.> ..♦ .^ s.^^' '0* 5^ I ••V,»'">V- t '^ ^%^ ^ V %. 5.^-%^ V 5^ ^0^ .^.1*^' ^^ ^i> /% ^*% French Line ,1 ^ ^ '>^. ^ Ij^B^JI^ Oft vNEAN.igE Orient DESIGNERS E^0RS\'ER5 PRINT e;rs 23BR0,TOm NEW' YORK PHOTO. BY ROBINSON & ROE, N. Y. CAPTAIN S. SANTELLI (Lieut, de Vaisseau). Contpagnie 0enepale 'G^ransaflanfiqde Grand Winter Excursion TO THE MEDITERRANEAN ^ THE ORIENT AND ^ THE HOLY LAND INCLUDING THE AZORES, PORTUGAL, SPAIN, FRANCE, ITALY, SICILY, EGYPT, PALESTINE, TURKEY, GREECE, MALTA, TUNIS, AND ALGERIA ^ ^ ¥ ¥ ^ ^ ^ By the wen=known fast twin=screw express steamship ^ 10,000 tons 14,000 horse-power Length, 540 feet " "La Touraine" COMMANDER SANTELLI SAILING FROM NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 4TH, IS96, AND RETURNING ABOUT APRIL 5TH, 1896 DURATION OF ROUND TRIP, TWO MONTHS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON COPYRIGHT, 1895, BY JOHN H. GOULD THE STEAMSHIP "LA TOURAINE." A VISIT TO A SUPERB OCEAN VESSEL. {Reprinted from the Review of Reviews) yHE graceful "La Touraine," the proud ocean racer of the French Line of steamships, is preparing to leave New York, February 4th next, for a won- derfully attractive trip through Mediterranean waters. This coming notable tour of the great vessel adds interest to a recent visit of inspection which the writer en- joyed. Not that these marvellous marine structures such as "La Touraine " are not in themselves most worthy of a few hours' examination, whether the visitor be one who has undertaken ocean voyages or whether he be a confirmed landlubber. So immense is the establishment, and so varied are the operations for insuring safety and luxury to the passengers of one of the new first-rate ocean steamships, that many voyages might easily be undertaken by a traveller without giving him an entire idea of the splendid workmanship and curious construction of the modern "ocean greyhound." And now that records are being cut down every day in the ocean passage, and people are beginning to talk seriously of a steamship that sliall run fifty miles an hour, under pressure of a hundred thousand horse-power from seven hundred pounds of steam, it is particularly fascinating to study the construc- tion of a vessel which represents the last improvements actually put into practice. A WONDER OF SYMMETRY. " [A TOURAINE " is not only remarkable for her hugeness and power. In fact, until certain strong contrasts prove the greatness of her dimensions, one IS apt to be misled by the symmetry of her graceful lines into missing a realization of her bulk. Indeed, it comes as a surprise to be reminded that " La Touraine " is five hundred and forty feet long, and that one would only walk around her, keeping reasonably close to her sides, four times to cover a mile ; that her breadth is fifty- six feet, or considerably more than twice the width of a brown-stone front on Fifth Avenue ; and that from her deck to her keel one looks down a depth much greater than if one were peering from the roof of an average New York dwelling-house. her draught being twenty-three feet. This monstrous, and yet beautiful creature, drives through the water at a speed of twenty and a half knots per hour. To put this in another way: for every second your watch beats, "La Touraine " rushes through the waves a distance of thirty-six feet, carrying her own tremendous weight, her freight and one thousand one hundred passengers, or nearly one thousand five hundred human beings, counting her crew. Of these passengers her cabins accom- modate five hundred and twenty, and there are third-class accommodations for five hundred and eighty. The ship is built of steel, and is propelled by twin screws, of about nineteen feet in diameter, and her forty-five furnaces and twelve boilers can develop fourteen thousand horse-power. " FLOATING PALACE " IS THE PHRASE. A^/'HEN one leaves the dimensions and the mathematics of "La Touraine" there is quite another order of workmanship to wonder at. There is dis- cernible everywhere throughout the dwelling-places of the ship that piquant taste and satisfying attention to decorative details that are characteristic of the French. From the pillars of fluted mahogany and gold, the red and blue marble and the painted ceiling of the grand salon, to the shining brass fittings and iron work of the engine room — all the luxurious trappings give an extra pleasure that is born with the care and pride which has brought out the best effect at each point. There is a soul in such splendor as this which happily distinguishes it from the wearying effects of indiscriminate extravagance. THE GRAND STAIRCASE. VOU are prepared at once for the sights of the big vessel when you enter the main double staircase with its high round dome of glass, its pink and gold wooden supports, and the majestic mirror which fronts you from its handsomely carved frame of satin-wood and mahogany, picked out with gold. A painting by Poilpot hangs on the wall behind the stairs ; the other walls are embossed dark- blue leather, relieved with dull gold and light-blue flowers, while the ceiling is of light blue patterned with gold. We shall let this go for a specimen of decorations, for there is such a variety of pretty things of the sort at various points in " La Touraine " that it would take a very experienced and eloquent reporter of brilliant ball costumes, and in addition much more space than we have, to do them justice. EXQUISITE SUITES OF BEDROOMS. /^UR revered Christopher Columbus would open his mediaeval eyes exceed- ingly wide could he see the quarters which transatlantic exploi-ers now occupy. While our pictures can give no idea of the delicate tones of color and A SHADY NOOK. ^^^fifi}^ materials of the decorations, they suggest the comfort and snugness of "La ''' Touraine's" appointments. Glimpses are given, too, of the charming chambres de hixe, of which there are thirty-six, all but two of them on the promenade deck. Many of these suites have their excellently fitted private bathrooms adjoining the bed chambers, and some have auxiliary rooms for servants' quarters. Taken as a whole, they are surprisingly devoid of the narrowness and restricted arrangements which even the travelled among us have generally associated with steamship ac- commodations. THE GRAND SALOON AND SMOKING ROOM. 'T'HE most dazzling impression of magnificence comes, after all, in entering the ^ great dining saloon, with its hundreds of chairs of stamped plush, lavish dec- orations of walls and ceiling, the hospitable and handsome fireplace, with a circum- ference showing buffets of mahogany, topped with red and white marble and sur- rounded with gold. This spacious apartment is the best single feature to give an idea of " La Touraine's" luxury, and the sight-seer is sincerely surprised, after having surveyed the other pretty and remarkable points of the vessel, to find such a large and imposing room accommodated in any vessel. And there are other points well worth visiting, such as the exquisite Louis XVI. sitting room for ladies, and the inviting smoking room, large and airy, with its numerous tables, comfortable chairs, and red-leather lounges. IN THE ENGINE ROOM. /^NE can scarcely receive a more picturesque impression of the greatness of ^-"^ that Titan, steam, and more especially of man's victory over him, than comes in the labyrinthine engine rooms of "La Touraine." You go down three flights of iron staircases, skirting gigantic boilers and pistons, to an astonishing depth. On the ground floor of this lofty submarine machine- vault one of the charmingly polite Frenchmen shows you a slight lever — a five-year-old could wield it — that stops or reverses this mass of thousands of tons as it hurtles through the sea at express-train speed. But in the guiding of this huge creature the helmsmen manipulate a still more fragile instrument — a slightly built wheel, which a delicate lady might easily turn to and fro, and through its electrical connections guide the course of " La Touraine." AS SAFE AS ONE'S FIRESIDE. DUT what if this marvellous little helm should be injured in some great storm? The factor of safely in the construction of the transoceanic steamships has kept full pace with the triumph in speed-gaining and the luxury THE " LOOK-OUT. of their accommodations. Instead of giving his charge up as unmanageable, the i;uhernator of " La Touraine" would simply step to a larger, stouter wheel which would control the rudder by an entirely independent set of gearing. If that were also disabled, still another and stronger helm is at hand ; and in the very unlikely event of the collapse of this gear too, there are arrangements by which the im- mense horizontal iron wheels around which the rudder chains themselves are bound can be directly manipulated with the aid of several sailors. With her powerful electric search-light to pierce the fog and darkness, and, above all, her twelve water-tight bulk-heads, rendering her practically unsinkable, ♦•La Touraine " is thus really about as safe a home as one's library. THE GRAND TOUR IN FEBRUARY. " ! A TOURAINE" is already preparing to take the second, excursion party ^ which sails on February 4th next to the delightful Mediterranean tour, which visits the Azores, Gibraltar, Southern France, Sicily, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, and Northern Africa. The steamship will be especially fitted up for this twelve- thousand-mile tour to these lands replete with historic and artistic interest. In- stead of carrying one thousand one hundred passengers, the number of tourists will be restricted to about two hundred and fifty, and therefore, of course, most choice accommodations will be at hand for all passengers. Naturally, the third- class apartments of "La Touraine" will not be used at all, and that quarter of the vessel will be devoted to a spacious laundry and baggage rooms during the trip. Under these circumstances this excursion will be one of rare' enjoyment. With the best rooms of the great steamship at their disposal ; with the table which the skilful French chefs of the ship will keep supplied with the most delicious viands; with the aid of " La Touraine's " staff of officers in making the most of opportu- nities for recreation, the members of this party are indeed to be envied. f"^-"^ GRAND WINTER EXCURSION TO THE MEDITERRANEAN AND ORIENT BY THE TWIN-SCREW EXPRESS STEAMSHIP "LA TOURAINK" COMMANDER SANTELLI FROM NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 4, 1896, AT 10 A.M. ITINERARY (The Company reserves the right to change this itinerary if circumstances should render it necessary.) Sailing. Miles. Time Arrival between. about. Stop about. Departure about. 