Part 2

A quiet Sunday has been spent here, some attending church. To-morrow morning at 7.30 we expect to start for Rome, reaching there about noon, leaving there for this place again. Saturday we leave here for Brindisi, where we take steamer for Egypt.

II.

ROME, March 4, 1895.

You will remember that in my last letter I left you at Naples. After that time we visited the old aqueduct, built through the mountain by Nero, to bring the water into Naples. When we were on our way from Pompeii, we saw parts of the old Appian Way, built by Nero from Naples to Rome, over which Saint Paul travelled on his way from Puteoli to Rome, when a prisoner. All roads lead to Rome, and this was one of them.

We took an early start this morning, left our hotel at 7 A.M. and took train for this place. Our managers had secured two cars for us, so we were not obliged to mix up with the natives. These cars will be held here at Rome until Friday, when we shall return to Naples. Saturday the same cars will take us to Brindisi, where we take steamer for Egypt. This was our first car-ride in the old country, and we were interested to know the result, as they tell great stories about their fast trains, etc. One of their yarns is that a young man was on one of their fast express trains, and was going through a town where his lady love resided: he wired her to be on the platform of the station, as he wished to kiss her as he passed through. She was there; but the train went so fast that, instead of kissing his lady love, he kissed a peasant at the next station. Bad egg. Now do not be anxious about us: there is no flirtation in our company. However, we found the train a very good one, and made the one hundred and sixty miles in five hours; but we think Uncle Sam is ahead yet on speed and quality of service.

Starting out from Naples, we found the finest farming lands that ever mortals set eyes upon. Judge Whitmore, of Pennsylvania, who is one of our party, and has travelled extensively, said he never saw the like before. The land was a level plain, and rich in the extreme. There were a great many olive, mulberry and fig trees scattered over it; but under, through, and among them the ground was covered with vegetation, and for some ten miles out it was largely garden vegetables. It was like riding through a grove and garden combined. Everything here is done by hand, and largely the old bog hoe, as we call it, is used,--this, with a round stick driven in for a handle. Occasionally we would see men working with long-handled spades or shovels, which looked quite modern. As we speed on our way, this broad plain begins to narrow in upon us, and the foothills were at one time down near the track; but every foot of ground in this country seems to be cultivated, even to the tops of the mountains. Before we reached Rome, this valley we had been passing over began to widen; and, when we caught sight of the ancient city, it appeared to be standing at the head of a broad plain. As we neared the city, we saw the old stone aqueducts resting upon hundreds of stone arches. When our train drew into the depot, we were surprised to find a building of modern structure; and, as we came outside, we learned the fact that we were in what is called New Rome, which has a very modern appearance. Carriages soon took us to the Hotel d’Angleterre, which is very satisfactory.

After lunch our managers took us to the Pincian Hill, and gave us a bird’s-eye view of Rome, pointing out the places of interest that we should visit between this time and Friday. At the foot of this hill is a park where stands Cleopatra’s Needle. At your right is the old gate to the city where the pilgrims entered. Here Martin Luther entered, and at your left stands the church where he took his first communion. A little farther in front flows the river Tiber, with its large number of bridges spanning its waters, and its splendid stone masonry up and down its banks as far as you can see. Beyond this river stands St. Peter’s Church, with its sixteen domes, the main dome being some four hundred feet high, length of church six hundred feet, width four hundred and fifty feet; and at the right of this wonderful structure stands the Vatican, where resides the pope. After we had our fill of gazing over the city, we descended to the foot of the hill, where we took carriages, and drove to St. Peter’s Church. First you enter the square in front, containing some acres. At your right and left begin the circling colonnades. Upon the top of these, which extend up to the church, stand statues of the saints, some two hundred of them.

As you go up the long line of stone steps and enter the church, your first impression is its immensity. As you go on, this feeling grows upon you; and you are awed with its grandeur. Outside it has a dingy appearance; but a great amount of money is expended inside to keep it in fine condition, and it attracts the eye of all lovers of the beautiful. Our manager explained everything as we went through this great building, which took nearly one hour. This church was nearly three hundred years in building, and was begun in the fourteenth century. We went down into the vault, and they unlocked the door and showed us the box that held, as they claim, the ashes of Saint Peter. The leaving of this church closed quite an eventful day for us; and we went to our hotel for dinner and a good night’s rest, which brought us out all right.

