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Recollections of
a Traveller
BY
EMMA J. BARTOL
PRINTED PRIVATELY
PHILADELPHIA, igo6
Presi of
Innei & Soni
Philadelphia
PREFATORY NOTE.
HE PREPARATION of this
volume of my life and travels
was finished as I entered upon
my eighty-fifth year. The man-
uscript was given to the printer
in the summer of my eighty-
sixth-year, with some of my
sketches and paintings for reproduction.
This record of some of the chief events of my long
life being now in permanent form, I place it in the hands
of my children, grandchildren and friends, that they may
through these pages share some of the enjoyable exper-
iences I have had in my various travels and observations
in nearly all parts of the world. Those who are fortunate
enough to travel through the many lands I have visited,
and to observe for themselves the customs, arts and state
of civilization of different peoples, will, I trust, find
pleasure in comparing notes with the traveller of an
early day.
Emma J. Bartol.
December, 1906.
TO
MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN
THIS VOLUME
IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED
RECOLLECTIONS OF A
TRAVELLER
CHAPTER I.
My ancestors, on both the paternal and maternal
sides, were Welsh, but both families had been settled
in England for several generations before I was born.
Almost without exception the men belonged to the
professions and the army, possessed ample means, com-
manded influence and had the respect of the community
in which they resided. My father's ancestry has recently
been traced back by a geneologist to Thomas Welchman
of Deddington, county of Oxford, who was born in 1495
and died in 1548. My paternal grandfather's great
grandfather was Edward Welchman, Arch-deacon of
Cardigan in Wales, who revised the Thirty-nine Articles
of the English Book of Common Prayer. His monu-
ment may be seen in the church at Solihull with others
of the family. He was born in 1664 and died in 1739.
That a number of my ancestors remained in Wales was
shown by the fact that when one of my aunts visited
there, she sat down to dinner with eighteen cousins. A
curious family seal of wrought iron is still in existence,
three seals in one, with a Greek motto, " Through the
Straight Gate."
My two grandfathers, Edward Welchman and Philip
Williams, were physicians and surgeons in that part of
England now known by the comprehensive name of
" The Shakespeare Country," the . one at Kineton,
4 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Warwickshire, the other at Rugby. English children
a century ago always used the terms " papa" and
" mamma," instead of father and mother. Grandpapa
and grandmamma Welchman had nine children, Thomas,
Edward, Frederick, Charles, John, Eliza, Mary, Caroline
and a daughter who died when very young. Thomas
died while a student at a medical college in Edinburgh ;
Edward, (my father), after taking his degree at the same
college, became a physician ; Frederick was a major in
the British Army ; Charles, a surgeon in the army ; John,
a major general in the East India Service; Eliza married
Dr. Hamilton ; Mary married a Mr. King, a lawyer ;
and Caroline married his brother, Dr. Tragonnel King.
Major Frederick Welchman, my godfather, never
married. His commission having been bought by one
of his brother officers, he returned for a visit to England.
While out hunting with a little nephew he offered him
his gun to help him over a ditch ; the child accidentally
seized the trigger and shot his uncle through the heart.
Dr. Charles had several children born in India whom he
sent to England to be educated. One of these, Fred-
erick, came with my father to the United States, married
and lived and died at Rahway, N. J. Major general
John had children born in India, and others born in
England ; but the removal of my father and his family
to the United States, and the infrequent communication
of those early days, caused me to lose trace of them. I
have learned, however, that most of the men went into
the army and the legal and medical professions, as their
fathers had done.
Grandpapa and grandmamma Williams had a family
EMMA J. BAR TO L
of six children — Fanny, Jemima, Philip, John, Sophia
and one who died when young. Fanny married a
lawyer, James Sculthorpe, and lived in Hinckley. After
the death of Mr. Sculthorpe, Aunt Fanny and her
daughter Fanny stayed with us at Kineton, until cousin
Fanny married the Rev. Mr. Lewis, a Welsh minister
who lived in Wales, and her mother married again.
Jemima was my mother. Sophia died of consump-
tion early in life, Philip and John became physicians.
John was much spoiled by his mother, who had a most
affectionate nature and was devotedly attached to her
children. Among the incidents told of John in his boy-
hood I remember this one : A hare was to be cooked
for dinner, and the servant — no one being at home —
came into the parlor and asked Master John whether it
was to be cooked " fegged wet," or " fegged dry?" He
not wishing to be thought ignorant, answered, "Oh,
fegged dry to be sure." Whereupon at dinner time the
hare was brought to the table roasted with the skin on
and the fur only singed off.
The marriage of my parents came about in this
way : Jemima Williams, of Rugby, and my father's
sisters, Eliza, Mary and Caroline Welchman, of Kineton,
were in attendance at a fashionable boarding school and
became warm friends. My aunts soon decided that it
would be a very nice arrangement to have Jemima spend
the holidays with them, and possibly they might make a
match between her and their brother Edward, who had
just returned from college. Perhaps the fact that Dr.
Williams was in very good financial circumstances had
some influence in the matter, for money played a very
6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
important part in life in those days just as it does at the
present time. Jemima was a handsome brunette, a
vivacious and interesting girl ; she came, saw and con-
quered, and returned to school betrothed to the handsome,
blonde physician.
The young couple were married at the Williams'
home in Rugby, May 26, 1820. One of the brides-
maids was Miss Lucy Bloxham, niece of the celebrated
painter, Sir Thomas Lawrence. I remember, when vis-
iting the Bloxham home in my young days, seeing the
family portraits painted by him. Grandpapa Williams
was a thorough gentleman of the old school.
As papa was just beginning to practice it was neces-
sary to give the young people a start in life, and so ante-
marriage settlements were made. The papers were
drawn up by my father's cousin, Welchman Whately, a
lawyer, and they provided that Dr. Welchman and Dr.
Williams should each pay a stated sum quarterly to help
maintain the new household. A pretty house was taste-
fully furnished at Kineton, and the young couple started
life under very favorable conditions. It soon became
evident, however, that grandpapa Welchman would not
be able to keep his part of the contract. His eyesight
was failing very fast, which of course affected his medical
practice, and his three daughters, who were noted for
their beauty and were fond of society, kept his resources
drained. Grandpapa Williams called a family meeting,
and from that moment family difficulties and estrange-
ments began which were never afterwards overcome.
All this brought the deepest trouble to the young
married pair. They were obliged to give up their pretty
EMMA J. BARTOL
home, but as Dr. Edward was attending to most of his
father's former practice, he was obliged to remain in
Kineton. So they took up their residence in the Welch-
man home, a large and very old house of blue limestone
which had been added to by succeeding generations until
there were many rooms of different styles of architecture.
Here their first child, myself, was born, April 2, 1821.
Financial and other troubles had so affected my mother
that she had little strength left for this ordeal. Grand-
mamma Welchman was an unfeeling and indifferent
woman even to her own children and doubly so to the
daughter-in-law. When grandmamma Williams finally
was summoned she found her favorite daughter in almost
a dying condition. She was so shocked and the matter
so preyed upon her mind that it seriously impaired her
reason. Mamma never fully regained her health but
was a semi-invalid all the rest of her life.
When she had sufficiently recovered, a house near
by was rented and we moved into it. My parents had
nine children. All of these children were born in Kine-
ton, England, except the last which was born in New
York City. They were Emma Jemima, Edward, Mary,
Isabel, Louisa, Arthur Pendry, Clara (who died at birth),
Helen Fanny, and a boy who died when two weeks old.
Eventually grandpapa Welchman became totally blind
and papa took his entire practice. Grandpapa and grand-
mamma moved to Bath on account of the medicinal
waters, and spent the rest of their lives there.
I must have been about eight years old when we
moved into my grandfather's house, and the event made
a strong impression on my mind. I had a little box on
S RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
wheels with a rope to pull it and did my share of the
moving. My impromptu wagon was filled with flower
pots and saucers to transport to our new home. As I
was taking them out and placing them in the hall, my
foot caught in the rope and I fell and broke a flower pot
and cut my finger badly. I was so afraid of being pun-
ished that 1 put my finger in my mouth to hide the
blood, went to the front door and tried to look uncon-
cerned. Papa's assistant came along and seeing me
ghastly pale said, "Why Emma, what is the matter ?"
In order to answer I was obliged to pull my finger out
my mouth, and then I fainted away. I knew nothing
more until I found myself on the surgery counter with
papa and the assistant bending over me and binding up
the finger which was cut the full length to the bone.
When people commiserated me, I laughed and said,
"Oh ! now I can't write or do my sums and I shall have
a holiday."
The old house was a long, rambling affair, the busi-
ness part entirely separate from the living rooms. In
the former was a library, surgery, drug store, etc., for in
those days physicians always compounded their own
prescriptions. Papa always had an assistant to help in
this part of the business. As a great favor, I was some-
times allowed to go into the drug store and assist in mak-
ing pills, boluses and tinctures, but I never got so far as
blisters and plasters. In the patient's waiting room there
hung a very large chart of the figure of a human being,
with all the blood vessels painted red and the muscles
yellow ; among my early recollections is that of a woman
waiting for a prescription to be filled who kept eyeing
EMMA J. BARTOL
this chart, and who at last exclaimed, " What a wonder-
derful flower that is !" Another recollection is that of a
young girl who came for advice and had a toad sewed in
a bag and hung around her neck ; she believed when the
toad died she would get well. It was believed by some
that if there was a certain kind of sickness in the family,
some one must draw blood of the first person who called
and put a black cat in the oven. These and other super-
stitions still prevail in the country districts of England.
io RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER II.
Kineton in Warwickshire, ten miles from Warwick,
was originally called Kingstown, from a tradition that
King John once lived there ; I remember a well of
beautiful, clear water, encircled by lofty elms, which
is still known as "King John's Well." The town was a
sleepy little place, and its only attractive feature was
a fine Gothic church said to have been built by the an-
cient Saxons. This was surrounded by a large burying
ground which was crossed by footpaths, for the town
had grown around it and the people regarded it as they
would a park, the children of the poor using it as a play-
ground. In this churchyard was our family vault, and
the church itself contained monuments to the Welchmans.
Our house was on the opposite corner from the church
and on another corner was the" Red Lion Inn." There
was a market place but it was neverused except on Mopday.
This was to Kineton what Fairday was to other towns, the
great event in the year. People flocked into the town
from all the country round ; amusements of every kind
were going on, booths and merry-go-rounds, shows of
all sorts. The most important feature was that every-
body who owed a bill was expected to come and pay it
on Mopday. The name Mopday was doubtless due
to the fact that it took place in the middle of October,
when the weather was generally rainy and dirty, requir-
ing the frequent mopping of the stone halls on account of
the muddy boots of the farmers and country people. It
was the custom to "treat" all who paid their bills and
great were the preparations for those who came to pay my
EMMA J. BARTOL ji
father. He brewed his own ale, porter and beer long
beforehand; my mother made cowslip, elderberry and
raisin wines ; immense quartern loaves of bread were
baked ; rounds of boiled corn beef and sirloin roasts
were prepared ; big tables were loaded ; casks were
tapped, and on Mopday the liquors flowed like water.
I had no companions of my own age except the
children of one family, that of Lady Elizabeth Boultbee.
We were allowed to visit only on festal occasions, such
as birthdays, but there was every facility for enjoyment
in my own home. At the back of our house was a beau-
tiful garden, half an acre in extent, the backs of the neigh-
boring houses forming its boundary, and these were en-
tirely hidden by our trees and thick shrubbery. A long
row of French roses crossed the garden, the flowers of
which were used in the preparation of tinctures, and one
of my duties was to gather the buds and lay the leaves
on trays to be dried in the ovens. On one side stood a
large grotto paved with pebbles, the walls encrusted with
sea shells and moss. In the centre was a big stone table,
hexagon in shape, which originally belonged to Oliver
Cromwell, and was large enough for a dozen persons to
sit around it. The roof was thatched with straw and across
the open front were pillars covered with climbing roses
and clematis. The back had seats all around and a great
yew tree overhung the whole arbor. My favorite haunt
was this old yew tree, into which I climbed, pretending
to be a crow, and built nests with smooth round pebbles
for eggs.
Papa's practice as a physician and surgeon extended
to the adjacent villages and farms, which obliged him to
12 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
make his round of visits on horseback every day and
frequently at night in cases of emergency. For this pur-
pose he kept a large stud of horses. I was a daring
rider and was frequently the first of my sex to back new
ones. I commenced quite early to go with papa on his
visits. One day he bought a pretty, young donkey for
my use and had it properly broken to the saddle and
trained, without submitting it to the cruel treatment
donkeys usually received, taking all the spirit out of
them. Whenever it was suitable papa took me with him
on his visits to near-by villages. My donkey never
would allow papa's horse to go ahead of him, but would
put his ears back and go on a mad gallop until he had
passed by, and I, almost breathless, would call back,
" Oh ! pray stop, papa, I cannot go so fast." He was
so badly treated by a veterinary surgeon afterwards that
he was ruined and would not allow anyone to saddle or
go near him. He became so savage he was unsafe for
us. One day we all went out for a walk. The man had
finally succeeded in putting on a saddle but the donkey
got loose and tore down the lane toward us. We hap-
pened to catch sight of him, stirrups flying, ears erect,
mouth wide open, nostrils extended, the whites of his
eyes showing. Fortunately we were close to a field with
a thick hedge and we flew over a gate helter skelter and
none too soon. The donkey looked over the five-barred
gate and brayed, enraged and disappointed, and explored
the hedge which fortunately was a good one. That was
the last of him for us ; papa sold him to some men from
London.
My love of animals was very early engendered. I
EMMA J. BARTOL 13
had the entire charge of caring for a number of tame
rabbits. The pure white ones had pink eyes, some were
spotted black and white, and all had names. One very
large gray one, called Rumbo, was a special favorite and
I frequently took him into the sitting room. When
anything annoyed him he would express his displeasure
by thumps with his hind feet, and occasionally he would
come to our knees and put up his paws, sitting on his
hind legs like a little dog. We children had to hunt in
the garden for food for our pets ; they were very fond of
cabbage, lettuce leaves, a weed called sow thistle and
green oats.
Other pets were a pair of very small game bantams,
kept in the garden, which they scratched but little and
where they were useful in destroying the insects. They
had a pretty box to live in, painted like a cottage and
lined with hay ; but at the nesting period they, like all
other birds, preferred to look about and select their own
nest. One day I found them going up stairs, step by
step, and I watched them go into the bedrooms, under
the beds and into the closets, clucking and clucking, evi-
cently canvassing over the merits of the various localities
for raising a distinguished bantam family. The garden
was separated from the barnyard and stables by a high
fence and a heavy swinging gate with ball and chain.
One day I found the male bantam having a fierce fight
with the large barn -yard cock. I tried in vain to sep-
arate them. At last I opened the heavy gate leading to
the garden, at the same time trying to drive the two
bantams through it, but just as the little couple were half-
way through, the plucky fellow turned to give one more
14 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
crow of defiance to the big barnyard fowl, and alas, the
heavy gate swung to and caught and crushed his head.
The agony I endured, feeling that in a certain sense I
was to blame for my little favorite's death, is still a pain-
ful memory.
I was very fond of cats, of which we had a number,
some of them handsomest I ever saw. One was beau-
tifully marked like a tortoise shell on the back, with snow
white breast and feet and was very docile and gentle.
She used to go to bed with me in the long winter nights
and kept me warm. I was visiting one day a patient of
papa's who had a rabbit warren. I was so amused and
interested in the little bunnies that the owner said " you
may take home as many as you can catch." I watched
a mother leave her burrow and then, putting my hand
down into the hole brought up four dear, little, soft, gray
bunnies. I held up my frock, deposited my treasures
in it, walked in triumph to show them to my hostess and
took them home. Fortunately my pet tabby had four
kittens about the same size and we thought that if the
kittens were taken away she might raise the rabbits.
The experiment was made and, sure enough, pussy
mothered them. What passed through her mind I
never knew, but when the rabbits began to get out of
their box and hop around it was laughable to see her
astonishment at her little gray children, who hopped and
hopped, showing their snow-white tails, while she watched
with disgust, following and striking them with her paw.
A black cat that lived in the stable had imbibed
bad morals. One spring I had watched with much
interest a goldfinch and his mate build a nest in a pear
EMM J J. BARTOL 15
tree in the garden and, when it was time for the young
ones to leave the nest, I placed it in a cage and hung the
cage in the tree where the nest had been. The old birds
fed the young ones for some time and then I took care
of them. They proved to be very handsome and I kept
them in the parlor, but cleaning day came and the win-
dows and doors were all opened. When I went to the
cage, the beak of the handsomest bird was torn off and
it had to be killed. That dreadful black cat from the
stable had leaped upon the cage and done the deed.
We children were accustomed to take long walks
of two or three hours every day. Once in going
through a wood I found a mother hedgehog and eight
little ones and determined to take them home. The
mother, immediately on being touched, rolled herself
into a round ball. The eight little ones were about the
size of a small orange ; they had no bristles, but were
covered with a slate colored skin which showed incipient
bristles underneath and they were blind like little kittens.
To take the mother was somewhat of a conundrum as
she stuck out her bristles in every direction. At last I
laid my frock on the ground, we rolled her in as best we
could with sticks, and I took Mrs. Hedgehog home in
triumph while the others carried the little ones. We
deposited them all in the green-house, where there was a
supply of insects, and gave them a saucer of milk daily.
As they grew we put them in the garden ; they all dis-
appeared but one, which remained for a long while and
became so tame that he would put all his bristles down
flat for me to pet and stroke him.
We always had dogs. Pincher, a wiry Scotch
16 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
terrier, lived in a kennel and protected the yard. A new
puppy came and was full of mischief; one day we heard
a bump, bump, on the stairs and there he was with a
large prayer-book in his mouth. On taking it from him
we found that he had torn out the Thirty-Nine Articles
of Belief and ruined the book. Another pet, a beautiful
Spaniel, was found dead one morning in the brewhouse
where some spiteful creature had given him " buttered
sponge." How we children mourned that faithful friend,
who accompanied us on all our country tramps ! All
this was seventy-five years ago and the memory is fresh
as if it were but yesterday.
How well do I remember my first long visit away
from home. After all the exciting preparations were
over, I was at last dressed for travelling and my little
box, neatly packed, stood ready in the hall. The toot-
ing of a horn and the neighing of four spirited horses
announced the arrival of the Royal Mail Coach from
London. Down sprang the coachman and threw the
reins to the hostlers ; then down jumped the guard, both
dressed in scarlet with gold trimmings. All was astir at
the Red Lion Inn just opposite our house. The hostlers
brought out four fresh horses to take the places of the
tired animals. The coach door was opened and I was
lifted in to take my first journey at ten years of age. I
was going to make a visit to my godmother, Miss Mar-
garet Whately, who lived with her mother and sister
Octavia at Edgebaston Hall near Birmingham.
Arriving in the city, the guard, in whose care I had
been placed, came to the coach door and lifted me out.
On alighting I spied my modest box sitting in the court
EMMA J. BARTOL 17
yard, and immediately went and sat down on it, resolved
that no one should take it out of my sight. I then told
the guard the name of the people I was to visit and, find-
ing no one came for me, he kindly took my hand and
we walked off. Fortunately for me my cousin, Welch-
man Whateley, was the Coroner of Birmingham and well
known ; the guard delivered me safely at his house,
much to the astonishment of all, as the letters had mis-
carried and no word of my coming had reached him or
my godmother. My cousin kept bachelor's hall in a fine
location called Snow Hill, and although in the middle of
the city it had a large garden. The only person to greet
me at first was the housekeeper. However, she soon
made me feel at home and in the evening she took me
with her to do some shopping in the town. To this
day I recollect my wonder and astonishment at seeing
the streets and shops ablaze with the light of lamps and
the crowd of people jostling each other and hurrying to
and fro as in broad daylight. To me, even as a child, it
was an inspiring sight, the lights gleaming from the shop-
keepers' windows diffusing a golden glow along the
streets. Later I was taken to my godmother's beautiful
home, and returned in the spring to find our family
increased by a new sister.
Another interesting recollection is of the long visits
to my Grandpapa Williams', my mother's home. He
lived in Rugby, since become famous through the story
of " Tom Brown's Schooldays", and as the scene of a
novel called " Mugby Junction". Grandpapa was then
a physician with a large practice. The town was noted
for its school for boys, and at the time I used to visit
1 8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
there Dr. Arnold was the Head Master. I remember
him well, and also his children. To the pupils he was
indeed teacher, monitor, friend, inspiration, and he ever
showed a sympathy which was intense, personal, sincere
and constant. Many of the townspeople took pupils to
board. Grandpapa had a large number, but as they had
separate accommodations, refectory, dormitories, studies,
and play-yard entirely apart from the house we saw hardly
anything of them. Each student furnished his own study
according to his means and tastes and I was occasionally
taken to visit the studies. The campus was a short walk
from grandpapa's house and was surrounded by lofty
elms in which the rooks built their nests year after year
undisturbed, and here the boys played cricket.
The system of hazing was in vogue with all its cruel
barbarities and an event happened during one of my
visits which made a deep impression on me. A young
boy arrived from home and was assigned to grandpapa.
In the night the big boys arranged to give him the usual
welcome. They procured an immense white turnip,
hollowed it out and cut a jagged slit for the mouth and
holes for eyes. This, with a candle inside, they raised
on a tall pole covered with a sheet, having waited till the
poor little chap had fallen into a sound sleep, probably
the first he had ever had away from home and mother.
One of the boys crawled under the bed and heaved it up
and down till he awoke, and looking out at the window
he saw this goblin bobbing up and down and grinning at
him. In the morning the poor little fellow did not make
fyis appearance and on some one being sent to inquire
why, he was found to be entirely bereft of his senses.
EMM J J. BARTOL ip
Rugby was a very pretty little town and the society
was exceptionally fine, as it attracted the best of the so-
called middle classes who came for its educational advan-
tages to their children. In the winter it was a very gay
place. When my aunts went to parties, it was customary
to have their hair dressed. One especial hairdresser was
in great demand and unless engaged long in advance
ladies were obliged to let him come at very inopportune
times. It once happened that he came just as my aunt
was about to put on her black satin slippers. The mode
at that day was to arrange the hair in large bows on the
top of the head. Having completed my aunt's coiffeur
he left her to finish her toilette, but nowhere could one
of the black satin slippers be found and finally others had
to be substituted. The mystery was not solved until
the hair was undone after returning from the ball, when
from the large loop out tumbled the missing black satin
slipper, which the hairdresser had taken as the handiest
thing to produce the effect he desired.
Sedan chairs were then in vogue. These chairs
were brought into the hall, the ladies in full dress entered
them, and they were closed like a carriage. Two men
marched off with the fair burdens and deposited them in
the hall of the house where the party was to be held,
without even as much exposure as they would have had
with a carriage.
Kineton being a small town was without school
advantages and all sorts of expedients were resorted to in
order to give me the education suitable to my station in
life. Papa, although he had a large and extensive prac-
tice to attend to, took us children into his study from 7
20 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
A. M., to 8 A. M., and taught us arithmetic, which was
too advanced a subject for the governess. For music
and singing lessons I rode every week on horseback by
myself, through rain and shine, to Stratford-on-Avon,
ten miles away. I was a good horsewoman, had no fear
and never had an accident. The harshness and even
cruelty practiced toward children in those days are incon-
ceivable to those who live in the humanitarian present.
The whip, both at home and at school, was in constant
use, and even timid and tender little girls were not spared.
My music teacher was a very ugly-tempered woman and
constantly rapped my knuckles with her pencil, and at
one time, because she could not make me cry and thought
I was stubborn, she knocked me off the music stool and
on to the floor. At one private school I attended I
remember that the mistress brought her cook, a great
strapping woman, into the schoolroom, and before the
whole school made a young pupil get on the cook's back,
and her hands being held in front by the cook, the mis-
tress flogged the child with a whip. Dickens did not
exaggerate the wicked cruelties of English schools.
On my returning from the happy winter spent with
my godmother, who was a lovely character in every
respect, I had governesses until I arrived at the age of
thirteen, when it was deemed advisable to send me away
from home to boarding school, as my father was anxious
that I should be well educated. At last a school was
decided on, one that had been highly recommended to
my parents, kept by the Rev. Mr. Field, a Unitarian
minister, a Dissenter, as they were called in those days,
and are still. Mr. Field preached in a Chapel in War-
EMMA J. BARTOL 21
wick, and lived in a house on the river Leam with his
wife and his daughters, Laura and Anna. Mr. Field
taught algebra and the higher mathematics ; his daugh-
ters took the other branches.
A new life opened up to me at this delightful home.
There were only a few pupils and I think I was the
youngest. At that day, as I have said, the old adage,
" Spare the rod and spoil the child", was everywhere in
vogue. I had been brought up under this iron rule and
gone to the depths of those sorrows that children brood
over and never forget. In this blessed school I found
only the cheering voice, the helping hand, and was taught
affection for others and reverence for all things good.
The pupils were instructed in self-control and no corporal
punishment was permitted. Under this fine, moral
influence I learned to love my teachers and received
lessons in kindness and gentleness which were of the
greatest value to me in all my after life. We were gov-
erned through our honor and not through fear of bodily
pain. We were expected to learn our lessons so perfectly
that we need not look at them the day we recited them,
and no girl would break that rule. It was a new and
sweet experience for others beside myself and we all vied
with each other to do our best, for we loved and respected
our teachers.
But this glimpse of Paradise was brief. It had been
stipulated that I was never to go to the Chapel where
Mr. Field preached but was to be taken every Sunday to
the Church of England, and this was always done.
Nevertheless my relatives made such an outcry and pro-
test because my parents, members of the Established
22 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Church, sent a child to a Dissenters' school that, at the
end of the first term, very much against their own wishes,
they were obliged to take me away. This almost broke
my heart for I never had been so happy, and I always
look back to those school days as the brightest spot in
my young life.
The next year I was sent to a celebrated school at
Leamington kept by Miss Walker. Here we were
dressed in uniform and I remember that we had grass
green merino dresses with leather slippers to match. In
the summer we rose at 6 A. M., and studied our lessons
while walking in the garden until seven, when large
dishes of dry bread were brought out and each girl helped
herself. The rules were severe and strictly enforced.
We were allowed twenty minutes for dressing and putting
everything in order ; fifteen minutes for disrobing at
night and then the lights were put out. I roomed with
two young ladies considerably older than myself, much
to their disgust as they had many secrets to discuss.
One night as they were growing very confidential and
plotting very earnestly, I happened to be awake and
stirred, when I heard one say to the other, " Hush !
little pigs have long ears." Once a week we were taken
to a dancing class in Leamington, walking two and two
in our uniforms and doubtless making a very pretty
show. Here I may be said to have finished my educa-
tion for in my fifteenth year I was installed as governess
to my little sisters at home.
Edward, the second child, was sent to London at
ten years of age to be educated at the famous Guy's
Hospital or, as it was popularly known in London, the
EMM J J. BARTOL 23
Blue Coat School, from the uniform which all the boys
wore. This consisted of a long frock coat of dark blue
cloth buttoned down the front, knee breeches with big
buckles, bright yellow woolen stockings, low shoes and a
small round blue cloth cap, which, however, the boys
never wore, preferring to go bare-headed. This was the
costume worn at the time of Edward the Sixth, who
founded and endowed the school, and it is unchanged to
this day. The costume was a protection to the boys,
gave them many privileges and admitted them free to
certain public institutions. We had the hereditary right
of sending a boy.
Mamma being an invalid and confined to the sofa
or bed most of the time, it devolved on me to be house-
keeper. I kept the keys and gave out all the supplies-
I also sat at the head of the table and papa gave me
many lessons in carving which were of much use to me
all through life. I also brewed the tea and prepared the
coffee on the table for the family. Papa trusted me with
the keys of the cellar and I was in a way the butler, as
he taught me how to decanter the choice wines and
liquors. I also attended to all the buying for the family
and had a busy life with little time left for the things
most young girls are fond of.
An amusing incident which I recall shows that
servants made provoking mistakes in the olden times as
well as to-day. Oysters in England were considered a
great delicacy and were very expensive. My parents had
a present of a small keg of them sent from London, and
these were to be served for supper when we were to have
guests. The company knew of this and were anticipating
24 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
the treat. When we went into the dining room it was
brightly lighted, the tables beautifully set, and an im-
mense dish of highly polished oyster shells stood in the
middle. The cook was summoned. " Betty, where are
the oysters ?" asked my father. " An shure, sir, there
thev be on the dish ; I scrubbed and polished them as
well as I could." " But these are the shells, where are
the ovsters ?" " An shure I threw the insides awav, but
how vou will eat them things is more than I can tell."
EMM J J. BARTOL 25
CHAPTER III.
England, even three-quarters of a century ago, was
over-populated, and what to do with the sons of the
so-called middle class was a serious problem, as the pro-
fessions were crowded. My brother Edward would soon
finish his education and some line of work must be
mapped out for him. To add to papa's anxieties another
physician had located in Kineton, thus dividing a practice
which was only large enough to sustain one. Manv
plans were considered pro and con. We belonged to a
circulating library in Warwick and a carrier brought us
books once a week. During the autumn of 1838 we
read and discussed many which related to the Colonies
and especially to the United States. Letters from ac-
quaintances who already had located there urged papa to
do likewise on account of the opportunities for his boys,
and finally the momentous decision was made to remove
to New York.
I have a faded little diary of 1839 and in this I find
many references to the preparations for leaving and the
parting with friends. The chronology of events of 1837
and 1838 given on its last pages is interesting because it
was during these two years that Queen Victoria was
crowned, that she opened her first Parliament, gave her
first ball in Buckingham Palace and made her first visit
in state to the Drury Lane Theatre Royal. On the
day of her coronation there were festivities in all parts of
Great Britain. I remember that in Kineton a big dinner
was given on the village green under a large tent and, as
26 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
the representative of one of the oldest families in the
county, I was invited to sit at the head of the table and
did so. Among the notable events of those two years
recorded in my old diary, I mention the following: The
Convent Garden Theatre was opened under the manage-
ment of Mr. Macready ; the Royal Exchange in London
was burned ; the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square
was opened ; there was a most remarkable Aurora
Borealis and a snow fall in the English Channel in mid-
summer ; Mrs. Kemble died; the largest ship ever built
up to that time — the British Queen — was launched,
which cost ^100,000, and the London and Birmingham
Railway was opened for its entire length. All of these
events I recollect very well. It seemed to be also worth
recording that a man found guilty before the Royal court
of Jersey for slapping his wife's face was sentenced to
eight days in prison on bread and water ! How any
woman of that day ever found courage to make a com-
plaint is most surprising.
Among the old family papers which have been pre-
served I find this letter that shows the estimation in
which my father was held in the place where he was born
and reared and followed his profession for nearly twenty
vears.
Ivy Cottage — Bloxham
near Barnbury — June 13-1839
My dear Welchman,
When I first heard that you con-
templated going to America, I immediately observed that
your numerous Patients in this country would sustain an
irreparable loss by that measure. If you were as well
known there, as here, no testimonials whatever could add
EMMA J. BARTOL 2?
to the good opinion you have long since deservedly
earned for yourself with all classes. A very intimate ac-
quaintance with you, for more than twenty years, during
which period you were the able medical attendant of
several branches of my family, enables me most con-
scientiously to state that your professional qualifications
are of the highest order. As a Surgeon, I consider you in-
ferior to few, and am aware you have performed most of
the capital operations ; one for Lithotomy (which I wit-
nessed myself) would not have done discredit to Sir Astley
Cooper. As a Physician, your excellent judgment and
scientific treatment have also repeatedly fallen under my
professional notice. In the character of an Accoucher,
your very extensive and successful practice had long
rendered you eminent throughout your neighborhood.
I beg particularly to add that the foregoing remarks are
dictated entirely by justice and truth ; for altho' my sin-
cere regard and friendship for you have subsisted so
long, that circumstances would not have induced me to
have deviated from the strictest veracity, which I am
sure you well know. I only wish, on this particular
occasion (but for no other reason), I could (pro tempore)
be transform'd into Sir A. Cooper or Sir H. Halford, in
order to give more weight to my humble testimony.
Sincerely wishing Mrs. Welchman, yourself and
family, health, happiness and prosperity, in which Mrs.
C. cordially joins,
Believe me (in haste) as ever,
yr. faithful and sincere Friend.
Chas. Chambers, Surgeon R. N.
Surgeon Ext. to His late Majesty William 4th-
and many years resident at
Leamington Spa.
The latter part of May we were very busy
preparing for a sale of our household goods and getting
28 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
ready for our long journey. There were many tea drink-
ings among our friends and many sad farewells, for in
those days a trip to the United States was indeed a trip
to another world. I seem to have been having daily "a
last good by" with a certain "Billy," whom I was very
reluctant to leave. My diary records that some one else
gave me a volume of poems, and some one a vinaigrette,
and that my father refused to let me go for a drive with
still another.
Not knowing what we should find in New York,
or indeed if we should find anything we were accustomed
to, mamma said to me, "You had better take your little
savings and buy yourself a handsome wedding dress, for
you may not have the opportunity or the money to do
this if you should ever get married." Accordingly we
went to Leamington and she selected a white satin suita-
ble for a bridal dress ; it was packed with great care and
later on I was really married in this very brocaded satin.
There were farewell visits to Rugby and to Strat-
ford and to Kineton church; and on June 18, we all
went to London to say good-by to brother Edward, who
was to be left in the Blue Coat School, and while there
some one stole our beautiful little spaniel, "Quick." We
stopped off one day to take leave of the relatives in Bir-
mingham and on June 21 we arrived in Liverpool. Here
we took lodgings for a few days and on June 26 we
boarded the " Henry Leeds," commanded by Captain
Marshall, whom we liked very much. This ship after-
wards became a " Bethel" for seamen in the New York
docks. We carried such quantities of clothes and other
belongings that when my father went aboard with his
EMMA J. BARTOL 29
wife, his six children and a young nephew, it must have
looked like Noah entering the Ark.
The " Henry Leeds," of course, was a sailing vessel
and the trip occupied forty-seven days. Of the long
voyage a few incidents stand out clearly in my memory.
There were no ice chests or refrigerators in those days,
and in a short time we were obliged to depend entirely
on salted meats. There were some chickens in coops
under the seats on deck, also some little pigs. Much of
the food we were unaccustomed to, such as fish balls and
many preparations made out of salt cod ; one the Cap-
tain called " scouse," and many strange dishes were made
by our sailor cook out of Indian meal. The only corn
we ever had seen was some ears which had been sent to
a baker in Kineton as a curiosity and hung up in his
shop by ribbons.
Some of the family were ill during all the voyage
but I enjoyed every minute. One very warm day I
sought a cool and quiet place and thought I had found
an ideal spot. At the stern of the ship I discovered a
large row boat fastened outside with an immense hogs-
head in it. I clambered into it and was soon deeply im-
mersed in an interesting book, when a most unlooked
for interruption occurred. The Captain came aft with
sailors to lower the boat into the sea ; the ropes were
loosened and the boat began to slide down, when for-
tunately they espied me just in time to prevent my being
spilled into the briny deep. We had some stormy
weather but most of the time it was entirely too warm
for comfort. Though I have been on many voyages
since I have never experienced anything like it. One
JO RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
hot, sultry day the ship did not move for hours, for
there was a dead calm. The ocean looked like a sea of
molten copper; afar off one could perceive only a slight
heave now and then ; the heat and glare were intense.
The Nautilus floated lazily past with their little pearly
sails all set and occasionally a shark or other large fish
would dart past and snap at them. There was some-
thing weird in the awful stillness and we felt as if we
had sailed into a fatal pool where we were to be rocked
forever in a dreadful calm. To be out on deck for any
length of time was impossible ; it was like being in a
fiery furnace, and even in the shelter of the cabin the air
was stifling.
I was so charmed with the Nautilus that the Cap-
tain ordered a sailor to get one for me. He hauled it
up in a bucket, but in doing so one of the long tentacles
fell across his arm burning it like fire and leaving a red
scar, and the beautiful pearl-like balloon collapsed as
soon as out of the sea. O, what a relief it was to per-
ceive the first flutter of wind and feel the ship begin to
slide through the still waters. But another difficulty
was soon manifest. The long voyage had told on our
supplies and we were running short of provisions and
water. Having been reduced to sea biscuit instead ot
bread, it was of vital importance to reach land as soon as
possible.
At last we sighted Block Island and then Long
Island. On August 10, the pilot came aboard, on a
boat called "The Virginia" which looked very handsome
to us. It brought us fresh fish and other food which
was a very acceptable change to our limited salt diet.
EMMA J. BARTOL ji
We passed the Highlands of Navesink, and then Staten
Island. We gladly doffed our sea clothes for more suit-
able ones, and being taken by a little boat to a steam-
boat, we finally landed in New York City Aug. 12.
And oh, how glad we were to set our feet on shore !
We went to the Barclay St. Hotel, near the pier, to get
our first dinner on the new continent, and I remember
our astonishment at seeing people eating green corn on
the ear.
3 2 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER IV.
We soon went to board with a Mrs. Smith on
Barrow street, till a suitable home could be found. After
considerable search we at last moved into a large four-
story house near the corner of Broadway and Franklin
street ; but we found it very different from our big, com-
fortable home in England. The ground floor was occu-
pied by a music store ; our kitchen was in the basement,
our living rooms in the second story, and the bedrooms
still higher up. As the cares of housekeeping fell almost
entirely upon me, and as all the people and customs were
new and strange, it may be imagined that the burden was
indeed heavy for an eighteen-year-old girl.
Not knowing anything about the dangers of a city,
I sometimes did very unwise things and ran great risks.
Once I went on an errand to the Bowery, which was
then a noted shopping street. On returning later than I
had expected, I found the lamps were being lighted. My
shortest way was through the Five Points, the worst and
most dangerous part of New York City. If I did not
take that cut I must make a long detour. I waited a
moment to consider and then dashed through, held my
head down, looked neither to the right nor left and
reached Broadway in safety.
On another occasion I was obliged to go to Harlem,
which was a country village at that period with no omni-
busses or street cars. After transacting my business I
was very tired and sat down on a bank to rest. While
sitting there a buggy drove up with a young gentleman
EMMA J. BARTOL jj
in it ; he stopped and said, "You look tired, if you will
jump in I will give you a lift." I thanked him and did
so without hesitation. My speech showed that I was
English, and he soon drew me out and learned my his-
tory. When we arrived in the city he said gravely, " Do
you know that you have done a very risky thing ?"
" Why ?" I asked. " Suppose I should not take you
home?" "Oh !", I said, " I know you will, for I saw
you were a gentleman and I trust you." " Yes," he
answered, " I will take you home safely, but you must
never do such a thing again." He then told me who he
was, one of the firm of Tiffany, the largest jewelers in
the city. He took me to my door, bade me good by,
and I had learned another lesson in life.
It was during this period that I became fully ac-
quainted with the doctrines of Unitarianism. I find a
reference in the diary to a gentleman who spent the eve-
ning with us and who had " the very curious idea that
there is no future punishment." Shortly afterwards, one
Sunday morning, Mamma proposed that we should go to
church and not being acquainted, we strolled into the
first attractive looking one we saw. Mamma was very
much pleased with the preacher and we decided we
would go again the next Sunday. On inquiry we found
we had been listening to the Rev. Dr. Dewey of the
First Unitarian Church, and after that we heard him
frequently. I sometimes attended the French Church
to keep up my French, but it was a long way from
where we lived. On one occasion I became aware that I
was followed. As it was between twelve and one and
the streets were full of people returning from the various
34 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
places of worship, I did not feel afraid. Finally, when
I arrived at my door and rang the bell I felt safe, and
turning I wished the man farewell and inquired if I
should get him a map to find his way back. He looked
very sheepish and turned and walked away as quickly as
possible.
Our house was so inconvenient that when the lease
expired we moved to a double house in Barrow street,
then a very quiet place of residences, of which a family
by the name of Pell occupied half. They had two
daughters about my age, Anna Maria and Harriet, and
I enjoyed their society. We usually spent our evenings
together and I was introduced to their friends. Anna
Maria, the eldest, had a beau who once sent her a present
of some famous home-made cider. Harriet and I plotted
to have our own fun as we were not included in the gift.
We found a bottle exactly like the one holding the cider
and filled it with molasses and water as near the shade of
the cider as possible. Then we artfully persuaded Anna
Maria that it would be polite and complimentary when
the gentleman repeated his visit to open the bottle and
invite us all in to drink together. She agreed and the
cider was put on a high shelf to await his arrival. We
lost no time in exchanging the bottles, and awaited the
result. At last the evening arrived, Harriet was re-
quested to bring the famous cider and glasses for all and
the young gentleman poured out and handed each of us
a glass. Anna Maria tasted hers but did not seem
enthusiastic ; we made wry faces, but waited for her to
speak ; at length she put her glass down unfinished and
said she did not care for more ; then we both chimed up
EMMA J. BARTOL 35
and said we never did like cider. The poor young man
was terribly confused and, we, almost convulsed with
laughter, left him to settle the matter with Anna Maria.
It was a standing joke for a long time, but finally the
real cider was discovered where we had carefully hidden
it, not daring to go the length of drinking it ourselves.
Life and its pleasures in those early days were
simpler and I am inclined to think more enjoyable be-
cause less of an effort. Both of the sisters as well as
myself played dance music. If one or two dropped in
to call of an evening we would send for others in the
neighborhood and get up an impromptu dance in short
order, relieving each other at the piano. About half-
past nine the mother would have lemonade and home-
made cake handed round, and at ten we would all go
home, having spent a very delightful evening.
About this time papa became acquainted with a
physician who was much interested in the idea of making
gas out of water. He was so assured of its feasibility
and so enthusiastic in the belief that he would make a
fortune, that he persuaded papa to invest in the under-
taking, but it was in advance of the times and did not
succeed ; papa lost what he had put in and seriously im-
paired his resources. In order to obtain a lower rent we
removed to Fort Lee, the beginning of the " Palisades"
on the Hudson. At that time this locality was almost
in a state of nature and sparsely settled, with a few simple
little cottages of which we occupied one which was pretty
high up the steep ascent, where rocks and forest asserted
themselves. Much of my spare time was spent explor-
ing these, to me, new phases of natural scenery. On one
j6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
occasion my faithful friend, a Scotch terrier, accompanied
me on my tramp. It was growing late and I was bound-
ing along over boulders and stumps when the dog gave
a howl of terror. I went back to ascertain what ailed
him and discovered a large copper-head snake, which I
had evidently jumped over a minute before and which
doubtless had been irritated by the dog nosing him ; the
snake had bitten him and he was shaking his head in
pain. The dog howled most dismally all night and his
head swelled up frightfully, but he finally recovered.
Papa's skill gradually became known, and in a little
while he was appointed physician and surgeon for a large
iron foundry situated at Cold Spring, opposite West
Point, where several hundred men were employed. As
he did not dare to leave us alone in this unprotected
locality we returned to the city and located at 84
Christopher street. I found the care of a household of
eight persons was more than I could endure. Our
means had become so reduced we could not employ the
necessary help, and so I persuaded papa to let me accept
a position as governess and give my salary for servant
hire. He finally consented and I soon was engaged to
take charge of the education of two little girls, the
children of a Mr. Warwick, who lived in great style in a
beautiful home near Rhinebeck on the Hudson. My
two little pupils were sweet and well trained children, I
was treated kindly and was happy and contented. After a
while an accident happened, a candle came too near the
looking glass, perhaps, and it split. Superstition was rife
and all predicted some misfortune. A few days after I
received word that I must return at once for my mother
EMM J J. BARTOL 37
was dead. It was a very severe winter, there were no
railroads or steamboats and I travelled the entire distance
from Rhinebeck to New York in a sleigh. When I ar-
rived I found mamma in her coffin with a little baby boy
in her arms. This was in January, 1841.
As papa was now established at Cold Spring he
decided to remove his family there. He took a pleasant
house commanding a fine view of the river and we were
soon comfortably settled. The village was principally
occupied by people who were connected with the West
Point Foundry and its needs. There was one very
ordinary hotel kept by a woman of whom I remember
an amusing story was told. An artist was stopping there
and offered to paint her portrait for his board. She was
much pleased with the idea and watched the progress of
the work very closely, but when he came to her eyes,
which were black, she insisted that he should paint them
blue, as she never had liked black eyes, and so blue they
were made to her entire satisfaction.
I was installed as housekeeper and in addition was
given the task of teaching the younger children, neither
of which was a new experience for me. Housekeeping
in those days, when there were no furnaces, running
water, sewing machines or any of the labor-saving devices
of modern times, called for constant and never-ending
labor and my days held very little time for the frivolities
of life that young people are very fond of and to which
they are really entitled.
3 8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER V.
It was not long before I met my future husband;
it was at a picnic, I remember. Barnabas Henry Bartol
was a handsome young man, tall, athletic, blue-eyed,
with health, courage and determination in every look
and motion. His father was a ship owner in New York,
and, after giving his son a good education, he placed him
at the age of seventeen in the offices of the West Point
Foundry to learn the profession of an engineer. The
boy, however, against his father's wishes indentured him-
self as an apprentice, determined to learn the business
from bottom to top. He manifested such remarkable
ability that almost from the first he was entrusted with
the most important work and was soon sent to all parts
of the United States to superintend contracts. At the
age of twenty-three he was made superintendant of the
foundry and under his management its business was
largely extended. It was a few years after this that I
first met him.
The Bartol (or Bartoll) family records of 1598 may
be seen in the old parish church of Crewkerne, Somer-
setshire, near Bristol, England. Representatives of the
family came to America in 1639 and established them-
selves at Marblehead, Mass. Later, one branch mi-
grated northward and settled in Maine. Henry, as he
was called, was born in Freeport, Maine, Oct. 31, 1816,
and was the ninth often children. The family removed
to Portland very soon afterwards, and when he was thir-
teen they removed to New York City.
When I first knew Mr. Bartol, his father was dead
EMM J J. BARTOL jp
and he had brought his mother and his two unmarried
sisters to Cold Spring, where they lived in a pretty cot-
tage. We soon became engaged and were married May
5, 1842, at Cold Spring, New York, by the rector of
the Episcopal Church, the Rev. Ebenezer Williams. I
was then just twenty-one years old and Mr. Bartol was
in his twenty-sixth year. For a wedding trip we went to
Portland, Maine, to visit his relatives, who received the
little English bride very kindly, and we had a most
enjoyable visit. On our return home we lived in his
cottage with his mother and sisters.
The Bartol family were rigid Unitarians and Henry
was a staunch defender of that faith. There was, how-
ever, no Unitarian organization in Cold Spring, and, as
he believed in going to church on Sunday, he regularly
attended the Episcopal and gave it so much assistance
that he had been made a vestryman. As soon as 1 was
settled in my new home I wanted to take charge of my
youngest sister, who was only five years old, but to our
amazement the Episcopal minister interfered and at last
persuaded my father not to let me have her because Mr.
Bartol was a Unitarian! Not satisfied with this he never
lost an opportunity of insisting that it was my duty to
require my husband to be confirmed in the Episcopal
church. Mr. Bartol naturally resented these things and
expressed himself strongly, although we continued to go
to church. Finally on Trinity Sunday, in the midst of
a sermon burning with fire and brimstone, Mr. Williams
suddenly pointed at us and with great vehemence and
bitterness consigned us to eternal damnation! On our
way home I asked Mr. Bartol to explain to me what
4 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Unitarianism was. He did so and gave me books and
other literature on the subject which appealed to my
reason and sense of justice, I became a thorough be-
liever in this new doctrine and severed all connection
with the church whose ordained exponent was capable of
such bigotry and uncharitableness. We afterwards
became members of Dr. Henry Bellows' church in New
York.