5 Days 2 Days 17 Hours Feb. Feb. Feb. From New York to ... Azores (Fayal) .... 2110 Lisbon 920 Gibraltar 300 Algiers 40S 23 Hours Feb Bizerte (Tunis by rail) . 340 19 Hours Feb Malta 250 14 Hours Feb. 20 The Piraeus (.\thens) . 544 30 Hours Feb. 22 Alexandria (Cairo by rail) 515 29 Hours Feb. 25 Port S.a.id 150 8 Hours March i Jaffa (Jerusalem) ... 135 7 Hours March 4 Beyrout (Damascus) . . 125 7 Hours March 7 Smyrna 620 35' Hours March 11 Constantinople .... 270 15 Hours March 12 Straits OF Messina (passing through with-) ., , ]■ March 17 out stoppnig) ) Palermo 935 53 Hours March 17 Naples (Rome by rail) . 170 9 Hours March 19 ViLLEFRANCHE 360 19 Hours March 22, Marseilles 120 7 Hours March 23 Palma (Balearic Isles) . 290 16 Hours March 26, Malaga 400 22 Hours March 27 A.M. Hours Hours Hours Hours Hours A.M. 12 to 15 Hours A.M. 36 to 40 Hours A.M. ) 7% Days A.M. A.M. A.M. A.M. M. A.M. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. 4- 9- 12. 14. 17- 19- 20, P.M. 23, P.M. 29, P.M. 2^ Days 2% Days 12 Hours 3 Days P.M. 24 to 30 Hours A.M. 2^4 Days A.M. 7 to 8 Hours A.M. 36 to 40 Hours A.M. P.M. Tangier 70 Arrive at New York . . 3170 4 Hours Mch.29, ioa.m. 7 to 8 Days, April 5th or 6th. Hours Hours Hours March 3, p.m. March 6, p.m. March 9, p.m. March 11, p.m. March 15, a.m. March 18, p.m. March 21, p.m. March 22, p.m. March 25, p.m. March 26, p.m. March 29, a.m. March 29, p.m. MAP OK THE ROUTE. SECOND TxRAND WINTER EXCURSION TO THE MEDITERRANEAN AND THE ORIENT, FROM NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 4, I i ^ ^ . i_— i ; : ■ : ^ , ^ : - \ : : iJ i : i ; : i 1 i : i i : i i i i i i i : i : i i i i i i : : : ; i i : ; I '':.;; i ii i i !■; i i i ^ : i ;■ i ' i I i : i : ; i i : ; : ; 5 ; i ' ^ ^ ; ; I ; 1 : : : i ' \ ' ^ \ ' ^ '\ . ^ : \ \ : \ \ I i ■ . ^ ^ ^ DETAILS OF THE VOYAGE. COR the purpose of making the second excursion as agreeable and ^ comfortable as our first, we have arranged for, and utilized to the best advantage, the full cabin accommodations of the steamship. There will be only Jirst-class passengers aboard, having entire free- dom of the ship, and the same privileges. No second-class or steerage passengers will be carried. PRICE OF PASSAGE. Cabin — First-class Only. * Purple on plan, Cabin de Luxe (with bath), 2 in room, * Lilac ' * Pink Blue Yellow ' Green ' ' 1,020 per passenger 920 " " 820 720 620 520 Cabin de Luxe (without bath), 2 in room Cabin de Famille (2 in room), . . Saloon deck (i or 2 in room), . Cabin deck (2 in room), .... Cabin deck (i in room), Children under twelve years of age will pay half fare, taking as a basis the price of passage of cabins where they are to be placed in excess of the number of passengers limited for each cabin. One adult and one child under twelve years occupying a cabin must pay two full fares. Servants pay $320 for special accommodations provided for them. If accom- modated in cabin staterooms, same fare will be charged as for other passengers. GENERAL CONDITIONS OF THE VOYAGE. Conditions of Engagement. — Passengers must deposit twenty-five per cent, of the amount of their passage when they engage their cabins, and the final pay- ment must be made at least one month prior to the departure of the steamship. All passengers will be in first class. No allowance will be made for passengers who do not complete their trip ac- cording to their tickets as issued before their departure from New York. However, should any of the passengers desire to remain longer in Europe, the company will give them return passage, from Havre to New York, by any of the * No one passenger will be accepted for any room, as indicated above, unless payment is made for the whole room. steamships, without augmentation of rate, and same will hold good for passage from Havre until the 3d of August, 1896. Limited Number of Passengers. — The cabins have been divided and the rates of passage established to enable passengers to be alone, or 710 more than two in each cabin (except in case of children being with their parents). Although the steamship " L.\ Toura.INE " has accommodations for 500 cabin passengers, so that every passenger will have a room and be as comfortable as at home, the company has decided to only take 250 passengers. There will be only one " service of table " during the voyage. To this end we have utilized all the dining rooms, which have seating capacity for the following number of passengers : In the Grand Saloon (amidships on saloon deck), . . 180 In the Dining Room (amidships on lower deck), . . 32 In the Saloon (aft on promenade deck), ..... 54 Total seating capacity, 266 1 Table Service. — Only one service of table will take place for each meal, so that all passengers will be served at the same time and in the same manner, in the various dining rooms of the steamship. Passengers occupying yellow or green rooms on the lower deck, as per cabin plan, will take their meal^.T in the after dining room. Seats at table will be reserved for passengers imme- ' p" diately after the departure of the steamship. MEALS WILL BE SERVED AS FOLLOWS: Coffee or tea and rolls served in cabin or saloon before breakfast. Breakfast, from 7.00 to 9.00 a.m. -^ Lunch (Dejeuner a la fourchette), . . Noon to i p.m. P^^^ Dinner, 6 p.m. "v^ Supper, or Tea, 9 p.m. Cuisine. — Mention of this seems hardly necessary, as on the French Line steamships it is acknowledged to be unexcelled. Wines. — Table wines (white and red) will be furnished free, according to the well-known rules of the company. Attendants. — The services of the stewards and stewardesses of the steamship (who speak English and French) will be free. Baths. — The bath rooms of the steamship will be free to the passengers, and are conveniently located in different parts of the ship. Physician. — An experienced physician is in attendance, and will give his services free to the passengers on board, including medicines. "^ PLANNING A LAND TRIP. Baggage. — Desiring to give the passengers all the comforts possible in their cabins, a store room will be set apart on board for baggage, which will be placed in alphabetical order, so that pas- sengers will be able to reach it when necessary. This baggage room will be under the special charge of attendants. All baggage must bear either the name, or initials, and address of the passenger. Bicycles will be accepted free on board and will be at risk of the passenger. Jewelry, Articles of Value, etc. — The company declines all responsibility for jewelry, valuables, etc., unless they have been declared as valuables and deposited with the purser of the ship and a receipt delivered by him therefor. Laundry. — The company will establish a laundry on board during the trip for the convenience of passengers. This innovation will certainly be appreciated on account of the length of the voyage. The regulations and price list (which will be the same as New York current prices) will be posted on board. In each cabin there will be placed a special bag for soiled linen, bearing a number, in order to facilitate the return of the contents frorn the laundry. Passports. — Passports are necessary for Turkey, Egypt, Palestine, and Greece. To save time and trouble we would advise passengers to have them vised or certi- fied by the Turkish and Greek consuls at New York before sailing. Passports can be procured from Washington within forty-eight hours. Any notary public can fill out the necessary blanks. The government charges a fee of fi.oo, while the notary's and other fees amount to about $2.00 additional. Excursions on Land. — The company will place at the disposal of passengers, experienced conductors and interpreters, with programmes of excursions on land, who can be secured at a moderate charge. The company will provide transfer between the steamship and shore, free of all expense to the passenger, at stated hours. When on land passengers will have to pay their own private expenses, such as interior fares and carriage hire. Passengers will have the right to live on board while steamship is in any of the ports mentioned, the service on board being the same as at sea. Photography. — The company has engaged a competent photographer and assistant, and will establish a studio aboard with necessary dark room, etc. Pas- sengers with cameras can have instantaneous photographs developed by him for a small charge. The photographer will also take views of many places of interest. ., Music. — First-class musicians have been engaged to ac- company the steamship. AT THE CONCERT ON BOARD. Letters of Credit. — The company will also place at the disposal of passen- gers, at their New York agency, letters of credit on all the principal cities visited. Letters and Telegrams. — Passengers will be able to receive letters and telegrams, properly addressed, in care of the following : CITY. At Lisbon, . . . , Gibraltar Algiers, Tunis, ... Malta, ■ . . , P]RrEUS(AlHENS), Alexandria, Cairo, . . . . agent. cable address, H. Burnay & Co., . . . Henry Burnay. Y. Bergel, Bergel. L. DORIGNY, .... Transatlantique. A. Cambiaggio, . . . Tyausatlaiitiqiit'. d'Ancona, Transat. RiGO, ....... Messagerics . J. RlCARD, Licortic. Cook's Tourist Office, } „ , , T.