^t^^

C2.-i>c- €^c^

BY LAND AND SEA

INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL WITH CHATS ABOUT
HISTORY AND LEGENDS

BY

HARRIET E. FRANCIS

ILLUSTRATED

TROY N. Y.
NIMS AND KNIGHT
1891

COPYRIGHT, 1891.
BY J. M, FRANCIS & SON.

FROM THE TROY TIMES PRESSES,
TROY, N. Y.

AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED
TO THE GRANDCHILDREN
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 hira 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 words, 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.

FAfJK.

AT I.

Across the Atlantic to England,

1

' II.

France, Spain, and Portugal,

1»

' III.

Switzerland, Austria, and Noravay,

y4

' IV.

Greece,

40

' V.

Turkey,

.51

' VI.

Egypt,

61

' VII.

Arabia and India,

71t

' VIII.

China,

99

' IX.

Japan,

11.5

' X.

Home once More,

12fi

FRAGMENTARY LETTERS.
Utah, 139
California, - 141
Japan, - 146
China, 152
Singapore, 16 L
Ceylon, 164
Egypt, 167
Austria, - 175
Hungary, ' iso
Bohemia, 1 S4
Portugal, 191

ILLUSTRATIONS. page.
1. Lisbon, Portugal, 18
2. Chamouni, Switzerland, 24
8. The Acropolis, Athens, 40
4. Mars Hill, Athens, 44
5. The Golden Horn from Pera, 52
6. Snake Charmers in Benares, India, so
7. An Indian carriage and pair, Bombay, S2
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, so
10. Banyan Tree at Barrackpore, near Calcutta,
India, 88
11. State Elephants op the Viceroy equipped for a
Journey, Benares, 90
12. The Taj at Agra, India, 92
13. A Corridor in the Palace 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
16. Japanese Bed-room Scenes, 118
17. A JiNRIKSHAW AND ChLNESE BaRBER, 122
IS. 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, 160
22. The Entrance to the Whampoo Gardens, Singapore, 162
23. Jewel Peddlers at Point-de-Galla, Island of
Ceylon, 164
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

BY LAND AND SEA.

CHAT I
ACROSS 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 little 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,
my 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 Ues at the mouth of the
river Mersey. We took a pilot Avho 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 Avorld,
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 Avith 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.
PauFs Cathedral in 1675, he found relics of an older structure.

4 JiY ZAND AND SEA
It is not yet determined exactly when the earlier 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 churches, 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.
Wft 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. If Ave believe what is told us, the old house is still con
ducted as it Avas 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 ba^ptized. On one of the pews
is a metal plate on which is engraved the name of the poet's
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 Ave 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 oue 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 bench, 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
famous 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
fiowers. 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
flue 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 TuiUeries — 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 large area
and some parts are preserved to appear like wild forest land.
The Bois de Vincennes is still the favorite place for the bridal
tour of wedding parties among a certain class of Parisian shop-
people. The bride and groom 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 op 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 — Fishwomen
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 intensely 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 Englishman. 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, pull 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 diligence 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, behoving 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 aU 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
w-ould 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, aU 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 adA^enture.
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 864, when it w^as spoken of as a
" terrestrial paradise." To form an idea of what it must have
been in the magniflcenge 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 remai'kable 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 are emblazoned all over the national history.
Spain had her Columbus 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 fiightful earthquakes at times. The earthquake at
Lisbon of 1755 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 hfe and noted historic events.
I found in an old Portuguese book the foUowing 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, naming the new city Ulysippo. The intruding cus
toms and the overbearing manners of the Greeks at last drew
upon them the hostility 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 Penelope and Telemachus, his wife and son, from
whom 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
flrst 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 shaU 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 influence of the nobleman, she and the counterfeiter
obtained a reprieve.
AU 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 LIS PON. I i
satisfactorily explains her plan for replenishing the royal ti'eas-
ury, and her course is approved. The young hidalgo appears
before the queen to sue for pardon, and is surprised t< » 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 1 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 "biUs" 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
"biUs." 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

18 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 crow^d 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 hghting
here and there upon the merry crowd below, like so many fall
ing gold and silver stars. Nosegays, with mottoes or hillets
donx hidden among the flowers, are also thrown at those who
rhay 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
aUowed. Nobody takes offense at anything, knowing well that
the only way to escape the inconveniences of carnival sports is
to remain at home. NaturaUy, 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

^ifS!^ ¦si^r^rr-%-

-' . ^^S^ *'%=. . »)fc.' ;•#.,¦

LISBON, PORTUGAL.

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 flred at
me. A httie 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 Ttna 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 Roman Catholic Church

20 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 artificial 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 flrst 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 branch 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 delicate, and evidently unaccus
tomed to the hard pavement. There was a large military
escort, and thousands of people 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. -'1
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 generaUy faced outside with azidejos 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 womeii and little girls, who
handle dexterously the long switches with which they hasten

22 BY LAND AND SEA.
the steps of the slow-moving animals. From Oporto we drove
in a diUgence 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 httie 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 for 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 piUow 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 chmbing up a stairway of four hundred steps. On
both sides of this stairway, at short intervals, are smaU stone
chapels, richly decorated both inside and outside with sculp
tured stone. Each chapel also contains from ten to twenty
life-size painted wooden flgures in eastern costume, to repre
sent scenes in the hfe of Christ. On stone tablets above the
doors are quotations from the Bible, explaining the flgures
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 whicli 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 pf
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 by 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 HL

SWITZERLAND— AUSTRIA— NORWAY.

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 Found 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 remembei- 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

m

V

f r> f- 4 Wtrt

THE MEETING OF TIIE WATERS. 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 Rhine 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 hnen trousers, short and
wide ; long black or blue knitted stockings ; low, heavy shoes
Avith large brass buckles ; black velvet tunics confined to the
waist with gay scarfs, and their black slouch hats wound around
Avith black and yellow ribbons. They were stroUing 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 raU 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 Ring Strasse, three mUes
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 magniflcent, 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 flnd
there the flnest 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 monthly 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 famUy 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 thi^ 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 were 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, Ayoo(ien

CEREMONY OF THE FOOT- WASHING. 29
spoon and fork, a wooden vase fllled 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 flnighed. 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 perraiti^d 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-haU. 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 foUowing remark may be found : " Good
wine is a good and sociable thing, and everybody can afford for
once to aUow himself to be inspired by it." My guide probably
had heard of this approval of good wine as expressed by the
renowned Enghsh 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 BRIuMEN 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 rephed, '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 ceUar, 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 httie courage.' 'God preserve me from drinking a
drop of it this night ! ' he exclaimed.
" We wandered on a little farther by the dim hght 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 flrst 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 Rcise cellar,'
I exclaimed. We passed quickly on and came to the Suh Rosa
cellar. ' What a monster cask of wine, and every glass of it is
worth a gold piece ! ' I said. I read upon it the date of 1615.
' FiU 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

ADVENTURE IN A- WINE-CliLLAR. 33
my place were I to leave the door unlocked,' declared the old
man. "I foUowed 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 17 18.' 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 au}^ more about me. Lock
the door of the outer room and take the kej'^ 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 flnd you
dead from fright when I return at six o'clock in the morning.'
' ' I examined my quarter's 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 flnish 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 BY LAND AND SEA.
bolt inside. So I quieted myself with the thought that there
would he 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, ' Good morning, gentlemen of the Rhine.
Where is the old servant Johannes ? Is he still sleeping at his
post V ' 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 filled with bottles on his
arm. ' Hallo, old Johannes, you are a sluggard this time ; step
along a httie more lively,' said the man who had rung the bell.
The old servant — for it was he who answered the summons of
the bell — rephed that he had forgotten that it was the flrst 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 caU up the rest of your number, who are stiU sleeping in
the Avine-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 joUy 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
flfty 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 f
"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 rephed, '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 flrst
of September by some of the distinguished men of the olden
times, and I desired to make some scientiflc 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-

30 BY LAND AND SEA.
pany. There were some of the stone statues of the twelve
apostles I had seen standing in their niches as I passed through
the Apostles' cellar ; Ba(;chus 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 AVay 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 flve 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
didn'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
was 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 suddeidy I saw the heavy beams over
my head part, and I with my drum fiew 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 up:m 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 was 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
sa}^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. 39
mind became really fatigued that he 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, eighly-
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 civihzation. 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

THE acropolis, ATHENS,

BIRTHPLACE OF MODERN CIVI/JZATION. 41
genius of the Greeks 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 flnd 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 haA^e 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 had 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 reaUy comfortable for a home. How-

42 BY LAND AND SEA.
ever, they were permitted by the newly -established Greek gov
ernment to open a school for little 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 1830 ; 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 hfe-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 liturgy, 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. HiU.
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 estabhshed
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 w^as 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 httie way
down the mountain.
St. Paul was the first teacher of Christianity in Athens ; and

44 BY LAND AND SEA.
ope 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
hUl. 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 public speaking was done.
When the crowd had assembled the apostle said that he had
observed altars erected to Fame, Modesty, Energy, Persuasion
and Piety, and that he had also seen an altar dedicated to the
unknown God at a point near the sea, and this altar he wished
to dedicate anew to the God 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 cit}' ; 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 whUe she is a chUd, as was cus
tomary with the Greeks in ancient times. The Greek maidens
of aU classes, even to the poorest peasant's daughter, are sure

MARS HILL, ATHENS.

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 aiticles 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 carefuUy treasured until the girl marries, when
the weU-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 httie 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 Enghsh 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 chmate 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 by the general, as the military situation at
that time required his constant service, 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 foUowing 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 flfty 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 comes the letter?" The answer was,
" From Lady  ." To which he replied, "Too late, too late,"
and soon he was no more.

BRA VER Y 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,— four holidays vdthin twenty
days !
As one may easily suppose, Athens abounds with historic
spots and is rich beyond almost any other place in the memory
of great events and numerous legends and traditions. One of
the most interesting is the legend of the good heart and the
bravery of Theseus, one of the kings of ancient Athens. It runs
as follows : Minos, King of the Island of Crete, opened a war
fare on the Athenians, because, as was alleged, his son had been
betrayed and killed while on a visit to Athens. At the earnest
entreaty of Minos, the gods brought upon the plain of Attica all
kinds of plagues, sickness among the people, sterility of the
lands, and terrible drought.
At last by the oracle of Apollo it was announced to the
Athenians that the anger of the gods could only be appeased by
making peace with Minos. Accordingly messengers from Ath
ens were sent to him to sue for mercy and peace. King Minos
consented to cease warring with the Athenians on the condition
that they should pay him a yearly tribute of seven maidens of
tender age.
The condition was accepted, the warfare ceased, and the
plain of Attica blossomed into prosperity again. These young-
people, according to the tradition, were sent to the Island of
Crete and there placed in a dreadful enclosure called the Laby
rinth, which was a prison of dark and endless corridors, where
lived the fabulous monster called the Minotaur. As the impris-

48 B Y LAND AND SEA.
oned ones never found their way out, it was supposed that
they were devoured by the Minotaur.
The time arrived for paying the tribute for the third year.
Theseus, son of ^geus, King of Athens, by this time had come
to young manhood, and would soon, by virtue of his parentage,
be among the aspirants for the throne of Athens. He bethought
himself of a means to satisfy Minos without permitting this
dreadful human sacrifice.
The doomed ones were chosen by lot. What parent could
of his own free choice consent to give up a beloved child
to such a fate ! Theseus begged the privilege of being one
of the victims, in the hope of finding some way to slay the
Minotaur. Theseus begged .Jilgeus, his father, and friends not to be
disconsolate, assuring them that he would come back and bring
the full number of his companions with him. The ship bearing
the victims departed as usual with black sails, but Theseus
promised that if he returned victorious he would hoist white
saUs as a signal of triumph.
The day arrived for the departure of this dreadful sacrifice.
Theseus took his little band of thirteen unhappy young creatures
to a temple on the beach and offered the god Apollo a branch of
an olive tree with fourteen bands of white linen upon it. When
he had finished his prayer, they went directly to the sea and
embarked upon the vessel. The litttle galley was made ready
at once, and went out of port carrying the black sail.
When they arrived at Crete, Ariadne, daughter of Minos,
was on the shore watching the coming of the Athenian bark
with the doomed youth on board. Smitten by the bravery and
beauty of the young Greek, she fell in love with him and wished
to save him from the dreadful fate before him. She gave him
a ball of white linen thread as a clue and told him where to place
it on going into the Labyrinth, and how to let it follow him, and

DR. AND MRS. SCHLIEMANN. 49
if he succeeded in overcoming the Minotaur he would be able to
retrace his steps and thus find his way out.
Theseus with his young companions entered the Labyrinth
and after winding about its gloomy mazes encountered the fero
cious monster. After a severe contest the Minotaur was over
come and killed by the valor of Theseus, and the brave youth
with the group of maidens, following the unwound thread,
retraced their way and came out of the Labyrinthian prison
unharmed. They returned at once to their vessel, and embarked, setting
sail for Athens. As they approached home, Theseus forgot to
raise the white sail, and the old father, ^geus, who had been
watching from the headland of Sunium with an aching heart
for the return of the little bark, espied it in the distance with
the black sail. Supposing his son had been killed, and not
being able to bear the torture of grief, he threw himself into the
sea and was drowned. Hence the name of the ^gean sea.
The vessel came into port ; but Theseus looked anxiously in
vain among the eager crowd for his father, ^geus being dead
Theseus became king of Athens, and proved a good and power
ful ruler. One of the most remarkable men now living at Athens is
Dr. Schliemann. All who are interested in the great legend of
the Trojan and the beautiful poem of Homer called the Iliad,
describing the siege of Troy, must be attracted by the name of
this enthusiastic searcher among the ruins of ancient times. Dr.
Schliemann, a Germain by birth, but an American citizen from
preference, and a Greek by adoption, after many years of hard
work in making excavations on the site of ancient Troy — at his
own expense— and publishing the results of his labors, has so
clearly demonstrated the reality of the events described and the
characters of the Iliad that he has brought them to our very
doors, as it w^ere, and made the prehistoric times appear as if of
G

50 BY LAND AND SEA.
our day. Even the young student may read Dr. Schliemann's
works with great interest.
Mrs. Sehliemann, an Athenian lady, has been an earnest
co-worker with her husband in his literary labors as well as in
the actual work of excavations. With her own hands she has
unearthed some exceedingly valuable specimens of pottery and
other articles of very ancient date.

CHAT V.

TURKEY.

The Sea where Helle Sank— The Swimmer of the Ancient
Tale — The Turkish Capital — Visiting a Harem — The
Favorite Daughter of the Grand Vizier — Her Gorgeous
Rooms — A Picturesque Costume — The Singing of Slave
Girls — Sipping Coffee from Jeweled Cups of Gold — A
Circassian Princess — Diamond Earrings that Rested on
Her Shoulders — The Prime Minister's Idea of America —
The Bedroom of the Princess — A Hospitable Invitation
— On the Bosphorus in a Graceful Caique — The Sultan's
Palace — His Bathroom of Alabaster and Silver — The
Queen Mother — How She Goes Boating — The Sultan's
Birthday Present — In a Peacock Garden — Ordering a
Palace — Turkish Homes — The Terraced Bosphorus — An
American's Noble Gift — In the Mosque — Hoav the Women
Gossip on the Ferry Boats — Reckoning Time.
We sailed from Athens for Constantinople. The track of
our steamer lay through the Greek archipelago, sometimes
caUed the ^gean Sea. It is thickly studded with beautiful
islands celebrated in classical history and rich with legendary
lore. We passed through the Hellespont, a narrow strait now
called the Dardanelles. It connects the ^gean Sea with the
Sea of Marmora. The Hellespont received its name from the
following circumstances : A young Greek girl named Helle
and her brother Phrixus were persecuted by their stepmother
Ino ages ago, according to the legend. They fled from their

52 BY ZAND AND SEA.
home in Thessaly on a golden ram given them by the god Mer
cury. This valuable animal was able to fly through the air,
and in this' way he safely bore the two children as far as the
Hellespont. But when they were passing over that strait Helle
fell into the sea and was drowned. Hence it was called the sea
of Helle or Hellespont.
This strait is also famous on account of Hero and Leander.
The former was a lovely young priestess who lived at Sestos,
opposite Abydos, where Leander lived. Often he swam the
boisterous strait at night to visit her, guided by the torch she
kept lit on the top of a tower. But one stormy night Leander
was drowned, and when at daybreak Hero saw his corpse float
ing on the waves she threw herself into the sea from the tower
and perished with him. From the Dardanelles one may also
see the .famous plains where Troy once stood, and Mount Ida,
the scene of so many interesting legends.
The sail across the sea of Marmora brought us in sight of
Constantinople. It is a great and celebrated city, beautifuUy
situated on the Sea of Marmora and the strait caUed the Bos
phorus, which leads to the Black Sea. The prospect is unsur
passed for loveliness as one sails towards the city on a pleasant
day. Many gilded domes, minarets, kiosks and palaces sur
rounded with gardens on the hillsides down to the Avater's edge
line both shores of the Bosphorus.
While at Constantinople I was invited to visit the harem
or ladies' rooms of the establishment of the Sultan's Grand
Vizier or Prime Minister. I was fortunately accompanied by a
European lady, the wife of the court physician, who kindly
offered her services as interperter. We were received at the
entrance of the palace by a half-dozen slave girls prettily dressed
in bright colors, who escorted us through several long corridors,
the waUs of which were faced with oriental amber-colored

THE golden horn, FROM PERA.

VISITING A TURKISH IfAREM. 53
alabaster, while the vaulted ceilings were supported by columns
of prophyry, verd antique and other beautiful marbles. We
were conducted up an alabaster staircase into a large room fur
nished with low and luxurious divans on all sides covered with
rich Persian stuffs ; beautiful velvet and gold embroidered
cushions were spread on the floor to serve also as seats.
Immediately after our entrance other gaily attired slave-
girls brought nargalees or waterpipes, with amber and jeweled
mouthpieces, which were offered us. This politeness we were
obliged to decline, saying that American ladies had not yet
accustomed themselves to the habit of smoking. We then
went to another room, where the windows were protected by
finely-carved wooden lattice-work, as indeed are all the win
dows in the women's apartments of a Turkish house. Here
we were served with delicious black coffee in tiny golden cups
ornamented with precious stones, which we accepted with pleas
ure. From this room we were conducted through magnificent
arched marble halls furnished with costly rugs and divans
upholstered with rich embroideries, into the salon of the eldest
daughter of the grand vizier. A curtain of cloth of gold was
raised ; the favorite daughter, surrounded by a half-dozen attend
ants gorgeously dressed in silks and literally covered with flash
ing jewels, received us at the entrance and invited us to be
seated on a divan. There were beautiful divans on all sides of
the room, which with the floor cushions were covered with
crimson velvet and gold embroideries and trimmed with golden
cord and tassels.
Upon the wall was a life-sized portrait of the Sultan, the
only picture in the palace. There were books in French and
English strewn around upon the divans. It is said that this
princess is the only Turkish woman who could speak or read in
any other than her own language ; but I cannot vouch for the
truth of this statement.

54 BY LAND AND SEA.
The princess received us most graciously, addressing us in
English. Her toilet was in accordance with the national cos
tume, consisting of wide pantaloons of blue silk gathered at the
ankles, and a short tunic of crimson velvet embroidered and
fringed with gold thread and seed pearls, and confined at the
waist with a golden girdle from which long golden cords and
tassels were suspended. The sleeves were slashed to the should
ers, displaying magnificent armlets of jewels worn above the
elbows. Her fez or head-dress was of crimson velvet orna
mented on one side with an aigrette of precious stones in cres
cent form ; a pair of yellow kid slippers completed her toilet.
The princess called our attention to some of her books, tell
ing us that she read them with much pleasure. At a signal,
her slave attendants commenced singing, accompanying them
selves with most novel-looking instruments ; but if we thought
the music strange and perhaps inharmonious, we did not say
so. These slave girls were about the same age as the princess ;
they were born in the palace, and had been given to her in their
infancy, having been trained to do her bidding and to entertain
their mistress.
After a time a small, low, round table was brought in, upon
which were placed golden cups filled with black coffee, and
cushions were arranged by it as seats for us. This was a signal
that our visit with the princess was about to terminate. The
custom among the Turkish ladies is to offer coffee, cigarettes,
and nargalees to visitors on their entrance, and again on their
departure. We had a most agreeable conversation while sipping our
coffee from the jeweled cups.
When we had finished, the princess asked us if we would
like to be presented to her mother. Accepting her invitation,
we were conducted to that lady's apartments by another half-
dozen beautifully-dressed slave girls and attended by a eunuch

QUESTIONED BY THE GRAND VIZIER. 55
attired in a gorgeous uniform of scarlet and gold, decorated with
jewels. The noble lady was a beautiful blonde Circassian
woman. She received us reclining upon a rich divan, with a
gilt and alabaster table close at hand, supplied with perfumed
cigarettes, several jeweled amber mouth- pieces, and a golden
candlestick holding a lighted taper. Coffee and cigarettes
were immediately offered us.
This princess was arrayed in a flowing white muslin gown,
conflned at the waist with a golden cord and tassels of seed
pearls. Her ear-rings were in the form of the fuchsia, a beau
tiful drooping flower, and composed entirely of diamonds cut
in varied shapes to represent the flower. They were so long
that they literally rested upon her shoulders. Among the Turk
ish womeii it is considered a high compliment if their articles
of dress are remarked upon and admired, and on this occasion
indeed we did not forbear admiring these exquisite jewels. She
took them from her ears and allowed us to examine them at
our leisure. After a few informal compliments had been exchanged,
we were invited into the music room, where a dozen magnifl-
cently-attired girls as black as night gave us a repetition of the
same kind of music we had already heard. When the music
was flnished the grand vizier himself came into the room, and
through the interpreter asked if we had gas in America to illu
minate our houses. He said he thought our country was yet
too young to have such luxuries ! He desired to know if there
were many white people in America. He seemed to have the
idea that the inhabitants were mostly Indians. We gave him
some points of instruction, and among others told him we had
a raUroad from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans about four
thousand miles long. I doubt if he really believed our story.
He probably thought we were talking in hyperbole, or exag
gerated language, such as orientals love to indulge in.

56 BY LAND AND SEA.
We were then conducted to the bedroom of the princess,
the grand vizier accompanying us. The principal furniture in
this room was an unusually large bedstead made of gilded wood,
and built up so high from the floor that in order to reach it tAvo
steps had been constructed the length of the bedstead, over
which velvet was laid. The bed was covered with a white
counterpane fringed with gold thread ; the pillow cases were
also embroidered at the open ends with the same rich thread,
and both of these articles could be washed. There was no other
furniture in the room except a long divan, luxurious floor
cushions and beautiful softly-tinted rugs.
In due time we indicated that the limit of our visit had
expired. The hospitable vizier replied that he would assign to
us an apartment which we were at liberty to occupy as long as
we might desire, and he would send for our friends and clothes.
We declined his polite invitation, and with the exchange of
many compliments we took our leave.
On descending the staircase we found at the entrance a
magniflcent caique, or row boat, manned by a dozen caique-
men in holiday attire. This graceful, fairy-like boat was fur
nished with crimson velvet cushions trimmed with gold fringe
and tassels, and large squares of fringed velvet were thrown
over the sides ; the floor of the caique was carpeted with the
same rich stuff' ; there was a large gilt crescent at the prow,
and, in our honor, an American flag was at the stern. This
caique was placed at our service.
We could not resist the temptation to take a little turn on
the Bosphorus, and we went to see the sultan's palace. This
building is of white marble, with doors hung oh silver hinges
and their trimmings of the same metal. The windows were
also ornamented with silver. The bath-room was indeed a
marvel of beauty ; it was about twenty feet square with no
other visible material in its construction than alabaster and

THE MOTHER OF THE SULTAN. 57
silver. The bath fountain in the center of the room was of
solid silver, from which issued jets of tepid perfumed watoi-.
The necessary bathing accessories were of silver, and snow-
white linen. We were told that on the site of this bath-house
once stood a beautiful palace occupied at times by the sultan,
and that because one of his favorite Circassian wives died in the
palace he caused it to be taken down and the bath-palace built
in its place.
The mother of the sultan holds the place of honor over all
the women of the sultan's household. She has her own palace,
and an immense income called "Slipper money ;" she also has
a retinue of one hundred and fifty slaves at her command. She
is called the sultana valide, or queen mothei', the highest title
given to a Turkish woman. When she driA'^es out she has a
suite of thirty girls gorgeously arrayed in bright clothes and
fine jewels, and an escort of a dozen black eunuchs, attired in
scarlet and gold, mounted on splendid Arabian horses.
When the sultana valide makes an excursion on the Bos
phorus she goes in an imperial caique. The twenty caiquemen
are dressed in vyhite silk shirts and trousers, and wear the red
fez with a long blue silk tassel. She reclines under a canopy
of crimson velvet with white golden fringe. The caique is
white, ornamented with traceries of gold and crimson. Five
imperial caiques carrying ladies of honor attend her.
It is said that seven thousand people daily eat bread and
salt from the sultan's store at a cost of millions a year. The
sultana's yearly birth-day present to the sultan is a young and
beautiful Circassian slave-girl.
We also made a visit to the sultan's peacock aviary. This
is a large garden surrounded by a high wall, and contains sev
eral enchanting little kiosks, besides a number of unique foun
tains. These kiosks are the favorite resorts of the ladies of the
harem, where they are served with coffee and sugared fruits.

58 BY LAND AND SEA.
and from whence they observe the graceful movements of the
bright-plumaged peacocks. Thei'e were nearly a hundred of
these birds of all sizes in the garden ; the ground was literally
carpeted with the fallen feathers. We were allowed to gather
a handful of these brilliant plumes.
The sultan has many palaces on the Bosphorus. On a cer
tain occasion he desired a new palace ; it was ordered in the
month of February and finished in the following June. He
has only to command and his wish is law.
There is no family among the Turks as we know home life.
The women are not confined to their homes by domestic duties
and responsibilities. The details of the house are arranged by
a steward, who cares for the entire establishment. The women
are free to visit from house to house in their own vicinity at
their pleasure. With a small calico bag containing necessary
articles, and two or three httie children, boys and girls, tugging
at her skirts, and dressed like the mother, she goes about the
neighborhood visiting friends and remaining as long as she may
find it agreeable. The little boys are taken from their mother
at the age of ten years and placed at school or in the military
barracks, and a few years later are put into the service of the
sultan's reserve corps. The girls remain with their mothers
until they are old enough to be chosen for the harem.
Until the last twenty years there were no common schools
in Turkey for the children. Girls grew up to know nothing
beyond what they heard and saw while with their mothers.
The Bosphorus is a channel eighteen miles long, connect
ing the sea of Marmora with the Black sea. The heights on
both sides are very picturesque. The villages and large towns
along the shore are built upon terraced plateaus extending up
the heights. The Turks prefer the buildings nearest the water ;
the foreigners are obliged to occupy the terraces.
Conspicuous among the buildings along the shores are the

ALONG THE BOSPHORUS. 59
palace, the mosques or houses of worship with their gilded
domes and minarets, and the kiosks, or summer houses. Not
the least conspicuous nor the least important building oik^ sees
on the Bosphorus is Robert College, situated on the heights
called Romili Hissar. This college was established by Dr. Ham
lin, an American missionary, who spent over forty years of his
life in the Orient. Mr. Robert of New York city gave the
money for the erection of the building, and partly endowed it.
This coUege is for the secular, scientific and the theological
education of young men from the East. There are text-books
in several different languages used in the coUege. But all the
students must learn something of English during the course of
study. In the Turkish mosques but few women are seen ; the pub
lic service is generally attended only by men. Five times in
the twenty-four hours the mosque officials must go to the top
of the minarets and call out the hour for prayer. The women
perform their religious devotions in their own apartments.
There are many steam ferry boats in constant service on
the Bosphorus. These boats have an apartment curtained off
on the stern deck for Turkish women, which is furnished with
low stools about a foot high, where they enjoy their gossip and
smoke their cigarettes.
The Turks have a peculiar system of their own for calcu
lating the hour of the day. The clock dial has twenty-four
divisions, including two zeros Avhich take the place of the figure
12, and the figures 1, 2, 3, etc., up to 11, are repeated twice.
They begin the reckoning of the twenty-four hours at sunset,
which is marked zero, and when the indicator points to the fig
ure 1 it is called one o'clock p. m., and likewise the hours are
indicated until the pointer reaches the second zero, when one
hour, or division, from that time is called one o'clock a. m. Con
sequently the indicator recording the time on clock and watch

60 BY LAND AND SEA.
dials must be changed every day to agree with the moment of
sunset. For example : If the sun sets at five o'clock p. m.,
meridian time, one hour from that time the pointer indicates
one o'clock p. m., and so continues to mark the hours untU the
seoond zero is reached, and then the figure 1 indicates one
o'clock A. M. By the meridian reckoning of time we call one
hour after midday one o'clock p. m., one hour after midnight
one o'clock a. m.
The Bosphorus steamers and ferry boats run by Turkish
time, and until the foreigner learns to calculate the difference
between meridian and local time in Constantinople he finds
himself constantly embarrassed in regard to the running time
of the boats, which are the principal means of travel from point
to point along the shores of the Bosphorus.
Constantinople is a very old city. It was first called Byzan
tium, and after the Roman empire was divided into two parts
it was the capital of the division called the Eastern empire. It
received its present name from Constantino the Great. Natur
ally there are many most interesting objects to attract the visi
tor in this ancient capital. But we have much yet to see
before we complete our journey, and must therefore leave the
beautiful shores of the Bosphorus for a yet older country, the
land of Egypt.

CHAT VL

IN EGYPT.

