypsy girl, for he, too, is under temporary arrest, it having been discovered that he is wearing on his finger one of the lost jewels. He is greatly surprised to see her with the chief of the band of supposed robbers, but through the infiuence of the nobleman, she and the counterfeiter obtained a reprieve. All hurry on to Lisbon to sue for mercy before the queen, who has just been declared to have attained her majority and is soon to be crowned. During this time the real jewels have been sent abroad for sale, and the false ones have been substituted in their place. The young queen is crowned. On the day of her corona- tion the revelation of the plot occurs, when the queen most CURIOUS SIGHTS IN LISBON. 17 satisfactorily'explains her plan for replenishing the royal treas- ury, and her course is approved. The young hidalgo appears before the queen to sue for pardon, and is surprised to discover that the queen and the gypsy girl are the same person ; and a second and greater surprise awaits him when the queen chooses him for her husband, and says : "All is well ; nothing is false but the jewels I wear, and this is for the good of the country." One of the curious sights of Lisbon is the Turkey Market, which is held during the winter months. The turkeys are driven in numbers of a hundred "bills" or more through the streets by old women and barefooted children. They are counted and spoken of as "bills," just as we speak of so many head of cattle. At the well-known cry of the venders, " Who wants to buy a turkey ? " cooks hurry to the streets to make selections, and ladies in carriages and on the promenade order the turkey-drivers to pass their houses and leave them so many "bills." When I was in Lisbon the carnival occurred in February. It was a very entertaining sight, as I saw it from a balcony of the Chiado or Broadway of Lisbon. One of the absurd amuse- ments was throwing flour at each other. Those engaged in that sport protected their heads with caps drawn tightly over them, and donned clothing that could be washed, while the furniture was removed into back rooms. But no one could avoid the play of the bisuagas or small syringes through which perfumed water was ejected. Children frequently salute their parents in the early morning during the carnival with a sprink- ling from the bisuagas. In the house opposite us were a dozen men and women covered with flour from head to foot. Long before six o'clock, the hour when the carnival was to terminate, those people were ghastly white, and moved about in clouds of flying flour. Small paper bags containing flour are often thrown upon the IS BY LAND AND SEA. people passing in the streets, while others are hurled at those seated or standing at the windows of the opposite houses. Persons thus assailed have no other redress than to return the pelting. Everything is considered as fair play during the last day of the carnival. Small bags of beans and corn are often tossed into the car- riages as disguised acquaintances are discovered passing each other in the street. I saw a peck of beans showered upon the crowd beneath the balcony of the house across the street. Sacks of squares of colored paper, cut very fine by machinery, are often dropped upon the heads of the passers-by, making pretty effects as they flutter about. Another pretty spectacle consists of showers of silver and gilt-tinsel paper, in small pieces, dropped from the roofs of the houses and wafted about the Chiado in the bright sunlight by the breezes, and lighting here and there upon the merry crowd below, like so many fall- ing gold and silver stars. Nosegays, with mottoes or billets cloux hidden among the flowers, are also thrown at those who may be recognized through their disguise. Another cunning device for carnival sport, is small balls made of fine cut paper, saturated with perfumed water, and used as carnival missiles and hurled at each other ; these balls explode as they strike, and the wet paper flies apart and sticks fast wherever it falls. During the last three hours of the carnival everyone becomes wild with excitement, and consequently great liberty is allowed. Nobody takes offense at anything, knowing well that the only way to escape the inconveniences of carnival sports is to remain at home. Naturally, however, everybody wants to see the sport, and of course is assailed everywhere. Not only do the people of the lower classes participate in these sportive contentions, but ladies and gentlemen in the highest society disguise and mask themselves and join the wild throng in the Chiado. Often entire families give way to the carnival craze THE CARNIVAL IN PORTUGAL. 19 and go along the streets hurling beans and corn at persons in carriages and on the balconies. The grand finale of the carnival is deferred until evening, when the theaters become centers of festivities. San Carlos, the royal opera house, has its parquet floored over, and dancing begins there at nine o'clock to end at midnight. Sometimes the members of the royal family participate in the amusements of the evening from the royal box ; and they, too, are subject to the play of the bisuaga, without showing any resentment, and pleasantly join in the general pelting of the people about them. Those attending these balls are masked and wear dominos, and everybody is armed with bisuagas. During the last three days of the carnival I did not dare to venture out in an open carriage. Once when riding in a close coach the door was daringly opened and a bisuaga was fired at me. A little farther on the carriage door was again opened, and a coil of muddy string was thrown on my lap and quickly drawn out, leaving a dirty track on my dress. It is a puzzle to foreigners to learn the names of many of the streets in Lisbon, for some of them are spoken of by a name entirely different from that displayed on the sign board. For instance, the street named Rua Bella da Rainha, or the Beautiful Street of the Queen, is generally called Rua da Praia, Silver Street. Some of the street names are also absurdly long and inconvenient, such as Rua da Santo Antonia do Convento do Coracao de Jesus, Street of St. Antonio on the Square of the Convent of the Heart of Jesus. There are also some names of odd meaning, such as the street of the Onions and street of the Happily Married. One may learn considerable of the Portu- guese language by studying the street names. The religious processions were formerly among the most striking sights of Lisbon. But the later laws of Portugal have resulted in decreasing the power of the Koman Catholic Church -'" BY LAND AND SEA. in that country and with it the number and splendor of its street processions. One of the chief processions nowadays is that of Corpus Christi. It represents our Savior on his way to the crucifixion. There are six different figures of Christ in wood, carried upon as many platforms, decorated with natural and artifi.cial flowers. Each platform is borne by eight priests with uncovered heads, preceded by a little girl about eight years old, dressed to represent an angel ; she wears a bright blue dress and shoes of the same color ; two silver paper wings are attached to her shoulders and a wreath of white roses crowns her head. The''first