- r Cook. NEAR ShEPHEARD S HOTEl . ) Jaffa, . . . . F. Philibert, .... Messageyic. Smyrna, , . . Ch. Salzani, .... Messageric. Constantinople, Martin de Pallieres, . Messagerie. Palermo, . . . Gerard Quercioli, . . QuerdoH. Naples, . . . Gondrand Freres, . . Gondrand. Marseilles, . . Berry, Ti-ansatlantique. Malaga, . . . Juan Roose, , . . . . Roose. fic^^r'^M HOW TIME IS KEPT ON SHIPBOARD. "T^HE twenty-four hours are divided into seven parts, and the crew is mustered into two divisions or watches, designated Port Watch and Starboard Watch. Each watch is on duty four "lyf hours. From 4 to 8 P.M. is divided into two watches of two hours |. each, called Dog Watches ; this division changes the watches every ' -' day. The watch which has the forenoon one day has the afternoon next day, and the men who have only four hours' rest one night have -'' ■'.., eight hours' rest next night. There are no dog watches in the French service ; the crew keeping the same watches during the voyage — six watches of four hours each. Order of the watches : First watch, 8 P.M. to midnight ; Middle Watch, midnight to 4 A.M. ; Morning Watch, 4 to 8 A.M. ; Forenoon Watch, 8 A.M. to noon; Afternoon Watches, noon to 4 P.M., and 4 to 8 P.M. The time is announced every half-hour, both A.M. and P.M., by striking a bell, each stroke being called a bell, which indicates the time as follows : one bell, 12.30, 4.30, 8.30; two bells, i.oo, 5.00, 9.00; three bells, 1.30, 5.30, 9.30; four bells, 2.00, 6.00, 10.00; five bells, 2.30, 6.30, 10.30; six bells, 3.00, 7.00, 11.00; seven bells, 3.30, 7.30, 11.30; eight bells, 4.00, 8.00, 12.00. The time is changed daily ; on the eastward trip the clocks are set forward four minutes for each degree of longitude, while in going to the westward they are set backward four minutes for the same interval. Observations are taken daily to determine the exact position of the ship, which is marked on a chart, together with the distance run since noon the previous day, and posted in a conspicuous place for the information of passengers. The average length of day on a 20-knot Atlantic liner going eastward is 23 hours, 10 minutes ; going westward it is 24 hours, 50 minutes. I\. GAMES ON DECt TOURING THE MEDITERRANEAN. The Right and the Wrong IVay. 'X'HE advantages of this general plan of a winter's cruise on a first-class steamship through the whole length of the Mediterranean, with pauses of varying length at the most important ports on the European, Asiatic, and north African shores of this inexpressibly fascinating inland sea — about which thousands of years of history have centred — do not need much further argument. The plan was an experiment only a few years ago. It is now a demonstrated success. The writer has tried the plan of visiting most of these same points upon the Mediterranean coast by the very different plan of trusting to ordinary local means of communi- cation. He has found his way into the eastern Mediterranean from one port to another by means of the small coasting steamers which fly the Russian, Egyptian, Austrian, French, German, and Italian flags. He has had to share stuffy state- ^.^ rooms with unspeakable Turks, and eat unsavory meals on soiled tablecloths with ^ all sorts of Levantine and Oriental table companions. He has been subjected to annoyances in Turkish custom houses, and to endless friction with dishonest and extortionate hotel keepers. The wear and tear of this method of travel in an at- tempt to see the fringes of the Mediterranean is really a serious drawback. At most of these points one does not care to stay very long, and it is an annoyance to hunt up a hotel and then, after a day of sight-seeing, to repack one's box or bag — with a wise traveller it will be the smallest possible bag — find a connection either by rail or by some coasting vessel, and hurry on to the next point of interest. The process requires the devotion of at least half of one's time to the mere details of haggling with cabmen, quarrelling with hotel keepers over extra charges for candles and ser- vice, making connections, and bothering over other distracting minor annoyances. Then, one suffers pangs continually because of his practical inability — if trav- elling rapidly, and if compelled to care somewhat for expense — to accumulate any "plunder." One cannot carry bulky parcels without paying ruinous prices for extra baggage, and on account of one's accumulations the task of crossing boundary lines and getting through new custom houses becomes even more formidable. THE LUXURIOUS ROUTE OF "LA TOURAINE." DUT consider for half a minute the luxury of a Mediterranean cruise in a beau- *-^ tiful floating palace like "La Touraine," for example. One lives continu- ally on the ship. Once comfortably ensconced in his stateroom at New York the ,^ r traveller has only to adjust himself to his luxurious environment, and need not bother with any packing or unpacking until his twelve-thou- sand-mile journey is at an end, and he gathers his traps together as Sandy Hook is sighted on the return trip. To an experienced tourist who wants to cover numerous points on his journey, and desires to have a mind free to see many sights and accomplish much, this relief from everlasting packing and unpacking in European and Asiatic hotels is an almost inestimable boon. If the traveller's purse is long he would be willing to pay hundreds of dollars for that one advantage of the continuous cruise over the broken journey, that requires adjustment to the conditions of fifty hotels. Then consider the delight of being able to pick up in the bazaars and shops those little articles that one likes to buy, without worrying over the fact that one's bags are already full to bursting, and that there is really no feasible way to continue on one's adopted itinerary unless one swears a solemn vow to make no purchases whatsoever. But, in point of fact, for these and all the other advantages that the traveller obtains by the plan of a continuous cruise on a first-class steamship, he does not have to pay prices that are much, if any, greater than the aggregate expenditure he would be compelled to make if he carried out the same itinerary, in the same length of time, on the disjointed plan of going from one place to another by use of such local facilities of travel as he could find. A MAXIMUM OF EXPERIENCE WITH A MINIMUM OF DISCOMFORT. JUST here another reflection might be added. The inexperienced traveller may reasonably enough, suggest that with all its annoyances and disadvantages' the itmerary pursued on the old-fashioned plan would at least give one the experi- ence of various hotels kept in various languages, and the novelty of different modes of conveyance in different lands. Something may well be said on this point The plans of "La Touraine" are such that one may get a maximum of shore experi- ence with a mmimum of the disadvantages of being dependent upon ordinary and local modes of shelter and transit. Thus, where the good steamship lies in a given port for from one to three or four, or more days, her passengers may distribute themselves m any manner they may find agreeable, and may try cookery and beds and railroads and donkey rides, to their hearts' content. They can simplv take a small handbag and venture forth. They may make an excursion of considerable length, stay over night at a hotel, and come back to the ship ad libitum They may return to the ship for every meal, or they may indulge their liking for variety and change by trying a different restaurant or hotel on shore as many times in the day as their curiosity or their appetite may impel. STUrJYING THE ITINERARY. IMPRESSIONS OF A "LA TOURAINE" TOURIST. {Initial Voyage, February to April, 1895.) T T was the good fortune of the writer to be a participant in that now famous initial trip of " La Touraine " through the Mediterranean and the Orient in the winter and spring of 1895. Tliere were in the neighborhood of twelve thousand miles before us, with the promise that in five days we should sight the Azores, and a little beyond should revel in the quaintness of Lisbon, that charming city of Portugal ; later drop anchor under the majestic rock of Gibraltar, and thence with free wing upon the blue inland sea should visit every country upon both shores, with Athens and Constantinople and Cairo and far-away Jerusalem as the extreme objectives. There were glimpses to be had of fifteen distinctive foreign lands. There were over thirty cities wliose streets we should tread, many of them teeming with the languorous life of the Orient ; rich in the costuming of Moor and Bedouin, upon the very edge of whose yellow desert our footprints were to be impressed in the shift- ing sands. DEPARTURE FROM NEW YORK. IVIOTHING could less bespeak that climatic mildness associated with the Orient than our departure from New York, on' February 6th. Our inspec- tion of "La Touraine" had necessarily been confined by the overhanging shed of the pier, the narrow gangway, and the courteous conduct to our cabin through crowds of friends, each of whom bore for someone on board a parting greeting. One had felt the bitter cold outside of one of New York's bitterest- winters. Within was warmth and color and life, and that disguised gayety which at any moment might betray the tear or the sob. It was only when the parting bell had rung and the parting grasp been given that one realized the venturesomeness of his undertaking. Slowly the hundreds who were to remain behind filed down the connecting link between ship and shore. Slowly the great gangway was raised aloft, the gigantic hawsers cast off, and the first throb of the mighty engines vibrated from deck to keel. It was an epoch in one's life. A moment before and one could have returned to home and friends. They were still near. Thousands of fluttering handker- chiefs from the receding pier bade us farewell and bon voyage. Until they faded into the dim blur of shore we had not noticed our immediate surroundings. On every hand the ice-floes of a northern winter. A cold so pene- trating that one perforce sought nook and cranny wherein might be found shelter upon the spacious decks. Througli the Narrows and into the Lower Bay, with Sandy Hook, severe of aspect, ahead, one had neither time nor inclination to lose this last glimpse of the tangible, the real, the familiar, beyond which stretched an abyss of waters to most of us unknown and by many dreaded. There was a parting wrench when pilot boat No. 14, with rigging ice-coated, hove to, and adown the sides of our stately ship the last animate link that bound us to America descended the perilous rope ladder, and with benisons from all and hosts of written messages, took with him in his little craft the irrevocable farewell which always attends the departing pilot. THE SUMPTUOUSNESS OF "LA