The World's Seven Wonders — The Ruins of the Brazen
Colossus— Cleopatra's Needles — Cicero's Novel Sights
— Palaces that are Marvels of Luxury and Beauty —
The Pyramids— Huge' Cheops— Higher than the Highest
Dome or Spire — How the Khedive took in his Brother's
Family of Five Hundred — The Story with which a Sheik
Entertained a Prince— The Lady Badoura and the Jeal
ous Emir — The Happy Ending of a Woful Seperation —
How a Cairo Merchant Sells Goods — The Rajah who
Wooed and Won a Donkey Driver's Daughter— How a
Little Black-Eyed Teacher Became a Princess — The
Gift of the Nile— Grain Fields for Deserts — Teaching
Little Mohammedans — Dancing and Howling Dervishes
— Places that Tradition Connects with the Infancy of
Moses and Jesus — The Crossing of the Red Sea.
On leaving the shores of the Bosphorus and sailing through
our steamer passed the Dardanelles, island after island, famous
in Grecian legend and history. We touched at the island of
Rhodes, where once stood the Colossus which was one of the
seven wonders of the world. The visible portion of this monu
ment ages since disappeared, but the foundations stiU remain
deeply imbedded in the sands of the sea. It is said that the
ruins of the Colossus were sold to a Jewish merchant who
carried off seven hundred camel-loads of the metal. The brass
of this statue 880 years after its faU amounted to 720,000 pounds.

62 BY LAND AND SEA.
It w^as taken to a European city, sold for a large amount of
money and recast into various monuments.
The other six wonders of the world were the Pyramids of
Egypt, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the tomb of Mausolus,
king of Caria, the temple of Diana at Ephesus, the statue of
Jupiter at Olympia by Phidas, made of ivory and gold, and the
palace of Syrus, cemented with gold.
The Pyramids of Egypt, which may yet endure for ages to
come, are all that is left of these marvelous structures.
We enter Egypt at Alexandria, which is an important com
mercial port on the Mediterranean coast, and the sea port of
Cairo. There is not much of mterest for the general tourist in
Alexandria. The companion obelisk to the Egyptian column
now standing in Central park, New York city, still remains
on its "native heath," lying in a horizontal position, partly
imbedded in the sand. I have had the pleasure of seeing these
two obelisks — called Cleopatra's Needles — in their original bed
in Alexandria, where they had been lying side by side for ages.
At that time the question was, how could the obelisk now in
America be taken to that country, for it is of very great weight
and bulk. But such a gift was not to be declined, and the
" ways and means " were soon found by which to transport this
remarkable work of antiquity to our country.
Egypt is caUed the land of the Pharaohs. Cairo is its
principal city. The streets of Cairo are fuU of novel sights ; the
natives go about on donkeys and camels : the women are closely
veUed when they are in the streets. Some fine Arabian horses
are seen, which are in the service of the official and domestic
households of the khedive or sovereign, whose family and
retainers number many hundreds.
The favorite ladies of the khedive's harem, as the feminine
portion of his household is caUed, go closely veiled about the
city in magnificent equipages ; they make rounds of visits from

THE PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT. 63
palace to palace of the khedive's various households, with noth
ing to do but to admire each other's fine dress and beautiful
jewels, and to gossip about the details of harem life. The pal
aces are marvels of luxury and beauty. The khedive's new
palace, when finished, will be perhaps the largest and most
magniflcent in existence. Egypt is the home of the Oriental
alabaster, and much of the beautiful stone enters into the con
struction of this palace. The grounds are enclosed by miles
of stone wall ten feet high, and have a frontage on the river
Nile of three and a half miles. There is a group of three pal
aces within the walls, connected by corridors already finished.
and others are building.
There is so much generally known about the Pyramids of
Egypt that I wiU only give dimensions of the largest one in the
group caUed the Pyramid of Cheops. It is four hundred and
eighty feet high ; each of the four sides measures seven
hundred and sixty feet at the base on the ground level. Its
height, measured from the surface of the ground, exceeds the
highest towers and steeples in Europe, and yet much of the
original base is imbedded in the sand. To the top of the tower
of the Strasburg cathedral from the ground measures four
hundred and sixty-one feet ; St. Peter's at Rome lifts its cross-
crowned dome to the height of four hundred and thirty-seven
feet ; St. Paul's in London measures from the ground to the
pinnacle on the dome three hundred and sixty -five feet.
Several years ago a brother of the khedive, residing in
Constantinople, died ; he left a family of five hundred persons,
all told, to be cared for. The khedive ordered two small steam
ers to go to Constantinople and bring the f aniily to Alexandiia,
where a beautiful palace was assigned to their service.
I was invited to pay a visit to the princess Monsoor, a
daughter of the khedive's favorite wife. Harem life in Cairo
is in general detail the same as in Constantinople. The routine

64 BY LAND AND SEA.
of daily life among the women consists in visiting, smok
ing pipes and cigarettes and coffee drinking. Princess
Mansoor is a beautiful blonde Circassian ; she was attired in a
rich brown silk dress with trimmings of tortoise sheU, upon
the face of which was wrought a crescent and the letter I, the
letter standing for Ishmail, the name. of the reigning khedive
at that time.
In regard to the name of Mansoor, the foUowing story was
told me. The tale was originally related by Ibn Mansoor, a
sheik of olden times, and one of the high caliph's boon com
panions. One of the Arabian princess, caUed the Prince of the Faith
ful, had many cares on his mind, and one night he became
very restless and could not sleep. He summoned one of his
retainers, Mesrour by name, and ordered him to bring some
one to his chamber to divert him. Mesrour replied, " 0 my
lord prince, wiU you not come out into the palace garden and
amuse yourself with looking at the flowers, and observe the
planets, and see the beautiful moon seated upon her throne of
silver stars?" The prince answered, "O Mesrour, verily my
soul wishes for nothing of that kind." "0 my lord, most high
and noble," rejoined Mesrour, "then order the learned men
and poets to come before thee, that they may enter into dis
cussions, and recite verses to thee, or relate wonderful tales to
thine ear." The prince again rephed that neither did his soul
incline to any such amusement. "0 my lord," continued
Mesrour, "order the pages and the boon companions, and the
men of polite manners, to come before thee to give an entertain
ment of witticisms and pleasant speech. "
At this suggestion the prince was well pleased, and said,
"0 Mesrour, see who of the boon companions may be without
the door." The bidding was obeyed, and Mesrour quickly
returned, saying, "0 my lord. Ah, Ibn Mansoor, the wag of

IBN MANSOOR' S STOR Y. 65
Damascus, is at the door." The prince ordered that he should
enter the chamber' at once.
Ibn Mansoor came into the presence of the prince and said,
after making his salaam, "Peace be on thee, 0 Prince of the
Faithful." The prince returned the salutation and spoke, "0
Ibn Mansoor, may it please you to relate to us a story." "O
Prince of the Faithful," replied Mansoor, "shall I relate a thing
that I have witnessed, or a thing whereof I have heard ; " The
prince answered. "If you have seen anything extraordinary
relate it to us." "Then," said Mansoor, " 0 Prince of the
Faithful, give me thy hearing and thy mind." To which the
prince replied, ' ' 0 Ibn Mansoor, I hear with mine ears, I see
with mine eyes, and I attend with my mind."
Then continued Mansoor and said, " 0 Prince of the Faith
ful, know that I have an appointment every year with
Mohammed, the son of Hashimi, the Sultan of Balsora. I went
to him as I was wont, and found him ready for the chase.
He saluted me according to his custom, and bade me to mount
and accompany him to the chase. But I replied, ' 0 my lord
Sultan, I have not the power to ride, therefore I beg thee to
seat me in the mansion and give charge to the chamberlain
respecting me, and I will await thy return.'
" The Sultan did as I suggested, and then went his way to
the chase. I was well treated, and entertained sumptuously.
After a time I said to myself, ' By Allah ! it is wonderful that
I know so little of Balsora aiidT have been coming here many
years. I only kuow the way from the palace to the garden,
and from the garden to the palace. When shall I find a better
opportunity to amuse myself with a view of the quarters ^ ' And
so I arose and walked out into the outer garden. Now thou
knowest, 0 Prince of the Faithful, that there are in Balsora
seventy streets, the length of each being three leagues.
"In the course of my wanderings I lost my way in its

66 BY LAND AND SEA.
by-streets, and being overcome with thirst I went to a great
door near at hand which had upon it two large rings of brass,
and a curtain of red hung over it. I stopped to divert myself
with a view of the mansion, and while standing there I heard
a voice of lamentation warbling melodious sounds.
' ' I approached the door and slightly raised the curtain ; and
lo ! I beheld a fair damsel. While looking at her she chanced
to cast a glance toward the door and saw me standing there
Avith the curtain half raised. She ordered one of the slave-girls
to inquire who was at the door. The girl advanced and said,
' 0 sheik, have you no modesty I What right have you to
enter a harem that is not your own ? ' I answered, saying, ' 0
mistress, I have a good excuse for doing so. It is this : I am a
stranger in Balsora and have lost my way, and am suffering
greatly with a dreadful thirst from which I have almost per
ished. "The damsel called another slave attendant and said, '0
Lutf , give to the stranger at the door a draught of water in
the mug of gold. ' Straightway a mug of shining gold set with
jewels, and filled with perfumed water, covered with a napkin
of green silk, was brought and handed to me. I prolonged my
drinking, O Prince of the Faithful, stealing glances the while
at the beautiful maiden. Whereupon the damsel said, ' 0
sheik, go your way.' ' 0 my beautiful mistress,' said I, ' I am
greatly troubled in mind.' 'Respecting what?' inquired the
damsel. ' I am thinking,' said I, ' of the former owner of this
beautiful mansion, who was a sincere friend of mine in his life
time. He had great riches ; has he left any children 'i ' ' Yes,'
said the maiden, ' he has left a daughter called Badoura, aud
she has inherited all his treasures.' 'Then,' said I, 'Omy
sweet mistress, are you the daughter?' 'Yes, 0 sheik. You
have prolonged your discourse, now go your way. '
" 'Yes, I must go,' replied I, 'that I know. But I see you

A DISCONSOLA TE LO VER. 67
are sad, and disturbed in mind. Perhaps God may grant you
relief by means of me.' To which she replied, " O sheik, if you
are indeed of the number of those who are worthy of being
intrusted with secrets, then will I reveal mine. Inform me
who you may be.'
"I told her my name, and that I was one of the boon com
panions of the High Caliph in Damascus. When she heard my
name spoken, 0 Prince of the Faithful, she saluted me and
said, ' Welcome, thrice welcome, 0 Ibn Mansoor, I wiU acquaint
you with my secret. I am a separated and a disconsolate lover.
I love Jubir, the Emir of the tribe of Sheiban. ' I asked, ' What,
0 mistress of the beautiful, is the cause of this unhapp}' sep
aration?' 'The cause was this, and this only,' mournfully
answered the damsel. ' One day I was sitting on a mat by the
open door. Ubysino, my slave girl, was combing my hair, and
when she had finished with the work, she inclined her face to
my head and kissed my braided tresses. Just at that moment
Jubir, the noble, passed by the door, and seeing the act of love
of my slave, he determined straightway upon a separation, and
recited this verse : —
If another have a share in the object of my love,
I abandon my beloved, and live alone forever.
And since that unlucky day, 0 sheik, have I heard no word
from him.'
' ' ' And what do you desire of me, O mistress Badoura ? '
She rephed, ' 0 sheik, I desire to send him a letter by you, If
you bring me answer from Jubir, I will give you five hundred
pieces of gold. If you bring no answer, I will give you one
hundred pieces of gold as compensation for the long walk.'
' ' The fair damsel, O high prince, quickly wrote the letter
and gave it to me.
' ' I went to the palace of Jubir ; he was not at home. After
a time, lo! he appeared, mounted upon a steed caparisoned with

68 BY LAND AND SEA.
jewels and fine cloth. When he observed me, he saluted and
embraced me. We went into the house and he ordered the
table to be brought laden with choice viands. The table was
made of precious woods ; the feet were of gold, and upon it
were many kinds of savory food. Then Jubir said, 'Let us
stretch forth our hands and comfort our hearts by eating of
this provision.' 'But,' I replied, 'by Allah, O Jubir, I will not
eat of your food until you have satisfied my desire.' Where
upon Jubir asked, ' What then, 0 sheik, is your desire ? '
' ' I handed him the letter from Badoura, which he read and
tore into a thousand pieces, and gave the bits of paper to the
wind, saying, ' 0 Ibn Mansoor, whatsoever you desire except —
be it understood — an answer to this letter, you can have. To
this letter I have no reply to give.'
' ' Straightway, O Prince of the Faithful, Jubir fell into a
fit and was carried to his chamber. After a time, a slave-wo
man came to me with a bag of gold, as much as I was able to
carry in one hand, and said, ' 0 sheik, my master sends this
to you. Now go your way.'
' ' I returned to the damsel with the sorrowful tidings that
I came without answer to her letter. Then she said mourn
fully, ' 0 Ibn Mansoor, night and day succeed not one another
during the course of an event without changing it.' Then she
raised her eyes towards heaven, 0 great prince, and said : ' 0
object of my worship, my Master and my Lord, as Thou hast
afflicted me by the love of Jubir, so do Thou afflict him by the
love of me.' Then she gave me the promised hundred pieces
of gold, and I went immediately to the sultan of Balsora. He
also paid me a sum of gold, and I returned to Bagdad.
"When the next year arrived, O Prince of the Faithful, I
repaired again to Balsora and performed my service to the sul
tan, for which I received my full compensation. I then
bethought myself, 0 prince, of the damsel, Badoura, and I

JUBIR S PATHETIC LOVE LETTER. 69
said to myself, ' by Allah, I must go and seek information con
cerning her.' Forthwith I went to the mansion and found the
ground before her door had been swept and s[)rinkled, and
many servants were there. I believed the damsel had died of
her great grief, and that one of the emirs had taken up his
abode in her dwelling. Sadly I turned away without making-
inquiry about the maiden, and went to the house of Jubir.
Then I found the marble benches in front of the door demol
ished ; there were no pages standing near, and I stood and
bewailed in mournful verse the sad fate of these two people.
"Soon came out a slave-girl and said, ' 0 sheik, be silent ;
may you be bereft of your mother ! Wherefore bewail you so
before this door?' I answered, 'This mansion was once the
home of a good friend of mine, and now he is no more.' The
servant replied, ' It is not even so. Jubir is still blest with his
riches, but God has afflicted him with the love of a beautiful
damsel named Lady Badoura, and he is so overwhelmed by his
love for her that he is hke a great overthrown rock ; he neither
eats, nor drinks, nor sleeps.' 'Go ask permission,' said I, 'of
your master to let me come to his chamber. '
" I found the unhappy man, 0 Prince of the Faithful, like
a mass of stone thrown down, understanding neither sign nor
speech. The servant said to me, ' O sheik, if you know any
consohng verses, recite them to my master.' Accordingly I
repeated to Jubir a very pathetic love ditty, which pleased him
greatly, 0 most excellent prince.'
"He opened his eyes and said to me, 'Welcome, welcome,
0 Ibn Mansoor. WiU you go straightway and take a letter to
her I love ? '
" It was quickly written, and read as follows : ' I conjure you
by Allah, O my well beloved mistress, act gently towards me ;
love hath deprived me of my reason. My passion for you hath
enslaved me, and clad me with garments of sickness, and ren-

70 BY LAND AND SEA.
dered me pitiable. I was wont before this to think lightly of
love, and to regard it, 0 my beloved mistress, as an easy mat
ter. But when it had shown me the waves of its sea, I sub
mitted to God's judgment. If you will, 0 my mistress, have
mercy, and grant me a meeting ; and if you will, kill me ; but
still forget not to show mercy and favor.'
' ' I stood again before her door ; all was quiet. I gently
raised the curtain, and lo, I saw ten slave-girls as beautiful as
the stars seated upon low cushions, with the princess Badoura
in their midst, shining in her beauty like the full moon. 0,
Prince of the Faithful, happily she observed me, and welcomed
nie kindly. ' ' I gave to her the letter ; she read its contents and was
well pleased. Said she, ' 0 Ibn Mansoor, I will send by you my
answer.' She wrote once, twice and thrice, and tore the paper
in pieces each time. Again she wrote, and this time, O Prince
of the Good, she sealed the words and bid me carry them on
the wings of the wind. I said, ' No, 0 Mistress of the Moon,
I cannot take a message whose contents I know not of.' She
then recited her letter, which read as follows :
" 'How long, 0 how long, shall this coyness and aversion
continue, 0 Jubir, my beloved ? Perhaps I did commit a wrong,
and if so, I was not aware of it. Then inform me wherefore
hast thou done this. I did desire to welcome thee, 0 Jubir, the
noble, as I welcome sleep to my eyelids. And since thou, too,
hast drank of the pure cup of love, welcome, thrice welcome,
0 Jubir, star of my heaven.'
' ' I said, ' Well done, good and virtuous damsel ; now I will
carry the message.'
"I took the letter, 0 prince, and gave it into the hands of
Jubir. He opened and read, and then said, ' 0 Ibn Mansoor,
did she write this with her hands ? ' I rephed, ' By Allah, she
did ; do people write with their feet ? ' And 0 Prince of the

JUBIR AND BADOURA MARRIED. 71
Best, my words were not yet ended when we heard the clinking
of her anklets in the corridor. On beholding her whom be
loved, Jubir arose upon his feet. The pain of his heart and
the heaviness of his limbs had left him.
"Jubir seated himself again, and said to Badoura, ' Where
fore, 0 my beloved mistress, hast thou not sat down ? ' She
answered, turning her beaming eyes upon me, and said, '0
sheik, I will sit me down only upon one condition ;' and, 0
Prince, she bent her beautiful head over to me and whispered
some secret words, whereupon I sent a slave to do my bidding,
and soon came a cadi* and two witnesses.
"Jubir then arose and gave the cadi a purse containing a
thousand pieces of gold, and said, ' O cadi, perform the cere
mony of marriage between this damsel and me.' It was done,
0 Prince of the Faithful, and I went my way rejoicing. But,
O Prince, I have yet whereof to tell you. As I was lifting the
curtain to go out, the Princess Badoura called me back and put
into my hands a purse containing three thousand pieces of gold.
What think ye of that, 0 prince ? "
By this time the restlessness of the Prince of the Faith
ful had ceased, and his heart had dUated. He said, "O Ibn Mon
soor, go forth and bring to me a damsel as fair and as good as
the Princess Badoura, and three thousand pieces of gold are
thine." There are miles of bazars in Cairo ; they occupy a large
tract of land in the heart of the city. Here may be seen pro
ducts from every part of the East, even from the Indies. The
bazaars are small booths not more than ten feet square. The
merchant sits cross-legged, Turkish fashion, upon a low table
in the center of his little shop, with his pipe in his mouth. The
goods for sale are heaped together on shelves within hand's
reach of the master of the shop. He does not importune cus-
* a doctor of the Law.

72 BY LAND AND SEA.
toniers to buy, but rather, the customer must ask him as a
favor to show the goods, which is done by the merchant's point
ing to a pile of rich stuffs heaped up in the corner ; but if the
pile is beyond the master's reach, he will ask the customer to
hand the pile to him ! Apparently he is indifferent about
making a sale, but if the customer turns to leave the shop with
out purchasing, then the merchant assumes quite another man
ner. He is upon his feet in a moment, and is all smiles and
affability. Gold and silver ornaments and jewelry are sold by
weight at a fixed price for the metal, and an additional small
sum is asked for the workmanship. The gold and silver are
warranted by the merchant to be pure metal.
I visited the American Mission School in Cairo for Arab and
Egyptian girls. There I heard a very remarkable story of one
of the little school-girls, which occurred only a few years
before. The story was told me by the mistress of the school,
and was as follows : A certain East Indian rajah many years
ago abandoned the religious faith of his people and accepted
the Christian belief. He went to England, where he purchased
a beautiful property, including a palace, and lived in grand
style. The prince was very rich, and a kind-hearted man
withal. He freely bestowed good gifts upon the poor. The
rajah was received kindly by the royal family.
On a certain occasion the rajah passed through Cairo on his
way for a visit to the home of his ancestors in India. He had
heard of this Mission School, and being interested in the work
of Christian education, he called upon the lady director of the
school, without giving his name or rank, and made known his
desire to visit the classes. He was invited into one of the class
rooms, where were sixteen young Egyptian girls, barefooted
and scantily clad, seated on the floor receiving instruction from
one a little older than themselves, who sat within the circle.
The rajah was at once captivated by the earnest manner and

A RAJAH WANTS A WIFE. 73
the large and expressive black eyes of the young teacher, who
kept her position on the floor, and looked unhappy that her
class had been disturbed.
After leaving the room the rajah made s(jnie in(|uiiie,s
regarding the young teacher, and said to the directress of the
school that he Avould like to make that young girl his wife ; the
lady was not agreeably impressed by the suggestion, from one
who was an entire stranger. She told him that she had
reclaimed the girl from a very low life ; that she had been a
donkey-driver ; that she had found her living with her mother
in a little donkey-stable, and being a bright little girl she had
permission of the mother to take her into the school, saying
that she was now educated to a point where she was useful as
an assistant in the school, and therefore begged the unknown
suitor to make no further allusion to the subject. The rajah
thanked the lady for her kindness, and asked permission to
return the next day.
On the following day, at the appointed hour, the rajah
came again and presented his card, with an autograph letter
from Queen Victoria. The rajah wished to visit the school
again, and on his departure renewed his request to be per
mitted to make the young Egyptian teacher his wife, giving
as his reason for his sudden falling in love, that the girl's eyes
and earnest manner had completely captivated him. He said
he would place her under proper tuition and training imme
diately after marriage, in order to flt her for a position of
usefulness which she could never otherwise obtain. He desired
the directress of the school to communicate his proposition to
the girl, to whom he had not yet addressed one word, and said
he would call on the following day for her decision. Accord
ingly the wishes of the rajah were made known to the girl.
The simple-minded girl, not yet fifteen years old, did not
understand one word what was meant by marriage, and

74 B Y LAND AND SEA.
entreated her kind guardian not to send her into slavery. She
wept bitterly at the thought of being sent away, and was only
pacified when told that she should not go unless entirely will
ing to do so after she fully understoood what the proposal
meant. The rajah came again on the third day, and showed papers
which fully satisfied the principal of the school that his motives
were pure and noble. He then desired to speak .with the girl,
which was done in the presence of the lady. He addressed the
girl in the Arabic language, which was understood by the
teacher. The intervicAV greatly terrified the timid creature,
and, with tears in her eyes, she again implored- her foster-
mother not to send her away into slavery.
The rajah went away not discouraged in his suit. He made
the request that the girl should have a place in the family, and
be taught European manners, and that she should be suitably
dressed at his expense. Until this time she had never sat at a
table to eat, but had taken her food sitting on the floor or under
a tree in the garden. The rajah informed the lady that he
should return to England in a few months, and on his way he
would stop in Cairo, when he hoped to be able to win the girl
for his wife, if at that time no objections should be raised.
The rajah's wishes were carried out with the most satisfac
tory results. The young girl began to understand her future
destiny, and was willing to acquire the education planned for
her, although she continually regretted the day the rajah flrst
saAv her.
The rajah, as arranged, in due time gave information of his
return from India, and requested that suitable clothing should
be provided for the girl if she were willing to become his wife.
He came at the promised time, and the girl was now willing to
accept him as her husband. Her father, an European, living
in Alexandria, was found, and informed that his presence was

" THE GIFT OF THE NILE." 75
desired that he might give his unknown daughter in marriage.
The mother, a poor Egyptian donkey-driver, living in a mud
hovel, was entirely ignorant of Avhat was in store foi- her child.
The marriage was celebrated in the mission house, upon
which occasion the rajah gave the directress £1,000 sterling, to
invest in such a way as she might deem advisable to advance the
Christian education of the poor children in Cairo. Upon every
anniversary of the wedding day, which occurred many years
ago, the sum of £1,000 has been received for the mission work.
With this large yearly donation, a residence, a church, and a
school-house have been built for the American Mission in Cairo.
The rajah was true to his word. He placed his wife in a
separate apartment iu his palace and provided her with teach
ers. At the end of two years she was presented at Court, and
from that time forward a new life was opened to her. She
received the title of princess, and shared her husband's position
in society, and became what she most desired to be, a bene
factor of the poor and wretched.
The valley of the river Nile is made very productive by the
yearly inundations which occur at certain seasons of the year,
leaving a deposit of rich alluvial soil, thus changing the desert
land for miles back from the river shores into rich grain fields.
By irrigation the sandy soil of Cairo is transposed into beauti
ful gardens and made to blossom and bear fruit luxuriantly.
Herodotus called Egypt "the gift of the Nile," because the
country owes its productiveness to the overflowing of the river,
without which the entire country would be a desert. In
ancient times the long valley of the Nile was called the granary
of Rome, There are about four hundred mosques or Mohammedan
houses of worship in Cairo, and every mosque has a school
attached, where, if nothing more is taught, the children are at
least instructed in the principles of their religion. As soon as

76 BY LAND AND SEA.
a Mohammedan child can talk it is taught to recite, " I testify
that there is no deity but God, and I testify that Mohammed is
his prophet." They must also recite daily portions from the
Koran. The weekly sum of three cents is paid for school
tuition. The dervishes of Cairo are a very unprepossessing people
to look at. They have two religious orders ; one is called the
howling and the other the dancing dervishes. They may have
families, but must spend two nights a week in their convents.
Their religion consists mainly in mortifying the flesh, repeat
ing prayers and performing exercises in dancing and howhng.
They observe a weekly fast of twelve hours, and hold meet
ings twice a week for dancing and howhng. There are no
women in these orders. By a backsheesh, or gift, I obtained
admission to one of their religious meetings. Thirty men
took part in it. They began by dancing in a semi-circle in
front of the sheik, or chief, and having made salaams, they
moved backward and forward in a circle around the sheik,
kneeling on blankets. After having bowed their heads repeat
edly to the floor, they began their devotions by making incom
prehensible movements with the arms, accompanied by horrid
tones from several discordant musical instruments. Rising,
they again bowed their heads low, and then began a rapid
dancing movement performed in a circle around the sheik, all
moving together in unison and in time Avith the music. As
the music increased in rapidity and became louder, the
devotees increased the violence of their movements, until their
disheveled hair made them stiU more hideous, and their
vociferations were intensified to an almost deafening degree.
After a time they began whirling, their bodies spinning around
like tops ; the faster the music the quicker their motions and
cbe more piercing their shrieks became. Suddenly at the beat
of a drum the circle of whirling fanatics broke, and again

SACRED LOCALITIES. Ti
advancing in a semi-circle before the sheik, they repeated their
salutations, put on the dirty robes they had cast off' at the
commencement of the ceremony and fell down on the floor
exhausted. According to tradition Cairo is a very interesting landmark
in biblical history. We read that on a certain occasion Pha
raoh's daughter went down to the river to take a bath, and
there found a young child hidden in the deep grass on the river
bank, and that she took the infant to herself and named him
Moses, meaning drawn out of the water. A little thicket of
buh'ushes just on the shore of the Nile, in the heart of the town,
is said to have been the very spot where the infant Moses was
concealed by his mother from the executioner of Pharaoh,
King of Egypt.
At Heliopohs, now a wretched Arabian town of mud houses
about an hour's drive from Cairo, is the old sycamore tree under
which it is said Joseph and Mary, Avith the infant Jesus, rested
during their fhght into Egypt. This tradition renders the tree
an object of great interest to the Christian tourist, who often
performs his devotions there. It is called the "Virgin's Tree."
Its trunk near the base is about ten feet in diameter, and its
wide-spreading branches shade a large area of ground. It is
enclosed by a high fence, else there would not be left a branch
of this tree by the insatiable memento-collecting tourist, who
would have carried it all away long before this.
Near Suez, a few hours' distance from Cairo, is the head of
the Red Sea, where the children of Israel crossed over when
they were pursued by the Egyptians. We read in the Bible
that the waters parted, rolled up on both sides like walls, and
the Israelites crossed over on dry land ; but when their pursuers
came upon the opposite bank and entered upon the dry path,
the waters immediately came together and they were swallowed
up in the deep. It is a fact that at times at this point, from the

78 BY LAND AND SEA.
operation of the tides and winds, the waters do actually recede
so as to leave almost a pathway acros.s the sea. There is a ship
canal now through the Isthmus of Suez, by Avhich vessels, ]jly-
ing between Europe and the East Indies, pass fi-om the Mediter
ranean to the Red Sea. It Avas made under the dire(-tion of the
famous civil engineer. Count de Lesseps.

CHAT VII.

ARABIA AND INDIA.

Sailing Doavn the Red Sea— Mount Sin'ai and the Arabians-
Mohammed — The Divers— Jugglers and Snake-Charmers
—Ostrich Droves — Into the Indian Ocean— The Cruelty
of an African King — The Tower of Silence— Sun Wor
shipers — Burning the Body of his Wife— Throavn into
THE Ganges — The Riches of an Indian Jungle — The Homes
OF Calcutta — The Awful Fate of Hindoo Widows — A
Tree that Shades more than Two Acres — Chaste — A
Visit from the Rajah — His Present of Flowers and Fish
AND Taffy Candy — Riding on an Elephant — Wreaths of
Yellow Flowers in the Sacred River — A Million Years
FOR A Hair — The Most Beautiful Structure in Existence
— Walls of Precious Stones — Roses of Coral and Lilies
OF Mother- of-Pearl — Diamonds and Rubies — The Boy
FROM THE Wolf's Den— Cashmere Shawls— The Peacock
Throne — The Shah's Jeweled Turban.
In my journey from Egypt to India I ]3assed Mount Sinai,
which is near Suez, where we stopped at the end of our last
evening's chat. Mount Sinai is a very interesting landmark in
bibhcal history ; the ten commandments were inscribed on two
tablets of stone and given to Moses by the Lord. The moun
tain is a bare, rocky peak rising from the desert. There is a
monastery on the side of the mountain, where tra\'elers are
entertained by the monks. But few people are seen there
besides the wandering tribes of Arabs. The ancient Arabians

80 BY LAND AND SEA.
were a superstitious race ; their favorite study was the inter
pretation of dreams. They were very hospitable ; in the region
of Mount Sinai they always kept the " flres of hospitality " blaz
ing at night, so that the weary pilgrims going to Mecca, the
sacred city of the Mohammedans, could find a place of rest.
They were as cruel in their revenge as they were generous in
their hospitality. A willful offence was never forgiven.
Mecca, which is far to the south of Mount Sinai, is a sacred
city to the Mohammedans, because it was the birth-place of
Mohammed. Mohammed was of obscure birth and a camel dri
ver, but he rose to be a great spiritual guide, simply by his
honesty of purpose, the unselfishness of his daily life, and his
constant devotion to the religious creed which he taught. He
did not pretend to introduce a new religion ; he wished to restore
the true primitive faith as it existed in the days of the patriarchs
and prophets of the early times, as his people had fallen into
the gross worship of idols. After he reached the years of man
hood he retired once a year to a cave near Mecca, where he
devoted himself for one month to fasting, prayer and medita
tion. The great ambition of Mohammedans is to make a pil
grimage to Mecca, and pray at the tomb of their prophet which
is there. All who have accomphshed this devotional journey
are called Hadjis ; and all who are descended from Mohammed
wear a green turban, a color which they consider sacred.
From Mount Sinai I sailed down the Red Sea, along the
shores of Arabia. I saw many coffee plantations on the moun
tain slopes on the coast of the Red Sea, with here and there the
mud huts of the natives, and swarms of naked children gam
boling about in their sports near the shore. From the deck of
our English steamer, when lying at anchor in the bay of Aden,
I saw a dozen or more men and boys diving in the water for
pennies and sixpences thrown from the deck of the vessel ;
they also made many curious evolutions in the water, appar-

SNAKE CHARMERS IN BENARES, INDIA.