figure of Christ was dressed in a long purple robe, representing him as a teacher. The second was in a kneeling position and had a green bra,nch in its hand. The third figure had a long, heavy rope around its waist. The fourth was naked and the feet and hands were bound with ropes. The figure on the'fifth platform was bent and bore a heavy cross. The last figure represented Christ nailed to the cross. Then followed the figure of Mary, the mother. Behind these figures walked several men and women doing penance They had made vows that if certain prayers were answered, they would go through the streets barefooted in the procession and afterward dispense with shoes for a certain length of time. Among the penitents was a lady of nobility wearing a long black veil over her head and face, and carrying a crucifix in her hand. I observed that her feet were white and very dehcate, and evidently unaccus- tomed to the hard pavement. There was a large military escort, and thousands of peeple moved in the procession. In the pleasant month of May we made an excursion to Oporto, going by rail. The distance between the two capitals, as Lisbon and Oporto are called, is one hundred and eighty miles, but it requires thirteen hours to accomplish the journey, owing to the slow running time and frequent stops. We saw OPORTO— ITS PEOPLE AND CUSTOMS. 21 thousands of men, women and children laboring in the vine- yards and grain fields, the scenery being everywhere very beau- tiful. In the neighborhood of Oporto is the district where the famous port wine is produced, and we saw grapes cultivated on all sides. We stopped at Coimbra on the way. It is a most interest- ing university town, picturesquely built on a hillside by the banks of the lovely river Mandego. Many hundred students attend the University of Coimbra. One meets them everywhere on the streets. They are very polite in manner and always ready to reply to inquiries. While at college, the students do not wear hats in summer or winter. The uniform is a plain black suit, comprising a long black frock-coat and a Spanish cap having long tabs, one of which can be thrown over the left shoulder and the other in bad weather over the head. Oporto is built on the steep banks of the Douro river, three miles from the mouth, and presents a very handsome appear- ance. The houses are generally faced outside with azulejos or glazed tiles of bright colors and Moorish patterns. Every window has its balcony, and the eaves project so far that they really offer a protection from rain to the passers-by. The entrances to the houses are low and dark. One of the finest streets of Oporto is occupied almost entirely by the gold and silver trade. Beautiful filigree ornaments are made there out of those metals. The women fish-venders wear neck-chains, ear-rings, finger- rings and large brooches either of gold or sil- ver, even going without hat and shoes, and scarce skirt enough to cover their knees. But with these ornaments and a gay scarf around the waist the brown-complexioned women look quite bonny. In Oporto the carrying business is done by oxen driven by barefooted and bareheaded old women and little girls, who handle dexterously the long switches with which they hasten 22 B V LAND AND SEA. the steps of the slow-moving animals. From Oporto we drove in a diligence to Braza, an interesting old cathedral town. From Braza we rode in a horse-railroad car to the foot of a mountain, where we took a cable elevator car that conveyed us by a very steep ascent twelve hundred feet higher, to the cele- brated shrine and resort of pilgrims called Bon Jesus, or the Good Jesus. We found comfortable lodging at the Hotel do Bon Jesus. But the beds were hard as straw beds can be. Spring beds and hair mattresses have not found their way into that part of Portugal. The pillows were little cushions about twelve inches square, one on a bed, about as thick as a biscuit, and the pillow cover as stiff as starch could make it. These little pillows are not very practical for the inexperienced per- son, as I learned to my cost. I awakened during the night to find that my pillow had mysteriously disappeared ; after search- ing foi- it I found it on the floor beside the bed. Again I missed it that night, and again found it on the floor. On the second night I pinned the pillow to the straw bed, and slept undis- turbed. Bon Jesus is a remarkable place, not only for the view one has from it over half of Portugal, but for the various means offered for the devotions of pious pilgrims. The last half of the ascent up the mountain is often made by them on their knees climbing up a stairway of four hundred steps. On both sides of this stairway, at short intervals, are small stone chapels, richly decorated both inside and outside with sculp- tured stone. Each chapel also contains from ten to twenty life-size painted wooden figures in eastern costume, to repre- sent scenes in the life of Christ. On stone tablets above the doors are quotations from the Bible, explaining the figures within. Near the top of the stairway are nine platforms, at short intervals, each surmounted with three stone statues larger than life, representing Old and New Testament charac- ters. Upon all the platforms are stone fountains of running THE SHRINE OF BON JESUS. 23 water, engraved with Bible texts, I should add that on the first platform, which is at the beginning of the ascent, is a very large square stone fountain on which are cut representations of the instruments used in the scourging and crucifixion of Christ. People may be seen at all times kneeling before the chapels, which are always open. This stairway is a remarkable construction. Every year several solemn processions ascend the mountain by it. At the crest of the mountain is the church of Bon Jesus, a modern building of large size and beautiful proportions. It contains many groups of statuary, and the entire ceiling is heavily gilded, on which several sacred scenes are represented in raised stucco-work richly colored. The church is built of granite from the mountain on which it stands, and many of the statues are carved on the spot by Portuguese sculptors, who have great skill in stone work, Portugal is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe, and possesses many noble buildings reared ages ago and ren- dered interesting hj history and legend ; the people, also, are polite and hospitable. I would gladly linger with you amid its lovely scenes, especially at Cintra, near Lisbon, with its palaces and villas embowered in foliage near the blue Atlantic, but we have yet much to see and must therefore continue our journey eastward. CHAT III. SWITZERLAND— AUSTRIA— NOEWAY. The Icy Breath of Mountain Glaciers — The Picturesque Costumes of the Tyrol — Ringing Church Bells to Drive Away Thunder — Vienna — The Great Circle of a Noble Street — Leather and Porcelain— Kisses for the Hand — Dazzling Jewels and Splendid Costumes— The Emperor Washing the Feet of Twelve Poor Old Men — With Golden Tray and Pitcher — Mugs and Florins — In the Wine Cellar of Bremen's Town-Hall— How a Bold Doc- tor OF Philosophy Pound Himself at the Carousal of the Apostles — Bacchus and Dame Rose — A Story of the Olden Time— At the North Cape— Where