There was a great deal of malaria in the neighbor-
hood and I became a victim to it. I was ill for almost
a year and in consequence lost my first baby. Mr.
Bartol's sister, Harriet, soon married a Mr. Edward
Curtis and went to New York to live ; the other sister,
Mary, joined her. Mr. Bartol's mother remained with
us. Afterwards a little daughter came to me whom I
named Ellen Kemble.
Meanwhile my brother Edward had finished his
education in London and joined us, and my father was
persuaded by friends who had located in the West that
he could give his boys a much better start there than in
the more thickly populated East. He took all his
household goods and his six children, the oldest daughter
only about sixteen, and started for Albion, 111., where
he had purchased a farm. On the way the train was
wrecked and in the confusion their trunks were broken
open and many valuable things stolen, among them
beautiful articles of jewelry and bric-a-brac of rare and
curious workmanship which had been sent to us from
time to time by our relations in the East Indies. He
put a tenant on his farm and soon built up a good prac-
tice for himself. When he had been there for about two
EMM J J. BARTOL 41
years he was taken suddenly ill, largely due to overwork,
and died March 19, 1845. My brother Edward had
just gone to New Orleans on a business trip and the
family of young children was left alone.
Mr. Bartol went at once to Albion and brought the
five children to our home at Cold Spring, where we also
were in great trouble. His brother-in-law was conduct-
ing a paper mill in New York and had persuaded him
not only to make the necessary machinery for it but to
put a considerable amount of capital into it. The busi-
ness failed and the grief and anxiety so preyed on Mr.
Curtis' mind that he died, leaving everything in confusion.
Mr. Bartol decided to go to New York and take charge,
in the hope of reestablishing the business and saving the
capital he had put into it. I shall never forget that
winter. Our family consisted of his married sister, Mrs.
Curtis, her baby and stepson, my young daughter and
my five orphan brothers and sisters brought from Illinois,
and to these twelve persons another was soon added, for
my son, Henry Welchman, was born in January. Soon
afterwards my youngest sister was taken with scarlet fever
and lay at the point of death for weeks. Through all
this Mr. Bartol was making a desperate struggle to re-
gain the savings of his hard work and careful manage-
ment for years, lost through no fault of his. He did not
succeed and I shall remember always the look of agony
on his white face as he came into the room where I lay
with my newly-born babe and said, "It is all over, I am
ruined!"
Within the next few years two of my sisters, Mary
and Louisa, married and went to Boston to live, and my
4 2 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
youngest sister went with them and died there at the age
of fifteen. My second sister, Isabel, also went to Boston
and was instrumental in establishing the first kindergar-
tens in that city, where she was a very successful teacher
for many years. She married late in life and lived in
the South. Edward married in New York and died
while on a business trip to New Orleans. Arthur
married and settled in the West. Mr. Bartol's two
sisters and niece lived with us most of the time until their
death.
Mr. Bartol's business ability was well known and in
a short time he was asked to go to Philadelphia and take
the superintendency of the Southwark Foundry ot
Messrs. Merrick and Towne, and we went to that city
in 1847. Here before he was thirty-five he began
laying the foundations of a long and successful business
career.
We went first to a large old-fashioned boarding-
house in Pine St., built of bricks of alternating red and
black brought from England. The house was kept
by a Mrs. Sexton. It was a great relief to me to be
freed from the cares of housekeeping which had rested
on my shoulders since I was a mere child, and as there
was no longer any business worry we had a very happy
and peaceful year. The next year we purchased a house
at the corner of Broad and Lombard Sts., and here my
second daughter, Emma Teresa, was born. After a few
years, finding this place too far from his business, Mr.
Bartol bought a residence on Tenth St. My second
son and last child, George Edward, was born here, and
this was our home until 1865, when we built the large
RESIDENCE 19th AND SPRUCE STREETS, PHILADELPHIA
EMMA J. BARTOL 43
house on the corner of Spruce and Nineteenth Sts.,
where I hope to end my days.
There is but little of interest to record of those
early years, as the life of one busy housekeeper and
mother differs but little from that of all others. One
could get a good cook for $1.25 a week and a chamber-
maid for 75 cents. Household service was almost
entirely American or Irish ; it was not difficult to obtain
and was in the main satisfactory. I recall my first sew-
ing-machine, which I secured soon after the invention of
what is now found in almost every home. I had been
struggling with the sewing for my husband, four children
and the house, which was an endless task, and I hailed
with joy the prospect of this labor-saving appliance. Mr.
Bartol, however, had no faith in it and did not want to
buy one. Without his knowledge I went to the house
of a woman who made salt bags for a firm and there
learned to use the sewing-machine. Then I announced
to my husband that I wanted the little patrimony which
had come to me from my father's estate placed at my
separate disposal. He could not have been more sur-
prised if a thunderbolt had fallen, but in a short time he
placed an account in bank to my credit and my first
check was drawn to buy a sewing-machine. I regret to
say, however, that I made such vigorous and constant
use of it as to bring on a serious illness, the expenses of
which were quite equal to the cost of the machine.
Nevertheless it was for years afterwards a very necessary
part of the household equipment.
I was never so occupied with domestic cares as not
to find some time for duties outside the house and I
44 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
entered largely into the various activities of the church,
the charitable work of the city, and later the extensive
demands created by the Civil War ; but of these I shall
speak in another chapter.
EMMA J. BARTOL 45
CHAPTER VI.
The greatest desire of my life was for travel. From
earliest childhood I had pored over books of travel and
wondered if ever it would be my good fortune to see any
of the interesting countries I read about, with their
strange people and customs, and the wonderful varia-
tions of nature in scenery and especially in trees, flowers,
and the plant life in which I was always so much inter-
ested. I little dreamed in those early days of the extent
to which I should be able to indulge this love of travel,
and that my trips would twice encircle the globe and in-
clude most of the countries of the world. Aside from
the journey which brought me from England to the
United States, my travels may be said to have begun in
1853. Much of the machinery made in the West Point
Foundry, and also in the Southwark Foundry of Phila-
delphia, was for use in manufacturing sugar and was sent
to Cuba. Subsequently Mr. Bartol himself had large
personal interests there and I spent a number of winters
on that island. The first was in 1853-4, when I took
my little son, hoping the warm climate would give relief
to an asthmatic trouble from which he suffered. I find
some records of that visit in a sort of journal which I
kept, occasionally sending pages of it home.
Sunday, December, 1 8th, 1853. — We are just about
entering the harbor of Havana ; unfortunately there is a
regular Scotch mist that destroys the general view we
otherwise should have had, and we can only see objects
46 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
as we approach near them. Here is Morro Castle on
the left; I hear them all talking of the fine harbor but I
see no entrance ; the passage is so narrow that we did not
perceive it till we came close up to the Castle, which
looks old and weather-beaten ; and well it may, for old
Father Neptune batters it continually and in his fury
madly dashes over the very top of the light-house. This
happens when they have what they call a " Norther."
How beautifully green everything looks ! The land is
rather high, sloping down with its green verdure to the
very edge, where the waves are now gently breaking.
There are some cocoa-nut trees. Here comes a little
boat with a dark-looking man dressed in light linen
clothes. He is a Spanish pilot and he comes on board.
The signals on Morro Castle have been answered and
our vessel rides proudly into the harbor, looking like a
lion amongst a set of curs, so large and noble in com-
parison to the small craft around us.
There on the shore are houses of many colors — blue,
yellow, green, and some with red tiles. The tiles are
half round, giving the roofs a ribbed appearance. We
still keep winding up the harbor with houses clustered
all along. At last the engine is stopped, the hawser is
made fast to a buoy and we are stationary. Now the
small boats are flocking around. They look something
like gondolas ; all have an awning at one end, gaily
painted — red, yellow, green or blue — some being grotes-
que looking affairs.
A ladder is thrown from the ship's side and lashed
securely. The boats crowd up and vie with each other
in clamoring for passengers, like the New York hack-
EMM J J. BARTOL 47
men. What a babel of languages, what a confusion of
tongues ! The Government officers come aboard ; our
passports are given up and permits to land are handed
to those who wish to take a peep at Havana before the
vessel leaves for New Orleans. This is a regular " pen-
ny-a-peep" show, one of the ways these Spaniards have
of making money.
Away they all go pack and baggage. My friends
have not come for me yet, and as there are only half a
dozen passengers left it seems quite lonely. The vessel
starts again at twelve and it is now half-past eleven and I
am thinking I shall have to go on shore alone. Ah !
at last here is my friend. What a relief! I feel as if a
heavy weight were suddenly lifted off my shoulders.
How grateful is a familiar face in a foreign port !
Now we take our turn going down the ladder, glide
swiftly over the water in our little boat and jump on-
to a wooden quay in front of a theatrical looking house,
painted blue and yellow, and indeed looking as though
somebody in a frolicksome mood had been making dabs
with the blue bag. The porters march off, each with
a trunk on his back, and dump them down in the theatri-
cal looking house which turns out to be the Customs.
My friend takes my keys and opens one trunk after
another for the inspection of the officers and about
twenty or thirty men are looking on. The officer lifts
up my dresses ; thank you, Mr. Officer, for not rum-
maging to the bottom. Now another trunk ; there are
collars, under-sleeves and stockings ; I can not help
laughing to see them turning over my woman's traps so
carefully. They have treated me very well on the whole,
48 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
though, for I expected to have everything turned upside
down. Now the trunks are relocked, the porters
shoulder their loads and off we march again.
We get into a volante, a vehicle that seems fright-
ened at the horse and unwilling to follow it, the shaft's
length is so enormous and there is such a distance be-
tween the horse and the carriage. It has something the
appearance of a gig with a top to it, an apron of blue
cloth fastened from the dash board to the hood entirely-
intercepting all view. The driver sits on the horse, and
the poor beast looks meagre and half starved. Here on
the right we pass a square. How pretty it looks, those
trees with beautiful scarlet blossoms and the waving
palms ! Now we stop at a French hotel called " Le
Grand." The building is a hollow square, all the bed-
rooms opening onto a corridor with a red brick floor and
having a balustrade all around. We look down into a
yard where they prepare a good deal of the food. The
walls are all white-washed with the exception of about
four feet from the floor, which are coarsely daubed with
gay colors, somewhat like our shilling bandboxes. The
floors are of a yellowish white or gaily painted to imitate
tesselated pavement. The ceilings are tremendously
high — some twenty-four feet — not plastered, and the
rafters painted blue. And there are innumerable tall
doors, about sixteen feet high, with stained glass over
every one.
Bands of soldiers have been going about making
music all day. The theatre, which is a few doors from
here, has been crowded and I cannot realize that it is
Sunday ; the stores are open and it has appeared to be a
EMMA J. BARTOL 49
gala day with everybody. I have had so much crowded
into my head to-day that I feel as if a whole year's ad-
ventures had been jammed in at once, so I will lay down
my pen and try a Cuban cot. It looks clean and in-
viting and is enveloped in white book muslin curtains.
Monday, December 19th. — My sleep was disturbed
on my foreign bed, or rather cot, with nothing between
me and the sacking stretched across but a thin cotton
blanket and a linen sheet, and over me one sheet and
one blanket. The pillows felt like cotton bats. My
bedroom is about twelve feet square, with four doors, or
windows, as they answer the purpose of both. They are
about sixteen feet high and open down to the floor. One
is heavily barred with iron so that you can leave it open
and yet be safe from intrusion. At the top of each door
is a small window with blue and yellow glass in it. The
floor is of cement with a strip of carpet before each cot.
Here, as at sea, the men perform the part of valet de
chambre. I was aroused in the middle of the night by a
band, which, although it discoursed sweet music for hours,
I would gladly have dispensed with. As soon as I was
dressed in the morning, coffee was handed in, in a little
cup about the size of an egg cup. Between nine and ten
breakfast was served, of which I will give a description.
A bottle of claret wine, a bottle of water, dishes of fried
plantains, prawns, mutton chops, fried potatoes, French
mince, French stew, truffles, an unknown compound,
one roll apiece, the size of a goose egg, and no more
bread and no tea or milk. After we have finished
eating, strong cofFee is handed around.
Breakfast over we take a volante (for one cannot
jo RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
walk in Havana) and ride to the Cathedral where the
remains of Columbus are claimed to be. A priest with a
many-cornered cap on and a long flowing robe escorts us
about. The building is a very ancient looking place ;
the walls in the interior are entirely covered over with
painting in various devices and some scriptural verses.
The floor is of different colored marbles and the whole
reminds us of the descriptions we have read of the
churches in France or Germany. There are no pews,
each worshipper bringing his own carpet to kneel on ;
we saw one rug left by some devotee. There were sev-
eral confessionals looking like mahogany sentry boxes
and a number of very large straight-backed chairs that
antiquarians would vastly prize. A lamp was burning
before the altar and Columbus carved in white marble,
with a Spanish inscription signifying that his remains are
there on the right hand side.
From the Cathedral we went to the fish market
which is close by. The market house is a stone build-
ing with a long row of marble slabs and a number of
copper pans suspended to weigh the fish in, which were
all alive and kicking and of the most brilliant hues ;
some were cherry colored, some rosy red, some faintly
tinged with pink, some a cerulean blue, others striped
with the most delicate shades of purple and buff" and
lilac. But the most curious of all were the cochino, or
hog fish ; the resemblance, snout and all, is so striking
you expect to hear his swineship give a grunt of disap-
probation when you give him a poke. Another cur-
ious fish called vaca, or cow fish, had horns not quite
long enough to toss you. The lobsters are much
EMMA J. BARTOL 5 i
prettier than ours, they are speckled all over and very-
much the color of a jay bird. The race has improved
for the better in this part of the globe, having lost those
formidable pinching claws. The eels are terrible look-
ing things.
The sidewalks of Havana are exceeding narrow,
indeed in some cases two can not pass. The path-
way has generally only one flag. The middle of the
street is not paved but looks like our macadamized
roads, and is of a dazzling whiteness from the limestone
that is used. The houses appear very prison-like, hav-
ing immense doors with iron bars, and no glass win-
dows. The doors or, if you please, shutters, are open
all day and, the bars being three or four inches apart,
one can see all that is going on in the interior. Most
of the stores have a great variety of goods although some
confine themselves to one particular branch.
There are some very pretty trees in front of our
house with large scarlet and yellow blossoms resembling
in shape the Althea. They are called the majagua. I
am told rope is made from the bark.
In the afternoon the streets are filled with volantes
occupied by very gaily dressed ladies. You would be
puzzled how to dress yourself for this occasion ; instead
of dressing for a ride you must dress as if for a ball.
Later — I left you contemplating how you should
dress yourself for a ride in a volante. Let me describe
those passing by. The ladies have no bonnets on ;
Spanish ladies are noted for their abundant long, black
hair, which they arrange very prettily, with puffs in
front, plaited behind, with tortoise shell combs and pins.
5 2 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Some wear pretty head-dresses or veils. This lady had
on a pink tarleton flounced up to the waist, that one blue
tissue, and some wore white book muslin. All the ma-
terials used are very thin and frail and I am told they
frequently wear a dress but once. The linen cambrics
are very fine and a dress costs about $20. They are
much worn but do not look as pretty as a handsome
lawn. The young ladies have bare arms and wear a great
deal of jewelry.
The Havaneros pride themselves on their " turn-
out," and decorate the volante and harness with much
silver. One may see two or three horses, attached to
the volante by hempen ropes encased in leather, the
horses abreast. The driver invariably rides on one and
puts us in mind of an ourang outang dressed up at a
circus. He generally wears an old faded [seen-its-best-
day] jockey jacket, of scarlet cloth or blue or chocolate,
corded and bound with yellow ; white trousers, immense
boots laced from top to toe and reaching six inches above
the knee, large, heavy silver spurs with rowels an inch
and a half in diameter, and a gay handkerchief bound
round the head with the corners flying behind.
My little Harry thought he would make the most
of his time and started off on an exploring expedition
without my permission. Hour after hour passed away
but I felt perfectly contented for I thought he had gone
with my friend ; when the latter arrived and asked me
where Harry was and said that he had met some one
who told him that a little boy was lost, I still thought
that he was joking ; but while we were talking in marched
Master Harry looking rather crestfallen. Havana is a
EMMA J. BARTOL S3
walled city and we were staying outside the walls, in the
suburbs. It appears that Harry had gone strolling round
and got inside the walls. As soon as he found he had
lost his way he began to cry, whereupon the policeman
seized him, which nearly frightened all his wits away —
these policeman being fierce looking fellows and gener-
ally armed. They took him to every hotel inside the
city and finally stumbled on somebody who could speak
a little English to the child, and then he was brought
back to us pretty well frightened.
Travelling here is not as easy as in the North. The
officials are very particular what kind of baggage you
have, and you are obliged to pay for it separately and to
take a written paper for a check. It is both tedious and
awkward. We were over an hour getting our baggage
attended to for our trip to the country tomorrow. I was
surprised at the size of Havana and its environs — Puen-
tes Grandes, Regla, Guanabacoa and Jesus del Monte.
The rich merchants generally reside in these environs.
We took a carryall and went for a long drive. Before
we returned the houses were lighted up and the interior
of many looked very pleasant. The cement floors seem
cheerless to a Northern eye, but when we consider the
heat they appear well adapted to a tropical climate and
we soon became accustomed to them. The furniture is
such as we use in the States ; all the chairs are cane-bot-
tomed and sofas are hair cloth. The city is lighted with
gas. They have some very good stores and we can buy
many goods quite as cheap as in the North. I have not
been shopping yet but it is said one can buy hand-
54 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
some French dress goods and laces at quite a low
price.
In the evening we went to the Square before the
Governor's Palace, called the Plaza de Armas. The
band plays beautifully every evening at eight o'clock. In
the centre of the Plaza is a large statue of Ferdinand the
Seventh, with four royal palms planted so as to form a
square and standing as sentinels over it. Each palm has
four gas lights under it — looking like little wax tapers,
compared to the gigantic trees waving in the breeze
above them. Here is the grand resort for all the Span-
ish belles and beaux. The streets all around are one
continuous string of volantes full of elegantly dressed
ladies who come to see and be seen. Of course there are
no lack of gentlemen here, who seem to find something
very attractive in the volantes, and the whole scene is a
most animating one. Tomorrow we go to the sugar es-
tate, about sixty miles from Havana.
Tuesday, December 20th — We took the cars
at six in the morning. The road ran through a pretty
country near Havana with the land cultivated as market
gardens. I saw some fine cabbages, lettuce, peas in
bloom, and radishes; then came the sugar plantations
and the royal palms scattered all along, with here and
there a cocoa-nut tree; the waste land was covered with
the guava, growing much like huckleberry bushes. We
stopped a number of times on our route at miserable
looking hamlets. All the houses are of one story and
the tiles of the roof are peculiar, looking at a distance
like flower pots slipped one within another and lying in
rows from the top to the eaves. This is caused by the
EMMA J. BARTOL 55
tiles being a half circle and every other row inverted. A
great part of the road was fenced in with a most impene-
trable hedge formed of pina raton, which resembles the
aloes we see in pots in the hot-houses. It bears a fruit
about the size of a butternut and in shape like a pine-
apple, which has a pleasant tart taste though it is not
eaten. The ends of the leaves have most formidable
thorns which even the oxen will not dare to invade.
We stopped to take breakfast at Guines, but it did
not look very inviting. Almost all the dishes bear a re-
semblance to one another, stews or fricassees with dishes
of rice here and there, and everybody drinks red wine or
coffee.
We arrived at our stopping place, Alba, about half
past ten, where we took a volante to our place of des-
tination which was between two and three miles distant.
The roads are horrible, having ruts a foot deep. We
passed a patch of plantain, one of the staple articles of
food; on the right was a sugar cane field, which at a cur-
sory glance one would take for a corn field. As we turn
a sharp angle the house comes in view. First on the
right we see an octagon pigeon house, built of stone,
plastered and white-washed, with red tiled roof and
covered with pigeons. In the front is a baptisimal look-
ing font for them to bathe in. On the left are a suc-
cession of outhouses built in a semi-circle round the
main building consisting of stables, bathing-house, wash-
house and kitchen. The main building is a large square
house of one story, with a very wide piazza on two sides
with a cement floor. When you enter the front door
you find yourself in a large, unceiled hall with a sloping
5 6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
roof, the joints of which are painted an indescribable
green color. The hall also has a cement floor and a
glass lamp pendant from the centre. The walls are white-
washed. The bedrooms lead out from this hall on either
side so that my bedroom opens on one side into the hall
and on the other side to the piazza.
You may imagine the mildness of the climate when
I tell you that I have no glass in my windows. In fact
I have no window in my room, the light being admitted
through the door which opens onto the piazza. There
are four small panes of glass above the door but they do
not admit light enough to dress by, consequently upon
jumping out of bed I immediately make a dive for the
door and perform the principal part of my toilet there,
watching the negros going to their work and the effect
of the rising sun on hill and dale. It is all very delight-
ful to me. The most prominent thing that strikes me
on nearing the house is the pleasant odor of the bagazo,
which is the cane after the juice is extracted from it and
which is strewn all about to dry for fuel, much after the
fashion of hay, which it much resembles in smell, only
sweeter with a little odor of corn which is delicious.
Christmas Eve — The day was so delightfully warm
I wore a light muslin dress, but there is such a pleasant
breeze all the time one never feels uncomfortable. It
seems like the most delightful of our autumn weather,
but if one is exposed to the sun it will burn one's back.
In the evening we drank maraschino to our absent friends.
Night set in with a severe thunder storm.
Christmas day — The negros had a holiday from
sunrise to sun-set. I heard the drums going all day in
EMMA J. BARTOL 57
the baracoons and believe they danced but I did not go
to see them. At sundown the bell rang for them to go
to work again although it was Sunday as well as Christ-
mas. It was warm enough today to melt my pomatum.
I wore a very thin lawn and found it sufficient. We had
no church to go to and with the exception of people loll-
ing about with no particular employment, I saw nothing
to mark the day. In the evening we all went over to
call on neighbors — a French family. Some of us went
on horseback and the rest in a volante.
December 26th. — I will give you an idea of our
general life. We get up at six, when the slave brings in
coffee, which is very strong, and boiled milk and sugar.
I do not think it wholesome so I make for the orange
trees, shake four or five off, peel them and suck the juice
and pulp, throwing all the rest away. This is the Cuban
way of eating oranges. At half past seven four or five
saddle horses are brought to the door for those who wish
to ride. I generally make one of the party, being very
fond of the exercise. We go where fancy dictates for
about an hour, perhaps longer. Nine is the breakfast
hour though it is generally nearer ten, and sometimes it
is nearly eleven when we rise from the table. We then
go to our different occupations; the gentlemen to the
sugar house, the ladies to sewing, reading, etc., until din-
ner ; three o'clock is the hour but we seldom sit down
till half past. When we have finished the sun is just
about sinking. Then the volante and horses are ordered
and we ride or visit neighbors for an hour or two. We
generally read aloud or sew and play on the piano and
58 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
sing the remainder of the evening unless company comes
in.
New Years Day, 1854. — Out of a very sound sleep
I was aroused by "Happy New Year" and kisses on my
cheek, and although it was still dark there was no more
sleep. All were bound for fun and there was a race as
to which could get dressed first and catch the rest. But
it was almost impossible to dress on account of fire-crack-
ers and various startling events. The day was rather
cold and windy, but bright and sunshiny. The negro
women were presented with dresses and gay colored
handkerchiefs. They came in their best bib and tucker
to wish us the compliments of the season. After break-
fast the men brought their drums, which appear to be the
only musical instrument they possess. They have a
unique way of using them. The drum is made of a hol-
low log of wood with a raw-hide stretched across the top
and nailed firmly down. A rope is tied round the mid-
dle of the log and also around the performer's waist. He
then tips his drum a little and mounts it much after the
fashion of little boys playing horse with father's cane.
The drummer commences by hitting the drum with the
palm of the hands alternately, slowly at first, then quick-
er, getting up steam by degrees, till at last the eyes begin
to roll, the whole body is in motion, and off goes the
hat, away goes the coat, vest and shirt, leaving his tawny
skin glistening in the sun like polished ebony. When
he is exhausted another takes his place. On this occa-
sion there were three drummers and the dancers
stood in groups on each side of them. Only one couple
performed at a time. The lady always has a gay colored
EMMA J. BARTOL 59
handkerchief in her hands which she waves around. Her
steps are very small, with little jumping or springing, and
on the whole her performance is a very tame affair. Not
so with the gentlemen. The more antics he can perform
the better; encircling the lady with his arms without
touching her, following her wherever she goes, kneeling,
touching the ground in a sitting posture, then bounding
on his feet — all in time with the music — till just as he
appears to be going completely distracted and you are
prepared for something desperate, they both slide into the
group and two more take their places; and so on for
hours. It is customary to load the favorite lady dancer
with gay handkerchiefs ; her admirers step up and tie
them around her neck and arms until they are frequently
almost covered. Sometimes they put money in her
mouth. These African belles come out very early. I
saw some dressed as women and deporting themselves
with all the gravity of women of thirty, who were not
more than eight.
The weather remained quite cool all day though not
cold enough to prevent us from dining out of doors un-
der a bower covered with palm branches for the occasion.
We had a most excellent dinner given in true English
style. It would be a long task to enumerate all the
dishes served; but some peculiar to the country and the
season, as differing from the North I will mention.
Fresh green peas sweeter than any I ever tasted, palm
cabbage — the young leaves in embryo, white as the driven
snow, that are taken from the heart of the trees — this is
cooked as other cabbage and is sweeter and more deli-
cate, and also makes excellent pickle; yam, which is very
60 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
much like potatoes and quite as good; choite, something
like squash, and malanza, or choke dog — the name char-
acterizes it; bouillion, which is a part of the brisket boiled
fresh, a part generally salted with us; beef a la mode,
which is a piece of beef stewed with carrots and turnips
thirty-six hours; and snipe oranges and hicacoes, which
look like plums when preserved. The order of the din-
ner was turtle-soup, and sherry, boiled and roasted meats,
vegetables, games, champagne, plum pudding and pies,
fruit, coffee and pousse cafe or maraschino. We were
obliged to have lights soon after sitting down. When
we rose from the table the gentlemen called for music
and singing. The remainder of the evening was passed
in dancing and games, and thus ended another Sunday.
Sunday Again. — Nothing but the ridiculous came
into my head when I first saw a palm tree. I must tell
you how it struck me. You have seen the sable plumes
used on hearses ; well, imagine them stuck on the top of
an immensely tall broom handle and you have the Royal
Palm before you. The height of the trunk is so enor-
mous that the leaves which grow in a tuft at the top look
like ostrich feathers waving about, and it is not until you
ride through avenues or groves of these trees that you
realize their lofty beauty. They are frequently planted
in avenues, which afford a very pleasant shade and are
delightful to ride through. At a French lady's near here
there is a palm avenue in front of the house and at the
back; at the side there is a mango avenue. The mango
is a most beautifully shaped tree ; the foliage is very
thick, the leaves are large, dark and glossy, and it looks
like an evergreen. At the present time it is full of flow-
EMMA J. BARTOL 61
ers and presents a bristly appearance, the blossoms com-
ing up to a spike, their color making the tree look as if
it had been touched by the frost; it bears a very nice
fruit which I have not yet eaten.
Here is how a woman prepares coffee for roasting;
she has a mortar made of a log of wood hollowed out;
the dried berries are put into the mortar and with a thick,
heavy wooden pestle five or six feet long she pounds the
husks off; they are then poured into a wide, shallow
basket and fanned to remove the chaff, after which they
are carefully picked out and are ready for roasting. The
berries when ripe on the tree are bright red and quite
pretty.
I have a very lovely view from my bed room door.
About twenty paces off there is a hedge of pines inter-
spersed with orange and tamarind trees. On the
other side of the hedge there is a road ; beyond it
are pine, cocoa, cotton and rose trees, through which
I catch a glimpse of a dwelling used as an infirmary or
hospital when there is any sickness ; to the right is a
sugar-cane patch and in the distance are the hills of
Madruga fringed with the royal palm. The effect of
light and shade on these hills in cloudy weather is beau-
tiful. At a little distance under the shade of an algoroba
the old women slaves are preparing sago or, as we term
it, arrow root. First the root is ploughed up and looks
something like a small parsnip; it is washed and a thin
skin peeled off, three or four handfulls are then thrown
into the wooden mortar, and two old women with their
clubs fall to and see which can spatter the other the
most. When beaten it becomes a white pulp which flies
62 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
high and soon makes them look like speckled hens.
This pulp is washed and strained repeatedly, the arrow-
root depositing itself at the bottom of the tub and the
impurities floating off in the water. When it looks clean
and white it is spread out on cloths to dry in the sun; it
is then fit for use. It is principally used for starch and
as a food for sick people.
January 24th. — After waiting for cool weather for
some weeks a favorable day was at last prognosticated
and preparations were made ; the turkeys gasped their
last, the peas were picked, the salt, pepper and gridiron
were packed, some company invited to join us, and our
long contemplated picnic came off. The day proved de-
lightfully clear with wind enough to keep cool. At
seven, six horses were brought to the door for the eques-
trians, besides two pack horses with provisions and two
slaves to wait on us. The fog was still lingering on the
cane-field when we met two more of our party, with an-
other pack horse and slaves, so that we formed quite a
body of cavalry. We proceeded for a long distance in
the highway or public road, which from its appearance
you would call a lane. You would certainly infer that
there was not much public travel, for it is all overgrown
with grass and weeds and completely hemmed in with
high hedges formed of pine and pina raton which com-
pletely exclude all view from the country, so that the
road is exceedingly monotonous and void of all interest.
As soon, however, as we left the high road and began to
ascend, the way was more varied. We passed a tobacco
patch, planted like cabbage in rows at regular intervals
and kept trimmed to a certain height. I saw a monkey
EMMA J. BARTOL 63
bread-fruit tree and a great variety of palms. Just at
the foot of the hills we passed through the village of
Madruga, the houses as usual looking like barns, all of
one story without chimneys or windows ; the people
looked lazy and slovenly, with black hair and eyes and
olive complexions. Here we stopped to buy bread
which we found very good. You would really wonder
what these people lived on, for there never seemed to be
any business going on.
After breakfast our hammock was swung across the
brook and fastened to palm trees in which we were lulled
to sleep by the rippling water underneath and rocked by
the breeze. We were somewhat unceremoniously aroused
from our romantic slumber by the startling cry of, "fire!
fire ! the savannah is on fire! " and soon all were on the
qui vive to ascertain the truth of the report. I went on
an exploring expedition as my poor dress will give evi-
dence of; the wait-a-bits caught hold of me and gave my
dress a long rent which employed me all the next day
mending. The crackling, roaring, smoke and blackened
flakes soon gave evidence that some one indeed had set
the savannah on fire. We tried in vain to find a place,
to eat our dinner free from smoke, but a smoky dinner
we were forced to eat. Fortunately the fire was on the
other side of the stream, but the wind blew the smoke
in our direction. About half an hour before the sun
sank we mounted our steeds. Unfortunately we had no
moon, so that it was pitch dark about an hour before we
arrived.
January 27th. — Just as the sun was sinking the
horses were saddled and brought to the door for those
64 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
who wished to ride. I took the Rocking Chair, so
named from her easy gait, and E. took Zenobia. This
evening we tried a new route, along the cane field. We
soon arrived at some bars which slide into holes in
two upright posts, and were easily removed ; our
horses walked over the fallen bars and we were in the por-
trero or grazing pastures. It being working hours, only
one solitary old ox was left, who seemed to be ruminat-
ing on the sorrows of old age, or perhaps on his supper.
This land, I am told, is pending in a law suit, and it
looks about as forlorn as a suit in chancery, for it is com-
pletely run over with wait-a-bit thorn bushes, such as
are described in Cumming's travels in Africa. They
have most formidable thorns, just the shape of cat's
claws, turning down instead of upwards, so there is no
escape when once you are fairly hooked in their cruel
embraces. Here is a clump of a still more treacherous
nature, for its graceful foliage and delicate little leaves
seem waving to fan your cheek ; but woe betide the un-
lucky wight who ventures too near, for those fine little
leaves are covered with sharp hooks so small that if you ex-
amine them you would not dream of danger, but let
this bewitching vine twine around you and you will hard-
ly get off with a whole skin; it is called tocisia or maid-
catcher. Here on the left is a lime tree in full blossom,
born to waste its sweetness on the desert air, and all
along are orange trees with the golden fruit hanging in
abundance. I ride up to each one as I pass and,
plucking an orange, think of you all at the north
and throw it over the tree for you to catch, giving an
EMMA J. BARTOL 6 5
extra pitch for those away down East to have a
chance.
Count T. and the Administrator were expected by
the Havana train and preparations were made accord-
ingly. Their object in coming was to see the Rillieux
Sugar Apparatus in operation. The Count did not
come but his god-child came in his stead. The
latter looks like an American, with blue eyes and
light hair, tall but very slightly built, with the most
petite hands and feet. He does not look over twenty
but is married and has two children. In the evening
we made some experiments in electricity ; a key was tied
into a book with the handle free ; two persons lifted the
handle by the tips of the fore-fingers, and one person
willing it to go in one direction it invariably turned that
way; if two persons willed it in opposite directions it
would turn to the order of the one who has most elec-
tricity. Then a porcelain wash bowl was placed on a small
round table and five persons in a circle round the bowl
formed a chain by the tips of their fingers ; lightly touch-
ing the bowl it soon commenced to move in the direc-
tion one of the party had willed, unknown to the rest.
We were told it would rap the number of people in the
room, but it behaved like some children and would not
show off" in company.
January 29th. — We have been to the village church
for the second time ; it is distant about six miles from
here over rough roads. The volante was brought to the
door at seven ; before starting we took a small slice of
bread and some coffee. After passing through our own
estate we entered into the high-way or public road which
66 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
is all over-grown with grass, showing the small amount
of travel and the spareness of the population. The ruts
are so deep that no northern carriage could withstand
the shocks. The land was so level and the hedges so
high we saw nothing whatever of the surrounding coun-
try. We passed two houses which appeared to me like
hovels but are dignified by the name of taverns, where
they say you can get a very good meal notwithstanding
the uninviting appearance. In one you can procure
the most costly medicines and drugs. They generally
keep an assortment of goods so that they fill an import-
ant place in the community. We passed a very pretty
avenue of palms leading to a large estate called " La
Union," and entered a sugar estate, formerly a coffee
plantation. The cane had just been cut and it looked
like a corn-field after harvest. There were flocks of very
pretty birds picking up the worms ; they were snow white
with long,slender legs and necks, and looked like miniature
flamingos ; they are called garcalota. A number of little
negroes running about in a perfect state of nudity, their
black hides glistening in the sun, collected in knots to
stare at us as we passed. Is it any wonder that people
are so lazy where so little is required and so much given
by nature ? We passed through another estate and I
almost envied the owner of the pretty house and grounds
around it. The bell is hung on the top of a high pillar
and around its base are little beds raised one above the
other and filled with flowers ; beautiful flowering shrubs
are around the front door ; one tree is completely cov-
ered with large white bells the size of a teacup. I longed
to jump out of the volante and help myself to those
EMMA J. BARTOL 67
scarlet pomegranites and red lilies. An avenue of Royal
Palms interspersed with other curious trees leads up to
the door.
After passing this estate we soon arrived at the vil-
lage which looks like a collection of barns or cages for
wild beasts, not nearly so well built as most of our Penn-
sylvania barns. The houses have only one story and
no chimneys and the windows have no glass, but heavy
iron bars instead. The church looked very old and dilap-
idated outside and very bare inside, having only long,
wooden, straight, high-backed forms for the men to sit
on, while the women take carpets and kneel or sit any-
where on the dirty brick floor through the whole service.
This lasts about half an hour and is performed by the
priest and the sacristan in a kind of sing-song recitative
way. Back of the altar, there was an image of the Virgin
Mary as large as life, dressed in robes, with a real flower
in her hand, with twenty candles burning before her
and a great deal of tinsel around her. The ladies dress for
church as for a ball, in thin flounced dresses, with bare
arms and necks and a very large veil thrown over their
heads. We saw several men pass with fighting cocks
under their arms, for Sunday is a great day for cock
fighting.
February 1st. — Thermometer 82. A chapter of
accidents : We started off as usual this morning to take
our ride and wended our way to the portrero, which I
have before described to you as the hot-bed of wait-a-
bits. You have heard of the intricacies of the path lead-
ing to Rosamond's Bower, but that must have been
child's play compared to the difficulty of finding the way
68 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
out of the portrero if you lose your road as we did.
Beset on all sides by long branches of wait-a-bits reach-
ing entirely across the pathway, we had quite an exciting
time, ducking and bobbing — the little birds must have
thought us uncommonly polite people — but one out-
rageous branch more savage than the rest caught me at
last and unmercifully tore my sleeve and shawl, while at
the same time I received a severe sting from some un-
known enemy. It was with difficulty I extricated my-
self and we regained the road. We passed some scarlet
ipecacuanha, a very pretty and a common wild flower
here. It attracted Harry's attention and, in trying to
gather it as he passed, it dragged him off his horse and
he fell into the hedge where he roared lustily. He was
more mortified than hurt and was soon lifted on his
horse. We jogged on again, but not peacefully for my
horse stumbled and fell on her knees, and my reins
breaking I was pitched off, but so easily that I was not
much hurt except being bruised by the hard ground.
February 3rd. — We have had a delightful picnic in
another direction on the shore of the Carribean Sea,
which I found far more interesting than the one to the
hills of Madruga. Towards the end of the journey we
followed the banks of the Caimito, a beautiful, swift
river and so clear that we could see the fish swimming at
the bottom among the moss and pebbles.
February 10th. — I was sitting quietly writing my
journal when the door was suddenly opened and I heard
something slap down at my feet and looking saw a snake
about four feet long wriggling under my chair ! With
one scream I bounded off, to the great amusement of the
EMMA J. BARTOL 69
children who had found it in the yard. They are called
chicken snakes from their fondness for feasting on poul-
try, and their bite is not considered poisonous. On
retiring one night we discovered a large scorpion crawl-
ing on the mosquito netting. These disagreeable insects
are very common but the sting is not so severe as it is
generally thought to be, the pain not more acute than
that occasioned by a wasp or bee and lasting about a
quarter of an hour. A piece of garlic bound on the
wound is the remedy.
All of these experiences were new and interesting to
me, as my life heretofore had been of the conventional
type with little of the novel or unusual. I returned
home about the middle of March and my next visit to
the Island was in i860, the year before the breaking out
of our Civil War.
70 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER VII.
It was during these visits to Cuba that I saw for
the first time the terrible evils of slavery. The horrible
cruelties practiced, the immorality, the debasing effects
of every kind, the broken-hearted women — both white
and black — presented conditions too awful for me ever
adequately to put into written words. I became from
that time an ardent advocate of the abolition of slavery
in the United States and assisted the efforts for it by
every means at my command.
My next stay on the Island, of which I find any
record, was during the winter of i860, when I spent
several months on the Armonia Estate, twelve hours
distant from Havana, Mr. Bartol being there a part of
the time looking after business interests. A few extracts
from my diary will give an idea of the daily life and
existing conditions in those days.
January 1st, i860. — We rode on horseback to the
portrero, a tract of wild uncultivated land, covered with
scrub bushes, to obtain clematis to decorate the house
for New Year's Day. The slaves had a holiday and in
the afternoon we went to the sugar house to see them
perform their native dance. It is customary to give
small sums of money to them on this day.
January 3rd. — Rain all day. The children amused
themselves making cocoanut duke. On putting my
little daughter to bed I found an unwelcome visitor be-
EMMA J. BARTOL 71
tween the sheets, a cock-roach four-and-half inches long
and two inches wide, which was speedily despatched.
January 4th. — Still cloudy and dull with rain. I
study and sew, but the weather clearing in the afternoon
we all go riding, a pleasant way of breaking the monotony
of the day.
January 5th. — Our ride this morning led us through a
grove of tempting guavas to which we helped ourselves as
we rode under the trees. They are about the size of a
peach tree and one can easily pluck the fruit on horseback.
We passed some anatto trees and saw flocks of wild
parrots who live on these fruits.
January 7th. — The cane cutting had just com-
menced and the new machinery started for the season,
when a catastrophe occurred which proved disastrous in
more ways than one. The slaves were divided into
gangs for working night and day. Suddenly in the
night the machinery stopped and on investigation it was
discovered that a large iron crow-bar had been thrown in
between the cylinders that ground the cane. Of course
all work had to be stopped until it was removed and
the machinery repaired. Question : who threw in the
crow-bar ? Of course no one knew. It was an
abominable trick and evidently done for spite. The
cane cutting commences before the machinery starts.
While one gang is cutting another gang loads the carts
and another brings the laden carts to the mill where the
cane is fed to the crushers. Sugar-cane sours very quickly,
therefore a stoppage of the routine in any way is
disastrous all round, for every part of the process de-
pends on the other ; it is success or ruin, for the gangs
72 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
work day and night. As no one would or could tell
who threw the crow-bar into the mill, the administrator
(or manager) ordered the whole gang to be whipped
every day till some one gave the desired information.
These gangs were composed of men, women and half-
grown children and as it was very unlikely that the two
last knew who did it, the punishment was most cruel
and unjust. It is the custom to set aside Sunday for
whipping and when anything of this sort is going to be
done word is sent to the neighboring estates, and all the
engineers, machinists and others come to witness the
barbarous spectacle.
January 8th, Sunday. — I discovered that a number
of engineers and others were expected to see the third of
these whippings, which was to take place in the after-
noon, and that among the victims were to be a number
of women and girls. On the previous occasions I had
been taken afterwards to the infirmary and had seen the
suffering inflicted by these brutal floggings — the poor
creatures stretched on boards slightly inclined, chained
hand and foot and unable to turn on their lacerated
backs, on which vinegar had been poured immediately
to prevent mortification. When I thought of it, and of
the injustice and cruelty and dreadful sufFering, it made
me sick at heart, I could not restrain my tears and — as
for breakfast — I could not eat, and I would not face the
administrator and say " Good morning" ; so I walked
the floor in agony, fearing every moment to hear the
shrieks of those poor, mangled creatures, whose backs
had not recovered from the other two whippings. I
finally expressed myself strongly at this torturing of
EMMA J. BARTOL 73
innocent creatures and at last succeeded in having these
especial floggings discontinued. Afterwards other whip-
pings were removed so far away that I could not hear
them, but the knowledge that they were going on made
me very miserable.
That slavery is an unmitigated curse, no one who
has lived under it can deny. The slaves belong to an
inferior race and must yield to the superior intellect of
the Caucasian races ; but slavery debases the white man
also, as all who have lived under its baneful influences
will admit. When the passions are aroused with no laws
to control them, then crime is rampant and life insecure.
An administrator on an estate adjacent to this was way-
laid while returning home and cut with a machette so
terribly that he was a sufferer for life. The mayoral (or
overseer) rides on horseback close by the gang cutting
cane, with a long whip in his hand, and if one loiters the
lash descends on the delinquent's back. Such is life on
a slave plantation. There are intrigues without and
within and, although there are no daily papers to tell of
what is transpiring, the news travels from estate to estate
with lightning rapidity, no one knows how. Of course
there are all kinds of administrators, some more just and
merciful than others, but all in the main hard and cruel,
and the slaves are wholly subject to the caprice of those
in authority over them.
One of the annoyances of a warm climate is found
in the insects of which the " chigger " is perhaps the
most disagreeable ; it is very minute, hops like a flea and
is not unlike it in appearance and actions, except much
smaller. These pests usually attack the toes, and
74 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
occasionally the fingers. They bury themselves under
the nails and, if not removed, they live and breed, some-
times causing the loss of fingers or toes unless they are
taken out at once. One morning I was awakened with
the stinging sensation caused by the burrowing of this
insect and, having been warned of its habits, I hastened
out of bed to seek a slave to extract the " varmint."
The slaves are particularly expert and relieve one quickly
without pain.
January iith. — While bathing the baby a large
scorpion came running along towards the bath tub ; it is
needless to add that the baby came out and Mr. Scorpion
went in and was drowned. One soon learns not to mind
these little annoyances !
Sunday, 15th. — Information came that the cane
patch is on fire ; it is a grand sight and yet fearful for no
one knows when or where it will end.
January 17th. — I went to the engine house and had
a long talk with the administrator, who insists that whip-
ping the slaves is all right. I know of cases where he
has it done to hide his own delinquencies, when through
his own carelessness he alone was to blame.
January 1 8th. — This morning I rose early, as is the
custom in tropical countries. The family partook of
coffee as usual, but instead of it I took an orange, which
I had put out in the dew over night that it might be
cold and refreshing. The horses were all saddled and
waiting for us and I enjoyed my morning gallop even
more than ordinarily.
January 19th. — Emily, a mulatto, the daughter of
an engineer by a slave woman and my children's nurse,
EMMA J. BARTOL 75
complained that our waitress played a trick on her. To
please Emily, who was a great favorite, the order was
issued to give Bernada thirty-five lashes, and then to
send her into the field with the gang, which was a terri-
ble punishment to the house servants. What was still
more unfortunate was that the mayoral, whose business
it is to do the whipping, happened to be a discarded
lover of hers. There is whipping and whipping, the
lash can be laid on softly or heavily. Poor creature, she
was in the hospital three weeks where I saw her lying on
a slanting board, not able to lie on her cut back, and
chained hand and foot. Slavery is terrible ! A little
girl twelve years old was ordered to take care of some
ducklings and see that a tub was kept full of water for
them ; one day she neglected to fill the tub; immediately
the order to whip the child was given ; she was thrown
on the ground, two women held her hands and feet while
a third administered the whipping. A poor, lame, old
man, whose business it was to weed the garden, sat down
under a tree in the afternoon and fell asleep ; he was
caught napping and the order was given to whip him.
Thus are slaves subject to the tyranny and humors of
their masters without any redress.
January 31st. — I have before mentioned that there
are few windows with glass in them, but they generally
have Venetian shutters which are closed and barred at
bed-time. One night on retiring I went to close them
as usual but could not do so and on investigation found
a large snake wriggling in and out of the slats. As there
76 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
are few poisonous snakes in Cuba no one seems to mind
them.
February 14th. — I will mention some trifling things
that occasionally occur in a tropical country. It was the
custom for the chambermaid to fill our wash-bowl full of
water to save us the trouble of lifting the heavy pitchers.
On one occasion in going into my room I found four
frogs, " who would a wooing go," perched on my bowl
preparatory to taking a dive — as one did on my disturb-
ing appearance. The same evening one of the young
ladies found a tarantula in her bedroom. On another
night, going without a light for something I wanted from
a large wardrobe, when I attempted to shut the door I
was surprised by a squeaking noise and, on obtaining a
light, discovered that another frog had jumped onto the
door just as I closed it and was held fast. I had evi-
dently caught him by one foot just as he had jumped.
Frogs seem to be attracted by the light, for often when
we were sitting round the centre table a thud would be
heard and we would see a frog alighting near by. Some-
times there would be terrible squeaks from under the
table and we would find puss with the hindlegs of poor
Mr. Frog just disappearing down her throat. The
Cuban cats eat frogs, lizards and chameleons. On one
estate where I lived there were over twenty house cats
and one of them, a favorite, had a high chair which he
occupied at the table during every meal.