Tuesday morning at nine o’clock we took carriages, and drove to the Pantheon. This is a building of historical interest. It was built twenty-seven years before Christ by Marcus Agrippa. First he intended it for the people as a public bathing-place. It was the first brick building ever erected, also the first dome architecture. One immense dome covers the whole building. It pleased the people and its builder so much that in dedicating it any individual god was not sufficient, and so it was dedicated to the gods, which gave it the name Pantheon. It is now used as a church, and services were going on while we were looking it over. From this building we drove to the Vatican. This building contains eleven hundred rooms. Of course, we did not try to take in the whole thing, but spent some two hours inside; and I will mention only a few things that impressed me most. One was the pope’s private chapel, which no one visits without permission. The decoration was done by Michel Angelo; and at one end of this chapel is his masterpiece, called “The Judgment,” upon which he nearly lost his eyesight. In going through the museum of this building, you will make up your mind that marble, onyx, talent, and time have made obeisance to the pope. From all parts of Italy and Greece have been gathered the finest of everything. When you enter the rotunda, you will notice a gilt bronze statue of Hercules, some twelve feet high, standing with a lion skin thrown over one arm, the other hand holding an immense club resting on the ground. Fabulous sums of money have been offered for this statue, but it cannot be bought. It is said that the Vatican and what is in it cost more than all the wealth of Italy. St. Peter’s Church is said to have cost twelve million pounds sterling, and at that time that sum meant much more than it does now. We have visited the building where the apostles were thrust into the inner prison, and I can say that I never had much of an idea before of that place. We took candles, and went down into a dungeon. Then they told us that the inner prison was under that. So on down we went; and, if the word dismal has any significance, we found it there, stone above, below, and around you. We visited the spot where once stood the monument inscribed “to the unknown god.” The emperor at that time was warned, as he claimed, by some god that the enemy was approaching, and went and conquered them. Not knowing the god that did him this favor, he had the statue or monument erected and thus inscribed. We visited the Palatine Hill where once stood Cæsar’s palace. Everything on this hill, you doubtless know, was destroyed by the Gauls and Vandals, being burned and pulled down; and, as other kings have built their palaces in other parts of the city, they have taken everything of value, and it looks now like the ruins of an immense castle. The government is at work excavating and clearing up matters; but the subterranean caverns, arches, etc., that the palace stood upon are wonderful. We stood on the spot where Paul stood when he appealed to Cæsar for justice, and the foundation of the throne where Cæsar sat is still intact. At the base of the Palatine Hill stand the three pillars of Castor and Pollux, near the Forum. These pillars were once greatly admired for their symmetrical beauty. Pliny tells us of a raven that was hatched upon the roof of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, that flew into a bootmaker’s shop opposite. Every morning it used to fly to the Rostra which looked toward the Forum, where he would salute the Emperor Tiberius and others as they passed by, after which he returned to the shop, doing this for several years and being a great pet. But through the jealousy of an owner of an opposition shop the bird was killed, and for this the man was put to death. The bird had a public funeral, with a larger concourse of people than ever attended any king.

The old historical interest of Rome would fill volumes. I am drinking in what I can of it, and will give you a few more items of this ancient city in my next letter.

III.

ROME, March 8, 1895.

Still in sunny Italy. For the last few days we have been busy looking over the interesting parts of the city, but will not trouble you with detail in the matter, but would like to give you a general idea of Rome. Romulus pitched his tent here seven hundred and fifty years before the Christian era, and in the nearly three thousand years Rome has had a wonderful experience. At times she ruled the world, then again without prestige. Century after century has crumbled into dust, and the people of to-day are walking over their ashes. The martyrdom of the apostles was at their hand. They slaughtered the Christians, and scattered them to the four corners of the earth; but their cup has been a bitter one, and they have drained it to the dregs. But the stone that was cut out of the mountain has triumphed, and the sun of righteousness is reflecting its light back upon its persecutors; and Rome is to-day rising in her Christian civilization. If you will take a ramble with me, I will show you a city pretty free from saloons and drunkenness, streets beautifully paved and kept remarkably clean; a city with fine hotels, stores full of fine goods, merchants polite, many of the clerks speak English, pure water in abundance; and no city with so great number of fountains, many of them not excelled in beauty in any city. Then look for a moment upon her historical interest, her massive walls that surrounded the city with her many watchtowers and battlement, its gates bolted and barred, but now a thing of the past, her ruined temples and palaces, her old stone aqueduct that has given way to the modern iron pipe. These things are drawing tourists, English as well as American. The Methodists are building a fine mission building here, which is soon to be dedicated. Many from America are expected at the dedication. We are glad this town was in our route, and shall leave it with regrets. Our stay here has been full of interest.