JUGGLERS AND SNAKE-CHARMERS. 81
ently as much at home there as are the fish. These divers
would climb to the top of the ship's masts and, leaping into the
water with a wooden ball in each hand, would come to the sur
face with the coin held between the teeth.
I saw also at that time the jugglers and snake-charmers
performing on the deck of the ship. They brought their snakes
on board in bags, letting them out of the bags. The snake-
charmers seemed to have perfect control over the reptiles by
means of music from a rude wind instrument. When the per
formance was finished they put the snakes again into the bags,
which were then snugly tied up. These magicians swarm on
the decks of passenger vessels while at anchor in these seas.
One of the most wonderful feats is to produce small pots of
growing plants from their long, flowing sleeves, although they
bare their arms to show the bystanders that they do not have
the pots in their sleeves. If these impromptu showmen pick up
a few sixpences they leave the ship jubilant over their success.
And I saw many droves of ostriches, black, white and gray
in color, roving around at will ; the vicinity of Aden is famous
for ostrich farming ; the natives bring on board the passenger
steamers bags of beautiful ostrich plumes and sell them at very
moderate prices.
As we proceeded on our voyage I caught glimpses of the
coasts of Abyssinia and Nubia, and of the picturesque scenery
on both sides of the narrow and rocky channel forming the
entrance from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, called by the
natives the Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb, but named by the English
sailors " The Gate of Lamentation," because of the many acci
dents and shipwrecks which have happened there. I began now
to realize that I was indeed far away from home, for the diver
sified prospect presented quite a different appearance to any
thing I had seen before. But on and on we sailed, reflecting
the while on the vast difference between this eastern land and

82 BY LAND AND SEA.
our own country, and the incomparable situation of the two
peoples. Arabia and Africa are parts of the world but little known
by Americans from actual observation. They have not much
attraction for the pleasure tourist. In fact, I think the curious
traveler would find an unwelcome reception in some portions
of these lands. There are constant dissensions among the
tribes in the interior of Africa, and their warfare is carried on
most barbarously.
I have heard it related that in one of the African districts
remote from the sea-coast occurs what might be called the
annual anniversary of human sacrifice. It is the occasion
when the king of a certain tribe chooses a wife, which he does
once a year. A dozen of the finest of their maidens are selected
and attired wdth feathers and ornamented with bright colors
painted on the skin. After the customary hideous ceremony
has been performed, which passes for a solemnity among these
barbarians, these young girls are filed in review before the king,
who is mounted on a horse, and from their number he chooses
one for a wife, who is set up on the horse behind him. In the
meantime, if any one of his wives become disagreeable to him,
she is conducted into the column of the remaining eleven. At
a signal the girls start upon a run for dear life in all directions,
the mounted king chasing down all these poor creatures, tram
pling upon them and killing such as may fall by the way. If
any succeed in making their escape in this terrible race, they
are killed in solemn sacrifice. This horrible custom was begun
generations ago by a very cruel king who wished to make of
his people a tribe of warriors, and availed himself of his supreme
right over the lives of his subjects in order to lessen the num
ber of women in his tribe.
Our steamer arrived at the city of Bombay in India after
an agreeable tropical voyage across the Indian ocean. I saw

PARSEES AND HINDOOS. 83
in Bombay the Tower of Silence, the Parsees' burial place for
the dead. It is a high, square built tower, open at the top,
and has a small door at the base. In the place of a floor is an
iron grating, and the vultures fly down from the top of the
tower and take off the flesh from the bones, which when bared
fall between the bars into a pit of quick-lime.
The Parsees are descended from the ancient Persians.
They are very earnest in their religious devotions. They wor
ship the sun, not only as the life-giving source of light and
heat, but as a symbol of divinity. They kneel down wherever
they chance to be at the hour of sunset and perform their
devotions with their faces turned toward the west. They
have no temples or houses of worship. They live together in
large families, or groups of relations ; often as many as flfty
persons hve in one house. The Parsees in Bombay are a pic
turesque-looking people. They wear high sugar-loaf shaped
hats, of black felt, wide flowing pantaloons of yellow or blue
sUk, a long frock tunic of another colored silk, confined at the
waist by a silken girdle or a chain of gold or silver, and an
aigrette of precious stones on the left breast. The httie boys
are dressed exactly like their fathers. Parsee w-omen are not
seen in the streets ; they are strictly domestic, rarely leaving
their houses. The Parsees are fond of traveling and go about
the world considerably. They are a prosperous people ; in
Bombay they are chiefly merchants and do most of the bank
ing business. I found in my travels a great difference in the methods
of disposing of the dead among the nations. The Hindoos
burn the dead on funeral pyres. Cremation is performed
by the Hindoos in an open court ; the mourners prepare the
pile of wood upon which to lay the body; after applying
the torch they wait to see the body consumed to ashes, and
then move sorrowfully away.

84 BY LAND AND SEA.
The following account of the burning of a dead person in
Calcutta was related to me by one who was present on.that
occasion. The remains of a woman were brought to the court
on a board by two coolies, or laborers ; the husband of the
deceased began at once to bargain for the wood wanted for the
pyre. When the necessary amount was secured it was piled
up to the height of about four feet on the stone flagging in the
yard. The body, covered with a piece of coarse canvas, was
then laid upon the pile of wood ; the husband partly uncov
ered it and removed the rings, anklets and bangles, and then
anointed the body with grease. Some fine-cut wood was laid
over it by a coolie, after which a Hindoo priest advanced, and
the bereaved man threw a half-dozen copper pieces at his feet.
The priest demanded more, and three more pieces were given,
which were all the man had. Then a smaU basin containing
rice and miUet-seed mixed with goats' milk was brought and
handed to the husband, together with two small sticks of
sandal-wood. The priest blessed these articles, and the hus
band placed the sticks at the sides of the face of the dead
woman, and put some of the mixture into the mouth and
upon the neck. He then took a lighted fagot from the priest
and went three times around the pyre, swinging the flaming
fagot three times on each round, after which he set fire to the
wood, and soon the pile was brightly blazing. The mourning
Hindoo did not leave the ground until the last spark of fire had
disappeared ; he then turned sadly away, but he was not per
mitted to leave the ground untU he had remunerated the
coolie who had assisted ; this he was not able to do until my
informant gave him a few coppers, which enabled him to
satisfy the demands of the cooUe.
Among the better classes of the Hindoos, the ashes of the
dead, together with the ashes of the consumed wood, are gath
ered up and thrown into the Ganges river, when it is possible

Ui

25

>5 a::

X H

HINDOOS' CUSTOMS AND COSTUMES. 85
to do SO. The waters of the Ganges and also the waters of its
various branches are considered sacred.
The Hindoos and Parsees are distinct peoples in appear
ance and customs, and totally different in their mode of life.
From Bombay to Calcutta by rail is about five days' jour
ney. There is an immense tract of territory between these two
cities which as yet has been scarcely trodden by man. It is
inhabited only by birds, beasts and reptiles. Judging from the
borders of this impenetrable jungle which I have seen, there
must be within it untold treasures of beautiful woods, and an
almost endless variety of tropical flora and fruits. This
unknown territory is an inheritance for future generations,
when its mysteries must be revealed and it must yield up its
products as the demand for them increases.
Among the Hindoos the rajahs or governors of provinces
dress very richly. They dress in velvets of all colors, embroid
ered "with seed pearls ; often precious stones are wrought in
their garments, and they wear the red fez or cap decorated Avith
aigrettes of feathers and jewels. The merchant class wear
cashmere shawls, of a quahty according to their rank and riches,
thrown over the shoulders and waist, leaving the right arm
bare, and long white cloth pantaloons, and a white cotton scarf
twisted around the head. The Hindoo women seldom appear
on foot in the streets of the large cities ; they go about in pal
anquins, or palkas, as they are called by the foreigners. The
palka is a long box, one side of which can be let down, with
windows upon both sides, ; it contains a cushion and a pillow.
The person takes a recumbent position ; and when nicely packed
away the side is closed up, and two coolies take up the convey
ance with handles at each end and move along with a steady
and measured tread. The occupant may read as he goes on his
way, the movement of the palka being so steady there is scarcely
a jar perceptible.

86 BY LAND AND SEA.
Calcutta is now within comparatively easy reach of the
tourist in search of fresh objects to interest and entertain. It
is not so many years ago, however, that a traveler Avas almost
unknown in this far-off corner of the world. But the com
fortable facilities offered by the steamships and railroads in the
East at the present day, invite one to these distant wanderings.
The more the globe is traversed the smaller it appears.
The facilities for travel by land and water have very greatly
increased in the last twenty years, and according to the experi
ence of the present age, the word of command for aU is onward,
onward. A large portion of Calcutta is now like any other European
city, having been buUt mostly by the English, who, as you know,
rule India. In the native quarter the Hindoo home, with all its
peculiar customs, is still seen. Entire famihes, including grand
parents, parents and children, live in enclosures called com
pounds, each family having its own apartment. These com
pounds or homesteads pass from one generation to another. A
compound or Indian mansion is a one-story building constructed
around an open court, which has but one entrance from the
street. The compound may be large or small, depending on the
rank and wealth of the family. In an obscure corner of the
building is an apartment assigned to the invalids among the
women and children, who are not allowed to remain with those
members of the family who are in health. What seems strange
and inhuman to us is that the sick are attended only by serv
ants, never by members of the family.
When the sons marry they bring their wives to the family
compound, and occupy such apartment as the elder of the
family — the father or eldest son — may assign to them. If the
mother of the family is left a widow, she resigns her rank, her
apartment and her jewels at once to the eldest married son,
who bestows his mother's rank and possessions on his own

a HINDOO :\IOTHER AND CHILDREN.— GROUP OF INDIAN MEN AND \VO^H•:^• IN BOMHAY, IXDIA,

THE HINDOO FUNERAL PYRE. 87
wife. The mother then descends to the place of the lowe.st
menial, really becoming of no account where she once lived
almost as a sovereign, and becomes henceforth subject to the
bidding of the family. However, if she is a woman of unusual
intelligence she may sometimes be called in to gi\'e her advice
on occasions of important family councils. It was because of
her degradation that in former days the widow preferred to
throw herself upon the funeral pyre of her husband and mingle
her own ashes with his, rather than survive him and submit to
the inevitable disgrace. But this horrible custom is a thing of
the past in all localities where the English authority is felt, and
without doubt in time it will entirely disappear.
One might ask how could it be possible that a woman in her
sane mind, and of her own free will, could have the courage, or
desperation, to throw herself upon a pile of burning wood ? To
us it seems incredible. But such was the custom among the
Hindoos for many centuries. By request of the widow the near
est of kin, or the most affectionate one of the children, was
chosen to assist her in the hour when she was to be subjected to
this dreadful death. The woman, called the suttee, is made
intoxicated b)^ drinking the tea of a certain herb that has a pow
erfully intoxicating effect, and when she had become nearly
senseless and scarcely able to stand, the person chosen for that
purpose led her to the burning pyre and pushed her face down
ward upon it. Immediately she became suffocated and generally
reahzed but little of the torture of burning to death.
The compound has its zenana, or women's quarters. The
young girls live together, and entirely separate from the young
boys. The wife serves the husband while he eats ; now, follow
ing the European custom, he sits at a table, but the wife eats
her meals sitting upon a mat on the floor, and never in the pres
ence of her husband.
Among the Hindoos little girls are generally promised in

88 BY LAND AND SEA.
marriage at the age of eight to twelve years, sometimes even
younger. As a recognition of this fact of her betrothal a small
mark is made on the child's forehead with red paint, which is
kept there until the girl is taken by the husband to his paternal
compound. After the girl leaves her mother she seldom, or per
haps never, has the opportunity of meeting her famUy again.
The elder brother in a Hindoo family is not permitted to see
the face of a younger brother's wife, but the younger brother
may see and meet the elder brother's wife, as she is at any time
liable to become the mistress of the household by the death of
the mother. A cage life indeed is that of the Hindoo women.
The palace of the English viceroy, or Governor General of
India, at Calcutta, is a noble building. Its appearance is not
unlike that of the White House in Washington, but far more
imposing. All the department buildings necessary to the office
of the viceroy, together with a chapel, are within the same
enclosure with the palace.
In the suburbs of Calcutta may be seen the largest banyan
tree known to be in existence. Its main trunk has a circumfer
ence of more than fifty feet, and there are more than two hun
dred and twenty-five other stocks, which reach to the ground
like smaller trunks, the most of them being good-sized trees ;
over two acres of ground are shaded by this patriarchal banyan.
The banyan is peculiar to India ; it is the ordinary shade
tree in the cities and smaller towns. As the stocks multiply too
fast for the space, they are cut off. The banyan sends its shoots
downward from the branches, which take root in the ground
and become stocks of other trees ; in this manner they spread
over a large surface. As soon as a new shoot becomes rooted
it sends out new branches near the parent branch where it
started, and thus in time a small forest comes from one stock.
I have heard that there was once a banyan on the Nerbuddah
river, in the north of Hindostan, that had three hundred and

BANYAN TREE AT BARRACKPORE, NEAR CALCUTTA, INDIA,

CASTES IN HINDOSTAN. 89
fifty stocks, under whose shade seven thousand men could
stand. The larger part of this tree was carried away by an
inundation of the river.
From Calcutta we proceeded to Delhi, in the north of
India. On the journey I tarried a little time at Benares, situ
ated on the Ganges river. Here is the Mecca or great pilgrim
resort of Hindostan and the home of the Brahmin priesthood.
In Benares distinction in caste, or prescribed social rank, pre
vails more strictly, if possible, than elsewhere in Hindostan.
There are four principal castes among the Hindoos ; the highest
is that of the Brahmins, w^ho are born to the priesthood. A
Hindoo would rather prefer the most menial service if it secured
him the caste of the Brahmins, by which he could be privileged
to wear the sacred white cord of their order over his right
shoulder, than to belong to a lower caste with wealth at his
command. They can eat only with those of their own caste.
They must not even cook their food in vessels owned by persons
of a lower caste, nor partake of food handled by them. Conse
quently they can never leave their own country. The Brah
mins are regarded by the three other castes with profound
veneration. They alone can officiate in the priesthood. Their
high caste forbids them from following the ordinary ways of
gaining a living ; they generaUy depend upon alms for support.
They may receive large gifts, in which case a blessing is
granted the giver which is supposed to blot out every sin, and
to assure a paradise upon earth. The different castes neither eat
nor drink together, nor intermarry. They only associate in
some great rehgious festivals. I have heard it said that there
is a peculiar caste among the Hindoos holding itself so superior
above all others that it wiU not permit its daughters to marry,
because intermarriage is forbidden, and there is no caste high
enough for them.
But the sons are permitted to wed women of another caste.

90 BY LAND AND SEA.
These distinctions of caste not only prevent the general eleva
tion of the people, as may easily be supposed, but check the
efforts made by others for their improvement.
Once so far away from home in our wanderings as to be in
Benares, we thought it agreeable to prolong our stay and called
to dehver a letter of introduction to Rajah Sambhee Narayana
Sinhar, but he was not at home. An hour afterward he came
in grand state to return the visit. He was dressed in blue silk
trousers, a long pink silk frock, and yellow-toed slippers. On
his fez was a cluster of precious stones. His servants, a half-
dozen in number, were attired in gay colors, after the Eastern
fashion. His coach was painted red, and was heavily gilded,
and the trappings of the horses were gorgeous. The rajah
speaks English fluently ; he was educated at Queen's College in
Benares. While speaking of the nobility of India, he said the
rajahs often had from two to six hundred servants and retainers.
It is said that most of these retainers serve without wages in
the form of money, but they obtain rice and fish from their
master's stores. They also receive many presents from visitors,
and often a lodging as well. The rajah proposed to place at our
service on the following day one of his elephants fully equipped
and several of his servants to escort us through the city, and a
boat that we might see some of the sights on the Ganges. Of
course this offer was accepted with much pleasure.
Soon after the rajah's departure two of his servants returned,
bringing baskets containing flowers, fruits, vegetables, an
immense fish, a package of almonds, and a large cake of taffy
candy made of brown sugar. Formerly it was the custom of
the rajahs to give visitors bearing letters of introduction cash
mere shawls ; but unhappily for the guests this custom is fall
ing out of use.
On the following day, according to promise, the rajah's ele
phant, one of a half-dozen, and fully as large as Baruum's

SACRED WATER FROM THE GANGE.S. 91
famous Jumbo, splendidly equipped with a howdah, or saddle,
covered with red velvet and fringed with gold and spangles,
made his appearance. This immense creature knelt down,
and by means of a ladder we mounted to the howdah. Three
servants took their places behind us and the driver seated him
self astride the animal's neck. From time to time the elephant
turned his head to look at us, as if he suspected that he was
engaged in the unworthy service of carrying "Christian dogs,"
as we foreigners are called. However, he was not refractory,
and readUy obeyed the spear by which the mahout, or driver,
guided him. Although horses and donkeys of India see ele
phants daily- on the roads, they always show signs of fright
when they come in their way. We made an excursion of four
miles in this novel way. We met several naked dead bodies
being carried to the crematory ground, followed by coolies bear
ing on their heads the wood for the fires.
Going along the Ganges I saw wreaths of yellow flowers
floating on the water, which had been placed on the boxes con
taining the ashes of the dead who had been burned on the fun
eral pyres, and which had been consigned to the sacred waters.
I also saw the dead body of a child, with a wreath of yellow
flowers around its neck, floating down the river. I was told
that praying machines were dipped in the river and swung with
solemn ceremony over the heads of devotees who had made long-
pilgrimages from the interior to reach the holy city of Benares.
The water from the Ganges is drunk by the people all over India
as sacred and most beneflcial to guard against sickness and
death. Speaking of the belief of the Hindoos in the sacredness of
the waters of the Ganges, I am reminded that when in Calcutta
I was told that there was a devout Hindoo living in Madras, in
the southern part of Hindostan, so devoted to his belief in the
holiness of the Ganges water that he had brought to him from

92 BY LAND AND SEA.
Calcutta every day a large cask of this water. He would allow
no other for drinking to be used in his household.
Next to Benares, Allahabad, called by the natives the " City
of God," is considered the holiest city in existence. It is situ
ated just at the meeting of the Jamma River with the Ganges.
The Hindoos believe that there is a third invisible and celestial
river, which flows direct from heaven and unites with those two
rivers at Allahabad. Pilgrims are constantly coming to this
place to render their devotions to this imaginary river. On their
arrival, they have their heads and beards carefully shaved, and
the hair is thrown into the stream. Their sacred writings
promise that for every hair thus disposed of, a million of years
is assured the believer in paradise.
We sometimes read in the newspapers of whole cities and
towns along the Ganges being destroyed by inundations. Such
calamities can well happen. One must understand, however,
that the houses are not generally strong and substantially con
structed, but only built of sun-dried mud. They are not expected
to withstand the heavy deluges that occasionally visit that coun
try. A destroyed town is quickly rebuilt. As soon as the rains
cease the mud, or soft clay, is formed into blocks and dried in
the sun, the heat being very great, and the new house is built,
as it were, in a day. The walls are not more than six feet high
and no interior finish is required. A house of this kind conies
quickly into existence.
I could prolong my chat about Benares indefinitely had I
the time, for everything one sees in this far-off land is very
novel and fuU of interest, but I want to speak of what I saw in
the north of India.
Agra and Delhi are two of the important cities in India.
Agra contains "the priceless pearl and India's pride," as the
Taje-Mehdlle is called. This is a mausoleum erected by Shah
Jehan in the memory of his favorite wife, called Moomtaz-i-

A FAMOUS MAUSOLEUM. 93
Muhid, or "Exalted One of the Palace." Shah Jehan was the
reigning monarch of this part of India two hundred and fifty
years ago. Although there are in India other marble edifices of
wonderful structure and inlaid with beautiful stones, inside
and outside, nevertheless the Taje is not only the most beauti
ful building of that country, but is unsurpassed by any other in
the world. It now shows some signs of decay produced by
ruthless conquerors or by the passing touches of time. But
in its original splendor and glory, the Taje was a masterpiece
of architecture, matchless as a work of art ; even now it is
conceded to be the most exquisitely beautiful structure in exist
ence. It only retained its original splendor for a short period. A
hostile tribe li-ving beyond the Himalaya mountains, having
heard of this magnificent pile, invaded the country with a
horde of robbers, conquered Agra and sadly marred the beauti
ful mausoleum of which I speak, taking from its marble walls
many of the precious stones inlaid therein. A description —
even imperfect, it may be — of this wonderful structure in the
north of India will enter our chat this evening and I am sure it
wiU be of interest.
This building stands on a foundation of red sandstone reach
ing twelve feet above the ground. It is octagonal in form ; in
architecture it is purely Saracenic. The roof is seventy feet
above the foundation ; the dome is surmounted by a gilt cres
cent, the top of which is two hundred and sixty feet from the
foundation. The dome was originally covered with plates of
solid gold. The walls, outside and inside, are inlaid with coral,
amethyst, blood-stone, mother-of pearl, lapis-lazuli, agates of
rich colors, carnehan stone in various tints, jasper, and many
beautiful stones unknown in European countries, besides rare
marbles and richly gold-veined alabaster from Egypt. The
more precious stones, especially diamonds and rubies, which are

94 B Y LAND AND SEA.
now gone, were placed near the base of the building, as the
defaced walls indicate.
At the two entrances were originaUy massive silver doors,
studded each one with a thousand and one hundred silver-headed
nails. The plunderers tore off all the gold and silver and melted
them into ingots for more easy transportation.
Neither glass nor wood nor any common metal was incor
porated in this building. Both the outside and inside have the
same style of ornamentation in inlaid work. The designs are
largely floral and scroll work. The arches over the doors and
Avindows, whose lines continue to the floor, are decorated with
festoons and veins of convolvuli in lapis-lazuli and blood-stone.
Entire chapters from the Koran are inlaid with black marble on
the walls. The roses are wrought in coral and carnelian. I
counted in one rose eighty pieces of shaded coral. The lilies
are wrought in mother-of-pearl, with stems and leaves of blood
stone. The various species of flowers are represented by stones
having the colors of the natural flowers.
The tombs of Shah Jehan and the princess are of white mar
ble, richly decorated with mosaic. Originally there were dia
monds, rubies, emeralds and turquoises as large as English wal
nuts set in the decorations; but nothing of this valuable inlaid
work remains except the leaves, vines, and tracery work in less
valuable stones.
The cost of this magniflcent building, as Mr. Bayard Taylor
tell us, cannot be easily estimated. Most of the labor was done
by slaves, who received only a small allowance of provisions of
rice, corn, fish, and wild fruits. Much of the material was con
tributed by neighboring tribes, and for other portions of the
materials levies were made upon dependent tribes.
Although the Taje is enchanting by moonlight, it is more
resplendent in the sunlight. I had the good fortune to see this
marvel of beauty under most favorable circumstances. In the

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a.

CQ
2 cu

MARBLE PALACES IN AGRA. 95
light of the early morning it was tinged with a roseate color ;
the white marble appeared like a. pale coral ; by the mid-day
sun it sparkled as if studded with colored stars ; in the twilight
it had a soft blue shading of color. By the artificial iUumina-
tion, as I saw it, its varied beauties are stiU more exquisite.
The Taje may be caUed a living poem of wondrous beauty,
suggested by the " Tales of the Arabian Nights."
This mausoleum was erected in 1600. Ta vernier, the
renowned French traveler of his time, who records having seen
the structure in process of construction, tells us that twenty
thousand men were occupied seventeen years in its building.
During the period of the erection of the tomb there was great
mortahty among the laborers, and the peasantry cried out :
" Have mercy, O God, on our distress,
For we die, too, with the princess."
Long before the tomb was finished the Princess Moomtaz
died, and her remains were placed in the unfinished mausoleum ;
the Shah soon followed his favorite and was placed beside her in
the crypt of the tomb.
Besides this mausoleum there are other beautiful mar
ble palaces in Agra, remembrances of the age of India's glory
and splendor, to describe which would make our chat too long,
for there is yet more to include in this chapter on India. But I
cannot forbear telling you of a very strange human being- that
I saw at the English mission school near Agra. He was a young
man of about twenty years of age who had been taken from a
wolf's den twelve years before. He was discovered in company
with a she-wolf, and crept about on his hands and feet. The
animal had apparently accepted the boy as her own offspring.
It is supposed he had been carried off in infancy by the wolf,
and had been suckled and cared for by the animal. The boy is
called "Saturday," because he was discovered and captured on
that day.

96 BY LAND AND SEA.
For some time after being reclaimed he was wild and intract
able, and howled like a wolf, and appeared very unhappy away
from the mother wolf ; he would eat only raw meat. But grad
ually and by kind treatment he was taught to stand upon his
feet and to walk without getting down on "all fours." But he
still walked with the same awkw^ard gait as trained quadrupeds
do on their hind feet. It has required years of time and long
continued patience on the part of his manager to teach him the
few short words he can now utter. Although he understands
the commands given him, he still makes known his wants by
signs and ejaculations. His eyes have a wild look, and he keeps
his lower jaw in constant motion. His face is not disagreeably
ugly, although it is marked with scars, supposed to have come
from the wounds made by the wolf. He is quite tame now and
really very kindly disposed.
I must take my young readers as far as Delhi, although they
may think they have remained long enough already in the dis
tant land of India. Delhi is not far from the foot-hills of the
Himalaya mountains, called by the natives the Halls of Snow,
and is one of the principal points of commerce in the cashmere
shawls so highly appreciated the world over. The shawls are
brought from the mountain districts, where they are made, to
this place on the backs of elephants and camels. However,
they must first pass through Serinagur, a town north of Delhi,
where the rajah, or governor of the province, collects a tax on
every shawl manufactured for sale either at home or for export
ation. From Delhi they are taken to Calcutta, the general ship
ping market for all Indian products.
We sometimes call India shawls camel's-hair shawls, but this
is a misnomer. Shawls and cloths made of the hair of camels
are very coarse and heavy, and are only used by soldiers and
natives for blankets. The wool of which the fine shawls are made
is from the cashmere goat of the Himalaya mountain districts.

X w

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DHWXH

THE FAMOUS PEACOCK THRONE. 97
The finest of this wool is a downy growth on the skin of the
neck of the goat, which is found in the highest habitable regions.
From this wool are made those shawls of fabulous prices, one of
which cannot be bought from the manufacturers for less than
seven hundred and fifty dollars.
I have seen a Rompore chudda, or shawl, so fine in texture
that the merchant passed it half-way through a gold ring which
he took from his finger, but it was not of the choicest quality,
although it was light and gossamer-like in fabric.
I had also a glimpse of the Kutub-Minar, not far from Delhi,
which is another of India's architectural glories. It was built
eight hundred years ago by the reigning emperor for a favorite
daughter, who had expressed a wish to have a tower reaching
as near as possible to heaven, on the top of which she desired to
say her prayers. It required years to complete this tower. But
the devout maiden died long before it was finished. It was
originally three hundred feet high, and tapering in form. The
base of the column is fifty feet in diameter and the top thirteen.
One of the powerful shahs of Delhi in olden times built a
magnificent palace which he intended to finish with a veranda
overlooking the river Jumna, which fiows by the palace, cov
ered with a trellis of rubies and emeralds to represent ripe and
green grapes ; but the design was so elaborate and required so
many precious stones, that the shah was compeUed to abandon
his magnificent plan.
As we sometimes read of the "Peacock Throne," another
of India's former priceless treasures, perhaps something of a
description of it may be appropriate here. This magnificent
piece of workmanship was made under the order and by the
direction of the Shah Jehan, who at one time was the great
Mogul of Delhi as well as of Agra. This throne was used as
the Mogul's seat on important state occasions. It was con
structed of gold and precious stones. The back of the throne

98 BY LAND AND SEA.
is in the form of a peacock's tail with full spread feathers, the
colors of the peacock plumage being imitated by the various
colored precious stones set in gold. No labor or cost was spared
to produce the finest gems. It was supported by six feet of
massive gold and set with rubies, emeralds and diamonds.
When the Shah sat upon his throne he wore a turban of cloth
of gold, having a bird like a heron wrought upon it, whose feet
were covered with diamonds of large size, and a large oriental
topaz that shone like the sun was inserted in front of the
turban. It is said that the father of the Shah induced the man
ufacture of this costly throne to display the wealth of
precious stones that had been amassed in the royal treasury by
despoiling the rich rajahs of neighboring provinces, and from
the presents which the rajahs of smaller provinces were obliged
to make upon certain yearly festal days.
This throne with all its jewels is now in the possession of
the Shah of Persia, and stands in the grand audience chamber
of his palace at Teheran. It has been described to me by the
wife of the late United States Minister to Persia, Mrs. B., who
spent several years at that court. Many of the jewels are still
uncut, although the larger number are cut. It is the most bril
liant combination of jewels in existence.
After having seen many of these wonderful Indian palaces
composed of marble and precious stones, I am half inclined to
think that some of the tales of the " Thousand and One Nights "
are founded on facts, and are not altogether creatures of the
imagination, for the events and interior scenes of life within
their walls must have been to a certain extent in correspondence
with the gorgeousness of the exterior of their palaces.