February 16th. — Our usual morning ride was diver-
sified by seeing the capture of a runaway slave. We
came across some very large oranges which measured
thirteen-and-a-half inches around. An immense quan-
EMMA J. BARTOL 77
tity of poultry is raised, especially turkeys ; they are
housed at night in an immense barn, well ventilated,
with slats all around, and are never allowed out when it
rains or until the dew of the morning is dry. They also
tame and make pets of crows.
April 20th. — Left the Armonia for Matanzas to sail
in the Bark " Hamilton," Captain Stotesbury command-
ing. On the following day we went on board and slowly
drifted out of the harbor. The heat was intense and it was
very calm for five days and nights. After I had retired
to my cabin on the night of the 26th, the mate knocked
at my door with the request that I would come on deck,
as he wished to show me something. Accordingly I
partly dressed and joined him on deck. The night was
quite still with a perfectly clear sky, and the heavens
were an intense, dark blue in which the moon was sail-
ing. The planet Venus was about passing behind the
moon and this was such an unusual occurrence that the
mate wished me to come and see it. It was well worth
the trouble for it was a picture which I have never for-
gotten. Indeed I had good cause to remember it for it
was followed on the 27th by a gale which proved a
memorable one. The next day it continued with re-
newed violence and blew the sails to ribbons while it
rained incessantly and grew very cold. On Sunday
there was no abatement and the decks were continually
washed with huge waves. The bark was hove to and
for two days we lay rocking on the billows with the sea
mountains high. It was impossible to cook in the galley
or even for the sailors to bring us food. The children
could not leave the berths and in attempting to wait on
y8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
the baby I was hurled across the state room and three of
my fingers were so nearly broken that they were months
in recovering. To add to our discomfort everything
was drenched. The bark had been lying in port so long
in the sun, while waiting for a cargo, that all the seams
had opened and the water ran everywhere in rivulets.
The pumps had to be kept going constantly to prevent
the ship from foundering. If I fell asleep in the night
and the men stopped pumping I would awake im-
mediately to see what was the matter, for the Captain
had told me the vessel would sink if anything happened
to prevent the pumps from working, The men would
assure me that the pumps were only choked, and then I
would fall asleep again.
The first of May was a sorry May-day for us. The
Captain came with the American flag to our cabin and
said, " This is the last dry thing I have to cover you
with." There was another vessel near by, but when in
the trough of the sea we could not see even the top of
the masts. For five days we saw nothing but the waves
rushing past our cabin windows, and over and over I
said, " Never again will I put myself where there is
nothing but a plank between me and the ocean !" But
all things have an end, and a severe thunder storm
ended the gale. The fifth of May was the first day
that we could go up on deck. On the seventh another
thunder storm descended which was succeeded by a
dense fog. Every vessel we met was dismasted or dis-
abled in some way and was putting into some port for
repairs. We weathered the storms and at last anchored
in the harbor ot Philadelphia. I need scarcely say that
EMMA J. BARTOL 79
everybody had given us up for lost and great surprise
and pleasure were manifested at our reaching port safe
and well.
8o RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER VIII.
In January, 1867, Mr. Bartol resigned his position
with the Southwark Foundry after being connected with
it almost twenty years, during which time he had per-
sonally supervised the erection of works of great import-
ance in many parts of the country, gas works, sugar
machinery, steel works, the machinery for war ships, etc.
Henceforth he gave his time to his own business inter-
ests which now had a large scope. In the spring we
went to Europe, spending considerable time at the Paris
Exposition and remaining about a year.
In the Spring of 1869 we went to Washington to
witness the second inauguration of President Grant and
remained for a while at the Arlington Hotel. After re-
turning home I had an illness of several months and
Dr. Emmet, (the celebrated surgeon, who was physician
to Empress Eugenie and at a later date assisted her to
escape from The Tuileries to England,) strongly advised
my going to Europe for a year or two, in order to have
a complete change of air and scene. I was most im-
patient to go and my husband said, " You can start
when you are able to pack your own trunks." I had
the trunks and my belongings brought to the side of my
couch and packed them, and soon started with my
youngest son eleven years old, whom I was to place in
school.
We sailed August 10 on the " Cimbria." At the
hour of starting we learned that the sister steamship, the
EMMA J. BARTOL 81
" Germania," had been completely wrecked on the rocky
cliffs of Newfoundland and that we were to stop at St-
John's and take on her passengers and cargo. The
entries made in my journal give a good idea of the aver-
age voyage across the Atlantic. As I never surfer in the
slightest from mal-de-mer, an ocean trip is always a
delightful experience and I enjoy to the fullest the com-
plete exemption from the harassing details of daily life
which one cannot escape when on land.
August 1 2th, 13th. — Magnificent weather but a
heavy swell off the gulf of St. Lawrence. Many whales
disporting in the rolling waters. Sighted land at daybreak
on the 14th, and soon the temperature fell and we saw
an enormous iceberg whose spires and turrets looked
like a phantom castle.
August 15th. — After a day of continual delays we
finally entered the harbor of St. John's ; guarded by
two enormous rocks. A pilot guided us until our anchor
was dropped close to the town. Soon a little steamer
brought the wrecked passengers, together with quantities
of fresh provisions.
August 1 6th. — Cold and rainy with heavy swell
which made it impossible to walk on deck or even to sit
still, and we were continually pitched off the sofas and
chairs unless braced against something — a perfectly
wretched day. Many of the passengers of the wrecked
" Germania" were ill, from exposure to the cold and
from nervousness at being wrecked, and the physician
had more patients than he could attend to. Fortunately
I had a book and box of homoeopathic remedies which
proved of great value and comfort to many who pre-
82 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
ferred that treatment, and I soon became known as " the
ship's doctor."
August 1 7th. — Calm and clear with wind and waves
driving us smoothly on, a great relief after being bat-
tered and tossed about unmercifully for two days and
nights. We were cheered by a beautiful sunset followed
by a full moon. An old, asthmatic organ furnished
some dance music which set the young people dancing
till the lights were put out. The older people played
cards and I enjoyed a game of bezique with a French
gentleman.
August 1 8th. — A calm sea and a beautiful clear day
brought most of the passengers on deck and steamer
chairs were at a premium. The frozen lips of the terri-
fied, wrecked passengers were thawed out and mutual
friends were discovered, to whom they told the history
of the wreck. It was the old, old story, they said, of
the fascinations of a bewitching widow and a Captain
beguiled to the neglect of his ship.
With sunny days and favoring gales our voyage
slipped by all too quickly and on August 20th we
anchored at Plymouth, England, leaving some of our
passengers and taking on others. We then steamed on
and after breakfast sighted the Island of Alderney, then
two light-houses, at last the coast of France, and finally
entered the fine harbor of Cherbourg, where we remained
for a time and then continued our eastward journey.
August 23d. — We arrived at Hamburg at two in
the afternoon and our baggage was soon piled on the
wharf. We sent our letters of introduction to friends
EMMA J. BARTQL 83
who called an hour afterwards, in the kindly German
fashion.
After seeing the sights of Hamburg we left on the
26th for Bonn, where we arrived the next morning. It
was too rainy for sight seeing. The following day it
cleared after breakfast, and we met friends at the steamer
and had a beautiful sail on the Rhine. After a while we
landed, and, finding a number of donkeys with a kind of
chair strapped on their backs for people who did not
wish to walk, we each hired one to ride to the top of the
Drachenfels. After an hour of anything but easy riding
we reached the top, where the view was grand. On
descending we stopped at a small inn, where we found
good Rhine wine and bread for three cents each.
We spent many delightful afternoons visiting the
endless places of interest which line this picturesque river
on either side and cluster around this old, historic town
of Bonn. It is not only the seat of a great university
but contains several noted preparatory schools. We had
no trouble in selecting one of the latter, but the question
of settling ourselves into a comfortable, homelike way of
living presented greater difficulties. We tried various
methods without success and finally decided to go to
another part of Germany. To cap the climax of our ex-
periences here the proprietor of our last hotel, where we
stayed only six days, demanded pay for two weeks and
held our baggage until I appealed to my bankers, who
compelled him to release it.
We then went to Cologne and later took a steamer
to go up the Rhine. An incident which occurred during
this trip may be related as an illustration of similar cases
84 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
which one often meets in travelling abroad. I happened
to address a remark to a woman sitting near me and she
exclaimed : " Oh, I am so glad to hear some one speak
English; it is the first time since I arrived in Germany."
The conversation went on and I learned she was from
Chicago and was travelling with her brother and his wife ;
she had been a public school teacher, but her brother
owned some land which had become very valuable and
made him rich. His friends all said that now he must
leave offshoemaking and travel, so here they were, doing
Europe. The sister having been a teacher, knew enough
to be quite aware that they were too ignorant about
much that they saw to be able to appreciate and enjoy it.
I asked her what they were going to do when they
arrived at Mayence ? " Oh," she said, "what we always
do, go to a hotel and sleep and eat and go on the next
day to some other place." I said, " There is much to
see in Mayence, the fortifications, the Cathedral, &c.
" Oh, dear," she answered, " I wish you would go with
us for awhile. Are you going further ?" I replied that
as soon as we arrived we might take a carriage together
and that my son who spoke German, could sit on the
box with the coachman and ask him to point out what
was to be seen of interest and then translate what he
said. " But you must go to your brother and ask if he
is willing ; I cannot do that," I said. Off she went and
got his consent, and so when we arrived at Mayence we
all took a carriage and started to see the Cathedral first.
Fine old paintings adorned the walls and I had the
curiosity to watch the effect on them, but soon saw that
they showed no interest. It was evident they did not
EMMA J. BARTOL 85
understand what they saw, for they walked up one aisle
and down the other and out as quickly as possible. We
soon parted company.
Those who enjoy Europe the most are those who
are best read in ancient history. Others, like these poor
creatures, go on and on from place to place, with eyes to
see but see not. My son and I visited the interesting
points in and about Mayence and then left for Heidel-
berg. Of course we went first of all to the Castle — that
magnificent ruin. We afterward took long drives by the
beautiful River Neckar, and later went to Stuttgart. I
greatly enjoyed this curious old city and its environs,
and especially the strolls by the river. Great prepara-
tions were being made for the birthday of the King,
triumphal arches of greens were being arranged and the
country folk were arriving in crowds. Later on there
were grand illuminations of the grounds and the foun-
tains were lighted up with iridescent colors, the effect
being most beautiful. Sunday we went to the Royal
Chapel where we saw the King and Queen and royal
family and the Court. It was so crowded we adjourned
to the English Chapel and found it a perfect little gem
of a building.
The next day we went to Rosenstein but found the
Queen had just arrived and no one was allowed to go
into the palace that day. We then went to the Cann-
stader Festival and from there to the Greek Church sit-
uated up the mountain side, a handsome building con-
taining pictures in solid gold frames and the pictures
themselves inlaid with pearls, amethysts, rubies and
diamonds. Another day we saw all the Court go out
for a ride to Cannstadt and went there ourselves to see
86 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
the races. We watched with much interest a funeral
where the mourners, carrying pots of flowers and wreaths,
walked behind the coffin which was wrapped in white
silk and covered with masses of flowers. One day we
made up a party and visited Wilhelma, a Moorish villa,
and then went to Rosenstein and saw the paintings and
statuary and the gardens which were a dream of beauty.
Walking on stilts being a fad of the day with boys,
of course my own boy tried to follow the fashion, but
before long he fell and ran to my room as white as a
sheet with his arm dangling by his side. The doctor
was sent for and the broken arm set, and then came the
long tedious days when he must be amused while the
bones were " knitting." We were most comfortably
cared for in the home of one of the university professors,
who admitted into his family a few Americans and
English who wished to learn the German language.
One afternoon we took the cars for Unterturckheim
and then walked to Oberturckheim. The afternoon sun
lighted up the Swabian Alps ; to the right lay the pic-
turesque villages of Hoenheim and Uhlback. It is re-
lated that in one of the wars the French took these vil-
lages, which are noted for their wine, entered the cellars
and broke the bottles and spilled the wine, and shouted
that they wanted champagne. Later on in a subsequent
war, when the Germans took Paris, the soldiers returned
the compliment by pouring out the French champagne
and crying, " This is for spilling Wiirtemburg wine !"
The laws are very strict in regard to the vineyards and
grapes. Many of the roads are enclosed with high stone
walls, on the other side of which are vineyards. Fre-
EMM J J. BARTOL 87
quently vines with bunches of grapes hang over the walls
along the public road, but there is a heavy fine for taking
a single bunch. In order to secure good wine from ripe
grapes, none can be picked until the Mayor gives public
notice that the vintage may begin. It happened that the
vintage season was now at its height ; the streets were
full of vats and immense wooden tubs, into which were
poured the grapes picked from the vines ; then, with
their trousers rolled up, men jumped into the tubs with
naked feet and mashed them into a pulp, which was sub-
sequently thrown into a press to squeeze out the juice.
We stopped to see the novel process and some were
courageous enough to take some of the new wine with a
luncheon of bread and butter.
One evening just before Christmas, while we were
eating supper, the door was opened by three children
about ten or twelve years old, dressed in white with
golden crowns on their heads, two with white veils, and
one with black. Without any introduction they com-
menced singing hymns of the coming of Christ, and we
learned that they were supposed to represent the three
wise men of the East who came to worship him. They
go from house to house and expect money to be given
them.
This proved to be a very sad Christmas, for
several of the children were ill. Two of the Pro-
fessor's died — Carlos, a beautiful boy of eight years,
and his sister, an unusually intelligent girl of six. The
poor little thing in her delirium kept repeating the Latin
verbs she had been learning at school, and we all thought
the children had been taxed too severely. Christmas
88 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Eve saw them lying in their little yellow coffins, dressed
in paper muslin, the long sleeves pinked at the wrist and
the robe trimmed with cotton lace rosettes down the
front and a ruffle round the throat. The coffins were
covered with bouquets and crosses of colored artificial
flowers and other ornaments, with black and white
ribbons and silver filagree.
I was very much out of health at this time and went
to Strassburg to consult an eminent physician. On
New Year's Day the doctor brought me a box of candy,
with many French expressions of politeness, and I car-
ried it with me when I returned to Stuttgart. When we
stopped at the frontier to have our trunks examined the
officer spied my little half empty box of candy, declared
it was contraband and that I was smuggling, and made
me pay over sixteen francs, which was an outrage.
In many German homes one finds small aquariums
containing aquatic plants, rocks and frogs, with a small
ladder reaching from the bottom to the top, on which
the frogs climb up or down according to the weather.
When it is going to rain they go to the top of the
ladder and look out ; when it is fine, they lie at the
bottom ; they are in fact living barometers which the
families consult when wishing to go on a pedestrian tour.
It was so warm and lovely during these winter days
that we sat with open windows and made many excur-
sions. We went with a large party to visit Hoehnheim,
the royal farms and also the royal hunting lodge where
the Arabian Stud of horses was kept. The cow stables
were very long, the cows standing in rows face to face,
with the mangers in the middle. The ventilation was
EMMA J. BARTOL Sp
good and the cleanliness and drainage perfect. This is
more than could be said of most of the homes, for sani-
tary conditions were but poorly attended to. The chil-
dren were washed once a week, all in the same water in
a small wooden tub. There were no provisions for
baths for grown people in the home. If one wished for
a bath, one must go to the public bath-house to get it.
Sanitary conditions have been much improved in Ger-
many since that time (1870.)
The last of March I left Stuttgart and went to
Heidelberg to place my son in a boarding school at
Weinheim, near there, as I contemplated leaving him
and take a trip into Switzerland.
It is quite an event in Germany when the storks
arrive to build their nests in the chimney tops of the
houses, for their advent is looked upon as the harbinger
of spring and fine weather. The children run out and
clap their hands with delight and call their mothers to
see the great birds. The tame ones frequently walk
about the Tea Gardens and come up to the little tables
to get cakes. A pretty story is told to the children,
which they firmly believe, that the storks go to a pond
where there are all sorts of babies, some with black hair,
some with brown, flaxen, etc., and when a baby is sent
for they pick up one in their beaks and carry it to the
house and drop it down the chimney where it is expected.
Therefore the children are taught to love the storks and
hail their coming with joy. They frequently have been
known to occupy the same nest for many years, always
returning about the same time. April 17th is a great
go RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Holy Day, and the coming of the storks generally occurs
about this time.
The spring at Heidelberg was so delightful that I
lingered on, not caring for a change. One day we spent
at Schwetzingen where the lilacs were in full bloom and,
with the fountains playing, the place reminded me very
much of Versailles. There were many cottages near by
with the women sitting on the door steps and always
knitting, knitting. The story is told that Frederick the
Great expected all the women to knit every moment
when not occupied with other work. If on his walks
he met any who were not doing so he did not hesitate to
chastise them.
All through the summer the well-to-do Germans
spend their afternoons in excursions and in the various
Tea Gardens, which are prettily laid out with beds of
flowers and many arbors, and here the entire family take
beer and simple cakes, pretzels, sandwiches, etc., while
listening to good music. They almost never drink to
excess although the amount of beer consumed through-
out Germany is most astonishing.
We celebrated June 21st, the longest day of the
year, by going to Heidelberg Castle to take afternoon
coffee and staid until eight o'clock. The sunset just
before that hour was magnificent ; the golden glow over
all the Heavens illuminated the River Neckar, the dark
forests, the pretty little sleeping town below, and envel-
oped them all in liquid light.
ALPINE GIRL WITH MILK
EMMA J. BAR TO L gi
CHAPTER IX.
Early in July (1870) I started with some friends
for Switzerland, arriving at Thun at 7 o'clock in the
evening. Here we had our first view of the Alps, which
were magnificent in the glow of the setting sun. The
town is built on a hill so steep that one has to go up
many steps to reach the different streets and houses, and
at the top of all is the church from which one can see
the Jungfrau on a clear day. We saw a beautiful and
peculiar blue rainbow while crossing the Lake towards
Interlaken. One of our party being ill we hurried into
a post wagon and drove rapidly to a hotel, but alas, it
was the height of the season and the only accommoda-
tions we could get were over the stable, which was hot
as an oven and full of fleas ; we heard the noises of the
horses and stablemen and the smells were overpowering,
but illness made moving impossible. We left early the
next morning and went to the Jungfrau Blick. Unfor-
tunately it too was very full and the only rooms to be
had were over the kitchen, but this was far preferable to
a stable.
We went from here on horseback to the Grindelwald,
starting at eight in the morning, and enjoyed immensely
the unique trip on foot through the winding passage cut
in the great glacier, As we threaded our way between
its walls, shining with iridescent colors from the reflection
of the sun on the wet sides of the ice, we were startled
and fascinated at hearing the soft tones of a zither, which
we found was played by a girl at the end of this weird
<?2 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
grotto. It was a most glorious day but as we returned
at eight in the evening there was a light rain which en-
veloped the mountains like a bridal veil.
A few days afterwards we started on a lake trip to
Geisbach, but a tremendous thunder storm caused us to
change our plans and we concluded to remain on the
boat and go to Brienz. From here there was no railway
or steamboat conveyance to the " Oberland," but dili-
gences, post wagons, vetturinos, carriages of all sorts
were constantly arriving and departing with passengers
for Luzerne, Interlaken and other points. We spent a
quiet Sunday here in the usual tourist occupation of
writing letters home. The sun blazed all day and the
heat was intense. The lake looked like a mirror of
molten copper and it was hard to realize that only a
few miles away were great masses of ice thousands of
feet thick. The quaint dresses of the peasant girls are
pretty and picturesque, with velvet bodice, white chem-
isette, long lace ruffles, fancy aprons and silver chains
and ornaments. I bought and sent home some beautiful
specimens of carved wood, notwithstanding the thought
of the inevitable " duty" which awaited them.
The weather seemed to grow hotter and as we ap-
proached Alpnach on our journey we were all but blinded
with the dust and suffocated with the heat. We were
hardly cooled off by the pleasure of taking refreshments
from a beautiful buffet three hundred years old, and we
were glad indeed to reach Luzerne. As we passed the
old part of the town the sound of the bells on the cows
as they were coming to be milked sounded very musical
and refreshing to us weary travellers sitting on the deck
SWITZERLAND
EMMA J. BARTOL pj
of the little steamboat, over which there was no awning
or anything to protect us from the blazing July sun.
The next day we were at the Hotel Rigi, viewing from
that grand mountain the lovely lights of the evening sun
shining on pinacles of snow. While there we had the
magnificent experience of a thunder storm followed by a
gorgeous sunset.
We visited many interesting places in all parts of
this unique little republic and could say with the writer,
Howard Paul : "In all Switzerland I did not meet a
tramp or encounter a beggar or a person the least intoxi-
cated. There may be a small percentage of drunken-
ness but, if it exists, it is kept out of sight. A thriftier,
cleaner, more wholesome body of people, who carefully
observe sanitary laws in their homes, I have never met
in my various travels."
We left Switzerland with reluctance but had decided
to go to Baden Baden and try its waters. Scarcely were
we settled, however, when, with great anxiety, the land-
lord came and told us there was a rumor of war between
France and Germany. But still the people went on in
the same light-hearted way, going to the Kursal to watch
the gambling for which the place was noted, drinking tea
in the gardens and listening to the music, dancing, flirt-
ing, " killing time." The season of gaiety had just
begun. The Parisian merchants were opening their
shops of art, jewelry, millinery, dress goods of all de-
scriptions. All of a sudden the thunder cloud of war
burst upon them. The French were ordered to leave
and most other foreigners were willing to go without
orders. There was little time for preparation. Every-
g4 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
thing was thrown pell-mell into boxes, bags and bundles.
When we ourselves arrived at the station in the morn-
ing the confusion was indescribable. Fortunately we
had our tickets, so the only thing was to get seats in the
railway carriages. The platform was literally covered
with merchandise strewed about in every conceivable
form — bedding thrown promiscuously around, baskets,
bags, " big box, little box, band box and bundles," babies
crying, poodles yelping, bird cages mixed up with pet
cats. People were trying to put all this into a train that
could carry only half of it, so as to get it and themselves
through to Paris before the railroads were monopolized
by the government for troops and war supplies.
After much difficulty we succeeded in finding seats.
Soldiers were everywhere and at each station we saw
ammunition, artillery, sacks of bread and all sorts of
preparation for war. We passed long trains loaded with
troops and were much delayed en route, but at last we
arrived at Heidelberg at nine o'clock in the evening,
thankful to get there before the railroads were closed to
the general public, which occurred the next day. Seven
hundred students had left Heidelberg the day before.
The excitement continued to increase, most of the
English and Americans were fleeing from the country,
there was no money to be had at the banks, and all tele-
graph communication was stopped. Acting on what we
considered good advice we decided to remain for the
present. All the men seemed to be going to war and
were parading the streets with garlands of leaves on their
hats and singing patriotic songs. Some boys we knew
were thrown into prison at Strassburg as spies and the
EMMA J. BARTOL g5
next day a train load of soldiers was blown up. Busi-
ness of every kind was at a standstill.
All the women were picking lint and sewing for the
soldiers and I generally went each day to the Museum,
where they met, to do what I could. The Grand
Duchess Louise, daughter of the King of Prussia, was
there encouraging them in every way. Every house was
expected to be ready to entertain as many soldiers as
were billeted on it. The one where we were boarding
had twenty beds prepared for them. I borrowed a sew-
ing machine and sewed until my back ached and the skin
was worn off of my fingers.
Finally, my bankers advised that I take my son
from school and leave Germany, so I wrote my son to
be ready to go with me whenever I sent for him, but I
decided to delay going as long as possible. Dead
soldiers began to be brought home and buried with mili-
tary honors, while the wounded were poured into the
hospitals. Many of these were Turks, who proved so
unmanageable that they were sent to the Fortress to be
cared for. I still continued to go to the Museum and
work for the soldiers and also to the hospital to assist in
caring for the wounded, who now numbered hundreds.
1 saw many severe operations performed and witnessed
many deaths.
The situation grew more and more acute, and so,
early in September, I took my son and went to Brussels,
as Belgium was neutral territory. We went over to
Mayence and again took the beautiful trip on the Rhine.
The steamer was constantly stopping to take on baskets
filled with prunes, the country people putting off from
9 6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
shore in row boats with the fruit as soon as they saw our
boat approaching. The baskets were put side by side
on the deck until the whole space was filled with the
purple fruit for the English market.
We were soon comfortably settled and glad indeed
to be out of the dreadful atmosphere of war and all its
terrible effects. To try to forget it we went to a popular
theatre, where the smell of onions and garlic was so
strong as to call forth the observation from my son that
odor de Brussels was not much like eau de Cologne !
George was soon well placed in school and I was
enjoying to the fullest the art galleries, museums, palaces,
gardens, shops, and all the interesting things for which
Brussels is famous. My peace was disturbed by a small-
pox scare and the order from the authorities that every-
body must be vaccinated. We were sent to the
Zoological Gardens and ushered into a room where we
found a live calf on a table with its legs tied together,
and were vaccinated from the pustules on its stomach.
It had no effect on me but George was made very
ill. He had recovered by Christmas and we spent the
day with American friends. The children had a tree and
all exchanged presents.
An interesting incident of those days was the receipt
of letters from Paris by means of balloons. Those
mailed Sept. i\ did not reach us until Oct. 13.
The visits to the lace factories, for which Brussels is
noted, greatly interested me. The thread must be made
in a dark, damp, underground place with no light except
what comes through a small hole and falls directly upon
it. This is because of its exceeding fineness and because
HERMOSA RAGOSA ROSE LAUSAL RE
EMMA J. BARTOL p 7
it must not be allowed to become dry and brittle. It is
said that the workers do not live more than ten years.
The lace itself is made under more healthful conditions
but the strain upon the eyes is so severe that the sight
eventually becomes impaired and then working days are
ended. These facts certainly detract very largely from
the pleasure one feels in wearing a beautiful piece of lace.
By the last of February it was deemed entirely safe
for us to return to Heidelberg. When we left Brussels it
was so warm we needed no fires, and when we arrived at
Coblenz the next evening it was bitter cold with ice in
the gutters. We saw more snow on the banks of the
Rhine than we had seen during the whole winter. When
we reached Heidelberg on the first of March, however,
it was a magnificent day, sunshiny and warm, all the
flags were flying and there was general rejoicing at the
prospect of peace. On March in King William's birth-
day was celebrated and on April i I celebrated my own
50th birthday, American and German friends in Heidel-
berg sending me flowers galore, a birthday cake and a
lovely bullfinch. On April 21, the tropical plants were
all taken out of the cellars and placed on the terraces
and in the gardens. The days passed in the pleasant
manner so familiar to American visitors in Europe.
Sunday mornings we went to the pretty English church
and Sunday afternoons to a concert at the Castle. Some-
times a party of us would go to Schlierbach and spend
the afternoon, take coffee and play cards. On May
10th we went to see the Heiligenberg Games at four in
the afternoon and returned at seven. On the occasion
of a visit to a neighboring fashionable resort the Grand
p8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Duchess of Baden and suite arrived at the same time,
which gave us a good opportunity of seeing the pomp
and pageantry. The country was looking its loveliest,
fountains were playing, the ground covered with peri-
winkles, the beds gay with tulips, and the chestnuts and
lilacs all in full flower. Wherever there are many English-
speaking people living abroad, they usually have re-
unions at this season ; in Heidleberg we had a ball at
the Museum. We also had many picnic parties in the
beautiful woods roundabout, where we would make a
fire, boil our coffee, enjoy a nice luncheon and amuse
ourselves in various ways.
A young American died at the university and was
taken to the station by a corps of fellow-students, all
dressed in white knee breeches, hunting boots and gloves,
with badges and scarfs across the breast and carrying
swords and torches. A fine band of music played beside
the bier and behind it was the dead student's horse, led
by his companions. It was nine o'clock in the evening,
and on returning they formed a circle in the Museum
Platz, threw all their torches into the air, letting them
fall to the ground in a heap and lie till they burned out.
June i ist is considered the longest day in England,
but in Germany it is the 22d. The English Colony
gave a ball and Herr Doctor, my host, remarked to me
that I "would become a card." He meant — would
receive one. A German lady inquiring about a friend
who had a cough said, " How is the cow in her box ?"
meaning how was the cough in her chest. I presume
we make as many mistakes in German. I spent the
afternoon at the Wolfsbrunnen with a large party, where
EMMA J. BARTOL pp
there are trout ponds kept on purpose to furnish fresh
fish for the guests, and it is one of the amusements to
feed the trout.
The last of July I received letters calling me home
and we left for Antwerp, going from there to Hull and
thence to Liverpool. Not having any opportunity to
get breakfast between these last two places we bought a
pork pie which we ate on the train, enjoying it as only
hungry people could and having many a laugh about it
afterwards. We sailed from Liverpool Saturday, August
1 2th, on the steamship " Russia " and found the vessel
so full of first-class passengers that many had to eat in
the second class dining room below. The voyage was
uneventful and we arrived at New York on the 22d of
August, 1871, after an absence of almost exactly two
years.
ioo RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER X.
Among the most interesting of the many short
journeys which I made from time to time was one to
Florida in 1873. At that period the large and fashion-
able resorts of the present day were not in existence and
a sojourn in Florida was really a novelty, but now the
great tide of travel which annually flows into those regions
has rendered it trite and commonplace.
In February I joined a party of friends and we took
the steamer " Adelaide" at Baltimore for Charleston,
South Carolina, the City by the Sea. On our arrival we
found the weather warm but so damp that it was neces-
sary to have a fire, although the climate was much milder
than that which we had left. The residents had just had
one of their occasional scares over a slight earthquake,
but, so far as we could see, the houses did not appear to
be much injured and daily life seemed to be going on
just as usual ; there was no premonition of the great
disaster which was to occur some years later. The town
had a decayed and forlorn appearance and the streets
were so quiet it looked as if all business was at a stand-
still. Coming from a region where winter was still in
full sway we were in raptures over the camellias as large
as lilac bushes and in full flower, the masses of narcissus
and hyacinth perfuming the air, and the peach trees with
their wealth of pink blossoms.
Charleston at that time had the finest harbor along
the South Atlantic Coast, and the " Battery" was one of
the most beautiful residence locations in the country.
EMMA J. BARTOL 101
Here were the handsomest homes of the city, all looking
out directly upon the harbor and commanding views of
Forts Sumpter, Moultrie and Johnson, the scene of the
first act in the tragic War Drama of the Rebellion.
Ashley and Cooper Rivers coming down on either side
of the city in great curves unite off the " Battery." The
church of St. Phillips carries in its tall tower the brilliant
harbor light and is the only Church Light House in the
world.
From Charleston we went to Savannah and visited
various places of interest. It is a pretty town, the streets
laid out with double rows of trees like the boulevards of
Paris. On Washington's Birthday we rode to the cem-
etery through a long avenue lined with wonderful oaks,
their branches drooping to the ground and from them
trailed veil-like masses of Spanish moss. This moss would
seem to have little practical value but it is extensively
used for stuffing mattresses as it is of a wiry texture and
springy.
We went from here to Florida by boat. The day
was fine and the water perfectly smooth the whole twenty-
five miles to the mouth of the river. On entering the
ocean we found it also quite calm and we had a delightful
trip to Jacksonville.
One can well imagine how beautiful the coast of
Florida must have looked to the romantic Ponce de
Leon when he landed near the site of the present city of
St. Augustine, nearly a century before the Pilgrim
Fathers set foot upon Plymouth Rock. It was most
appropriate that, because of the mildness of the climate
and the remarkable luxuriance of the vegetation, he
jo2 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
should name the country " Florida, the Land of Flowers"
and should believe that within the attractive glades he
would find the fabled and long-sought " fountain of
youth" ; but he found death instead. He returned to
Spain and reported his discovery to the King, but when
he came back to Florida, some nine years later, he was
slain by arrows in a contest with the Indians.
We did not tarry long at Jacksonville but went on
to Green Cove and adjacent points. There had been
one of the much dreaded " northers" and the wind was
still damp and raw. As we went slowly down the sandy
road we passed long rows of bananas, the leaves all
frozen and hanging limp and brown. The peach and
plum trees were uninjured and in full bloom, while the
gardens were bright with honeysuckle, roses, violets and
jasmine. We visited Sulphur Springs, said to be bot-
tomless, with the water seething and boiling through the
fissures.
The weather soon changed and became extremely
hot and sultry, so that it was impossible to sleep and the
thermometer was 70 at sunrise. We were glad to take
the steamer " Starlight ' for St. Augustine, where we
arrived late in the afternoon and were soon revived by
the bracing salt air of the ocean. This oldest city in the
United States is full of interest, with its narrow streets,
quaint houses and many curiosity shops and relics of
Spanish origin. A never failing delight was found in the
beautiful gardens filled with cape jasmine, crape myrtle,
Pride of India, date trees, palmettos, mock oranges and
aloes.
On leaving St. Augustine we went down into Cen-
tral Florida to visit the great orange groves where a tree
EMMA J. BARTOL 103
bears three thousand oranges, and where one may pick
them full grown from a tree laden with the blossoms for
the next crop. I left the party here and returned to
Green Cove Springs where I was joined by members of
my own family and with them visited various points.
One of these trips which I remember very well was
that on the Ocklawaha River to Silver Springs. The
river is very narrow, running most of the time through
interminable forests of Cyprus, the dead trees sticking up
in the swamps and lagoons. It looked as if it were the
last piece of land God made and was not quite dry yet.
However the monotony was occasionally broken by the
sight of alligators basking on old logs, with cranes,
herons, blue and white ducks and turtles sunning them-
selves on fallen trees. The steamboat constantly twisted
and turned with the channel, men in the bow with long
poles pushing it away from the banks and steering it
around the corners. After dark a bright fire of pine
knots was started on the roof of the boat to light the
way through the tortuous channel. The morning was
very cold and, although it warmed up in the afternoon,
anything more dreary than this trip can hardly be
imagined.
We were glad to turn our faces toward Jacksonville
and still more to start homeward. After stopping again
at Savannah, and then at Millenville, Augusta and Char-
lotte, we finally arrived at Richmond. The weather was
bright and beautiful. The James River roaring along
sounded like the falls of Niagara. We took a walk to
Belle Isle, and as it was Sunday we went to a negro
church. The next day we saw Libby Prison, Castle
104 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Thunder, the Tredegar Works, the burying ground,
the Pryamid, Washington's house, the home of Jefferson
Davis, the Capitol, and the Monument. In the evening
we visited the Senate and heard an interesting debate,
carried on with all the Southern fire and eloquence.
We went by steamer to Washington where we
arrived in time for the States' Ball, in which seventeen
states were represented. After seeing some points in
that city with which we were not familiar, and stopping
for a visit in Baltimore, we finally reached Philadelphia
which was then in the full beauty and glory of the spring
time.
EMMA J. BARTOL 105
CHAPTER XL
In the summer of 1878, when I was making one of
my many trips abroad, I became somewhat weary of the
beaten track and, while in Scotland, decided to make a
trip to the Orkney and Shetland Islands. These places
are little visited by tourists but I had heard some inter-
esting accounts of them. I always have had a love for
the curious and unusual, and a spice of danger never
detracted from the pleasure of a journey.
Before starting on this sailing tour I visited Arran,
one of the most wildly picturesque of the many islands
along the West Scottish shore which merit that descrip-
tion. I once read a delightful little book of nearly a
hundred pages about this spot, but it was all too short
to describe its beauties. I stopped at Wemyss to see the
famous Castle whose proprietor is a lineal descendent of
Macduff, and went on through that wonderful region of
lakes and mountains en route for Oban. At Adrishaig,
we took a boat, drawn by two horses, on the Crinan
Canal, which is nine miles long and has fifteen locks.
Eight of these gradually lifted us upward, and the other
seven gently let us down until we reached Crinan at the
other end. It is a journey of two hours and saves a cir-
cuit of seventy miles, besides being very interesting, as
there are continuous views of handsome mansions, castles,
forts and natural beauties of landscape. Oban, which in
Gaelic means " White Bay," stands at the head of a semi-
circular bay, midway between the Caledonian and Crinan
Canals, and is called the " The Charing Cross of The
io6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Highlands," because the routes to so many of the
famous tours in this neighborhood radiate from this
center.
Here we boarded a steamer for Staffa and Ionia,
and took that wonderful ride through the Sound of Mull.
On every side are high and rocky cliffs and on nearly
every one of these stand the ruins of ancient and historic
castles. The island of Mull is twenty-five miles wide
and thirty miles long and yet so indented is the shore
with bays and inlets that its coast line is three hundred
miles in length ; it has a mountain peak 3,185 feet high.
The winding channel is of great depth and the views of the
Scottish shore are striking and impressive. The steamer
passes the entrance of many fine bays and the outlets of
many lovely lakes, while mountains tower in the distance.
Sir Walter Scott laid the scene of several of his novels
and poems in this romantic region, and all of it is con-
nected with the ancient history of Scotland.
Staffa, the " Island of Pillars," (supposed to have
taken its name from the word "staff,") is a curious mass of
basaltic rock only a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide,
being simply an uneven table land resting on column-
like cliffs, the highest of which are 144 feet. On account
of the heavy surf beating against the rocks, steamers
cannot approach the Island but passengers are taken in
small boats which are most dextrously managed by Ulva
boatmen. Caves almost perforate the Island on every
side and the roar of the sea as it rushes into them can be
heard for miles. Fingal's Cave, the most noted of these,
is two hundred and twenty-seven feet long and its pillars
thirty-six feet high. It has been aptly called "an august
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EMMA J. BARTOL 107
natural cathedral." We climbed to the top of the Island
by wooden ladders and encountered a terrific storm of
wind and rain which turned our umbrellas inside out and
drenched us to the skin, so that we were a bedraggled
lot when we returned to the steamer. We took off our
shoes and such clothes as we could spare and the sailors
dried them in the engine room, but our enthusiasm was
considerably dampened by the time we reached Ionia.
Ionia Island was inhabited in what is known as the
" dark ages." Its monastery was one of the centres of
Catholicism, and during the sixth and seventh centuries
its seminary of religion and letters was hardly second to
any of Great Britain. It had a stormy history, but
nothing of the ancient times remains except the ruins of
a church, a monastery and Cathedral, a graveyard where
the Scottish Kings were buried from the sixth to the
eleventh centuries, and some old monuments. The
Cathedral now in use dates from the early part of the
thirteenth century and contains tombs of the Macleods
and Macleans, the Mackenzies and other famous Scot-
tish families. Near here it is said the sacred " Black
Stones of Ionia" are concealed, on which the Highland
Chiefs made their oaths. But all this is of the past, and
for generations the 1,000 inhabitants have devoted them-
selves to the peaceful raising of crops, which — strange as it
may seem — mature very early.
We made a number of interesting trips from Oban,
among them one to Fort William and Inverness. On
this we passed the ruins of Dunolly Castle, built in 714.
Lower down on the cliff, at the base of the old family
stronghold, the McDougals have their modern mansion,
108 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
for nowhere is the pride of race and the clinging to family
inheritance stronger than among the Scotch. One finds
the same beautiful scenery everywhere in this region, but
one must make up one's mind to see most of it through
what is historically known as a " Scotch mist," which
elsewhere would be rightfully termed a soaking rain,
coming down as fine as spray but penetrating to the skin.
Fort William is situated almost at the base of Ben Nevis,
the highest mountain in Great Britain, 4406 feet. Its
top is reached by a difficult climb of eight miles and
presents one of the grandest views in the world, from the
North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. The Fort was erected
in the time of the Commonwealth and afterwards rebuilt
by William III. It is at the entrance of Loch Eil, into
which the steamer goes and sails past the ruins of the
Castle of Inverlochy, a magnificent ruin dating from
1300 and the scene of several battles during the follow-
ing two or three centuries. It would require more pages
than can be given to describe the points of exceeding in-
terest in this most famous part of Scotland — wild, rugged
and picturesque beyond the imagination. What gave
me especial delight was to see everywhere masses of the
sweet-scented English honeysuckle, climbing to the roofs
of houses and the tops of trees and covering the ruins
with a veil of beauty. The chimneys are alive with
chattering starlings.
One day we spent at the Isle of Skye, the largest of
the Inner Hebrides, containing about 350,000 acres. It
is very mountainous and the rain falls three days out of
every four ; so the island is valuable chiefly for its
Danish antiquities and its fine scenery of rugged peaks,
EMM J J. BARTOL lop
caves, lakes and rivers. The highest waterfall in the
Highlands is here, plunging into a ravine 800 feet deep.
This was the home of Flora Macdonald. The Island
still belongs to the Macdonald and Macleod families.
It is better known, however, for its famous breed of
Skye terriers.
We took many short and interesting journeys in
open-post wagons, but I finally awoke to the conscious-
ness that the summer was passing and my far northern
trip to the Orkney and Shetland Islands would have to
be abandoned if I did not hasten on. I went by coach
to various towns in the north of Scotland, staying a short
time at each, and at one of these I had a peculiar ex-
perience. At the little inn where I stopped, a traveller —
aside from the local wayfarers — was so unusual that one
was detained as long as possible. When I was ready to
go 1 was told that the seats on the coach were all en-
gaged. This also happened the following day and then I
began to grow suspicious. That evening I hunted up
the driver, slipped a generous fee into his hand, and learn-
ed the truth. So early the next morning, having paid
my bill the night before, I took my hand baggage and
myself to the stable and climbed into the coach. When
the coach drove out there I was, and the grasping land-
lord of course did not dare to touch me.
On these coaching trips I often heard or had amus-
ing conversations. On one occasion two passengers had
an exciting conversation about the Devil. They both
fully believed in his existence, but one held that he was
continually warring against God, while the other insisted
no RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
that he was a subject of God and acting under orders to
commit evil for our^good.
Once I became myself engaged in an argument with
some ladies on equal rights for women. They were bitter-
ly opposed to it and. pointed out what an awful thing it
would be for a woman to hold office. "But," said I,
"you have a woman at the head of your Government,
holding its highest and most responsible office." "Oh,"
they answered, "that is an entirely different thing. Queen
Victoria rules by divine right and she must not be re-
garded as other women."
I finally reached Thurso, the most northerly part
of Scotland. I happened to be there on Sunday and,
although it is a manufacturing town of six or seven
thousand inhabitants, everything and everybody seemed
to be dead, and I was almost startled when I saw a cat
run across the street. It was lively enough, however, on
Monday morning when the steamer left for the Orkney
and Shetland Islands. These two groups form a county
of Scotland and send one member to Parliament. In the
Orkneys are sixty-seven islands and islets, but only about
twenty-seven can be called inhabited. These islands were
visited by Agricola in 84 A. D. They belonged to
Norway in the middle ages but in 1468 were annexed to
Scotland. They have been worn by the heavy seas into
crooked and shapeless masses. The mean temperature
in summer is 54 , in winter 39 and there is an annual
rainfall of twenty-nine inches. The soil is thin and poor
and the only products are oats, barley, potatoes and tur-
nips. A breed of small cattle is raised here, many
thousands of sheep are pastured and rabbits and poultry
EMMA J. BARTOL in
abound. Hunting for wild birds and their eggs is an in-
dustry, but the most of the inhabitants are supported by
the lobster fisheries.
We went to Kirkwall, the capital, situated on Main-
land, the largest island, twenty-six miles northeast of
John o'Groat's, the most northern part of Scotland. It has
a fine Gothic Cathedral, St. Magnus, built in the twelfth
century, on either side of which are the ruins of the ancient
Bishop's palace and of the castle of the Earls of Orkney.
A tablet marks the remains of the King's castle. The
antique stone houses are said to be occupied by a very
exclusive society, but the general aspect of the town is
most unprepossessing. The streets are narrow, so steep
they must be ascended by steps and they wind about in
an irregular way with small, badly-lighted "closes" lead-
ing off" from them, while the houses turn their gables to
the passer by like those of Holland. The shops are
dingy and unattractive and one is filled with wonder that
people can be satisfied to pass their life in so barren a
spot. But most of them know no other kind of life.
When I took the steamer for Lerwick, what was
my dismay to find that I was the only woman on board!
As it was very cold I went to the dining saloon and found
the table strewed with beer glasses and the remnants of
cigars and pipes, while the air was stifling with stale to-
bacco smoke. The weather was too severe for me to stay
on deck so I took refuge in the pilot house, where the
pilot kindly allowed me to sit and gave me a great deal
of valuable information. On the way we sailed past Bal-
four House, the elegant modern summer house of Lord
Balfour. Halfway between the two groups of Islands is
U2 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Fair Isle, misnamed, for many a ship has gone to destruc-
tion on its rugged precipices. Here vessels of the Span-
ish Armada were wrecked in 1588. The bleak and bare
promontories of Shetland soon appeared, a place mention-
ed by Tacitus, but whose early records are shrouded in
obscurity. From the ninth century, however, it is inter-
woven with the history of Norway and afterwards of
Scotland. Lerwick is the capital, situated on the largest
island and on the side of a steep hill, and it has more the
appearance of a fortification than a town. It was built
early in the seventeenth century. The houses on the
principal street, which is a semi-circle around the head of
the bay, have their foundations laid in the water and their
doors placed so that boats can come up to them. There
are subterranean passages to the houses further away. It
is hinted that this arrangement was for the purpose of
landing smuggled goods, as pirates and freebooters figure
conspicuously in the ancient history of these Islands.
The harbor is so large that nearly a hundred men-of-war
have been anchored there at one time. Lerwick itself is
rather an imposing little city with flourishing shops,
modern houses and many good public buildings.
At the Hotel Zetland our steamer party were the
only guests and I found my fellow travellers to be gentle-
men in the true sense of the word. When the landlady
asked what we would have for breakfast they said that as
I was the only lady they would leave the ordering of the
meals to me. The breakfast was served in the English
style, with tray and urns at the head of the table, and
they begged that I would serve the tea and coffee. In
every way they showed me the greatest courtesy. When
EMM J J. BARTOL iij
an excursion was planned to Bressay, the Noups and the
Holm of Noss, which must be made in an open boat on
a rough sea, the weather looked squally and they left it to
me to decide whether we should go. The Cave of Bres-
say and the Cliffs of Noss alone would repay one for this
northern voyage. Bressay is a little island three miles by
six and the cave in its side is entered through a great natural
arch. The passage soon becomes narrow and the voya-
gers are ushered into total darkness and supplied with
torches. A large cavern is finally reached from whose
lofty ceilings hang immense stalactites. There is another
cavern beyond which had never yet been explored. On
coming out the skiff flies over the waves still farther to
the northeast for a few miles, when one beholds the
famous spectacle of the Noup and the Holm of Noss.
The former is the eastern headland of the Island, about
600 feet high ; the latter is a great pile of rock whose
perpendicular sides rise abruptly out of the sea. The
distance between the two is about a hundred feet but it
looks like a mere cleft. The tops of these precipices are
literally crowded with sea birds, which build their nests in
the coarse grass until it is covered thickly with eggs.
There are thousands of these birds which darken the sky
like a cloud when they rise up in flight.
Half a dozen interesting drives may be had from
Lerwick, one of the most noted to Scalloway Castle, built
in 1600. Witches used to be burned here and many
dark stories connected with the neighborhood are told.
The traveller passes many very ancient ruins of castles,
mills, towers and tombs, and sees also peaceful lakes,
rivers and valleys with little farms and comfortable homes,
H4 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
for the Island long ago ceased to be a scene of constant
warfare. The soil is even poorer than on the Orkneys.
The people live mostly on oatmeal, fish and potatoes,
but they are hardy and industrious. The noted Shet-
land ponies are bred here, and it is a common thing to
see a tall, stout man astride one of these strong, sure-
footed little animals not much larger than a dog.