Our party this morning took a carriage for a depot on the east side of the city, and took train for Tivoli. Crossing the large plain we came over on our arrival, eighteen miles brought us to the foot of the Sabine Hills. Up this elevation our train went, wending its way through thousands of acres of olive-trees, until it had carried us some five hundred feet above the level of the plain, and landed us in Tivoli. This town is many years older than Rome. West, some twenty miles distant, you see Rome with the dome of St. Peter’s Church. Tivoli is about half-way up the Sabine Hills. Back of this elevation are the Apennines, whence comes a great quantity of pure spring water. The Sabine Hills are composed of lime-rock; and the water from the Apennines comes through caverns under the town, and makes its appearance in different places one side of the town, and tumbles down three hundred feet into a ravine. The water, running continually, is twice as much as runs in Black River, at Springfield, when it is at its usual height. Walks have been built up and down these cascades. The beautiful rainbow is there when the sun shines, and it is a grand sight to behold. Here is a great electric plant that furnishes the lights for Rome: here, also, Rome takes its water supply. After looking over these beautiful falls and the old town and taking our lunch, we took teams and drove to the plains, and visited the wonderful ruins of Hadrian’s castle, or palace. Hadrian ruled Rome--in fact, the world--twenty-one years in the first part of the second century. He did much to fortify different places, and at the same time spent fabulous sums for himself, and has left the largest ruins probably known. His palace was a mile long, everything conceivable connected with it. We found in the flooring some of the finest mosaic work known. Bathing-houses, swimming and rowing, sports and games of all kinds, were, no doubt, carried on there.

While here at Tivoli, we saw them ploughing with several yoke of oxen. The ploughs were wooden beams, with a wooden prong running down into the ground, and one piece of wood coming up for a handle. Whether these were the same oxen that Elisha was ploughing with when the Lord called upon him I am not prepared to say; but the oxen here are very peculiar looking, with immense horns running up into the air, and look like the pictures of the sacred cattle. Almost all of them are white. You will see large flocks of sheep corralled at night, led out by the shepherds daytimes.

We left Rome Friday morning, had a very pleasant trip to Naples, where we were to spend the night. On our arrival we found there had been an Austrian steamer run on the rocks in the Bay of Naples, and four hundred passengers taken off and put into the hotel. So our managers could not get rooms satisfactory to them, and put us on a train and took us some fifteen miles, to Castellamare, to a fine hotel, where we had excellent quarters for the night. Saturday, March 9, we took train for Brindisi, two hundred and sixty miles distant. This gave us another view of Italy, crossing over sections of the Apennines. We had quite a long train with three engines going up the mountains, two in front and one in the rear. It was a miniature picture of our trip over the Rocky Mountains on our way from California. That was ten thousand feet above the sea. This was four thousand, but the ragged cliffs and the forty tunnels we passed through had the appearance of the Rockies with their snowsheds. These tunnels were from one hundred feet to a mile in length: the snow covered the ground on this elevation. After passing over these mountains, we dropped down into a luxuriant valley in Eastern Italy. Trains here run no dining-cars, and very slight accommodations in the depots for feeding people. So our managers had lunch put up for us at the hotel where we stayed the night before; and we had a jolly time with a picnic dinner, and reached Brindisi at 7 P.M., where we had a full dinner at the hotel. Our steamer, which is a very large one, nearly as large as the “Normannia,” lay waiting for us in front of the hotel. We went aboard about ten. The next day, March 10, we were on the Mediterranean, which at this time is smooth and glassy.

IV.

MONDAY, the 11th.

We came on deck this morning and found that we were sailing under the island of Crete; but you will remember that in the Epistle to Titus Paul did not give the natives a very good reputation. So we decided not to call on them, but shall push on to Alexandria, which place we expect to reach to-morrow night or Wednesday morning. The captain tells us that we are running ahead of time. The sea is calm and beautiful. We saw it last evening by moonlight, which was a picture of a lifetime. Our party are all well and we are congratulating ourselves in being so fortunate in having so smooth a sea for our four days’ sail over these waters that are liable to be turbulent.

In looking over the working classes of Italy, we find men and women both work as farm hands. The men receive from thirty to forty cents per day, the women from fifteen to twenty; and they board themselves. The tax paid to the government is enormous.

LETTERS FROM EGYPT.

I.

MARCH 13, 1895.

We reached Alexandria several hours ahead of time, and were landed safely. You may be interested in knowing more fully the method of taking on and off passengers and baggage from the large steamers that we have been travelling on. Occasionally they have a chance to land at a wharf, but usually they anchor out in the bay; and small boats come from the shore, and take from the steamer all that wish to land. When the steamer is anchored, and gives the signal that everything is ready, there starts from the shore anywhere from ten to forty Arabs, Turks, Moors, etc., with turbans on their heads, clad in either gowns or Turkish trousers, bare feet and legs, in their little boats, talking and shouting at the top of their voices, rowing for dear life; for the first one to the steamer expects to get his boat full. Being in an unknown tongue, it is a perfect pandemonium. Up they come, climbing up the side of the vessel like a pack of pirates; but, as our managers have the entire charge of our transportation, we have nothing to do but stand back and enjoy the fracas. This small boat arrangement is all right with a smooth sea, but with a rough surf it means business. The laws of different cities usually regulate the price these boatmen should charge; but, when they get hold of Americans that are not posted, they will fleece them every time.