THE AUDIENCE CHAMBER IN THE PALACE AT AGRA

CHAT VHL

CHINA.

Landing through the Surf at Madras— Wind in the Chinese
Sea— Fighting a Typhoon— Gems in Natfves' Ears— The
Travelers' Palm— Hong Kong— In the Bungalow— Feet
too Small for Walking — The Chinese Merchant is
A Gentleman and Carries a Fan — The Jade Stone — Chi
nese Marriages— The Bride and Groom not Consulted—
The Wailing Before the Marriage — Married Before She
Sees her Husband — Judged by her Feet— Eating Eggs
Two Years Old — Must Pay to Keep Away the Cemeteries
— Burial Mounds — In the Lime Pit — A Bow- wow- wow
Ragout— Confucius — His Belief and his Epitaph — The
Judge who Insisted that the World was Flat — The
Fatal Girdle of Silk — Boat Life in China — Children on
and m the River — An Immense Empire — Rice and Silk —
The Imitation Chinaman.
From the north of India we directed our course for China,
and our steamer touched at Madras, in the south of Hindostan.
There is no good harbor there, and because of the high surf the
steamer anchored a considerable distance from the land. I was
quite amused by the manner of taking on and landing passen
gers at that port. It was something after this wise : The
person is tied in an arm chair, which is swung off by ropes run
ning from the yard-arm in order to clear the ship, and then let
down to reach a small boat which is dancing continually and
wildly on the waves and dashing against the side of the ship.

100 BY LAND AND SEA.
While suspended over the side of the vessel waiting for a pro
pitious wave to bring the little craft up to the right position,
the passenger himself must decide the moment when to disem
bark from the chair, and at a word or gesture a half-dozen of
the boatmen quickly grapple the side of the ship with their
long iron hooks, and so steady the little boat somewhat, while
others grasp the chair, from which the passenger frees himself
with a nervous haste, and takes a seat as best he can in the
bottom of the boat and is then rowed ashore through a heavy
and foaming surf. These surf boats are quite deep and made
of bark closely joined together by bamboo splints. It requires
twelve men to manage one of these canoes. But notwithstand
ing the dangers of boarding a ship at anchor, the snake-charm
ers, jugglers and hucksters of all kinds of small wares do not
hesitate to venture on board in the hope of picking up a few
pennies. The sea along the coast of China is subject to typhoons or
hurricanes twice a year during the change of the monsoons, or
trade- winds. These changes occur in the spring and autumn,
after which the prevailing winds blow in one direction contin
ually for several months. The vessels going with the winds
have fair sailing, but woe to those going in the contrary direc
tion, or to those which are caught in the change of the mon
soons ; for in the case of the latter the voyage is long and bois
terous, and a ship which meets the change of monsoon is often
lost. Before reaching China we encountered a typhoon ; it was a
frightful struggle between the ship and the waves. In addition
to the fury of the wind the rain was faUing in blinding torrents.
At times the great ship was lifted almost out of the water as a
tremendous roUer ploughed under her bow and sent her high up
in the air ; then came alongside another mountain wave and
gave the ship a heavy blow, from which she would hound like a

JN AND ABOUT CEYLON. 101
foot-ball and then settle down on one side upon her beam-ends ;
and again, before the ship could right herself, another immense
wave would overtake the preceding one and sweep along the
deck, beating her almost entirely under water ; then the ship
seemed to give a leap as if to free herself from the tremendous
grip of the waves, and for a moment appeared to settle steadUy
down between two monster surges, but only to rise upon other
and yet higher biUows. This movement of the ship continued
for hours. But the skill of the navigator triumphs over the
furies of the tempest, and we are safe at last in a tranquil sea.
What sensations for aU on board a ship during a typhoon ! Expe
rience only can give one an idea of its terrors.
After passing Madras we touched for a short time at the
island of Ceylon, noted for its cocoanut forests, and cactus jun
gles alive with wild animals, monkeys and beautifully plumaged
birds, besides its unlimited wealth of precious stones. Many of
the natives, both men and women, wear uncut and unpolished
precious stones which lapidaries could manipulate into beauti
ful gems. The Cingalese women wear nose rings, from which oftentimes
depend pearls and uncut emeralds, or rubies and sapphires, while
the men may perhaps have on each ear three pearls, or stones of
value, attached to rings by means of holes driUed through them.
American and European jewel dealers have their agents in Cey
lon, on the lookout for the beautiful gems found there, and who
procure them as soon as offered for sale.
Among the great variety of curious trees growing in these
tropical countries is a species of palm found in Ceylon, which
contains in the hollow stem of its leaf a sweet, green, aromatic
water, cool and delicious, to quench thirst. The stem is tapped
near its base, and from this incision a glassful of the refreshing
liquid is obtained. The cut grows together quickly, and the
stem soon fills again with the sap. This palm tree is very wel-

102 BY LAND AND SEA.
come to those traveling through the island, and hence it is
called the "traveler's palm." It bears a thick, green, fan-shaped
leaf. After a generally pleasant voyage, Victoria Mountain, rising
above Hong Kong, came in sight. Hong Kong is rather an Eng
lish than a Chinese city, although there is a large Chinese quarter
where the natives may live undisturbed after their own way of
life. The city is built upon the mountain slopes, which are ter
raced from the water's edge half-way up the mountain side.
Upon the top of the mountain is a picturesque bungalow,
or villa, in the midst of a beautiful garden where there are fruits
and vegetables ripening and maturing all the year round. This
bungalow is occupied by the English Chief Justice. The for
eigners and better class of natives occupy bungalows; these
houses are well built of wood, one story high, with a steep and
high gable roof thickly thatched with straw, and surrounded on
aU sides with a wide veranda, provided with rolling curtains
of straw matting, which are let down to exclude the sunshine
during the heat of the day. The verandas are furnished with
bamboo extension chairs, tables, pots of green plants, and cages
of singing birds. In fact the veranda is the daily rendezvous
for the famUy. The morning coffee and the evening tea are
taken there.
Hong Kong is a large commercial city under British govern
ment. The Chinese women of rank are never seen walking in
the streets. They go about in sedan chairs, quite shut in by
blinds or curtains. The custom of cramping- their feet out of
their natural shape prevents much walking by them. Among
the coolie, or working population, the women do not distort the
feet ; they are born to work, and must have the full use of
them. The Chinese merchant is a gentleman. He sits at a table
at his ease in his httie shop, and has two or three servants to

CHINESE CUSTOMS. 103
do his bidding in showing articles for sale. He is dressed in a
blue silk blouse, his hair is nicely plaited with artificial hair
down to his feet ; his fan— a Chinese gentleman must have a fan
— is tucked down the back over the left shoulder and under his
blouse, from whence he draws it out at his pleasure, and he can
handle it quite as coquettishly as any young lady. The nails
of the little fingers are allowed to grow at least a quarter of an
inch from the end of the fingers. This is proof positive that he
is a gentleman, and performs no manual labor. While he is
affable in making sales, he is very earnest in manner and sel
dom smiles. To Europeans he speaks what is caUed "pidgin-
English," which runs something as follows : The merchant we
wiU suppose sends the servant up stairs to get a roll of silk to
show to a lady customer, and he says, " Johnny, runny topside,
very quickly — you sabe — and catchee me roily silk ; Melican lady
buy some." Unless there is a probability of making a sale, the
merchant appears very much absorbed in his counting board,
(a machine with which he solves mathematical problems,) and
pays but httie attention to the shopper.
Of all the precious stones the Chinese prize most highly the
jade stone. High officials wear a ring of white or green jade
stone upon the thumb of the right hand.
The social customs of the Chinese are quite unlike those of
any other people. With them marriages are celebrated in a man
ner peculiar to their own country. Mothers choose wives for
their sons, and make the choice without consulting them as
soon as they are old enough to marry. The mother is not con
tent until the eldest son — if there is more than one son in the
family — is married and has a son, or until she has a grandson,
to perform the burial rite at her death.
Marriages are arranged by "go-betweens" — the rank of the
parties being considered — or women who are one of four living
generations of females, the second in line being eligible to serve

104 BY LAND AND SEA.
in this capacity. The contracting parties never see each other
until the bride is brought to the bridegroom's house. There is
no wedding service performed by a priest ; the ceremony simply
consists in the preparation of the bride to leave the home of her
ancestors, which takes place on the last day after a month of
mourning and wailing because she is to leave her family.
The girl is not promised in marriage until one month before
she leaves the paternal roof. She spends this time in mourning,
weeping, and waihng in loud tones of voice. If she belongs to
a family of high rank, she is allowed to absorb herself entirely
for the month in this expression of grief and desolation, which
is supposed to convey the idea that her unhappiness is caused on
account of leaving the home of her parents. Several of her
dearest maiden friends attend upon her during this period of
mourning, whose pleasure it must be to join with the bride in
her lamentations. A common quality of clothing is furnished
to the bride for this season of preparation, which must be torn
to shreds during the paroxysms of grief and wailing. If the
bride is of a low and working class, she is allowed to continue
in her daily avocation to a certain extent, but she must feign
the sadness of the situation at least a portion of the time.
Until girls, even in all classes, are chosen for wives, they
wear their hair in one long plait hanging down the back. The
day the bride is to go to her new home, the same "go-between "
who has arranged the marriage spends the day with the girl,
and superintends the final preparations. The last thing is to
comb the mass of tangled hair, which is done in a very rough
manner with a coarse wooden comb, even to puUing it out in
quantities, until the girl screams in real agony ; it is then
arranged in the coiffure of a married woman, which is a simple
knot upon the top of the head.
The bride remains the entire day, from eight o'clock in the
morning until the hour she leaves home, which is about six

MARRIAGE CUSTOMS IN CHINA. 105
o'clock in the evening, upon a very hard bed covered with a red
silk or cotton blanket, red being the mourning color. Her
bridesmaids, who have been in attendance during the month of
mourning, remain at her bedside and at times join in the vocif
erous and apparently heart-rending tones of the mourning agony,
indicating tha,t the grief of the bride is almost unbearable. The
mother stands by, to all appearances an indifferent observer.
The invited guests — including only women — who came at eight
o'clock in the morning, remain in the room, also silent observers.
The hour approaches when the bride is to leave home ; she is
gaily attired, her hair has been neatly put up on the top of the
head and adorned with ornamental pins, and she is aUowed to
leave her bed and receive the mournful salutations of the attend
ing friends, and then she expresses the final sad good-byes to her
family and young friends who have been with her during these
weeks of sadness.
At five o'clock in the afternoon a simple repast is offered to
the family and guests, but the bride eats nothing during the
day, the custom of the country requiring the bride to go hungry
to her new home.
After the wedding repast is finished, the bride is carried on
the back of her ama, or maid, to the closed sedan chair which
awaits her on the veranda, and foUowed only by the "go-be
tween," who accompanies her by the side of the chair with a
lighted lantern in hand, she proceeds to the house of her husband,
for she is now married ; several sedan chairs follow, containing
the gifts that have been bestowed upon her. When the bride's
chair leaves the house, large quantities of rice are thrown over
it, which is understood to express the wish that the bride may
always have plenty.
On the arrival of the bride at her new home, the husband
comes to the chair, which is closed and locked, the "go-between "
having the key in charge, and raps on the door a significant

106 BY LAND AND SEA.
number of times ; the signal is recognized and answered, where
upon the key is handed to the husband, who unlocks the door
and the "go-between" takes the bride upon her back, wailing and
screaming, thereby expressing to her husband her great sorrow
at leaving the paternal roof, and carries her to the apartment
she is to occupy ; there she is divested of her wrappings and
thick veil, a.nd the husband looks upon the face of his bride for
the first time.
The first matter of importance to the husband is the size of
his wife's feet ; if they are sufficiently small to please his fancy,
he is well satisfied with his bride. If they are too large, then
perhaps a shade of disappointment is seen on his countenance.
But under no circumstances can he change the state of affairs.
His only redress, if not content, is to ask his mother to find
another wife for him. However, as all the personal details are
aiTanged by the "go-between," care is taken that the fancy of
the husband shall be suited.
At the end of a month the young wife may go each day to
her father's house for one month if she chooses to do so, but she
must return to her own home at night.
Among the low classes of Chinese there is much less cere
mony concerning marriages, but the month of mourning is the
essential point in any case and must be observed to a certain
extent. The above description may appear too strange to be probable,
but it was related to me by a lady who had resided eight years
in Canton and had attended many such weddings.
Another custom peculiar to the Chinese is their system of pre
serving eggs, which is supposed to keep them any length of time.
The eggs are immersed in a strong decoction of an aromatic
wood, and allowed to remain three days therein ; then they are
taken out and smeared over with a paste made of lime, salt and
wood ashes, buried and left undisturbed for at least forty days,

THE M YS TERIO US FENG- SH UI. 107
after which they are considered fit for use. Eggs prepared in
this way are highly relished by. the Chinese gourmand, even after
two years' keeping.
The Celestials, as the Chinese are often called, because they
speak of their country as the Celestial Kingdom, have one
invariable law in their social system, whose requirements under
no circumstances can be ignored ; yet its decrees are subject to
whim and to pecuniary conditions. It is the law of the Feng-
Shui., which, interpreted into English, means the wind and
water spirit. An intelligent native will say this law, which is a
governing power Avith them, is called a wind and water spirit
because it is like the wind, for one cannot tell whence it comes,
and like the water because no one can grasp it.
This system was established in the year 1200. The adher
ence to the Feng-Shui principle has no doubt largely hindered
progressive movements among the Chinese. It has not allowed
the construction of railroads in China to any extent ; it will not
permit the making of public roads or highways through some
districts ; in fact, it does not api:)rove any movement looking
toward a departure from the old customs.
For scores of years foreigners have been trying to discover
just what the Feyig-Shui is, in order to avoid possible antago
nisms in commercial affairs, but all in vain. The decree is only
applicable to each individual case. A man wishing to buy a
piece of land, or to establish himself in business, asks the con
sent of the representative official of the Feng-Shui. If he does
not wish to grant the request he simply bows politely, and
declares that on account of the Feng-Shui it is impossible.
However, a second appeal, accompanied with an increased con
sideration or gift, is more graciously listened to, and after a pri
vate consultation with another official, the request may perhaps
be granted. Frequently the Feng-Shui permits the burial
mounds of the natives to be constructed near the residences of

108 B Y LAND AND SEA.
foreigners. In such a case the only protection is to get permis
sion to build a high wall around their grounds, in order to shut
out from view the unpleasant sights of Chinese cemeteries.
The law of the Feng-Shui is very compliant, and may be
induced to consent to almost anything, but concessions must
always be paid for. If, however, a foreigner cannot get a con
cession to enclose his property, he must endure the consequences
of having improvised cemeteries at his very door, aud perhaps
in full view.
A near prospect of these burial mounds is not agreeable.
Sometimes a dead body placed in a rough box rests on the sur
face of the ground, being covered only with matting or straw,
held down by stones heaped upon it. It is true, however, that
the quick-lime thrown upon the body soon destroys the odors
and decomposes the fiesh and bones. Dead bodies are generally
very indifferently disposed of, and are frequently left on the sur
face of the ground ; hence the importance of using quick-lime.
The Chinese also practice cremation, although less than the
other method of disposing of the dead.
Until European influence began to prevail in China children
were not buried even in this rough manner ; they were simply
thrown on some waste spot of ground and covered with lime.
Whatever was left undecomposed by the lime was washed away
by rain. Now they bury children more decently ; a large pit is
dug and covered with a bamboo roof. The body is wrapped in
matting or canvass, and thrown into the pit with a quantity of
lime, which quickly destroys it.
Some years ago an incident occurred in a family related to
the writer which may interest you, as showing how appropri
ately children born far away from home may be named. While
an Enghsh merchant vessel was lying at Shanghai the captain's
wife, who was on board, gave birth to a daughter, whom she
named "Mary, the far East." Again the captain and his wife

CHINA'S RELIGIO US SA GE. 1 09
were making another voyage and chanced to be at the Sand
wich Islands, when a second daughter was born, who was
caUed "Jane, the far West."
Another reminiscence of Shanghai may not be inappropriate
just here : A party of American gentlemen having finished a
very good meal at a Chinese restaurant, one of them wished to
know what the savory ragout was made of from which they
had freely partaken with relish. He exhausted all the "pidgin-
English " terms used in a restaurant, but the Chinaman would
only reply, "He very good ; Melican man eat him." At last the
gentleman, in a state of desperation, pointing to the smoking
dish on the table, said, "He makee quack, quack, quack?"
meaning to ask if it was a duck ragout. The waiter answered,
" No, Melican man ; he makee bow-wow-wow. No like he now,
Melican man ? "
Confucius was the great rehgious sage of China in the same
sense that Mohammed is considered the source of wisdom among
his followers. Confucius lived about the fifth century before
the Christian era. It is estimated that a third portion of the
human race are believers in the doctrines and maxims of Con
fucius. He attained his high position among the Chinese by
the strength and purity of his character. When he had arrived
at the age of full manhood he began to study the character and
conduct of men ; it appeared to him that they were largely gov
erned by selfish and unworthy motives in their dealings with
their fellow-men ; that there was but little appreciation of right
and wrong among the people, and he felt himself called by the
higher power to undertake the work of moral reformation.
He commenced to teach at the age of twenty- two years.
One of the first principles in his system of instruction was
thoroughness in mental exercise and in self-discipline. "When
I have presented," said he, "one corner of my subject, and the
pupil cannot himself make out the other three, I do not repeat

110 BY LAND AND SEA.
my lesson." On being asked by a high official in what good
government consisted, according to his opinion, he replied,
' ' When the ruler is ruler, the minister is minister, the father is
father, and the son is son." Early in his teachings he already
had many followers. He traveled extensively in his own coun
try, often running great risks of his life, but he had a sense of
security in his belief that he would be protected by Heaven
until his career in this world should be flnished.
Upon his mausoleum is the following inscription, as trans
lated into English: " The wisest ancient teacher, the all-accom
plished, all-informed king on earth."
He died at the age of seventy years, spending nearly all of
his life in the improvement of the social condition of his fellow-
men. He calls himself "transmitter," not a "maker "of doc
trines, giving it to be understood that he received his doctrines
from a Supreme Being, and through him they were given to
men. No beef is eaten by the Chinese because Confucius said it
was wicked to take the life of an animal useful in agriculture.
The tenets of the Feng-Shui, of which I have already
spoken, came into existence long before Confucius's time. In
the early days of this law it was caUed the " Book of Changes."
Even Confucius did not attempt to explain the principles of the
Feng-Shui, nor question its oracles.
That Chinamen are carefully informed and flrmly flxed in
their belief there is no question, as the following incident will
show : On a certain occasion a friend of the writer was pre
sented to a judge in the court of justice at Shanghai. After
the presentation ceremony was finished, the judge inquired
through an interpreter what brought the gentleman so far away
from his home. The reply was that he, in company with sev
eral of his friends, was making the journey around the world.
Whereupon the judge questioned the possibUity of a human

CHINESE HONOR AND DIGNITY. 1 1 1
being going around the world. He said the world was flat, and
that the man did not live who could climb up the sky and go
over on the other side ; and he asked the tourist in all gravity
if they did not understand in America that the world was flat !
The Chinese of the more intelligent class are moved by a
high sense of honor and dignity, more than many people, per
haps, although there are doubtless many exceptions to this rule,
and wicked men are found there as elsewhere. It is related of
one of the ancient emperors that an invasion was made by an
unfriendly tribe in his empire which resulted in the overthrow
of his power, and he was in turn condemned to exile from his
country. He applied to the Feng-Shui for advice as to what he
should do under the circumstances. The official of this high
power did not dare to give advice on so delicate a question, and
the emperor himself decided his own fate. He conducted his
beloved empress into a distant part of the garden without utter
ing a word. She at once understood his silent agony, and after
tenderly embracing him, she retired and suspended herself by
the silken girdle which she took from her waist. The emperor
followed her quickly in death. He first cut off the head of his
beautiful wife with his ci meter, and then with the same girdle
hung himself upon another tree.
The sea coast and river shores of China are generally low
and marshy, and consequently are subject to frequent inunda
tions — hence the dreadful disasters from overflowed rivers that
we sometimes read about. And while oftentimes great loss
of hfe ensues from these inundations, great advantages also fol
low. The countless surface-buried dead are swept away into
the sea by these overflows, which must have the grateful effect
of cleansing the soil and purifying the atmosphere.
China is famous for its immense population. The people are
gathered in great cities or thronged in innumerable villages in
the agricultural districts. Hundreds of thousands also live in

112 BY LAND AND SEA.
boats on the rivers, bays and harbors. This boat-life is peculiar
to itself, and quite distinct from land life. These people, old or
young, seldom touch foot on shore. They are born in junks, as
Chinese ships are called, fulfill their mission in life on deck, and
at last are buried from the stern of a boat. There are floating
theatres, joss boats — as those having shrines are called — tea and
dance boats inhabited by young girls, which meander constantly
through the forest of boats in aU the principal harbors, but
always hovering close by the shores and inviting patronage from
shoremen as well as boatmen. The girls marry and take perhaps
only a rice-kettle, a pillow, a mat, a pair of chop-sticks, and a
change of blouse for a marriage portion, and go aboard the lov
er's boat, perfectly satisfied with their lot in life.
These boats have awnings of matting over the stern, which
are let down at night and shut in the little family circle. The
daily routine of life is performed on deck in full view of their
neighbors. If the family increases too fast, or number too many
girls, which is considered a misfortune among the boat popula
tion, the surplus little ones, especially the females, are allowed
to crawl to the side of the boat and fall off, unobserved, into
the water, and are soon lost to sight. The mother, no doubt,
thinks it is the will of the Feng-Shui that the child should not
live, and is quite reconciled. When the little ones are not an
encumbrance in the family they are tied at one end of a cord
not long enough to admit of their getting to the edge of the
boat, the other end being fastened at a proper place, and thus
they are taken care of.
Among the higher class of Chinese the birth of a son is the
occasion for great rejoicing. When the child is one month old
the relations and intimate friends of the family send it a silver
plate, upon which is engraved the words, "Long life, honors,
felicity," and the name of the child in full.
China is an immense country ; the empire is estimated to be

FACULTY FOR IMITATION. 113
twice the size of the United States. It has the variety of cli
mate which yields the products of the northern latitudes as well
as the vegetation of the tropics. The camphor and cinnamon
trees grow without cultivation, and the tea-plant is a natural
product in many parts of China, but it is greatly improved by
cultivation. I have sipped tea in China which cost $20 a pound.
Rice is one of the chief products of that country, being hter
ally the staff of hfe for the people. The rice-pot is upon every
boat, in every cabin, and in fact under every home roof in
China. There the silk worm furnishes the fabric for clothing,
as does the cotton plant in America.
The Chinese have a wonderful faculty for imitation. A
photograph from a foreign land may be given to a portrait
painter, with descriptions of the color of the eyes and hair,
and the tint of the complexion, and he will reproduce a
copy enlarged to hfe size that will be a speaking hkeness.
A very amusing affair occurred not long ago which reflected
considerably on the Chinaman's good sense but proved his quali
fication as an imitator. An English officer on board a merchant
ship lying at anchor off Canton desired to procure several pairs
of nankin trousers. He sent a pair to the tailor as a pattern,
but unfortunately there chanced to be a small patch inserted in
one knee, and he forgot to inform the tailor that the patch must
not appear on the new garments. In due time the half-dozen
pairs of new trousers were sent on board, accompanied with a
polite note which expressed the hope that the trousers would
suit, as they were exactly like the model. But imagine the sur
prise of the officer when he discovered that every pair had a
patch upon one knee, precisely like the sample pair ! There was
no alternative but to pay the bill and be silent.
The Chinese are very skillful in garden culture ; they cul
tivate fruit and flowers to perfection. In public gardens may
be seen some of the native forest trees, and also specimens from

114 BY LAND AND SEA.
other countries dwarfed to two and three feet in height, and yet
preserving all the peculiarities of the trees.
A Chinese house is certainly a luxury in one way at least,
for it shows a way of dispensing with many of the unnecessary
articles which in some countries are considered indispensable in
a well-regulated household at the present day, but which add
greatly to the care and labor of domestic life. Carpets, high
walls, a superabundance of fine linen, elaborate furniture, costly
silver and glass, the inevitable scarf that falls so easily out of
place, and the thousand and one pieces of bright colored bric-a-
brac seen in our dwellings, do not exist in a Chinese home ; con
sequently the mistress of the household knows nothing of the
numberless sources of fatigue and the innumerable elements of
annoyance which all these beautiful component parts of a civ
ilized home must cause. And yet a Chinaman's home may pos
sess every essential for comfort, cleanhness and health. Per
haps in the rotation of time, and after every conceivable luxury
has been exhausted, we, too, may accept a more primitive and
simple style of home life.
And so I could continue to talk of what I saw and heard in
China, but our steamer is waiting, and we must hasten on board
for the next stage of our journey around the world.

CHAT IX.

JAPAN.

The Japanese not like the Chinese — How Foreigners are
Treated in Japan — An Earthquake for Dessert — Walls
Covered with Fans — Japanese Houses and Furniture —
Chop-sticks— The Bedrooms — The Tea-Houses and the
Pretty Maids — Beards for Grandfathers and Black
ened Teeth for Wives — Men and Women Flying Kites —
Deft Workers in Paper — Queer Notions about Saving
Life — Calmly Watching his Friend's Struggles with
the Waves — Cash for Prayers— Japanese Horses — The
Youngsters' Somersaults — Means of Traveling— Making
A Tree Look Like a Man — Boats for the Spirits of the
Dead — On the Pacific — Weeks of Eastward Sailing —
Halfway Across from London — Dropping and Adding a
Day. After a pleasant passage the bold and wooded shores of
Japan appeared in sight with the great volcanic peak of Fusi-
yama, and we wiU devote a little time this evening to an account
of a few of the many instructive and amusing objects one sees
in Japan. One who has never been to these regions is likely to
think that the Chinese and the Japanese are almost as one peo
ple in character and customs. But the two countries should
not be considered as sister-nations, although it is but a step
comparatively from one to the other. The two peoples are not
at all alike in their manners and customs of life, although both
belong to the Mongolian race.

116 BY LAND AND SEA.
Japan accepts to a certain extent the civilization of the
present age ; China resists all innovations upon its own
national life. The Chinese are a very grave and haughty
people ; the Japanese are more affable in their manners and
disposition. The Chinese women never appear in public ; the
Japanese women assist in the shops, attend to the tea-houses,
and go about unveiled in open jinrickshaws— the name given
to small hand-drawn carriages that are little larger than a
child's carriage. The Japanese look quite graciously upon for
eigners, even sitting down with them at table on dinner occa
sions. They do not cramp the feet as do the Chinese women.
The Japanese accept more generally European education than
do the Chinese; they are called the " Parisians " of the East.
There are many Japanese students in our colleges, among whom
are a few young women. In the larger Japanese cities certain
districts are assigned to the foreign residents ; they may carry
on business in other portions of the cities, but they must return
to their quarters at night. In many of the interior towns for
eigners are not aUowed to remain over night. The concession
of residence to foreigners is, however, quite recent. At one
time Japan was entirely closed to Europeans except at the
port of Nagasaki, where the Dutch could trade. It is but thir
ty-five years since the first Japanese port was opened to all
foreigners ; now they are following along in the course of the
general progress of the world, and without doubt most of them
now believe with all civilized nations that the world is round,
while, as we have seen, the Chinaman believes the world is fiat.
One of my various experiences which occurred in Tokio, or
Yeddo, the capital city of Japan, was a "tiffin," or lunch party,
which took place in the Hamagoten palace, one of the Mikado's
city residences. The Mikado is the sovereign of Japan. There
were fifty guests at the table, among whom were two Japanese
ladies who appeared in the rich toilettes of their country. The

AN EAR THQ UAKE EXPERIENCE. 117
menu cards were eight inches square, of scarlet paper, with the
menu printed in black Japanese characters, of which each forms
a complete word. The cuisine and service of the ' ' tiffin " was in
French style, but with the dessert came an earthquake, which
certainly was not arranged for by our host, a member of the
Japanese cabinet. As the coffee and fruits were being served a
heavy rumbling noise was heard, and in less than two seconds
all of us were rushing to the outer doors. The house percepti
bly rocked as the earth violently trembled, and the heavy
bronze chandeliers swayed to and fro, describing almost half
circles. It seemed an age before we reached the veranda. One
of our party, an American, seemed more composed than the
rest of the frightened guests. Later, when asked for an expla
nation of his composure, he said that he was suddenly reminded
that twenty-three years previous to that time a terrible earth
quake had occurred in Tokio, destroying a large portion of the
city and many hves, and that the palace in which we were had
withstood that shock, as it had many others, for it was one of
the old palaces of Tokio. If all of us could only have remem
bered that fact we should have been quiet observers, rather than
the terrifled party we were. However, the excitement was of
short duration, a second and lighter shock following, and then
all was quiet again ; mother earth had already steadied herself,
but we did not linger long over our coffee. AU were anxious to
reach their homes or temporary residences.
In the palace where this scene took place is a large room,
about flfty feet square, called the "fan chamber." The only
pieces of furniture in it were two magniflcent cabinets of lac
quer-work and four large bronze vases, one in each corner of
the room. The waUs were covered with fans of every conceiv
able shape and design. The palace was but one story high, as
are aU the palaces and most of the houses of residents, on
account of the frequent and oftentimes severe earthquakes.