In these Islands fishing is the standard employment
for the men, while the women are famous for knitting
and vie with each other in designing new and artistic
patterns. They knit when going about the streets and
while taking the cows to and from pastures — gloves,
stockings, caps and shawls — and the unique patterns,
variegated colors and extreme softness of the wool cause
their work to be much desired. Shawls are perhaps
their best product. When these reach a considerable
size the women tie them around their waists and continue
knitting on the ends.
We left Lerwick after ten at night, rowing out into
the darkness in a little boat to the steamer. On board
were a large number of ponies, cows, sheep, sporting and
fancy dogs, chickens and geese, the latter packed into
crates like sardines, with wings and legs often disjointed
or broken, sticking out through the bars. The animals
were not fed or watered between Lerwick and Aberdeen.
We went on shore at Wick, which for a century has
been the headquarters of the herring fishery of Scotland.
Thousands of men and hundreds of boats are engaged
in this business, and the women clean and pack the
herring. We saw thousands of barrels ready for pack-
ing and a large fleet of fishing smacks going out in the
EMMA J. BARTOL ZI j
evening light which lingers very late in this northern lat-
titude.
We reached Aberdeen at the unearthly hour of half
past two in the morning and I was obliged to leave the
ship and go to a hotel. I went to Aberdeen to carry
out a purpose which had long been in my mind and this
was nothing less than an interview with Queen Victoria !
I was a member of a society interested in what was
known as the " Contagious Disease Act," which meant
practically a Government recognition of the social evil.
Women everywhere were hoping and praying that the
Queen would put the stamp of her disapproval upon it
in England. Knowing how easy it would be for me to
see our President, I thought it would be quite possible
for me to see Her Majesty and tell her the feeling of the
American women. I wanted to explain to her how
much we feared that if this became the law in regard to
the English Army, a similar one would be passed in the
United States. As it was now early autumn I knew she
was at Balmoral and so I boarded the train for Ballater,
a village on the River Dee, thirty-seven miles from Aber-
deen. Here I took a coach to Balmoral, a few miles away,
but on my arrival I found there was no town, not even a
hotel. By this time the train was gone and there would
be no other till the next day. What was I to do ?
Finally, after I had explained my difficulty to the station
master, he said he knew of only one place, a house within
walking distance, where people were sometimes taken in
over night.
I immediately started and reached a very humble
cottage, the door of which was open. I walked in, found
u6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
one good sized room with a stone floor, but no one about,
and so I sat down and waited events. At last a woman
appeared with a basket of wet clothes. I then learned
that she was a laundress for Balmoral Castle and had
been washing at the brook down the hill. I questioned
her as to whether I could stay with her for the night,
and told her that I had come all the way from America
to see the Queen. The good woman explained that she
was not prepared for boarders, but under the circumstances
she said she would try to make me comfortable. I was
indeed thankful to find a place to lay my head that night.
My hostess was a simple, plain, kind-hearted Scotch
woman. She immediately got me a nice cup of tea and
bread, butter and marmalade, served on fine china with
clean napery. As the evening drew near I saw no stairs
and no room but the one I was in, and wondered where I
was to sleep? At last she opened the door of a closet
just big enough to contain a bed, and I climbed some steps
and floundered down into several feather beds in which I
was nearly buried. But I was so tired I slept well all
night. In the morning she had a delicious breakfast of
tea, buttered toast and honey.
My hostess told me that she had often seen the
Queen, who in her younger days frequently came into her
cottage to rest when walking out with Prince Albert.
She showed me a large engraving of the Queen, which
the Queen had given her, and told me much about the
simple life at Balmoral. After breakfast I inquired the
way to the Castle and started off to have my talk with
the Queen. Entering the great gates I walked up the
broad avenue and soon met three gentlemen who accosted
EMMA J. BARTOL 117
me politely and asked where I was going. I said I was
going to see the Queen. They explained that most
likely this would be impossible, but in a kind manner
begged me to accompany them and they would see what
could be done. I followed them to a fine house in the
grounds where they left me in a handsome reception
room, after having tea and cake brought to me. I over-
heard a great deal of talking and finally they returned
and explained that they were the sons of John Brown
but that they dare not allow me to go any farther, for
even if they did I would be stopped by the guards at the
other entrances. I made them understand that I meant
no injury to the Queen but only wished to speak to her
upon an important subject. They assured me that they
could make no exception to the rules for her protection,
and courteously escorted me to the gates. Thus ended
all my hopes of talking to Queen Victoria.
It was too late that day to return to Edinburgh, so
I went back to the cottage. My hostess sympathized
with my disappointment and entered fully into my desire
to see the Queen. The cottage overlooked the Castle
and she could see the carriage leave the door when the
Queen went for her drive, which, she said, was about
eleven o'clock every morning. She explained that I
must go into the road, meet the jaunting car, stop and
bow and smile. The next day proved magnificent and I
was directed to go into the garden and watch for the ap-
proach of the royal party. An equerry would be in
advance of the carriage. Feeling very timid and think-
ing it would be extremely rude to stare at royalty, I
decided not to stand at the side of the road but to hide
n8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
myself in a lilac bush where I could see unobserved.
Soon their approach was made known by the equerry
riding before. The English open carriage contained
Queen Victoria, the Princess Beatrice and the Duke of
Albany, with John Brown on the box by the driver. I
had a good look at Her Majesty, a sweet-faced English
woman, who, I felt very sure, would have listened sym-
pathetically to my plea if I could but have had the
chance to make it.
I returned to Aberdeen and from there went south-
ward and spent several very pleasant weeks with friends
in Edinburgh and Dundee. Among these were some of
the ladies most prominent in the movement for woman
suffrage, in which I was greatly interested, namely, Mrs.
Margaret E. Parker, Miss Eliza Wigham and Mrs.
Jessie E. Wellstood. I also met Miss Emily Faithfull.
Of these two beautiful and historic cities it is unneces-
sary to write, as they are so widely known and are
annually visited by thousands of tourists. I had occasion,
of course, to cross the Tay Bridge, which had been
opened to the public the preceding May and was attract-
ing the attention of the world. It crossed the mouth of
the Tay River, which here becomes an arm of the sea,
and was over two miles long — the longest bridge in
existence — and was used for railroad trains. It was sup-
posed to have been built for all time but was afterwards
destroyed by a hurricane, and later rebuilt.
From Edinburgh I went to Bolton, England, to see
my friends, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor ; then down into
Wales to visit relatives, and finally to Paris, the most
interesting of places in which to spend the winter months.
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CHAPTER XII.
By 1883 I felt again the desire for a trip to Europe
as the only means for escaping the cares and burdens of
a large house, the demands of society and the exactions of
the numerous clubs, societies, churches, hospitals and other
activities with which I was more or less identified. Con-
sequently I sailed in the "Arizona" on May 29. We
had the usual entertainments given by the passengers, a
fine performance on the piano, singing, reading, recitation
of poetry, altogether most enjoyable evenings. The skies
were fair, the sea smooth and we sighted Ireland early on
June 6. In the afternoon we arrived at Queenstown and
landed fifty passengers and the mail. Then sailing away
again we arrived at Liverpool at eleven o'clock the next
morning.
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, whom I was to visit, and a
number of friends were at the landing to meet me. We
went into the city to do some shopping, and arrived at
Bolton, the Taylors' country home, in time for dinner.
The next day they gave a lawn tennis party and twenty-
two sat down to a supper of cold salmon, pork pie, lamb
chops, peas, hot canned pears and cakes. At nine o'clock
we were served with "gooseberry fool," corn starch, jelly,
and lemonade in decanters. There is much more eating
in England than with us and the food in many respects
is quite different. Sunday I went to Walmsley Unitarian
Church with all the family to hear the Rev. T. C. Street,
from Belfast, Ireland. It was bitter cold riding to and
from Bolton over the moors, which looked so bright and
120 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
warm with the bloom of the golden gorse. All through
June it was so cold that people wore sealskin sacks, furs
and fur lined cloaks, and it was necessary to have fires in
the house. Nevertheless a party of twenty-one of us
rode fifteen miles to visit Sawley, Clitheron and Whalleg
Abbeys, and took many other long rides and excursions
to places of interest. We visited the churchyard, where
we came across several curious epitaphs on the old tomb-
stones, one of them reading thus :
" Affliction sore long time I bore,
Physicians were in vain,
Till God did please to give me ease,
And terminate my pain." (1637.)
We spent one day in Manchester where we visited
St. Peter's Church and the Town Hall. We witnessed
a trial going on at the Assizes — the Judge in a big wig,
the Mayor with a very large chain around his neck, and
all the barristers with wigs. The entire proceedings
very stately and formal.
Toward the end of the month the weather grew
warm and sunny. The garden was a never-failing delight,
the lawn being dotted with the little English daisy, a
wealth of roses much more lasting than ours, clumps of
gorgeous rhodedendron and azalias, lilacs and blooming
fruit trees. The garden plays a far more prominent part
in the life of England than of America, and is one of its
most attractive features. The hospitality of English
people is much more generous and extensive than with
us, when once they have decided that you are worthy of
it. I left the "Glen" after a most enjoyable experience
of private life in an English family for five weeks, and my
EMM J J. BARTOL 121
host and hostess accompanied me on my journey as far
as Manchester.
At Buxton I visited the Blue John and the Speed-
well Mines, and the Peak of Peveril, made famous
by Sir Walter Scott, and saw the long underground
tunnels where lead was mined in olden times but now all
abandoned ; Chatsworth and Haddon Hall, and the
postern door from which Dorothy Vernon escaped ; and
Blackwell Church and Edensor, where Lord Frederick
Cavendish was buried, stopping for luncheon at the
famous " Peacock Inn" of Rowsley. At Matlock Baths
I engaged lodgings at the " Peveril," then went to the
Black Rock where I drank " nettle beer," and had a
drive on the " Oria Gellia," a road made by the Romans
centuries ago. The next day I walked to Matlock
Bridge, and returning by train, visited a very curious
spring which petrifies everything laid in it. Then I went
to the old, historic town of Bath, visited the Abbey, the
Pumprooms and the extensive excavations which were
being made, to uncover the remains of baths used by the
Romans during their occupation centuries ago.
I reached Wells for Sunday and attended service at
the Cathedral, where the Right Honorable and Right
Reverend Lord Arthur Charles Hervey sat on the
Bishop's Throne. It was a choral service, the ages of
the choristers ranging from ten to seventy years. The
Bishop was dressed in a white robe, the full sleeves tied
at the ruffled wrists with black velvet, the hood and
stoles of black and red, and lavender kid gloves. The
four black-robed vergers with their heavy black staffs
surmounted with silver figures, and the five white-robed
122 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
officiating priests gave great impressiveness to the service.
The Cathedral, dating back to 704 A. D., is exceedingly
rich in sculpture and decoration. Statues of Bishops
carved in marble and handsome tombs are in all parts of
the building. The Bishop's Palace adjoining the Cath-
edral is surrounded by a wide and deep moat bordered
by a heavy wall with watch towers on each corner. The
records show that seventy different Bishops have officiated
here.
The early history of Wells states that " It was so
named from its abundant springs." It is one of the
most interesting places in Europe to the student of
Gothic architecture, and not of architecture only but to
the student of the History of England also. The
grounds are laid out with much taste, the terrace walk
by the south wall being especially beautiful. The place
possesses an undying interest in remembrance of good
Bishop Then, who, tradition says, composed the Morn-
ing and Evening Hymns in the summer house at the
southeast corner of the grounds. Three of the most
famous wells or springs are in the palace garden near the
eastern end of the Cathedral. In this connection I quote
the following : " The essence of a Cathedral is its being
beyond all other churches, the church of the Bishop. It
is the church which contains his official seat or throne,
and it is by taking possession of that official seat that the
Bishop takes possession of his Bishopric. From that
seat the church and the city in which it stands is called
the Bishop's See, and from that See the Bishop takes his
title. Thus this city of Wells is the See of a Bishop.
In Latin the seat is called cathedra — a word which in
EMMA J. BARTOL 123
English is cut short into chair — and the church which
contains it is called ecclesia cathedralis^ the cathedral
church."
I journeyed from Wells to Glastonbury Abbey, and
then to Stonehenge, a place which has baffled ail the
geologists and scientists. Delightful visits were made to
the Cathedrals of Salisbury and Winchester with their
wealth of ancient glories, and a few days spent exploring
the points of interest in and around Southampton, and
then, with a friend, I took a steamer for the Isle of
Wight. We sailed by Osborne Castle, whose flying
banners showed that Queen Victoria was in residence
there, and eventually we arrived at Ventnor where we
made our headquarters at the Marine Hotel. The view
from there of the English Channel is superb. We made
arrangements to have a carriage for three days to drive
us around this picturesque Island, and most interesting
days they were. We visited the quaint old churches and
climbed St. Boniface Downs. The weather was superb
and the scenery well worth the effort. At Freshwater I
took the long, steep walk over the high downs to the
Fort and was well rewarded by another magnificent view,
an expanse of water on one side, and the beautiful
slopes of England on the other. No spot on the Island
is so steeped in romantic interest as Carisbrooke Castle,
the last residence of the unfortunate monarch, Charles I.
The view from its battlements at sunset is worth a trip
across the ocean.
In August I gratified a desire which I had long felt
to visit the group of Islands off" the coast of France, the
best known of which are Guernsey and Jersey. It is a
124 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
rough trip across the Channel but there are many things
to see in these unfrequented places. The men all bathe
in the sea together, but the women use the clumsy bath-
ing machines drawn by horses into the shallow water and
then do not venture far away from them. There are
various excursions out from Saint Peter-Port, their inter-
est lying chiefly in the narrow winding lanes through the
deep valleys and then up to the summit of the cliffs with
their splendid views. The roads are excellent, with high
banks on each side covered with violets and other
flowers, and on the tops are rows of trees which form a
delicious shade on sunny days and give them the appear-
ance of avenues. Even the smallest of the Islands have
these fine roads. There are quaint inns, picturesque
churches, ruined castles, forts, monuments, and many
historic reminders of the long centuries when these rocky
Islands were the scene of continual conflict. For many
generations past they have been in the peaceful posses-
sion of Great Britain. Victor Hugo made his home here
after he was exiled from France and he wrote several
famous novels in this quiet spot.
Every visitor goes across to St. Michael and St.
Malo on the coast of France, where one sees the highest
tides in Europe, the fortresses, cathedrals, and many
quaint phases of French provincial life.
On leaving Guernsey for Weymouth I was the only
passenger and had the saloon all to myself. I visited
Exeter and Torquay, then went to Plymouth and joined
a party who were going up the river Tamar by steamer,
a pleasant journey, with Devonshire on one side and
Cornwall on the other. If one locality in England may
EMMA J. BARTOL I2 j
claim pre-eminence over all others for variety and beauty
of scenery, the palm must go to Devonshire, with its fif-
teen beautiful rivers, its high hills, its deep forests and its
magnificent estates. At Plymouth, dear to Americans
from its associations with the Mayflower, one remembers
especially Mount Edgecomb, loveliest of spots, and Tor-
quay brings memories of Vane Hill with its unsurpassed
views, St. Michael's Mount, Logan Rock, the Wishing
Well, Cam Brae Castle, the Dingdong Mine, in opera-
tion before Christ came — all these and scores of other
curious and interesting features are inseparably connected
with Penzance, Land's End, Illogan and the other points
of the extreme southwestern point of England, where an
entire summer might be spent without exhausting its
attractions.
126 REC0LLEC7 J I0NS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XIII.
As September (1883) approached I remembered my
promise to meet Mrs. J. Heron Foster and her daughter
Julia and Rachel (Avery), and so I reluctantly left Eng-
land, which is so beautiful in the early autumn, and turn-
ed my face southward. From Weymouth to Cherbourg
I was again the only passenger in the ladies' saloon. I
went directly via Paris to Geneva, a twelve-hour-and-a-
quarter journey, and fortunately, there were four Sisters
of Charity in the carriage, who had a bottle of wine and
a lunch which they insisted on sharing with me. In
many ways they made pleasanter for me the long, hot
and dusty trip.
On arriving at my destination I found my friends
already there. Nothing can surpass the beauty of the
shores of Lake Geneva with their picturesque meadows
and vineyards, villas and churches, exquisite waterfalls
and green slopes gradually rising to steep precipices and
finally to rugged mountain crests that are lost in the
clouds. We went by steamer to the Castle of Chillon,
made forever famous by the poet Byron. It is a fine
example of ancient Gothic architecture, which was men-
tioned in history in the ninth century, and is an unspoiled
specimen of a feudal stronghold with drawbridge, towers
and deep dungeons. After many pleasant trips we
finally sent our trunks by petite vitesse to Chiasso, Italy,
allowing twelve days for their transportation, and with
our small baggage we left Geneva by diligence. We
were fortunate in obtaining good outside seats that
EMMA J. BARTOL I2?
enabled us to see the scenery, which it would be pre-
sumptuous even to attempt to describe, and finally
reached the celebrated region of the Chamounix.
After a day's rest we ascended the Montanvert, a
three-hours' trip on mules, and had a glorious view of
the Mer de Glace. The next day we had recovered
sufficiently to ascend the Glacier de Bossons in the same
way. This trip through the mountains was made entirely
by carriage and on horseback, giving an opportunity to
see the daily life of the people that could not be had by
any other mode of travel. We left Chamounix by the
Glacier Argentiere Chatelard, rested two hours at Tete
Noire and passed through Martigny to Vernayaz, arriv-
ing late in the afternoon quite ready for dinner and bed.
The next morning we visited the Gorge de Trient and
the Pissevache Falls. On the way back we passed a field
of Indian corn. We were all so hungry for a taste of it,
not having had any since leaving America, that we could
not resist the temptation. We asked the coachman to stop
and jumped out of the carriage to get some. We found
a few ears just right for boiling and took several. The
next consideration was how to get the corn cooked, as it is
never eaten in Switzerland except by animals. A coun-
cil resulted in the decision that Rachel, the youngest of
our party, should go into the kitchen of the inn and
superintend the cooking of it. How we did enjoy those
ears, although they were only field corn. We left no
grains on the cobs, and gladly paid the farmer and the
cook.
We went to Leuk by train and then on foot up
the ascent to Leukerbad, the hot thermal baths. After
128 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
a steady climb of three-and-a-half hours up a steep moun-
tain we came to a place where people were ascending
and descending a ladder, with merchandise on their heads,
the explanation being that they lived in a village above
the precipice, which was inaccessible even to mules or
donkeys. The next morning some of us started off on
horseback and others in chairs carried by porters, and,
having stopped at St. Nicolaus for dinner we arrived at
Zermatt in the afternoon, where we had a fine view of
the Matterhorn. On September 1 1 we attempted to
ascend the Gorner Grat, by a bridle path. The weather
proved unfavorable and after going three hours, we met
a hail and snow storm which gave us no choice but to
turn back. The next morning being clear and the
weather proving propitious, we tried again to reach the
top of the Gorner Grat. Rachel and I walked until, on
account of the altitude and the difficult paths, we gave
out, and then those in chairs kindly came to our relief
and loaned their conveyance, taking their turn in walk-
ing. After nearly two hours of hard climbing we were
again overtaken by a storm which made the road slippery
and dangerous, the snow covering the path so that we
could not see the way.
After a night at Viesch we tried the ascent of the
Eggischorn, 9,650 ft., but it was bitter cold and the trav-
elling was both difficult and dangerous. When almost
at the top Julia and myself nearly fainted and were
obliged to dismount. Fortunately one of the party had
some medicine and after awhile we were able to proceed.
Returning, we went to Munster for the night and found
a miserable hotel, the only one in the place, which had
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only one entrance for horses, carriages and guests, and
the only bedroom being over the stable where the odors
and noises were most exasperating. We left as early as
possible the next day and went to the Rhone Glacier,
then on to Goeschnen and the mouth of the St. Gothard.
We decided to go over the St. Gothard Pass in our own
carriage and were well repaid. The scenery was grandly
picturesque. The waterfalls dashing down the perpen-
dicular sides of the mountains thousands of feet called
forth constant ejaculations of wonder and delight until
finally words failed and we simply gazed in silent won-
der. We rested the horses at Airolo, took luncheon
at the other end of the great tunnel, and ended our forty-
five-mile ride at Biasca.
Our next stop was at Bellinzona and then we reached
beautiful Lugano, overlooking the lake of the same name,
where one would love to linger indefinitely. We visited
the exquisite chapel on the summit of Monte San Salva-
dore, where there is one of the most glorious views of
Switzerland. At Isola Bella we spent the night, inspect-
ed the Palace and roamed through the narrow streets.
And so we went to one and another of the fascinating
spots that cluster about the Italian Lakes, some of which
must be visited by carriage and others by steamer or row-
boat.
At Chiasso we found our baggage which had arrived
from Geneva. It took three hours to have it examined,
but the traveller in Italy learns patience. We reached
lovely Como at last and visited its interesting cath-
edral, noted chiefly for the fine sculptures on the exterior.
Who that ever has experienced it can forget a sail down
ijo RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Lake Como — its borders lined with elegant villas, the
hedges of oleanders, the wilderness of vines falling over
the walls into the blue waters, the hills rising in the back-
ground covered with groves of orange, citron, fig and
walnut trees! An entire summer would be none too
short a time to see the beauties of these Italian Lakes.
At last we went to Brescia, one of the most ancient
cities of Italy, the scene of many conflicts in the past
centuries. Here there is an old cathedral, begun in 660,
and an imposing new one not yet a hundred years old.
But neither is so attractive as the ancient church of St.
Azra which has among its fine paintings Titians' "Woman
Taken in Adultery." All the old churches contain rare
works of art. There is an excellent museum of Roman
antiquities and one of the most interesting cemeteries in
Europe. Travellers make a mistake who omit Brescia
from their itinerary.
Verona needs no eulogium. The wide and rapid
Adige is crossed by noble bridges, one of them dating
from the Roman occupation. The town is entered by
a wide and imposing street, but of course one must get
into the narrow and crowded portions to find the remains
of its ancient splendors. Not only is it filled with his-
torical reminiscences but it has been immortalized by
Shakspeare in more than one play. The home and the
tomb of Juliet are pointed out to gullible tourists.
Among its forty or fifty churches many are distinguished
for their magnificent chapels, tombs, paintings and fres-
coes. That of Zanzenone is most curious. No other
place offers such an opportunity to study the works of
Paul Veronese, who was born and resided here. The
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ruins of the Coliseum are only surpassed by those in
Rome. The construction of the old palaces attracts the
attention of architects. Of the many fine tombs those of
the Scaligers are the most noted.
Is there any American who does not look forward
to sometime seeing Venice ? As we entered a gondola
on the Grand Canal at the station the sun was setting in
all his glory on one side, and the full moon rising in
silvery splendor on the other, the rays of the two min-
gling on the water and making a scene of entrancing
beauty never to be forgoten. How entirely different it
all was to the noise and bustle attendant at the usual rail-
way station ! The quiet and soothing effect of the soft
ripple of the oars was most delightful after the long ride
from Verona.
Under a full moon and a cloudless sky we took our
first evening ride on the Grand Canal, which was filled
with boats, their myriads of lights dancing on the waters.
The people singing and the bands of stringed instruments
made it appear like a scene of enchantment in a play and
kept us enthralled till late into the night. All visitors
to Venice go through the same programme. First of
all we visited the Cathedral of St. Mark's with its usual
combination of Roman and Byzantine architecture. It
is unnecessary to describe its unsurpassed mosaics, its
rich marbles, its columns of verd-antique and porphyry,
its ancient tombs — they are all familiar to the reading
public. And where in all the world is there anything to
equal the Square, or Piazza, of St. Mark's, and the ad-
joining Piazzetti ? In almost every civilized part of the
globe one finds pictures of the magnificent Doges' Palace,
132 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
the Giant's Staircase, the Library, the old Clock Tower,
the two massive columns with the Winged Lion and the
statue of St. Theodore looking out over the sea — and, tow-
ering over all, the great Campanile, now, alas ! a mass of
ruins. The palaces that line the Grand Canal on either
side have been made familiar by Byron, Browning,
Howells and a host of writers, and the demand for the
beautiful pictures of the canals and palaces never ceases.
We visited all of them, as well as the wonderful
factories for marbles, glass and lace, and at the latter
place we yielded to the temptation which no woman can
resist and made a number of purchases. We crossed the
Rialto and went to the market place and saw the fruit,
vegetables and fish brought in little boats which served
as market stalls. To the churches of course we went
again and again, especially to that of the Frari, with its
monuments to Titian, Canova, Doge Giovanni Pesaro
and other famous dead ; and to the Academia delli Belli
Arti to see Titian's great Assumption of the Virgin.
I chose the highest room in the hotel in order to see
the sun rise up out of the water in the morning and sink
behind the Campanile at evening, and found such ever
fresh delight as is only possible on one's first visit to
Venice.
We went from here to ancient Padua, a city of
not more than 50,000 people, with over one hundred
churches. Here, too, there are a number of canals and
the public square is surrounded by a stream of water
bordered by statues. The Botanic Garden has some of
the oldest trees in Europe and there are several palaces
worth visiting. Its celebrated University in the four-
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teenth and fifteenth centuries attracted students from all
parts of Europe. Galileo was a Professor there, and
Dante and Petrarch were among the students. But the
focus of all interest is the wonderful chapel decorated by-
Giotto, who had Dante with him a part of the time while
he was doing his immortal work.
We went on through the rich plains of Lombardy
to Milan, a city of great wealth and business enterprise.
There one turns his steps first of all to the Cathedral,
considered by many the finest in Europe. It is built
entirely of white marble with a beautiful central tower
and spire, a wilderness of graceful pinnacles and niches
containing innumerable statues, estimated at from 5,000
to 7,000. Among the many interesting churches the
Santa Maria delle Grazie most attracts the tourist because
here is Leonardo's famous picture of " The Lord's
Supper," almost obliterated by time. The church richest
in art is St. Ambrosius, where the German Emperors
used to receive the Lombard crown. The Opera House
is perhaps the finest in existence and seats 3,600
spectators.
From Milan it is but a short journey to Genoa,
situated on an eminence of five hundred feet and com-
manding a magnificent view of the Mediterranean. In
front is the harbor crowded with shipping from all parts
of the world, and in the back ground rise the Apennines.
This was the birthplace of Columbus and one sees here
tablets and monuments to his memory. Genoa has many
fine inhabited palaces and some of the carved gates of
entrance are forty feet high. The cemetery is the most
remarkable in Europe, many of the monuments having
134 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
figures sculptured from life and costing thousands of
dollars.
I particularly enjoyed the short trips from here to
the beautiful and picturesque towns in the neighborhood,
embowered in trees, vines and flowers and looking out
over the ocean. A day was spent at Carrara visiting the
great marble quarries. As many as fourteen oxen were
sometimes required to haul one slab of the pure white
marble. There are a number of artist's studios here
right in the heart of the mountains.
A short railway journey from Genoa took us to
Monaco, or Monte Carlo, the noted resort for gambling.
It is an independent principality of six square miles in
one of the loveliest locations on the Mediterranean, ten
miles from Nice. It contains the old town of Monaco
with its castle and palace ; the Condamine, where the sea
baths are; Moulins, a little place on East Bay; and Monte
Carlo, with its casino, gardens, terraces, reading rooms
and concert hall, where excellent concerts are given twice
a day. The climate is exquisite and the walks in the
environs are unsurpassed for beauty, while at many points
there are superb views of ocean and mountains.
We went to Nice, the beautiful Cannes, and then to
Marseilles. The latter city is distinctly divided into the
old town and the new: the old with the landmarks of the
centuries, the new with wide streets, handsome houses,
and all the appliances of modern business life. We visi-
ted the Zoological Garden, Chapelle de Notre Dame,
the palace of the Empress Eugenie and other points worth
seeing. It was now December and growing cold. I
EMM J J. BJRTOL i 35
began to think about going back to America and as a
step toward it I took the train for Paris.
The steamer "Cienfuegos" once more carried me to
Old England, and New Year's Day found me at Rhyl,
North Wales, visiting my Cousin Fanny Lewis, who had
married a Welch minister. The eight bells of St. Thom-
as rang out the old year and ushered in the new. The day
being raw and gloomy, we hugged the little coal fire and
reviewed the things that happened and the lives gone out.
On Jan. 3rd, I sailed in the " City of Chicago" from
Liverpool and arrived at Queenstown at eight the next
morning in a heavy fog. The first day out proved brighter
and cheerier than any I had seen during all the time I had
been in England; there was a fine sea and pleasant breeze,
but on the next day a heavy storm set in and tor days
the spray was flying over the deck so that it was impos-
sible to go outside. Some days we made only 144
miles. The tables were nearly deserted by the passen-
gers, and the vessel lurched so it was as much as I could
do to sit still or read or knit. At last, after a four-days'
storm, the sun came out in a shy kind of way but one
could see it raining all around. It continued to be
squally, but I managed to get a little exercise on deck,
although it was dark and dreary all the way across. We
passed Sandy Hook in a snow storm and finally arrived
in New York harbor at noon on January 15. My hus-
band and sister Isabel were at the wharf to meet me,
and by six o'clock I was in my own house in Philadel-
phia. The next day our children and grand-children,
seventeen in all, came to supper and to welcome me
home.
ij6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XIV.
I had been home exactly three weeks when on
February 7, 1884, I started on a trip with Mr. Bartol
and a party of friends to Mexico and Central America.
It was a warm bright day when we reached New
Orleans, and we took a carriage and rode around to see
this really interesting city. The old part, with its narrow
streets and French names, reminds one of a European
town, and dates back to the beginning of the eighteenth
century. It may almost be said to have been reclaimed
from the waters and to be wanting to return to its own.
There are about twenty cemeteries in and around the
city and, on account of the water being so near the sur-
face, all burials are above ground when families are able
to bear the expense. Many of the monuments are very
beautiful, reminding one of Pere la Chaise in Paris, and
a visit to some cemetery is part of the regular sight-
seeing. The seven markets afford an entertaining study
of the colored people, and the " old French market "
illustrates the Creole life. There are many handsome
parks and some good statues. The luxuriant vegetation
adds much to the beauty of this great shipping port.
We went from New Orleans to " Eden Hall," the
large McCall plantation, and here we rode all round the
sugar cane fields and immense swamps. It was very hot
in the sun but so cold evenings that it was necessary to
have fires. It was just the season of cane planting, and
EMMA J. BARTOL 137
blackberries were in bloom and the scent of the violets
filled the air.
The next day we left by steamer for Galveston and
arrived there at midday. There was a party of fifteen
from Minneapolis on board, who were taking the same
trip we were. The weather was delightful, the air soft
and balmy, and there were beautiful trees and flowers
everywhere. We went from there to Vera Cruz, which
was reached at daylight, but we could not land on ac-
count of a violent windstorm. The steamer was obliged
to take refuge behind the Island " Sacrifice ' ; and we
utilized the time in writing letters home. We were
able to land the next day and went to the Hotel Dili-
gencia. We were much amused here to find that turkey
buzzards are the scavengers of the town and valued for
the important service they perform. They have very
sharp eyes and silently stand like sentinels waiting for
the offal and refuse to be thrown in the streets and then
swoop down upon it, eating what they want. When
gorged they retire to the tops of the houses and the
markets, and even perch on the Cathedral. It is need-
less to add that yellow fever and similar diseases are ever
present in this polluted city.
No one who has read Prescott's fascinating histories
can fail to be interested in Mexico. It contains much
that is novel and interesting, but the traveller must make
up his mind to endure many hardships. On account of
the heat trains start very early. We left Vera Cruz soon
after six and reached Orizaba at eleven, just in time for
breakfast. The train was quickly surrounded by natives
selling tortillas, small cakes made of maize flour and
i 3 8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
baked on hot stones. We took a beautiful drive to a
noted hacienda (estate), passing seven charming waterfalls
and endless masses of lovelv flowers.
After leaving Orizaba the first part of the ride was
very enjoyable, winding in and out of defiles with the
sparkling river in sight, but the latter part passed through
alkali plains and was most trying. The fine dust pene-
trated everywhere, obliging us to have all the car win-
dows closed and to muffle ourselves with veils, but even
then we inhaled the acrid, biting particles. We were
completely worn out and only too thankful when we
arrived at the City of Mexico at eight in the evening.
Those who have been across the alkali plains of our own
" American desert ' ; will appreciate our discomfort.
Verily one pays for travelling in more ways than one.
Mexico, 7,500 feet above the sea, is a large and
splendid city that comes upon the traveller as a pleasant
surprise. It is built in Spanish style and crowned with
many domes and steeples. The streets are long, broad
and regular, and the houses are generally three stories
high and built of solid blocks of stone, with the flat top
enclosed by an ornamental balustrade. The location of
the city is superb and it has many fine parks and prom-
enades. Its Arena holds 3,000 spectators and the bull
fight is a favorite spectacle. The ancient aqueducts are
a marvel of engineering. We went to a hotel which
was in former times a palace and it was certainly a
most unique place. It was Sunday and we found a
band of music in the Plaza which was thronged with
people. There were booths where candies, fruits and
drinks were sold, and altogether it was a gay and pic-
EMMA J. BARTOL 139
turesque scene. The next day we took a ride in the
street cars which encircle the city. Among the many
sights visited, was the state carriage that Maximilian
and poor Carlotta rode in, also — in the fine Cathedral —
the Sacrificial Stone of the ancient Mexicans and the
Aztec Calendar Stone. Shrove Tuesday we went to the
Carnival in which we were disappointed, as we had seen
this spectacle before on a much larger scale.
Noticing some beautiful birds standing on perches
for sale, I was puzzled to know why they did not fly
away, and was told that they were forced to swallow such
a quantity of lead that they were unable to move. We
made a trip to Gaudalupe to see the church with solid
silver altar railings. We also went to the market where
we bought ripe tomatoes in February. We visited the
Monte Piedad (National Pawn Shops) where the poor
nobility have pawned their priceless jewels, and saw some
exceedingly large diamonds and pearls. We rose at half-
past four one morning and took the train to Toluca,
11,860 ft. above the sea, and after enjoying the fine
scenery, returned in time for an eight o'clock break-
fast. We visited the Academy of Fine Arts, and saw
many good pictures by Mexican artists. From the city
of Mexico we went to Puebla and inspected the old
Cathedral, the State College, the baths, Maternity Hos-
pital, onyx factory and theatre. We went also to the
Cholula Cathedral and Pyramid. On the last evening
of our stay in Mexico we saw the sun set behind Mt.
Popocatepetl. When we left we crossed the divide be-
tween the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
We sailed from Vera Cruz for Havana with a smooth
sea and warm, clear weather. At Campeachy the ship
140 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
discharged and took on cargo all day, mostly hammocks,
Sisal hemp and hides. In some places the sea was red
with locusts. Crowds of natives came on board with all
sorts of things to sell, from parroquets to tortoise shell
combs. Some of the party bought several of these hand-
some birds but I felt that it would be a cruelty to take
them to a cold, Northern climate. On deck were a
number of huge turtles lying on their backs, some of
them weighing 300 lbs.
We sighted Cuba the next morning and landed in
Havana before noon. We went to the sea-baths, which
were simply hollow caves in the shore, with an opening
toward the sea too small to admit sharks, but the surf
was breaking over them so heavily that bathing was im-
possible. I visited the palace gardens but found the
beautiful trees had been cut down and a great change had
taken place since I was there years before. In Havana
we were with friends and in the mornings we walked and
shopped, while in the evenings we sat on the roof, which
was flat with balustrades all around and arranged for the
out-door family life characteristic of warm countries.
Often we went to the Plaza to hear the band play and
had tomales and lime-ade. There were manv interesting
things to see here — the Cathedral in which there is a bust
of Columbus, the fish market, where the display is well
worth looking at, the parks, the forts and the wharves —
all having a foreign air.
Ants are one of the pests of Cuba and they reach
such proportions that they eat into the joists of the
houses and weaken them. When they attack a tree they
very quickly denude it of all foliage. I have seen two
EMM J J. BARTOL i 4 i
columns on a tree, one ascending, the other descending,
each ant with a piece of leaf, and they would stop on
meeting and seemingly salute and pass on. On one
occasion I was awakened in the night by something
crawling over my face and, springing up and lighting the
candle, I found that the cot touched the wall and there
was a regular procession of ants crawling over me. As a
protection against the abundance of insect life, the legs
of the bed are placed in dishes of water, but in this case
the mosquito netting happened to touch the wall and
made a bridge for them. Just as the immense blood-
hounds of Cuba lie asleep on the door-mat, so the little
lizards sit on their noses and keep watch to jump at their
own particular prey, namely, the flies that are so trouble-
some.
We started for Cienfuegos by steamer, taking break-
fast on board. The harbor of Cienfuegos is almost land-
locked. Looking at any time over the side of the
steamer one can see the sharks playing around, and woe
betide the unfortunate one who falls overboard. With
the intense heat in the day and the chilly raw-hide cots at
night I took cold, and the fact that my state room was
full of ants and the decks swarming with mosquitoes
added to my misery.
After leaving Cienfuegoes we sailed along the coast
all the forenoon in sight of the picturesque mountains,
rising hundreds of feet out of the waters, and at noon of
the following day we arrived at Santiago which is beauti-
fully situated on the side of a hill. The next morning we
rose at five o'clock and, after a cup of coffee, started from
the ship in a small row boat to see the town. We went to
i 4 2 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Cathedral and then to the market where we saw many
fish that were remarkable for their bright coloring.
The natives brought these and birds of brilliant plumage
on board the ship. The sea seemed alive with sharks
and garfish and at night these monsters, outlined in the
phosphorescent water, darted here and there like streaks
of living fire.
On leaving Santiago we ran along the south coast
of Cuba, passed many of the islands of the Bahama group
and finally reached Nassau, on New Providence Island,
the capital of the Bahamas. This spot has a right to
claim the most perfect climate in the Western Hemis-
phere, while its fishing, drives and scenery give constant
zest to a sojourn there. The coral reefs form a natural
breakwater and good harbor. During the Civil War it
acquired a bad reputation as the resort of the blockade
runners. But all that has passed away and now it is a
noted winter resort, and the fine, large hotel is filled with
invalids and pleasure seekers. Its luxurious vegetation
seems to spring from the coral rock almost without soil
and the air is filled with the perfume of tropical trees and
flowers. The cotton tree reaches an enormous size and
the palm trees seem to wave their plumes among the
clouds. The hills slope down to the transparent water
which is of an exquisite shade between torquoise blue
and delicate green, and it is so clear the white sand can
be seen on the bottom several fathoms deep.
Palm Sunday we went to St. Agnes Church. In
the afternoon we walked on the Esplanade and returned
up the hill and through the woods, obtaining beautiful
views of the harbor and town with the ocean in the dis-
EMMA J. BARTOL I4J
tance. We drove to the Lakes of Killarnev and Cun-
ningham, whose water ebbs and flows with the tides,
doubtless because of an underground connection with the
ocean. It was interesting to visit the ponds where the
green turtles are kept for the Northern markets and are
fed on a peculiar kind of sea weed. They come at call
when about to be fed and gambol together showing no
fear of on-lookers. We took a long ride through the
Island to South Beach where we saw the mangrove
bushes growing on the edge of the water and covered
with oysters. On our way back we gathered armsfull of
lovely wild flowers.
When we sailed for home we found on the ship
fifty of the big turtles we had seen in the pond. The
poor creatures laid on their backs in a row along the side
of the deck, with plugs of wood driven through their
claws. It was most cruel and I felt that I never again
could eat any preparation made from turtles. There
were such severe storms and heavy swells that most of
the passengers were hors de combat, and did not show
themselves for a day or two, but I managed to enjoy a
salt water bath each morning and remained on deck.
As we went farther northward it grew cold and bracing.
Glad were we all to see the pilot climb the ship's ladder
and clamber on deck when we reached New York harbor,
and as soon as we were on shore we hastened to Del-
monico's for an American breakfast and blessed our
lucky stars that our lot was cast in the United States.
144 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XV.
It would be quite impossible even to mention the
many trips I have made to various points of interest in
the United States. There is scarcely a watering place or
mountain resort of any consequence that I have not
visited during the last fifty years. Sometimes I took a
cottage for the summer and had my family and friends
with me. At other times they would be scattered to the
four points of the compass, and I would go with a com-
panion or maid early in the summer, remain at one place
until I tired of it and then go to another, not returning
to open my city house until late in the autumn. For
many years we had a country house at Ridley Park, near
Philadelphia, which was kept open all summer for my
husband and myself, our children and their families, as
many or as few of us as chose to occupy it. In those
days that was a desirable residence suburb.
I have always been exceedingly fond of travel
and never could be contented very long in one spot
when there were new ones to be explored. People have
not interested me so much as places. I could never sit
on hotel piazzas for hours and gossip and watch my
neighbors. In the morning and evenings I wanted to
be out enjoying the beauties of nature. Reading has
been a never-ending source of enjoyment, but many of
the most delightful hours of my life have been spent in
sketching and painting. I always had a gift with the
pencil and brush, but my early years were such busy
ones that it was not until I was nearing middle life that
EMMA J. BARTOL
EMMA J. BARTOL i 45
I could find leisure to devote myself seriously to their
use. I then took lessons of excellent teachers for a
number of years, and afterward enjoyed sketching and
painting bits of nature, and especially flowers, during my
travels in all parts of the world. I have crossed the
Pacific ocean twice, but how many times I have made
the trip across the Atlantic I have not the slightest idea.
My first voyage was taken when 1 was 18 ; my last, to
Jamaica, when these figures were reversed and I was 8 i ;
and the journeys were thickly scattered between. I am
never so happy as when I see the land fade out of sight
and settle back in my steamer chair for a period of
absolute rest, free from all cares and interruptions.
Even now, at the age of eighty-four, I should like noth-
ing better than to pack my trunks and start for a trip to
some foreign country, and I am only deterred because of
the anxiety this would cause my family. While probably
I shall not again put the ocean between us, I count the
days until the winter shall be passed, these " recollec-
tions" finished, and I can plume my wings for at least
a short flight.
In September of 1885 I went to Europe for an in-
definite stay and did not return until October of 1887.
I spent the winters in Italy and at Lausanne and other
charming places on lake Geneva ; the springs in Paris
and its beautiful environs ; the summers and early
autumns in England and Scotland. In Europe one may
thus follow the seasons, finding at each place delightful
weather and such an entire change of people, customs,
scenery and surroundings that one need never grow
weary or bored. Those who have not travelled abroad
I4 6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
cannot understand its fascinations or why it is that per-
sons can be contented to remain away from their own
country for years at a time. One also may have in
Europe a simplicity of life and an independence of action
that seem to be impossible in the complicated existence
which we have evolved for ourselves in the United States.
At various times during these two years different mem-
bers of my family came over and joined me, and some-
times I travelled or sojourned with friends. I spent
many hours in the libraries, galleries and museums ;
went to the churches and theatres ; shopped, sewed and
painted, and I think no two years ever passed so quickly
and certainly none more pleasantly.
I returned with Dr. and Mrs. H. C. Register, my
son-in-law and daughter, who had been spending the
summer with me on the Isle of Wight and at Torquay,
Bournemouth and other English watering places. We
went at once to Ridley Park and I thought I had seen
nothing in Europe more beautiful than the autumn
foliage there. When the chill frost of autumn came the
city home also seemed very delightful and I was soon
immersed in the daily round of clubs, hospitals, charities,
entertainments and social affairs.
During the past five years Mr. Bartol had been grad-
ually withdrawing from the cares of business and resign-
ing from the presidency and directorship of the various
companies and corporations, and the boards of the
educational and philanthropic institutions with which he
was connected. He had led a most active and industrious
life and he was preparing to spend the remainder of it in
travel, reading and the society of family and friends, and
B. H. BARTOL
EMM A J. BARTOL I47
enjoy a rest which he had fully earned. On January 30,
1888, he was taken with what seemed to be a slight ill-
ness, but it rapidly developed into typhoid pneumonia
and eleven days later he passed away, aged seventy-one
years. The funeral services were held at the house and
also at the first Unitarian Church, which he had helped
to build and of which he had been an active member for
over forty years. They were impressively conducted by
the two ministers of the church, the Rev. William H.
Furness and the Rev. Joseph May, and the body was
laid to rest in Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Resolutions of respect and sorrow were passed by the
Franklin Institute, the Moyamensing Literary Institute,
the Women's Homeopathic Association, the Medical,
Surgical and Maternity Hospitals, the Union Temporary
Home for Children, the New England Society of Penn-
sylvania, the Board of Harbor Commissioners, the Dela-
ware Avenue Market Company, the Portsmouth (Va.)
Gas Company, the Washington (D. C.) Gas Light Com-
pany and other philanthropic and business institutions,
with which he had been officially connected. The family
received also telegrams and letters of condolence almost
too numerous to be counted. Our youngest son, George,
prepared a memorial to send to friends in which he
summed up the estimate of Mr. Bartol in these words :
" Studious, industrious and conscientious as a boy,
with a strong love for his parents and family, he carried
into his daily life as a man the habits and characteristics
of his childhood. In his work he was careful, methodical,
exact ; in his dealings with subordinates firm yet kindly
and considerate, a friend to whom they could always turn
148 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
for advice and assistance. In his friendships true and
sincere, he was jealous of no man but always willing to
impart his knowledge and experience to those asking
counsel and advice. In society cheerful and affable, his
kindly manner endeared him to all, and he was most
beloved by those who had known him longest. To
charities he was " a cheerful giver," and knew no rest in
doing good. In his family life and in his home he found
his greatest happiness ; tender and affectionate, although
without demonstration, his love for his family was in-
tensely strong. To guard, protect and encourage his
children while he lived, and that they should hold his
memory in affectionate remembrance when he was gone,
was the great desire of his heart. His life was singularly
pure and free from all reproach. His heritage to his
children was an honest name, unstained by any act of
his, and an example well worthy of their imitation."
EMMA J. BARTOL I49
CHAPTER XVI.
With the demands of business now added to those
of a large house, I found my mind and my hands filled
to overflowing, and I was glad to escape by going to
Atlantic City for awhile in the spring, and to Marble-
head, Mass., and later to Kennebunkport, Maine, for
the summer. I arrived home the middle of September,
superintended the putting of my house in order, and set-
tled down for the winter, but by the middle of February
I was worn out with the rigors of the climate and decided
on another sea voyage. My family advised me to take
a trip to the West Indies and to go far enough south to
avoid all danger of bad weather. I finally concluded to
take one of the so-called " tramp " or sugar steamers that
go down to the Windward Islands, and a friend, Miss
Emeline Candee, who was spending the winter with me,
volunteered to accompany me. We left New York
February 17, 1889, on the ship Barracouta, for a six
days' journey of 1,508 miles to the southeast. This
carried us between the eastern extremity of Porto Rico
and the Islands of St. Thomas to St. Croix, the first of
that semi-circle of Islands whose lower point almost
touches Venzuela in South America. It is a voyage
which cannot be recommended to those who are poor
sailors, as a few extracts from my diary will show. It
was a cold, dull, foggy day, as we sailed through the
150
RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
" narrows," and the shore on either side looked gray and
gloomy.
Feb. 1 8th. — The weather has steadily grown worse.
The vessel pitched heavily all night, and almost every
one is sea sick ; the few who are not meander around
with a melancholy mien. The breaking of crockery
and the banging of everything moveable is dreadful, and
it bids fair to be another terrific night. The cargo has
shifted and the ship's stores have broken loose ; soap,
sugar and beans have joined in the general melee. The
rolling of the ship has caused a number of accidents
among the passengers, and a sheep and two fine horses
have been killed. The smoking room tables were torn
from their fastenings, and the gentlemen sitting there
were all rolled together. One unfortunate had his face
cut. Sleep is impossible because of the deafening noises.