The “Thalia,” that brought us from Brindisi to Alexandria, nearly one thousand miles, is a boat nearly four hundred feet long, manned by Austrians. They gave us good service, and were polite and attentive. When we took carriages for our hotel, a foreign country dawned upon us as never before. Camels with solemn tread, bearing heavy burdens, the streets full of donkeys, the people with their turbans, gowns, and Turkish trousers, women with the water-bottles on their heads, blacksmiths with their anvils on the sidewalk in front of their shops, hammering iron, the shoemakers and other mechanics in the same way, having their shops, but working in front in the open air. The Turkish gown and trousers is the common garb. The police here, as well as in Naples and Rome, carry the sword instead of the billy, and here in Alexandria most of them are mounted on fine horses. Everywhere they are in uniform.

After lunch we took carriages, and drove most of the afternoon. Went out and visited Pompey’s Pillar, which is a wonderful monument of granite. The base is about fifteen feet square, ten feet high; and then there is a round, solid shaft, made out of one stone, about nine feet in diameter, seventy feet high, with a capstone that would weigh, in my opinion, ten tons. How this pillar was set up on end, and that capstone placed in position, is a mystery to the mechanic of the nineteenth century. This was erected in honor of Pompey, after his death. He was beloved by the people, as he had fed them many times in famine. From this point we went to a villa and beautiful garden owned by one Antonides, a Greek merchant. These grounds are said to be the finest in Egypt. The khedive’s palace we could not get a permit to enter. Our drive ended about 6 P.M., landing us at our Hotel Abbas, where we were soon ready for dinner, and spent a restful night.

The next morning we took train for Cairo, one hundred and thirty miles, and made the run in three and a half hours. The country through which we came was perfectly level, lying but a little above the level of the sea. Most of the way we followed the canal that was cut through years ago from Cairo to Alexandria, connecting the Nile with that place and the sea, through which a great amount of traffic passes, not drawn by horses, as in America, but with sail and row boats. Our ride from Alexandria took us through a rich farming country, which seemed to be covered with crops. The work here is done differently from what it is in Italy. Instead of the hand work, the soil is lightened up with the old wooden plough drawn by oxen. The Egyptian cattle are peculiar looking, coarse, large size, with horns growing directly backward, close to the neck. Oxen and cows are both used to draw the wooden plough. Everything about their work is of the crudest character. The yoke is a round stick some four inches in diameter, perfectly straight, and about eight feet long, lying upon the neck with ropes instead of bows to hold it on. I have had a curiosity to examine one of these ploughs. I went for an old fellow to-day that I saw ploughing in a field, but, when I reached him, could not make him understand what I wanted. So I caught hold of his plough, and pulled it out of the ground. There was no mould-board to turn over the soil, but they do have a piece of iron on the point. This drawn through the ground has a tendency to lighten it up. The soil is rich and lumpy; and on the Nile they use only sand brought from the desert to improve their crops, which are wheat, barley, flax, onions, cucumbers, etc. Egypt raises immense quantities of onions. We have not seen as yet many orange groves; but there are sections where they are produced in abundance, as we can find all we want, large, sweet, and juicy, for one cent apiece. There is no tobacco raised in Egypt. If a man should have a piece of ground two feet square covered with tobacco, he would be liable to imprisonment for ten years. Great quantities are brought in from other countries, with a heavy duty. This gives the government a large revenue, and is the reason why the people are not allowed to raise it. The people here are ground to the earth by taxation. American slavery, that we used to have, would be far preferable. Wages here are ten cents a day, and the laborer boards himself. Every palm-tree is taxed, and everything that a man raises. Every village has its sheik, or what we might call one of the khedive’s lieutenants, and rules with an iron hand; and, if a man cannot pay his tax, he is bastinadoed until his cries excite the sympathy of his friends, and they come and pay the amount required.

As we left Alexandria, we first saw the Arab villages built of dried mud,--anywhere from twenty to a hundred of these mud boxes, clustered together, with alley-ways between them. Some were thatched on top with straw, others had a dome top built with mud. Here men, women, and children, goats, chickens, and donkeys, find a home. All seemingly are living together. Here by these villages they bury their dead, graves or tombs being above ground, built of same material as their houses. Many of these burying structures are whitewashed.

Our first plans were to spend several days in Cairo before going up the Nile; but on our arrival it was thought best to start up the Nile at once, and visit Cairo on our return, which will be the first week in April. This letter will be mailed at Rhodes. My next letter will be the commencing of the Nile tour.

II.

ON THE NILE, March 17, 1895.