the Sun Rises Before it is Fully Set— Hard to Tell When it is Bedtime — The Milk-Fog— Visitors After the Flood. From the peninsula of Spain and Portugal we will proceed in this evening's chat toward the center of Europe, and stop on the way for a glance at Switzerland. As we approach its lofty mountains we seem to feel its icy breath from the snow-capped peaks, and soon the lovely valley of Chamouni, at the foot of Mt. Blanc, appears before us resting in fresh verdure and enclosed by great glaciers and roaring waterfalls. I remember that I could plainly discern from there foot- weary tourists struggling to get across the Mer de Glace, the greatest glacier of the Alps, on the top of the Montanvert, and others venturing down the rough descent called the Mauvais Pas, slipped at every step of the way with soft and crumbling soil, and fearing with good reason the THE MEETING OF THE WA TERS. 25 dreaded avalanche of the earth and stones that sometimes comes rushing down the sides of the mountain. One of the most interesting views of Switzerland is obtained where one beholds the union of the Ehine and the Rhone rivers, not far from the beautiful city of Geneva, on Lake Geneva in Switzer- land. The melting glaciers from the Alpine range of mountains are the source of the Rhone river. The waters from the melt- ing snow rush down, forming in places roaring torrents which carry along stones and loose earth, giving to the waters a muddy appearance. These various small streams gradually unite and constitute the river Rhone, which at a short distance from its source mingles with the clear waters of the Rhine. This junc- tion of the two rivers is called the "Meeting of the Waters." The two streams run side by side in the same river bed, each one maintaining its own characteristic color for several miles, and each apparently trying to dominate the other. For a time the clear waters retain their own purity, but as a few drops of muddy water discolor a glassful, so finally these become clouded with the chalky waters of the melting glaciers. At last, how- ever, the clear, crystal waters of the Rhine begin to assert their power, and in another short distance the stream, which has now become a wide river, has taken on a uniform color and flows on and on until, after hundreds of miles, it is lost in the North Sea. But we are bound still further east this evening and leaving the well-known valleys and glittering peaks of Switzerland, glance a moment at the wild passes and picturesque people of the Tyrol. The Semmering Pass is one of the most remarkable openings in the Tyrol mountains. Here I saw bands of Tyrolese mountaineers, men and women, attired in the national costume which such painters as Debregger have made familiar to many who have been unable to visit that charming country. The women were dressed in black velvet laced bodices with white flowing sleeves, short, bright colored skirts, high top-boots, and 26 BY LAND AND SEA. jaunty white broad-brimmed straw hats trimmed with long, flowing scarfs of silks of lively hues or with gilt cord and tas- sels. The men wore white home-spun linen trousers, short and wide ; long black or blue knitted stockings ; low, heavy shoes with large brass buckles ; black velvet tunics confined to the waist with gay scarfs, and their black slouch hats wound around with black and yellow ribbons. They were strolling musicians on their way northward with their Tyrolean airs to give delight to the health and pleasure seekers at the various resorts. The Tyrolean peasants are a merry, musical, but super- stitious race. The mountains are subject to frequent and terrific thunder storms during the months of July and August. At the first sign of an approaching storm, the great bell of the church is rung in the belief that the tempest, if not entirely driven away, is greatly lessened by the sound of the church bell. From the Tyrol, which is a province of the empire of Aus- tria-Hungary, we pass in a few hours by rail to Vienna, the capital of the empire. Vienna is a beautiful city ; the archi- tecture of its buildings is more imposing than that of Paris. There are many magnificent palaces there occupied by the vari- ous branches of the royal family. The Eing Strasse, three miles in length, which extends around the old city, is the principal avenue, and on it are some splendid public buildings, many blocks of elegant apartment houses, the Folks Garden, the Stadt Park, and other beautiful parks and gardens. There are six parallel rows of large chestnut trees along this avenue. There is a fine riding track and a carriage-way, two spacious prome- nades and the sidewalks. There are also long stretches of green lawns with numerous settees beneath the shade of the noble trees, and many handsome cafes and attractive flower- shops continue around the entire circle of the Ring Strasse. This is not only one of the most magnificent, but also one of the most enjoyable promenades of Europe. The daily move- . HAND-KISSING IN VIENNA. 27 ment of troops through it adds greatly to the animation it pre- sents. Vienna is celebrated for its beautiful leather- work. Leather is wrought there in every conceivable way and manufactured into countless useful and ornamental articles. Excellent imita- tions of metals and fabrics are also made of leather. Nowhere else in Europe are such large collections of glass and porcelain ware to be found as at Vienna. Bohemian glass and Hungarian porcelain are highly prized in all parts of the world. Besides the wares which are particularly Viennese, one may also find there the finest specimens of the famous wares of Sevres. One who shops in Vienna finds a complimentary greeting in vogue which I have not seen practiced elsewhere. As one enters the shopkeeper exclaims, "Kuss der hand," or, "I kiss your hand," and he repeats the same as one leaves. The servants also use the same expression when they come into the presence of the master or mistress of the house. Before retiring to their rooms at night they again observe this salutation. Hand-kiss- ing in the morning is never forgotten. The coachman gets down from the box of the carriage to kiss the hand of the mas- ter, adding a hopeful word about the weather if it be dark or rainy. The collecting boy has the same hand-kissing salutation when he is paid a bill at the door, and the house-servants never forget it when they receive their monthl}^ wages. The kellvers, or waiters, at the restaurants always have a polite salutation for those frequenting them. Indeed, as soon as you enter Vienna you become aware that it is a place of extraordinary civilities. The various nationalities of which the empire is composed add greatly to the pubhc spectacles at Vienna. I have never seen such magnificent toilets, such profusion of jewels, as are seen at Austria's capital on festal occasions. The Polish, Bohemian, Croatian and Hungarian costumes of the government officials are retained in all their splendor of color and decoration, Many 28 BY LAND AND SEA. of the family jewels of the Viennese are of almost priceless value. They are often heirlooms inherited from several genera- tions back. There is a curious old religious custom continued at Vienna called the "ceremony of the foot- washing." His