Feb. 20th. — The ship is still rolling, the rain pour-
ing, and everything flooded — the water splashing from
side to side in our state room at every lurch. The
passengers who started out so gaily for a pleasure trip
look limp and woe-begone.
Feb. 2 1 st. — The sea is calmer. The sun rose warm
and bright and we are able to sit outside for the first
time since leaving New York. The decks are strewed
with wet mattresses, carpets, wearing apparel and effects
of all descriptions to be dried.
Feb. 22d. — Washington's Birthday was celebrated
by decorating the Social Hall with British and Ameri-
can flags. All the talent of the passengers was brought
into requisition, and music, songs and recitation made us
partly forget the miseries of the past stormy days. The
EMMA J. BARTOL 151
weather was warm but showery. The Captain and
Purser slept in the Hall, and the waiters slept on mat-
tresses in the corridors.
Feb. 23d. — This is the first day it was possible to
take a sea water bath. Before sunrise many were on
deck looking towards the land, faintly outlined through
the semi-darkness. The sun rose in splendor, not a
cloud to obscure the vision, and before us, as if by magic,
appeared the lovely Isle of St. Croix.
The group of the Lesser Antilles which lies in the
Caribbean Sea between the Gulf of Mexico and the At-
lantic Ocean is called the South Caribbee or the Wind-
ward Islands. They lie about 1,000 miles southeast of
the lower part of Florida and are supposed to be the
remains of a mountain range which in remote ages con-
nected North and South America. There are about
twenty-five of these Islands. Steamers touch at a large
number of them to take on their products which gives
tourists an opportunity to see their interesting features.
The voyage from one to another is made at night, which
allows the day to be used for sight-seeing. The climate
is very hot but the high mountains in the interior create
a breeze which tempers the heat. Every variety of
tropical vegetation is found here, from the sugar cane
and cocoa plants on the shores, to the giant tree ferns
and gum trees in the mountains.
St. Croix, where we first landed, was discovered by
Columbus on his second voyage. There is no harbor
but an open roadstead, and at this time of the year it was
as quiet as a mill pond, just a long, easy swell that was
hardly perceptible. We anchored where the water was
ij2 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
ten to fifteen fathoms deep, and it seemed as if some one
had emptied there millions of gallons of indigo, so blue
was the water. We took the small boats and in five
minutes landed at the queer hamlet of Frederickstadt.
How quiet and strange it all seemed ! We felt as if
transplanted to another sphere. A rambling line of low,
quaint houses was strewn along the shore, but on landing
we were delighted to find a pretty little town, regularly
laid out in squares, clean, well built, and inhabited by an
English speaking people of various shades from white to
black. In the suburbs, at every turn, we came to a
handsome residence, each with its windmill, sugar houses
and laborers' huts built of stone. There were evidences
of the most industrious cultivation, while the fallow lands
were one carpet of exquisite flowers. Everybody we
met, whether walking or riding, saluted us in the most
polite manner.
At the end of the wars which for centuries were
waged over these Islands, this one remained in the pos-
session of Denmark. The official language therefore, is
Danish, but the common language is English. At nine
o'clock we left the ship for a long ride and lunched at
noon at Hills, returning in time for dinner. The inhab-
itants, ninety per cent, blacks, swarmed over everything.
A toy Fort guards the town, and the mounted guns
might possibly be formidable looking to birds and flying
fish. It was market day and the natives were arriving
from the country afoot or in their little donkey carts.
The women, tall, erect and superb in their semi-barbaric
style, carried everything on their heads. It matters not
whether it be a stick of sugar cane or a basket of coal,
EMMA J. BARTOL 133
everything is tossed onto the top of their woolly heads
and off they go. Though St. Croix is only twenty miles
long by five wide, it has a population of 45,000, nearly
all being black wage earners ; and such wages ! A child
gets ten cents a day, a woman fifteen, a man twenty, and
their hours are from sunrise to sunset. Cocoanuts, a few
tropical fruits, sweet potatoes and yams are raised for
home consumption but not for export. Though Danish
in Government, the inhabitants have for years closely
affiliated with the United States.
In the early morning we found ourselves sailing
through a narrow channel only two miles wide, with
lofty mountain peaks on either side. One was Ben
Nevis on the Island of Nevis, and the other the peak of
Mount Misery on St. Christopher, more commonly
called St. Kitts. The clouds still obscured the sym-
metrical cone of old Nevis, with its 4,000 feet of
elevation, but not its wondrous sloping beauty. Mt.
Misery lifts its head 3,700 feet. Its sides are clothed
with growing cane and dark green foliage. A little to
the east is a smaller mountain called Monkey Hill. We
were told that so many of these little sportive animals
live there, that all we had to do was to put our hand up
on any swinging branch, and they would drop off like
apples when a tree is shaken. As a matter of fact we
saw just one monkey and he was held in captivity. It
is the cabbies who tell these yarns ; they are alike the
world over — fond of romancing — and any old fib goes so
long as they think a passenger can be captured by it.
The crater-jagged Island of St. Christopher or St.
Kitts is thirteen miles long and from three to six wide.
154 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Its wild ridge of mountains culminate in that pyramid of
black lava known as Mt. Misery, which has on its
summit a crater about 1,000 feet deep. St. Christopher
was discovered by Columbus in 1493 and is known as
the mother colony of the Caribbees. Here were founded
the French and English settlements, and from this point
the Southern Islands were gradually peopled. After
being fought over by the English and French during several
centuries it was finally ceded to Great Britain in 1783,
and its name was changed to St. Kitts. The aboriginal
name was Lia Minga. It was a great sugar producing
island but that industry is almost dead now. Reduction
of labor and want of employment have caused great dis-
tress among the black people and there have been serious
riots. Mendicants literally swarmed everywhere, as there
are about 400 persons to the square mile, and possibly
twenty blacks to one white. A quiet, gentle negro, with
intelligence displayed in his countenance and using excel-
lent English, begged to be taken away. He said he
would do anything or go anywhere ; he did not care for
wages, if only he could be relieved from starvation.
Nearly everywhere one sees the blacks lying under the
spreading trees sucking a piece of cane. It is their only
intemperance. During our entire trip we did not see
one of them intoxicated. The dogs also are very fond
of the sugar cane.
The capital and principal town, Basseterre, is situ-
ated on an inlet of the sea, from which there ex-
tends a beautiful and fertile valley. Its large church,
built of dark stone and named for St. George, is the
pride of the Islanders. With one exception it is the
EMMA J. BARTOL 155
largest in all the West Indies, and has been recently
renovated and partly rebuilt. After every hurricane
some big buildings have to be extensively repaired. We
commiserate with the Islanders for their hurricanes and
they in turn feel sorry for their Northern friends who
live amid frost, snow and blizzards. They prefer an
occasional hurricane, and perhaps they are right.
The white residents, who call themselves Kittfonians,
live in tidy wooden houses. The elite reside on the
shore and around a pretty little park at the eastern end
of the town surrounded with stately palms and tropical
plants. The park is about the size of an ordinary city
square and has in the center an immense banyan tree.
All of these English Islands have excellent roads.
Nevis is famous as the birth-place of Alexander
Hamilton. In the old Fig Tree Church, a few miles
from town, the register shows that Horatio Nelson, then
a Captain in the British Navy, was married to Fanny
Nesbit.
On February 26th (1889) we landed at St. John's,
the capital of Antigua. It is a little city of perhaps
35,000, and has busy streets, wide avenues and some
fine buildings. In the handsome Public Gardens we
saw a pond filled with Victoria Regia lilies in full flower.
We were told that it contained alligators, but if so they
kept at the bottom. In the center of one wide street
and extending its entire length was a pond filled with the
most beautiful aquatic lilies of all colors. The Cathedral,
the largest in the Islands, was built in 1793. It is
situated on a high hill back of the town and from its
churchyard is a fine view of the Island. The rolling
i 5 6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
surface, the many large estates, and the numerous wind-
mills give the landscape a picturesque appearance.
We landed on the little Island of Montserrat long
enough for the Captain to give us a picnic in the woods
near Richmond. A large party went to the picnic
grounds in different ways, the older members in carriages,
the younger ones in hay carts and the gentlemen on
horseback ; it was a unique experience. The principal
products for export are arrow root, lime-juice and rum.
On the morning of February 28th, we dropped
anchor at Point a Pitre in the harbor of Guadeloupe.
We went ashore, visited the market and bought nutmegs
and vanilla beans. This Island is the largest but not the
most important of the group. It is now mostly inhab-
ited by negroes, who, strange to say, speak to this day
with an Irish brogue, owing to the fact that the earlier
settlers were of that race. A story is told of an Irish-
man, who, on arriving at the Island, was hailed in ver-
nacular Irish by a negro from one of the boats that came
alongside. " Thunder and turf," exclaimed the Irish-
man, " how long have you been here ?" " Thray
months," the black man answered. " Thray months and
so black already ! Be the Powers, I'll not stay among
yez !" and the visitor returned to his own Emerald Isle.
The Island is divided by Rivere Salie (Salt River)
into two distinct portions. At its mouth stood the im-
portant town of St. Louis, which was entirely destroyed
by an earthquake in 1843.
As the voyager sails southward the Islands grow
more attractive, the mountains attain greater height, the
cliffs are more precipitous and vegetation becomes more
EMM J J. BARTOL 157
tropical. The climax is reached in Dominica and Mar-
tinique, lying one on either side of the parallel of 15
north latitude, and separated by a strait thirty miles
wide. Roseau, the principal town of Dominica, contains
nothing of interest, but if one takes time to go by the
bridle paths up into the mountains one finds such a rich-
ness of vegetation as is seen nowhere else outside of the
tropics. At a height of 2,000 feet the immense trees are
a mass of air plants and luxuriant vines. About 300 feet
higher up is a deep lake in the crater of a volcano, sur-
rounded by plants of rankest growth through which dart
birds of blazing plumage. There are springs of boiling
water among these gloomy mountains and in their recesses
live the last remnant of the Carib Indians, from whom
Columbus named the Islands The Caribbees. Very few
tourists visit Dominica. It is almost wholly inhabited
by the blacks who can survive its malarious climate.
One of the best known of the group is Martinique,
which belongs to France and whose people speak the
French language. It is in fact a group of mountain
peaks composed of masses of volcanic rock. These
slope down to the sea and between the ranges are broad,
irregular and very fertile valleys. The Island contains
380 square miles, about two-fifths of it under cultivation,
and there are six volcanoes. At the time of our visit all
of these were supposed to be extinct and no one dreamed
of the terrible catastrophe which occurred thirteen years
later when Mt. Pelee, the loftiest, 4,450 feet high, sud-
denly burst forth and buried in ashes and lava St. Pierre,
the largest town on the Island. Its picturesque stone
houses were covered with red tiles and it had a theatre
158 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
and a large cathedral. A little stream of clear water ran
through the streets, coming from the mountains. There
were fine squares with pretty fountains, shaded prom-
enades, a museum and a suburban public garden. The
people were clean and attractive and ranged in com-
plexions all the way from the pure white of the French
to the deepest black. The colored women in the market
place were most picturesque with gay turbans and quaint,
characteristic costumes. There were excellent hotels and
stores filled with French goods. Now, alas, it is all a scene
of bleakest desolation.
Twenty miles from St. Pierre is Forte de France,
the seat of Government. In the park there is a white
marble statue to Empress Josephine, who was born on
this Island at Trois Islets. As long as the name of
Napoleon figures in history so long will the memory of
Josephine be cherished and this spot be hallowed. We
bought figs, bananas and chocolate paste, visited the
Cathedral and saw the " Travellers' Joy," a large tree,
the leaves of which contain a pure, sweet water.
Martinique has been called the central bead in the
necklace which encircles the throat of the Caribbean Sea.
It produces practically every fruit and vegetable native to
the tropics, and among its exports used by us are cocoa,
ginger, vanilla, nutmegs, cloves, indigo, aloes and arrow
root. Its mountains are covered by primeval forests,
with gigantic tree ferns forty feet high, and liana trees from
whose branches long, rope-like fibres drop to the ground,
take root and contribute to the support of the great tree.
In the ravines are found the "gommiers," or gum-trees,
whose roots spread out above the ground as a foundation
EMMA J. BARTOL jjp
for the immense trunks, five or six feet in diameter and
rising to a height of a hundred feet or more. Words
could hardly describe the bewildering products of nature
which may be found in these island mountains.
Our ship was moored next at Castria, in the beautiful
harbor of Saint Lucia. At sunrise we were surrounded
by a swarm of half-naked black boys in little boats of
every description, size and shape. They used shingles
as paddles and the crews generally consisted of two boys
to a boat. They were famous divers and were as much
at home in the water as on land. We spent an hour be-
fore breakfast, forgetful of the lovely scenery, intent only
upon pitching pennies into the water for the boys. They
would poise themselves for a jump and as soon as a coin
touched the water a dozen or more were after it. Down
they went under the crystal sea and as soon as they rose
to the top, they would put the coins in their mouths and
look up for the next in a manner that reminded one of a
dog waiting for a bone. They were very particular as to
the kind of money and spurned all but French and English
pieces. For a shilling they would dive entirely under
the ship and back again.
Saint Lucia, like many of these Islands, has its
Soufriere, or sulphur mountain, which towers 4,000 feet
above the sea. There is also a group of beautiful high
symmetrical peaks, shaped like pyramids and covered to
their tops with verdure, called Pitons.
St. Vincent to the south is an Island seventeen miles
long by ten miles wide, with nearly fifty thousand inhab-
itants. It is crowded, like all these Islands, far beyond
its capacity for decent maintenance. We dropped anchor
160 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
at daybreak in the fine harbor at Kingston, the capital.
It lies on a plain between the mountains and the sea.
There is a stone fort perched on a cliff 600 feet high,
from which may be had a magnificent view. A ridge of
mountains extend through the middle of the Island its
entire length and reach their highest point in the vast
crater of Morne Garon, which was the scene of a tremen-
dous eruption in 1812. The earthquakes that for two
years had terrified the West Indian region and the South
American coast culminated at that time in an explosion
which was most disastrous and far reaching and has been
rivaled in recent years only by that of Krakatau in the
Straits of Sunda.
St. Vincent exports sugar, cotton, molasses, rum and
arrow root. We drove to the Belvidere estate where
they were grinding the sugar cane by wind and steam
mills. We were much interested in the preparation of
arrow root. The field is sowed the same way as Indian
corn that is to be used for fodder. When sufficiently
matured the plants are dug up and taken to the mill
where the roots are broken off, ground, washed and
strained, and allowed to settle for a few days. The
ground product is then placed to dry on wire frames
with different sized meshes, through which it gradually
sifts down, and the powder is then barreled for shipment.
There are a few Caribs remaining in St. Vincent,
the remnant of a large number who lived here until 1796.
At that time Great Britain, to whom the Island belongs,
deported five thousand of them to the coast of Honduras.
The Governor has a fine residence near Kingston, th e
EMM J J. BARTOL jfa
gardens of which are noted for their valuable palm and
spice trees.
Barbados is the most easterly and one of the largest
of these Islands. It is said to have more people to the
square mile than can be found anywhere outside of China,
having an area of 162 square miles and 162,000 inhab-
itants. Of these 150,000 are negroes, who are industrious
and moderately intelligent. The Island has always be-
longed to Great Britain and is governed according to the
English system. It is divided into parishes and has a
Governor and a legislative body composed of two houses.
There are many churches and schools. In one of the
most beautiful locations is Codrington college, well en-
dowed in 1 71 6 by Captain Codrington. Several news-
papers are published. Although much diversified this
Island is flat in comparison to the others and of an
entirely different aspect. It is not so picturesque and
the immense population has made it necessary to sacri-
fice the forests to agriculture. Still it is a beautiful,
triangular shaped country, somewhat oblong, and rises by
a gradual plane to the Eastern shore where cliffs of vol-
canic origin, over a thousand feet in height, seem to hold
back the Atlantic. The highest point is called Chim-
borazo, over 1,100 feet in altitude. This is the healthiest
of the Islands and the climate is delicious. The trade
winds blowing across the vast expanse of the ocean bring
air which in freshness and purity has been fittingly com-
pared to champagne. The mild climate, good roads,
boating, bathing and fishing would render this an ideal
winter resort but other conditions operate unfavorably.
The staple product of the Island is sugar which
employs the greater portion of the people. So desperate
162 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
do the cane cutters become before the season opens, and
so eager to obtain employment, that they frequently fire
the crops. They know that the remainder must then be
cut at once, whether ripe or not, to insure saving at least
a portion. This offence is considered so serious that a
person convicted is sentenced to fifteen years at hard
labor with the lash applied on his bare back twice a
month. The laborers of the Island exist on from three
to five cents a day per capita. Many of the natives
make excellent pottery and it is a picturesque sight to
see them walking into town with great trays of brown
earthenware balanced on their woolly heads. Some of
these people walk twelve or fifteen miles, sell their wares
and then return. The polishing of the turtle shells is
also an industry which reaches a high state of perfection.
The traveller's first impression of Bridgetown, the
capitol of Barbados, is that of a busy, prosperous city, and
the impression is correct. Its exports and imports every
year run up into many millions. In the fine roadstead
which the city overlooks a hundred vessels may often be
counted. A regiment of English soldiers is stationed
here. It is also the headquarters of the Royal Mail
Steamship Company, the pride of every English heart in
the West Indies, the great artery of communication that
keeps the Islands in touch with the mother-country. As
we entered the harbor it was gay with shipping, brigs,
barks and steamers. The flags of all nations seemed to
be flying. A couple of cable lengths astern lay a black
four-masted steamer which arrived from Cape Town the
night before short of coal. There was a long swell on,
and Carlisle Bay had many vessels at anchor bobbing on
EMMA J. BARTOL 163
its bosom. The water was alive with queer looking
lighters — all sorts of small boats — and the ever present
little divers. We could see at a glance that Bridgetown
was a closely built, glistening white city, and that the
wharves were teeming with life and color.
Our party went to the modern Marine Hotel in the
pleasant suburb of Hastings, two miles out. We found
Bridgetown an attractive city, with good churches and
public buildings, gigantic ware-houses, some handsome
residences, clubs, seaside drives and lovely beaches.
There were excellent shops, some of them very large and
resembling on a diminutive scale our city department
stores, and the prices were reasonable. Apparently they
do a good business, not only with the Barbadians but
with the Islanders of the entire chain. Many an Amer-
ican as well as Englishman has made his fortune here.
It was the third of March and very hot. In the
garden in front of my windows there were two comical
monkeys fastened to high poles on which were boxes for
them to live in. The poles were about fifty feet apart,
so that the monkeys were chained so far from each
other that they could not fight, which they often tried to
do. They would fly at each other but find themselves
baffled by the shortness of the chain ; then they would
grin, jabber and finally run up the poles into their
houses. There were also two parrots whose antics were
amusing.
The visitor will not be in Bridgetown long before
he is introduced to " swizzles." This is a West Indian
beverage which defies analysis but is considered very
delicious by those who are not troubled with temperance
164 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
principles. It is a " mixed drink "' and takes its name
from the " swizzle " stick, made from a long twig having a
number of branching ends which are cleaned and polished.
The " swizzle " is twisted rapidly between the palms in
the glass containing the liquors. It takes the place of
our American " shaker " and is much more effective.
One of the most interesting points in Bridgetown is
the "ice house." It got its name from the fact that
many years ago a very clever young Englishman, without
a penny but with plenty of friends, conceived the idea
that ice would be " a go " in Barbados. He soon had a
vessel or two running from Boston laden with it, and, as
these vessels were really floating refrigerators, the old-
time Boston merchants decided that it would not be a
bad idea to ship cold storage goods on them. So the
shrewd Englishman carried his freight at good profit,
sold his ice and shipped back sugar, rum and everything
in sight. The house which he built for storing his ice
soon became known as Pandora's box from which one
could get anything that could be eaten or drunk. Begin-
ning with a few little schooners going up and down the
Atlantic, it was not very many years before the " ice
house syndicate " was known all over the world. But
only a remnant of its former greatness exists. Modern
ice machines were introduced which ruined the business
and now the famous " ice house " is a restaurant where
the hottest sauces can be found.
From Barbados we went in almost a vertical line to
Georgetown at the mouth of the Demarara River on the
coast of South America, the capitol of British Guiana.
It was a long, rough trip and many were ill. The sea
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EMMA J. BARTOL z 6 5
changed from indigo to emerald and then to yellow as
we neared the estuary. The city is regularly laid out
and the streets go to the beginning of the sugar estates,
which extend for miles inland. They are broad and
white, giving full sweep to the sea breezes, and are bor-
dered with palms. Canals run through the center with
bridges for the cross streets. They are filled with tropi-
cal plants of exquisite form and color and in many places
the surface is entirely covered with the leaves of the
Victoria Regia, the giant among water lilies. Close to
shore the leaves are not extraordinarily large but they
increase in breadth as they float farther out; a few yards
off they are as large as soup plates, and in the center of
the pond or canal they have a surface as large as tea
tables. The edges are turned up in a rim and they hold
water like a great dish.
The architecture might be described as " a tropical-
ized Swiss style, Swiss eaves developed into veranda
roofs, Swiss porches prolonged into beautiful piazzas and
balconies." To avoid dampness the houses are raised
several feet above ground on hardwood posts, and they
are surrounded by gardens of most luxurious foliage.
The public buildings are handsome and there are military
barracks and a hospital. Long rows of warehouses jut
out into the water, owned for the most part by the
English. The mass of the population is colored and the
work is done by negroes and coolies.
We now turned northward on our journey and faced
the North Star instead of the Southern Cross. At sun-
rise we sighted the precipices and forest-covered moun-
tains of Trinidad, the largest and most valuable of the
i66 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
British West India Islands. It is situated in the Gulf of
Paria opposite the delta of the Orinoco. We sailed
around to Port-of-Spain on the northwest side, the capital
of Trinidad, and one of the finest cities in the West
Indies. It arouses the enthusiasm of every one who
visits it, on account of its clean streets and handsome
buildings. To the east a broad stretch of ground rises
toward the mountains and in this savanna, called Queen's
Park, is one of the finest Botanic Gardens in the world.
Here, surrounded by lawns and flower beds, is the
Governor's Palace — a splendid English country residence.
A writer has said : — " Porto Spain gives a drowsy sen-
sation of warmth and vast light and exotic vegetation,
coupled with some vague disappointment at the absence
of that picturesque humanity which delighted us in Mar-
tinique. The bright costumes of the French colonies are
not visible here ; there is nothing like them in any of the
English Islands. Nevertheless, this wonderful Trinidad
is as unique ethnologically as it is otherwise remarkable
among all the other Antilles. It has three distinct Creole
populations — English, Spanish and French — besides its
German and Maderian settlers. There is also a special
black or half breed element, corresponding to each Creole
race and speaking the language of each ; and there are
fifty thousand Hindoo coolies and a numerous body of
Chinese. Still this diversity of race elements does not
make itself at once apparent to the stranger. Your first
impression, as you pass through the black crowd upon
the wharf, is that of being among a population as nearly
EMMA J. BARTOL j6/
African as that of Barbados, and white faces look strange
by contrast."
Approaching Trinidad from the north or east one
would not dream of its possibilities. Next to the Gulf
on the west and south is a most beautiful panorama of
hills, valleys and rivers, long and fertile plains, all clothed
in perpetual verdure. Of course its greatest wonder is the
lake of boiling pitch, which at the present day is furnish-
ing the greater part of the asphalt which paves our Amer-
ican cities.
On our northward journey we revisited many of the
Islands and stopped at some new ones. Among these
was Tobago, a few miles from Trinidad, of which the
writer quoted above has said : " As we gradually drew
near its lofty peaks, deep, chasm-like valleys covered
with forests became distinct, but not even the glow of
the morning sun could destroy the dismal uninhabited
look of the Island. The gloomy mountains and black
precipices descending abruptly to the sea have caused it
to be called most appropriately 'The Melancholy Isle.' "
Grenada, the largest of the small chain of islands
called The Grenadines, does not differ in its general
characteristics from the others which have been so fully
described. Notwithstanding the intense heat we con-
cluded to go on shore, as we were anchored within a
stone's throw of St. George, the capital. We visited the
Fort where we had a splendid view. It proved to be
Shrove Tuesday and the blacks, dressed in fantastic cos-
tumes, with music and dancing were parading the streets.
The town lies in an amphitheatre rising up from the bay.
The Island is very mountainous and we decided that it
168 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
was the prettiest we had yet seen. Following a gloomy
road which winds high around a cliff overlooking the ex-
panse of waters, we passed under extraordinarily dark
shadows of foliage and over a blackish soil strewn with
pretty, bright, green fruit that had fallen. " Do not
touch them even with the tip of the finger !" we were
warned. They were the manchenal apples, with whose
milky juice the old Caribs poisoned the barbs of their
parrot-feathered arrows. Swarming among the poisonous
fruit, innumerable crabs made a sound almost like the
murmuring of water and there was an unpleasant odor of
decay in the air.
As we neared the most northern of the island group
we sailed by what appeared to be a solitary mountain
peak and were informed that it was Saba, one of a chain
of old volcanic craters. This queer little Dutch Island
contains only fifteen square miles and is inaccessible ex-
cept on the south side. A writer thus describes it :
" Saba is a single volcanic cone rising sharply out of the
sea to a height of nearly twenty-eight hundred feet.
The landing is a rocky cove known as the ladder, con-
sisting of steps cut in the rocks to a height of 800 feet,
which must be ascended in order to reach the principal
settlement of Bottom, located on the floor of the old
crater. Everything must be transported up to this
height on the heads of the people, one hundred pounds
being the ordinary load. The 2,500 Dutch residents
who form the principal population are fair skinned, rosy
cheeked and tow-headed, and afford an interesting ex-
ample of successful North European colonization in the
tropics. Strange to say their principal occupations are
EMMA J. BARTOL i6g
sea-faring and boat building. The best and staunchest
fishing boats of the Caribbees are built in this crater and
lowered down the mountain sides with ropes. The tim-
ber for constructing the boats must be drawn up in a
similar manner. Saba is also exceptional in that its pop-
ulation is white, the blacks overwhelmingly predomi-
nating in the other Islands."
Our last stop was at Frederickstadt, on the little
Island of Saint Croix, where our first one had been made
at the beginning of our long voyage. Here we took on
coal, and by March 22d we were homeward bound, after
having landed at forty ports. The weather was hot but
fine, and the vessel tossed in a free wind so that walking
was almost impossible. On the second day out there
was great excitement when a wreck was sighted. The
masts were snapped off and the sea was making a clean
breach over the hulk. A pole was erected on which the
crew had set signals of distress but nothing living was
now on board. We sailed away with a feeling of sorrow
for the unknown sailors who had found a grave in the
ocean's depths.
The next three days are not among our pleasant
memories. The ship rolled and pitched until everybody
was lame and sore from the buffeting. Finally an im-
mense wave submerged the deck, flooded the staterooms
and soaked our beds and clothing. We were happy in-
deed to sight New York harbor and to bid farewell to
the Barracouta after thirty-nine days of some disagreeable,
some delightful, but all unique experiences in our cruise
through the Windward Islands.
i/o RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XVII.
In 1890 I began to long for another trip to Europe,
as it had been three years since my last visit, and my
friend Miss Candee consented to accompany me. My
son George was going abroad and so we all sailed on the
Hamburg-American steamer "Columbia," May 22. The
voyage was uneventful; we arrived atCuxhaven on the 30th
and took the train for Hamburg, fifty-eight miles away.
This is one of the oldest cities in Germany and its chief
commercial port. It figures in history at the beginning
of the ninth century but the ravages of war and fire have
destroyed most of its ancient landmarks. It possesses
great wealth and like all European cities has fine public
buildings and beautiful parks, boulevards, fountains,
statues, etc. It is said to have the most complete aqua-
rium in the world. Friends of ours who were residing
there gave us a gay week of dinner parties, drives and
excursions. I had no plans beyond roaming about
Europe and visiting some places which I had not seen,
and I did not at this time dream that our trip would ex-
tend around the world and occupy a year-and-a-half.
We decided first to go to Denmark, Sweden and
Norway ; and so from Hamburg we went by rail to
Lubeck on the Trave and there we took a small steamer
for Copenhagen, a fifteen-hours' journey. We started
about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, sailing up through the
Baltic Sea. Land was sighted by daybreak and at 8
o'clock we anchored at the docks of Copenhagen. This
city, which is now about 800 years old, lies on both
EMMA J. BARTOL i 7 i
sides of a deep and narrow strait which divides the large
Island of Zealand, on which it is situated, from the tiny-
Island of Amager and the village of Dragor. The sound
which separates Zealand from Sweden is in some places
but three miles wide. This group of islands and the
small point of the mainland, about 23,000 square miles
altogether, was originally under the government of the
Scandinavian Peninsula. This small country has no
minerals, no coal, no water power, no forests, and one
questions how it can support its 2,000,000 inhabitants.
Cattle breeding and dairying are the principal occupations
of its farmers. In the cities are sugar refineries, tan-
neries and some manufactures, that of porcelain being a
leading industry.
Denmark is largely Protestant. Few countries in
proportion to their size have done so much for education,
literature and art. Inseparably connected with the last
is Thorvaldsen, the sculptor, a descendant of Iceland
Kings, who was brought to Copenhagen when a child
and always regarded it as his home. Although most of
his life v/as spent in Italy, he returned when his work
was finished and ended his days here. His tomb is in
the center of the Thorvaldsen Museum which contains
many of his works.
The most interesting of the ancient landmarks is
the palace of Rosenborg, begun in 16 10 by Christian
IV, one of the wisest and best of kings. It is an im-
posing Renaissance structure and contains a fine chrono-
logical collection of the Danish monarchs, showing the
progress of art and culture. Vor Fruekirke, Church of
Our Lady, contains many works of art. There are sev-
i 7 2 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
eral private galleries of paintings and sculpture and a
Royal Picture Gallery containing many specimens of the
old masters, while the Museum of Northern Antiquities
is rivalled only by the one in Stockholm for its history
of early civilization. The Ethnographical Museum is
also one of the best in Europe, and the Royal Library
in the University has nearly half-a-million volumes and
is especially rich in the literature of the North. Copen-
hagen has sixteen public squares and market places, and
from one of these squares twelve streets radiate. The
public buildings and private residences are very hand-
some and in the environs are parks, groves and country
seats. No city in Northern Europe better repays a visit.
We went for a day to the very old town of Elsinore
situated on the narrowest part of the sound which con-
nects the Cattegat and Baltic Seas. It is here that the
duties are collected on the ships which pass through.
The town is noted as the supposed scene of the tragedy
of Hamlet. In the dining room of the railway station
we saw the Archduke and the Crown Prince of Austria,
but there was nothing in their appearance to distinguish
them as royalty.
We took a steamer in the evening and sailed up
the Cattegat Sea to Gothenburg on the southwest coast
of Sweden, directly opposite the northern extremity of
Denmark, arriving in time for breakfast. This place of
perhaps 50,000 inhabitants, has many manufactures and
monopolizes almost the entire commerce of Sweden and
is, next to Stockholm, its most important city. It is sit-
uated on a fiord, or long narrow inlet, into which empties
the Gotha River. One is surprised to see in its gardens,
EMM J J. BARTOL 173
avenues, squares and terrace-roofed houses, a resemblance
to Italy and to find in this cold climate an unusually fine
botanical garden. We took a small steamer and made a
unique trip through the river, lake and canals which had
many locks.
A picturesque railway journey to the northwest
brought us to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, which is
said to occupy one of the most striking and remarkable
situations in the world. It really should be approached
from the Baltic to obtain the most imposing view. It is
440 miles southwest from St. Petersburg and 330 north-
east from Copenhagen and lies between the sea and Lake
Maelar. The old part is built on three islands connected
by long bridges ; on the largest of these islands stands
the Royal Palace and many of the public buildings. The
handsomest of the private residences are built on the
main land, which to the north slopes upward from the
waters but to the south rises in high cliffs. The houses
of stone and brick, or stucco painted white, yellow or light
blue, are surrounded by luxuriant foliage and in their
elevated positions present a most beautiful appearance.
Looking down from above one is reminded of Venice,
but the natural beauty of the Scandinavian surpasses that
of the Italian city.
Stockholm, which was founded in 1260, covers an
area of about five square miles. Its foreign commerce is
large but its manufactures are inconsiderable. The streets
in the old part are narrow and crooked and one finds
there many antique places of interest. By far the finest
of the public buildings is the Royal Palace, begun in
1 697 on the site of an ancient structure. It is an immense
174 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
pile of granite and brick, towering above all the other
buildings and finely proportioned. Besides the apart-
ments of the royal family it contains a choice library of
85,000 volumes, a good picture gallery, a large museum
of rare antiquities and a cabinet of 50,000 coins and
medals, said to be one of the best in Europe. The
Cathedral adjoining, where the rulers of Norway and
Sweden are crowned, is of great size and has some note-
worthy paintings and sculpture. The most interesting of
the twenty churches is the Riddarholm Kyrka, which
contains the ashes of a long line of Swedish monarchs.
Here is the mausoleum of the great Gustavus Adolphus,
who died on the battle field of Lutzen,and it is surrounded
with relics of his victories : flags, swords, drums, etc.
In the chapel adjoining is the tomb of the celebrated
Charles XII ; its walls are hung with trophies.
In the ancient Ridderhus, or Hall of the Diet, built
in the time of Queen Christina, are hung the armorial
bearings of 3,000 of the families of the Swedish nobility.
Jennie Lind was born in Stockholm. She made her de-
but in the Royal Theatre and was adored by the people.
A school for gratuitous education in music was founded by
her. The city has many large educational and benevo-
lent institutions. Few cities have finer drives, promen-
ades and parks ; the latter are noted for their magnificent
trees and are surrounded by beautiful villas. In Deer
Park the King has a palace ; in the grounds is a por-
phyry vase nine feet high and twenty-seven in circum-
ference which cost 150,000. This park, situated on a
rugged peninsula, is thought by some travellers to be
the handsomest in Europe. The native costumes one
EMM J J. BARTOL I?5
sees in Stockholm are very picturesque and Swedish
women are celebrated for their beauty. We were
surprised to see in our hotel a large aviary of tropical
birds.
On the way to Christiana, which is a little to the
northwest of Stockholm, we stopped for the night at
Carlstadt, a lovely town on the Island of Tingvalla, in
Lake Wener. As we sat at our window looking out
over the water we were surprised to hear familiar music
and see a band of the Salvation Army coming down the
street. It was then ten o'clock and the heavens were
filled with a splendid glow from the setting sun.
Christiana, the capital of Norway, is magnificently
situated at the head of a great fiord which extends up
from the Skager Rack deep into the southern end of the
peninsula. The harbor is frozen all the way to the sea
for two months in the year. The city has about 30,000
inhabitants and is the seat of foreign trade. It contains
a roval palace, university, cathedral and art gallery and
many good public buildings, while its environs are espec-
ially beautiful. This is the great arsenal of the kingdom,
and the Castle of Aggerhaus, a huge fortress on an emi-
nence at the edge of the town, was built early in the
fourteenth century and has withstood numerous sieges.
They were putting up stands and triumphal arches for
an expected visit from the King when we were in Chris-
tiana.
The way to Bergen, on the west coast of Norway,
being a roundabout journey by land, we made a night's
trip by steamer around the lower end of Norway. We
were much amused to find on the breakfast bill of fare
i 7 6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
forty-five different dishes, among which were raw ham,
raw salmon, cold boiled eel and sixteen different kinds of
cheese.
The old and strongly fortified city of Bergen,
founded in the eleventh century, was until the seventeenth
the principal place in Norway, but when Christiana be-
came the seat of Government and of the university its
glory departed. Its fisheries are now its chief industry
and its foreign trade is principally with Northern Europe.
It is a well-built city rising from the large harbor in the
form of an amphitheatre with a background of mountains
2,000 feet high. This is the starting point for tourists
who make the trip through Norway, which is the most
picturesque in Europe. It would require a far more
eloquent pen than mine and much more space than can
be given here to describe this remarkable journey, made
partly by rail, partly by carriage, and partly by steamer.
And indeed why should one try to do so when that emi-
nent traveller, Paul Du Chaillu, has devoted two large
volumes of 450 pages each to a description of the Scan-
dinavian peninsula ? He says :
" As one sails along the Peninsula of Scandinavia,
and especially on the coast of Norway, he sees every-
where the deep narrow arms of the sea winding their
way, often a hundred miles, amidst the masses of rock
belonging to the oldest formations ; these arms of the
sea are called fjords. Those of Norway are far larger
and more majestic than those of Sweden, and partake of
the grandeur of the scenery characteristic of the country.
As you gaze in admiration aburst with awe at their walls,
towering thousands of feet above the sea, the question
naturally arises, ' What are the causes which have formed
EMMA J. BARTOL l77
these wonderful channels ?' As the sea has no sweep
adequate to produce them, the second thought might
naturally be that some great convulsions of nature have
lead to their formation ; but neither the sea nor geologi-
cal catastrophes have been active agents in this case
Everything shows that the fjords, like the valleys, have
been scooped out of the solid rock by the action of the
glaciers. Looking at the immense height of these walls
and adding the great depth, which is often equal to the
height of the mountains, we cannot comprehend the vast
periods of time that must have been required by the
glaciers to do this work, on their slow but irresistible
march to the sea, and we get an idea which nothing else
can give us of the tremendous power of water in the form
of ice in modifying the surface character of the globe."
One may make the long journey to the North Cape
and see the Midnight Sun in all its glory, or he may take
the shorter trips through the Fiords of Hardanger, Sogne
and Nord as far as Molde, which is the one followed by
the vast majority of travellers in Norway. Of the last
named Du Chaillu says: "In a distance of less than one
English mile I counted on both sides of the valley seventy-
three waterfalls, none of which was less than 1,000 feet,
while some plunged down 2,000 feet." The Sogne varies
in width from two to four miles, in places it reaches a
depth of 3,766 feet, and it winds between great precipices
for eighty-four miles. Along the Hardanger Fiord the
scenery loses its weird grandeur, the snowy tops of the
mountains glitter in the sun; still nearer are snow fields and
glaciers on a vast plateau; while rising from the shores of
the fiord are sloping hills covered with trees and between
them comfortable looking farms and pleasant hamlets.
j?8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
There is constant variety everywhere, and, be the journey
short or long, the traveller will be repaid a hundred-fold
for making it.
EMM J J. BARTOL 179
CHAPTER XVIII.
On the Fourth of July (1890) we left Bergen in the
steamer "Berlin" for Rotterdam. At Stavanger, where
we had our last glimpse of Norway, we saw the great
German war-ships gather in advance of a visit which was
to be made by the German Emperor, and all the ships in
the harbor were gay with flags. A sail through the North
Sea brought us to Rotterdam on the 7th, and after a day's
rest we went to the Hague and then to Holland's pop-
ular seaside resort, Scheveningen, where royalty and com-
moner go for a plunge into the North Sea, which is by
no means so inviting as the old Atlantic. These places
and Amsterdam have become very familiar to the Ameri-
can traveller, who finds no part of Europe more fascin-
ating than this quaint and pretty little Holland. The
longer one remains among its sturdy and industrious
people the more he respects them. To see the real Dutch
life one should visit the small interior towns, but for this
the rushing tourist seldom has time. One finds more of
the interest which is connected with antiquity in Amster-
dam than in the Hague, while in the art galleries of both
cities may be seen some of the masterpieces of the world.
We greatly enjoyed a day at Edam, where the famous
cheese is made. It is the quietest village one ever saw
and the paved streets are as clean as the floors of the
houses. It requires about twenty-five gallons of milk to
make four cheeses and eight is the result of a day's work.
180 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
There is no general factory but the cheese is made in
individual families and brought to a central shipping
point, where the long rows of red spheres present an ap-
petizing sight.
An interesting day was spent in the fine old city of
Utrecht, and then we went to Berlin. Here we were
very glad to have a look into our trunks, which we had
not seen for over six weeks. The traveller makes a
mistake who goes to Europe and fails to visit the mag-
nificent city of Berlin, to have a drive in its renowned
Thiergarten, a promenade "unter den Linden," an eve-
ning at the famous zoological garden, a visit to its art
galleries and museums, and a glimpse of its stately homes,
its fountains, monuments and statues. Where can one
spend a more delightful day than at Potsdam, the gar-
rison city, wandering about the lovely grounds of " Sans
Souci" — the palace built by Frederick the Great in which
to escape the cares of state — and resting for awhile at the
Orangery ? Here also is the splendid " new palace,"
the country residence of the present Emperor, and far-
ther on is the petite Marmor Palais, where the crown
princes take their brides and make their home. In the
town itself is the " garrison church," where in their plain
iron coffins rest the ashes of Frederick the Great and his
father, Frederick William I. No one, of course, will fail
to see the Mausoleum at Charlottenburg, which contains
the tomb of Queen Louise, whose recumbent statue is
the most beautiful example of modern sculpture.
While in Berlin we visited the palace of William I,
which is just as he left it, and stood at the window where
he used to stand and watch his troops in review. We
EMMA J. BARTOL 181
also saw the present Emperor and Empress review a
parade of 50,000 soldiers. The Empress rode in a
barouche drawn by six horses and was accompanied by
her own guard in handsome white uniforms. I particu-
larly enjoyed a visit to the Royal Infirmary, with 1,800
beds, and I noticed especially the big white porcelain
stove in the middle of each ward with an open fire on
two sides, which seemed to create a current and purify
the air.
A week in Dresden is all too short for the beauties
of that old city, the cradle of art, whose treasures have
been steadily increased for the past seven or eight hundred
years. If but two art galleries in Europe could be
visited, the Zwinger of Dresden should be one and that
of Florence would, of course, be the other. The palace,
occupied by the King of Saxony, is of no especial interest,
but that part of it, known as the Green Vault, contains
the most valuable collection of jewels and small works of
art in the world, among them the " crown jewels," which
are beyond description. The visitor will be sure to have
tea and hear a concert on Bruhl Terrace, laid out in
1738, an exquisite garden half a mile in length, over-
looking the River Elbe ; and if she is a lover of fine
china, she will visit Meissen, fourteen miles away, and
see the manufacture of the famous Dresden china.
While there one is well repaid for a visit to the ancient
castle and cathedral of Albrechtsburg, built in 1471.
Carlsbad is always interesting, although it has lost
the prestige it so long maintained, of being the most
aristocratic watering place in Europe. The thousands of
people who annually crowd its hotels have robbed it of
i82 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
all exclusiveness, but tortunatelv the healing power of
its waters has been in no wise diminished.
Prague is generally neglected by travellers and yet
it is a place of surpassing interest — all the more so, per-
haps, because it has been changed so little by modern in-
novations. Its numerous domes, spires and turrets give
it an almost oriental aspect. It is the capital ot Bohemia
and surrounded by twelve miles of fortifications. The
Moldau, which flows through the city, is crossed by a
splendid stone bridge 1,855 teet in length, ornamented
with groups of statuary and large towers at each end. It
was built in the fifteenth century. Just a few days after
our departure the three central arches fell with a tremen-
dous crash into the river, which was swollen by a great
freshet. The city has many splendid buildings, univer-
sitv, cathedral, observatorv, libraries, etc.
From Prague to Vienna is a short journey of possi-
blv eight hours. Thev are not wrong who insist that the
Austrian capital, which is mentioned in historv as a Roman
camp in the first centurv, is now the most beautitul city
in Europe. In consists of the town proper, or Innere-
Stadt, and more than thirty suburbs. This Innere-Stadt
is surrounded bv ramparts from thirtv to fifty feet high
and is further separated trom the suburbs bv the river, but
to a still greater extent by an esplanade about 600 yards
wide. It is entered by twelve gates, is well-paved and
scrupulously clean and has twenty squares beautifully
ornamented. This part of the city contains the court
and is the fashionable center. The air of Vienna is un-
usually pure and salubrious and, although many of the
houses are built to accommodate a large number of
EMMA J. BARTOL 183
people, some of them being tenanted by several hundred
persons, it is one of the healthiest cities in Europe. The
Prater, which is two miles broad and extends for several
miles between two arms of the Danube, is conceded to
be the finest park, in Europe.
A chapter might be written on the churches of
Vienna, beginning with the Cathedral of St. Stephen,
with its tower 465 feet high, containing the great bell
weighing eighteen tons, cast out of cannon taken from
the Turks in 171 1. It has thirty-eight marble altars
and many gorgeous monuments. We visited the Augus-
tinian church where the hearts of the royal family are
buried. There are half-a-dozen enormous palaces, and
the ParJiament and public buildings are superb. The
university is attended by about 6,000 students, and there
is an almost endless number of other large and well-
equipped educational institutions. The Imperial Library
forms one entire side of the large square adjoining the
Emperor's palace, and there are no less than a million
volumes in the various libraries. The picture galleries
and museums are of a high order, and as for the stores
and shops, they are not excelled, if, indeed, equalled in
any city on the globe.
We visited all these interesting places, also the pal-
aces of Maria Theresa, Marie Antoinette, Princess
Stephanie and other royal personages. We went to the
Imperial Picture Gallery in the Upper Belvedere, and
one day we dropped into the Royal Riding School and
saw them teaching Spanish horses to pace, and also ex-
amined the State carriages, etc. One evening we saw
" Romeo and Juliet ' in the grand opera house. Al-
184 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
though every moment of time was utilized, we left Vienna
feeling that we had only touched the fringe of its attrac-
tive features.
On our way to Munich we stopped at the ancient town
of Salzburg in Western Austria, the birthplace of Mozart.
It is situated on the Salza River in a narrow pass among
towering mountains, and the scenery is almost if not quite
equal to any in Switzerland. Many of the houses are
built of marble but the streets are so narrow and crooked
that the general appearance is gloomy. There are some
fine squares adorned with noble statues, a massive cath-
edral and a large old archbishop's palace. Adjoining the
church of St. Peter is a cemetery noted for its curious
tombs of great antiquity. The town is walled in and en-
tered by ten gates. On a very high eminence is a mag-
nificent castle now used as a fortress, and in one of its
towers is a torture chamber containing the instruments
used during the time when 30,000 Protestants were driven
from the country. This is now a peaceful town cultivating
the arts and industries. We spent a day at Berchtesgaden,
twelve miles away, where the royal salt mines are situated,
which produce annually about 16,000 hundred weight of
rock salt.
We did not tarry long at the big and comparatively
modern city of Munich, as it was crowded with visitors
on the way to Oberammergau, which was also our
destination. Probably all tourists who have only one
evening in Munich spend that at the Hof Braueri, the
Royal Brewery. Its celebrated beer is all brewed on the
spot and is said to have a different taste from any other
brand of this beverage. Hundreds of people are found
EMMA J. BARTOL 185
in the terraced garden every evening, listening to the ex-
cellent music and drinking from the huge stone schooners.
We were told that many Germans drink five or six
gallons of this beer daily.
It is a pleasant journey in summer up into the
romantic country of mountains and lakes where the
Passion Play is performed once every ten years. We
arrived Sept. 5 and found the little valley cold and
the snow glistening on all the mountains roundabout.