118 BY LAND AND SEA.
The buildings in Tokio are low and have wooden ceilings, no
plaster being used in their construction. A tremor of the earth
would cause plaster to faU from the walls, while ceUings of
wood spring apart and unite again under the quick movement
of earthquakes. A description of the ordinary Japanese house may be of
interest. It consists of a bamboo frame about sixteen feet
square and fourteen feet high, the roof and four sides being
thatched closely with rice straw. If the house has been built
several years, small bushes and tufts of long grass may be seen
creeping out on the roof and along the outer edges. Some
times beds of bright-colored flowers mixed with grass are seen
on the sloping roofs. The house is surrounded with a veranda
perhaps four feet wide. This dwelling may be divided into
small apartments by means of movable screens covered with
painted paper and reaching almost to the ceiling. These screens
are moved about to suit the convenience of the family, or for a
special occasion may be removed, making one square room of
the whole. The Japanese, as a race, are smaU in stature, and
as they require but little furniture, it can be readily understood
how a house of the above dimensions may serve their neces
sities. The windows are sliding frames divided into several smaU
squares and neatly covered with thin white rice paper, which
admits a soft and very agreeable hght, but must be renewed
often, as rain soon destroys the paper panes. However,
the projecting roofs half cover the verandas and serve as a
great protection to these frail windows. No chimneys are
required ; an opening in the outer waU of the cooking depart
ment permits the escape of smoke from the smaU charcoal fur
nace used. The house needs but little furniture. A cooking
furnace, a rice-pot and tea-kettle, a few cups and saucers, a
small clock, a family idol, a red-cashioned movable platform

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JAPANESE TEA-HOUSES. 119
about two feet high and wide enough for a number of persons
sitting back to back, which serves as a seat for family and
guests, and the house is furnished.
Chop-sticks, which are long, slender pieces of wood, and
fingers serve for conveying the food to the mouth when at table,
and small wooden or china bowls take the place of plates. Their
bedroom is just as simple and primitive. A cotton mat laid
upon the fioor and a little wooden box covered with a cushion of
rice paper, with a drawer in which to keep the toilet articles, is
all that is required in the way of furniture. The covering used
is a large sacque-shaped padded garment, which is put on at
night. The bedroom articles are stowed away on a shelf dur
ing the day, and the room serves as a reception or living room.
A smaU stationary tub filled with running water, standing out
side the dwelling, answers for the daily ablutions of the entire
family. The tea-houses in Japan take the place of restaurants in
our country ; they are to be met with everywhere in the coun
try and in the towns. The cushioned platform, the steaming
tea-kettle, a few pretty cups and saucers, the pot of smoking
hot rice, and two or three pretty and coquettish tea maids are
the only requirements of a restaurant. If the customer is a
foreigner no price is set upon the refreshment taken, but the
smiling moosmies, or attendants, bow very low and gracefuUy,
and indicate by their simplicity of manners, together with an
invitation to come again, that you may pay next time, or that
one may pay what he pleases. These pretty and smiling maid
ens hke very much to "air " the few English words they may
chance to know, for they are ambitious to learn something of
that language. One day an American dropped into a certain
tea-house where he had been several times before. He always
had a little dog with him on these visits, and by way of disci-
phne, if the dog ran about too much, he would say, "Come

120 BY LAND AND SEA.
here." The tea maids supposed this to be the name of the dog,
and on this occasion one of them said to the gentleman as she
handed him his cup of tea, "What a nice dog American man's
' Come Here ' is ; I hke that name. "
A Japanese family of the middle class may travel with but
little baggage, as each member has only one suit of clothing,
which is worn until it is necessary to replace it Avith another.
Among the Japanese no man is allowed to wear a beard
untu he becomes a grandfather ; hence old bachelors must
remain beardless. A girl blackens her teeth as soon as she is
married ; she must keep them black the rest of her hfetime.
One of the variety of amusements the Japanese indulge in
and greatly enjoy is that of flying kites. Both men and women
among the high and low classes engage in this sport. The kites
are large or smaU, according to the circumstances of those
taking part in the exercise. They go to the hills and high
grounds in the vicinity of the cities and towns at certain sea
sons of the year, where they gather by the hundreds of all
classes and ages ; all enter into the sport actively or as specta
tors. Some of the kites are very large and of curious shapes
and covered with grotesque paintings.
In order to avoid entanglement of hues, which would pre
vent the successful ascension of any of them, as there may be
scores of kites flying together, the cords are dusted Avith pow
dered glass, so that if they are hkely to become embarrassed
or tangled in rising, the weaker hues are soon cut by the
stronger and more powerful ones, and consequently must come
down, leaving the kites to go off at random, while the larger
ones continue gracefuUy soaring and manageable for a time ;
but while the victors are saihng beautifully on, they, too, may
encounter other lines still heavier than their own, and meet
with a fate similar to that which befel the weaker kites.
The sport of kite-flying consists in the struggle for suprem-

PECULIAR NOTION ABOUT LIFE-SAVING. 121
acy among the larger kites, the liability of confusion of lines,
and the frequent cutting of them, allowing the kites to wander
off unmanageable in all directions. Rightly to enjoy the sport
one must be provided ,with a number of kites, for he may lose
one as soon as he lets it fly. The largest kites, of course, carry
the strongest lines and make their way above the smaller ones,
remaining longer afloat. The cords are wound upon reels,
which are fastened at certain distances one from the other.
The women take an active part in the sport, while the children
are spectators. There is wonderful skill and deftness exhibited among the
Japanese in constructing curious devices of paper, and for
unique designs in painting them. If they indicate a small idea
of exact perspective, they know at "least how to give a rich col
oring to their work. In the manufacture of light and graceful
fans the Japanese especially excel. Their fans are in demand
the world over. Pocket handkerchiefs and napkins made of
paper are in universal use ; a roU of paper handkerchiefs may
be seen in the girdle of a Japanese lady.
The Japanese have very peculiar notions in regard to sav
ing the lives of their feUows. They wUl not rescue human
beings, who may be in peril, unless they intend or are willing to
make it their pleasure to maintain such rescued ones afterward,
even though it may be entirely in their power to go to their aid.
And besides, they maintain that it is wrong to thwart the inten
tions of Divine ProAddence. A Japanese does not generaUy
appreciate life in the same sense that we do.
A circumstance conflrming the above was witnessed from
a hotel window in Yokohama. This hotel is situated on the
bund or quay of Yokohama Bay. At the time of the occurrence
of the incident the sea was very rough and the waves were
running high. There were several sampans, or small row boats,
pulhng bravely over the heavy surf to reach the shore. In one

122 BY LAND AND SEA.
of the boats were two men, one of whom had been washed
overboard by a large roller. He was soon strugghng desper
ately to catch hold of the boat as it was dashing over the waves,
whUe his companion sat, oars in hand, qalmly looking on, but,
as if moved by an impulse of mercy, he did not pull away from
the drowning man. At last a huge wave caught up and tossed
the sinking man into the boat. There was an unmistakable
expression of happiness on the comrade's face when he saw
this rescue by the merciful wave. It was evident the two men
were friends, and yet one would not make an effort to save the
other. One day in my perambulations about Yokohama, unat
tended and alone, I saw a widow engaged in the funeral service
of her deceased husband. She and the priest were kneeling
and praying before an idol in one of the principal temples. The
priest held a bell rope in one hand, and from time to time rang
out some doleful sounds from a large bronze bell suspended
over his head. In the other hand he had small pieces of wood
and paper inscribed with prayers upon both sides. As he suc
cessively read the prayers he laid the several pieces of wood
and paper upon the floor. When a prayer was flnished the
mourning widow would throw down several cash — copper
coins of the least value in Japanese money. At last the widow
arose to leave, but the priest rang the bell, and she again
knelt down, when he read another prayer and she threw
down a few more cash. The service being finished the widow
went mournfully away and the priest turned toward me, and,
observing that I had been a witness of the funeral ceremony,
politely saluted me and departed with a smile on his counte
nance. The Japanese horses are olistinate beasts. They will not
move until the "bettoes," or leaders— one at the head of each
horse — jerk them smartly by the bits and then start off" on a

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TRAVELING IN JAPAN. 123
run, yelling and pulhng the animals after them. After two or
three minutes of this violent effort, the animals go along well
enough, and the " betto " jumps on a little platform at the back
of the carriage. In going through villages the " bettoes " run at
the heads of the horses, bounding and jumping with the steps
of the animals, and yelling to clear the road from the children
which may be seen playing in the dust. At the sound of horses
coming along the road a troop of little naked youngsters, from
three years old to children ten and twelve years of age, run
into the road to meet the carriages in the expectation of getting
a few cash for turning somersaults, which they do quite
expertly, calling out at the same time " 0-hi-o," the Japanese
word for "good-morning." These little athletes ran after us
by the dozen when making an excursion in the country, turn
ing over and over like balls, and kicking up such a dust that
at last we were glad to buy them off with some ca.s-// pieces
before they started in again with their somersaults.
Traveling in the interior of Japan is done mostly by jin
rickshaws drawn by two or more men, according to the rough
ness of the road. In many portions of the country there are no
carriage roads and all journeying is done either in jinrickshaws
or kangs — the latter a kind of basket in which the passenger
takes a half recumbent position and is carried by means of a
pole attached to each side of the basket. Four coolies will carry
a man sixty miles in one day, if they are allowed to rest a few
minutes occasionally to get a drink of sacci, or rice wine, and
some boiled rice and raw fish.
The flower and fruit culture in Japan is exceedingly inter
esting to the foreigner. One sees a great variety of semi-trop
ical flowers growing luxuriantly and bearing richly-colored
blossoms, but they are without fragrance ; even the rose is not
as fragrant there as in lower latitudes ; one also sees beautiful
foliage -shrubs with leaves tinged with every color of the rain-

124 BY LAND AND SEA.
bow. The Japanese are greatly skilled in a peculiar kind of
tree culture. I have seen pear and apple trees dAvarfed down
to the size of a small rose bush of perhaps three feet in height
from the ground, and laden with fruit but little smaller than
the usual size. They train a certain species of evergreen tree
to the shape of a bird cage, or of a coupe with a pair of horses
attached; and I have seen a tree growing in the shape of a man,
in which case colored plates were inserted in the head of the
tree in imitation of eyes ; many other curious shapes are also
brought out by them in tree-growing.
Among Japanese superstitions there is one that is especially
curious. They believe that the spirits of the dead come once a
year, on a certain day in the month of August, to visit the
sacred shrines in the temples. They do not claim to know
whence they come, but they are received "with music, illumina
tions and curious ceremonies, and on the following morning at
the dawn of day they are escorted by long processions of priests
and people to the water's edge, and are sent in beautiful min
iature paper boats to float off whence they came.
And now, my dear traveling companions, we have only to
cross in imagination the Pacific ocean, then continue our jour
ney four thousand miles over the continent of North America,
and I have brought you home with me to a pretty little town
on the Hudson river.
The transit of the Pacific ocean was made without unpleas
ant adventure ; a favorable trade wind aided the steamer, and
the voyage was quickly over. The sky was blue, the sea serene
and the time passed rapidly. The voyage occupied twenty-five
days, and was most agreeable, "with the single exception of the
loneliness of our situation. For the first twenty-one days of
our crossing we saw not a sail ; sky and water, and sea-
birds, whose companionship we had aU the way over, were
all we could see beyond our own ship.

CALCULATION OF TIME. 125
During the last three days of our voyage we saw several
steamers and merchant ships plowing through the waves. From
time to time during our three weeks' sailing, "solitary and
alone " over the great deep, I asked myself if it were possible
for the ship's navigator to have lost his way ! But then I
reflected that we had forty-eight hundred miles to make from
shore to shore, which must inevitably take weeks to accom
plish. However, we did have a break in the monotony of our voy
age ; at least, we had a noAv topic for conversation. The occa
sion was when we crossed the one hundred and eightieth degree
of longitude from Greenwich, and were of course just half way
around our globe, counting the distance from London. With
us it was in the afternoon, while our friends in London at that
very moment were in their beds asleep.
The traveler on his first voyage across the Pacific is not a
httie perplexed in trying to comprehend the calculation of time
on the one hundred and eightieth meridian. When we think
we understand it, we are still unable to explain it to another,
or even to think intelligently about it. According to the nau
tical almanac we drop a day in the calendar in going- from
America to Japan, which puts us right with the time on that
coast, and we add a day on the return voyage, in order to find
ourselves in correspondence with the correct time in America.
This is because in going east around the world we meet the sun,
and gain a little over an hour with every thousand miles of
eastward progress.

CHAT X.

HOME ONCE MORE.

Entering at the Golden Gate — Ponce DeLeon — The Land
of Flowers — The Fountain of Youth — Discovering a
Continent — In a Country of Progress — What the Land
Brings Forth — A Hotel Like a Moorish Palace — The
Alligators — The Balmy South — The Great Cataract of
Niagara — The Waters of Mighty Lakes— A Murderer's
Hand - OVER - Hand Escape to Liberty — A Tight-Rope
Walker Over an Awful Abyss — Submerged Shores —
A Lake's Sudden Chill — A Wall of Water — The Valley
OF Wonders — Cascades Leaping from Mountain Heights
—Where the Clouds Rest — The Virgin's Tears — The
Hot and Spouting Springs— The Laughing Waters- The
Arrow-maker's Daughter and Her Noble Brave — The
Story of an Indian Maiden.
In our last evening's chat we were in Japan and on the
waters of the broad Pacific. After a safe and pleasant voyage
we at last heard the pleasant cry of " Land ho ! " from the mast
head and soon were able to see from the deck the shores of.
America. We entered the Golden Gate; the name given to the
noble harbor of San Francisco, and soon stepped foot again on
our own country. While we are speeding as fast as steam can
carry us across the great continent of which so large a portion
belongs to the United States, let us in imagination consider
some of the chief points which occur in this scenery and mark
its early history.

COLUMBUS AND PONCE DE LEON. 127
We read that Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic
ocean in 149^, discovered land, the Island of San Salvador, one
of the Bahama group of Islands in the West Indies, and landed
there ; and we also read that it was reserved for one of the
companions of his second voyage — Juan Ponce de Leon, a
Spaniard — to discover in 1572 the peninsula now known as
Florida. He sailed from Porto Rico with an expedition of three
small vessels, with the intention of making a more thorough
search for land in the waters looking toward the setting sun,
as he was fully persuaded there was land beyond what had
already been discovered. He hoped also to flnd a short passage
to the East Indies. He therefore directed his little fleet more
to the westward, not wishing to land at Cuba. On the occa
sion of his previous voyage he had heard enough from the
natives of Cuba to convince him that there was land as yet
unknown to the European, in the near vicinity of the Island of
Cuba. His hopes and expectations were realized.
After weeks of tossing on the rough waters and an almost
discouraging search at last he descried land. It was on Palm
Sunday, in the month of April, when he landed his small, dis
heartened and half -famished crew near the spot where the city
of St. Augustine now stands. He saw all about him on the
shore such a luxuriant growth of flowers and vegetation that
he at once named the place Florida, which signifles the Land of
Flowers. He raised a cross near the spot where he landed, and
took possession of the country in the name of his sovereigns,
Ferdinand and Isabella.
Ponce de Leon learned from the natives soon aftei' he landed
in Florida that there was a great lake of medicinal water and
many marvelous springs back in the interior of the country ;
and what was more remarkable, that there was one large spout
ing spring called the "Fountain of Youth," which was said to
restore one to the freshness of youth, and preserve one in per-

128 BY LAND AND SEA.
petual health by the daily use of its waters. He, with his com
panions, made various expeditions of many miles into the
interior, where they found various large pools of water sup
plied by springs clear as crystal. But the so-called spring of
the "Fountain of Youth" was not reached by Ponce de Leon.
After many discouragements, and broken in purse and spirit,
he was obliged to return to Porto Rico, leaving Juan Perez di
Ortubia to continue the search after the mystic fountain of
Bimini. Guided by a wise but wrrinkled old woman, Juan
Perez succeeded in reaching the far-famed "Fountain of Youth."
But, alas ! they did not experience the wished-for return of
their lost youth. But if Ponce de Leon did not discover what
he sought, he found Florida and the great continent of America.
This voyage was in fact the pioneer movement in the dis
covery of the great Western continent, and the introduction of
the white man in this new land of promise, as America has
come to be considered, for Columbus only discovered the out
lying islands and the way across the Atlantic ocean.
The history of the discovery and occupation of America is
intensely interesting to the American, young or old, not only
because it is of such recent date among the world's histories of
countries, but also for another important reason : because so
much of its development and progress have been effected in the
time of our own fathers and mothers, and we may say even in
our own days. The spirit of progress as it now exists, especiaUy
in America, is moving everything on and on beyond the power
of imagination. What another quarter of a century will bring
about can indeed be scarcely imagined, for it would seem that
everything which human genius can invent has already been
accomplished. But why should there not be a continued movement among
men, as weU as the constant change which is observable among
inanimate matter ? Does not the globe upon whose surface we

PROGRESS IN THE UNITED STATES. 129
live rotate daily upon its axis ? And are we not told that
it also makes its yearly circuit around the sun? Then we
must believe that inactive matter does not exist ; certainly, in
the achievements of the human race there is no cessation of
development. May we not, therefore, with perfect propriety
indulge now and then in a degree of pride as to some of the
particular achievements of the American people ?
Our country received as its birthright some grand natural
advantages, perhaps, over other countries, and it would seem
that the spirit of enterprise born in the land rivals to a certain
extent our wonderful material possessions, which are seemingly
inexhaustible. We have our mines rich in ore, some of which
have been discovered only within ten years, and yield enormous
quantities of wealth ; we have our uncounted acres of land,
sending forth grains, cotton and other products to the old world ;
we have our natural oil weUs, which, besides lighting our own
country, help to illuminate many other lands ; we have our sea
products, such as oysters and salmon, which are shipped to
other shores ; we have our gas springs, which serve to give heat
as well as illumination in our houses. It would seem that as a
need were felt nature comes at once to our aid and supplies it.
All these stores of wealth have been developed by the spirit of
enterprise which is active in all parts of our land. And with
out doubt there is yet enough of hidden treasure to inspire
effort for generation after generation to come.
As to the dates of the wonderful discoveries, and of the dif
ferent progressive changes which have taken place in this coun
try during the last fifty years, we have no time this evening to
repeat them in detail. We can only get an idea of some of the
geographical points in our beloved land, such as might be
observed by one rapidly passing over it. I saw in my wander
ings in Florida a beautiful building situated in St Augustine,
the point from which we start on our rambling journeys, called
Q

130 BY LAND AND SEA.
the "Ponce de Leon Hotel." It is somewhat like a Moorish
palace in its architecture. There are two beautiful fountains
in the gardens. Alas ! they do not give forth the waters of " Per
petual Youth."
Florida has been for long years the home of the alligator ;
but the irrepressible sportsman, finding its skin greatly sought
for leather, is encroaching rapidly upon its domain, and it will
not be long before the alligator will be no more, or scarce to
find. Florida is the Riviera or health resort of America, and
thousands fly from the ice-bound regions of the North to enjoy
its genial winter climate.
As we go northward we come to some of the wonderful
water-falls for which our country is celebrated. Chief among
them is the great horseshoe-shaped cataract called Niagara,
falling over a precipice 164 feet in height. It precipitates in its
fall, it is estimated, one hundred millions of tons of water
per minute, and is one of nature's most sublime works.
Niagara is an Indian name ; translated into English it
means "Thunder of Waters." Niagara river is the upper out
let for the lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron and Erie, whose
waters are gathered from the great streams caused in part by
the melting snows of the northwest country, and carries this
immense body of water over the falls to the lower lake of
Ontario, and thence by the river St. Lawrence to the sea.
There are accounts of some singular adventures and nar
row escapes from death, occurring in the cases of men going
deliberately or falling accidentally into the rapids and over the
faUs. Many years ago a murderer made his escape from the hands
of justice by dragging himself hand-over-hand across the wires
of an old bridge at Lewiston, near Niagara. The sheriff was
behind him, the river before him, his only means of escape being

NIAGARA FALLS.

STRANGE FREAKS OF NATURE. 131
to cross the stream by the wires. He began the fearful pass
age ; soon his hands blistered and bled, and he rested them from
time to time by suspending himself from the wires by his feet.
At last he reached the opposite shore and fell upon the ground
as if dead. There he lay still for a short time, and then con
tinued his fiight into the wilds of the forest, and so in this fear
ful manner escaped arrest.
More lately Monsieur Blondin, a Frenchman, accomphshed
some wonderful balancing-feats while walking across the Falls
on a rope. He seemed to be perfectly at his ease standing on
a single rope stretched across that terrible abyss. He would sit
down or lie on the rope, apparently as sure of his safety as if
he were standing on firm ground. He also was able to exer
cise his hands in a variety of positions while suspended over
the roaring waters of Niagara. Blondin still lives. Quite
recently he performed some remarkable feats on the tight -rope
at the Crystal Palace, near London ; among other exploits this
daring performer rode on a bicycle over a rope not two inches
in diameter. It is also related that from time to time some strange freaks
of nature have taken place in the waters of Lake Ontario.
About forty-five years ago the lake suddenly became disturbed
without warning- and rose more than three feet above its usual
level, covering the low lands on both the Canadian and Ameri
can shores and washing aw^ay all the land and buildings that
obstructed the way of the rising flood. In a few days the waters
receded somewhat, but never to the original water line, and
consequently much of the inundated land has never been
reclaimed. The reason for this disturbance and the rising- of
the lake has never been clearly explained ; but the cause was
generaUy supposed to be a volcanic eruption in the bottom of the
lake. At another time the temperature of the water became unu
sually cold and the shores were covered for days with dead flsh.

132 BY LAND AND SEA.
This occurrence at Lake Ontario reminds us of a most
remarkable fact in regard to the tides in the Bay of Fundy.
This bay sets back from the Atlantic Ocean between New
Brunswick on the north and Nova Scotia on the south ; its tides
often rise quite sixty feet, the highest-known tide on the face
of the earth — a waU of water higher than many houses. Navi
gation in this water is at times very difficult, as may easUy be
imagined. Another of the natural wonders of the country is the Yose-
mite Valley and its waterfalls. This gigantic mountain gorge
seems to have been introduced upon the face of the earth by a
convulsion in the Sierra Nevada range of mountains, which
takes its rise to the southeast of the great abyss, and continues
in its irregular course untU it reaches the Yosemite VaUey
region ; there the mountains apparently end in a vast chasm.
This vaUey should be named the VaUey of Wonders, by reason
of its surpassingly picturesque and subhme scenery. It is about
ten miles long and one and one-half miles wide, and receives vari
ous waterfaUs, which roU over the mountain sides on either
hand of the great canyon or gorge and from the Merced river.
The Yosemite faU is a beautiful cascade leaping over a
precipice of two thousand six hundred and thirty-four feet,
broken only twice in its descent. Another beautiful waterfaU is
the Bridal- Veil FaU, caUed by the Indians Po-ho-no, meaning in
their language the "Spirit of the EAdl Wind." But this is not a
suitable name for it, as one easily sees on beholding its entrancing
beauty. Such a glorious creation should not carry the idea of
anything evil, but rather convey the sentiment of something
lovely and propitious. But what is in a name ? This waterfaU
is one of nature's most beautiful pictures ; it descends grace
fully and gently in one unbroken sheet of smooth water over a
precipice of nine hundred and forty feet. It has been named
by the white man the " Bridal- VeU Fall" because of the resem-

YOSEMITE VALLEY. 133
blance of the gently-falling, fan-shaped cascade to a flowing
bridal veil. A brilliant rainbow forms just above the basin of
the falls, when the rays of the sun strike upon the waters,
giving the effect of a beautiful diadem of precious stones for
the Bridal Veil.
The highest point in the Yosemite range of mountains is
called "Cloud's Rest." It surmounts an almost vertical waU
seven thousand feet high. The ascent may be made by a wind
ing path on horseback, but it is a very fatiguing excursion.
There is another majestic cataract in this valley, called the
"Virgin's Tears." This sheet of water tumbles over a steep of
rock one thousand feet high, broken several times by jutting
rocks. But wherefore this name I cannot tell.
The Yosemite valley country has but recently been dis
closed to the admiration of civilized man. It was in 1861
that the first white man entered this canyon ; in 1865 the irre
pressible tourist made his first appearance. Until the way was
opened somewhat, access to the vaUey was fraught with many
difficulties. There was the Indian to overcome, a trail to make
out, the hardships and uncertainties of unknown roads to
endure ; at any moment one was in peril of meeting the wild
and unfriendly denizens of the forest. But all these obstacles
to travel in the Yosemite valley and its surrounding country
are now removed, and charming excursions are made in that
region by tourists to California.
In the vast northwest territory of our continent there is
still another remarkable phenomenal feature of land and water,
the Geysers and the Hot Spouting Springs. The three princi
pal geyser regions in the world are in Iceland, in New Zealand
and in Wyoming Territory in America. The word ' ' geyser "
comes from the old Icelandic language, and means gushing or
spouting. Geysers exist in many volcanic regions. In Wyo
ming there are hundreds of these hot spouting springs. The

134 BY LAND AND SEA.
most wonderful one in this group lifts its spray to a height of
two hundred and fifty feet. These springs cover a very large
area of ground; one of them is known as the "Giantess,"
because of the immense bulk of water constantly spouting out ;
it lifts a column of boihng water two hundred and nineteen
feet high. Some geysers also throw up at times masses of rock
and mud, accompanied with frightful explosions. These
springs send up an almost endless number of jets of steam and
water. It was in 1870, I believe, that the first exploring expe
dition went out into the Yellowstone park region, the hitherto
almost unknown country, when that immense and wonderful
desert waste, full of smoking and boiling hot springs, was dis
covered. A passing allusion to the Falls of St. Anthony, or the Min
nehaha Cascade, may not be uninteresting at this time.
"Minnehaha" is interpreted to mean "Laughing Waters."
This cascade is a gentle fall of water, over a rocky cliff more
than sixty feet high. Under the illumination of the sunbeams,
which causes a brilliant iridescence on the foamy waters of
Minnehaha, a picture may be seen exceeding in beauty any
thing the deftest hand can put on canvass. A more enchant
ing waterfall than the Minnehaha cascade cannot be imagined.
There is a pretty legend in connection with the falls of St.
Anthony, which Longfellow has immortalized in verse. The
legend relates that the father of Minnehaha was an arrow-
maker and had his cabin close by the cascade. One day the
Good Spirit sent him a gift— a little pappoose. As the little wee
winsome spirit grew in her beauty, she was named after the
beautiful cascade whose waters danced gaily before his door
and with their spray kept the grass always green.
One day a noble brave was on his Avay to the arrow-maker's
hut to get a quiver of arrows ; he chanced to see the dark-eyed

HIAWATHA AND MINNEHAHA. 135
maiden sitting on the bank of the river, bathing her feet in its
curling waves. He paused a moment to catch a glimpse of her
beautiful face as it Avas mirrored on the water, and then passed
rapidly on his way lest he should be disc-overed by the girl.
Hiawatha returned to his people with his quiver of arrows
but not forgetting the lovely vision he saw reflected on the
water he soon retraced his steps to the enchanted waterfaU.
" With his moccasons of magic.
At each stride a mile he measured,"
and never ceased his haste until he came within sound of the
cascade. He quickly reached the arrow- maker's wigwam and
threw from his shoulder at the feet of the father the deer which
he had kiUed on the way, saying he had come to ask in marriage
the fair Minnehaha. The story goes that the father extended to
the brave Hiawatha the hand of welcome, and replied, "Yes, if
the 'Laughing Waters' wishes to go with you." ''But what
saith the maiden fair? " asked the wooing Hiawatha. Minne
haha timidly arose and putting her beaded blanket over her
bare shoulders advanced to Hiawatha, her face tinged with the
color of the rose, and with outstretched hands said, "Minne
haha will follow her noble brave." The two started at once on
their bridal tour to the far-off home of Hiawatha.
I am quite sure that a more thorough study of the great
waterfalls and the immense inland waters of our country would
prove most instructive as well as interesting to my young read
ers. There are also several immense caves and grottos, or under
ground phenomena, in America, whose description merits care
ful reading, or if possible a visit in person. The wonders of
our own country are not yet entirely explored, and they offer
many a treat even for those who have seen the Old World,

FRAGMENTARY LETTERS,

UTAH.

Salt Lake City, July 5. We made a detour of two hours
by rail from the direct California route to visit the capital city
of the Mormons. Somebody selected a rich and arable tract of
land when this site was chosen on which to build a new Jerusa
lem. Salt Lake City nestles quietly in a fertile vaUey at the
base of the range of snow-capped mountains. By irrigation the
soil is rendered extremely productive. Little purling rills of
snow-water from the mountains traverse the streets in all direc
tions. We attended a Sunday service at the Tabernacle yester
day. There were present probably not less than flve thousand
people, this number equaling the capacity of the building. Two-
thirds of the audience were women and children. One of the
eminent of the twelve apostles dehvered an impromptu dis
course. He took no text. He exhorted the people to be faith
ful to the good cause which they had espoused, and assured them
that there were many evidences of the prosperity of the Mor
mon Zion in Utah and elsewhere. He advised them to go on
with the work more courageously than ever. The sermon was
short. Much of the service consisted of congregational singing
led by a choir of a hundred voices, accompanied, if not by the
largest, certainly by the second largest organ in the country.
The communion service is celebrated every Sunday. The twelve
apostles break the bread and serve it with water, the latter
taking the place of wine. The water is dipped from two large
casks near the altar. The entire Mormon congregation, inclu
ding the children, partake of the communion. The women,
especially the elder ones, were attired in the oddest styles of
clothing imaginable, their dresses and bonnets being exceed-

140 FRAGMENTARY LETTERS.
ingly old-fashioned, to say the least, and representing the styles
of many European countries, while some of the younger women
were gayly dressed in New York fashions, although somewhat
antiquated. The Mormons place great stress on the rites of
baptism and communion. They aUow themselves to be baptized
frequently, and also baptize the living for the dead. Under
certain circumstances they permit themselves to be " sealed " in
matrimony to the dead, in which case they do not marry with
the hving. Brigham Young, the patriarch of the Mormons,
had eighteen wives (perhaps not aU of them now in good stand
ing with the saints), and forty-nine hving children. We were
introduced to several of his wives and children.

CALIFORNIA.