TOURAINE." HTHERE was still the light of a late February afternoon in the sky as we essayed the descent to our cabins and bade adieux to the land which had now be- come a faint line upon the horizon. We were yet unfamiliar with our exact location in the vast structure upon which we had embarked or the environments surrounding tis. " BACKING OUT. ai^-'' GOOD-BYE ! There was a sense of luxurious amplitude that gave first impressions of our new home. One felt instinctively the necessity for guidance and wished, as he de- scended the winding stairways with its regal mirrors, for courier or dragoman to conduct him through the mazes of sahm and dining room and thence by intricate passages that seemed a "Sabbath-day's journey" to the retirement of No. so-and- so, "Rue-de-Chicago." . » • And sure enough, the most polite of room stewards and daintiest of French stewardesses, in cap of white and apron and armlets to . match, are at once by your side with inquiries for your number, or, with that remarkable memory for which the French have an aptitude, conducting you directly to that haven in which your hastily deposited bags were left before the hubbub of greetings and farewells were over. There are telegrams and letters of good-by in your rack. There is the daintiest of linen upon your bed, with an electric light in the ceil- ing of the ample room, and an electric call-bell by your couch. There is hot and cold water, subject to the pressure of a thumb, and carafes and glasses that shine like crystal. And beyond all, here where you have been told a certain stuffiness exists in nearly all the great liners, there is a current of pure, sweet air around and about one that even when the cabin door is closed permeates the place and gives a sense of wholesomeness and attention to sanitary methods for which "La Touraine" is proverbial. One has scarcely arranged his few belongings before adown the aisles there float, near and more near, the clanging notes of the dinner-bell. Surely one cannot be at sea and seated in this stately dining room where luxury and art and the most delicious of cuisines tempts one to aesthetic feast ! At none of our finest hotels are viands more rare. The excellence of French cookery has before been eulogized. Here, with the appetite sharpened by the salt breezes, one wishes to partake of every dish, however strange its name ; to taste of the wines which are furnished in profusion, and later, in philosophic mood, to commence that interesting form of analysis that has always a subject in one's neigh- bors and fellow-travellers. A RETROSPECT AND A PROMISE. 'X'HERE are certain phases of one's life that may be looked back to as having * been perfectly rounded, that contained a fulfilment exceeding expectation. Such was the cruise of "La Touraine" in the winter of 1895. Without delay or accident or serious illness, Commander Santelli and his able officers had safely conducted us to every land bordering the Mediterranean, and RETURNING TO STEAMSHIP AFTER A DAY ON SHORE. more than tlikt, had made us feel by every courtesy that this luxurious ship was our own. We were at liberty in the various ports to come and go at pleasure, to spend our days on shore or return to the steamship at will and at any hour. Whether laden with spoils from the bazaars or weary of the frequently inferior cuisine on land one had but to regard "La Touraine " as his private yacht, wherein all was at his orders ; where most perfect discipline was maintained and a zeal in attendance un- equalled in one's private menage. From the success of this venture, a still more alluring itinerary has been planned by the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique for the winter of 1896. Still farther than Jerusalem, the tourist will tread the streets of Beyrout and Damascus ; will roam through the halls of the Alhambra, and touch at various ports rarely easy of access, and each filled with a life and people peculiarly its own. There is nothing in individual travel by which so much can be compassed in so short a tmie, and withal, there is no sense of that hurry and scurry inseparable from the ordinary "personally conducted" tours. One is furnished with free transportation from ship to shore and vice versa; couriers and carriages can be se- cured upon landing, and, once upon terra frma, may dispose of his or her lime, in groups or separately, as purse or taste may indicate. Several ladies made the trip of the past season entirely without male escort, save the attentive guide provided for them through the untiring care of M. Treyvoux, the genial ship's purser. One had only to ask to find every wish gratified and frequently forestalled, and from " maitre-de- hotel " and assistants to deck steward and midshipmite and bo'swain came that constant attention which made of "La Touraine" a hovte, palatial, luxurious, and without an equal among transatlantic rivals. FIRST SIGHT OF THE AZORES. THE AZORES AND PONTA DELGADA. TT is the fifth day out, and we are told that the Azores, matchless in their beauty, will soon be in sight. Over two thousand miles — " have been traversed, enlivened by song, the music of an exquisite orchestra, with dances upon the brilliantly lighted deck, and the usual wagers upon the run that is pricked each day with tiny flags upon the charts. One has just begun to learn the ins and outs, the surprises and comforts extended, when "Land, Ho ! " resounds from crow's-nest to salon. There is a faint loom of something upon the horizon. Rapidly it takes form, and amid the scud one sees gigantic rocks, a patch of green, vineyards, and wav- ing grain and browsing cattle, with a scattered hamlet here and there, and specks of white that show the home of man stretching far up and away to mist-clad sum- mits. Cloud-capped, Foam-girted, Strong-visaged, They arise from the sea. Such is the first impression of the Azores, or Western Islands, the harbor of refuge for Portuguese galleon treasure-laden from the Indies ; the scene and shelter of piratical freebooting in ancient times, and to-day a garden from cliff to peak with ever-changing contour of softened lines and hazy distances. Swiftly by Fayal and the bonny harbor of Horta, with a panorama of beauty un- surpassed, we speed for the farther island of San Miguel, which, with Santa Maria, ante-date in settlement Columbus's voyage to America. There are six hours that one may spend in the quaint town of Ponta Delgada with its setting of orange groves and towers and arches ; its creaking carts with wheels of solid wood, and among the dark-eyed and olive-hued natives who, with Portuguese politeness, offer fruits and wares and a hundred things strange to the receptive eye of the tourist. fWe*W* HARBOR OF LISBON. LISBON THE BEAUTIFUL. DUT Lisbon, fair Lisbon, is ahead. We are two days dis- *-^ tant, and one has hardly time to assimilate the beauties of the Azores before anchor is dropped and the capital of Portu- gal is ours for a day. It is a. revelation ; so little visited, so little known in all its quaintness of street life and architecture— a place in which an artist might dream for months, and then, and only then, do something worthy of his brush. One is surprised at its cleanliness, at its tessellated sidewalks, at the patient donkey with enormous panniers of fruits and vegetables, at the fisherwomen with great shallow baskets upon their heads vending goods, and at the beauty and grace of carriage of all the women, patrician or plebeian, and the courtesy of the men to strangers from far America. There are the churches of the Estrella and San Roque to be visited, as well as others, where one will see the first of those marvellous religious creations in silver and mosaics and marbles and bronzes that are as yet strange to our Western eyes. One would fain break bread in this unique city after a day's sight-seeing and fatigue, and a luncheon of the delicious Portuguese dishes and the delicacy of their wines will do much to restore the weary traveller. GIBRALTAR. I T is with a curve to the eastward that one sweeps along the coasts of Portugal and Spain, and for the first time sights the shore of Africa, with Morocco and Tangier as the nearest points, and the great rock of Gibraltar frowning and over- capping all. So superb is this initial vision of the "Crouching Lion" that one would fain view it for hours from the steamer's decks, and is almost loath to leave them for the inviting strolls and drives on land. But the venture is well repaid. On every hand are the scarlet uniforms of our English-speaking cousins. One may not take a camera ashore, nor sketch, but it is a relief to hear one's native tongue and to get a day's breathing space for the study of that smattering of languages among which we have but just ventured our maiden effort at Lisbon. From the rock tunnels high in the fortifications there are embrasures that look out past the protruding muzzles of mighty guns across the bay to Algesiras and the "Queen of Spain's Chair," a rocky eminence beyond the Neutral Ground, and it is from these marvellous tunnellings that one can again see the African coast and the blue Mediterranean, upon whose bosom we are about to enter, sparkling in the distance. In the town below there are Highlanders in kilts and with bare knees marching through the streets, and here and there a stately Moor or Arab, who stalks haught- ily by. There are shops, too, with quaint wares in swords and arms, and exquisite work in Morocco leather, which are worthy of more than passing consideration, as the prices are reasonable and one does not have to haggle as he will later when trading in Oriental bazaars. THE CITY OF ALGIERS. T T requires but a day's run from the rock of Gibraltar to place one fully in touch with this most delightful of Oriental resorts. Here in the month of February the Mustapha Superieure Heights are blossoming like an American June, and vast gardens of oranges and olives and lemons surround charming hotels and detached villas, from whence are views of bay and shore and shipping unsurpassed save at Naples. Here will be seen in the streets Arab and Kabyle and Moor ; shaggy camels from the desert ; bazaars of natives and the more elegant shops of Europeans. The lower