Part 14
You had better secure your steamer chair, if you wish for any, as soon as you go aboard, rental $1 each. If they have a band, as they probably will, you will be asked to contribute for that. As to the amount, you will be governed by the ear for music you may have. So you see it will be an easy matter to get rid of eight or ten dollars, although there is no compulsion in any of these tips; but a person who wishes to take a foreign trip and get along without tips bad better wear a coat of mail, and expect to receive the anathema of all the waiters of a foreign land. Tips in the Old World are the custom. The waiters work for low wages or none at all; and, if they are polite and attentive, I enjoy seeing them have a few loose shillings about them when I bid them good-by. Cook & Sons and Henry Gaze & Sons are the two old established firms of tourist agents in the old country, and are very reliable firms. Raymond & Whitcomb have recently commenced tours abroad. Their service in this country has been excellent, none better to travel with. These firms usually charge about $10 a day, but you are relieved of all care and anxiety. A small party can go independently, and hire their guide when and wherever they may need one, as they can be found in any country, price from two to four dollars per day. This divided among six or eight amounts to but a trifle. In that way a party can travel for six or seven dollars per day; and you can be quite independent, stay as long or as short a time in a place as you please. If you have some in your party that can speak French or German, it will help you wonderfully. Have your passport, and with your letter of credit you can get English or French gold, which is good in any country.
The money of the country you are in you should get rid of before leaving that country to enter another. If there is no other way, and you have your wife with you, hand it to her; for she will very quickly find curiosities and articles you will like to bring home with you, which will soon clean out the loose change you may have about you. Heavy overcoats for gentlemen taking a sea voyage are the things to have, and fur cloaks and steamer rugs for ladies. Below you will find the denominations of money of different countries, giving their value in American coin, which will be well for any one to study that is going into those countries. Many people are exceedingly afraid of drinking the water in a foreign land. There may be those that enjoy that delusion for the sake of an excuse to drink wine and beer; but there are many that would prefer the water if it could be taken with safety; and there is no doubt that it can be, certainly in a hilly country. Use your own judgment in the matter. When you think there is danger, drink tea or coffee or water that has been boiled; and your countenance will be more charming than it would have been, had you confined yourself to the wine and beer of the land. Regarding hotel carriages, drives, donkey rides, etc., always make your contracts beforehand.
_German coin._ _U.S. coin._ Carolin $4.92 Groschen (1/30 thaler) .02-1/3 Heller (1 pfennig) .00-1/4 Kreutzer (1/30 mark) .00-2/3 Krone (10 marks) 2.38 Mark (100 pfennigs) .24-1/4 Thaler (3 marks) .71-1/2
_English coin._ _U.S. coin._ Pound (20 shillings) $4.85 Crown (5 shillings) 1.21 Florin (2 shillings) .48-1/2 Guinea (21 shillings) 5.09-1/4 Penny (1/12 shilling) .02 Shilling (12 pence) .24
_Turkish coin._ _U.S. coin._ Asper (1/120 piastre) Beshlik (5 piastres) $0.21 Lira (100 piastres) 4.40 Medjidie (20 piastres) .88 Piastre .04 Purse (500 piastres) 21.73 Shereefee 227.00
_Italian coin._ _U.S. coin._ Marengo (20 francs) $3.86 Scudo (5 lire) .97 Lire (100 centimes) .19-1/2 Soldo (1/20 lire) .01 Testone .32
_French coin._ _U.S. coin._ Centime (1/100 franc) $0.00-1/5 Decime (1/10 franc) .02 Franc .19-1/2 Sou (1/20 franc) .01
Transcriber’s Notes
Perceived typographical errors have been silently corrected.
Archaic and unusual spelling has been retained as in the original.
Illustrations have been moved nearer to the text to which they refer. As a result, the page numbers listed in the illustrations table may be incorrect.