San Francisco, July 9. The scenery along the pass in the
Sierra Nevadas, through which the railroad runs from Salt
Lake City to San Francisco, is majestic even to sublimity.
For hours we rode through natural openings in the mountains
of rocks utilized by the skillful engineer for the path of the
steam-horse, and in which the ravines between the mountains
are spanned by trestle-bridges. Sometimes we went curving
around a rocky projection, on one side of which was a precipice
more than a thousand feet deep, on the other an acclivity hun
dreds of feet high. Again we were shooting through a narrow
pass, the sides of which were far too high to get even a glimpse
of the summits of the rugged mountains. The scenery at and
near "the divide" was grandly imposing; there were moun
tains of huge rocks, deep gorges, and eminences of sharp,
smoothly cut stone, variegated with all the colors of the rain
bow, seemingly the handiwork of a nation of giants. Some of
the peaks of the Sierras are over ten thousand feet high. Travel
ing for hours through such a barren, rugged country, we seemed
to be daringly encroaching on Nature's private domain. It is
a wonderful work of bold engineering, this pathway of travel
and commerce through the Sierra Nevadas. An open platform
car is attached to the train, to afford the traveler an unob
structed view of the pass. Before reaching ' 'the divide" we passed
through twenty miles of snow-sheds. We had an artist on the
train who was almost beside himself in enthusiastic admiration
of the scenery, and I must confess that I was hkewise affected
by the subhme grandeur of these mighty works of Nature.

142 FRAGMENTARY LETTERS.
July 28. Here is an epitome of a two days' -visit at a
mansion in Alameda, a few miles from San Francisco : The
estate comprises one hundred and twenty acres, every rod
of which is under the highest state of cultivation possible. It
contains a flue driAdng-park, acres of flowers, an extensive,
beautifuUy kept lawn shaded by majestic old hve oaks, and
acres more of the choicest fruit. There are eight beautiful car
riages and twelve blooded horses at the service of the family. The
house has a corps of eighteen servants. Gas is made on the
premises, and the house and grounds are brilliantly illuminated.
The property extends to the San Francisco Bay, where one flnds
two beautiful little gondolas, with gondoliers in picturesque
costumes ready for service. The main entrance-hall is eigh
teen by forty feet. The second-story haU corresponds to the
one on the first-story, and is used as a picture gallery. Into the
third-floor hall open the bedrooms, the doors of which are faced
with mirrors, so that at first sight the hall appears like a salon
of mirrors rather than a serviceable bedroom corridor. The
halls are lighted by twenty large chandeliers. The library, on
the first-floor, is much larger than the hall, and contains three
thousand five hundred carefuUy-chosen books, and is superbly
furnished. The dining-room is a companion room to the library.
One end of this room is occupied by a sideboard having a
mirror which extends to the ceiling and of the same width as
the sideboard. Two large rooms are devoted to the amusements
of billiards and bowling. The drawing-room is not yet finished
and exceeds all the other rooms in size. The inside wood-work
for the entire house was made in New York, and is mostly of
choice imported woods. The furniture is made to match the
wood- work of each room. To us were assigned two adjoining
rooms of immense proportions, so large indeed that I could
almost lose myself in serpentining around the massive furni
ture. These rooms contained every convenience and luxury

FRUITS, FLOWERS, VEGETABLES 143
belonging to bedrooms. The house service is performed by
Chinamen, who move noiselessly about the house in cork-bot
tomed shoes. They present really a picturesque appearance in
blue silk or cotton blouses, all of them having braids of plaited
hair reaching down to their heels.
The lady of the mansion is a Quaker, a perfect mistress
of her house, and a most charming hostess. The master is a
highly cultivated and most agreeable host.
We saw bushels of choice fruit lying upon the ground. It
was decaying and untouched because it was so abundant it
could not be used by the family. Nothing is sold from this
place— it is beneath a California king to sell fruit ! This is
one of three equally magnificent estates which we have visited
since wo came to San Francisco.
We are delighted with the Golden Gate City. The climate
is delightful ; even the most sensitive constitution can flnd here
an agreeable atmosphere. One can dress thick or thin in the
house ; the only precaution necessary is to wear a wrap when
going out to drive or walk. Even sealskin jackets are not out
of place on a July day at the approach of evening, for with it
comes the cool, bracing sea air. It is said the summer breezes
in San Francisco are more to be feared than the winter rains.
There is almost a wasteful abundance of fruit in this city.
It is sold at a merely nominal price. Choice vegetables and
Oregon salmon are sold in the markets for trifling sums in com
parison with the prices paid for them in the East. There are
three crops of figs a year, and strawberries are to be had every
month in the year. The flower gardens are in perpetual blos
som from January to January. The heliotrope and fuchsia
grow luxuriously enough to shade the windows and cover the
verandas. There is no copper coin current here ; the smallest
coin used is the silver half-dime. About the lowest price for
anything is a " bit," equal to ten cents.

144 FRA GMENTAR Y LETTERS.
July 31. We have made the inevitable drive to the Cliff
House. It is a favorite resort for pleasure-driving. The
house is located on a ledge of rocks jutting out into the sea,
where there is a good view of the colony of seals. On a
group of large rocks, rising high out of the water, scores
of seals, old and young, disport themselves without fear of
molestation. The patriarch of the colony answers readily to
his name when a piece of bread is thrown to him. It is
quite an infatuating amusement to watch the movements of
the seals. We were as reluctant to leave the spot as children
are to go away from a cage of monkeys. Quite near the Cliff
House is the Lone Mountain Cemetery. The mountain is
isolated, looming up out of the sandy beach ; hence its name.
Since it has been occupied as a cemetery every foot of soil
has been made fertile for the growth of plants and flowers
by irrigation. Large trees are now perfectly "at home" on
the sandy sea-shore. With its mountain of flowers the ceme
tery stands out in bold relief, the sea washing its base on one
side. There is a magniflcent park of two thousand acres, front
ing the sea AAdth miles of fine drives. By irrigation the beach
along the main drive has been rendered fertile for the growth
of trees, shrubbery, and the grass of lovely lawns.
We dined the other day with a friend whose house is a gem
of art and beauty. The dining-room, especiaUy, is worthy a
description. Its furniture and the flooring and aU the other
wood- work are from foreign countries. To particularize : The
parquet floor, which is wrought out of a variety of woods in
beautiful designs, the doors, the frieze, and dados were made in
Switzerland ; Italy contributed the statuary, the paintings and
the marble mantel-pieces ; the table-service came from Dresden
and Bohemia. Two Sevres vases and several bronze pieces were
brought from Paris. The sideboard was manufactured in Ham
burg. The dining-table and chairs were imported from Eng-

MEXICAN FISHERMAN'S PEARL. 145
land. Every article in this room is of foreign origin. It would
seem that sending to Europe for fine woods is like " taking coals
to Newcastle, " for in California are to be found as finely-grained
and richly-colored woods as can be found in any country, and
skilled labor for wood- working can be obtained as readily in
America as in foreign countries. Nevertheless these California
Monte- Cristos have expended their money in Europe !
We have indeed much to boast of in our own country. It
has the largest trees, the largest cave, the largest cataract, and
the largest geyser spring in the world, and now I hear it pos
sesses the largest pearl ever found. Not long ago, a poor Mex
ican fisherman, at a small seaport, dredged up a. large oyster,
and, to his great astonishment, found it contained a magnifi
cent pearl. It is pure white, oval in shape, more than an inch
and a haff long by about one inch broad. Experts have pro
nounced it to be the finest pearl ever discovered. The poor
fisherman wants several thousand pounds sterling for it. How
much of this pearl story is true I do not know, but it is widely
circulated here.

JAPAN

Yokohama, September 27. After "tiffin" at noon to-day
we started for a drive. Our vehicle was a jinrickshaw, a two-
wheeled cart, shaped like a child's hand-carriage, with a canvass
hood draAvn half over it. The conveyance was just large
enough for the comfortable accommodation of one person. It
was moved by two tattooed coolies, one drawing and the other
pushing. Coolies employed in family service wear loose sacks,
which afford a more substantial covering than tattoo. The pas
senger is protected from rain by oiled paper covering the top of
the vehicle, and enclosing the person as if in a bag. Few horses
are to be seen in the streets, and they are not for hire. They
belong to foreigners residing in the country. Horses are required
only for long journeys. We entered a lacquer-shop, and saw
many beautiful pieces of furniture, and rich bronzes with
elaborate gold and silver inlaid work. This bronze-work is a
specialty of the country, forming one of its chief industries. We
went to the "Bluffs," a high promontory overhanging Missis
sippi Bay just beyond the crowded thoroughfare of the city.
Here foreigners and American missionaries live. We stopped at
a very attractive tea-house, and had a cup of tea, and a chat,
through our interpreter, -with the tea- maid. The scenery is
picturesque, and the garden cultivation is perfect. We passed
fields of rice where the laborers, both men and women, were
almost naked, the tattooed men wearing only loin-cloths, and
the women a short, scant skirt scarcely covering them from
the waist to the knees. They get eight cents a day for their
toil, and consider themselves fortunate in obtaining steady
work. We saw evergreen trees dwarfed in all shapes, and

CURIOUS JAPANESE CUSTOMS. 147
lovely bamboo cottages with thatched roofs and small green
bushes growing here and there in the thatch, and little tufts of
grass cropping out under the eaves. The children of the poor,
from eight to ten years of age, are entirely naked, and never
bave a thread of clothing on their bodies until they are about
twelve years of age. A Japanese is not allowed to wear whisk
ers until he becomes a grandfather ; hence old bachelors may
have no beard. The 'rickshaw coolies take a trotting gait and
keep it as long as they go. Sometimes they make long leaps
accompanied with a good-natured yell, both coolies jumping
together. This movement ends with a jerk, causing an unpleas
ant sensation to the passenger. They get over the ground
as fast as horses. An active coolie can make fifty or sixtj'
miles a day and not feel fatigued. The waiters at our hotel are
scantily clothed. They wear a loose frock coming just below
the knees, but no shirt. Although their legs are bare, their
stockingless feet are encased in toe slippers.
Foreigners are not permitted to take up their residence
in all parts of Japanese cities, but only in certain sections
set apart for their occupation. The tea-houses employ
young and pretty little Japanese maids, with teeth as white as
pearls and complexions as soft and peachy as powder and rouge
can make them. These girls wear bright-colored loose silk
sack dresses, with front a la V., somewhat open. Their hair is
elaborately put up with brass pins and rings. Their feet and
legs are bare. They adorn themselves with many jade orna
ments. The passer-by is induced to stop for a cup of tea by the
winning smiles and personal attractions of the pretty tea-maids.
The beauty of a Japanese girl changes as soon as she is married.
She then blackens her teeth and neglects to make herself attrac
tive, that she may indicate to her husband that she is devoted
and faithful to him, and that she may be distinguished from
unmarried women. Girls and boys at the age of flve years

148 FRAGMENTARY LETTERS.
begin to be nurses. The babies are strapped on the children's
backs, and are thus carried about while the mother is at her
work. The Japanese are fond of birds. We have seen some
beautifully-colored birds, including white canaries, which seemed
to be as much at home about the house as the members of the
family. Hucksters carry through the streets, in their hands, tiny
stoves containing live coals, and uncooked fish and vegetables.
A frying-pan is strapped to their shoulders. They cook on the
sidewalks, and quickly serve the food "piping" hot to their
customers. The coolies huddle around these itinerant cooks in
groups, and wait their turn for a meal. The coolies neither sleep
nor eat under a roof. They get their food on the street, and
with a mat and a cotton sack they seek a night's shelter in some
corner of a thoroughfare. A little colony of them sleep under
the veranda of our hotel.
A Japanese mirror is a round plate of polished steel, with a
short handle. A lady making her toilet has one held before her
by her maid. The street-barber and hair-dresser in like man
ner hold these mirrors for their customers.
We have seen the process of firing or curing tea for expor
tation. In Yokohama there is one house which employs three
thousand men and women during the "curing" season, and
we had the good fortune to visit the place and observe the pro
cess. The men at work wore only loin-cloths, and the women
short, scant skirts reaching from their waists to their knees.
The tea-firers are paid twenty-five cents for ten hours' work.
The firing is a simple process, and quickly done. The tea is
partly sun-dried at the time of picking. In this condition it
is fit for home consumption. The tea to be exported is brought
from the country to Yokohama and Tokio, where there are
proper facilities for curing it. It is fired in small sheet-iron
pans arranged over a slow charcoal fire made of two or three

TEA-GROWING AND LACQUER- WORK. 149
live coals. A brick furnace and a pan are assigned to each per
son. The pan contains three pounds of tea, which must be kept
constantly in motion by hand for one hour. By stirring the tea
Avith the bare hand there is uo danger of burning it, and thereby
depriving the leaf of its life. The pan must be cooled immedi
ately when it becomes too hot to be held in the hand. When
cured the tea is thrown into large sieves by which the broken
leaves and dust are sifted out. The tea is then placed in large
bins, and when sufficiently cooled and flavored is ready for
packing. The dust of the dried tea-leaves is sent to the United
States and to other markets, where it is used for ' ' doctoring "
wines and liquors. In Japan there is but one kind of tea grown,
although there are several grades of it. The choicest qualities
are not exported, but are kept for home consumption in the
famihes of the wealthy. Tea of good quality can be bought
at prices varying from ten to sixty cents a pound, but the best
tea is sold for ten dollars a pound. This high-priced tea is
flavored with the tea-blossom, and the leaf is carefuUy prepared
by hand. Another large industry of Japan is the manufacture of
lacquer-ware, in which the Japanese excel the world. Lacquer-
ware is made mostly for exportation. I have been in several
Japanese houses, and the only lacquer- work which I have seen
in them was a httie cabinet for curios. The lacquer is a thick
liquid obtained from trees, which are tapped at certain seasons
of the year. It is of a resinous nature and of a light color. It
is reduced to the proper consistency by evaporation, and is
afterward colored. This pecuhar varnish is susceptible of a
very high pohsh, and endures a long time. In some of the
temples we have seen lacquered flooring in front of the idols,
and in one we were told that the floor on which we were walk
ing had been used a hundred years, The lacquer was quite
fresh in color and but little indented by use. Foreigners cannot

150 FRAGMENTARY LETTERS.
bear the unwholesome odors arising from the manufacture of
the varnish. A great variety of lacquer-work is offered for sale
in aU districts frequented by strangers. There is a large expor
tation of it to foreign countries. Age improves the lacquer-
work. In the manufacture of bronze the Japanese greatly
excel. They make the flnest bronze known to-day. They have
the art of inlaying gold, silver, and ivory in their best bronze
productions, thereby largely enhancing the beauty and increas
ing the cost of them. The finest bronze is of a hght iron color.
I have seen a pair of small vases the price of which was $1,500,
and they could not be bought for less. Some of the costly
bronzes now find their way out of the country, but in earUer
days only the daimios or princes possessed the best which were
made. On one of our detours we visited the famous Temple of
Diabutsu. The description given us of this mammoth idol by
a Buddhist priest in attendance, and who acted as guide, is the
following : Diabutsu, the colossal bronze idol at Kamakura, is
fifty feet high and of corresponding circumference. The face
is eight and a half feet long, the eyes are three and a half feet
wide, the ears six feet long, the mouth three feet wide and
the nose four feet long. One thumb, standing upright, is three
and a half feet in circumference. The knees are twenty-four
feet in circumference. The figure is that of a man in a sitting
position, with the legs turned under the body a la Turque.
Respecting the correctness of the proportions of the figure I
cannot vouch. Four of our party stood in the palm of the hand
of the gigantic idol. In constructing it three hundred tons of
the finest bronze were used. Diabutsu is one hundred and fifty
years old, and is considered one of the most sacred idols in the
country. Near by Diabutsu we saw another idol, made of
gilded wood. It is forty -three feet high, and represents a man
in a standing position. It was, as we were informed, erected

THE GREAT JAPANESE IDOL OF DIABUTSA AT KAMAKURA, NEAR YOKOHAMA.

THE SHINTO TEMPLE VISITED. I5t
one tliousand two hundred years ago. An old woman acted
as our guide. She blessed us for the fee of a few cash, or cop
pers, we gave her, by rubbing her hands on the feet of the idol,
and then placed the palms on our foreheads. We went a little
farther in the interior and visited the Shinto Temple filled with
rich idols having numerous offerings on their necks, such as
strings of cash and long silk ribbons on the ends of which pray
ers are printed. Near the temple is a large brown inclosed
stone, shaded by a japonica tree. The stone is worshiped by
disappointed women, and by men and women in search of their
affinities, or eligible mates in marriage.

CHINA.

Shanghai, China, October 18. Shanghai is enclosed by a
high wall, four miles in circumference. The city has a popula
tion of five hundred thousand. No foreigner is allowed to
reside within its walls. Foreigners occupy the "concession
grounds " outside the city. In the concession a large number
o.f residents are engaged in various pursuits of trade and com
merce. The streets of the city are about ten feet wide, and are
paved with large square stones. These narrow thoroughfares
are very dirty and full of disgusting sights and smells. There
are no sidewalks. The houses on the principal streets are used
for shops. There are no windows on the first floors of the build
ings ; the entire front is open during the day, and closed by
heavy lattice- work at night. The merchant lives in the second
story, which is only a loft, or rough shelter for the family.
Streets are shaded by large oiled-paper signs suspended from the
upper part of the houses and extended across the thoroughfares.
These signs enumerate the articles for sale, with their prices, and
the particular inducements offered by the different shop-keepers.
The streets are fllled with idlers. The only conveyances are
sedan-chairs carried by coolies. In the European concession
smaU ponies are employed for transportation. The vehicles
used are called "traps," a name borrowed from the English.
The favorite conveyance in Shanghai is a wheelbarrow, with
the wheel in its center and on each side of it a seat. The vehicle
is wheeled by a coolie. We have ridden in many kinds of car
riages, but never until now on a wheelbarrow. There is no
particular quarter in which the rich merchants live. Their
houses are interspersed with those of the poor, and they live

THE PEOPLE OF THE JUNKS. 153
over their own shops in a very humble way. Endeavoring to
conceal their riches, they often bury their money in the ground
in some spot known only to themselves. If they did not do this,
a large part of their property would bo demanded for tribute.
When a rich Chinaman is " tracked " by the Government, and
his possessions discovered, the greater part of his wealth is
appropriated by it. We have driven on the " Bubbling Well
Road," which derives its name from the boiling spring three
miles from the city, in the concession district. The road is
macadamized and is as smooth as a floor. There are many
beautiful villas along the road which are occupied by foreigners.
A novel sight to us is that of men carrying fans, which
they use for sunshades when desirable. When the fan is not in
use it is placed at the back of the neck, under the blouse, with
one end projecting beyond the right ear. The Chinamen know
how to use the fan quite as coquettishly as do our ladies at
home. We do not see many women in the streets. Now and
theu a sedan-chair goes by with the curtains drawn down,
causing us to imagine a woman is secluded within.
The junks in the harbor are alive with women and children
who seem to be scarcely two removes from the progenitors of
Man, judging by the DarAvin theory. These boat- women wear
the merest apology for a dress. Their feet grow to the natural
size. Only the higher class of women have cramped and dis
torted feet, causing them to w.alk with great difficulty ; the
binding of the feet causes a gait similar to walking on stilts.
The social status of a Chinese woman is determined somewhat
by the size of her feet. If they have been bound up and
cramped at an early age they indicate that the woman is of
high degree, and has never been compelled to perform any man
ual labor. The women destined to be children's nurses have
feet about half the natural length, and walk with an unsteady
gait. The Chinese have not the attractive faces and manners

154 FRAGMENTARY LETTERS.
of the Japanese. The Japanese look jolly and coquettish, while
the Chinaman seems never to smile.
In Shanghai the punishment for stealing is cruelly severe.
Your father was present the other day at the trial of a China
man for stealing a few cash. The man was found guilty, and
sentenced to receive two hundred blows. The punishment was
at once administered. He was stripped bare and laid upon the
floor. A stout man gave him fifty blows on the back and legs
with a heavy piece of bamboo, A second whipper gave him
fifty more, and finally the fourth flnished the two hundred. The
man did not utter a groan until the last fifty blows were com
menced. Then the judge cried out, " Harder ! harder !" When
all the blows had been inflicted, the criminal's bleeding and
swollen flesh was dressed with salt and water. Then he was
ordered to leave the place. The only recourse for this suffering
and bleeding human being was to go into the streets and beg
his living, or to lie down and die of starvation.
Canton, October 31. The scenery along Pearl River is tame
and uninteresting, save that of the rice-flelds, banana-groves,
pagodas, and a luxuriant growth of cacti. The shores are flat.
We approached Canton through a fleet of junks alive with
women and children. Thousands of human beings annually
born on the craft in the river spend their lives on the water and
never go ashore. Generation after generation live in these
floating homes, and never know any other. If a junk becomes
overpopulated with children, the ordinary precautions for pre
venting their crawhng overboard and dropping into the river are
not exercised. When one of the little undesirable innocents
falls into the stream and is drowned, it is deemed to be the wiU of
the Higher Power, and the mother is comforted by the thought.
More care is taken of infant boys than of infant girls. Boys
are more useful than girls. If a Chinaman having two boys

THINGS SEEN AT CANTON. 155
and two girls is asked how many children he has, he will ans
wer two children and two " piecee girl." The idea sought to be
conveyed is that boys are worthy to be called children, and that
"piecee girl " designates the inferiority of girls. So if feminine
babies are too abundant, it is not a difficult matter to arrange
that more boys than girls shall continue to be members of the
family circle. The daily life of this boat population is always
in view. When the concert and theatre j unks, brilliantly lighted
with lanterns, take convenient positions, the people on the
smaller junks propel their craft close to them to witness the
plays and to hear the music. When a girl is married and taken
to another boat with her trousseau, consisting of a change of
dress and a rice-kettle, she perhaps will never leave it, except
to visit her friends. On the gayly flag-decorated junks,
illuminated by brightly-colored lanterns and enlivened by the
music of the tam-tam, girls half -dressed or dressed only for
exposition are to be seen moving merrily about, and inviting
their "cousins " to come on board to visit them.
Canton has a population of one million, including the river
people. The Chinese wage a civil war in a very convenient
manner. Whatever may be the question of the war, when the
chow-chow gongs are beaten the combatants on both sides at
once suspend hostilities and appease their hanger. When the
meal is flnished, the fight is resumed. Such struggles are
commonly settled by a committee from the Feng-Shui, which
is remunerated by the gift of some cash from both parties.
Chinese servants wind their long braids of hair around
their heads when engaged at their work, but as a mark of respect
when they come before theii- superiors let them down.
The Chinese have not as fine taste in coloring or in invent
ing as the Japanese. They value the jade-stone above every
other precious stone. Chinese officials in high places wear a
ring of white or green jade on the thumb.

156 FRAGMENTARY LETTERS.
I have learned in Canton to distinguish between a fine and
a poor quality of tea. We are served with tea for which twenty
dollars a pound was paid. The high price of the fine teas is
owing to the fact that only the last leaves which open on a
plant are used. They are carefully picked so that the larger
leaves on the lower part of the plant may not be injured, which
are picked later, when they are larger grown and stronger and
of a ranker flavor. A plant yields only a few delicate leaves,
and to obtain a small quantity of them a large fleld must be
harvested. These leaves are sun-dried. After they have
been cured they are flavored with the tea-blossom. The tea is
put in loose packages so that the leaves may not be compressed
and their tender folds broken. When the tea is thus prepared,
and is not subjected to a long sea passage, it is quite a different
article from the tea we obtain at home.
We visited a joss-house and were shown the appointments
of a Chinaman's Elysium. We saw several Celestials lying in
bunks with countenances as blissful as if the devotees had
never known anything but infantile happiness. With duU,
glassy eyes and sickly smiles they saluted us as we passed them.
The odors of the smaU and close chambers were so disgustingly
disagreeable that we did not tarry long in the building. We
saw a white marble pagoda with sevei'al tiers of gilded beUs
hanging around the outside. It w^as richly ornamented within
with carved ivory and jade idols, and a large gilded dragon on
which was mounted the principal idol. A flour mill operated
by buffaloes, a silk-manufactory, and glass-blowing attracted
our attention a part of the time. We were also interested by a
magician apparently creating birds out of nothing and seem
ingly breathing life into them. Our attention was drawn to
the Temple of Longevity, where liberal devotees are promised
long life, and we inspected a Chinese crematory. We saw
twelve fat hogs in a temple, where they are kept as sacred

A CHINESE WEDDING PROCESSION. 157
animals. The novelty was also enjoyed of driving a few
miles along the top of the wall suri-ounding Canton, and we
met a wedding procession in one of the streets. It was at least a
half-mile long. The bride, in spangled and brightly colored
attire, preceded the procession in a richly ornamented sedan-
chair ; a veil fringed with seed pearls hung over her face.
Pagodas with tinkling gilded bells, sedan-chairs containing
large and small boxes of goods, and others filled with pieces of
red cotton cloth and bright-colored silks, were carried by cool
ies. There were idols covered with gilt and jade jewelry, a
company of httie boys in fantastic dresses beating gongs and
tam-tams ; effigies of animals ornamented with gilt and red
paper figures, and at the rear of the procession were the friends
of the famihes. Altogether it was a motley train. The bride
groom was not in the procession. He awaited at his own or
his father's house for the bride, whom he had not yet seen,
although bound to accept, as she has been selected according
to the decree of the Feng-Shui. The principal test of the bride
groom's satisfaction is his admiration of the bride's feet. If
they be too large to accord with his ideas of beauty and gentil
ity he is disappointed, and he does not conceal his unhappiness.
Small feet do not affect marriages among the lower classes, for
the women belonging to them must work, while those of the
higher classes are only considered to be household ornaments.
There are no street-lights in Canton. Lanterns are carried
by everybody going out in the evening ; if without a lantern one
is liable to arrest.
Oyster sheUs are made available for temple windows. The
insides of the shells are ground off and made almost as transpar
ent as glass. They admit a soft and agreeable hght. The vege
tables here are not as savory as ours ; their fibre is coarse and
their substance more watery. There is a great variety of good
fruit, such as I have never before seen. One of the popular

158 FRA GMENTAR Y LETTERS.
courses for dinner is called "Bombay duck." It is a small,
strong fish, salted and dried, and served with curried rice, boiled
eggs, and cheese. It might not be an appetizing dish at home,
but here it is. There is one article of food which we would not
dare to order, unless upon the condition that it should be a V
European, and that is eggs. A Chinaman requires eggs to be
buried six months in the ground before he will eat them.
One day we dined with the United States Consul, Colonel
L. He lives in the only desirable district in Canton for the resi
dence of a foreigner, excepting the Island of Shamien, which is
just opposite it across the river. Standing by the window over
looking the river, I saw a little wooden box containing a naked
infant floating down the stream. I cried, "Why does not some
one save that child ?" The answer came, "Oh, it is only some
'piecee girl,' who was not wanted in the family, and she has
been committed to the river to meet her fate." Although infan
ticide is a violation of Chinese law, it is rarely if ever punished.
Practically, it is no crime to let a baby drown if it fall over
board from a junk or a boat. No doubt the mother hopes by
chance it may be saved from such a fate.
Our host served us at dinner with bird's-nest soup, one of
the most costly luxuries to be had in Canton ; costly because
of the difficulty in procuring the nests. They are found on
precipitous rocks overhanging the sea, and are obtained at no
little risk of life. This so-called dehcacy is therefore rare. One
nest must suffice for the course. I did not flnd the soup palata
ble enough to make me desire any one to hazard his life for a
bird's nest for a table of mine. The nest is prepared by soaking
it in water, and carefully separating the cream-colored glutinous
substance from the feathers, straw and leaves composing the
nest, which is cut in small pieces and boiled in beef or chicken
soup stock. The substance is tough and tasteless.
A description of the house and garden of a rich Chinese

DWARFED FOREST TREES. 159
official may not be uninteresting. They are surrounded by
a high wall. A small door in the wall is the only entrance
to the grounds. We were conducted to a large hall opening
into a court-yard. From the ceihng of the hall were suspended
several large and handsome Chinese lanterns. The host came
to meet us and invited us to a pavilion, and requested us to take
seats on a raised dais, covered with red cloth, he taking a lower
seat. Here tea and pipes of tobacco were served us by the serv
ants, who were in holiday dress. After an interpreted chat, a
walk in the garden followed. We were pleased to inspect the
beautiful fountains containing gold-flsh, the profusion of flow
ers, the rare trees, the exquisite plants, exotic with us, and the
grottoes and caverns connected by subterranean passages
lighted with Chinese lanterns. In the grottoes were a number of
strange idols and some marble tablets inscribed with wise say
ings. On the summit of an artificial rock, sixty feet high, was
a pavilion decorated with gorgeous lanterns and containing some
choice specimens of porcelain and bronzes. Here we saw dwarfed
forest trees, variously shaped, with tiny leaves. There was one
trained in the form of a Chinese junk ; another shaped like a
pagoda, with httie gilded bells hanging from the branches, and
another like a dragon, Avith glass eyes. There were several
formed as bird-cages, in one of which were birds that appeared
perfectly at home in their foliage-embowered cages. Another
tree shaped as a man had a china plate on which the facial fea
tures were painted. The hands and feet were represented on
other plates. Many other curious devices on the growing trees
were shown us. The trees bore very small white blossoms,
having three tiny petals. We did not have the opportunity of
dining in this house. A grand Chinese dinner, as we are informed,
is one of considerable formality. Etiquette requires that each
guest must endeavor to persuade the one next him at table to
be seated flrst. After some complimentary deference and hesi-

160 FRAGMENTAR Y LETTERS.
tation on the part of the guests, they aU sit down simultaneously.
The dinner begins with sweetmeats and condiments, each guest
helping himself with chop-sticks from the dishes passed around.
There are no plates on the table. Then comes a course of dried
melon-seeds, the host serving them by the handful, and with
them hot wine made from rice. Bird's-nest soup follows, which
is drunk from cups. No beef or mutton is used by the Chinese,
because Confucius said that it was not proper to take the life of
an animal useful in agriculture. Pork, ham, fish and pigeon
eggs form the chief part of the dinner. The host to honor a
guest selects some choice morsel and conveys it to him on his
chop-sticks. The delicate attention must on no account be
refused. Bowls of rice form the last course. Occasionally
between the courses tobacco-pipes are passed. Cups of choice tea
are then served. The honored guest is conducted to his sedan-
chair, and the host shaking his own hands bids him good-bye. A
dinner may continue three or four hours. Chinese women never
appear in the presence of foreigners. They are secluded and
treated as inferiors ; even those among the higher class are thus
treated. The streets in Canton have some very significant names,
such as the following, which, translated into English, mean
Longevity, Benevolence, Everlasting Love, One Thousand Grand
sons, Accumulated Blessings, Reposing Dragons, Refreshing
Breezes. The shops are also strangely named. One is designa
ted Never Ending Success, another Heavenly Happiness, another
Honest Gains, and another By Heaven Much Prospers. We
passed by many eating-houses where cats and rats were included
in the fare, and the dressed animals were suspended at the doors
of the restaurants to attract attention. Eggs whose shells were
" black and blue " with age were exposed among the edibles.