Majesty, the Emperor Francis Joseph, has performed the rite for no less than thirty years. The foot- washing is done in the presence of the court and nobility, and is attended with as much pomp as any court ceremonial. Only Austria and Spain now continue this ceremony, which was instituted by the Church in order to teach kings humiliation and their subjection to the Church. The rite takes place in Holy Week, and consists of the emperor pouring a little water over the right foot of twelve old men, in imitation of the example of Christ. When I witnessed this curious and interesting scene the ceremony took place at eleven o'clock in the morning in the grand hall of ceremonies at the imperial palace. A long table at which the twelve old men were to sit was near the entrance and as handsomely laid as for dinner. The emperor was as- sisted by the crown prince and several arch-dukes. The old people are selected from the poorest class, and of that class the oldest are chosen. On this occasion the oldest man was ninety- three years old, two w^ere ninety-two, and five were eighty-eight years of age ; the others were younger. They were dressed in a plain black costume of the seventeenth century, and wore black silk stockings, and wide, turn-down white collars. They were led into the room by their relatives and friends, and were seated by the court officials, the oldest having the head of the table, and each one having the attendance of a special officer, the relatives and friends standing behind them. The table was strewn with rose leaves, and beneath it were placed brown linen cushions for the feet of the old men to rest upon. At each plate were a loaf of bread, a napkin, knife, wooden CEREMONY OF THE FOOT-WASHING. 29 spoon and fork, a wooden vase filled with flowers, a large white metal mug of wine, and a wooden tankard of beer. The Em- peror, in full uniform-, came accompanied by officers of his court and assistants, and took his place at the head of the table ; then followed twelve officials of the palace, in scarlet and gold uni- form, bearing black trays, each containing four dishes of viands, and took their places opposite the old men, who sat along one side of the table. The Emperor cleared the first tray and placed its dishes upon the table before the old man who had the seat of honor. The Crown Prince stood next and served the next old man in turn ; and thus each of the old men was served by a grand-duke or some member of the nobihty. After the trays were emptied, which was quickly done, the palace guard in full uniform and wearing their high bear-skin hats, entered, bearing trays, on each of which were also four dishes, which were placed before the old men, as were those of the first course, and the third course quickly followed the second. The fourth and last course was the dessert, which included one dozen fine apples, a large piece of cheese, a dish of sweets and a plate of shelled almonds. When the dinner was ended, although not a morsel had been eaten, the table was taken away, and each old man in turn presented his right foot, which in the meantime had been bared by an attending friend. Then a large golden tray, a golden pitcher and a large napkin were brought and the Emperor knelt upon one knee and poured a little water over the old man's foot and wiped it, and in the same way he washed and wiped one foot of each of the twelve old men. He did not rise to an up- right position until he had completed the washing, moving along the row of men upon one knee. The Emperor then rose from his kneeling posture, and the Grand Chamberlain poured water over his hands, which the Emperor wiped with a dry napkin, and the ceremony was finished. Then a court official brought 30 BY LAND AND SEA. in a large black tray with twelve small bags, a long cord being attached to each bag, which contained thirty silver florins. The Emperor hung a bag upon the neck of each of the old men. This being done, his majesty left the hall. During the ceremony a chief priest, with twenty assistants, intoned a service and recitations from the gospels, describing the washing of the feet of the disciples by Christ. The ceremony lasted half an hour. All the articles of food and the plates placed before the old men, together with the foot cushions, were packed into baskets and sent to their homes. The tankards and mugs bore appropriate inscriptions with the date of the cere- mony. The recipients are permitted to sell their mugs and tankards. The mugs are sold for twenty florins, the tankards for less. Each old man was escorted from the hall by a court official and a friend. The entire ceremony was conducted with great solemnity. I call to mind here a story of the knights of olden times in Germany, told me in the German language, and which I hope may interest you as much as it did me, even if I give but an imperfect translation of it. American tourists who visit the north of Germany are pretty sure to go to Bremen, and one of the interesting points to visit there is the wine cellar of the Rathhaus, or town-hall. A German guide offered his services to conduct me through this famous old place, and during the visit of inspection related one of the Rathhaus Keller romances. Somewhere among Shakes- peare's sayings the following remark may be found : " Good wine is a good and sociable thing, and everybody can afford for once to allow himself to be inspired by it." My guide probably had heard of this approval of good wine as expressed by the renowned English poet and dramatist, which without doubt brought to his mind the legend related. "The story has been handed down," said the guide, "as it has been told by the hero A STORY OF A BREMEN WINE-CELLAR. 31 himself, who was a young student from Leipsig ; it runs as fol- lows : "It was after ten o'clock in the evening when I presented myself at the door of this famous wine-cellar. 'A late hour for admittance to this place,' said the porter at the door, 'for it is about our closing-up time.' However, observing the name of the manager of the wine-rooms on the card giving me permis- sion to enter at that hour, he hesitatingly opened the door a little wider and I went in, remarking in the meantime, ' For me it is never late before twelve o'clock, and after that hour it is early enough in the day for anybody.' The porter asked if I expected any company. I replied, 'No;' and selecting one of the small arched booths of the underground rooms, I laid my hat and cane upon the table, with the intention of carrying out the proposition made to myself to have a little carousal all alone. With a permit in my pocket from one of the senators I had the right to drink a glass from the wine in the Twelve Apostles' cel- lar, a glass in the Bacchus cellar, and a glass of wine in the Rose cellar. I asked to be conducted at the porter's earliest conveni- ence to the Bacchus cellar. To this the porter replied ' No, that is impossible.' Said he, ' To day is the first of September, Dame Rose's anniversary. To-night the Twelve Apostles, Bacchus and Dame Rose come down from their stony seats and hold high carnival from midnight till the dawn of day. No man would presume to remain here after midnight.' "I laughed at the good man's superstition, and replied that I had heard of various ghost-stories, but had never heard of wine ghosts. Then I peremptorily said : ' Look again at the senator's permit ; in the name of the Council of Bremen, I com- mand you to open the Bacchus cellar.' We went slowly through several large and dark cellars, with only the light of a lan- tern to guide us, and at last reached the inner cellar, where a wooden figure of Bacchus sat astride of an immense wine-cask. 32 BY LAND AND SEA. ' Good heavens ! ' cried the porter, ' do n't you see how the old fellow rolls his eyes and shakes his feet ? He is getting ready to come down now\ Let us be off.' ' Why, man, it is only the shadow of our flickering light that gives you this impression,' said I. However, we left the cellar, and the porter locked the big oak door with a nervous quickness, but not until I had drank a glass of the old Bacchus wine drawn from the sample barrel. 