A Visit to the Holy Land, Egypt, and Italy

oli-The Dardanelles-Tschenekalesi and Kilidil Bahar-The field of Troy-Tenedos-Smyrna-Halizar-The date-pal

ed to my consul for a "firmann" (Turkish passport), I was strongly advised not to travel to the Holy Land. The disturbances on Moun

as far and wide as a physician, had not dared to venture more than a mile from the town without exposing himself to the greatest danger. He advised me to stay in

l interposition of Providence. I did not at all believe the asseverations of this man; he related all his adventures with such a Baron Munchausen air, assumed probably to excite admiration. I continued my investigations on this subject until I was at length fortunate enough to find some one who told an entirely di

ise would instantly have been seen through, and I should have been exposed to much annoyance. I therefore preferred retaining the simple costume, consisting of a kind of blouse and wide Turkish trousers, which I then wore. The

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belonging to the Austrian Lloyd.

nothing to depend on but my trust in Providence. No friendly sympathetic being accompanied me on board. All was strange. The people, the climate, country, language, the manners and customs-all strange. But a glance upward at the un

lded him in her arms, and kissed and blessed him. Poor mother! wilt thou see him again, or

s of the crew, who bounced about the ship from stem to stern, can

before these preparations had been half completed the Turks began washing their faces, hands, and feet, and unfolding their carpets, to perform their devotions. In one corner of the ship I even noticed that a little low tent had been erected; it was so closely locked, that for a long time I could not discern whether human beings or merchandise lay concealed within. No movement of the interior was to be perceived, and it was not until some days afterwards tha

I had flattered myself that I should find several Franks on board, who might be bound to the same destination as myself; but this hope waxed faint

concluded their devotions were sitting at their frugal meal. During the whole time they remained on the steamer these people subsisted on cold provisions, such as cheese, bread, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, olives, walnuts, a great number of onions, and dried "mishmish," a

was no longer alone; in the first moments we even seemed fellow-countrymen, for the barriers that divide Europeans into different nations fall as they enter a new quarter of the globe. We did not ask each other, Are you from England, France, Italy; we inquired, Whither are you going? and on its appearing that this gentleman intended proceeding, like myself, to Jerusalem, we at once foun

to Jerusalem, and so he was going to seek further information at Beyrout. We arranged that we would perform the journey from Beyrout to Jerusalem in company,-if, indeed, we found it possible to penetrate

oyd, I discovered to my surprise how much may be effected by order and good management. Here the men and the women were separately lodged, wash-hand basins were not wanting, we fared well, a

ed the "Seven Towers," leaving the P

the follo

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uins in the last stage of dilapidation cause us to think of the ages that have fled, as we speed rapidly

longing to Europe, and terminating at Sed Bahe. The shores on both sides are desert and bare. It is a great contrast to former times, a contrast which every educated traveller must feel as he travels hither from the Bosphorus. What stirring scenes were once enacted here! Of what deeds of daring, chronicled in history, were not these re

oking like a ruin, while its European neighbour wore the appearance of a fortress, let us steam p

rtion of the view, and scarcely dared to breathe wh

o not live in the page of history. How gladly would I have trodden the plain, there to muse on the legends which in my youth had already awakened in me such deep and awe-struck interest, and had first aroused the wish to visit these lands-a desire now part

the waves, and we sailed close by the island of Tenedos. At first this island does not present a striking appearance, but after rounding a

we glided by its coast. It resembles a garden of olives, orange-trees, pomegranates, etc. The view is bounded at the back by a double row of peaked mountains, and the town lies nearly in the midst. It is built in a circular form, round a hill, strengthened with fortifications. In front the town

?g?an Sea. Had I been a magician, I would have fixed the sun in the heavens until we had arrived at Smyrna. Unfortunatel

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had resumed my post on deck,

city. At first we can only distinguish the ancient dilapidated castle on a rock, then the city itself, b

a wharf, with room for whole fleets to anchor. Many ships were

viewed from the steamer, extends along the

enough to come on board to fetch me. We at once rode to Halizar, the summer r

open place near a river, where the camels rest, and where they are loaded and unloaded; I saw a whole herd of these animals. Their Arab or Bedouin drivers were reclining on mats, resting after their labour

omed every where by the roadside. We wandered through beautiful shrubberies of cypress-trees and olives, and never yet had I beheld so rich a luxuriance of vegetation. This valley, with its one side flanked by wild and rugged rocks, in remarkable contrast to the fruitful landscape around, has a peculiar effect when viewed from the hill across which we r