SINGAPORE.

Singapore, November 11. We arrived here this afternoon
and are seventy-flve miles north of the equator. Here the days
and nights are of equal duration. The sky is seldom clear. Every
day there is more or less rain falling. The sun heats the moist air
and makes it disagreeably vaporous. There is much lightning
but little thunder in this locality. Fruits and vegetables are
always growing and maturing. Indigenous fruits form a large
part of the food of the people, and the sea furnishes flsh in
abundance, hence it is no wonder the natives are indolent. Why
should they toil ? They require little or no clothing, and only
bamboo huts in which to sleep.
Singapore is an island twenty-four miles long and fourteen
wide. It is situated in the Straits of Malacca. It is a British
province ruled by native princes acknowledging allegiance to the
English crown. It has a mixed population of one hundred
thousand, including fifty thousand Chinamen, ten thousand
Malays, five thousand Europeans and a few Americans. Here
we ride in gharries, a little box of a wagon drawn by two small
ponies. The Malay coolies wear a little more clothing than the
Japanese do. Besides the red loin-cloths, they have narrow
strips of white cotton cloth hanging over their left shoulders.
Our hotel comprises several buildings two stories high con
nected by covered corridors. It is well shaded by large trees
and picturesquely environed by ornamental shrubbery and fiow-
ering plants. The wide verandas are furnished with bamboo
chairs, settees and little tables where one may have a refreshing
beverage or a cup of tea. In the trees flit richly-plumed birds,
and among the bushes and flowers are many bright-winged

162 FRAGMENTARY LETTERS.
butterflies. In the rooms and on the verandas are unnumbered
insects, the pests of the tropics, which partly rob one of pleasure
and repose. In the same inclosure with the hotel the Stars and
Stripes designate the residence of the American Consul. The
only native women seen on the streets are those of the lower
classes. There is very little distinguishable difference in the
men's and women's dress among the natives. Both wear brace
lets either of jade, silver, or some cheaper metal, and ear-rings
and nose-rings of gold or silver. The men have a proud bear
ing. They tread the ground with an independent air as if they
owned it. Evidently the women are the meeker sex.
Formerly there were many tigers on the island, and until
recently an average of three persons were killed weekly by them.
Of late they have been vigorously hunted and large numbers are
slain every year. Monkeys, parrots and other birds are carried
about the streets by hucksters and are offered for sale at very
low prices. November 12. This morning we arose at flve o'clock and
after a cup of coffee went to visit the Whampoo gardens. We
started in a warm rain, but in an hour the sky was clear. Mr.-
(Ah) Whampoo, a rich Chinaman, cordially welcomes strangers
who go'to visit his gardens. He speaks Enghsh fluently. The
grounds comprise an area of flfty acres, all under fine cultiva
tion. Here Chinese gardening may be seen in perfection. Its
marked feature is dwarfing trees in an infinite variety of shapes.
A certain evergreen is best suited for this purpose. The tree has a
small leaf like the box of our gardens, and a tiny white flower
not much larger than the head of a pin. These gardens
contain every kind and color of tropical vegetation in the
highest state of perfection, and also many trees and plants from
different parts of the world. Ah Whampoo called our attention
to some evergreens, flowering shrubs, and fruit trees which had

¦f.
y.

a
H

CURIOUSLY-SHAPED SHRUBBERY. 163
been sent him from America. We saw the Victoria lily here
in its perfect beauty. The leaf of the plant is dark gre^n
veined with brown and red ; it is from eight to ten inches in
diameter, with its edge turned up about two inches deep all
round. The flower is a pinkish white and lies partly on the leaf
of the plant and partly in the water. Each plant has one leaf
and one flower. The lily is called "La Belle." We saw some
rare orchids and many varieties of cacti with white, red, yellow
and green flowers. We saw a dwarfed growing evergreen shaped
like a coupe standing about three feet high and a horse attached.
We also saw other trees growing in the shape of pagodas, dogs,
birds, men and women, and many other curious forms of tree
growth. These trees are in full blossom now. Chinese gar
deners might become interesting novel writers, for they certainly
express much sentiment in the attractive forms of ornamental
trees. There were also in the gardens cocoanut, nutmeg, and
cinnamon trees, besides the tea, coffee, and clove plants, and an
interesting menagerie of animals, flsh, and birds.
In Singapore the European women wear white muslin
dresses; the gentlemen wear white linen. The Singalese, on
the contrary, exhibit their shiny, iron-colored bodies and jewelry
in heu of any adornment of clothing.

CEYLON.

Point de Galle, November 18. Point de Galle has a popu
lation of flfty thousand, of whom the greater number are
Malays and Chinese. There are but few shops here ; goods and
wares are sold on the verandas of the hotels and in little
temporary booths erected near them. Gold sovereigns are in
demand here. The native jewelers importune the stranger at
every corner to sell them the coins, which are made up into
jewelry. These peripatetic merchants are Malays. They speak
a little "pidgin English," and are unrelenting in their solici
tations, and will foUow a desired customer for days to induce
him to buy something. The jewel merchants dress very well
when they come to the hotels, but the traffickers in other articles
wear short white linen pantaloons and long frocks of colored silk
open in front to display a red waistcoat. Their costume is finished
with a bright scarf thrown over the left shoulder. They generally
go barefooted, but when they present themselves on the verandas
they wear on their feet yellow toe-slippers. If barefooted they
are seen with jeweled (Manchester glass) rings on their toes
They wear finger-rings and ear-rings, often having two rings in
each ear — one at the top and another at the bottom of the lobe.
The ear jewels are usually uncut rubies, sapphires, and pearls.
Some of these are of considerable value. The merchants comb
their long, black, greased hair back from their foreheads and con
fine it with handsome round shell combs, such as little girls at
home wear. They make salaams with smiles and compliments,
whether you buy of them or not. Inasmuch as the salaams cost
nothingjand may bring customers, the merchants, therefore, are
unsparingly 'polite. They offer for sale some very pretty fab
rics and curious embroideries, but their principal wares are

jewel peddlers at point-de-galle, island of cevlon.

A FONDNESS FOR JEWELRY. 165
tortoise-shell work, gold and silver jewelry, carved ivory trink
ets, seed pearls, and finger-rings set with uncut rubies, sapphires
and emeralds. -While these dealers may have many real and
beautiful gems, for they are abundant in Ceylon, they have also
excellent imitations in Manchester glass which only a practiced
eye can detect and for which the sellers ask the price of the real
stones. If the customer detects the counterfeit, the merchant
pohtely explains that a mistake had been made in the price
marked. The jewel venders frequent the hotels the day long
and greatly annoy travelers. They solicit one by saying, " Buy
this, please, just to start some luck." If you buy a trinket to
get rid of one of them, you are likely to be just as much impor
tuned the next day by the same person. Fine gems are found
in Ceylon, but American and European jewelers have agents
here to buy them as soon as they are off'ered for sale, and hence
it is that only the less perfect ones are usually trafficked on the
hotel verandas. Sometimes it may happen, however, that reaUy
beautiful and valuable gems can be obtained from these
merchants. We have strolled the streets, where many novelties have
interested us. The natives show more fondness for jewelry than
for clothing. Both men and women are bejeweled from their
heads to their feet, while their bodies are only covered with a
scant skirt of thin mushn. All have their right shoulders and
breasts exposed. The children, until they reach the age of ten
years, are as nude as when they were born, if the bracelets and
anklets of glass- or iron, and the bands of silver around their
bodies with tinkling little bells attached, are excepted. If too
poor to possess silver bands, they have red ribbons encircling
their bodies. The poorer people chew betel-nuts, which blacken
the teeth and thereby make their expression repulsive. They
know nothing of table etiquette, but eat in common from a large
wooden bowl. There are many cocoanut trees growing in dif-

166 ERA GMENTAR Y LETTERS.
ferent parts of the city, and forests of cocoanut and cinnamon
trees in the suburbs. The cocoanut tree attains a height from
fifty to eighty feet ; not a knot or a branch is -sisible except at
the very top, where the fruit is seen beneath a tuft of leaves.
A tree commonly bears a dozen nuts. The coolies who climb
the trees to get the nuts are given one for the picking of
the fruit on each tree. Fresh cocoanuts are largely used for food
among the natives. The milk, before the meat has thickened,
is deliciously cool and very refreshing. To enjoy a cocoanut one
should obtain it at this stage of its groAvth. The milk is then
of the consistency and color of cream, and is eaten with a spoon.
We have seen acres of ground covered with split cocoanuts,
which were exposed to the heat of the sun in order to obtain
the oil. The fibre of the sheU of the cocoanut is utilized in the
manufacture of rope, mats, and canvass.
Ican now understand why such hot sauces as curry, chutney,
onion and red pepper are so universally used in these tropical
climates. They stimulate the appetite and give tone to the
stomach. The use of quinine is a necessity until one becomes
somewhat acclimated.

EGYPT.

Cairo, January 26. Now we are in the land of the Phara
ohs. We arrived in Cairo on the 10th inst. From Bombay to
Suez is a voyage of three thousand miles. We feel that we are
again in the land of European civilization. From Suez, where
we left the steamer, to this city is a journey of nine hours. The
road passes through an edge of the Great Sahara Desert, run
ning for many miles over the sandy plain. We had in sight long
stretches of the Suez Canal. We ran along for miles in the
valley of the Nile. This is a rich and fertile tract of land, which
in comparison with the desert looks like ribbons of green laid
down upon either side of the river.
I have had the pleasure of making a visit to the Khedive's
harem, where I went upon invitation of the Princess Mansoor,
the eldest daughter of the Khedive by his first wife, and the
only wife of Pasha Mansoor. The princess very graciously
received us — the wife of the American Consul and myself. She
speaks French and we were able to converse with her. A lady
of honor attended her. We were met at the entrance of the
palace garden by four handsome young Circassian slaves beauti
fully attired in bright, long-trained silk dresses, wearing jaunty,
gayly colored silk turbans, satin slippers, and rich jewelry. They
grasped our hands, and conducted us, each of us walking between
two slaves, to the door of the palace, where we were received by
two Nubians, male slaves, dressed in rich broadcloth, and four
slave girls beautifuUy arrayed in many colors. The girls laid
aside our wraps and then conducted us through a long and wide
corridor and up a magnificent marble staircase, a girl on each
side of us, who almost lifted us up the stairs as if to spare us
the effort of walking.

168 ERA GMENTAR Y LETTERS.
We were shown into a large and richly furnished waiting-
room, where we were received by the princess's lady of honor,
and offered chibouks and coffee. The stems of the chibouks
were about six feet long, with mouth-pieces of amber and bowls
of gold, and were covered with gold and silver filagree work.
The mouth-pieces were encircled with diamonds, rubies and
emeralds. Silver plates were placed upon the floor at conve
nient distances to rest the bowls upon. We admired the beau
tiful pipes, and regretted for the moment that American ladies
had not acquired the habit of smoking tobacco. Coffee was
served d la Turque, in cup-holders studded with diamonds, which
won our admiration.
Very soon six more pretty slaves, beautifully dressed and
richly jeweled, came to announce that the princess would receive
us. After passing through several magnificent rooms, followed by
the train of girls, we reached the door of the grand salon where
the princess, surrounded by a bevy of stUl more richly-attired
slaves, advanced to meet us and led the way to a large and lux
urious divan, on which we seated ourselves. Chibouks were
brought to us again ; we held ours in our hands while the
princess made a graceful use of hers. She kindly accepted om-
regrets for abstaining from smoking, and said that she was
really sorry we could not enjoy what to her was a great
pleasure. The tobacco was so highly perfumed that the tobacco
odor was entirely destroyed. Coffee was again served. After
ward the princess was handed a box on a golden salver, from
which she took a jeweled cigarette holder, and having placed in
it a cigarette from a dainty little gold and silver tree standing
upon an ivory table near the divan, smoked the cigarette as
enjoyably as she had the chibouk. The salon was splendidly
furnished and ornamented. The only picture in it was a life-
size portrait of the Khedive.
After chatting pleasantly for a half hour, the princess, hav-

VISITING THE KHEDIVES HAREM. 169
ing taken each by the hand and walking between us, conducted
us to her beautiful boudoir. She called our attention to the
arrangement of its furniture, entirely Oriental in style, which
she said she had designed. It was indeed elegant, with its fine
mirrors and antique furniture, partly covered with rich Persian
fabrics embroidered with gold and silver. Baskets and mounds
of artificial flowers were tastef uUy disposed about the room. All
the floral decorations in the palace were of the flnest French
.¦irtificial flowers. She then led us into her study, a real bijou of
a room. Its walls were faced with mirrors, and the ceiling was
elaborately gilded, hght being admitted from the ceiling through
stained glass, for there were no windows in the room. In the
center of the room was a luxurious divan, covered with crimson
velvet embroidered -with gold, and pillows of the same material.
Near the divan was a gold and ivory table, on which were a chi-
Iji ink and a golden tobacco box. On another ivory table near it
was a large salver of silver and gold, on which were a basin and
ewer. It was the princess's toilet table. Near at hand was a
towel of white silk embroidered with g()ld and silver, and a vase
of Bohemian glass containing perfumed water. There were also
ornaments of gold, silver and alabaster in the room.
The princess took us each by the hand again and conducted
us to another beautiful room in which we were served Avith a
delicious cordial in golden cups, with napkins embroidered with
gold thread. Here the princess gracefully thanked us for the
visit, and retired to her boudoir, followed by the attendants who
had accompanied us through the palace. We descended ,the
staircase, supported on either side by the same girls who had
escorted us up the stairs, and were conducted to our carriage.
There were twenty-five slaves in attendance during our visit
of two and a half hours. The princess has fifty Circassian slaves
at her command. Everywhere we went in the palace the air
was perfumed. The princess was more simply dressed than her

1 70 FRA GMENTAR Y LETTERS.
women. She wore a plain but elegant dress of brown silk with
trimmings and ornaments of tortoise-shell elaborately carved,
having on them a crown and the letter "I." This letter is found
on all royal emblems, it being the initial letter of the Khedive's
name, "Ismail." Princess Mansoor is a handsome blonde Cir
cassian with bright red hair. Her lady of honor is a French
woman, a brunette, whose hair is dyed red to please the princess.
The princess's mother is a beautiful blonde, who is even hand
somer than her daughter.
The Gezeereh pala<;e is the finest of all the palaces in Cairo.
It is the palace in which royal or distinguished guests are lodged.
The Khedive occupies a luxiirious bungalow in the palace gar
den when there are guests at Gezeereh. The Prince of Wales
was entertained there on his way to India. Empress Eugenie
also occupied it at the time of the opening of the Suez Canal.
In it is a suite of four magnificent rooms connected with an
alabaster bath-room. These chambers are tapestried with blue
satin and gilt trimmings. The ceilings are canopied with the
same materials. Their decorations, as well as the toilet porcelain
ware, are blue and gilt. There are also beautiful ornaments and
pieces of furniture made of alabaster. In the salon are two
large Sevres vases on which are painted the portraits of the
French emperor and empress. The lunch-room, although not
large, is finely proportioned. In each corner of it is an alabaster
fountain, which, when notable guests are entertained, spouts
perfumed water. The tables in it are of alabaster, and the dra
peries are of blue satin. The salons are resplendent in their
crimson and white velvet and gold-embroidered white satin hang
ings and upholstering. In one of them are two alabaster man
tels inlaid with rare stones supporting mirrors reaching to the
ceiling, which are framed in inlaid alabaster. The staircase is
another attractive work of art. It is of white marble and inlaid
with choice stones forming antique designs. ¦»

THE SHOOBRA PALACE. l7l
There is an exquisite marble kiosk at one end of the veranda
of the palace in which there is a pretty breakfast room. The
room is lined with mirrors and trimmed with artificial fiowers.
In each corner are exquisite little alabaster fountains from which
flows perfumed water. The palace is surrounded by beautiful
gardens, containing several fountains and some fine old shade
trees. There is also the Shoobra palace, about an hour's ride from
Gezeereh, another wonder of Oriental architecture and splendor.
The avenue leading to the palace is three miles long, and is
bordered on both sides with acacia and sycamore trees. It is
the fashionable drive. There every afternoon may be seen the
finest turnouts of the foreign residents, the Khedive's magnifi
cent carriages, drawn by Arabian horses with outriders in uni
forms and decorations of blue and silver, crimson and gold,
scores of donkeys in gilded trappings carrying Arab women
closely veiled and riding astride. We also observed on this
highway long trains of camels laden with stone and produce, and
now and then dromedaries gayly caparisoned bearing riders in
bright Oriental costumes. Such a medley of curious street
scenes cannot be found in any other part of the world.
The palace is surrounded by beautiful gardens in which are
scores of orange and lemon trees bending under their burdens
of fruit. We had permission to pick some oranges, which were
delicious. The blood or red orange grows here in perfection.
We could not see the interior of the palace, but we did see the
kiosk and alabaster bath. The kiosk is three hundred feet square
with an artificial lake in the center, from the midst of which
rises a pavihon large enough to seat thirty persons. In it are
divans, cushions, plants, lamps with magnificent glass shades,
and a fountain of perfumed water. The pavilion is reached by
a little gondola. The lake is encircled by a marble water-course
upon which are sculptured fish, reptiles, aquatic birds and ani-

172 FRAGMENTARY LETTERS.
mais. In each corner of the kiosk are smaU boudoirs where the
women of the harem sip their coffee from tiny ornamented cups.
These rooms are upholstered with richly-colored silks and velvets.
One of these boudoirs is most elegantly furnished, it having been
fitted for the viceroy, Mohammed Ali; The corridors around
the lake are supported by alabaster columns, and furnished with
fine mirrors and luxurious divans. They are lighted by gas.
The bath is a large room faced with alabaster ; the bathing basin
is also of alabaster. When in use the fountain emits perfumed
water. There are several small luxurious coffee-rooms adjacent
to the bath-room.
The pyramids are the wonder of the world and the pride of
Egypt. The group of the largest, three in all, is six miles from
Cairo. The sandy road is bordered with beautiful trees, includ
ing many of the date palm, which afforded a grateful shade. On
our way to the pyramids we passed the Khedive's new palace,
which when finished Avill be one of the largest and one of the
most magnificent in existence. The grounds are inclosed by
fourteen miles of stone wall, ten feet high, and have a frontage
on the Nile of three and a half miles. There is a group of three
palaces connected by corridors already finished, and others are
building. A large reservoir provided with a steam pump sup
plies water for the buildings and grounds. And we also passed
by two imposing buildings belonging to the Khedive's sons.
As we approached the pyramids they seemed to diminish in
size, as did Mont Blanc when we came near its base. The pyra
mids are three immense piles of masonry. The largest is the
pyramid of Cheops. The great pyramid, or Cheops, is supposed
to have been built about three thousand five hundred years B. c,
and the smaller ones subsequently. It took ten years to build
the causeway on which the stones were brought from the quar
ries along the Nile. It is said that one hundred thousand men
were twenty years building Cheops. Each of its sides immedi-

HISTORICAL STRUCTURES. 173
ately above the sand measures seven hundred and sixty feet in
width, but below the sand its base must be of much larger
dimensions. I do not know that excavations to the foundation
of the pyramid have ever been made.
Cheops is 480 feet high. The highest structure in Europe is
the tower of the Strasburg Cathedral, the altitude of which is
461 feet. St. Peter's at Rome is 429 feet high, and St. Paul's in
London 404 feet.
The wonderful Sphinx stands a quarter of a mile from the
great pyramid. The face of the Sphinx bears a striking resem
blance to George Washington's face as pictured.
We have seen the great citadel at Cairo and the wonderful
alabaster mosque. If the latter is not the largest, it is by far the
richest mosque in the world. The mosque of St. Sophia in Con
stantinople is larger, but not so beautiful. These two buildings
stand upon a rocky eminence, six hundred feet above the city,
this particular location having been chosen, it is alleged, because
meat would keep sweet much longer upon this high rocky ground
than in any other part of the city. Saladin built the citadel
in 1100. The mosque is a modern structure. It was built
by Mohammed Ali, the grandfather of the present Khedive,
and who has left many magnificent monuments to mark his
reign in Egypt. It is three hundred feet square. Its outside,
not yet completed, will be faced with blocks of alabaster, as
is the interior. The alabaster used in the construction of these
buildings is a richly-colored stone, hard as granite, and of a very
fine grain, with layers of amber and wavy cream-colored lines
running through it. This alabaster takes a high polish and
looks like satin. The architecture of the mosque is Oriental.
Its roof is supported by alabaster columns. Costly Turkish car
pets cover the floor. The alabaster galleries are fully fifty feet
above the floor. The mosque is lighted by three rows of stained -
glass windows, and in it are hundreds of hanging-glass lamps

174 FRA GMENTAR Y LETTERS.
arranged in circles and triangles. Its gilded dome can be
seen at a distance of twenty miles. The court leading to the
mosque is paved with alabaster and is surrounded by a corridor
of the same. It is the only alabaster mosque in existence.
In the palace adjoining the mosque are an elaborate staircase
and a bath chamber which are marvels of beauty. Close by the
river bank and not far from the citadel is a clump of bulrushes
and trees occupying the spot where it is said Moses was hidden
from the persecution of Pharaoh.

AUSTRIA.

Vienna, New Year's Evening. Christmas week passed very
pleasantly with us. The Christmas tree co-exists with the day
in this country. Every German family must have one. The
poorest will have a Christmas tree, if it be but a branch of ever
green decorated with a half-dozen wax-tapers and a gay ribbon.
At the market-places, corners of the streets, and flower-shops
evergreens of all sizes and at all prices may be purchased.
Here Christmas is not marked by the exchange of gifts,
but is rather an occasion for a reunion of family and friends.
Do not let us abandon the Christmas tree in America, even if it is
a borrowed idea.
The season of social gayeties has begun, and the carnival is
already under way. A carnival here is not similar to a carnival
in the southern countries of Europe. The climate of the north
does not permit of outdoor demonstrations ; the entertainments
are indoor merry-makings, festivities, and costume and masked
baUs. The first court-ball will take place January 27th. Each
of the ambassadors gives a grand baU during the season.
The winter chmate in Vienna is by no means semi-tropical ;
snow faUs in considerable quantities, but it is not allowed to
stay on the ground. An army of men, women, and children
is set to work to sweep it into piles as soon as it falls, and
hundreds of wagons are employed to carry it off.
There is a fine rink here where skating is generally indulged
in. People of high rank enjoy the amusement. A few evenings
ago a beautiful sksding fete by electric light was given. Twelve
pantomimic tableaux were presented on skates while the orches
tra played selections of lively music. During the evening a red-

176 ERA GMENTAR Y LETTERS.
painted chariot, drawn by six white horses, gayly caparisoned,
repeatedly passed around the outer circle of the rink. After
the tableaux dancing was beautifuUy executed upon skates.
A platform was erected and trimmed vrith crimson velvet
and gilt decorations for the royal famUy. A large and bril
liantly Uluminated cafe, vrith dressing-rooms, was arranged for
the skaters and spectators. The price of admission was six
florins, equal to §2.40. Ten thousand tickets were sold. The
Viennese are accomplished skaters. Old and young enjoy alike
the exhilarating exercise.
January 29. The flrst court-ball of the season took place in
the palace last evening. About two thou.sand people were pre
sent. We were presented to the empress before the ball began.
The Empress of Austria is a charming woman, and although she
is a grand-mother, does not appear to be more than thirty years
of age. It is said that the Empress Elizabeth is the handsomest
reigning sovereign. In flgure she is tall, graceful, and erect.
She has the fresh coloring accompanying health, large expressive
dark eyes, and magniflcent soft brown hair. In manner she is
affable and elegant. As a friend she is sympathetic and kind.
The emperor has genial manners and a pleasant word for every
body. He is a hard-worker. I understand he rises at flve o'clock
in the morning, and by nine o'clock he has ended his audience
with his ministers.
The empress is a most accomplished equestrienne. She has
in her stables flve hundred white horses, the greater number
being carriage horses.
The empress's toilet at the ball was simple but rich and
beautiful. It was a composition of pearl- colored velvet and satin
with jewels of rubies and diamonds. The Crown Princess Ste
phanie is charming. She is twenty-two years of age, a lovely
blonde Avith sparkling blue eyes and beautiful golden brown hair.

COURT BALL AT VIENNA. Ill
Her toilet was of white satin, embroidered with silver thread.
Her jewels were sapphires and diamonds.
The ball-room is spacious and grand. It was brilliantly illu
minated with a double row of chandeliers, one above the other,
in which were burning hundreds of wax candles. At one end
of the room was a dais, or elevated platform, richly upholstered
with crimson velvet and gilt trimmings, which the royal family
occupied. Opposite the platform was a balcony where Strauss's
orchestra of fifty musicians, directed by the famous composer,
played delightful music. Around the room was an elevated
platform about ten feet wide, which was filled with plants in
blossom and beautiful foliage, banked up fifteen feet high.
The ladies' toUets were magnificent, generally of pearl, white,
and delicate rose colors ; these being the empress's favorite col
ors, the ladies observe her majesty's preference. There was a
great variety and profusion of magnificent jewels displayed that
evening. The young ladies observed strict simplicity in their
toilets, which were generally of delicate shades of tulle, with
few jewels, but lovely ribbons and flowers for ornamentation.
With so much briUiancy and beauty, combined with the
music, flowers, and the flashing jewels, and, in addition, the
uniforms of the diplomats of different countries, richly embroid
ered with gold and silver thread, the Hungarian court dress,
which is composed of velvet, fur, and precious stones, and the
Austrian court and military uniforms, — than which none can be
more briUiant, — it was indeed a fairy scene, and one long to be
remembered. Invitations to the court-balls are given for nine
o'clock. The dancing begins at ten, and at a quarter of an hour
before midnight, when the emperor and empress leave the ball
room, the guests depart.
February 18. The second court ball is over. It was a finer
f^te and more exclusive in invitations than the first ball. There
w

178 FRAGMENTARY LETTERS.
were seven hundred and twenty guests in attendance. The grand
entree in the ball-room took place at ten o'clock, and after two
rounds of dancing, supper was served. There were seventy-
two tables laid in a half-dozen rooms, each table seating ten
persons and presided over by some representative of royalty
or nobility. The empress left the ball-room before the supper
was announced and did not re-appear. Supper being over, the
emperor and the Crown Princess Stephanie led the way to the
ball-room when the cotillion was danced, and at twelve o'clock
the royal family left the ball-room and the company immedi
ately dispersed. The floral decorations remained the same as at
the first ball. I never saw such magniflcent toilets and profusion
of jewels as were there displayed. The Polish, Bohemian, Croa
tian and Hungarian costumes of the government officials greatly
enhanced the attractiveness of the spectacle. I saw ladies wear
ing jeweled necklaces estimated at seventy thousand dollars
in value, and tiaras of diamonds exceeding that sum, besides
bracelets, buckles and agraffes of great beauty and cost. The
bodice of one toilet was ornamented around the points with a
dozen clusters of diamonds. The empress's toilet was of cream-
colored satin, embroidered with gold ; her jewels were emeralds
and diamonds. The crown princess's dress was of rose satin and
velvet of the same color, brocaded with gold thread ; her jew
els were pearls and diamonds. Many of the family jewels of
the Viennese are of almost priceless value. They are, in many
cases, heirlooms and the inheritance of several generations,
with additions in each decade, so that the original cost of them
is not to be compared with modern prices. In olden times the
diamond was not appreciated as it is in these days and had not
the same value. Precious stones were then only possessed by
the families of royalty and of nobihty, and the demand for them
was quite limited. In earlier days some of the old Austrian
and Hungarian families had great possessions, and they obtained

A PLEASANT GERMAN CUSTOM. 179
every fine gem that was merchantable in their countries. This
is the explanation of the enormous collection of jewels in these
countries. A very pretty and pleasing feature of the ball was
the distribution of beautiful bonbonnieres to the guests when
they departed from the ball-room.
This is the time of year for "coffees" — especiaUy a German
custom. They are largely in vogue with the Viennese. The
fashionable hour for them is four o'clock in the afternoon, and
ladies attending them always carry their work-bags. The guests
are expected to arrive promptly at the hour named in the invi
tation. They remove their hats and wraps, and pass an hour in
conversation and work until coffee is announced. The guests
are seated at a table, which is prettily laid with choice china, bon
bons, and flowering plants sprinkled with perfumed water. A
delicious cup of coffee, a la Viennoise, with thin slices of but
tered bread,_ plain cakes, fruit-jellies and fruit-creams comprise
the simple repast. Sometimes there are readings, which occupy
an hour very agreeably before the coffee is announced. Very
soon after the refreshments have been served the ladies separate,
with the parting words, auf wiedersehen, or au revoir.

HUNGARY.