part of the town, which bears distinctly the French touch, is cleanly, with fine streets and a promenade overlooking the harbor, whereon may be seen every day the elite of the city listening to excellent music from the military bands in that doke-far-rdente manner that bespeaks the Parisian. GIBRALTAR — ROCK FROM THE NORTHWEST. \'Z^-"m^^ j^". HARBOR OF Algiers, Algiers. The boulevard, which extends for many miles along the coast, leads one by fishermen with sienna-colored nets, quaint houses, and far away to the interesting Church of Notre Dame d'Afrique, famous for its cures of the faithful and its collection of crutches and sticks from the lame, the halt, and the palsied who have been enabled to walk from its doors healed. There is here, too, from the ma- jestic bluff, a view unsurpassed of the Mediterranean, spark- ling in turquoise and blue for miles on either side. In the old part of the town lies the Arab quarter, ascent to which is made through winding streets or lanes of nar- row stairs, and wherein, especially on market days, may be seen much that is rich and quaint in costuming, wares from across the vast desert that lies upon the fringe of the city, rare work by Kabyles in metal and leather, and a thou- sand things with which one has never been brought into contact. Here in Algiers is also the home of Fatima, most famous of Nautch dancers, for whose presence fabulous sums were offered in vain at the Columbian Exposition. As a health resort there are few places upon either shore of the Mediterranean that can compare with the charming city of Algiers. One has everything of American comforts there, an ^ exquisite cuisine, and a setting of flowers and foliage that from October to April is like early summer in New England. TUNIS. T^HE new French port of Bizerte, upon the African coast, gives us easy access to Tunis, one of the cleanest and most fascinating cities of the southern shore. Formerly one had to drop anchor off the site of ancient Carthage and thence be conveyed to the distant town by small tugs from the somewhat open roadstead through a walled channel or canal built for many miles out into the shallow harbor. This, by the enterprise of the French Government, has now been rendered entirely unnecessary, and a short journey by train from Bizerte, which of itself has many Oriental attractions, lands the traveller dry and comfortable in what may be called "The City of Yellow Slippers." Everyone seems to wear them, and the rich draperies of white and coloied silks worn so gracefully by the Tunisians accent still more forcibly our steady progress eastward and that barbaric use of color that has always an at- traction for the sober Western eye. Nowhere is there more brilliancy of dress than in Tunis, should one happen there upon one of their holidays. The smallest child who can but just toddle along, and even the babe borne upon the shoulder of this superb Oriental race, is decked with yellow slippers and a finery of Eastern looms that is harmonious and ex- quisite. The bazaars are especially worthy of visiting, and it may be said here that while some wares of similar character may be found in many Oriental towns, from Algiers even to Damascus, yet each will present many things peculiarly its own, and to be found by the collector of curios or cos- tumes nowhere else. It is a mistake to think one can buy to better ad- vantge Algerian work at Tunis or Tunisian work at Cairo. Each place must be taken by it- self to him who would collect wisely. TUNIS — ORIENTAL LEATHER GOODS AND HARNESS BAZAAR. ./■TUNIS— A FETE DAY (THE RAMADAN). MALTA. IN mid-Mediterranean, between Sicily and Tripoli, arises the frowning island of Malta, wherein for the second time in our cruise maybe seen the scarlet coats of the English soldiers and heard the English tongue. Precipitous, rocky, yet fertile in the hollows and plateaus, there is much of interest in the town and in the almost impregnable situation of fortress and arma- ment that one sees on every hand. Over three hundred years ago was founded here by Jean de Valette that famous society known as the Knights of Malta, in commemoration of their successful defence of the island against an invasion of the Turks. Moorish architecture abounds along the steep streets, many of which one ascends by stairs. The jasper and marbles and agates of its churches bespeak in- vestigation, but above all, its curious out-door life invites attention, and the views from the ramparts are charming. ATHENS. I ON-G before one enters that curious port of Athens, the Piraeus — after a long curve across the Mediterranean from Malta — there has been fully in view from the ship the hill of the Acropolis and the stately ruins of the Parthenon sur- mounting it. One feels everything of Greek and Roman history within him percolating through his fibre at being thus suddenly thrust upon the shores of that ti^adition and '— ",='•3^^; MALTA — FROM DECK OF LA TOURAINE. literature which are still to-day the standards of civilization. Through countless islands that formed the themes of Homer's songs we have glided for hours with the certainty and celerity for which "La Touraine" is famous, to find ourselves all too soon at anchor in the harbor. The change from the southern shore, which we left but a few hours ago, is be- wildering. From the land of palms and luxurious languor one is precipitated into the Odyssey and the classics. But it is a fair land. The severity of its architecture, of its ruins on every hand, are but the more attractive after the effulgence of color left behind with the Moors and Arabs of Tunis. And one finds nothing lacking in draperies or tones. It is a city of culture and refinement, so cleanly that the modern Greek is to be envied for sanitary conditions unknown in our great American cities. It is like his language, crisp, clear-cut, and in every way eloquent. One sees a garb, too, in the Athenian that at once attracts attention. Adown the main thoroughfare comes a detachment of the king's guards, in short embroidered jacket, in pleated skirt of white and various colors reaching to the knee ; beneath a close- fitting garment, and at the lower extremities the invariable red morocco shoes with pointed toes, and upon their apex a tufc of brilliant crimson. And these Athenian men and women of the higher class, whom one sees on the streets and in the shops, still further accent the national costume. The soft, red morocco shoe with crimson tuft seems to be universal. One has seen in Greek plays the costumings at the time of Thucydides of the women of Athens. He may find them to-day at every turn of the head, as fair, as graceful as in the days when Homer sang and Leander swam the Hellespont. Within this space mention cannot be made of the countless attractions in historic ruins and in modern architecture of the Athens of to-day. To the tourist it is a touch, and the only one save Rome, of that past which is a part of the literature and reverence of every cultivated American. ATHENS — VIEWS OF THE ACROPOLIS. N' Aleaanpria- Poi-lPEYi Pillar. HivfR Nile im OioCAipn ALEXANDRIA AND CAIRO. O straight path on land has the fascination of the frequent turns and bends and zigzags of a wood -road in New England. There are con- stant surprises, and each new vista takes unto itself distinct competition with its predecessor. And so at sea. We have made a great zigzag from Tunis to Malta, from Malta to Athens, and with a long tangent swing across to Egypt. One has almost forgotten that life of the southern coast with its languorous luxury while assimilating the no less fascinating but more classical forms and poses of Greece. But these memories are soon to be revived with intensity. With a steady slant to llie southeastward in less than two days we are under an Egyptian sun and safely anchored in the harbor of Alexandria. The Khedive's palace lies before us white and quivering upon the fringe of the bay. There is the first glimpse of dahabeahs, those famous boats of the Nile, and the white garments and fezzes and brilliant costumes of the East are about us. There is much to see in Alexandria, and were it not for Cairo, but a few hours distant by rail, one might contentedly spend days here. As it is, in a short drive one has seen Pompey's Pillar and the Khedive's gardens ; has become conscious of Nile life, and hastens onward to Cairo, the greatest commercial metropolis of Egypt, with its teeming population of nearly a half million souls. There are about six days in which one may quaff to the full the sights of this fascinating place. At every turn is a pageant of barbaric colors and peo- ples ; of camels and donkeys and sais running before gorgeous carriages bearing women of the harems ; with Europeans and Berbers and Arabs and snake-charmers and sword-swallowers, all mixed up in a great harmo- nious confusion that excels the wildest depiction of stage or canvas. It is a place where one with a camera will exhaust many rolls of film and still go away unsatisfied. Nowhere save possibly in Damascus are the bazaars more interest- !y^^,^,L^ The Pyramids and Touri5T5 going to Laqqurah. AT THE BASE OF CHKOPS. ing or filled with rarer goods. One may hag- gle here over a bar- gain to his heart's content. Some- thing considerably less than half the nt^''- ■!, price will ordinarily be accepted, and I have known parties re- turning day after day .'