. Spring, however, commences here earlier, and the autumn is longer. This fact, I thought, ac

r stem, from the extremity of which depend leaves five or six feet in length, forming a magnificent crown. In these regions and also in Syria, whither my journey afterwards led me, the date-palm does not attain so great a height as in Egypt, nor does

le each other. The house stands in the midst of t

ere very poor, but still I found them decently clad and comfortably lodged in large roomy dwellings built of stone. Altog

passed. How gladly would I have accepted their hearty invitation to remain several w

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ty and cheerful enough, and moreover level and well paved. The handsomest street is that in which the consuls reside. The houses are finely built of stone, and the halls are tastefully paved with little coloured pebbles, arran

ut in the streets, just as at Brussa and Constantinople. And why should it be otherwise here? Turks live in

re also the costlier portion of th

like Halizar, as a retreat for the townspeople during the summer. The views in this direction are various, and the road is good. The whol

ry direction, and find, in fact, a union of a

wever, only to be sought among the Greeks. The natural charms of these Graces are heightened by the rich costume they wear. They have a peculiarly tasteful manner of fastening t

but also as the birthplace of one of the greatest men. {85} O Homer, in t

ater advantage after we have advanced a mile than when we approach it from Constantinople; for now the Turks' tow

gale is very strong, it does not affect my health. I felt perfectly well, and stood enjoying the aspect of the waves

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ere Scio, Samos, and Cos, and even these form a desolate picture of bare, inhospitable mountain

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ifty to two hundred paces in width for the ships to enter. Here every vessel can lie in perfect safety, be the sea outside the bar as stormy as it may; the only drawback is, that the entering of this harbour, a task of some difficulty in calm weather, becom

boats, and so we lost no time in being conveyed to the land. The first thing we did on reaching it was to ask questions concerning the ancient site of the celebrated Colossus. But we could gai

nt. The principal street, containing the houses of the ancient Knights of St. John, is very broad, with buildings so massively constructed of stone as almost to resemble fortresses. Heraldic bearings, with dates carved in

n the Holy Sepulchre. They have in truth departed-departed to a better home. Centuries have breathed upon their ashes, scattered in all the re

t of the town is but thinly inhabited. A gloomy air of silence and vacancy reigns around. We could wander about every where without being stared at or annoyed by the vulgar and envious. Mr. B

mosaic, and in such good preservation that we could fancy the work had been but recently concluded. This is certainly partly owing to the fact that no l

pon the ramparts. The carriages of these guns are very cl

s completely surrounded by three lofty walls, which seem to have been calculated to last an eternity, for they still stan

s a park. Many country houses lie scattered throughout this natur

nd the roofs are flat, forming numerous terraces, which are all built of stone. Some streets in the lower part

an fashion. It was in vain that I inquired the reason of this circumstance. The books we had with us gav

ea. To-day we saw nothing further, except a high and lengthened mountain-range on the Asiatic mainland. It was a b

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exalted conception. The rising and setting of the sun at sea is not nearly so striking a spectacle as the same phenomenon in a rocky landscape. At sea the sky is generally cloudless in the evening, and the sun gradually sinks, without refraction of rays or prismatic play of colours, into its ocean-bed, to p

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the foreground and the mountain-peaks have an uncomfortable barren air. At ten o'clock we entered the harbour of Larnaka. The situation of th

rture, had not come to fetch me. The streets of Larnaka are unpaved, so that we were obliged literally to wade more than ankle-deep in sand and dust. The houses are small, with irregular

his direction form an equally barren picture. Behind these mountains the appearance of the landscape is said to be very fruitful; bu

rt than I had expected to find, for it consisted of two spacious rooms which m

ry mild rainy season. The heat in summer is often said to be insupportable, the

d a few German biscuits. At this early season fruit is not to be had, and cherries do not flourish here because the climate is too hot for them. In Smyrna I ate the last for this year. When I re-embarked in the afternoon, Mr. Bartlett came with the English consul, who wished, he said, to make the acquaintance of a lady possessing sufficient courage to undertake so long and perilous a journey by herself. His astonishme