We visited the beautiful palace of the King of Bavaria,
where we saw a fountain playing to the height of 1 50
feet and a linden tree 400 years old, under which, we
were told, his majesty often had breakfast served. In
the morning we heard the guns firing and the bands
playing and the little town was full of excitemeut. We
hurried through breakfast, as the play began at eight, and
had to hasten through luncheon, as it began again at a
quarter past one and lasted until nearly six. It was
given, of course, out of doors with only a canopy over
head. The village has 1,300 inhabitants and over half
of them take part in the performance. The larger por-
tion of the receipts, which this year were about $165,000,
are used for municipal purposes. The principal actors
have also the principal part in the government of the
village, or commune, and it is a noteworthy fact that
they never abuse their power to enrich themselves at the
sacrifice of public interests. It is unnecessary to go into
a detailed account of this world-renowned Passion Play,
as it has been so often and so well described, but it may
be said that one who hears it is most likely to alter his
i86 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
views on many points concerning the Jews and the
Crucifixion.
It was a glorious day when we departed, the view of
the Alps was superb and the fragrance of new mown hay
rose up from the valleys. We stopped at a number of
picturesque villages nestled among the mountains and
tarried for a while at Ernst, in the Tyrol about thirty
miles west of Innsbruck. The scenery was so beautiful
I scarcely knew where to begin sketching first — the
church, the little chapels, the foaming river, all challenged
the artist's skill. As I sat sketching and painting, the
school children would crowd about me and express their
delight, especially at the water colors. The fields were
full of ripe Indian corn and we joyfully gathered the
ears and superintended their cooking for our dinner.
We soon went on to Innsbruck, the capital of the
Tyrol, lying in the basin of the river Inn and almost
entirely surrounded by mountains from 6,000 to 10,000
feet high. The central point of attraction for the tourist
is the Hofkirche, church of the Franciscans, containing
the tomb of Maximilian 1, one of the most splendid
monuments in Europe. Hours might be interestingly
spent in a study of its twenty-four marble bas reliefs,
which are among the finest specimens of artistic skill.
There is nothing in existence like the twenty-four heroic
bronze statues of the male and female members of the
house of Austria grouped about, every one a monument
to the artist who made it. The church has also many
other striking monuments and the traveller experiences
a feeling of surprise at finding this gem in the heart of
«v
TVRUL
EMMA J. BARTOL 187
the mountains. The Imperial Palace surrounded by
handsome gardens, is also well worthy of a visit.
We went by carriage over the Alps to Bozen, and
then down into Italy to fascinating Verona, which has
been so many times immortalized by the writers of all
ages. From here we made many short trips to the
lovely villages which cluster about this old, historic center,
and finally we found ourselves in Venice. I have already
given my impressions of this place so fully it is not
necessary to repeat them. It was now growing late in
the autumn and we had decided to extend our journey
indefinitely, so at sunrise, on Oct. 24, we departed with
a courier on the steamship " Cathay," having Egypt as
our ultimate destination.
188 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XIX.
As we sailed down the Adriatic Sea we found the
weather very cold and finally ran into a storm of hail
and snow. It was so inclement we could not land at
Ancona but had to be satisfied with a view, from the
steamer, of this attractive town, rising up like an amphi-
theatre, with its handsome palaces over-looking the sea.
On a towering height stood a fine cathedral with columns
taken from the Temple of Venus. There is a colossal
statue of Cavour, a triumphal arch erected by the Roman
Senate 1 12 A. D., and another in honor of Pope Clement
XII — a strange mingling of the past and present.
At Brindisi we stopped, and found here a hotel
whose sole claim to distinction was that it had sheltered
royalty. Virgil died in this old town nineteen years be-
fore Christ. It is in the "heel of the boot," and during
the great days of the Roman Empire it marked the end
of the Appian Way and was the chief point of departure
for Egypt and the East Indies. It is now on the mail
route from England to India and many steamers touch
at its port.
From Brindisi to Corfu, one of the Ionian Islands
belonging to Greece, is but a brief journey and here we
stopped for a few days. This hilly and picturesque
island is forty miles long and from two to eighteen miles
wide, separated from the west coast of Greece by a nar-
row channel. The capital, Corfu, the only town of any
size, is beautifully situated on a well-fortified eminence.
It has a cathedral and some richly-decorated Greek and
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EMM J J. BARTOL i8p
Roman Catholic churches, a House of Legislature, uni-
versity and other public buildings, residences of the
archbishop, the lord high commissioner, etc. Nowhere
better than at Corfu does one get the glorious rose-col-
ored effects of sunrise and sunset on the Mediterranean.
We visited the fortress, the royal chateau and gardens of
the Empress of Austria, and I had my artist's materials
constantly in hand to catch the wonderful effects in light
and shadow.
After ten restful days we set sail for Athens. At
Patras our trunks were examined and some fine pears I
had were pitched into the sea, as it seems that fruit is
especially " forbidden" lest some destructive insect should
be introduced. In the station at Athens all was in gala
array for the arrival of the Russian Prince, and we saw
the King and Queen and many grandees who had come
to the station to meet him and a great array of splendid
equipages ! On Sunday we went to the Russian church
and there saw again the King and Queen with their dis-
tinguished guest.
For ages the centre of civilization, Athens is still
one of the most interesting cities in the world to the
artist and scholar. Its interest of course is in its past,
for as a modern city it has no striking features. The
palace, cathedral and university are the handsomest of its
buildings, and as the residence of the King, the arch-
bishop and the head of the university, it remains the
chief city of Greece. Athens was known in history more
than a thousand years before Christ, and it was Pericles
who " found it brick and left it marble " in the fifth cen-
tury B. C. The location is superb ; a large plain four
igo RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
miles from the gulf, surrounded on three sides by moun-
tains and diversified by numerous hills or ridges of lime-
stone. On the highest of these, 1,100 feet above the
sea, is the world-famed Acropolis, or Citadel, its walls
extending around the edges of the precipitous rock in a
circuit of 7,000 feet. Within, are the finest monuments
of art in existence, the remains of their statues and col-
umns in purest white marble affording still unsurpassed
models for the sculptor. Here are the Parthenon, the
Temple of Erechtheium with its splendid Caryatides, the
Temple of the Wingless Victory, the ancient theatre, the
Propylaea, or grand entrance gates. Near by is Mars'
Hill, where St. Paul addressed the Athenians, the Tem-
ple of Theseus in almost perfect preservation, and else-
where the Arch of Hadrian and vestiges of the Temple
of Bacchus, the grotto of Apollo and Pan and many
other artistic splendors of what we call the " pagan" era.
The view across the great plain, through which flow
two lovely rivers, is magnificent. One of the enjoyable
experiences here is a twelve-mile drive over a fine car-
riage road through a wilderness of oleanders to the
remains of Eleusis, once the second city of Attica. All
around it the plain is strewed with ruins. Another in-
teresting drive is to the famous harbor of Piraeus through
limitless vineyards and groves of figs and olives. The
native costumes with the gay colors, full white shirt, em-
broidered vest, red fez, etc., blend perfectly with the
charming scenery.
We took the steamer for Constantinople in a heavy
storm which continued during two days, and the memory
of that trip is not a pleasant one. We were glad indeed
EMMA J. BARTOL ipi
to pass in safety through the rapid current of the
Dardanelles and anchor for the night in the Sea of Mar-
mora. The next morning we saw the sun rise in splendor
over Constantinople. We were soon taken on shore in
small boats and our passports properly certified by the
consul of the United States. Our baggage was examined
and carried on the backs of the dragomen to the Golden
Horn Hotel.
Of Constantinople a writer has said : " Among the
novelties which strike a foreigner on arrival nothing sur-
prises him more than the silence that pervades the capital.
By day there are only the cries of sellers of bread, fruits,
sweet-meats and sherbet, and the barking of dogs — lazy,
ugly creatures of a reddish-brown color, with muzzles like
that of a fox, short ears and a famished look. They lie on
the sidewalk and stir only when roused by blows. I was
told there was a fine for striking them. By ten at night
everything is hushed except these innumerable dogs,
which at intervals send forth such howlings that it requires
practice to be able to sleep. The dogs are the only scav-
engers and are therefore protected by law."
Constantinople, with its more than a million inhab-
itants, is the fourth city of Europe in size. It was founded
656 B. C, and called Byzantium. Some of the walls
built fifteen centuries ago are still in existence. The sea
literally washes the feet of the town, so close does it come.
The city looks very beautiful approached from the sea,
with its wilderness of domes and minarets against a dark
background of cypresses ; but all romance fades when
one enters its labyrinth of crooked, steep and dirty streets
and sees the dead walls of the wooden houses, which face
i 9 2 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
an inner court. The triangular Seraglio, built by
Mohammed II, is the principal point of interest. It is
three miles in circumference and shut in by massive walls
and towers, while within it is like a little city, with apart-
ments, baths, mosques, gardens and groves. Anybody
may enter through the great gate-way into the outside
court, but few are privileged to penetrate the inner one
where reside the numerous wives of the Sultan. A chap-
ter might be given to the gorgeous mosques, the unique
bazars and the beautiful cemeteries, but a few pages
transferred literally from my diary will give an idea of
the jumble to which sight seeing is reduced when one has
only a week for this interesting place. " Rode round
the city, saw St. Sophia Mosque — always odorous with
the scent of musk, the Sultan's Palace, the wedding of a
rich Armenian, the Brazen Serpent consisting of three
serpents twisted together, the fountains which ornament
almost every square." " Day lovely ; went to the Stam-
boul fire tower, 180 steps to the top, from which there is
a fine view. Saw attar of roses made by the monks and
myriads of pigeons at the Pigeon Mosque. Spent some
time in the tempting bazars." " Visited the harem of a
pacha who had fourteen wives and saw three of them.
The first wife was a princess, sister of the Sultan. " Rain-
ing, but we went to see two of the Sultan's palaces, one
of them especially magnificent in size and decorations,
ornaments of cut glass prisms in corners of the salons
and especially beautiful candelabra. We had coffee out
of gold cups set with diamonds and paid the most ex-
tortionate backsheesh for the privilege."
On Thanksgiving Day I cabled home a greeting,
and then we crossed the narrow channel of the Bosphorus
EMMA J. BARTOL 193
to Scutari, in Asia Minor, to see the " college of the
howling dervishes," where even little boys five years old
can spin like a top. The city, with a population of pos-
sibly 50,000, resembles Constantinople in its architecture.
It is built on several hills, contains a palace and exten-
sive grounds belonging to the Sultan, fine cemeteries,
handsome bazars and many manufactures and warehouses.
This is the great centre for the caravans which come
from Asia to Constantinople with their merchandise.
Near by is a vast plain used for military purposes. This
and a few days later at Smyrna, were the first time I ever
set foot on Asiatic soil, and it enabled me often to say
laughingly that I had sojourned on every continent.
One day we thought we would try a genuine Turk-
ish bath. We found there about fifty women and chil-
dren splashing in a big pool or running about in a nude
condition. Slovenly attendants scrubbed us as we sat on
steps leading into the tubs, and everything was so dirty
and old that we did not repeat the experiment, but de-
cided to wait for Turkish baths till we were out of
Turkey.
On the last day of our stay we saw the Sultan go to
his mosque. He had an escort of 5,000 troops and was
accompanied by his wives in three carriages drawn by
beautiful horses, but the ladies of the harem were not
allowed to enter the holy church.
Constantinople looked very picturesque, illumined
by the setting sun, as we sailed away on the first day of
December. The steamship " Russia " was clean and
comfortable, and we found in the dining room one table
filled with English speaking people. On the second day
IQ4 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
the ship anchored at Smyrna in a fine harbor and we went
on shore. Here we saw for the first time long rows of
camels laden with Oriental merchandise. We climbed
up Mount Pagus, crowned by an ancient citadel, and
looked down on this place of several hundred thousand
people — Turks, Greeks, Jews, Armenians, Franks — each
nationality occupying a different part of this wretchedly
built, unsanitary city, while about 3,000 soldiers are added
to this mixed population. There are large cemeteries on
the sides of the mountain, and also the remains of an
ancient city of the early Christian period, mentioned in
the Scriptures. Smyrna has been for centuries the great
shipping point for the products of the Levant.
We touched historic Chios in the night, and saw the
Isle of Rhodes on the morning of the fifth day. During
all of the sixth day there was no land visible. The voy-
age was delightful, the sea calm, the weather warm, the
passengers reading, sewing, singing, playing games and
amusing themselves in various ways. At 8 o'oclock in
the morning on the seventh day of our voyage we rode
safely into the great port of Alexandria.
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EMMA J. BARTOL ips
CHAPTER XX.
We did not tarry in Alexandria, whose ancient glory
long since departed and left it to be valued by the modern
world only as the great emporium of Egypt, a place of
exports and imports. It is a most important station on
the highway between the western world and India, and the
flags of all nations are seen in its ports. We went by rail
to Cairo, 112 miles away, where we remained for several
days before starting on the voyage up the Nile. There
in no place in the world just like Cairo. Fifteen years
ago the tide of travel did not flow upon its shores as it
does to-day and its peculiar features contained much novel-
ty which now has become familiar to the reader and the
tourist. Most of the nationalities of the world are found
among its several hundred thousand inhabitants and the
ancient and modern are combined in startling contrasts.
It seldom rains here but heavy dews moisten the atmos-
phere and the overflow of the Nile redeems what would
be otherwise a desert. Cairo is surrounded with antique
battlement walls and towers, and from the Citadel, situ-
ated on the highest point, is a magnificent panorama,
which has been thus described: "To the east are seen the
obelisk of Heliopolis and the tombs of the Mamelukes;
to the south the lofty quarries of Mt. Mokattem, with
ruined castles, moldering domes and the remains of other
edifices ; southwest and west are the grand aqueduct,
mosques and minarets, the Nile, the ruins of Old Cairo and
the islands and groves of Rhoda; over the river is Ghizeh,
amid groves of sycamore, fig and palm trees ; still more
i 9 6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
remote the pyramids of Ghizeh and Sakara, and beyond
these the great Lybian desert. To the north may be seen
the green plains of the delta, sprinkled with white edifices;
to the north and northeast is the city of Cairo, with the
domes of her four hundred mosques glistening in the sun.
It is a never-to-be-forgotten sight."
It is, indeed, and one may spend many interesting
days among the ancient ruins and in the now bustling and
animated city, where the Oriental manners and appear-
ances are remarkably preserved. The best houses are
built around courts, in the larger of which are wells and
fountains, and the entrance way is handsomely carved and
decorated. The projecting upper stories almost meet their
neighbors across the narrow streets, while in the cool pass-
age-way below the merchants lazily conduct their business,
the heavily laden donkeys thread their way and occasion-
ally a long line of camels crowd the people and donkeys
close up to the walls. There are an endless number of
tropical gardens and groves, and we had tea under an ar-
bor of bougainvillea.
One may make the trip up the Nile in a dahabeah,
shaped a little like a Chinese junk and carrying immense
sails. This is the picturesque and poetical way but it re-
quires a great deal of time and a limitless amount of patience,
for if the wind refuses to blow one must lie for hours in a
scorching heat with no relief. We chose the prosaic steam-
boat as offering fewer unpleasant possibilities. Our first
stop was made at a little mud-built village, Bedrashen,
where begins the ride to the site of Memphis and the Great
Pyramids. Here is the vast pile forming the tomb of
Cheops, two others of immense size and six more of small-
EMM J J. BARTOL 197
er dimensions. They are among the oldest human struc-
tures in existence and they will be forever enveloped in
mystery and fascination. The colossal statue of Rameses
II, the Apis Tombs, or Tombs of the Sacred Bulls, the
eternal sphinxes — richly do they repay the long and hard
journey which is required to bring the traveller into their
majestic presence.
And so we sailed on up the sleepy Nile, one of
Cook's big excursion steamers ahead of us, occasionally
a dahabeah floating lazily down the stream, the water
birds flying above our heads, the sacred Ibis wading in
the shallow edges of the river, the mud-built houses
along the shore, diversified by rocky cliffs, and transient
glimpses of pyramids outlined against the sky in the dis-
tance.
We spent a day at the large town of Siout, formerly
the principal slave market of East Africa and now the
focusing point of the caravans. In a cold, gray fog we
visited the bazars, the potteries, the cemeteries and the
handsome mosques ; and then we mounted donkeys to
go into the mountains to see the Tombs of the Wolves.
Our next stop was at Denderah, where we saw the man-
ufacture of water jars and bottles. This village is noted
for a large temple of great antiquity, its portico sup-
ported by twenty-four huge columns.
Our anxiety was intense to see Thebes, capital of
the kingdom of the Pharoahs, now in ruins, but nowhere
in the world can be seen such ruins of temples and
palaces, obelisks, statues and sphinxes. It has been
truly said that, " to have seen the monuments of Thebes
is to have seen the Egyptians as they lived and moved
ip8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
before the eyes of Moses ; to have seen the tombs of
Thebes is to have seen the whole religion of the Egyp-
tians at the most solemn moments of their lives." Its
ruins, extending for seven miles on both banks of the
Nile, are the most magnificent in the world and chief
among these are Karnak and Luxor. On Christmas
day we went to Karnak. Its ancient Temple of Ammon,
or Jupiter, is a mile-and-a-half in circumference. It
faces the river and is approached through an avenue of
sphinxes nearly a mile long, terminating in two colossal
statues of granite. Beyond these is an immense open
court, 329 by 275 feet, with a double line of columns
through the center and a covered corridor on each side.
Still beyond is the grand Hall of Assembly, 329 by 170
feet, with a central avenue of twelve columns, 66 feet
high and ^ feet in circumference, and seven side rows
almost as large. Court and halls continue for 600 feet
farther, filled with columns, obelisks and statues, rich in
historical carving beyond description.
The Palace of Luxor, more than a mile away, is
connected by a street strewn with ruins. On either side
of the doorway stood two huge obelisks, eighty feet high
and eight feet square, finely sculptured and each made
from a single block of granite. One of these was pre-
sented to the city of Paris and now stands in the center
of the Place de la Concorde. Between these and the
gates were two colossal statues 44 feet in height. This
palace, 800 feet in length and 200 in width, is now a
mass of splendid ruins, reminders of a period when royal
EMMA J. BARTOL igg
rulers lived in such magnificence as never since has been
approached.
The enjoyment one experiences in wandering about
these scenes of bygone ages is greatly marred by the
crowds of natives who beset one on every side begging
for backsheesh. A traveller of my acquaintance, expressed
his feelings while on a visit there by the following humor-
ous verses :
LINES SUGGESTED BY A RIDE THROUGH LUXOR.
The shades of night were falling fast,
As through the Luxor village passed
Two dames who rode with haughty mein,
Two donkeys that were lank and lean,
While round about them pressed the crowd,
Which cried in accents shrill and loud, " Backsheesh."
" Oh, stop ! oh, stop ! " a native whined,
"This scarrabi is good and fine."
Another one with naked feet
Cried, " Lady, this is real ' antike,' "
While falling shadows hid the crowd,
Which still cried out in accent loud, '« Backsheesh."
The boat at last they got aboard,
Found refuge from the savage horde,
The plank pulled in, they steamed away,
As night wiped out the closing day,
And as they went, one mighty shout
From every throat was given out, " Backsheesh."
Oh Rameses, thou mighty king,
In days of yore did such a thing
As " backsheesh" make your life a curse,
And make you long to quit the earth ?
Or if it did, at least you missed
The " antike " seller from the list. H. W. B.
The Couch Temple and the Temple of Edfos were
deeply interesting, the latter having been discovered in a
200 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
state of almost perfection by excavations. It has been
covered by the dust and debris of ages until a village
had sprung up on the surface, whose inhabitants were in
complete ignorance of the great temple which lay buried
beneath them. We visited also the Silsil quarry, the ap-
parently inexhaustible source from which the stone was
taken to build these temples. The sandstone continues
to Assouan where the granite ranges begin. Here the
stone was quarried for the colossal statue of Rameses the
Great, the largest ever made. It was 63 feet around the
shoulders.
We anchored at Assouan, which lies just below the
first cataract of the Nile. It is the starting point for the
vast commerce which goes down the great river to Cairo
and Alexandria. We mounted donkeys here and rode six
miles, then took small boats and finally reached the little
Island of Philae. This remarkable spot is only 400 yards
in length but is covered with luxuriant foliage in the
midst of which are obelisks, statues, a long colonnade, a
triumphal arch and four temples. The principal one of
the latter is the Temple of Isis, in one room of which is the
story in sculpture of the death of Osiris, his embalment,
burial, resurrection and enthronment as Judge of the
Dead.
On the trip back to Cairo we visited many historical
spots on the opposite bank of the Nile, which is almost
lined with ruins. Many of these are several miles inland
and must be reached by the only available mode of trans-
portation — the donkeys. Their drivers, the Arab boys,
are very shrewd and seem to have an intuitive knowledge
of nationality which they play upon by always recom-
EMM J J. BARTOL 201
mending a donkey to an Englishman as Queen Victoria
and to an American as Yankee Doodle. On New Year's
Day, in order to vary the monotony of ancient ruins, we
mounted these faithful animals for a trip to a sugar factory.
It was a lovely ride under the trees along the shore and
then through the vast fields of cane. The next day we
took a similar but longer journey, past the irrigating canals
which water the gardens of beans, onions and other vege-
tables, and the fields of lucern, barley and wheat, then
through the lanes bordered with the datex-mimosa trees,
and finally we stopped for luncheon in a beautiful old
temple. The ride home by sunset was a long-to-be-
remembered experience.
At Beni-Hassan, noted for its sculptured grottoes,
preparations were being made for a visit from the Khedive
and the streets were spanned with arches of palms and
flowers. This village, it is said, was once destroyed by
orders of Mohamet Ali because of the rascality and
thieving propensities of its inhabitants. Those who
have risen from its ashes are not much better, and on
some of our excursions we had to have an armed troop
of cavalry to protect us.
We finally reached Cairo where we remained for
three weeks, deciding meanwhile to continue our journey
to Yokahama. We were busy with shop keepers and
dressmakers but found time for various diversions. One
afternoon we had tea with a noted American physician
who was practicing there, and later attended a lecture on
Egypt in his museum of mummies and Egyptian relics.
A young man who had been a class mate of my grandson
at a school in Switzerland called upon us. He was the
202 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
son of a prominent Pasha who paid us much attention.
We were invited to his country place where we met his
chief wife, who showed and explained to us many inter-
esting things in the harem. He took us through the
beautiful gardens and every courtesy was extended to us.
We had afternoon tea and, on leaving, the lovely cups
we had used were presented to us. At another time we
were invited to the harem in the city. We were met at
the door by our young friend and his man servant and
at once had coffee. This is made by putting a pinch of
powdered coffee in a tiny cup and pouring boiling water
on it; it is ready to drink as soon as it settles. These
pretty cups were also presented to us, but whether as a
compliment or because no member of the family could
use them after a Christian had drank out of them must
remain undecided. We were then introduced to several
of the wives and seated at a table where we were served
with tea, cakes and fruit and waited on by them. On
taking leave handsome bouquets were given to us.
One day we drove out to the ostrich farm where we
saw seven hundred of these queer birds, some of them
only a day or two old. The old males, which are very
cross, usually have black plumage, while the females and
the young are brown. We made many interesting trips
out from Cairo but the weather was unusually cold, with
a wind which blew the fine sand into our faces, so that
we were quite ready to start on our sea voyage to India
and Japan.
EMMA J. BARTOL 203
CHAPTER XXI.
We went by train from Cairo to Ismailia, a journey
of four or five hours, this being the nearest point for
taking the steamer as it came down the Suez Canal.
During the building of the canal the works were located
here and we visited the house where De Lesseps lived
for a number of years. At six o'clock on the morning
of January 29th, 1 89 1, we boarded the steamship " Ori-
ental." Sixty-five passengers disembarked for Cairo but
120 were left. In another day we finished the passage
of the canal and found ourselves in the long, narrow Gulf
of Suez. Beyond the low shores rise rocky headlands
or sandy table lands about 3,000 feet high and, looking
back, the view is picturesque. As we sailed down this
narrow arm of the sea, nearly 200 miles in length, only
a few miles wide and so shallow that the ship must steer
carefully in the centre, the most prominent object was
Mt. Sinai, which lifts its head about 7,500 feet above the
water's level on the eastern side.
At last the way widened and we steamed out into the
Red Sea. But why is it called the Red Sea ? It is green,
bright green, but it contains large quantities of red coral.
The Arabians call it Bahr-Malak — Salt Sea — which is
much more appropriate. It is two hundred miles wide
and 1,460 long and we were a week in making the voy-
age. The water was calm and the air deliciously soft,
while the rising and setting sun brought out the sharp
ridges of distant hills and the deep shadows of ravines.
The passengers donned their thinnest clothing and all
204 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
sorts of amusements were devised to pass the time. An
egg race, the contestant trying to carry an egg in a spoon
from one end of deck to the other without dropping it,
proved very amusing, as did the potato race, picking up
the potatoes as they rolled about the deck and putting
them in buckets. The ladies had a threading needle race
and also a tug-of-war, all pulling lustily at the rope.
There were athletic sports of many kinds, and in the
evening, after dinner, the prizes were given and there was
a dance. Each of the three decks was provided with a
piano and the sides being enclosed with gaily colored
bunting one could hardly imagine oneself on a ship in
the middle of a wide sea.
We dropped anchor in the harbor of Aden at the
lower end of Arabia where the Arabian Sea begins. This
strongly fortified place belongs to the East India Com-
pany and is one of the greatest coaling stations in the
world. We were glad indeed to jump into little boats
and go on shore for a while. We inspected the great
tanks where water is stowed but decided to stick to
oranges, pale ale and bottled soda. We were rowed back
to the ship by four savage looking, red-haired Arabs,
who proved to be arrant knaves. Soon we were off again
for Bombay, several day's voyage directly eastward, and
when we reached this port we were 6,600 miles from
London and almost 10,000 from the United States.
We remained eight days at Bombay, and had a suc-
cession of novel and deeply interesting experiences. This
city of nearly three quarters of a million of people is sit-
uated on an island off the west coast of Hindustan, about
eighteen miles in circumference. The harbor is the safest
EMM J J. BARTOL 205
in India and large enough for a thousand ships to lie at
anchor. This is the shipping port for the produce of
Persia, Arabia and the Malay Archipelago, and here are
the headquarters of the Indian navy and of the army of
Bombay. The native troops are officered by English-
men, and there are many British soldiers. The city is
surrounded by massive fortifications and on its streets is
the most motley population to be seen in the world —
Hindus, Parsees, Chinese, Arabs, Armenians, Abyssin-
ians, Greeks, Portuguese, Jews, English, French, Amer-
icans — each nationality dressed in its own costume, all
pouring through the crowded streets in picturesque con-
fusion. The Parsees are the chief merchants and prop-
erty owners and they and the Europeans live in the old
part of the city and what is known as the fort, where
there are the principal public buildings, the best churches,
a park, etc. In the so-called new part, a mile away, is
the Hindu and Mohammedan native population. Out-
side of the city are many handsome country seats sur-
rounded by gardens and shaded by mangoes, palms and
tamarinds. The roads are excellent and there are many
groves of cocoanut trees.
We enjoyed going to the markets, which are light
and airy and well supplied with an abundance of native
fruits and vegetables, including cabbage grown in the
mountains, of which the English are so fond. We always
bought some of our beloved tomatoes, which were never
supplied at the table, as the English do not care for them,
the hotel being patronized principally by the English the
food was cooked to suit them. One day we visited the
" Tower of Silence " where the Parsees bury their dead.
206 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
The vultures sit in solemn silence around the Tower and
when they descry a funeral cortege leaving Bombay they
are all excitement, fluttering and flying, for as soon as the
dead are deposited inside the tower in iron trays the vul-
tures tear the bodies to pieces. We made an excursion
in a steam launch and then in chairs to the Caves of Ele-
phanta, a difficult trip but well worth the trouble.
The Parsees are a fine, intelligent people. Having
heard they had an excellent hospital for animals, we visited
it and found it very interesting. All maimed and sick
animals are well cared for — have their own physicians and
attendants with pleasant and comfortable quarters. We
visited also Victoria Gardens and the Museum, where we
saw panthers and immense tigers from their native jungles.
The monkeys had no cages but were simply chained to
the forest trees, with a little cubby house in the branches
among which they ran up and down and seemed very
happy. There were many ostriches, kangaroos and other
animals.
We found much difficulty in getting sleeping accom-
modations for women but finally succeeded. But I must
sketch very hastily our trip through India if this book is
not to reach undue length. At Baroda we got coffee and
eggs at the station, then visited a superb palace and also
the stables for the elephants, where each animal has its
special keeper. At another palace we saw many jewels
as large as walnuts, and pearls as large as hickory nuts,
also a carpet of pearls and rubies. This is one of the
richest cities in Hindustan.
From Baroda we went to Ahmendabad to see the
most beautiful mosque in India, the tomb of Ahmed.
EMM J J. BARTOL 207
The town was nearly destroyed by an earthquake in 1822
and is in a sad state of dilapidation, but it is not lacking
in gods. We visited Tain Temple where we saw fifty-
two, one for every week in the year.
The sleeping cars are English and the arrangements
are peculiar. When it grows dark a porter at the station
brings a barrow load of sheets, pillows and blankets.
He gives you as many as you wish and you arrange them
to suit yourself. We arrived in the morning at Jaipur,
the capital of Rajputana. Here we went to the Hall of
the Winds, the fountains, the bazars, Albert Hall, the
Maharaja's Palace and stables with three hundred horses,
elephants and their care takers. The situation is ex-
tremely picturesque, the city being built along the slopes
of a lofty hill immediately over the lake, the summit be-
ing crowned with a powerful fortress. This is a great
center for the manufacture as well as the distribution of
Indian artistic workmanship and every possible handicraft
is carried on. Jaipur enamelled jewelry is the finest made.
Nothing is done by machinery in India.
We also visited Amber which was formerly the
capital of the State but is now abandoned. They move
the capital from time to time in order to give all parts of
the State equal advantages. The Maharaja sent his ele-
phant for us to ride to the palace. A kind of platform
was strapped on the elephant's back which held four
persons, he knelt down and we took our seats, then he
rose and we moved on. The motion is rather bumpty-
bumpty and far from enjoyable. Bye and bye we came
to a lake where, basking in the sun, lav a number of
enormous alligators. To quote another : " The city of
208 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Amber is quite deserted except by a number of fakirs, or
Hindu ascetics, who have taken possession of the empty
houses. It is a weird looking place, and as the huge
elephants plodded slowly through its streets, no human
being was seen except some unkempt and ash-strewn
creature looking out of the window or over the edge of
the roof. There is nothing stranger in all India's past
history than the desertion by some monarch, for reasons
now lost in obscurity, of his splendid palace and well
built capital, taking with him not only his court, but the
entire population."
Delhi is, as has been said, " one of the historic cities
of the world, and had a distinct existence 1,500 years be-
fore the Christian era It ranks for architectural
beauty, historical associations and present social interest
with Rome, Athens, Cairo, Venice or Constantinople."
It is impossible to touch even briefly upon its many
points of interest, but mention must be made of the
Tower of Kutab-Minar, which one reaches by an extended
drive along a road lined on both sides with ancient
mausoleums. This tower, built nearly 700 years ago, is
twice the height of the Duke of York's Column in Lon-
don, and it is said that " nothing can compare with it for
beauty of design and perfection of proportion except the
Campanile of Giotto at Florence, which was erected at
the same period. The whole structure is encrusted with
chapters from the Koran sculptured in relief. It is a
tower of victory and has looked down upon Hindus con-
quered by its founder, under an unbroken Mohammaden
sway from its completion until the mutiny of 1857."
Agra is the second city in the northwest provinces,
both in size and importance, and is considered by some
EMMA J. BARTOL 209
travellers the most interesting place in all India. The
Prince of Wales once held a durbar here. We visited
the Pearl Mosque, which is the court chapel, and
then the Taj Mahal, one of the renowned buildings of
the world, which 20,000 workmen were employed for
seventeen years in erecting and decorating. It was built
by Shah Jahan over the body of his beloved wife. The
enclosure in which it is placed is a great garden where
orange, lemon, pomegrante, and other flowering shrubs
and trees, and marble fish-ponds, speak of the East.
Inside the Taj, the Emperor and his beloved Queen are
buried side by side in marble tombs inlaid with rich
gems. Sir Edwin Arnold says, " The wonder of the
Agra and the Crown of the World is the Taj, the peer-
less tomb, built for the fair, dead body of Arjamand
Banu Begum by her lord and lover, the Emperor, Shah
Jahan."
" The deserted city of Fatepuhr Sikri must not be
passed by, no matter how pressed for time the traveller
may be," is good advice. It is a drive of three-hours-
and-a-half from Delhi, and on the way one will see almost
every bird which is native to India. All of its magnifi-
cent gates, arches, palaces, mosques and tombs are sup-
posed to have been erected during the dynasty of a single
ruler, Akbar the Great, and to have been erected within
a period of thirty years. His successor preferred Delhi
for his capital and so all the splendors of Fatepuhr Sikri
were abandoned.
Cawnpur, the presidency of Bengal, lies on the banks
of the Ganges, which here is a mile wide. It is a large
modern Indian city and has little interest for the traveller
210 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
except as the scene of the great massacre during the
Mutiny. The Memorial Gardens comprise fifty acres
and surround the fatal well into which were cast hundreds
of Christian women and children, the living with the dead.
A mound has been raised over it, crowned with a beauti-
ful monument, the figure of an angel in white marble. A
Government grant of $2,500 a year maintains these gar-
dens. There are also monuments over the soldiers who
were slain.
Lucknow also is a modern city of several hundred
thousand people, half of them Musselmen, and is the
center of Mohammedan learning and aristocracy. It is
divided into what may be called the court end and the
mercantile end, but possesses little of interest except the
Royal Tombs, the ancient Cathedral and the ruins of the
Residency which was so heroically defended by the British
troops during the Mutiny. The city is situated in what
may be called the Garden of India and at a distance pre-
sents an imposing view, but all romance is dispelled on
closer acquaintance, as is the case with most of these East
Indian cities.
Many chapters might be written without exhausting
the interesting points of Benares. It is situated on the
Ganges about four hundred miles above its mouth, and
its name means " the splendid." It is the center of the
Hindu faith, and here the princes, rajahs, bankers and
merchants of that religion maintain their gorgeous palaces.
It is believed to be the most ancient city in India and to
date back to Aryan times. A panorama of mosques,
temples and mansions stretches for miles along the river,
and a wilderness of domes, towers and minarets is out-
EMM J J. BARTOL 211
lined against the sky. Some of the domes are covered
with beaten gold and within the temples is a wealth of
carving and decoration. In many of them also are sacred
wells in which the devotees have bathed until their odor
fills the air.
There are many colleges here, Indian and Christian ;
it is the seat of Hindu learning and the British Govern-
ment has a university, a notable institution with nearly a
thousand students. One of the Hindu princes has
established an excellent school where almost that many
girls are educated, a most unusual thing for India.
Benares is noted throughout the world for its ornamental
brass work, its brocades, embroideries, and India shawls,
and its bazars hold an endless fascination for the shopper
and sightseer.
The chief interest of this city, however, is in its
religious devotees. The place is largely given over to
idolatry, and every pious Brahmin in India tries to get
to Benares before he dies and bathe in the sacred Ganges
to wash away his sins. All along the river bank are
ghats, or stairways, and tourists every morning take boats
and row past them. Our own personal experiences have
been so well described that I will give them in the
language of another.
" Up and down the ghats all day streams the end-
less course of pilgrims, ragged tramps, aged crones, hor-
rible beggars, hawkers, Brahmin priests, sacred bulls and
cows, Hindu preachers, wealthy bankers and rajahs in
gay palanquins, Fakirs, pariah dogs and scoffing globe
trotters from Europe and America. A pathetic feature
of this jostling, bellowing crowd is the large number of
212 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
tottering aged women, with scanty white locks, coming
out of the cold river and crawling feebly up the steep
steps in their clinging wet clothes. Hundreds of aged
creatures of both sexes are always in Benares, having left
house and family, perhaps a thousand miles away, never
to return, happy and glad to chill themselves into Heaven
in the sacred waves of the Ganges."
Calcutta is the seat of the British Government in
India and was founded by the London Company in the
seventeenth century. It lies on the Hoogly River, one
of the mouths of the Ganges, the traffic of which it re-
ceives, as well as that of the Brahmaputra River and the
two great railway systems of India. At certain seasons it
is crowded with English people, and one finds some of
them always at the hotels. We were strikingly reminded
of the class distinctions when at dinner we observed that
every guest had his own servant to wait on him, dressed
in the native costume of his caste. Some wore a turban,
others a fez, and with the gay colors the effect was most
picturesque.
The best residence part of Calcutta is distinctly
modern. Here the streets are wide and there are many
elegant mansions surrounded by spacious grounds. The
Government House stands in a garden of six or seven
acres and is a veritable palace where splendid entertain-
ments are given. Near here are many handsome public
buildings, a large park, Dalhousie Square, and farther on
the wide river crowded with shipping. Around College
Square are a number of fine, large educational institutions.
Starting in the other direction from the Government
House one enters upon the famous Chowringhi Road
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EMMA J. BARTOL 213
which stretches along the Maidan, the pride of Calcutta.
This is in fact a park nearly two miles long and a mile
wide ; facing it the whole length are elegant mansions and
at the end the cathedral and the bishop's palace. To the
right are the race course, the zoological and horticultural
gardens, the beautiful home of the Lieutenant-Governor
and other interesting features. One may return to the
city past Fort William by the magnificent river drive,
which in the evening is thronged with the carriages of
the English and the wealthy natives.
But when one goes into the poorer quarters of the
town what a contrast ! The streets are narrow and dirty,
the houses of mud or straw, the shops dingy and bad
smelling, the people half-naked or nearly so, the air filled
with discordant noises, the whole most unsanitary and
repulsive. The tourist will want to see the Kali Ghat
where bloody sacrifices are made, and the Burning Ghat
where the dead are cremated.
The traveller must not fail to visit the Botanical
Gardens where there is one of the largest banyan trees in
the world. It is a century old, its trunk is fifty feet in
girth, several hundred of its branches have dropped to
the earth and taken root and the outside measurement is
over 800 feet. There is also a superb display of orchids
and other tropical plants. The Imperial Museum must
also be visited for its rare archaeological and geological
exhibits.
If the tourist decide to go to Darjiling he will have
a hard trip of about 250 miles due north, his train crawl-
ing up the Himalyas at ten miles an hour to a height of
7,200 feet. It has been called " the grandest railway
214 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
journey in the world," and certainly there is nothing
equal to the view which lies before one after this wonder-
ful place is reached. To use the words of another : "No
pen can give any adequate description of the stupendous
magnificence of the situation and surroundings of Darjil-
ling. It is at the end of the long wooded spur of Sin-
chul, a mountain about 9,000 feet high, which projects
its steep sides out into an amphitheatre, the floor of which
is paved with hills 6,000 or 8,000 feet above the sea, and
its walls the giants of the mighty Himalyas. Between
these mountains, which stretch in a chain 200 miles in
extent, are continuous successions of snow fields and gla-
ciers, and in the center of the whole range rises their glo-
rious monarch, Kinchinjanga, whose crown of ice rears
itself five clear miles above the plain of Bengal."
Darjiling is the great health resort for Bengal ; the
soldiers are sent up here when overcome by long resi-
dence in the low, hot parts of India, and into this de-
lightfully cool spot the better classes of Calcutta come
when the heated season approaches. The climate is ideal,
never above 8o° in summer, while blooming flowers may
be found here all winter. The more adventurous tour-
ists are carried in baskets six or seven miles further up
the mountain side to see the sun rise above Mount Ever-
est, but we were satisfied to wait until its rays reached the
village about nine o'clock in the morning. These moun-
tains are still the abode of wild elephants, tigers and the
rhinoceros.
The town clusters about the famous bazar, or mar-
ket, while beautiful villas are scattered for several miles
roundabout on every projecting knoll. We met a tea
EMM J J. BARTOL 215
merchant and his wife at our English hotel, " The Wood-
lands," and gladly accepted an invitation to visit their tea
plantation down the mountain side. The tea plant grows
in rows about as high as a currant bush and we had the
entire process of preparing for market explained to us.
The gentleman told us that one night he was driving
down an "alley" between the rows of tea plants when he
heard a growl and saw two balls of yellow glaring in front
of him. It was a tiger devouring a cow, and he made a
hasty retreat to save himself from being torn to pieces,
as he would have been had he interfered with the meal.
We were taken back to the hotel in a chair carried by
three men, as the elevation was too great for walking.
We had left Calcutta in the thinnest of clothing we
possessed; when we reached Darjiling we found snow
and were glad to gather about a fire, and on our return
to Calcutta we made haste to don again our linens and
pongees.
2i6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XXII.
We left Calcutta in the steamer " Kaisir-i-Hind"
and lay all night in the Hoogly River. At last we steamed
out into the Bay of Bengal, its surface glistening like a
mirror in the blazing sun, and on Easter morning we
anchored off the coast near Madras, which has no harbor.
Among a lot of old papers I have found just one
letter of the many that were written on this long journey,
and as it describes this part of it I will use it because of
its personal features.
Bay of Bengal, en route for Ceylon, March 28, 1891.
" It is some time since I have written to you but
writing has been difficult since we landed at Bombay for
we have had so much to see and to do. Travelling has
been hard — some times by night — and we have been
over 2,700 miles into the interior of India. We first
went to Baroda, where we slept at the station in a very
plain room with a brick floor, no ceiling, only rafters,
two single iron bedsteads, and every indispensible toilet
as rude and sparse as nature would allow. The next day
I had an opportunity of seeing the swarms of monkeys
under all conditions. I visited one Hindu temple where
monkeys lived unconstrained in the interior and were re-
garded as sacred objects of worship. I am sorry to say
they did not behave very well, nor did the sanctity of the
place seem to act benignantly on their dispositions ; in
fact they behaved like the worst spoiled young ones, and
snapped and flew at me until I thought they would tear
EMMA J. BARTOL 217
me to pieces because I wanted to feed the little ones with
candy. They are a nuisance and terror to all the neigh-
borhood, stealing and destroying everything.
At another city, Benares, they have a temple where
they keep sacred bulls, which we also visited. They
drive these bulls down to the Ganges where they are
bathed with more care than many children are. It is
wonderful to see what things people worship and how
devout and earnest they are. One comes to the con-
clusion that religion and goodness do not go hand in
hand, and in fact have nothing to do with each other.
The Ganges is a very sacred river, as also the Hoogly, by
which we left Calcutta. The former is full of dreadful
quicksands which are constantly shifting, and vessels of
large tonnage have been swallowed up in a very few
hours. Although the heat was fearful we were obliged
to have all our port windows closed for fear we might
careen on one of those dreadful bars and be sucked in.
I was thankful when after two days of slow steaming we
at last got out to sea in the Bay of Bengal.
Easter Sunday : — It is a trifle cooler and I will try
to go on. The flying fish are dashing about, frightened
at the approach of the steamer. How I wish I knew
what you are all doing and how you are this lovely Easter
morn. Yesterday I saw the sun rise proudly out of the
sea, a large red orb with back ground of liquid gold and
delicate pink clouds floating in an azure sky. I likewise
saw it set in a bank of dark purple clouds and later came
the moon, also a large red orb not to be out-done in tone
and color by Mr. Sun her predecessor, and she rose
2i8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
proudly upward to a dark blue heaven spangled with
twinkling stars.
To-morrow morning we expect to be at Madras, but
the steamer will not stay there many hours. There are
said to be sixty children on board, many with their Hindu
nurses, who are dressed only in cotton scarfs wound round
their bodies. I should think they would die of pneumonia
when they reached England. Many English families are
returning, as they think it impossible to raise children
in India. This is a very serious inconvenience, because
it separates the families. The father must stay to draw
his pay from the Government, the children must leave in
order to live and be educated in England. The mother
sometimes sends the children alone, sometimes goes with
them and leaves her husband, either alternative being
ruinous to family life.
A ship like this is like a little world. The decks
are wide, broad, very clean and well shut in by large awn-
ings overhead and also around the sides, so one has no
glare. There is a piano in the center where some one is
usually performing. The decks are filled with family
groups; the children in the least clothes admissible are
all playing and have toys innumerable and also velocipedes,
swings, skipping ropes, etc. I must say they seemed re-
markably good and get along very amicably. The mothers
are sitting around in steamer chairs reading to them or to
themselves. Many are in groups chatting and sewing.
The sea is as smooth as glass, there is summer tempera-
ture, and one needs the thinnest attire possible. The
EMMA J. BARTOL 219
ladies, who are nearly all English, have waists made of
swiss, tissue, cambric or India silk of different shades.
I enclose a blossom of one of the most exquisite of
the exotic creepers, one which grows freely everywhere
and of which we never tire, the lovely, graceful bougain-
villea. It climbs to the top of the loftiest trees, covers
arbors and trellises and makes them one blaze of glory.
In speaking of India silks I must tell you a joke;
there are none to be found in India except those im-
ported from London and Paris. They do manufacture
silks here but a different class from those we know as
India. They are very rich and costly, shot with threads
of gold and silver. I feel sorely tempted to buy many
wonderful and strange things but I cannot get them into
my trunk and I refrain from sending them as you would
have to get them out of the custom house and pay duty
on them and it would be too much trouble and expense.
I should like to send some of the beautiful beaten silver
and brass work.
I am suffering so with the heat I must go on deck
and get some air.
March 30th. — We sighted Madras at daybreak and
dropped anchor about half a mile from town. As soon
as we stopped the natives came alongside in boats and
swarmed up the companion way with all kinds of mer-
chandise for sale and pestered the life out of us. "Missey
buy very cheap, Madras embroidery very fine, what you
give?" Then he asks four times what it is worth and
you say, " It is too dear," and walk away. He runs
after you and says, "You no want to buy ? I give you
very cheap, What you give ?" After this kind of play
220 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
has been going on for about an hour he comes and pokes
the goods into your arms and says, " Takee, takee,
Missey, give what you like." They had parroquets,
stuffed cobras, baskets, chains, bracelets made out of
grass, embroidered slippers, muslin, crepes and silks of
all colors, toys, puzzles and tricks. They created quite
a sensation among the passengers.
I expected to mail this at Madras and so finished,
but found it would go quicker from Colombo. The
thermometer never goes below 8o° and it is warm and
muggy. I must tell you that a flying fish flew in at an
open port-hole, hit a lady who was in bed, on her fore-
head, and was found dead on the carpet in the morning.
This is the truth, but I did not see " Pharoah's chariot
wheels in the Red Sea, as many travellers claim to have
done !"
At sunrise the next morning we sighted the Island
of Ceylon, which is about sixty miles to the southeast of
Hindustan. Later our ship was moored in the roads of
Colombo, off the southwestern coast, the principal sea-
port. Ceylon is about 270 miles long with an average
width of 100 miles. It has records extending back
twenty-four centuries. It was a stopping place for
traders in the sixth century and was visited by Marco
Polo in the thirteenth. We were very desirous of visit-
ing it but not so anxious as was one of our passengers,
who attempted to jump on shore before the little boat
quite touched and who went headlong to the bottom of
the sea. He was fished out a wetter but a wiser man.
We went to the Grand Oriental Hotel, which almost
paralyzes the traveller coming upon it unexpectedly. Its
EMMA J. BARTOL 221
dining room seats 300 people and when ships are in from
a number of foreign ports the scene is indescribable-
The great veranda overlooking the sea is crowded with
vendors of every color, nationality and variety of dress,
who almost force their wares upon the half-frightened
visitor. These consist largely of pearls and the semi-
precious gems which are found in the neighborhood of
Ceylon. The clothes of the traders in the market place
range from voluminous trousers and jacket to nearly
nothing, while some of the men wear skirts and fasten up
their long hair with an ornamental comb. It is almost
impossible to tell the men from the women, while the
children wear no clothes at all. Meat is an almost un-
known article of food, but we especially enjoyed the curry,
which we found owed its delicious flavor to its being made
with the milk of the cocoanut.