'Here, old porter, take a glass at my expense,' said I, 'it will give you a little courage.' 'God preserve me from drinking a drop of it this night ! ' he exclaimed. "We wandered on a little farther by the dim light of our lantern and came to the Apostles' cellar. The rusty lock of the heavy door gave an unearthly grating sound as the key slowly turned in it ; the door opened, creaking on its heavy hinges, and there stood the statues of the twelve Apostles in their garb of hewn-out stone, high up in the niches in the wall, and beneath them twelve great casks of wine. ' I must have a glass of wine from this cellar to drink the health of these antiques,' said I. The porter fairly trembled at my light remark, and replied, ' Good sir, do n't you know that you are tempting the devil ? This is the night when all the wine ghosts come down from their places to have their yearly carousal. It is now nearly midnight. I have never known of a man staying here on the first of Sep- tember until the stroke of midnight. I must go, and I cannot answer for your safety if you persist in remaining much longer.' ' But you cannot go until you have taken me to the Rose cellar,' I exclaimed. We passed quickly on and came to the &uh Rosa cellar. ' What a monster cask of wine, and every glass of it is worth a gold piece I ' I said. I read ujDon it the date of 1615. 'Fill me a glass from the sample barrel quickly. I must drink old Dame Rose's health before the clock strikes twelve, and then, good porter, you can go, and I will stay in the Rose cellar for a little time.' 'Oh, no ! that is utterly impossible ; I should lose ADVENl^URE IN A WINE-CELLAR. 38 my place were I to leave the door unlocked,' declared the old man. " I followed in the wake of the dim light and went back to the place where I had left my hat and cane. ' But before you go, good man,' said I, 'give me a couple of bottles of the vint- age of 1718,' He did as I requested, saying, ' I cannot leave you all night alone in the cellar ; you will be frightened to death with the doings among the ghosts.' ' But you know I have per- mission to remain here all night, and I intend to stay. So good night, my friend, and don't worry any more about me. Lock the door of the outer room and take the key with you, and I will draw the inside bolt on the door of this room. I want no intruders to-night. Leave me a half dozen candles ; and I want nothing more.' He complied and then went hesitatingly toward the door, opened and closed it slowly, remaining inside apparently to give me time to change my intentions if I wished to do so. But I was immovable in my purpose. At last he went out, leisurely locking the street door, and then calling to me from outside he said : ' My friend. I am sure I shall find you dead from fright when I return at six o'clock in. the morning.' "I examined my quarters carefully and found no other door than the one through which I had entered, and upon the table were two bottles of real Johannes wine marked 1718. ' ' I heard the cathedral clock strike twelve, and I had already drank my sixth glass of wine, when the thought occurred to me that there is a time when wine will go to one's head, and I was just wondering whether I should be able to finish my two bottles when I fancied that I heard a heavy door slowly opening on its creaking hinges, and in another moment I was sure I heard the echoing sound of the heavy tread of footsteps. I remembered that the outside door was locked and that the porter had taken the key with him, and I knew the door of the room in which I was, was also locked, and besides I had drawn the 34 B V LAND AND SEA. bolt inside. So I quieted myself with the thought that there would be no admittance, under any circumstances, to the room this night. "At this moment, and to my utter astonishment, the door opened without being unlocked or unbolted, and I saw two men standing in the door- way dressed in antique costume, saluting each other. They advanced slowly into the room, and taking off their swords and hats, hung them on large hooks on the wall. They then seated themselves at the table where I was, appar- ently not observing my presence. I was about to speak and make myself known, when four more unbidden guests entered the open door, saying, ' Grood morning, gentlemen of the Rhine. Where is the old servant Johannes ? Is he still sleeping at his post ?' ' Yes, he is in the church-yard fast asleep. I'll just ring him up,' said the man nearest me, who, taking up a huge bell, rang it long and loud. The summons was quickly answered by a hollow-eyed old man, who appeared at the door, yawning and rubbing his eyes, having a large basket tilled with bottles on his arm. ' Hallo, old Johannes, you are a sluggard this time ; step along a Httle more lively,' said the man who had rung the bell. The old servant — for it was he who answered the summons of the bell — replied that he had forgotten that it was the first of September ; that since they had paved the church-yard anew he did not hear so well as formerly what was going on over his head. ' But,' said he, ' where are the rest of you ? You are only six, and old Dame Rose is not here yet.' 'Well,' said the one they called Judas, ' put down the bottles ; we must wet our lips ; give us the glasses and then go over there, ' pointing to the door, ' and call up the rest of your number, who are still sleeping in the wine-casks.' ' ' At this moment a great commotion was heard outside the door, and old Johannes cried out, ' Here come Dame Rose and her lover, the jolly old Bacchus.' What a sight ! There was WINE-CELLAR ADVENTURES. 35 the wooden Bacchus, and the mammoth cask of wine that I had seen in the Rose Cellar and which they called Dame Rose, fol- lowed closely by four lively old fellows swinging cocked hats in their hands. 'At last, we are all here,' said one of the party of stone statues, 'and as for Dame Rose, she looks just as she. did fifty years ago. But how is this ? We are thirteen at the table. Who is the stranger among us ? How happens it that he is here ?' " Aware that I was an unbidden guest among them, I at once briefly explained my presence. I said that I was simply a Doctor of Philosophy from Leipsig, and that at present I was living at the Hotel Frankfurt, in Bremen. ' But what brought you here on this particular night, good sir ? ' inquired another. ' You know that you do not belong to the noble society of two hundred years ago?' 