>rd renewing an offer until eventually they became possessors of the coveted goods. It is all a part of their trade ; they expect it and are more than amused when one pays the original asking price. There are mosques almost without number. One will naturally leave these until later and take for his first excursion the beautiful drive through the Avenue of Acacias to the very base of the pyramids. The ascent of Cheops is a fatiguing one, but the view of the, Nile Valley is wonderful. From the base one rides on camel or drome- dary to the Sphynx, a short distance beyond and return, and can find a charming luncheon at a small hotel almost under the shadow of these mighty piles of stone. What with howling and dancing dervishes and native dancers to be seen, every moment will be filled. One may sit for hours upon the amply shaded plaza of the New Hotel and never tire of the procession passing and repassing before him. It is with regret that we enter the train for Port Said, upon the Nile delta, and from which place the Suez Canal has its beginning, to rejoin the steamer ; but there is a sense of home- coming and warm welcome upon this palace of the sea that more than atones for what is left behind. One enters his stateroom to find the smallest objects of toilet, and even his favorite box of cigars, inviolate, and a sense of exquisite cleanliness about every- thing for which opportunity has been given by a week's absence. In a day we are to be at Jaffa with its open roadstead, and thence take train to Jerusalem. )-|Hr: LIT'Vifi^ Port Said. JERUSALEM. ^^^ I TPON the terraced heights of Jaffa it is strange to find a Baldwin locomotive , , affifio, ^^ '-"^li-;- awaiting to escort the train of somewhat '"^" ^^^^^^' -I- inferior cars to Jerusalem. It is, however, far easier than to go pick-a-back upon a .^i^i//*f camel, or by balky donkey, as was the case until five years ago. Through the fertile valley of Sharon, JEP.U5ALEM-0N THE EDGE OF THE DP.Sr-RT. ^^^^ ^.^^^ ^o^^,\^s, one glides at snail's pace up into those sterile and rocky hills where caves and tombs and barrenness are upon every side, and at last emerges upon that city so filled with those pregnant events of suffering that formed the initial of the Christian religion. A sense of reverence has come over all as the train winds slowly through the solemn sepulchres, cliff-bound and stern. Somewhere in the midst of these sombre hills was enacted the greatest tragedy of history. One is hushed and expectant ! Jerusalem of to-day has more of civilized methods of living than one has been told. Some of its hotels without the walls are tolerable, and even comfortable. One would scarcely care to dwell long within the walls. Of the best of the former class Howard's may be cited. There are reasonably good beds and many modern conveniences that we were told were unattainable. From here it is a short dis- tance only on foot or donkey to Jaffa Gate, with its steady procession inward to the heart of the city and its equally steady procession outward to pure air beyond the walls that hold the tradition of ancient cleanliness and the fact of a present sanitary degeneracy that should shame even the Moslem. Up and down narrow streets with frequent stairs one has been led to the JERb'SALEM -Jaffa Gate. Mosque of Omar, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, to countless things in biblical history. We have passed bazaars more fascinating than those of Cairo, and cheaper. There are arms and stuffs, and wares and provisions. Here may be seen the dreaded devil fish of Victor Hugo hanging side by side with the peaceful, dried cod of American waters, and as equally peaceful and dried to every extent of its vast tentacles. One has visited the Wailing Wall, and seeks the clear air and broad sweep of the Plains of Ephraim on the road to Bethlehem, across which tlie wise men saw the star of promise. In the opposite direction the tourist will drive to Bethany and visit Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives. Back to Jaffa through the solemn defiles and through the flowering valley of Sharon one returns willingly, yet with a curious mixture of reflections, of illusions and disillusions, where fact has played sad havoc with traditions — and yet withal a knowledge that somewhere within this walled city of Jerusalem, and without, there were once footsteps and suffering that should call forth the rever- ence of every human being. Jerusalem- Damascus Gate BEYROUT AND DAMASCUS. DEYOND Jaffa, one hundred and twenty-five miles, we come to Beyrout, the principal port of Syria. It is finely situated on a headland of the Mediter- ranean, with narrow streets, without vehicles, and surrounded on two sides by great hills of red sand. It is after a hasty survey of this odd place that we find our- selves en route for Damascus, the oldest city in the world, dating back over four thousand years. Here, in the most attractive bazaars we have yet seen, will be found marvellous work in leather, in silk, silver, and all the metals. It is by far the most interesting city of the Orient, conquered and retaken again and again by the Persians, the Greeks, Romans, Saracens, and to-day under Turkish rule. It has many churches and mosques of great beauty, and would well repay a longer visit than our time will permit. SMYRNA. 'T'HE Land of Rugs ! Every boat that draws up alongside the steamship is dec- •^ orated with them. One sits upon them going ashore in all stages of newness or dilapidation. An initiatory negotiation with the boatman reveals marked dis- crepancies between the price here and the price in New York — much in favor of the latter. It is reputed to be the birthplace of Homer, but Homer never could have sung had he ridden over the illy-paved streets of this modern emporium of the ■ greatest looms of Coulah, Guerdiz, and Ushak. From the bay Mount Pagus rises in solemn dignity, and beyond it are those seemingly inexhaustible mountains that yield to modern art and manufactures the invaluable emery stone of commerce. ^^^''^P' JAFFA — ANDROMEDA'S REEF. PANOIM.n^ Op'ti^N^TANriNOl^b: ^" " '' - 1 /•• ' '/■ CONSTANTINOPLE. DEYOND us, and less than a day distant, lies one of the most beautiful and fas- cinating portions of our journey. Up the yEgean Sea, through the Darda- nelles or Hellespont, with Turkey in Europe on the one side and Turkey in Asia upon the other, one enters the Sea of Marmora, and before he can realize it is at anchor in the Bosphorus, with the Golden Horn on the port side and Scutari on the starboard. The approach up this wonderfid waterway is full of historic interest. Here Hero and Leander loved, and Xerxes built his famous bridge of boats. Here, too, in later days. Lord Byron swam the straits in emulation of Leander. Beneath Seraglio Point we come to rest, and in plain view are ancient Stamboul and Galata and Pera. The minarets of St. Sophie stand white and mute against the sky. There are palaces whose architecture is so a part of this Mohammedan land that at first one gathers simply the general effect and feels that his dreams have been realized. Around the steamship are hundreds of that curious Turkish rowboat, the caique, each with an oarsman eager for passengers or bearing courier or guide vociferating his accomplishments in the English tongue and waving aloft letters of commendation from previous excursionists. At last the tug is made fast and the journey accomplished to shore. One has heard of dogs, but until now one has never seen them in quantity that by a thou- CO NST ANTING PL -bird's-eve view oI'' golden horn. sandfold surpasses the greatest kennel exhibition of the world. You may step over or fall down upon or drive around them, whether in street or upon sidewalk. They are harmless and ownerless — a yellow, wolfish cur, with hundreds to a block — asleep by day, with regular sentinels to guard them, and awake and voiceful all night, rank and file. They are the scavengers of Constantinople, organized in some subtle yet systematic manner that rivals in perfection of discipline the army of the Sultan itself. One forgets them after a while and walks around them as he would skirt a puddle, to view the attractions of mosque and bazaar and the living multitude passing in constant stream. We have seen the Turk away from home. Here is his domain, with all that luxury of setting created by himself and adapted from other Oriental nations. Days might be spent in street and bazaar. There is " Far-away Moses," made famous by Mark Twain, who will receive you gravely, yet cordially, in his spacious warerooms, and drink with you a cup of Turkish coffee and offer an amplitude of cigarettes. There are veiled ladies tripping across the muddy streets on raised wooden stirrups or shoes as daintily as the damsels of New York or Boston or Chicago. There are historic monuments in profusion, but above them all, except to the lovers of ancient history, this life of street and bazaar will attract most strongly. MESSINA AND PALERMO. "\X/ITH reluctance one sees Seraglio Point and the Golden Horn fade into the distance. Messina and Palermo, the most attractive ports of Sicily, are on our homeward way, for after Constantinople the homeward cruise has begun. Each day will give us more westering, a setting back of our watches in accordance with the noon whistle of the steamship, in the same degree to which we have set them forward while going to the eastward. At the extreme northeastern point of Sicily, one is landed for fifteen hours at Messina, where fresh fruits are taken aboard — oranges just plucked from the trees and with leaves still clinging to the stems ; lemons, dales, delicious vegetables, meats and fish. There are several churches worthy of visiting, but many of its ancient ruins and relics have, through the vicissitudes of war, vanished and been obliterated. From Messina we pass through the straits between that Scylla and Charybdis made famous by Homer, past the Lipari Islands, and at the extreme western point of Sicily are brought to halt in the port of Palermo, the largest and, next to Syra- cuse, the most interesting city on the island. If the pilgrim is not already weary of mosque and cathedral there are many here that will repay investigation, dating back as far as the twelfth century. From the Marina are views of the coast and Mount ^tna, and many days might easily be devoted to this place, which boasts so delicious a climate and so picturesque a situation were not Naples and Pompeii and the possibility of a glimpse of Rome upon our very threshhold. »^nriNf)BWOFNAPL£! NAPLES — HARBOR AND FORT ST. ELME. NAPLES. 