Budapest, May 3. We came here to attend the opening of
the first Hungarian national exposition. From Vienna it is five
.hours' ride by rail, or twelve hours by steamer on the Danube
River. Budapest is on the Danube, and embraces the municipalities
of Pest on one side and Ofen on the other side. The two
cities were annexed in 1873, since which time the greater
number of improvements have been made. Budapest is a city
of street cafes. From early morning until midnight they are
patronized. From four o'clock in the afternoon untU nine in
the evening they are enhvened with music. The Hungarian
music is of a weird and mournful character ; it is called gypsy
music. It is generally in the minor key and played without
notes. At our hotel we have this music daily for two hours
during the time dinner is served.
The Hungarians are more stirring than the Austrians. The
Hungarian language is used in social and business relations
more now than formerly. Hungarians have bright and keen
faces which indicate great earnestness of purpose. The expo
sition is the grandest affair that has taken place here since the
crowning of the king and queen twenty years ago. Nobles, aris
tocracy and peasants are in their best attire these days.
The opening ceremony occurred yesterday iu the park where
the exposition is held. Crown Prince Rudolph read the opening
speech in the Hungarian language. It was addressed to the
king and announced the object of the exposition and its import
ance to the people. The king replied iu a few words ; he also
used the Hungarian language and wished success to the enter-

HANDSOME COSTUMES AND TOILETS. 181
prise. These addresses concluded, the king, vrith the Princess
Stephanie on his arm, followed by the Hungarian and Austrian
ministers, the diplomatic corps and the nobihty, made the tour
of the principal buildings. Opposite the royal pavihon was an
elevated platform furnished Avith cushioned chairs for the ladies
of the nobUity and of the diplomatic corps.
The favorite Hungarian color is vermUion ; this color is
worn for gentlemen's neck ties. Several ladies of the diplomatic
corps wore toUets of that color, including hats and parasols, in
comphment to the occasion. AU the bunting decorations of the
grounds were of the same color, which made a striking and
brUhant contrast Avith the green fohage of the trees. The
Hungarian nobles wore superb costumes of velvets, furs, and
gold embroideries, richly ornamented Avith precious stones. I
observed several costumes with buttons of fine pearls, turquoises,
carbuncles and emeralds set with diamonds. AU the nobles
wore upon their velvet or fur caps aigrettes of feathers and
precious stones. I saw an aigrette of turquoise and diamonds
as large as a tea- saucer !
Imagine the spectacle of one hundred of these magnificent
costumes and several hundred more of richly-dressed mihtary
officers moving about on the bright green grass under a forest of
trees in spring verdure ! There were also hundreds of ladies to
be seen in brilhant toUets and sparkling with diamonds in the
bright sunhght. Waving white plumes on the velvet caps
of the aristocracy added not a httie to the beautiful picture.
The plain black suit of the American minister was not left
unmentioned by the newspapers. I observed in a German jour
nal this morning a paragraph which stated that among the differ
ent uniforms the extreme republican plainness of the American
minister's dress was conspicuous.
The procession, in which there were royal personages, for
eign notables, and persons of nobUity, escorted by a fine display

182 FRA GMENTAR Y LETTERS.
of military, passed through Andrassy Avenue to the exposition
grounds. All buildings along the avenue were decorated with
flags, rich tapestries, oriental fabrics, shawls, velvet draperies,
and Turkish carpets suspended from the window^s and balconies.
The route from Vienna to Budapest is through the valley of
the Danube River, a rich agricultural country. The different
gi-ains are already well advanced in growth, and the fruit-trees
are loaded with green fruit. Lilacs in this country attain a
luxuriance and beauty that I have not seen elsewhere. The
lilacs here are of three shades— purple, a delicate peach blossom,
and a very rich cream-white color. Along the route we saw
hedges of lilacs resembling ribbons of purple satin laid upon the
grass. The Hungarian peasant costume is picturesque. Women
wear bright-colored short skirts, reaching just below the knees,
black bodices with white sleeves, and chemisettes, high-topped
boots meeting their skirts, and bright ribbons or handkerchiefs
arranged jauntily upon their heads. The men wear coarse
white home-spun hnen trousers, nearly as wide as the women's
skirts and just long enough to cover their knees, gayly colored
open jackets, with bright cords dangling from the front lapels,
black felt broad-brimmed hats, with a httie brown or green
feather stuck in the band on one side, and low shoes with large
showy buckles.
The nurse-girls in Budapest, as in Vienna, are generally Croa
tian women, and their costume is becoming and serviceable.
They wear short skirts of bright colors, generally red, with black
bodices over white chemisettes and short flowing sleeves, high-
topped boots, made of fine leather, with high heels ; their coif
fure is a large double bow, made of bright ribbon, eight or ten
inches wide, having streamers extending to the bottom of their
skirts. You can imagine how bright and cheerful the streets of
Budapest look with these pretty costumes thronging them.

PEST AND VICINITY. 183
Respecting the wines of Hungary I may say that everybody
knows that the delicious Tokay is made in this country, and that
even the vin ordinaire here is excellent. There are many varie
ties of good wines here, to be had at low, prices. In the south
of Hungary the grape is a very important product.
From a high point near the palace, — Blocksberg, five mUes
distant — is seen the valley from which the Hunyadi bitter water
is obtained. This water is exported to the United States in great
quantities, and it is also extensively used in Europe.
Pest was built by the Bulgarians long before Ofen, where
the palace stands, and yet Pest has the appearance of a modern
town. It has been taken and destroyed several times by the
Turks, and rebuilt as many times by its own people. It was
almost ruined again by the terrible inundation of 1 838. In Ofen
is the celebrated White Church, built by St. Stephen in 1015.
Pest and Ofen were incorporated into a municipality in 1873,
under the name of Budapestj since which time great improve
ments have been made, especially in Pest, which is rapidly
becoming one of the beautiful cities of Europe.
While the better class of Austrians are a handsome people,
the Hungarians have stronger and more marked features. Their
complexions are as dark as those of southern countries, while
the Austrians are fairer, like the people of northern Europe.
The bath-house on the Margaretha Insel, not far from Buda
pest, is perhaps the finest public bath building in Europe. It is
a stone structure, surrounded by stately old trees and beautiful
shrubbery and flowers. The baths, twenty in all, are of marble.
The portieres and upholstery are of crimson velvet. Luxurious
lounges and easy chairs are found in the corridors and on the
verandas, inviting rest after the bath, beside charming little
nooks with fountains and flowers, and a flne restaurant, which
induce a longer tarry on the grounds. The building was erected
by one of the nobles of Hungary and presented to Pest.

BOHEMIA.

Carlsbad, May 24. After a week's sojourn in Pest we
returned to Vienna, and arranged our affairs for a trip to Carls
bad. From Vienna to this place is a ride by rail of twelve
hours. It was one of the most interesting journeys we have
ever made, at home or abroad. Every mile of the way was
novel to us, and the scenery very charming. Until we reached
the Bohemian frontier the country was a continuity of lowland,
stretching along the valley of the Danube ; but it was not vrith-
out many interesting features. We passed by scores of neat-
looking little farmers' "riUages, and miles upon mUes of fruit
orchards. For miles along the route the fields of ripening grain
to be seen in the distance looked like measureless lengths of
shaded green ribbons laid upon the ground, without a fence
or hedge to mar the beautiful illusion. Emerging from the
valley, we entered a rough, mountainous country, vrith great
forests of pine and many smaU lakes. We soon recognized the
fact that we were among the mountains of Bohemia.
We saw many bands of gypsies in camp, and others moving
along the route. The numerous little vUlages and hamlets were
pictures of quiet rural scenery. These villages contain probably
from thirty to forty one-story-high white- washed houses, and
a church, Avith its spire rising above the embowering trees. A
half-dozen low houses comprise a hamlet where there may be
seen a small church, or perhaps a shrine instead. Each httie
house seemed imbedded in rose-bushes and clumps of fruit-
trees. Along the railroad are many shrines containing statues
of the Holy Family. Here and there in the fields, and by the
way-sides of the country roads, small shrines are erected.
I should say that Bohemia produces fruit enough for aU

SCENES AT CARLSBAD. 185
Europe, judging from the many orchards we saw. The high
ways are even shaded by apple, cherry, and plum trees, which
are now in fuU bloom. All along the railroad are orchards with
not a fence about them, nor is any sign seen indicating "hands
off." The fruit here is as plentiful as pine burrs are in the
Adirondacks. I don't believe the nomadic Bohemian pays
much for his fruit !
Bohemia is wildly picturesque and full of scenic surprises to
the traveler. The constant change of scenery from mountain
to valley, Avith high ledges of rocks suddenly appearing, and
again fields of "ribbons" of grain with a little hamlet appar
ently interspersed here and there, makes an enchanting variety
of landscape. To me it was like passing through a picture
gaUery with a constant change of subjects.
The women seem to do most of the farm -work. We saw
only a few men in the fields. In Europe the women and child
ren do most of the planting and cultivating, and the harvesting
too, while the men are engaged in military service. The grape
is grown successfully in Bohemia, and fine wines are made
there. Carlsbad is unhke any other place in the world that we
have seen in all our travels. Your father became quite infatu
ated wdth the city when he first visited it, and is even more
enchanted now. He is delighted Avith the long rambling walks
over the mountains. Every one here soon becomes a mountain-
ranger, for the inducement to much walking, as a part of the
scheme of cure, is most successfully effected. The ascents of
the high peaks are made so gradual, and the provision of fre
quent pavihons with comfortable seats where one may take rest,
soon teaches one that walking is the thing to do. And, too, it
affords the opportunity of meeting friends, for nobody stays at
home. There are fifty miles of weU -constructed walks travers
ing the mountains and valleys in the vicinity of Carlsbad, with

1 86 FRAGMEN TAR Y LETTERS.
occasionaUy a cafe where one can take rest and refreshment.
One meets here with constant surprises in the way of comfort
able accommodations and charming entertainments.
Carlsbad has a population of 15,000 inhabitants. It is situ
ated in a basin encircled by mountains, and has a rapid little
stream coursing through the valley. Near this stream of sweet
water are several mineral springs bursting out of the ground at
intervals of one hundred to two hundred feet. The water of
some of these springs has a temperature of almost boiling heat
while that of the others is tepid. There are no cold mineral
waters nearer than Montoni's Gessiibler spring, about two hours'
drive from Carlsbad. In places along the streets the pavements
are quite warm from the hot waters bubbling underneath them.
The most celebrated spring, the Sprudel, or Bubbling
Well, discharges a stream not less than five inches in diameter,
which is at a boiling heat. The water is so hot that the ladies
handle the mugs containing it with napkins. It can only be
taken into one's mouth by sips. The Sprudel corridor is always
filled with steam. Th© hot water of this spring has been gush
ing from it for hundreds of years, except at the time of the
great earthquake at Lisbon in 1755, when there was a partial
subsidence. However, it resumed its full force of flow in two
or three days.
The Sprudel was accidentally discovered six hundred years
ago on the occasion of a deer-hunt. The animal, being closely
followed by some hunters, leaped from a high ledge of rocks
into this boiling spring, which was hidden by the underbrush.
The dead deer was found, as also was the source of the Sprudel
Spring. It is said that the hunter who drove the deer off the
rocks was Carl IV., hence the derivation of the name Carlsbad,
or Carl IV.'s bath. The Sprudel was a resort for invalids long
before the site of the town of Carlsbad was built upon. In the
early days of its discovery the nobihty came from far and near.

SIPPING THE SPRING WATER. 187
and encamped near the spring in order to drink the water.
Now flfty thousand people visit Carlsbad every season.
The first promenade corridor was built in 1748. In the
centre of the Sprudel corridor is a Vienna orchestra of twenty
musicians, who discourse fine music from six until eight
o'clock in the morning, during the time prescribed for the
' ' cures " to drink the water. It was an odd sight this morn
ing to see thousands of people of all nationalities, each with
a glass or china mug strapped over the shoulder, walking
through the long corridors of the Sprudel Spring sipping
the hot water, and chatting as they strolled, or sat and hstened
to the music while drinking the morning draught. An
invalid is instructed by one of the physicians how to take the
water. The doctor first diagnoses the disease, and tells the
patient the quantity of water to be taken and at what intervals.
For instance, your father is instructed to go fasting to the Spru
del at seven o'clock in the morning. He is to drink one cup of
water, and then to stroll twenty minutes, when he is to drink
another cup, and stroll again, and then drink a third cup
about eight o'clock. Then we go to the Swiss bakery, and get
bread, or zwieback, of a certain kind eaten by the "cures,"
which is handed to us in a pink paper bag, and we go thence
to some cafe along the sidewalk or to a garden where coffee or
tea and two boiled eggs can be obtained, which, with our
unbuttered bread, makes our breakfast.
After an hour's rest everybody falls into a line and all start
for a walk to the mountains. Those who are not able to walk
may get a cart and donkey, the driver walking by the side of the
animal, and so the invalids are enabled to keep alongside of the
good walkers. People and donkeys reach the heights by shaded
paths, resting every few minutes until they have arrived at the
top of some high rocky cliff, where one finds a pretty summer-
house and a weU-conducted cafe. Fine views of the surround-

188 ERA GMENTAR Y LE TTERS.
ing country are seen through the clearings made in the inter
cepting woods.
One o'clock is the hour for dinner, which one may take
wherever one chances to be, for there are innumerable and excel
lent restaurants to be found about Carlsbad, with about the
same bill of fare that is provided at the hotels. There is but
little choice in the cuisine ; it is nearly the same thing all over
Carlsbad, and only embraces a plain style of cooking. In order
to insure the proper food for the "cure," his doctor will give
him a written hst of such articles of food as he may eat. How
ever, it matters very little what one may Avish to order, for there
is only the prescribed menu to be found at the hotels and rest
aurants. The fare is good in quality, plainly cooked, limited in
variety, and ample enough in quantity. After dinner another
walk or donkey ride of two hours for one's health is taken.
Then the patients may go to some garden cafe, and enjoy an
hour of fine music. At seven o'clock a supper of cold meat and
bread, vrith tea or a prescribed wine is allowed. No butter is
served to "cures," except when ordered by the physicians. At
nine o'clock, the hour for retiring, a glass of cooled Sprudel,
or the water of some other spring, is drank.
No exception is made even for royalty in the early morning-
walk and drinking the waters at the springs. The King and
Queen of Holland are now in Carlsbad and go daily at seven
o'clock to the spring for two or three cups of water. There
are a half-dozen principal springs which vary greatly in tem
perature and somewhat in mineral qualities. At each spring
are six or eight " dippers " — little girls, from ten to twelve years
old, wearing rubber aprons — who fill the cups and return them
to the drinkers. Thousands upon thousands of persons may be
seen at the springs daily during the morning hours, and it is a
motley crowd as they pass along in line, — the stout and the thin
invalids, — all Avith their mugs in hand or strapped over the

ATTRACTIVE SHOPS AND CAF&S. 189
shoulders, for each one must wait his turn to get his cup fllled.
There are often two hundred people in line, or in the circle
formed around the spring. As fast as the cups are filled the
"cures " fall out of line and stand on one side until they have
drank their portions, and others fall into their places. Some
times I have been five minutes in line moving slowly along
to get my cup fiUed. As my prescription only calls for one mug
of water, I have a half-hour to spare, which I spend in the
SpiTidel corridor and listen to the music.
AU along the banks of the River Tapell running through
the town are attractive shops and bazars where are for sale all
kinds of small wares and Bohemian glass. Among these shops
is one called the " Yankee Notion Shop," where a great variety
of small American wares may be found. Some of these shops
are no more than eight feet wide, and just deep enough for two
people to sit behind a small counter, and a narrow space for
three or four shoppers in front of it. The street running along
the. river is caUed Chestnut Alley ; it is shaded by chestnut-trees
a hundred years old, whose wide-reaching branches over
hang many street cafes which are established under them only
for summer occupation.
It is customary here to go in parties on afternoon walks,
and afterwards to a garden or cafe, where the ladies, having
with them their inevitable work-bags, devote an hour or two to
embroidery or knitting, while the gentlemen indulge in a cigar,
all being seated around a large table ; at half -past six o'clock
the work-bags are closed and the members of the party leisurely
saunter along in the middle of the streets to their respective
homes. In certain thoroughfares, where the popular springs
are, no carriages are allowed during the early morning hours
which are devoted to taking the waters, so that the "cures"
have the entire roadway for their "constitutionals." On the
other streets, where the large cafes are situated, carriages are
prohibited until the morning coffee has been taken.

1 90 FRA GMENTAR Y LETTERS.
There is but little bathing recommended in the mineral
waters of Carlsbad ; indeed, many people are positively for
bidden to bathe in them. The especial medicinal bath recom
mended for nervous derangement and rheumatic complaints is
the mud bath. This bath is a mixture of clay, brought from
Mariensbad, and hot Sprudel water. The clay is as black as
peat, and is largely composed of iron, sulphur, and salt. The
facilities for furnishing the mud bath are very perfect here. A
mud bath is certainly not as agreeable as one of pure water,
for one has an aversion to an immersion in dirty water.
However, in many cases, it is ah efficacious remedy for dis
ease Car-loads of the clay are daily brought to Carlsbad dur
ing the summer. Generally sixty pounds of the clay are mixed
with hot Sprudel water, to the consistency of a thick batter, the
mass having a temperature of 28° Reaumar. The patient
remains twenty-five minutes in the bath. After taking it, the
attendant gives the patient a clean- water bath. Not more than
a half-dozen of these baths are recommended to be taken ; one
every alternate day.
We have become somewhat accustomed to a sight which is
very novel to Americans. The erection of an opera-house is in
progress on the lot adjoining our hotel, and the brick and mor
tar used in constructing the building are carried to the masons
by young women. They carry the hods with no evident dis
comfort ; they ascend and descend the ladders with as much
ease as men. I have noticed among them a very comely and
bright-faced girl, to whom the masons are particularly gaUant,
for while they permit the other women to dump their own hods,
there is always a mason ready to dump hers. The girls wear
short gray skirts and sleeveless jackets, long red stockings and
stout wooden shoes. They seem perfectly happy in their work,
if I judge rightly from their frequent singing and chatting.

PORTUGAL.

Cintra, January 5. We came here yesterday to escape the
noise and annoyance of the carnival at Lisbon, in which all
classes participate. Last evening we saw a really pretty carni
val spectacle. About five o'clock in the afternoon a group of
eight httie girls, from twelve to fourteen years old, and as many
country cavaliers, about twenty years of age, formed them
selves in a circle in front of our hotel, vrith a band of country
musicians. The group danced a national dance lasting nearly
an hour. The major domo of the party was dressed as a war
rior of the olden time, and mounted on a gayly caparisoned
white horse covered to his feet with a white not. The group
was escorted by four other horsemen armed Avith paper weapons
to protect the dancers from intrusion by passers-by.
The little girls wore white dresses, pink sashes, pink slip
pers with lacings of pink ribbons extending to the knees, veUs
of silver-tissue paper attached to crowns of roses and silver
paper. They carried in their belts short paper swords, and in
their hands semicircular wreaths of flowers and ribbons large
enough to pass over their heads. The cavaliers wore white
shirts, with broad red stripes on the outer side of them, red
scarfs around their waists, red handkerchiefs about their necks,
and Portuguese red and blue caps. They had also wreaths in
their hands. The movements and changes of the dance were
directed with a whistle by the major domo, who stood at the
head of his horse. There was a standard-bearer with a flag,
who took an important part in the dance. The movements of
the dancers were slow and well timed with the music, and grace
ful beyond anything I have seen even at a court baU. One of

192 ERA GMENTAR Y LETTERS.
the changes was evidently a love scene, during which the caval
iers puUed from their pockets white handkerchiefs, and throw
ing them on the ground, dropped each upon a knee, facing their
partners, the couples placing wreaths upon one another's necks
and clasping hands. Then they marched away two by two, and
disappeared down the road. They departed with a light danc
ing step timed to the music.
We visited the beautiful quinta of Mr. C, an Englishman
from London, who has an income of half a million a year. He
comes to Cintra every, six months to stay a few weeks. The
house is built after the plan of a Moorish palace. It is the finest
residence in Portugal, not excepting the king's palaces. The
architecture inside and outside is entirely Moorish. The build
ing is beautiful, with its marble halls, fountains, sculptured col
umns and marble lattice- work. A part of the furniture is the
fine collection of Indian work which was sent to London for
exhibition some years ago. For one table $5,000 was paid, and
all the other pieces were purchased at high prices. There are
rich Persian carpets, rare curios from Japan and China, and
some marble window screens from the harem of the palace in
Agra, India. There is also a collection of rare books, and many
works of art, bought at enormous prices. In fact everything
about this place is palatial. The house is built of white mar
ble, situated in a large cork forest, and has close to the house
acres of ground laid out in gardens and orange and lemon groves.
Mr. C. claims to have trees and plants from every part of the
world. He employs twenty gardeners.
We have been to Mafra, an insignificant little village in
which is the largest building in Portugal, an old convent built
one hundred and eighty years ago. From Cintra, seventeen
miles distant, this building is plainly seen. This great pile of
marble and stone is 1150 feet long, 360 feet longer than the Cap
itol at Washington. It was built by King John V. of Portugal,

ENTRANCE OF THE MONSERRATE PALACE AND THE SQUARE OF D. PEDRO, LISBON.

AT CINTRA AND VICINITY. 193
who made a vow that were a son born to him he would build in
the poorest part of the kingdom the largest convent ever erected.
Thirteen years were spent in its erection. The building cout
tains 866 rooms, 5,000 doors, and 9 courts. Upon the roof 10,-
000 men may stand at one time. When the basilica, or chapel,
was consecrated, on the king's birthday, he ordered refresh
ments to be given from the kitchen to all who apphed, and
9,000 persons partook of his hospitality that day. In the con
vent is a hbrary of 30,000 books.
Cintra is a picturesque, rambling little town, apparently
dropped down upon the eastern slope of the serra, or mountain,
nestling among vine-covered trees, lovely gardens and orange
groves. It overlooks a plain between the mountain and the sea
five miles in width, dotted with twenty-three little villages and
scores of vineyards, and includes a fine view of the Atlantic
ocean. The steamers passing the mouth of the Tagus are plainly
seen from any part of the vUlage. Cintra has a population of
four thousand. It is the only convenient Sunday retreat for the
Lisbonese ; it is distant seventeen miles over a fine road with
the sea in view nearly all the way. It is made by rail in an
hour. The village is built upon over-hanging cragged rocks
and terraced plateaus seemingly clinging to the sides of the
mountains. The seaward slope of the serra is laid out in quintas,
or spacious gardens, in which stand long-ago-built viUas, and
there are frequent thickets of flne old forest trees overhung
with moss, ivy, and flowering vines, interspersed with smaU
groves of lemons and wild oranges. Through these quintas are
narrow donkey -paths leading all over the mountains, where one
is sure to meet, any day in the week, several parties of excur
sionists mounted on well-trained donkeys. The principal high
ways are bordered with stone walls six to eight feet high, many
of which were built more than two hundred years ago. In
y

194 FRA GMENTAR V LETTERS.
many places these walls are entirely covered' with running -vines
and tufts of wild flowers. For long distances some of the roads
are bordered with wild rose geraniums which attain a size not
seen even in our conservatories at home. In whatever direction
we may go we have an extended view of the ocean. Southey,
the English poet, saw Cintra and said that it was "the most
blessed spot in the habitable world."
Our hotel is a curiosity in its way. It is kept by an Eng
lish-Portuguese family. Only one room in the house is carpeted,
which is our sitting-room. We do not miss the carpets, how
ever, for the white and well-scrubbed floors are very agreeable
in this warm climate. The furniture has been in service for the
greater part of the past hundred years. It was in this room
that Byron wrote the lines in Childe Harold's pilgrimage :
Lo ! Cintra's glorious Eden intervenes,
In variegated maze of mount and glen ;
Ah, me ! what hand can pencil guide or pen,
To follow half on which the eye dilates !
Byron wrote his name with a diamond on a pane of glass
in the window which commands a view to the sea. The auto
graph was coveted and asked for by every tourist visiting the
room, until a few years ago, when some "irrepressible" trav
eler took the glass from the window and departed with it
without even saying, "By your leave, madam."
You enter this little inn by a door- way leading three or four
steps down into Avhat appears to be the steward's room, but
which is in reality the provision-room, and at the same time
the guest's sitting-room and also the office of the house. The
floor is frequently obstructed vrith chickens, ducks, and turkeys,
which flutter, cackle, quack, and gobble in vain attempts to
release their legs from the cords which bind them, while the
mistress of the inn and the vender are earnestly bargaining.
There also baskets of eggs, fruit, and cheese awaiting sale.

PECULIAR CALL FOR SERVANTS. 195
This is a favorite place for the guests of the house to find
a comfortable chair after a fatiguing walk or donkey ride, and
to await the arrival of the mail- bag -with letters.
There is no end of curious details which might be mentioned
respecting the inn. The cuisine is fairly good ; the che,f d^ce/uvre
of the kitchen is a pigeon pie. A good breakfast and dinner
may be had here every day.
The Portuguese mode of carrying baggage when one goes
to spend a few weeks in the country is novel, and convenient
to say the least. The people carry their effects in large cal
ico bags. Two persons will each have two large bags. It is
surprising to see how neatly and' compactly things may be
packed away in bags. This custom has its real merits. The
baggage can be handled most conveniently and occupies the
least possible space in a room.
A summons or call for servants, peculiar to this country
and observable everywhere, is given by clapping the hands and
making a hissing sound between the tongue and the teeth. This
summons generally substitutes the use of beUs in houses. The
coachman heeds this call as well as the waiter and housemaid.
The gallegos, who are the water-carriers and street- messengers,
and who have their stands on the street-corners, look anxiously
at the Avindows and doors, eager to hear the summons for their
service. The passing fruit and fish venders recognize the well-
known caU ; in fact, it pervades every branch of service in the
country. After five o'clock in the afternoon scores of donkeys may
be seen jogging along the dusty roads carrying on green, blue,
or crimson plush saddles ladies going to tea visits, or to make
calls of etiquette. The donkeys are driven by boys and girls,
who keep the animals in the road and from stopping to nibble
grass along the roadside by a switch or twisting their tails.
The ladies wear broad-brimmed sun-bats and carry bright-col-

196 FRAGMENTARY LETTERS.
ored umbreUas. This mode of going about is very convenient
and inexpensive. The service of a donkey and a driver may
be had for a milrei (equal in value to one dollar in our money)
a day, aUowing the driver his usual rations of bread and wine,
and the donkey a few tufts of thistles.
Cintra is the only convenient and agreeable summer resort
for the Lisbonese. Usually the diplomatic corps take quintas
in Cintra for six months in the year, where visiting is done
with much less formality than at the capital. Donkeys are
the ever-available animals on which to ride to picnics and to
places in the country. Ladies are transported by them to after
noon teas, and the docUe animals travel at a lively pace when
urged thereto by the boys behind them vrith switches.
Lisbon, November 29. We have seen a buU-fight, the last
of the season. In the summer there is one every Sunday. A
Portuguese buU-fight of to-day is not the cruel and brutalizing
sport of former times, nor is it as repulsive a spectacle to look
upon as a Spanish bull-fight. The ring is caUed a pra(}a, and is
like a large open circus-ring, with two tiers of boxes, one hun
dred in all, extending half-way around the circle. The royal
box is handsomely furnished with crimson velvet and gilt decor
ations. Opposite this box is the grand entrance for the caval-
leiros, or horsemen. On one side of the royal box is the entrance
and exit for the bulls. There are always thirteen buUs brought
out, coming in singly one after the other.
The sport begins at five o'clock in the afternoon, when the
great heat of the day is over. In the morning of the day of the
flght the points of the horns of the bulls are crowned with
small gilded balls. The bulls are from flve to seven years old.
Deadly weapons are no longer permitted to be used by the mata
dors, or fighters. The weapons used are slender wooden darts,
two feet long, decorated with gay-colored ribbons, and having

A BULL-FIGHT WITNESSED. 197
iron bars at one end called /arpas. The cavalleiros are gentle
men well trained in horsemanship. Sometimes the fidalgos, or
noblemen, take part in the sport. The cavalleiros wear a cos
tume of the last century, — broad-tailed black velvet coats, knee-
breeches, with high-topped boots, cocked hats, and are mounted
on splendid Arabian horses. The bandarilheiros, or foot-fight
ers, wear richly embroidered velvet jackets of various colors,
knee-breeches, white stockings, black velvet slippers with broad
buckles, and red silk sashes around their waists ending with gilt
tassels. The director of the entertainment sits under the royal
box, and gives his orders through a bugler standing by his side.
The performance begins with the entrance of a half-dozen
cavalleiros splendidly mounted upon horses richly caparisoned,
who make the formal obeisance to the royal box and spectators.
After making some fine evolutions of old Spanish horsemanship,
they retire. At a bugle-signal a bandarilheiro takes his place
at one of the side doors through which the bulls enter, one at a
time, he holding in each hand a dart, which he thrusts skillfully
and quickly into the sides of the bull's neck as he runs into the
ring. The bull, enraged by the sting of the barb, seems to
know upon whom he is to avenge himself, and he plunges
toward the young man in the bright jacket, but misses him, for
the bandarilheiro has already jumped the partition wall and
escaped, to appear at another point. The buU is goaded on by
more barbs thrust by other assailants, and turns and plunges
at those nearest him. After the infuriated animal has eight or
ten darts dangling from his neck, the tantalizers begin to shake
large red and yellow caps before him to aUure him to attack
them, which he does, but they by dexterous movements make
their escape.
The mounted cavaUeiros now come into the ring and take
part in barbing the buU with a weapon four feet long. They
must approach the bull near enough to place the dart in his

198 ERA GMENTAR Y LETTERS.
body and yet save their horses from being attacked. Great
excitement ensues, and skillful horsemanship is displayed.
As the bulls become exhausted they are led out of the ring,
when their wounds are dressed with salt and vinegar. The
bulls are driven into town the night before the fight, and
returned to the country soon after the spectacle is over. The
"sport " lasts about two hours, and closes with a grand entry of
all the participants, who again bow to the royal family and the
audience, expressing thanks for the patronage. A bull-fight
occurs every Sunday during the summer in Lisbon. But the
most enlightened portions of the world regard buU- fights as
relics of old-time barbarism which are out of keeping with this
more refined age. Consequently there is a groAring public sen
timent against them, and they are becoming less popular. It is
to be hoped the time is not far distant when they shall dis
appear entirely.

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