'Of that,' I replied, 'I am perfectly well aware, for I did not live two hundred years ago. But your noble selves have come to me to-night ; I did not make the tres- pass upon you. When I came here I found no company. The good old porter of the Rathhaus Keller locked the door and took the key with him! 'Tell me,' asked Bacchus, 'what are you doing in the Rathhaus Keller at this late hour of the night ? The world's people in Bremen are never out of their homes at midnight.' 'Your excellency,' said I, ' there is good reason for my being here at this time. I am a friend of good old Rhine wine, and have obtained permission from one of the noble sena- tors of Bremen to come here and get some to my taste. I have chosen this night, because I have read some very interesting accounts about the carousals held here on the night of the first of September by some of the distinguished men of the olden times, and I desired to make some scientific observations.' 'Ha ! ha ! ' laughed Bacchus, ' that is well enough ; you shall have a little dance with us to-night.' "I now began to look around me, and to observe the com- 36 B V LAND AND SEA. pany. There were some of the stone statues of the twelve apostles I had seen stauding in their niches as I passed through the Apostles' cellar ; Bacchus in his wooden body, and Dame Rose, her body a great wine-cask, was standing upon two tiny little feet near by, her coquettish face peeping out from the upper end of the cask, with the copper rose of the Sub-Rosa cellar hanging on the front of it. All were in a jolly mood. They laughed and talked with each other in unearthly tones. I judged from their conversation that they were accustomed to have a reunion every year, and that they had been meeting together in this way for a hundred years or more. ' ' They told stories over their glasses of wine — kept con- tinually replenished by the old servant Johannes. The stories related by them referred to historic and social events of their times. One of the ghosts told how some of the old Bremen families used to come to the Rathhaus Keller at five o'clock in the forenoon, grandmothers, wives and children included, and remain until eight o'clock in the evening, at which time the cellar was always closed. 'Yes,' said Dame Rose, 'those were good old times, when we drunk only pure Rhine wines ; we did n't have this miserable stuff now called tea and coffee, and such beverages as are drunk now -a-days. ' "The carousal was waxing more lively, when suddenly a new apparition made its appearance. All voices were hushed. Even Bacchus turned pale. The intruder took a seat by me. I whispered to a ghost close by me and asked who this last comer was. He replied, ' Do n't you see, it is the devil himself ! He always comes in at our anniversary meetings and attempts to disturb us.' A glass of wine was set before him and he remained quiet. "After several old-time songs had been sung at the request of Dame Rose, she winked at me and said, ' Now, doctor, it is your turn ; as this is your first appearance among us, you must BACCHUS LEADS A DANCE. 37 give us a song which never has been sung before.' I attempted to excuse myself on the ground that I could neither sing nor make verse. 'No excuses are accepted here,' she blandly replied. ' You have come unbidden to us to-night, and you must join in our exercises. Come, sir, we are waiting for you.' Tremblingly I arose, and by some happy inspiration the follow- ing words were put into my mouth : " On the beautiful Rhine, where grows our vine, There grows our golden, luscious wine ; Yonder it grows on our German coast. And gives us all the never-dying toast, Rhine wine, Rhine wine, Always in tune and in time." "The ghostly company laughed heartily, and Bacchus exclaimed, ' What a noble addition the doctor will be to our choice spirits ! We all hope he may join our merry circle soon.' In my soul I could not agree with him, for I had not yet seen enough of life. But under the circumstances I did not wish to discuss the subject. " They now commenced to arrange for a dance. Bacchus v/as the leader of the party. He called to me and said : ' Of course, doctor, you know music. We shall depend on you for this occasion. Get upon that cask of wine and beat the drum for our dance.' I obeyed. A step-ladder was necessary to aid me in reaching the top of the large wine cask. When seated, my head just touched the timbers of the vaulted roof. All was proceeding well, when suddenly I saw the heavy beams over my head part, and I with my drum flew like an arrow out into the open air. I said to myself, ' Good-bye, good-bye to this life ; these accursed ghosts have entered my name in their death- book.' " The first sensation I experienced afterward was the touch of the Rathhaus Keller porter on my shoulder. Hearing his 38 BY LAND AND SEA. morning salutation and inquiry respecting my welfare, I began to rub my eyes and look about me, and getting up on my feet, I found that I had become intoxicated, and had fallen from the bench upon the stone floor. As there was no evidence of my having had company in the night, I concluded that my solitary carousal was only a dream. But I could not convince myself that the strone statues had not actually come down from their places — so strong was the impression on my mind that the night's adventure vv^as a reality — until I made the round of all the cellars I had visited the evening before, and saw for myself that the stone figures were all in their places." From Bremen I proceeded to Norway across the Baltic sea. The scenery of this most northern country in Europe is highly romantic and beautiful ; the shores are steep and rocky, broken by deep, narrow bays and straits, called fiords. But what most interested me, and I doubt not would interest you as well, is the view of the midnight sun from the North Cape. It is a most wonderful spectacle to see the sun just dipping its lower edge for a moment behind the horizon in the west and then coming almost immediately to view again on the other side in the east, rising even before it has fully set. This phenomenon is caused by the fact that the earth's circle from east to west is so short that the sun is visible the greater part of the time. The North Cape is the most northern point on the Continent of Europe ; until within a few years it was scarcely known to the general European tourist. It is a precipitous rock rising out of the sea to a height of twelve hundred feet. A German friend who has been twice to the North Cape sa3''S no more wonderful journey can be made than the one from Trondhjem to the Cape. He was fourteen days in making the excursion, without once seeing the darkness of night during all that time. His disposition to sleep seemed to have disappeared with the night, he said, and it was only when the body and LEGEND OF THE FLOOD. H9 mind became really fatigued that lie was able to fall asleep. Not far from the Cape is a natural tunnel through the entire mountain. In passing that point the ship was stopped, and one could look through the tunnel and plainly see the water on the opposite side of the Cape. A