1 ONG before this we have been accustomed from the decks of " La Touraine " *"' to the gorgeous setting given to majestic hills and mountains by sunrise and sunset. But the entrance to the Bay of Naples, with the Forge of Vulcan smoking ominously near the crest of Vesuvius, will at once assert itself as the most exquisite sight of the voyage. Capri and Sorrento and Herculaneum and Pompeii and this greatest city of Italy form but connecting links in a panorama that sweeps around in a great semi-circle. Were it not for the possibility of at least a day in Rome, one would sitate to hastily leave the steamship's decks for closer contact. We have but a possible three days, and must plan wisely. If one is to Just get a first glimpse, but never to be forgotten, of the Sacred City he must hasten. It is five hours distant by excellent trains, and the initial view of the mighty Colosseum, of St. Peter's, the Vatican, and hosts of other historic places, to which a com- petent guide will conduct you in a day, will make a lasting impression. And behind us with magnetic attraction, almost equally great, lies Naples, that Queen City of the Mediterra- nean, filled with historic traditions, abounding in street life new to the American and prod- igal of excursions to Pompeii, Vesu- K.i£D vius, Herculaneum, Sorrento, Castellamare, Capri, the "Blue Grotto," and a score of others. It is its surroundings that has made of Naples one of the most fascinating cities in the world, inexhaustive in the refinement of its people, its social life, and its en- vironment. VILLEFRANCHE, MONTE CARLO, MENTONE, NICE, CANNES, AND MARSEILLES. /^NE can leave the steamship at the exquisite harbor of Villefranche, shut in by mighty hills, and wander, as time may serve, to all of the above-mentioned places, and still rejoin " La Touraine" at Marseilles. The Carnival and Battle of Flowers will be in evidence at Nice ; the great gam- bling hall and the exquisite scenery of Monte Carlo and Monaco and Mentone are easily available by drives over the Upper or Lower Corniche roads, the most beau- tiful in the world, and one would fain revel in the charms of the Riviera for weeks. It is the most picturesque shore of our trip, indented with small land-locked har- bors, in which may be seen yachts of royalty and of the world's magnates. The time will prove all too short in which to absorb the spirit of the life, the gayety, and the superb scenery. The great commercial port of Marseilles, with its excellent streets and buildings and quays, bespeaks substantial prosperity, while far out in its harbor lies a small rocky island, upon which grimly rests the Chateau d'lf, made famous by Alexander Dumas in his " Count of Monte Cristo." Caric MALAGA, GRENADA, AND THE ALHAMBRA. A GRENADA — COURT OF THE LYONS (AI.HAMBRA). RUN of nearly three hundred miles from Marseilles brings us to the Balearic Isles, or the Baleares, and one has an opportunity to see the charming city of Palma, its principal port. But there is uneasiness to reach the Spanish port of Malaga, from whence the tourist has easy access to Grenada and the superb Alhambra, around which are clustered so many facts of history and romance. It is rare that one has this opportu- nity. Usually it requires a long railway journey of about twelve hundred miles from Paris. Through the wise and liberal policy of the French Line this palace and city of the Moorish Kings, this gorgeous pile made doubly famous to all Americans by Washington Ii^ving, lies at our doors. Whatever the correctness of the old distich, " Malaga raisins are very good raisins, But those of Smyrna are better," we have on this trip an opportunity to test and verify for ourselves, and one is in- clined to reverse the ancient lines, or at least to regard these famous products of the two rival cities from an impartial standpoint. The wines of Malaga are delicious when obtained in purity, especially its I^a- grimas. Let no one be deceived by the constant cry, emanating especially from Gibraltar, that travel in Spain is precarious and attended with danger of bandits and with in- civilities from its people. One will find a marked courtesy to Americans on every side, from the highest to lowest class, and this throughout all Spain. Even the seeming severities of their frequent custom-houses are directed princi- pally to importations of spirits and cigars in quite small quantities. But regarding the latter, an American who has been condemned by the enactment of laws of ex- clusion in his own land to smoke the villainous leaf gruwn in New England, will MARSEILLES — ENTRANCE TO HARBOR AND CHATEAU D'IF -^*». TANGIHR — MARKET PLACE. find no fault, viewed from the sanitary standpoint of the possible contamination of the Spanish race thereby, who alone grow and appreciate and have at their reason- able command the best and only tobacco for cigars and cigarettes in the world. For this land of Ferdinand and Isabella one is prepared as he enters Grenada. Beneath the very foothills of that acropolis, upon which is situated the Alham- bra, there is the snuggest of snug hostelries, known far and wide as the Hotel Washington Irving. From here the tourist may on foot, with or without local guide, traverse the brilliant halls and gardens and courts and towers that are but a few mo- ments distant. Gypsies will dance before your door with tambourine and castanet. They will pirouette in the streets with the real swing of Terpsichore, such as the Nautch dancers wot not of. There are the caves of the Gitani, and interesting scenes in the city itself, but one looks long at that last fading glimpse of the Alham- bra as he hastens back to Malaga and the steamship. O 1^- GIBRALTAR AND TANGIER. NCE more we are under the stupendous shadow of Gibraltar. The "rock scor- pions," or natives, are present in boat, on deck, and on shore. 1^/%.'^\" It is pleasant to hear the English tongue, and one may easily run across to Tangier and spend the day with the Arabs and Mooi's of Morocco should he so choose. It is well worth the while, for here in Tangier will come that last touch of Africa • ^ and the Orient, of bazaars and barbaric costimies and life "> • , before contact with that new yet familiar world which ^ ' i one lovingly and reverently calls Home. IND OI< rn] \o\AOL. DISTINGUISHING SHIPS AT SEA. >? /"^OMM ANDERS of vessels generally exchange signals when passing each ^^ other. Flags are used during the day, and colored lights at night. In the daytime it is a simple matter for passengers to distinguish the steam- ships of the different lines by their funnels and house flags, and the names of the ships may also be learned when they exchange signals, as each ship's name is represented in the International Signal Code for Merchant Vessels by four letters, or flags, which are run up to a stay immediately above the bridge, being strung one below the other, and read downward. When it is known to which line a vessel belongs, and she shows her colors, her name may then be ascertained by comparing her four signal flags with the International Signal Code, which is carried on all merchant vessels. "L.\ Touraine's" signal letters are L F V Q, as shown in the accom- panying illustration. L is a square flag, quartered blue and yellow ; F is a red pennant, with white ball ; V is a square white flag, with diagonal red cross ; Q is a square yellow flag. Each line has a different night signal, and the officers of one line, being familiar with the movements of the fleet of all the other lines, know which vessel is, or ought to be, in that immediate vicinity. A ship's hull may be seen on a very clear day from the promenade deck of a large steamship about ten nautical miles away, and the top of her masts may be seen about fifteen nautical miles. KNOTS CONVERTED INTO MILES. 'X'HE Admiralty standard knot, or nautical mile, is 6,086 feet. A statute mile, or land mile, is 5,280 feet. A standard knot is slightly over if of a statute mile. Ordinarily 13 knots may be regarded as equal to 15 miles. --^ 1 knot = 1. 151 miles. 2 knots = 2.303 " 3 " ^ 3-454 " 4 " = 4.606 " 5 knots = 5-757 miles. 10 " = 11.515 " 20 " = 23.030 " 25 " =28.787 " A league is 3 knots. A cable length is 600 feet ; 10 cables is i knot. A fathom is 6 feet. PASSENGERS' OPINIONS OF THE INITIAL TRIP. GENERAL ALGER ON HIS TRIP TO THE ORIENT. He is Delighted wit/i His Trip on "La Touraine." Praises the Captain and Officers for Their Courteous Treatment. General Alger, of Michigan, and his family, returned last week on " La Touraine," of the French Line, having made the round trip excursion to the Orient, and, in speaking of his trip to a Steam and Sail representative on April lo, 1895, said : " Both my family and myself are immensely delighted with the excursion. It was a most pleasant and valuable experience. We enjoyed every day of the voyage. The itinerary was ar- ranged very satisfactorily, and it gave us ample time to see all that ,was interesting at the various ports at which we stopped. The French Line deserves great credit for the manner in which the excursion was planned and managed. " La Touraine " is splendidly adapted for such a voyage. She has every facility for the comfort and luxury of the passengers, and besides being fast she is an excellent sea-going boat. I must also pay honest tribute to her officers. They are able sailors, and from captain down to the humblest officer, all deserve credit for the efforts they took to make the excursion one of most pleasant memories. I hope the French Line will send " La Tou- raine" on an excursion of this kind next year. If they do, I will, if possible, be of the party. I would not have missed it for any amount of money." " La Tour.\ine" left here last February and returned last Wednesday. She took out nearly three hundred prominent society people. The two months' excursion was made without one un- pleasant incident. „ ^ . , „ _ S.MYRNA, March 18, 1895. CoMPAGNiE Generale Transatlantique, Paris, France. ' ' ^•^ Dear Sirs : It is with pleasure that I speak of my Mediterranean trip on " La Touraine " in the spring of 1895. It is the cleanest and best kept steamer of any I have ever been on ; I think no ship could be better. The cruise was all that could be desired. The officers were kind and polite and all was done that could be for the passengers, and I would advise my friends contem- plating such a trip to take this line. Yours truly, J. HULL BROWNING, President Northern Railroad Company of New Jersey. 