Ceylon has belonged to Great Britain since 18 15 and
has now about 3,000,000 inhabitants. It is purely an
agricultural country and we visited the various places
where rice, tobacco, coffee, cotton, cinchona, cinnamon,
nutmegs, cocoa and the many forms of the cocoa trees
were produced, and secured some interesting specimens.
All other products, however, are gradually giving way to
tea, many millions of pounds now being exported every
year.
We made an uncomfortable journey of five hours by
rail, at fifteen miles an hour, to the ancient capital of
Kandy, or Candy, in the interior. The train runs through
picturesque scenery — quaint cottages surrounded by palms
and bananas, peasants in bright red and yellow garments,
black buffaloes standing knee-deep in the swamps —
222 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
then gradually climbs through jungles and forests up the
steep sides of the mountain until it creeps along a sheer
precipice thousands of feet above the level of the plains.
Kandy consists of a group of small villages beautifully
situated on the shores of a lake, surrounded by hills on
which are the bungalows of the tea planters and govern-
ment officials. All along the lanes may be gathered
masses of the most exquisite flowers of the tropics. The
hedges are bright with lantanas, poinsettas and passion
flowers. The residence of the British Governor is the
finest building in Ceylon, but there is little of interest in
the town itself except its Temple of the Sacred Tooth of
Buddha. This temple is a small building hideously
decorated ; from the center of its tower hangs a silver
bell and under this, in a golden and bejewelled shrine,
is the precious tooth, one inch thick and two inches long.
From India, Japan and China come pilgrims to pay
tribute to this holy relic.
The Government Botanical Gardens are entered
through an avenue of India rubber trees ioo feet high,
their crown of glossy leaves spreading out in an immense
circle fifty or sixty feet in diameter and their roots crawl-
ing over the ground like immense snakes. Within the
garden are enormous palms of every species, thickets of
giant bamboos ioo feet in height, "jack fruit" trees, each
fruit weighing fifty or sixty pounds, and unrivalled
botanical wonders of many kinds. The gardens also are
full of poisonous snakes and leeches which have been
known to fasten upon a sleeping victim and " suck "
him to death.
To the north of Kandy is the ancient Buddhist city
of Anuradhapura, which was the capital from 400 B. C.
EMMA J. BARTOL 223
to 700 A. D. It is now but a mass of ruins in an almost
impenetrable jungle and is seldom visited. There are
other ruins the origin of which is lost in antiquity. After
all these centuries of occupation a large part of the island
is still uninhabited and the forests abound in wild ele-
phants, tiger cats, leopards, jackals, wild boars and other
dangerous animals.
On the way to Yokohama we landed at the little
Island of Penang, only eleven by sixteen miles in extent,
simply the wooded top of a mountain. It is separated
from the Malay Peninsula by a narrow strait of three or
four miles and has a considerable export trade of spices,
cocoanuts, etc. The mangostine, a delicious fruit the
size of a small apple, grows here to perfection but will
not bear transporting. We rode through the streets of
Georgetown, the capital, among the swarms of Malay in-
habitants, and visited the bazars. Some large stories
were told us of the venomous reptiles which come from
the jungles right into the town, and a house was pointed
out whose master coming home one day found in his
parlor two huge boa constrictors waiting to give him a
warm embrace. It was not quite clear how they got into
the house.
We steamed down through the Strait of Malacca to
Singapore, the mountain ranges of the peninsula on our
left, the picturesque Island of Sumatra on our right, a
voyage of two days but not out of sight of land. We
were now on exactly the opposite side of the globe from
our own people, and when it was high noon with us they
were wrapped in the slumbers of midnight. Singapore
is on an island of the same name, the largest of a little
224 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
group off the extreme southern point of the Malay Pen-
insula and separated from it by a strait at some points
only a quarter of a mile wide. These islands are cov-
ered, except along the shores, with a thick jungle and on
the smaller ones the inhabitants are semi-savases. The
climate all the year is that of summer and tropical flowers
are constantly in bloom, but strange to say it is very
healthy. The city of Singapore is the great center of
the Eastern trade and its commerce is immense. The
products of all that part of the world find their way to
this great shipping port, which is free to the vessels of
all nations. The best part of the town is laid out in
regular streets, the houses are substantially built of brick,
there are good public buildings, hotels, churches, etc.
Among the last is a large and splendid Chinese pagoda.
The part of the town occupied by the Malays is a scene
of filth and squalor. American and European residents
live in handsome bungalows in the suburbs and number
but a few hundred. In the Chinese gardens are canals
filled with the lotus and Victoria Regia in full bloom.
From Singapore we dropped down to the important
island of Java and were now below the equator. For
the first time in many days we passed out of British
dominions, as Java is the principal seat of the Dutch
power in the far East. This island of less than 50,000
square miles, is traversed its entire length by two moun-
tain ranges containing many volcanoes, active and ex-
tinct, varying in height from 6,000 to 12,000 feet, and
visible at sea as far as sight extends. Many rivers flow
down their sides and water beautiful and fertile valleys
whose vegetation is unrivalled in luxuriance. The forests
EMMA J. BARTOL 225
are remarkable for the height and size of the trees, many
of them furnishing excellent timber. The houses of the
natives are built of bamboo and they live chiefly on rice.
The Javanese are a small, yellow race, but superior in
character to the other Malays. They are Mohammedans
in religion. The island has many ruins of large temples
and public buildings of great antiquity. Batavia, the
port of commerce, is built on marshy ground with numer-
ous canals and we soon left it and went to Buitenzorg,
thirty-five miles away, which is now the seat of govern-
ment and the residence of the Governor-general. Here
we remained five days and had an experience of the
storms which are so frequent in regions about the equator,
for there was a continual succession of these, accom-
panied by the most frightful thunder and lightning that
one could imagine. The fact that our baggage was lost
added to our discomfort. We slipped out between
storms to the bazars, markets, and the noted botanical
gardens, but were quite ready to board our ship and re-
turn to Singapore.
We sailed on May 5 for Hong Kong, threading our
way in and out among the innumerable islands in the
China Sea. Among our passengers were Kyrle Bellew
and Mrs. James Brown Potter. There was also the
English lady going to join her lover and be married,
one never fails to meet her on ships bound for China
and Japan. The weather was intensely hot, everybody
was too languid to speak or move, and we rejoiced to
sight Hong Kong on the fifth day.
226 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XXIII.
The approach to the rocky island of Hong Kong,
which lies at the mouth of Canton River, is most pic-
turesque. The great harbor is crowded with shipping of
every description, men of war, merchant craft, ju»ks,
barges and little boats. Some of these vessels are of
great size and fantastic form and most grotesquely painted,
while gay flags and streamers fly from the masts.
This island, when ceded to Great Britain in 1841,
was a barren spot inhabited chiefly by fishermen and
stone cutters and was the rendezvous of pirates and
smugglers. Now it is perhaps the greatest commercial
port of China. It is about ten by seven or eight miles
in area and is separated from the main land by a narrow
neck of water. One seldom hears the name of the town
Victoria, which stretches for several miles along the coast,
the only place where it can get a foothold as the pre-
cipitous sides of the island extend almost to the water's
edge. The houses are large and substantial, being built
of granite or white freestone to resist the frequent shocks
of earthquakes. They rise tier above tier, the topmost
one about 400 feet above the shore, as there is scarcely
a level acre on the island. Broad roads lined with trees
lead up to these residences, which are surrounded with
tropical gardens. The Government House is a hand-
some structure overlooking the Public Gardens, and
there are a number of fine churches, schools, clubs and
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EMM J J. BARTOL 227
public buildings. The clock tower is a feature of the
place. A broad granite sea wall extends for miles.
We carried letters of introduction which at once
brought us an invitation to dinner. As Hong Kong is
really an English colony its social features are distinctive
and there is much ceremony.
We ascended Victoria Peak, carried in sedan chairs,
the journey consuming over an hour, and from its alti-
tude of over 1,800 feet enjoyed a magnificent view. We
also visited the Colonial Prison where hundreds of crim-
inals of all nationalities are confined. The smells of the
Chinese theatre, where we tried to attend a performance,
proved too much for us.
We started for Canton in a pretty American steamer
and to our surprise the boat seemed prepared for a battle,
hung all around with cutlasses, muskets and hatchets.
On inquiry we were told that once a gang of cut-throats
had murdered and robbed all the passengers and crew
and taken possession of the boat, so that now they lock
all the hatchways and keep in a state of preparation.
We greatly doubted this story. We were met at Canton
by a friend who had provided a competent guide, ap-
propriately named " Ah Cum," and we started off in
four chairs, with twelve bearers to view the city. The
next day we went with " Ah Cum" to look at embroid-
eries and made extensive purchases, especially of screens.
In the minds of most people China is associated with the
old pictures in the school books, representing a man
bearing a pole with a basket of rats at one end and a
basket of puppies at the other. We were reminded of
this when we visited the butcher shops and saw dogs
228 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
hanging upon the shambles, whose carcasses looked very
much like other meat.
Until the last seventy-five years Canton was prac-
tically all of China known to the outside world, and up
to a still more recent period foreigners were allowed to
transact business only along the river's edge outside the
walls. Its gates were finally opened by the English and
it is now one of the greatest commercial emporiums of
Asia. It is situated on Pearl River, seventy miles from
its mouth, has more than a million inhabitants and is one
of the oldest and wealthiest cities of China. It is also
one of the worst and is the favorite resort for criminals
of all kinds. The streets are too narrow for wheeled
vehicles. The houses of the rich are magnificently fur-
nished, while tens of thousands of the inhabitants are
born and live and die in squalid boats on the river.
There are hundreds of temples and pagodas but most of
them are falling into decay. The people are wholly
given to commerce and the shops are splendid beyond
description.
Our first landing in Japan was made at Nagasaki,
where we went on shore in small covered boats. O,
what a change from India and China ! Everywhere
cleanliness, refinement and courtesy, the pretty cottages
surrounded by verandas enclosed with Venetian blinds,
the people neatly dressed, the atmosphere one of com-
fort and safety. We had tea in a bamboo house in a
quaint little garden and wandered at our ease among the
interesting shops.
The most beautiful voyage in the world is said to
be the one through the Inland Sea of Japan where there
KOBE
[A FAN
EMMA J. BARTOL 229
are 3,000 islands of every imaginable shape, some of
them mountain cones rising to a height of 900 feet,
others with green valleys and softly rolling hillsides.
We lingered for two weeks at Kobe, Hiogo and Kyota,
most charmingly situated places. Surrounded by moun-
tains they are a paradise of bamboo and plantain groves,
lotus ponds and long shaded walks. We visited a tea
garden with a celebrated waterfall, of which I made a
sketch, and went with a large party to see the famous
dancing Kagura priestesses, inspected the Mikado's
Temple, and then the porcelain factories, where I pur-
chased some Cloisonne' ware for which the place is noted.
We made an excursion to Lake Biwa, where there is a
fir tree said to be 2,000 years old. The immense
branches are upheld by posts and great care is taken of
it. At Otsu we halted while the scene of the attempted
assassination of the Russian Prince, the present Czar, was
pointed out.
We arrived at Yokohama on Sunday, June 21, and
were rejoiced to see the Stars and Stripes floating from a
number of ships in the great harbor. The little boats
swarmed around us, propelled with sculls by men and
women wearing practically no clothing, and we were
landed in the midst of a crowd of coolie porters in almost
the same condition. Perhaps nowhere on the globe are
the shops so enticing as here, with their silks, embroid-
eries, bronzes, porcelain and exquisite curios. It has
been called the foreign mercantile settlement of Yeddo,
which is seventeen miles away, and it extends along the
shore for several miles. The foreign legations were
located on this Island of Nipon in early days for pur-
230 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
poses of safety, as they were fortified against attacks from
the main land, but now a foreigner feels as safe from at-
tack as in his own country. It is a pleasure to sojourn
among these polite, amiable and altogether agreeable
people.
We met friends from Philadelphia and Boston who
made our stay most pleasant. One of the ladies had
made a valuable collection of 1,000 tea pots, all different.
Another had collected 7,000 rare and beautiful butter-
flies. The chrysanthemums were in full bloom and only
one who has visited Japan at this season can understand
their wealth of beauty. We made many excursions by
jinrickisha, by horse cars and by train. One of these
was to Kamakura and the Daibutsu Temples, where we
saw the famous Bronze Buddha, 50 feet high and 600
years old, the great temple of Hachiman, dating back to
the twelfth century, a beautiful new temple noted for its
lacquer work, many spots famous in Japanese history,
and exquisite views down long avenues to the sea.
On another day we went to Hakone and Myan-
oshita. On the way we stopped at the celebrated Ojigoku,
or Big Hell, where subterranean fires send boiling sul-
phur springs to the surface, and one needs to tread care-
fully. Hakone is a lovely village on a lake with the
Emperor's summer palace at one end and at the other a
glorious view of Fujiyama, the Sacred Mountain. This
magnificent peak, 12,100 feet in height, is an extinct
volcano and is still called the " mountain of fire," though
its top is covered with snow most of the year. It may
be seen for a hundred miles out at sea. On the return
we stopped at the noted sulphur baths of Ashinoyu.
<
EMMA J. BARTOL 231
The excursions to points of interest are almost endless
and on most of them one passes through long lanes of
the tall and graceful bamboo. We were told that at cer-
tain seasons the march of caterpillars spreads devastation
and actually impedes travel. The Japanese are very
fond of fish and at many places of resort are ponds well
stocked with them, so that the guest may actually see his
order caught fresh from the water.
Tokyo, with its 1,500,000 inhabitants, is one of the
great cities of the world. One ought to have several
weeks for sightseeing here instead of the few days which
are all most tourists can spare. This is the capital of
Japan and is said to cover as much ground as London
on account of its many parks and canals. It seems to
be set in the midst of orchards which in the spring are a
mass of bloom. Its two largest parks contain beautiful
groves, lotus ponds, tea houses and several splendid
tombs and shrines. There are 3,300 temples in the city,
3,000 of these Buddhist. The Emperor's Castle covers
as much ground as a small city and has miles of moats
and ramparts. The bazars here are of small interest
compared to those of Yokohama but the visitor should
not fail to see the fish and flower markets.
From here also the excursions are many, the one to
Nikko being perhaps the most important. A Japanese
proverb says, " Until you have seen Nikko do not say
1 splendid.' " It lies between Yokohama and Tokyo
and books on Japan devote pages to descriptions of it.
A single paragraph will illustrate : " Nature, Art and
History have been alike prodigal to Nikko. It is
throned in the midst of mountains, forests and solemn
232 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
magnificent groves. Right through it courses the fierce
mountain river Daiyagawa, spanned by the sacred bridge
with its perfect arch and glittering red lacquer. In every
street, in every hollow, runs a rill of water clear as glass.
Its glades fairly glow with scarlet azaleas as large as holly-
hocks, and its woods hold thickets of hydrangeas. It
contains the most magnificent Buddhist temples in the
world, glorious mortuary shrines and tombs, exquisite
gardens, waterfalls, etc." We will say in a word that
one cannot exaggerate the beauties of Japan and let it go
at that.
We spent seventeen days at T5kyo and then re-
turned to Yokohama. Here we received many courtesies
from Admiral and Mrs. Belknap, the Admiral's ship
being stationed in the harbor. They invited us to dine
and spend the evening ; the next day they took us for a
ride and in the evening to see the Geisha Girls. One
day the Admiral gave us a trip in his steam launch
around Mississippi Bay and Treaty Point, and in the
evening we had a drive about Old Yokohama. Finally
on Sept. i they accompanied us on board the steamer
" China " and saw us safely off on our long voyage across
the Pacific.
The journey was without any striking incident, as
the weather was fine all the way. In mid-ocean we had
that peculiar experience of " losing a day." On Monday
the Captain insisted it was still Sunday, and I never was
able to straighten it out in my diary. Our ship made a
record trip and on Sept. 15 we stepped on shore at San
Francisco. I had visited California many years before,
but my companions never had been there, and so we had
E. J. B. IN JAPANESE COSTUME
EMMA J. BARTOL 233
some pleasant trips in the Golden State. We went down
through the beautiful Santa Clara valley to San Jose,
spent a night at the famous Lick Observatory on top of
Mt. Hamilton, and stopped for a few days at the world-
renowned Hotel del Monte at Monterey. We took the
seventeen-mile drive along the shore and saw the old
cypress trees, the sea lions and the great flocks of sea
birds. Then we went to the seaside resort of Santa Cruz
for a short stay and finally back to San Francisco. On
the way we passed through miles of peach, apricot, prune
and olive orchards, stopped at Palo Alto to see the noted
Stanford stock-farm and visit the great university which
had just been opened.
As we were not yet tired of travelling we took the
longest way home and went up to Portland, Oregon,
stopping en route to visit the noble Mt. Shasta. We
did the regulation sight-seeing in and around Portland,
saw the sun rise and set over the magnificent mountains,
went to Tacoma, then by steamer for Seattle — more
sightseeing — steamer again for Victoria, another for Van-
couver, and at last we were safe on board the Canadian
Pacific Railroad and bound for home. We had been in
thirty-one steamers and nearly one hundred hotels on our
trip around the world. As we made this last part of the
long journey we were unanimous in declaring that no-
where had we beheld more glorious scenery than this
great transcontinental railroad passes through — the grand
canyons and gorges at the western extremity, the long
bridges across the wide, rushing rivers hundreds of feet
below, the lofty mountains, their great glaciers sparkling
in the sunlight, the miles of gloomy pine forests. And
234 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
then as we came farther east there were the lovely val-
leys, the prairies, the limitless farms, the pleasant villages,
and at last the big, beautiful modern city of Minneapolis,
which made those of the Old World seem like a dream
of the buried past.
On the third day of November, 1891, we entered
the station at Philadelphia which we had left just a year-
and-a-half before.
EMM J J. BARTOL 235
CHAPTER XXIV.
On my return home to settle down for probably the
remainder of my life I decided to remodel and redecorate
my house and greatly enjoyed the months that were
given to this work. I myself painted the tiles for the
mantelpieces, having in one room a historical scheme,
another of flowers, another of birds, another marine. I
also decorated with my own brush several of the rooms.
Weeks were spent in finishing up the many sketches and
water colors I had made on my journey, and in framing
and hanging them and the choicest of the photographs
and other pictures I had collected.
I stopped, in January, to attend the National
Woman Suffrage Convention in Washington with my
friend of many years' standing, Miss Susan B. Anthony-
By the last of February I was prepared to gather about
me my children and grand children for a " housewarm-
ing " in the renovated home, and then I was quite ready
for a trip to Asheville, N. C. In June I went with my
daughter, Mrs. Brazier, and her family to their summer
home at Kennebunkport, on the coast of Maine, and
later visited a number of other New England resorts, ar-
riving home in September.
In looking over my diaries for the years between
1 891 and 1895 I ^ n d tne unimportant records of a busy
life at home — with an endless round of domestic duties
which are increased instead of lessened by a large number
of servants — of club meetings and the meetings of the
boards of the many institutions with which I was con-
2j6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
nected, and of various social diversions — lectures, thea-
tres, dinners, calls, etc. Interspersed is a continued suc-
cession of brief trips to the South in mid-winter, to
Atlantic City, Lakewood or other nearby places in the
spring ; and to seaside or mountains in summer. In
September, 1893, I spent two interesting weeks in
Chicago visiting the Columbian Exposition.
All through the year 1895 mv health was very pre-
carious and I was under the doctor's care much of the
time. February and March were passed in Florida, at
St. Augustine, Palm Beach and Ormond. I spent part
of the summer at The Halcyon, Millbrook, N. Y., and
then went to Lenox, Mass., both most beautiful and
healthful places, but I seemed to receive no benefit.
Then I went to the Oriental Hotel on Coney Island for
awhile and later to Asbury Park, but I was glad when
the end of warm weather permitted me to return to my
own home. As winter approached, partly because of my
health and partly from restlessness and the strong desire
for travel, I determined on another trip around the world.
As I was now in my 75th year I knew that my children
would strongly oppose the idea and therefore I simply
announced that I was going to try the climate of Cali-
fornia, which they all approved. I arranged my busi-
ness for a long absence, put my home in charge of a
housekeeper of many years' standing and, taking my
maid, I started on December 12 for San Diego. By the
15th we had left all traces of winter behind and on the
1 6th we arrived at our destination and were soon delight-
fully settled at the Hotel Florence.
I have visited most of the countries of the civilized
world, but if I had no interests to keep me in the East I
EMMA J. BARTOL 237
should want to spend the rest of my days in Southern
California. The air is soft but dry, clear and exhilarating,
blowing from the mountains on one side and the ocean
on the other ; the scenery is magnificent, and to the lover
of trees, shrubs, vines and flowers it is a veritable Paradise.
Here I spent Christmas, attending a dance in the eve-
ning, the ball room a bower of carnations, roses, lilies and
myriads of other lovely and fragrant blossoms. I visited
friends at Coronado, went into old Mexico, had many
charming drives and spent one of the most delightful
winters of my life. On March 9 I went to Pasadena
for a week among the orange groves and gardens. We
visited the old Mission and other interesting points and
passed a day and night on Mt. Lowe and Mt. Echo,
where we saw the wonders of the heavens through the
great telescope and of the earth beneath us as we looked
down from these lofty heights.
From San Francisco I telegraphed my family that I
was sailing on the steamer " Belgic " for Honolulu, and
rather enjoyed thinking of the surprise this message
would create, and the still greater one they would have
when they received my letter telling them I had started
on a trip around the world !
We sailed out of the Golden Gate in a heavy fog
March 21, 1896. Conditions on the ship were not
pleasant, the sea was very rough, and it was rather a
dilapidated crowd of passengers that gladly stepped on
shore at Honolulu on the afternoon of March 28. After
some trouble I secured a large, comfortable room with a
2j8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
fine view and found much to interest me in our six
weeks' sojourn in the middle of the Pacific.
Those of us who have passed three-score and ten
recollect the thrilling stories told us in our childhood of
the Sandwich Islands, discovered by the intrepid Captain
Cook in 1778, whose inhabitants ate up the early mis-
sionaries that were sent there to convert them from idol-
atry to Christianity. All that seems very far away as
one walks the streets of the pleasant and peaceful capital,
Honolulu, a comparatively modern city, so far as houses and
improvements go, with about as many white as colored peo-
ple on the streets, large hotels, good stores and markets,
and as much safety as the traveller would find at home. At
this time the native Queen had been deposed and Presi-
dent Sanford B. Dole, an American, was ruling in her
place. It is everlasting summer here, snow and frost are
unknown, birds of brilliant plumage fly among the trees,
flowers bloom in profusion all the year and the sea bath-
ing is delightful at all seasons. Every species of tropical
fruits and vegetables may be raised but the production
of sugar is becoming one of the chief industries.
Only eight of these twelve islands are inhabited, the
rest being but barren rocks. On Molokai is the noted
leper settlement. All of them contain high mountain
peaks and there are numerous active and extinct vol-
canoes. Kilauea and Mauna Loa are the most famous
of those which are still active, both on Hawaii Island,
and to see them we went by steamer to its principal town,
Hilo, more than a day's trip. We started for the crater
in a stage coach at 8 o'clock in the morning, ten men
and two women, and all day we climbed upward through
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EMMA J. BARTOL 239
a tropical forest ; the great tree ferns with their bronze
trunks and spreading tops, orchids in profusion, mag-
nolias, roses, jasmine, surrounded us — a perfect wilder-
ness of beauty. Through all these jungles there was the
comfortable feeling that no wild animals or poisonous
snakes would be encountered. We spent the night at
the Volcano House, 4,000 feet above sea level. The
next morning as we were eating breakfast the landlord
ushered a lady into the dining room with a great flourish
and exclaimed in a loud voice, " Ladies and gentlemen,
Miss Kate Field ! ' She was greatly embarrassed, as
she was in a costume for riding horseback and evidently
had not anticipated such publicity. Only a short time
after this her sad death occurred at Honolulu.
The next day we went on horseback down into the
crater of ashes and crumbling lava till the ground became
too hot to stand upon and we were enveloped in sul-
phurous steam and smoke, while below us was the molten
lake bubbling and seething and occasionally bursting into
flames, a weird but splendid sight.
When I began writing these recollections of my
travels I was surprised and disappointed to find that ap-
parently not one of the hundreds of letters which I had
written home had been preserved, and therefore I have
only my memory and scattered data from which to draw.
I found, however, that my son George and my niece,
Harriet A. Curtis, had laid aside a few letters and postals
which I had sent them on my second tour around the
world, and although they are but fragmentary I will use
240 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
them, hoping they will give a little more of the personal
touch to the book.
Honolulu, April 2, 1896.
" I hail you on my 75th natal day. I am sitting in
a large veranda open all around. The mangoes are nod-
ding in the soft breeze before the windows ; the bread
fruit opposite invites me to take green rolls for break-
fast ; the peaceful bamboo nods at me from the other
side, and the fragrant frangipani wafts perfume all around.
A huge crystal vase on the table is filled with gold fish.
A gorgeous bougainvilla in all its splendor of color is
dropping gracefully from a tree on the left, while a hedge
of the brilliant hibiscus extends down to the street. The
Hawaiian flag floats lazily from a government building.
Minah birds and wild doves enliven the air."
Honolulu, May 1, 1896.
As you have not been here you have still some-
thing to live for and much of interest to see. The
scenery is magnificent; the climate equable; the trade
winds delicious ; the flowers and trees beautiful beyond
description. The struggling youthful republic is inter-
esting, with the faults of youth to be corrected. The
population is a very mixed one, marrying and inter-
marrying until it is hard to tell who are white. There
are so many Chinese you think you are in Hong Kong,
and such numbers of Japanese you feel you must have
landed in Yokohama. The real Hawaiians are affable
a
MALIETA KING OF SAMOA
EMMA J. BARTOL 241
and hospitable. I soon leave here for Auckland, New
Zealand."
While at the Islands I sent the following letter to
Philadelphia to be read at a meeting of one of my clubs.
" To the New Century Club, Greeting :
The women of all lands, whether living amongst the
glaciers of Norway or in the seductive indolence of the
tropics, should be of interest to women in general, and
to the New Century Club in particular. I have already
sent you some information on the status of the women
of Southern California and you may like to hear of the
pleasant time spent among those of Hawaii.
On arrival I was called upon by a lady who had
lived many years in the Islands, and, finding how inter-
ested I was on all subjects pertaining to women, she
kindly did everything in her power to gratify my wishes.
My first objective point was to have an interview
with Queen Liliuokalani. This I supposed could be
easily managed and would open up the way for further
information ; but I found I had reckoned without my
host. Although my friend made every effort, aided by
powerful persons behind the throne who Used their in-
fluence to bring about the desired result, it proved in
vain and I was more than disappointed.
Hawaii is like a moth just bursting from its chrysalis
and emerging into its new life, the soft downy wings not
dry or prepared to wing their flight. Politics and social
life are as yet in a chaotic state just emerging from a
monarchy into a newly fledged republic.
As in our Civil War the social department met with
disintegration ; families were divided, fueds were engen-
242 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
dered and people awoke in the morning to find father
against son, and old time friends parted by political dif-
ferences.
I discovered that the Queen is a prisoner on parole,
surrounded by enemies and watched by detectives. She
is afraid to visit or receive visits ; she is not allowed to
leave the island, and is in constant dread of losing the
little liberty allowed her.
There are two distinct parties, Royalists and Repub-
licans. The Royalists espouse the cause of the Mon-
archy, the head of whom was Queen Liliuokalani, who
was deposed. Many around her were either thrown into
prison or exiled without a minute's warning, losing their
property and languishing in prisons as convicts in misery
and want, leaving their families in great distress. Some
were pursued as felons into the forests, mountains or
swamps to be shot down as criminals of the worst de-
scription.
I visited one of those who had been imprisoned but
is now released and who formerly held the position of
Minister of the Interior. He had suffered terribly from
the bad treatment, want of nourishment and impure air.
This highly polished and cultivated gentleman has lost
his health in consequence and a terrible disease has been
engendered which sooner or later will result in death.
One could go on indefinitely with tales of oppres-
sion, distress and woe, caused by the overthrow and
radical change in the government. But you will ask how
and why was this done ? Through the instrumentality
of the missionaries, who acted, as it is said young
SAMOAN CHIEF
EMM J J. BARTOL 243
scorpions do, viz : as soon as they are strong enough
they climb upon their mother's back and eat her up.
The missionaries, after being treated with the great-
est kindness by the natives, have by chicanery and sharp
dealings possessed themselves of their property and
lands. Who hold all the positions of power and trust
to-day ? The missionaries. Who are the wealthy land-
holders ? The missionaries. To whom belong the
stately homes ? The missionaries, or the sons of mis-
sionaries.
Naturally those who have lost and those who have
gained the power are in opposition and the losing faction
are feeling the sting acutely.
I was hoping to consolidate the women into a Club
from which might emanate strength and unity and many
good works, of which our own Club is a shining example,
but after visiting several leading women of both factions
I found the existing jealousy and rancor made any move-
ment of the kind an impossibility. It was not for want
of education, for I was agreeably surprised at the intelli-
gence and brightness of the women, both foreign and
native.
The scholastic advantages are fully up to date and
the schools are supplied with all modern educational im-
provements. The Hawaiians are bright and readily
master all the curriculum. A professor stated that the
natives are unusually apt in writing and drawing, while
in other branches they are quite up to the standing of
the whites. At the present the women, both white and
244 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
natives, are working hard in the churches, according to
the sect to which they belong.
The native women are finely formed, tall, erect,
shapely and carry themselves well. They have large
dark eyes, abundant long, black hair, olive complexions,
or more properly speaking chocolate. They are sprightly,
good natured and self-possessed in their ways and man-
ners. To give you an instance : Calling quite unex-
pectedly at a house in the country with my friend, we found
the family in an inner room where some were painting
china, with plates, cups, saucers and vases strewed around,
and patterns, paints and brushes about in studio fashion.
The ladies, in the easy costume of the natives, wearing a
dress called " holoku," or what we should style " Mother
Hubbard," were not in the least disconcerted, but
received us in their usual hospitable way, simply stop-
ping their work to greet us. Having devoted sometime
to china painting I was at once interested, asking how
they succeeded in firing and in procuring the necessary
oils and materials. Soon they inquired what we pre-
ferred to drink. Finding ginger ale would suit all,
glasses were brought with cakes served on some of the
dainty studio plates. Thus a very pleasant hour was
spent in this unceremonious and friendly way, which is
the usual one amongst the natives.
One cogent reason for this easy manner of being
received is that there are no bells, knockers or servants
to attend the doors ; on arriving one simply opens the
front door and calls till some member of the family
answers or appears.
The native women are remarkably fond of riding
on horseback, which they do fearlessly, generally going
SAMOAN YOUTH. FLOWER COSTUME
EMMA J. BARTOL 245
at full gallop. They ride astride, wearing divided skirts,
which they arrange in such a way as not to appear
unseemly. With instructions from them the writer rode
some miles to the volcano of Kilauea and found no
trouble in so doing. The women are also very fond of
swimming and are great experts. The missionaries have
had such an influence, however, that the free and easy
abandon of the past is giving way, and in vain I looked
for the celebrated surf-swimmers of by-gone times."
2 4 6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XXV.
When we took our steamer for New Zealand we
found on board the wife of Robert Louis Stevenson, her
son and daughter, Miss Isobel Strong, en route for their
home in Samoa. I became very well acquainted with
them, and Miss Strong was afterwards my guest in Phil-
adelphia for some time. At noon of the seventh day we
anchored within the coral reefs of the harbor at Samoa
and went on shore in the small boats which the natives
manage so skilfully. The Stevenson party received a
great ovation. After a few hours' stay among these
curious and unattractive people we set sail again. The
five days' voyage was most uncomfortable, the sea a suc-
cession of heavy swells with the waves occasionally break-
ing over the deck, and we were glad indeed to land at
Auckland. I was greatly and most favorably impressed
with New Zealand. During our five weeks' stay I visited
all the places of importance, and afterwards embodied
my views in a lecture which I gave a number of times
after returning home and then printed for circulation
among my friends. I can take space here for only a
brief abstract of it.
The climate is like wine without a headache ; like
that of Japan, the best to be found anywhere, though not
perfect. According to Mr. Henry D. Lloyd, New
Zealand has the area approximately of Italy, a popula-
tion of about 780,000, and 40,000 of these are Maoris.
We speak commonly of New Zealand and Australia as
if they were within hail of each other, but New Zealand
SAMOAN BELLE
EMMA J. BARTOL 247
is half as far from Australia as America is from Europe,
and they are stormy waters that guard these shores. Its
isolation protects it from tidal waves of heat and cold.
New Zealand is made up of two large islands and some
smaller ones. A tree falls in the forest and in its roots
is found a gold mine ; a citizen digs a posthole and cuts
into a vein of coal forty feet thick.
New Zealand has the variety that gives vigor and is
tonic. Almost every New Zealander lives within sight
of the mountains or the ocean or both. Its landscapes
show long ranges and solitary giants tipped with Alpine
glow ; there are waterfalls everywhere, some of them
among the finest in the world, a luxuriant country-side,
golden farms, lakes, geysers, volcanoes ; forests with
miles of pink, white and red flowering trees in spring ;
and there are fiords of the sea threading their way around
the feet of mountains crowned with glaciers and perpetual
snow. The scenery is a synopsis of the best that Nor-
way, Switzerland, Italy and England can show, with
occasional patches of Gehenna in the pumice country
around the hot lakes. Wellington is the Washington of
New Zealand. The town is situated at the foot of a
high range of hills and overlooks a fine harbor. It is
probably one of the stormiest places in the world ; earth-
quakes and tidal waves are by no means rare. It is the
capital, and Parliament Buildings, Government House
and Offices give the key to its character. It has about
34,000 inhabitants. Auckland comes next, followed by
Christchurch and Dunedin. Dunedin which is Gaelic
for Edinburgh, was founded by Scotch Presbyterians and
derived its prosperity from the gold fields, whilst Auck-
248 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
land, like Topsy, has " growed " somehow, deriving
scant advantage from having been the seat of government
in early days. It is essentially a commercial city.
New Zealand is inhabited by British settlers and an
aboriginal race who call themselves the Maori, and who
belong to the Malay division of mankind. Within liv-
ing memory these Maoris have changed from cannibals
into citizens and members of Parliament, while their
women have changed from squaws to voters. The
woods and plains of Africa and America were rich with
game both for the natives and new arrivals, but the New
Zealand larder was empty when the white man came.
A horticultural school started recently by Queen
Victoria was intended for men, but it was announced that
if women wanted to come they would be admitted. To
everyone's surprise the school was at once flooded with
women, and further admissions had to be refused. Well-
to-do women came because they wanted to learn enough
to see that their gardeners did the right thing ; poor
women came to add another means of making a living ;
and a familiar figure was the factory girl who had been
warned by her doctor that she must betake herself to an
outdoor life if she would live.
Woman suffrage came in New Zealand almost with-
out notice and without agitation. A slightly larger per-
centage of women than of men exercise their right of
voting. The influence of women has been felt helpfully
in legislation. Women are enfranchised, and the prin-
ciple of " one man, one vote," enfranchises all men and
puts an end to the abuses of plural voting in Parliament
and municipal elections. On election day one can see
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EMMA J. BARTOL 249
the baby carriages standing in front of the polls while the
father and the mother go in and vote — against each other
if they choose. For these facts I am indebted to "Newest
England," by Henry D. Lloyd.
It was July when we went to Australia but unfor-
tunately for us this is their midwinter and we found the
weather raw and cold, while the rains were frequent and
heavy. The people and the life are intensely English.
A few letters must suffice for this interesting country
about which so much has been and will be written.
Sidney, New South Wales,
July 3, 1896.
" New Zealand looked greener than the Emerald
Isle ; the conifrae are the handsomest I have ever seen.
The country is sub-tropical. I found it cold and damp,
the thermometer ranging between 50 and 6o°, with
stone houses unheated except for a bit of a fire in one
room, about a handful of soft coal, doors and windows
always wide open. It was their winter, answering to our
December. So it is here, everything is up side down
and July is the coldest month. The Southern cross
shines clear and bright over head, but no familiar stars
greet our eyes at night.
You would be interested in the sheep stations. A
small number of sheep does not pay, nothing less than
20,000. They shear by steam power. The wool ware-
houses are immense stone buildings of imposing appear-
ance.
The climate here is about the same as at Auckland,
no frost, no snow, and not so damp. The weather of
250 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
late has been superb, a bright, clear, sunny atmosphere
and a cloudless sky have made it possible to see many
of the environs and places of resort, which are enchant-
ing. I cannot speak so well of the population. Botany
Bay, where Capt. Cook landed and which was the penal
settlement for England, is one of the suburbs. Some of
the convicts have grown rich and consequently powerful
but that part of the town looks scallywag. The popu-
lation descended from the convicts seem like shabby gen-
tility, even those who come from England as a rule are
those to whom life has been a failure and they come here
as a last resort. But the convicts' labor has been a bless-
ing in some ways, as they have made splendid roads,
bridges, quays, etc.
I have felt too hurried to write much, but thought
I would give you a synopsis of this strange country of
the Platybus, Moa, Emeu, Wallaby and Kangaroo.
I am 37 degrees below the Equator and have had
enough of the south pole ; now I mean to hang my
shingle out around the Equator and warm up a bit. I
shall soon turn my face northwards."
Later : — " Although I wrote to you this morning I
have seen something this afternoon which I thought
would interest you and I must sit right down and tell you
all about it. I had tickets given me to the Grand Inter-
colonial Sheep Show and Sheep-dog Trials. They take
place a little out of Sydney in the grounds of the Fair,
something like a race-course with stands around the out-
side of the greensward. The day was superb and quite
warm. The trials were held at the Royal Agricultural
Societies' Grounds, Moore Park. A flock of sheep are
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EMM J J. BARTOL 251
kept in a corral until wanted, a hundred yards away ; a
small piece of greensward is fenced off, with hurdles and an
opening farther on ; two hurdles are placed diagonally and
further on more hurdles, representing a fold with one
narrow opening. The sheep are lifted up by men and
placed some distance from the first opening. The
trained shepherd dog is brought and it is his business to
make those sheep go through the three trials, the fold,
the narrow opening and the further sheep fold, unassisted.
Six of the best dogs had a trial, ten minutes allowed to
each dog. The dogs are unlike our collies, much
smaller, long and lean, something the shape of a fox.
Their training and sagacity are wonderful. By gestures
they seem to understand everything the shepherd desires
and lie down at command. I was delighted with their
intelligence and docility ; they never bark or worry the
sheep as poorly trained dogs do. I saw them accom-
complish the three trials.
Then came the shearing of the sheep by steam
machinery, which was done in a few minutes and the
sheep relieved of their winter coats. Afterwards I saw
the prize sheep with their blue and red ribbons around
their necks. Well, I thought I had seen sheep, but
upon my word I was amazed. Some were so buried in
wool I could not see their eyes ; frequently they are
obliged to cut away the wool around the eyes so they
can see to eat. They find the Vermont sheep very fine
and are importing them. The object is to breed so as
to have the merino wool down to their fetlocks and up
252 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
to their eyes. Some sheep are for blankets, some for
fine clothing.
Formerly the wool all went to London to be sold
but now they send it to France, Germany and England,
as ordered. The great pest here is ticks, which they are
now fighting. The tick and the fluke actually eat the
livers of the poor sheep ; the eggs are deposited on the
blades of the grass and hatch inside the sheep and make
their way to the liver. The oil of the sheep's wool is
called yolk and poisons the men who shear if it enters a
wound. The tariff in the States has helped Australia
and been worth thousands of dollars to the wool growers,
as we now have to buy their wool. As the old adage is,
4 What's one man's meat is another man's poison ' New
South Wales has free trade, Victoria has protection.
Sydney has grown and Melbourne gone down.
The government is very difficult to comprehend.
They owe allegiance to England and if attacked England
would defend them ; but each colony raises its own
revenue, has its own parliament, and is independent of
the Mother Country, making its own laws. They have
discovered their mistake in not having the educational
qualification to vote ; now the mob rules and they are
bitterly feeling the situation."
Sydney, July 4, 1896,
" I am quite well and hearty, not having had an
ache or pain, notwithstanding all the rough ocean trips
and many by land. This is mid-winter, the sun rises at
7 a. m. and sets at 5. To have a sunny room one must
demand a northern exposure. Magnificent India rubber
EMMA J. BARTOL 253
trees form beautiful avenues in the various parks. I
have not felt really warm since leaving Honolulu.
Sydney is a beautiful place of 480,000 inhabitants, about
such a city as Boston. It is a little over a century old,
covers 2,670 acres and its streets measure in length 100
miles. It is built on promontories in a number of beau-
tiful bays. The streets are mostly very steep. Tram
and steam cars, omnibusses and hundreds of cab stands
are all over the city. The public buildings are very
handsome, built of sandstone with polished pillars.
This is the queer land of strange animals and birds.
I saw dozens of cockatoos and parrots of all shades im-
aginable in the shops for sale for a few shillings each.
The city and people are very English and yet there is a
difference, not for the better. I went to Botany Bay and
I thought how many persons had stepped out of those
convict ships never to return or see their friends again.
Of course there are some cultivated, fine people, but as
a rule, they strike you as second class ; the lower classes
rule and all the laws favor them.
July 6 I sail in the steamship ' Arcadia,' a Penin-
sular and Oriental boat, which touches at Melbourne and
Adelaide, so I shall have an opportunity of seeing more
of this wonderful land. Have been here three weeks,
sightseeing all the time. The ocean voyage will be three
weeks via Ceylon to South Africa."
Melbourne, Victoria, July 8, 1896.
" I arrived here at daylight. After breakfast started
for the Zoo, which is reputed very fine and is an
hour's ride by train. We looked at the Wombat,
254 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Wallaby, Adjutant, Eagles of all sorts and Monkeys.
When it commenced to hail hard we took shelter in an
arbor just behind the Adjutant, who walked with solemn
strides to our refuge and deliberately turned his back on
us. As the water stood in pools it was impossible to
proceed ; besides all the animals were more sensible than
we and tucked themselves under the straw, so dashing
by the Kangaroo, Macaw and Cockatoo, we all withdrew.
The streets are very wide and the buildings high
and handsome. They have a fine esplanade and view
of the Pacific. There are many beautiful residences and
gardens at a suburb called St. Hilda. We visited the
Homeopathic Hospital, Blind Asylum, and Deaf and
Dumb Institution. The streets run up and down many
hills.
The steamship is a fine, large vessel and very steady.
We had a smooth passage here, had to study whether the
vessel was really going, there was so little motion. But
the cold is very disagreeable, like raw November weather,
no fires, doors and windows open, wind blowing, so we
wear all the clothes we possess.
EMM J J. BARTOL 255
CHAPTER XXVI.
We had a strange crowd on board, as we started
from Australia for Ceylon, people of many nationalities
bound for many parts of the world for all sorts of pur-
poses. The ocean was in a fury. The dishes flew from
the table. Everybody was sea sick and miserable, but
after a few days' steaming to the northwest we sailed into
calm seas and the passengers all came on deck arrayed in
light garments. Life on ship board became the reality
of a summer dream. We had music, dancing, games,
dramatic performances, and a gala time. I find among
the old letters the following account of one of those ship
concerts :
On Shipboard, July 24th, 1896.
"'The Stewards' Concert at 8.30.' How can I de-
scribe the beauty of the evening. It was something to be
felt rather than told. The moon had just fulled and cast
its shimmering light from the ship to the horizon across
the broad Indian Ocean and filtered in silvery sheen on
the rippling waters. The usually rolling sea with its
immense swells lay still and calm, and but for the sheets
of snowy foam stealing from the prow of our noble ship,
we could with difficulty imagine that we were going fifteen
knots an hour.
All the afternoon the busy and picturesque Lascars
were dragging around benches, awnings, and the piano
from the upper deck to the lower one, and lashing them
fast ; the hold was covered by gratings and again by
canvas, forming an excellent platform for the singers
25 6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
and dancers of the evening. On the deck were numerous
benches for the second-class passengers arranged as in a
theatre. Behind and around them various groups
stood or leaned against the bulwarks. The cooks in
their white paper caps and snowy aprons and trousers
formed a distinct party, while other employes flitted here
and there, half in shadow. On the deck above, near the
forecastle, the officers in their white duck suits and gilt
buttons, with jaunty blue cloth caps, were surveying the
scene between watches. The first-class passengers were
comfortably seated in all kinds of rocking and easy deck
chairs opposite the officers on another deck in the middle
of the ship, so that it seemed to represent the pit, the
balcony and the gallery of a theatre.
The Lascars are a brown, spare and active people
from Bombay, India and the northeast coast of Africa.
They are preferred as sailors on account of their abstemi-
ousness ; they do not drink ; they have their own cook
and separate food, principally rice and fish ; they are very
spry and lithe. Their dress is white trousers, a long
blue blouse of cotton, embroidered and tied in the middle
around the loins with a scarlet handkerchief, the points
hanging down, and an embroidered cap bound around
with a scarlet cloth like a turban. They have small,
delicate features and straight black hair. They run up
and down the rigging like cats.
The cool weather is left behind ; the ship having
passed the tropic of Capricorn, is approaching the Equator.
The thermometer now stands 84 , day and night. All
the decks are covered with double awnings, making
wraps unnecessary. The gentlemen in full evening cos-
EMM J J. BARTOL 257
tume, the ladies in low necks, short sleeves and full
opera dress made the scene very artistic and one not easily
forgotten."
On July 28 we slowly drifted into the harbor of
Columbo, on the Island of Ceylon, where we remained
for two weeks, part of the time at the Oriental Hotel
and part at Mt. Lavinia which is a more healthful spot.
This was the only point I touched which I had visited
on my former trip around the world, and as I described
it so fully in a former chapter I may now pass it by.
Sailing slowly to the southwest for ten days through
the Indian Ocean we came to the little Island of
Mauritius. We were persuaded to stop off and wait for
another steamer, which we much regretted doing. A
letter that I wrote from there will give an idea of the
place and our sojourn.
Kurpipe, Mauritius, Sept. 6, 1896.
" I think I hear you say, ' Where in the world have
you got to now ?' It certainly is no wonder you ask.
Get the map of Africa, look at latitude 20 off the coast
of Madagascar and there you will find an island of the
above name. At present I am stranded. The French
mail boats having been taken off unexpectedly I am
waiting for one due here to-morrow to carry me to Africa,
where the large mail steamers sail for Europe weekly.
This is the poorest and most uninteresting place of the
whole trip. It is a small island just within the Tropic
of Capricorn. It formerly belonged to the French, but
Great Britain put the lion's paw on it and now it is under
258 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
English rule, though the language and customs are still
French. The chief industry of the country is sugar and
the tall chimneys of the sugar houses remind me of Cuba,
as do also the cane fields. This is the grinding season.