peculiar fog settles over this point, called the milk-fog, because of its opaqueness and milk color. The long winter of the northern regions follows almost sud- denly on the disappearance of the sunlight, but the absence of solar light is compensated for in a measure by the frequent appearance of the aurora horealis, or northern lights, which give light enough to allow the ordinary avocations of life to be car- ried on without artificial illumination. This is an interesting subject for a more thorough study. In passing, I would say that I remember to have heard that one of the early Swedish historians claims that after the deluge Sweden was the first country to be inhabited west of the Medi- terranean Sea. The historian records that Magog, son of Japh- eth, with a few followers, came to Gothland, in Sweden, eighty- eight years after the flood and established a permanent settle- ment, and that two hundred and twenty-six years thereafter a direct descendant of that colony commenced the building of the city of Upsal. We might ask ourselves why did Magog and his followers forsake the blue skies and balmy air of a southern cli- mate for the deep snows and biting frosts of an inhospitable one ! But as not a trace of this ancient city is left upon which to build a description, we can only consider the story as an amus- ing legend. CHAT IV. GREECE— ATHENS. Ancient Greeks whose Names and Deeds are still Cherished — A Nation that Hundreds of Years of Subjection could NOT Destroy — Building out of Ruins — Americans who Taught the Children of Greece —A Monument more En- during THAN THE PARTHENON — WhERE THE TeMPLE StONES were Quarried — The Preacher on Mars's Hill — Mountains AND Houses of Marble — The Salt of Friendship — The Bride's Dower- Chest — A Mountainous Weather- Prophet —The English General and his Wife's Letter — A Weekly Epistle for Thirty Years — At Last too Late— Christ- mas AND New Year's Twice in Twelve Days— The Story of the Labyrinth — The Galley with the Black Sails— ^ A Brave Prince and a Slain Monster — Digging Down to the Old City of Troy. Leaving the north of Europe for the south of the Continent, our chat this evening is about Athens, the capital of Greece, one of the oldest as well as the most widely celebrated cities in the world. Something is known of the classic antiquity of Athens the world over ; and without doubt, ancient Athens was the birth- place of modern civilization. It was the home of classic and philosophic lore. Plato, Socrates, Demosthenes, Solon, Plutarch, Pericles, and many other celebrated philosophers, poets and statesmen of Greece established by their teachings and example the public opinion and laws which gave such power to the BIR THPLA CE OF MODERN CI VI LIZA TION. 4 1 genius of the Grreeks and made them the greatest in intellectual influence the world has yet seen. Among those noble men there was one Diogenes, who adopted a peculiarly original method for teaching the principle of truth. For example, he went about the city one day with a lighted lantern in his hand, and when asked for an explanation, he replied he was seeking to find an honest man. Many of the philosophical maxims taught by those wise men of Greece have come down through generations until they have reached even to our own times, and apply to the present age as well as to the days of ancient Greece. The Greeks are a noble race, and they have good reason to be proud. Although Greece had groaned under the domination of the Turks for more than four hundred years, the nation did not lose its identity. The Turks and Greeks never intermarried, nor do they intermarry in these days. They have no more common cause in life now than they had then. It is only within the last sixty years that Greece has freed herself from the yoke of the Ottoman power. At last, in the year 1827, when the diminished and impover- ished Grecian Empire was able to raise once more its banner of freedom, they found their once beautiful Athens, the queen city of the Mediterranean, in ruins, with scarcely a score of good buildings remaining. It was three years after this time that the late Dr. J. J. Robertson and the late Rev. Dr. John H. Hill with his wife went to Athens with the intention of devoting themselves to mission- ary work. Dr. and Mrs. Hill h^d already been at work in Smyrna, Asia Minor, for a short time in behalf of Christian edu- cation for the benefit of the Greeks and Armenians living there, but they saw a larger field for their labors in Greece. On their arrival in Athens they found only about twenty houses stand- ing, not one of which was really comfortable for a home. How- 42 BY LAND AND SEA. ever, they were permitted by the newly-estabhshed Greek gov- ernment to open a school for Httle girls in their own small house. This was done principally by the aid of Mrs. Emma Willard of Troy, New York, who, from the beginning of the independence of the Greeks, took an earnest interest in the work of primary education among the children, and was the first person to give a helping hand to that object. At the urgent request of Mrs. Willard a small, sum of money was raised in Troy, I think among the Episcopal churches only, and sent to the Rev. Messrs. Hill and Robertson, for the purpose of establishing a small school for girls. The school work commenced under many embarrassments ; but as the population became more settled, the school increased in numbers, and during the last years of Dr. Hill's life it num- bered over six hundred pupils, both boys and girls. Dr. Hill was ordained minister in the Episcopal church in the year 1S30 ; he was already forty years of age. Soon there- after with his wife he left America to go to the Orient with the intention of devoting themselves to the missionary service. They worked for their beloved cause in Greece more than fifty- two years. Dr. Hill died at his post of service in 1882, and Mrs, Hill followed her loving husband to her long rest a few years later. They were the first missionaries sent by the Episcopal church to foreign lands. The following words addressed to Mrs. Hill by a Greek statesman express the approval of her work among the Greeks and the high esteem in which she was held : "Lady, you are erecting in Athens a monument more enduring and more noble than yonder temple," pointing to the Parthenon as he spoke. And they were prophetic words. Dr. and Mrs. Hill did not go to an idolatrous people to begin their life-work. The Greeks had long years before come out from the darkness of paganism. They had a national Christian DR. JOHN H. AND MRS. HILL. 43 church ; they had the bible, the ministry, the sacraments, and the Hturgy, which they had maintained through the hundreds of years of their subjection to the Turks ; but while they were heroes in courage they were weak in numbers and in destitute condition, and had fallen into some superstitions. They gladly, however, accepted the material aid which came from the Ameri- can missionary society, and the educational advantages per- sonally offered by Dr. and Mrs. Hill. Dr. Hill's system of instruction was approved by many of the Greeks, and some of the leading families sent children to the school. It can be said that large numbers of the repre- sentative men and women