199 Chambers Street, New York City. Chicago, September 3, 1895. Dear Sir : I write to express to you my appreciation of the courtesies shown myself and daughter on our trip to the Orient on steamship " La Touraine" last spring. We found everything highly satisfactory, the officers painstaking and agreeable, and the service on the ship of the best. I found my quarters so pleasant on the trip last spring that I wish to engage for this year one of the rooms I then occupied, No. 56. Please reserve same for me, and oblige. With kind regards, I remain. Yours truly, JOHN B. SHERMAN, Vice-President and General Manager The Union Stock Yard and Transit Co. of Chicago. Chicago, September 6, 1895. Dear Sir : I take very great pleasure in writing to you of my delightful trip to the Orient early this year on "La Touraine," which was made particularly pleasant by the courtesy of the officers and the generally good service on the steamer. I left " La Touraine " at Gibraltar, on the return trip, and sailed later on from Havre on "La Champagne," and I wish particularly to speak of the very generous treatment I received in re- gard to accommodations on this steamer. Very truly yours, JOHN H. WRENN, of Walker & Wrenn, Bankers and Brokers, 225 La Salle Street. (Members New York Stock Exchange.) Chicago, September n, 1895. Dear Sir : It was one of the most delightful voyages and trips I ever took, and I recommend " La Touraine" and Captain Santelli to everyone who wishes a fine boat, a splendid seaman, and a charming time. Very sincerely, JESSE SPAULDING. Kennett, Hopkins & Co., Bankers and Brokers, Chicago and New York, Members Chicago Board of Trade and Stock Exchange, Nevvt York Stock, Produce, and Coffee Exchanges. Chicago, September 12, 1895. Dear Sir : It affords me much pleasure to say that I made the trip to the Mediterranean last February on " La Touraine," accompanied by my granddaughters, and we found the officers of the ship most attentive and courteous, the service good, and the cuisine excellent. I have crossed the ocean many times, but never was on a better appointed ship than " La Touraine." Very truly yours, JOHN N. DURAND. Muscatine Sash and Door Co.. Muscatine, Ia., September 13, 1895. Dear Sir : I esteem it a favor to be allowed to express my appreciation of " La Touraine's" excursion last winter. A pleasanter trip could not be planned ; a finer boat, or one more carefully managed, could not be found ; and a better way of spending two months does not exist. My sincere hope is that " La Touraine's " cruise the coming winter will be as successful, the skies as fair, the party as pleasant as last year, and each and every passenger will be assured of the trip of a lifetime. Yours truly, C. R. MUSSER. S. S. Beman, Architect, Pullman Building. Chicago, September 11, 1895. Dear Sir : The Mediterranean cruise of " La Touraine " last winter was a most unqualified success, and it is with pleasure that Mrs. Beman and myself express our complete satisfaction with our trip in the beautiful and comfortable ship which we all learned to love. The unceasing and successful efforts of all in charge of the ship to make our two months' cruise pleasant and agreeable in every way shall always be remembered gratefully by, Yours truly, S. S. BEMAN. Fort Sheridan, III., September 4, 1895. Dear Sir : With regard to the Oriental trip of " La Touraine " last February and March, I take great pleasure in expressing my satisfaction with the excellent accommodations of everything aboard the steamer. The itinerary was all that the most fastidious could reasonably expect, and afforded the most favorable opportunity of seeing all that was interesting and within easy reach of ports on the Mediterranean. The trip cannot fail to interest, and although it requires a good deal of energy to see every- thing, there is such a fascination in the diversity of customs and costumes of the different peo- ples that one never grows tired. My only regret is my inability to make the trip next spring. Very sincerely yours, JOHN C. COTTER, Lieutenant Fifteenth Infantry, U.S.A. The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, Chicago Agency. O. P. Curran, Manager, Chamber of Commerce Building, Chicago, September 10, 1895. My Dear Sir : Hearing that the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique, French Line Mail Steamers, which you so successfully represent at this point, is contemplating another trip to the Orient persteamship " La Touraine," sailing from New York on February 4, 1896, and having had the pleasure of being one of the number that visited the same points of interest last February, March, and April, my home for that time being aboard that luxurious palace, " La Touraine," 1 address you these few lines, as they may be the means of helping someone else to decide the question of how to spend a few weeks, not only very profitably, but most comfortably and enjoy- ably. No one could ask for better accommodations than they secure on " La Touraine ;" every reasonable requirement is provided for the comfort of the passenger, and its officers and crew can- not be excelled. I have no criticism in any particular, but, on the contrary, the highest commen- dation to offer. The countries and cities visited on the trip are well worth the time bestowed on them. One will never forget the pleasant sights. I shall always regard it as an oasis in the journey of life, and will be pleased if permitted to again visit these lands under the same protection. Yours respectfully, O. P. CURRAN. Compagnie Generale Transatlantique. SOOYSMITH & CoMI'ANY, CONTRACTING ENGINEERS, Mills Building, Wall and Broad Streets. Compagnie Generale Transatlantique, New York. New York, October 24, 1895. Dear Sir : I am pleased to add my testimony to that of other fellow-passengers on the Medi- terranean trip of " La Touraine " last year, to the fact that the ship itself is a model one for the purpose, and I believe that the spirit and effort of the company was everything that the passengers could desire. I feel like calling special attention to the cleanliness of the ship and the accommo- dating spirit manifested . toward myself and family by the stewards, on both of \vhich features depend so much the comfort of such a long trip. Yours truly, CHARLES SOOYSMITH, President. CoMTAGNiE Generale Transatlantique, 604 Carlton Avenue, New York. Brooklyn, N. Y., October 24, 1895. Dear Sir : The first excursion of " La Touraine " was a wonderful and memorable experi- ence. To be able to see the cities of the Orient with such expedition, luxury, and ease, when heretofore changes, annoyances, fleas, and dirt had been the rule, and to be allowed sufficient time to obtain a vivid impression of scenery, places, and people, converted the hardships of travel into veritable poetry. " L.\ Touraine " is a miracle of comfort and cleanliness. The service is the most perfect on the Atlantic, and that extensive promenade deck is a feature in itself. As in a first-class floating hotel we were carried from port to port with restfulness and despatch, and w-ithout a contretemps. I made the voyage entirely alone, yet experienced not the slightest diffi- culty on sea or shore — at all times was as safe as in my own home. Without an acquaintance when " La Touraine " steamed away from Sandy Hook, at the end of two months I had made more than one fast friend, and it was with real regret that I parted from the beautiful ship which had become a part of my life. Yours very truly, Mrs. HERBERT L. BRIDGEMAN. ON BOARD "LA TOURAINE." At Sea, April 7, 1895. At a meeting of the passengers of steamship "La Touraine," held on board the ship on the eve of her arrival at New York, at the close of her Mediterranean and Oriental trip of February, March, and April, 1895, the following resolutions were unanimously and by rising vote adopted : IRCSOlVC?, That to Captain Santelli and his officers our thanks are due for their untiring zeal in using their every effort to contribute to our pleasure, safety, and comfort during the trip just ended — a trip ever to be remembered by each and every one of us. IRCSOlVCZ), That it is with great regret we leave the good ship he so ably commands, and, in parting, we tender to Captain Santelli and his officers our sincere thanks and our best wishes. (Signed) R. A. ALGER, ^ JOHN A. DELANOY, r Committee. JOHN E. LAMB. J ^ ^ 'AUTOGRAPHS or TABLE FRIENDS^'"' N^jV'" DIARY DIARY. DIARY. DIARY. IDIARY AUJOGRA FOR ALL INFORMATION, TICKETS, ETC., APPLY AT THE OFFICE OF THE . . . (Jompagnie GenEiiale Tfan^atslantsique, (French Line Mail Steamships.) No. 3 BOWLING GREEN, NEW YORK CITY, AND AT THE COMPANY'S PRINCIPAL AGENCIES: BALTIMORE, MD., 133 East Baltimore Street Arthur W. Robson. BOSTON, MASS., 103 State Street, Duncan Bailly-Blanchard. CHICAGO, ILL., 166 Randolph Street, M. W. Kozminski. CINCINNATI, OHIO, 73 West Third Street Ohio Valley National Bank. MONTREAL, CANADA,! '43 St- J^'"e^ Street, Wm. D. O'Brien. (338 St. Paul Street Mongenais, Boivin & Co. NfiW ORLEANS, LA., 45 Barrone Street Emmanuel E. Prevost. PHILADELPHIA, PA., 131 South Fifth Street, Geo. H. Leaf & Co. PITTSBURG, PA., 527 Smithfield Street Max Schamberg & Co. QUEBEC, CANADA, 32 St. Louis Street R. M. Stocking. SAN FRANCISCO, CAL., 5 Montgomery Avenue, J. F. Fugazi & Co. WASHINGTON, D. C, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, G. W. Moss. t/Jlso at the agencies of the French Line in the principal cities of the United States and Canada. COMPANY'S HEAD OFFICE: 6 RUE AUBER, PARIS. Dr> A \3nu f\car-cc r> a nic . f Cabin Passengers, 12 Boulevard des Capucines (Grand Hotel). BRANCH OFFICES-PARIS : | ^^^^^^^ ^^-^^^^ qJ^^^ (Terminus Hotel). f HAVRE, 35 Quai D'Orleans, . . . H. DeGaalon, Agent Principal. PRINCIPAL BORDEAUX, 17 Cours du Chapeau Rouge, A. DeVial, Agent Principal. MARSEILLES, 12 Rue de la Republique,' . M. Berry, Agent Principal. AGENCIES: I LONDON, 5 Gracechurch Street, E. C, \ p p . ^g_ .„„„. t LIVERPOOL, 28 Chapel Street. J ■ ■ ■ ■ ^- i'ANET, Agent. Passengers embark from Pier 42 (new number) North River, foot of Morton Street, New York. For other ivformatioti A PODr^PX C^ a■t■\a■^^t^\ A n-atrf For United States and tickets apply to . t\' rLyrVVJCl, VjeilCldl MgtillL, and Canada. . . No. 3 Bowling Green, New York City. ^ 98 ep O:.' ^^d* .4^^ "^aV ^^ V*^**A^^ "V^"^*/ ^^*^^^r.#' ^o.*:?^T^; 'O.I,- ^O'^ ^s '- 4./*i?^%\. .^^/^i^ ^/♦i!;^-\. ^"^/^kI^^ *^^* ^L^^^ ^ ^^. ^u^^" ^^%. *^°- \.',^'