of Athens, and of the neighboring islands, who have come into public life during the last twenty- five years, received their primary education in this American Missionary School, and in many cases in the schools established some years later by other devoted and useful American mission- aries of the Congregationalists and Baptists, all equally anxious to aid the progress of Greece. Dr. and Mrs. Hill passed sixty-one years together, side by side, in their life work. The ancient Greek temples, whose ruins are still standing, many in a fair state of preservation, were built three to seven hundred years B. C, and even in their ruins may be seen evi- dences of magnificent marble structures. The quarries on Mount Pentelicus, from which the marble was obtained for the wonder- ful edifices, remain as they were left by the ancients. The quarry which furnished the marble for the Parthenon, the most famous temple of all time and dedicated to the goddess Minerva, is still to be seen. Even a section or drum of one of the col- umns, apparently discarded on account of some flaw in the marble, remains there half embedded in the earth a little way down the mountain. St. Pa,ul was the first teacher of Christianity in Athens ; an(J 44 B Y LAND AND SEA. one of the most interesting places in the city to visit is the Are- opagus, or in English Mars's Hill, this appellation having been given it, according to the traditional account, because the god Mars was the first person tried by a court of justice upon this hill. In Acts XVII. mention is made of St. Paul preaching to the curious and superstitious Athenians. The populace of Athens, who went daily to the Agora, or market place, which was near the foot of Mars's Hill, to learn the news of the day, heard that a strange man had come among them who pretended to have a new doctrine of religion, and that he had asked permission of the city authorities to speak to the people from Mars's Hill, the place where all pubUc speaking was done. When the crowd had assembled the apostle said that he had observed altars erecied to Fame, Modesty, Energy, Persuasion and Piety, and that he had also seen an altar dedicated to the unknown Grod at a point near the sea, and this altar he wished to dedicate ane^v to the Grod he came to preach. Thus St. Paul sowed the first seed of Christianity among the Greeks, which indeed did take root and has given forth a great harvest. The Athens of to-day is a beautiful and growing city ; it has more marble buildings in proportion to its size than any other city in Europe. It has mountains of marble at its very doors. The Greeks are a very social people and hospitably inclined. Among their many agreeable domestic customs is that of offer- ing salt to a guest immediately after sitting down to a meal ; its acceptance gives proof of true friendship. Another very good as well as a practical custom is that of providing the marriage portion for a daughter. The collection of a maiden's dower is begun while she is a child, as was cus- tomary with the Greeks in ancient times. The Greek maidens of all classes, even to the poorest peasant's daughter, are sure GIRLS' MARRIAGE DOWERS. 45 to have a marriage dower. Among the lower classes and the peasantry it is effected in this wise. As soon as the little girl is beyond the dangers of infancy, the prudent mother buys a wooden box, which is painted red and yellow and bears the name of the child upon it ; it may be large or small, according to circumstances ; in this box the god- mother's gift is placed and any others that may be bestowed on the occasion of the child's birth. On every succeeding birth-day anniversary, some use- ful articles contributed by parents or friends are added to the contents of the box in the name of the little girl ; it may be a gold or silver coin, a silver spoon, or a small piece of linen made by the mother or grandmother. These contributions to the dower box are carefully treasured until the girl marries, when the well-filled chest is given to the bride. The scenery about Athens is mountainous, very picturesque and beautiful. Mts. Pentelicus, Parnes and Hymettus are famous. The Athenians have a very significant little rhyme velat- ing to the latter mountain, which serves them as a weather prophecy ; it runs as follows : " Old Hymettus, Hymettus, You'll surely wet us, When the clouds come down To weave you a crown." An affecting incident and also a very interesting chapter in the experience and devotion of a husband and wife, showing the maintenance of conjugal affection by correspondence for a long period of years, may not be inappropriate to relate at this time. The closing scene of this story occurred while the writer was a temporary resident in Athens. During the latter part of the struggle of the Greeks for inde- dependence against the Turkish domination, an English general volunteered to go to the aid of the oppressed people. At the end 46 BY LAND AND SEA. of the war the English general had so ardently espoused the Greek cause that he continued to remain in the country and to render such aid to the newly-formed government as he might be able to give. Accordingly, he sent for his wife, who was in England, to come to the more genial climate of the plains of Attica. In due time Lady went to Athens. After two or three years' residence there, she became somewhat discontented with the unsettled and half -formed social situation at the new capital and decided to return to England for a few months' visit. This she did unattended b}^ the general, as the military situation at that time required his constant ser^dce, and it was not conveni- ent for him to leave his post. So the good lady packed up her boxes and bundles and went home, with the intention of return- ing the following year. Months passed on and Lady did not find the occasion to go back to Athens, always hoping that the general would seek a leave of absence after his many years of active service in a foreign military life, and go to England, when she would with pleasure return with him. Years rolled on, and the devoted couple were growing old separated far from each other. They had not met since the day of the good lady's departure from Athens. The weekly letter, continued by this time for a period of nearly thirty years be- tween the two, had never been intermitted. At last the general was laid low on his death-bed. He had reached the age of one hundred years, of which fifty had been devoted to service in Greece. On the last day of his life, it chanced that the usual weekly epistle came from Lady , which was shown to the dying man by his valet. The general asked, ''From whom couies the letter?" The answer was, "From Lady .'' To which he replied, "Too late, too late," and soon he w^as no more, BRA VER V OF AN ANCIENT KING. 47 The Greeks maintain the ancient form of reckoning the days of the month. There is a difference by twelve days be- tween the old and new system of counting time. Foreigners residing in Greece must familiarize themselves with the differ- ence of date, else untold embarrassments may occur. Conse- quently Christmas and New Year's days — they being the prin- cipal holidays celebrated in common^are repeated. Two Christ- mas days and two New Year's, — f