The Island is subject to cyclones, but don't be
frightened, for this is not the cyclone season. The last
bad one was in 1892, when the houses fell in every
direction and thousands of people were buried. There
were none left to dig them out and the scenes must have
been harrowing, persons having been caught by the arms or
legs and no one to release them. The ruins are still there
and they dare not remove them for fear of an epidemic ;
therefore Port Louis is very sickly and it is not safe to
sleep one night in it. We came at once to Kurpipe,
which in Dutch means a place to light your pipe. The
village is a kind of Main Line — thatis, it is about one hours'
distance from the town — and the rich all have country
places there. It is 2,000 feet above the the sea level, the
thermometer ranges between 49 ° and 70 generally —
since I have been here about 62 °. It is the rainiest spot
I ever had the misfortune to get into. Have been here
fourteen days and only two without rain.
What do I do ? The moment it holds up I go for
a walk and am lucky if it does not pour before I return.
The scenery of the island is picturesque ; being volcanic,
there are some lofty peaks of fantastic shape, one called
" La Pouce," (" The Thumb"). There are extinct vol-
canoes and areas covered with volcanic rocks. Kurpipe
is singularly uninteresting. Lying in a bowl, one can
see nothing except by climbing up the steep, toilsome
ascent to its rim, when a charming vista of mountain
pi,
<
C
Q
w
h
w
EMMA J. BARTOL 259
peaks piercing the cloud-riven sky bursts upon one, with
the tranquil Indian Ocean bathing the distant shores. I
gaze and gaze and wish I could get away, but all things
come to them who wait ; and I hope it will not be long
now. The roads are mountainous and lonely, for they
are hemmed in by hedges of bamboo twelve to fifteen feet
high, which are trimmed into all sorts of fantastic shapes.
Every little while there is an opening into some gentleman's
private gardens, with the house in the distance, back
the road. At these openings I am obliged to stop
and look in for they are so gay with masses of pink and
crimson begonias several feet high, large rose bushes in
full flower, bougainvillea, poppies, hedges of azalias and
camellias of all colors, many feet tall. A brilliant orange
colored creeper climbs to the tops of the loftiest trees.
The immense quantity of rain keeps everything green
and growing, so we have a combination of tropical and
northern vegetation, thousands of sweet violets, English
daisies and spring flowers. In the warmer situations are
tamarinds, mangoes, oranges, lemons, etc.
Having so much time I have once more taken up
the brush and have sketched the tomb of Paul and Vir-
ginia, who are said to have been wrecked here, and also
the different varieties of flowers. I have just finished
reading c The Bondsman,' by Hall Caine, and a number
of other books. I have even resumed knitting on my
poor scarlet silk stocking, which is now making its second
trip around the world. If it gets home safely I am going
260 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
to have it finished, framed and hung up as a very much '
travelled hose of stylish and brilliant make.
The upper classes here are chiefly a mixed French
and native people. There are also Indians, Negroes,
Chinese and Blacks of many nations.
I am very anxious to know how all of you are at
home, not having heard since May. The meals here are
very peculiar and it was hard to be broken in. At 7 a. m.
a tray is brought to the bed-side with tea and two little,
thin slices of bread and butter; at 10 a. m. a breakfast
of several courses ; then bread and butter, tea and jam at
3 p. m. ; dinner at 7 p. m., with soup and various
courses. The food is poor and queerly cooked."
The steamer came but alas, it stayed ten days for
repairs and it was just a month after we landed at this
barren and uninteresting island before we finally set sail
for South Africa.
Ten days later, after a sultry but stormy trip, we
joyfully sighted Durban, Port Natal, on the extreme
southeastern point of Africa. We had had many odd
experiences but found here a new one. The steamship
could not go over the sand bar, so a tug was sent to
meet us. A huge basket, three feet wide, six feet deep,
with a shallow seat, a neat top and a door secured with
a padlock, was lowered by a crane to our deck, a passenger
took a seat, was hoisted in mid-air and swung on the
deck of the other vessel. After a few days here we went
on to Pieter Maritzburg, where we stopped at a hotel
built to represent an English castle and covered with
Kenilworth ivy. The scenery about here is grand, hill
T~
m.
82*
EMMA J. BARTOL 261
piled upon hill, and mountain rising above mountain.
We saw the wagon trains drawn by from twelve to
eighteen oxen " trekking " across the Transvaal. Little
did we dream of the awful carnage and desolation which
a few years later descended upon this peaceful country !
From here we continued our journey to Johannesberg,
and I find the following letter written from there, Oct.
6, 1896.
" I imagine 1 hear you say sometimes, ' I wonder
where mother is now.' Truly I wonder myself. I am
writing from the Transvaal, Africa. This is where they
had such a scare a short time ago by the Jamison raid.
They packed all the women and children into special
trains and sent them off to Cape Town for safety. It
was a dreadfully anxious time and the misery they suf-
fered was terrible. One-half of the world seems bound
to make the other half as wretched as possible.
The Hollanders, who came and settled in Africa to
have freedom of speech and thought, were living a peace-
ful, pastoral life when the English saw what a rich, good
land it was and how they throve, so they poked their nose
in and said, " We want to have this land ;" the Dutch
said, " We do not want you, but if you will come and be
satisfied, why, come." But soon the English became
aggressive and said, " We are going to govern you." It
ended in the Dutch abandoning the territory, taking their
movable goods in ox teams and " trekking " over moun-
tains, valleys and difficult passes till at last they came to
the river Vaal, over which they transported their cattle
and themselves, and called the country Transvaal, or
262 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Across the Vaal. "Now," they said, " all we want is to be
let alone in our own pastoral life to govern ourselves in
our own fashion." Again the English came and said,
You have gold here and we want it. The Dutch said,
" You may have it, all we want is to be let alone." Again
the English, when they grew strong, rose up and said,
" We want not only the gold but to levy the taxes and
control the Government."
This is the gist of what the last trouble was about.
Is it any wonder the Boers should feel sore and hate the
English ? Boers does not mean colored people, but is
similar to the French Bourgeoise, and simply means
what we would call Farmers ; they are a smart, indus-
trious race.
Yesterday I went all over a plant for crushing the
quartz ore, which was immense and very interesting.
The noise of the machinery was so appalling I could not
ask all I wanted to. The ore, while being crushed by
numerous pestles, is constantly washed by a large stream
of water which flows into vats. The pulverized ore is
roasted, then subjected to cyanide of potassium which
transforms the gold into a liquid, and this is caught in
tanks into which fine zinc filings are laid ; these attract
the gold and it is precipitated on the filings ; so on and
on by chemistry they obtain the pure gold at last. The
works are enormous, very expensive, and it is wearisome
going all over the premises. They employ 300 coolies
and many other workers.
Johannesburg is a bare, unfinished, unattractive
town, with many of these works and a rough sort of pop-
ulation, although it is wonderful what they have accom-
EMMA J. BARTOL 263
plished in thirty years. These works belong to syndi-
cates and all the land is owned by them. When the
leads of ore are exhausted the town will collapse.
The scenery between Durban and this place is
grand ; we constantly ascended until the train reached
here, going in and out among lofty mountains till we at-
tained to 5,893 feet above sea level. I hope to hear
from you at Cape Town."
Kimberly, Cape Colony, Oct. 11, 1896.
" At first I intended to post this from Johannesburg,
but subsequently thought as I was coming direct to the
celebrated diamond center I might find something of in-
terest to add. The first diamonds here were discovered
by a little girl on her father's farm ; she showed the
pretty stones to her father and they were kept. Subse-
quently an Irishman by the name of Riley, a traveller,
begged a night's shelter which the Boer granted and dur-
ing the evening showed him the stones. Riley asked
for one and carried it away. Afterwards he showed it to
some experts and finally sold it for $2,000. This soon
became noised abroad and led others to come. The
diamonds are found in blue ground and reef. The field
was first worked by claims, but subsequently all the
claims were bought up and a syndicate formed in order
to keep up the price. They are now working in mines
with deep shafts, tunnels, and very complicated and ex-
pensive machinery. The blue ground is brought to the
surface in iron buckets and carried into little iron wagons
which are all run by machinery and transferred to im-
mense fields to lie there and disintegrate by the action of
264 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
the sun and air. Then it is taken to the pulverizing
machine and the washing machine. Then the convicts
sort out the diamonds on long trays, throwing the
diamonds into what look like little tin spittoons. Sub-
sequently they are washed in acids and boiled and then
sorted as to color and quality and spread on tables for
the buyers to select. The day I was there the table
was a long one and the value of $70,000 was on it.
There were more diamonds than I shall ever see again,
some very large, some a light canary color, some white,
some blue white ; finally they showed me a case of cut
diamonds, some dark brown but beautiful, some light
pink. They are all cut in Amsterdam.
The De Beers mine is the largest and the first
started. The convict laborers are all kept in what they
call a compound, where they sleep in little rows of
houses made of corrugated iron. They have a hospital
for the victims of pneumonia and accidents, which are
continually occurring in the mines. They never leave
the compound until their time is up. I believe three
months is the shortest period. They have a large swim-
ming pool to bathe in ; it was full when I was there, and
they seemed happy and contented. The rules are very
strict and curious. The week before they leave they
must wear leather mitts day and night, and are obliged
to eat on all fours ; strong purgatives are administered,
and other means taken to prevent their stealing. One
boy cut his leg and inserted several diamonds and almost
died from lock-jaw. The stories one hears of the various
)
I
EMM J J. BARTOL 265
ways of stealing make an astounding history. The num-
ber employed in the De Beers mine is 5,000.
Africa is just now suffering from the rhindpest,
thousands of oxen are being shot and there bids fair to
be a famine. Already the farmers who have lost their
cattle are reduced from affluence to starvation and the
misery is terrible. The vast arid plains without timber
or water make me think of what I have heard of the
great steppes of Russia.
On October 13, I start for Cape Town in the mail
train, which only goes once a week. From 6 a. m. it
takes all that day, all night and the next day to reach
Cape Town, where I hope to get mail, not having heard
from the United States since last May. By-the-bye I
am still below the equator. October answers here to our
April, so it is Spring here, but it is very warm and they
have had no rains for months. I think one would dry
up and blow away pretty soon."
Travelling in Africa is anything but a pleasant
pastime. The cars are dirty ; there are only coarse, gray
blankets in the sleepers ; the trains run about ten miles
an hour on a single track and are frequently shunted on
switches; the eating accommodations are miserable and the
scenery monotonous and uninteresting. It was a great
relief to reach Cape Town, on the southwestern point, a
modern and thriving city, with a fine Parliament House
and other public buildings. Here to my joy I found
forty-one letters, the first I had received in five months.
Cape Town, Oct. 25, 1896.
" I am now living at a fashionable sea-side resort
with the booming of the broad Atlantic sounding in my
266 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
ears and the long surf constantly rolling up and dashing
in foam on the immense boulders that have fallen down
from the grand mountains just behind the house. Cape
Town is at the foot of Table Mountain which rises im-
mediately behind the city. It is 3,350 feet high, a sheer
precipice of granite, one of the most imposing mountains
I have seen ; it is straight and flat and on the top of it
is a lake or reservoir large enough for a steam launch.
This lake supplies the town with water. The width
around the base is thirty-four miles, sixteen of which are
on the face of the cliffs with the Atlantic dashing in white
foam on the precipitous rocks. This ' Victoria Drive '
is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The
whole distance is enlivened by the most magnificent dis-
play of wild flowers. Imagine immense masses of Lady
Washington pelargoniums peeping behind boulders of
rocks, the setting sun lighting up the bright pink masses
of geraniums till the mountain seems on fire. The
forests are full of calla lilies ; they grow all along the
brooks, and there are hedges of oleanders. I could fill
pages with descriptions of the flowers and trees alone.
You all complain that so long a time elapses with-
out hearing from me. I was twenty-one days on the
ocean going from Sydney to Ceylon. If I wrote on the
ship I could not mail it for three weeks. From Maur-
itius to Africa required ten days. Most of the ocean
voyages have been about two weeks. The mail service
has been infrequent and if we did not arrive in time for
the out-going mail one or two weeks were lost.
I expect to leave here November 5th, in the
" Guelph", for Teneriffe, one of the Canary Islands.
EMMA J. BARTOL 267
They say Cape Town is the place to buy African parrots.
I have not seen any for sale nor do I expect to get any,
as they are a nuisance on railroads and in steamers, and
add so to the baggage. I see nothing curious enough
to buy or bring back. Everything is brought from
England. I could not buy diamonds at the mines — not
allowed to by law. All the stones go to Amsterdam to
be cut, then to London to be sold. I am now staying
at a seaside resort half an hour by rail from Cape Town.
My room has five windows with superb views of the
long line of surf, beating and chafing on the mighty rocks
that have been hurled down from the sides of the moun-
tains. On one part of Table Mountain is seen the silver
tree, indigenous here and growing nowhere else. I trav-
elled day and night through Natal, the South African
Republic, the Transvaal and Cape Colony, 1800 miles
by train. From Cape Town to Southampton, England,
it is 5,970 miles. I expect to break the journey at Ten-
eriffe, Madeira and Spain."
268 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XXVII.
On Shipboard, Nov. n, 1896.
" I know you will be glad to hear that I have at
last turned my face Northward. Yes, every mile now
brings me nearer to you ! I have left the Pacific and
Indian Oceans, on which I spent so many weeks sailing,
sailing, — generally on calm blue seas, but now and again
a little wobbly, and occasionally giving us a good tossing.
The voyages have been very restful. On land there was
always so much to see and do, such a feverish excitement
in all the new surroundings ; then there was sketching,
writing and reading up about the places. I was delighted
with Africa. The whole of the journey from Durban,
where I landed, to Johannesburg is through the grandest
and wildest scenery imaginable, in and out among lofty
mountains, climbing nearly to the top, some of them
going round sharp curves of deep canyons and anon,
passing for hours over an immense plain without trees,
shrubs, or grass, the great herds of cattle in the distance
looking like ants.
Speaking of ants reminds me of how these vast areas
are covered with millions of ant hills, varying in size
from one to three yards high and measuring two yards
and more around. They have their enemy, the ant
eater, and you can see where he has broken open the
sides of their dwellings and licked up the poor little busy
ants by the thousand. Truly this is a strange world
where we are all made to eat one another, or more prop-
HOW1CK
FALLS DURBAN
AFRICA
EMMA J. BARTOL 269
erly speaking, to live on one another. There is a box
on board belonging to one of the deck hands containing
a lot of chameleons ; they are about four inches long and
of all shades. I saw a black one, when put on a cabbage
leaf, gradually turn green. The tongue seemed to be
about half the length of the body with a thick club at
the end. They dart out this tongue with lightning
rapidity and never miss their game. The unsuspecting
flies thoughtlessly sit and gaze at them, or impudently
perch on their back, or even travel over their queer eyes,
which roll about in the most extraordinary manner.
I fancy this may reach you about the holidays, and
it may not be out of place now to wish you a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year, for the next letter
may be a long time reaching you.
We had a sixteen days' journey from Cape Town
to the Canary Islands, a part of it very enervating
because of the heat, as we were near the Equator. One
poor Italian steerage passenger ended it by jumping over-
board. We were glad to swing around Cape Verde and
approach the end of our journey. On November 23 we
saw a mere speck on the distant waste of waters which
we were told was the island of our destination, and when
the sun rose grandly the next morning we were safely
anchored in the Bav of Orotava, off the coast of Ten-
eriffe, which is the largest of the seven Canary Islands."
The English Grand Hotel, Port Orotava,
Dec. 5, 1896.
"Yours of July 19 received on arrival at Cape Town
in October. My journeyings have been so extensive
270 RECOLLECTIONS OE A TRAVELLER
and so varied it would be impossible to cope with them
in a letter. At Cape Town I stayed six weeks and regret
that I did not stay longer. The scenery around is grand
and I liked it better than anything I had seen. I was
invited out to tea and was just getting acquainted. The
temperature for winter is from 6o° to 8o°, warm and
sunny. Thev have electric tramways and the steam ser-
vice is frequent and good. There is a fine port and we
landed like Christians. One sees all nations represented
in the streets. Just now the steamers are over-crowded
with adventurers from all countries bound for the gold
and diamond mines.
I am now 5,500 miles nearer home than when 1
left the Cape of Good Hope. I was sixteen days on
water and had an ideal trip. I crossed the Equator for
the eighth time. Up till then we had the trade winds
and currents every hour, no swells, hardly a whitecap
and scarcely a ripple to disturb our equanimity the entire
voyage. Unless we looked over the side and saw the
white-flecked waves going swiftly past, we could not
imagine the vessel was moving. All sorts of games,
concerts and dancing amused the passengers. I read
much, as they had a fine library, painted, and wrote ten
letters ; the men smoked, the women gossipped. It was
a pleasant ship, not gaudy but very comfortable.
I have been at Teneriffe nearly two weeks. This
is getting to be a fashionable winter resort for the Eng-
lish, instead of Madeira which is colder and damper, and
where there is typhoid fever. I may go there for a short
time, and thence to Portugal and Spain. It seems quite
z
■J.
EMMA J. BARTOL 271
homelike to be on the Atlantic once more after travel-
ling for weeks on the Pacific and Indian Oceans."
We remained nearly seven weeks in this pleasant
and picturesque spot, going occasionally to the town
of Orotava, four miles away, a quaint village built on
steep hills, the houses of Moorish design with overhang-
ing balconies. The immense variety and quantity of
flowers was a never-ending delight and I transferred
many of them to canvas. I also sketched again and
again the wonderful Peak of Teneriffe, in the glow of
the rising and of the setting sun, and half buried in
clouds. It rises to a height of 12,182 feet in the center
of this small island, which contains also a number of
other volcanic mountains.
We went from Port Orotava to stay a few days at
Santa Cruz, and on January 10, 1897, we set sail for the
Madeira Islands, a voyage of three days, the shortest we
had yet made. Madeira Island is the largest of this little
group of five, about 320 miles ofF the northwestern coast
of Africa. It is a mass of volcanic rocks, it highest peak
rising 6,000 feet, with a chain of ridges from 1,000 to
5,000 feet high, and among these and along the coast is
the most fertile soil on the globe. This is terraced and
every foot of it cultivated. Here are grown the finest
grapes and every kind of tropical fruit, while high up
among the mountains are raised the fruits and grains of
the temperate zone.
These islands have belonged to the Portuguese by
right of discovery since 141 9, and Funchal, the capital,
was created a city in 1508. It is now a coaling station
272 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
for steamers from all parts of the world, while its equable
and delightful climate renders it a popular resort for in-
valids and pleasure seekers. One or two letters must
suffice for my own experiences there.
Funchal, Jan. 18, 1897.
" This letter is to go in the steamer which comes
from Cape Town and touches here for passengers and
the mails for England. I enjoyed my stay of over six
weeks in Teneriffe very much ; the climate is perfect, the
views grand, the flowers fascinating. There were thirty
English families residing there permanently ; they have
a very pretty little church and a small but select society.
The hotel was large and handsome, with electric lights
and modern plumbing ; there were from sixty to eighty
guests, mostly English, with a sprinkling of foreigners.
I was invited a good deal outside the hotel.
The roads were very fine and carriage riding a
pleasure. They were lined with both double and single
scarlet geraniums growing wild and enlivening the rocks
and crevices. The bougainvillea and Cherokee roses
blazed in immense masses from the hedges. The hotel
was beautifully situated on the edge of a lava heap so
steep it required many steps to descend to the picturesque
Port of Orotava. The surf dashed up in the great piles
of rock which had been hurled down by convulsions of
nature. The garden was beautiful and contained an
aviary and many fish ponds filled with gold and silver
fish and fancy ducks. As everything depended on water,
there were innumerable canals and reservoirs all filled
from the mountain springs and melting snow on the
EMM J J. BARTOL 273
peaks. I had two windows and a balcony which I en-
joyed very much, and I often rose before daylight to
sketch the peak with the rosy light of dawn on the snow.
I find Madeira also very beautiful, with the same lava
flow and formation. I have a delightful room here ; the
hotel is 250 feet above the sea, built on a precipitous
rock which is terraced down to the water's edge. I have
two windows, a corner with east, south and west exposure
and two balconies. The garden is also terraced and
stairs go down to the sea. The * red hot poker ' grows
in wild profusion all over the edge of the cliff; the
bougainvillea of different shades grows wild in immense
masses, as also scarlet geraniums which show off to ad-
vantage against the dark lava rocks. Yesterday I was
invited to 4 o'clock tea in a very pretty house 1,500 feet
above sea level. I went up in a basket sledge drawn by
two docile oxen, a small boy running in front of them,
and a man behind with a prod; the angle was not less
than forty-five degrees. I came down in a smaller
basket sled, two men guiding it with ropes. It was
frightful and I never will do it again. The garden around
the house was filled with beautiful fern creepers, immense
camellias of all colors as large as lilac bushes, 'red hot
poker,' and large blue periwinkle, all wild ; also wax
plants, night blooming cereus, and cacti of all sorts."
Funchal, Jan. 24, 1897.
" Your Christmas letter of December 25 received
January 13, on my arrival here. * * :i: * *
I have been much impressed with the aggressive
and heartless spirit of the English in the various colonies
274
RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
visited, and it was brought forcibly home the other day
in speaking of some Officers who went on a peaceful
mission to a King in West Africa. It is supposed they
were all murdered. In commenting on it the English
papers said, c In carrying a basket of eggs, some are sure
to be broken.' It is in this spirit that England has con-
quered everywhere. Well, it may be a grand nation, but
it has been made so through rivers of blood. Now they
are going to exterminate that African King and crush his
people. *****
So far my health has been perfect. I eat everything,
enjoy everything, take long walks, climb up and down
steep hills and so far can beat all the young people I
meet. I particularly enjoy the ocean trips. In regard
to outlining my journey, I never have done it. I just
drift, I might say with the tide. I have never planned ;
when I get tired of a place I move on in the first desira-
ble steamer that happens along. This I am about to do
now. The Fiirst Bismarck is expected here February
i — an excursion boat from the Mediterranean to the
United States. Some of the ladies here expect to go in
it and I shall embrace the opportunity and go with them
to Gibraltar, take a run over to Tangiers, return and go
through a portion of Spain, and spend the month of
April in Nice. Before I return I shall probably go to
Paris or London. As for setting dates I cannot ; I
shall wait for a good steamer to cross the Atlantic.
This peculiar town rises so precipitously from the
sea that it is impossible to go up the streets in ordinary
vehicles. I send a view of the modes of transit. The
hammock holds one person, is swung on a pole and car-
EMMA J. BARTOL 275
ried by two men. The carro holds four comfortably and
is like a large sled. The oxen have holes drilled in their
horns and leather thongs inserted and are led by a small
boy. A man goes behind with a goad to urge them on.
The frame is wicker and the runners are shod with iron.
The man carries a bag of grease which he slips under the
runners occasionally to make them slide. Another carro
is a smaller basket also on runners with seats for two
persons, and this is pulled by two men with ropes."
We made many trips, among the mountains, one by
horse-car and omnibus, and finally a cog-wheel railroad
to Mount Church, 2,000 feet up among the cliffs and
commanding a beautiful view. On another day we were
carried in hammocks along the dizzy edges of ravines to
the Grand Curral, where one has unrivalled mountain
scenery. We went to the Portuguese and the English
cemeteries and had picturesque rambles without number.
276 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XXVIII.
After a three weeks' stay at Maderia we sailed on
February 4 in the Fiirst Bismarck for Gibraltar, only a
two days' voyage. It was most enjoyable to step once
more on the continent of Europe, which seemed almost
like home compared to the countries in which we had
spent the past year. We remained here for a few hours
and then went on to Malaga, where we left the steamer
and took a little run into the interior of Spain. I find
but one brief letter describing this interesting trip.
Gibraltar, February 16, 1897.
" From Malaga we went to Grenada where the Em-
press Eugenie was born. It is a most picturesque city
situated in an immense valley. The Sierra Nevada
mountains rise in snowy majesty on one side and at
evening they are rosy with the setting sun. The weather
was cold but brilliant and clear. The great attraction, of
course, is the wonderful ruin of the Alhambra. It would
be impossible to describe the delicacy of the fine work
on the interior buildings ; it must be seen to be appreci-
ated.
Returning to Gibraltar we stopped at Ronda, which is
built in a deep gorge. Standing on a bridge at the market
place the depth to the bottom is 602 feet, where one
sees water-falls and a turbulent stream rushing along and
turning many mills. The donkeys with meal bags on their
EMMA J. BARTOL 277
backs and the men and women look from the height
above like the toys in Noah's ark.
The scenery, both going to Grenada and returning
by another route, was grand, the road running in and
out narrow defiles, with stupendous mountains on either
side, cultivated nearly to the top wherever there was a
handful of earth in which to grow anything. We passed
thousands of olive trees, forests of cork trees and miles
and miles of almond trees in full blossom, some rosy red,
some snow white and others varigated. They contrasted
beautifully with the sombre blue green of the olives.
The fleur de lis and many other spring flowers adorned
the road side. The trip occupied a little over one
We returned to Gibraltar and remained for a week,
finding much of interest to occupy the time, with charm-
ing drives and walks and a never ending series of beau-
tiful views. After so many months in a tropical or
semi-tropical climate we suffered a great deal from the
cold. On February 19 we crossed the strait to Tan-
giers for a few days. As we sailed away the setting sun
lighted up Gibraltar with a flood of golden hue, and the
windows shone like great diamonds, tier above tier — a
glorious sight.
We soon went back to the coast of Spain and landed
at Cadiz. This very old place, which was well known
in the time of Julius Caeser, has been the object of many
a siege and has belonged to half a dozen different nations.
It is a handsome and strongly fortified city and stands
278 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
on a narrow tongue of land extending five miles into the
water.
After four or five days here we went up to the
ancient city of Seville, surrounded by five miles of
Moorish walls, with many gates and towers. Its ram-
parts now are fine promenades. Within it has an oriental
appearance with narrow and crooked streets. Extending
through the city is the Alameda, a magnificent boulevard
shaded with elms and decorated with statues and foun-
tains. There are also many fine public walks. At one
side is the Quemaders, the "burning place" of the In-
quisition. The Cathedral here is the largest in Spain
and there is a museum of some of the rarest paintings and
sculptures in existence. There are many handsome pub-
lic buildings, a large university, a number of colleges and
some fine libraries, while the city is noted for its charit-
able institutions. We visited the Alcazar and other
palaces, the Golden Tower, the celebrated tile and cigar-
ette factories and the home of Cortez. We were fortu-
nate in seeing a carnival, the streets being filled with
students and dancing girls in picturesque costumes.
At Cordova we had the same experience, the streets
being crowded with masqueraders throwing eggs which
broke and showered gaily colored confetti. The Spanish
enter into these festivals with more gayety and abandon
than Americans. After dinner five little girls, dressed in
yellow skirts covered with black lace, red sashes and
black velvet boleras, gave Spanish dances with castanets
in the wide hall of the hotel — an exceedingly pretty and
graceful performance.
Cordova was founded by the ancient Romans and,
while parts of the city are now overgrown gardens and
EMMA J. BARTOL 279
ruins, it has some beautiful squares surrounded by large
and handsome houses. Its magnificent stone bridge,
defended by a Saracen Castle, was built by the Moors in
the 8th century. The Cathedral, which was the holy of
holies in the Mahommedan world, is a labyrinth of
columns brought from various temples around the Medi-
terranean. Of these 850 out of the original 1200 still
remain. There is also a Bishop's palace and forty or
fifty convents, but the glory of this capital of Andalusia
and home of kings has long since departed.
We went from Cordova to Madrid, where we ling-
ered for a week. We secured rooms in a hotel facing the
Government House, where we would watch the pictur-
esque crowds pass by. This capital city of modern
Spain is not particularly interesting. It is walled in and
entered by many gates, some of them extremely hand-
some. The streets are broad and long, and some of the
squares are very large and surrounded by houses sup-
ported by granite pillars which form arcades. The
Plaza de Oriente, facing the royal palace, contains forty
statues of Gothic and Spanish Kings. In the Plaza de
la Cortes stands the heroic statue of Cervantes. There
are also some beautiful gardens and many fountains.
The royal palace is considered perhaps the finest in exist-
ence, a combination of Doric and Ionic architecture.
The Chamber of Deputies is also a magnificent structure
and most of the Government buildings are very impos-
ing. The Royal Museum of Painting and Sculpture
contains the masterpieces of the world. Many of its
2000 pictures are by the most celebrated artists that
have ever lived. Everybody goes of course to the Plaza
280 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
de Toros, the " bull ring," a building capable of seating
12,000 persons. We were not there in the season for
the bull fights. In the Prado, extending for two miles,
one sees at certain hours of the day all the rank and
wealth of the city in their splendid equipages. We little
dreamed, as we saw all the pomp and display, that in
another year our country would be at war with Spain and
would deal its prestige a blow from which it would
require generations to recover.
A ride of over 300 miles through wild and rugged
scenery brought us to Barcelona on the coast of the
Mediterranean. We enjoyed our four or five days here
more than the stay in Madrid, for we found the climate
much milder and the ancient city more interesting. Its
founding antedates the Christian era and it is a curious
mingling of old and new. These two portions are
divided by a beautiful tree-bordered promenade called
La Rambla, which extends from the farthest walls to the
shore. There are also many other unrivalled prom-
enades. The new part is built up in brick and stone and
has all the modern improvements. The old part has the
narrow, crooked, unpaved streets of centuries ago. On
its highest point stands the Cathedral, which had its
origin in the earliest days of Christianity, although the
present Gothic structure was built in the 13th century.
It is approached by a lofty flight of steps and its two
towers command an almost endless view of mountains and
sea. We went to the old fortress, situated on a rocky
eminence of seven or eight hundred feet, and to the
EMMA J. BARTOL 281
monastary of Montserat, or Jaggard Mountain, an isolated
spur of the Pyrenees, 3,500 feet in height.
Finally we started for Marseilles, making the jour-
ney by rail and stopping over night at Cerbes. We had
had no unpleasant experiences in Spain, and met but few
travellers ; the Spanish people were all civil and glad to
have our money. I was very tired, however, of living
in marble halls and palaces, with stone stairs and floors
and pillars, cold, dark and damp. The cathedrals are
superb but gloomy and musty and I was glad to turn
my steps toward modern life with its comforts and ad-
vantages.
At Marseilles we rested for a few days and here I
dismissed the courier, who had gone with us almost
around the world, and with my maid I took the train
for Nice.
282 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XXIX.
The most ornate descriptions fail utterly to give an
adequate idea of Southern France in Springtime. There
is nothing on earth any nearer the popular idea of Para-
dise. I have come across two letters that I wrote from
there of which I will use a portion.
Nice, France, March 25, 1897.
" I arrived at my son's March 20th. The next day
it was exactly one year since I left San Francisco on the
"Belgic" for the Sandwich Islands. How many long
miles I have been since then and how much I have seen !
H. and H. met me at the station with their Victoria and
quickly drove me to their lovely apartments." * * *
To-day occurred the battle of flowers. It was very
pretty; first there were gendarmes, then ushers in scarlet
cloth, mounted on superb horses. H. and H. went early
to the market and bought immense bouquets, which were
put in the place of the lamps on the Victoria, and the
horses' heads were tied with long streamers of pink ribbon.
They bought two baskets of small bouquets to fight with.
There were benches all along the drive for the people to
sit on, and tents with seats for the rich. Bands of music
were stationed at intervals. You enter at the gate, pay-
ing a fee, but you cannot go in unless you are decorated
with flowers. As you proceed people throw bouquets at
you and you return them with interest. Every one
carries a fan to ward off the blows which are pretty hard
sometimes. It would be impossible to describe the deco-
EMM J J. BARTOL 283
rations, but some were unique. One cart was drawn by-
two small donkeys, with a dog on one as a postillion,
dressed as Yankee Doodle in scarlet and white. A liberty-
bell was suspended over the cart in which sat two little
girls arrayed in white. It was covered with flowers and
the two girls were pelting every one with blossoms and
being pelted in turn. One large vehicle represented a
hay wagon and was filled with French officers and young
girls all decorated. There was a tally-ho covered with
flowers. In some cases the harness, the reins and traces
were all flowers. One was covered with German corn
flowers and yellow jonquils. H. wore green velvet and
a hat covered with flowers and sat on the box with the
coachmen. I can assure you we had our share of being
pelted and we were literally covered with flowers and
bouquets."
Nice, France, April 13, 1897.
" I have now been here nearly a month. Nice is a
very beautiful city and much changed since I was here
long, long ago. It is now the favorite abode of royalty
and, as such, draws Princes and Princesses, Dukes and
Duchesses and titled folk till they are as numerous as
mushrooms in an old meadow.
I arrived a few days after Queen Victoria, so I have
been all in the swim. The Queen and I drive out every
day — but not together ! The Queen drives in an open
carriage ; an outrider precedes her, who wears a tall,
black silk hat, white knee breeches, top boots, and rides
a fine white horse. I do not have any outrider, but I do
not care for that. Victoria wears a large black hat with
a black lace veil, is dressed all in black and crouches
284 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
down in one corner. Perhaps she is modest and does
not like to be stared at, for every one gazes at her, when
they see the tall black hat of the outrider on the white
charger. I think she ought to be used to it by this
time. Some say I look better than she does, for I sit
up straight, have a brand new bonnet with tall, white
feathers and don't care if people do look at me. The
Queen and I enjoy Nice immensely, at least the papers
state she does, and I am sure I do. I have been so gay
since my arrival that I hardly know myself, and have
had scarcely a minute to spare. It has been one round
of gaiety, receptions, teas, concerts, theatre parties, pic-
nics and excursions, for the environs of Nice are beautiful.
You have heard of the famous Corniche Road ; the
most beautiful part is from here to the equally famous
Monte Carlo. The carriage road goes up and up 4,000
feet of the Alps, giving the most exquisite views of the
range of snowy mountains on one side, with the blue
Mediterranean on the other. Beautiful villas dot the
way in quick succession. The road is lined with hedges
of tea roses and Jacques, geraniums and palms of all
varieties, for it never freezes here, and one passes orange
and lemon groves, which just now are in full flower, as
are also the lilacs, wisteria, and hawthorn.
The climate is delightful, ranging from 58 ° to 78 °.
I am sitting with windows wide open, and fires are seldom
needed even in winter. I am in very handsome apart-
ments in the most aristocratic quarter of Nice and about
one square away from the sea and the principal prom-
enade, of which I send you a picture. The building in
the water is the casino and theatre. Not far from here
EMM J J. BARTOL 285
Lord Salisbury has his villa, also the ex-Empress Eugenia.
The Prince of Wales has been sailing his yachts with the
others and it was a very pretty sight.
As I said, I am all in the swim and I must keep on
swimming. The papers state Victoria leaves April
28th. I expect to leave April 24th for Paris, where I
want to stay the month of May then go to London for
the Jubilee. I think if the Queen knew of my plans
she would be polite enough to ask me to take a seat in
her carriage in the procession ; but I have no time to
write to Her Majesty, and in truth the whole of the
details are planned for her and she has to do as she is
told.
I have been to a very handsome reception given by the
Governor of the Province to introduce his eldest daughter
to society. The dressing was immense with all the
diamonds of Golconda and Johannesberg combined.
The Governor lives in a palace in regal style, the salons
and decorations being very grand. My room looks on
a garden full of orange trees in bloom, beds of roses and
many other flowers, bananas and tropical trees. The
birds are singing and the face of all nature looks gay.
The flower and fruit markets are very attractive and
strawberries are getting plentiful ; we can buy a basket of
roses and carnations for about forty cents.
We have been lately to Grasse, where they manu-
facture the perfumes, and there saw acres of violets and
long hedges of tea roses."
I celebrated my 76th birthday in Nice, and also
Easter week, remaining over a month, during which we
286 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
had one continued round of pleasure and beauty. Life
there is a summer dream ; people live only for the
social delights and seem entirely removed from the
prosaic, work-a-day world. I had a charming journey
northward through beautiful France, and settled myself
in Paris for the remainder of the spring, the most enjoy-
able season there. From my hotel on the Rue de Rivoli
I wrote home :
Paris, May 6, 1897.
" I left Nice April 24, having had five weeks of
most delightful visit with H. and H. who did every-
thing to make me have a royal good time. They say,
' the dogs do bark when the beggars are coming to town,
some in rags and some in jags, etc' I wonder they let
me into Nice, for that is the way I arrived. H. and H.
took me in hand at once. It was slow work, for you
know what dressmakers are and it was the busy season.
I only succeeded in getting my clothes the day before I
left. Seventeen months' hard wear without renewal
makes sad work with one's wardrobe. I need more,
which I could get better here. I am still undergoing the
tortures of being fitted and contending with dressmakers
— but enough of dresses and clothes, which I abominate
but must have.
You will have seen by the papers what a frightful
fire Paris had day before yesterday, 125 bodies identified,
145 still unidentified, besides all those in the hospitals
and at home. Strange to say, I was here and saw the
Opera Comique burned and the immense funeral after.
■v-i»rniwi^si»
MONUMENT TO MARIE ANTOINETTE FONTAlNBLEAl
EMMA J. BARTOL 287
They say this is far worse. They will have a public
funeral May 8, at Notre Dame Cathedral.
I could have plenty of society here if I wanted to,
but it bores me and I would rather be free. I have a
small, cosy room, with a private balcony overlooking the
great park, gardens, ponds, fountains and statues of the
Tuileries, the finest location in all Paris. They have
just brought out all the orange trees. I shall probably
go to England in June."
On May 31 I crossed the Channel, landing at Folk-
stone, and after a delightful ride through the velvety
green fields of England I found myself once more in
dear, old familiar London. It was the season for the
blooming of the rhododendrons, and the parks and gar-
dens were gorgeous. To see Hampton Court and the
Kew Gardens at this time of the year is worth a trip to
England. We spent one afternoon at the horse show,
where attention was divided between the magnificent
animals and the distinguished visitors.
The chief object in going to London was to be
present at the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of Queen
Victoria. As whole volumes have been written of this
occasion, which was one of the greatest events of the cen-
tury for Great Britain, I need not dwell upon it. The
day before we drove through the streets with English
friends to see the splendid decorations which never had
been equalled. We had a good room engaged from
which to view the procession, and this our thoughtful
friends decorated with flowers. They also brought a
generous lunch of roast duck, ham and mutton, fruit,
288 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
champagne, etc. I never in my life enjoyed anything
more than this magnificent pageant.
Time never drags in London, as no city presents a
greater variety of entertainment, while the environs for
miles around are beautiful to see and vital with historic
interest. I went to East Putney and to Lowestoft to
visit the charming homes of relatives, and at the latter
place I saw the most wonderful collection of poppies,
every shade between pure white and almost black.
On July 8, as the season was growing warm in
London, I went to Switzerland to join my son and his
wife, and at Lucerne, Vevay, Geneva, and other points 1
spent the remainder of a most interesting summer, return-
ing to Paris the last of August. The 3rd of September
my son and I went to Cherbourg and boarded the Fiirst
Bismarck for New York. There was the usual voyage,
which I did not enjoy so much as I generally do ocean
travel, for I seemed to feel the exhaustion which was al-
most inevitable after the long, hard journeys of many
months past. I think I never was happier than when
our great vessel glided into the dock at Hoboken at 7
o'clock in the evening of September 10. The weather
was terribly hot, 101 , but I was rendered still warmer
by the welcome I received from Uncle Sam's representa-
tives at the custom house, for they relieved me of $214
in the way of duties !
The next morning we went down to old Philadel-
phia and at the station found my faithful coachman, and
when we arrived home it was all in perfect order and so
u
z
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z
o
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EMM J J. BARTOL 289
inviting and comfortable that I felt as if I never could
leave it again. Thus ended my second voyage around
the world, which occupied one year and ten months to
the very day.
2go
RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XXX.
I soon had reason to be very glad that I had come
home and opened my house, for in just two weeks the
home of my son-in-law, Dr. Register, at Ardmore, burned
to the ground with most of its contents, and I was en-
abled to have the family come to me at once. I made a
number of improvements in my house and arranged the
many souvenirs of my trip which I had brought home.
My daughter, Mrs. Brazier, gave a large reception for
me in the New Century Club drawing room, which was
beautifully decorated for the occasion. I also assisted at
the debut party of my granddaughter, Florence Register,
and afterwards gave a ball for her on Chrismas Eve, and
the next day had a family dinner party.
Although I was occupied every minute I was far
from well the entire winter of i 899. A sojourn at Atlan-
tic City in the spring did not restore my health and so I
took a cottage at Spring Lake, on the New Jersey coast
for the summer. Boating, bathing, driving and walking
until the last of September, I felt recuperated and, Octo-
ber being spent among the salubrious Blue Ridge Moun-
tains, I felt very well indeed and ready for the winter's
duties and pleasures.
I had my dear friend Susan B. Anthony with me in
March, and in April I went to Wernersville among the
mountains. The apple and cherry trees were in full
bloom and the wealth of spring flowers impressed me
with a delicious freshness and a delicate beauty which
one never finds in the vegetation of the tropics. I shall
EMMA J. BARTOL 291
never forget how I sat in the orchard and read the Biog-
raphy of Miss Anthony, which had been recently pub-
lished and which she presented to me just before I left
home. I consider her the most wonderful woman that
any age ever produced.
I decided to try the climate of Colorado that sum-
mer and my son George suggested that, as I had seen
most of the wonders of the world, I should go by the
way of the Great Lakes, one of the wonders of my own
country. I decided to do so and started with my house-
keeper and maid June 19. I stopped several days at
Buffalo to let them enjoy Niagara Falls, and then took a
steamer on Lake Erie and made the entire round of the
Lakes. It was a most restful and enjoyable experience.
We stayed for a day or two in Duluth and then went to
Denver and on to Colorado Springs, but I wanted more
country life than I could have there, and so went to
Camp Harding. A single letter must suffice for my so-
journ here.
Colorado Springs, Aug. 13, 1899.
" I think no American who goes to Europe should
fail first to make the lake trip. I certainly was more than
ever impressed with the grandeur of our country and its
unparalled water resources. I know of no other part of the
world that can compare with these. The United States
is growing of more importance every day in its as yet un-
developed riches. I am truly astonished to find what a
wonderful state Colorado is ; in minerals, in climate, and
in scenery it is unsurpassed. The Rockies seem to be full
of gold, coal, precious stones and all sorts of useful min-
292 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
erals. The geological displays exceed anything I ever
saw or dreamed of, both here and in Manitou.
I am not at Camp Harding, I did not like the place
and as soon as I could I made a move. I found a little
cottage in the suburbs of Colorado Springs, which I took
until September i. The weather has been ideal; while
the sun is hot one never breaks out in a profuse perspira-
tion, there being no humidity as in the East. No dew
falls here ; the air is soft, balmy and delicious and there is
nearly always a breeze. Camp Harding was buried in
forest trees and isolated. Here I have the trolleys with-
in two squares, the post delivered and collected four times
daily, and the marketing served at the door. I have ten
hens, two cocks and some little chickens and get eight
fresh laid eggs a day. A grand view of the whole range of
the Rockies is had from my windows. My housekeeper
and maid do all the work and are happy as clams at high
water, but while boarding they were miserable. When I
arrived it was too early for fruit and vegetables, but now
we get everything and of very fine quality. The melons
from Rocky Ford are noted. I have green peas out of
my own garden.
I do not remember whether I told you of my trip
to Pike's Peak. It was grander than anything I have
seen in all my travels. The prairie is within a short
walk and the wild flowers are most beautiful. I have
painted some which I think you will be interested to see
on my return."
Dr. Register and his two sons visited me here and
we made various excursions into the canyons and up on
EMMA J. BARTOL 2Q3
the mountains. I left the first of September and came
eastward, spending that month in the Pocono Mountains
in northwestern Pennsylvania.
The winter of 1900 passed peacefully and somewhat
monotonously. I went to Washington with my grand-
daughter to attend the convention of the National Wo-
man Suffrage Association, and saw Miss Anthony lay
down the gavel for the last time and resign the presiden-
cy which she had virtually held since the association was
organized in 1869. It was a most touching occasion. 1
also attended the great celebration of her 80th birthday
in the Lafayette Opera House, when the women from all
parts of the nation came to bring their tributes of love
and gratitude, in the presence of as representative an au-
dience as could be assembled in the national capital.
Afterwards Miss Anthony was a guest in my home.
The greater part of this winter and spring was de-
voted to work on the photographs I had brought from
abroad. An artist friend, Luella Guerney Rauch, spent
several months with me and we mounted and colored
over 400 large pictures from all parts of the world.
These I presented to the Memorial Hall in Fairmount
Park.
In June the National Republican Convention met
in Philadelphia and a number of distinguished women
came here to try to secure a plank in the platform favor-
ing woman suffrage. I had as my guests at this time
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt and the Rev. Anna Howard
2 g4 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
Shaw, the president and vice-president of the National
Association.
Soon afterwards I went to Lake Mohonk, for the
summer, a most beautiful place where I lingered till the
last of September.
In the winter of 1 901, just before my 80th birth-
day, I delivered my first lecture ! So much interest had
been expressed by my friends in my visit to New Zealand
that at their request I finally put my experiences and
ideas of that wonderful country in the form of a lecture,
illustrated by stereopticon views. I gave it before the
New Century Club, of which I had long been a member,
and it was cordially received. Afterwards I repeated
it before the Geographical Society, of which I had also
been a member for years ; before the Botanical Depart-
ment of the University of Pennsylvania ; before the
Society for Ethical Culture, to the young ladies of a con-
vent out of town, and to other organizations. There
were many pleasant comments on my making my debut
as a public lecturer at the age of eighty. The next year
I prepared and delivered several times a stereopticon
lecture on Jamaica.
For the summer of 1901 I took the Rev. Anna
Howard Shaw's pretty and commodious cottage at
Wianno, on Cape Cod, and was fortunate indeed to
spend that phenomenonally hot season in the shadow of
the pine woods fanned by the breezes of the ocean which
came almost to our door.
EMMA J. BARTOL 295
CHAPTER XXXI.
When I returned from my last trip around the
world I promised my children that I would take no more
extensive journeys, but after a few years I began to long
for a sea voyage, and so in the winter of 1902 I com-
promised with them and myself by taking a trip to
Jamaica. We sailed out through the Delaware River on
February 13, and back up the river on St. Patrick's day,
March 17. My two sons-in-law, and one of my daugh-
ters accompanied me. A few extracts from the lecture
which I wrote about this wonderful trip will give an idea
of its most interesting features.
"The second day out we seemed to glide into a
cauldron of boiling water ; everywhere as far as the eye
could reach we saw clouds of steam arising ; often it arose
in long spiral columns and floated upward, forming
clouds ; the effect was peculiar and one which 1 had
never before seen. It was caused by the warm water of
the Gulf Stream and colder air above.
" The appearance of the first fragments of gulf-
weed caused considerable excitement. This gulf-weed
has not, as some of the uninitiated fancy from its name,
anything to do with the Gulf Stream, along the northern
edge of which we were steaming. Thrust away in the
south by the great ocean river, it lies in a vast eddy, or
central pool, of the Atlantic between the Gulf Stream
and the equatorial current, unmoved save by surface
drifts of wind, as floating weeds collect and range slowly
round and round in the still corners of a tumbling bay
2 g6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
or pool. One glance at a bit of the weed as it floats past
shows that it is like no fucus on our shores. One sees
in a moment that the sargassos, of which there are several
species on tropical shores, are a genus of themselves and
by themselves ; and a certain awe may, if the beholder
be at once scientific and poetical, come over one at the
first sight of this famous and unique variety thereof,
which has lost, ages since, the habit of growing on rocks
and sea weeds and propagates itself forever floating, feed-
ing among its branches a whole family of fish, crabs, cut-
tlefish, zoophytes, mollusks, which, like the plant that
shelters them, are found nowhere else in the world. We
thought of the memorable day when Columbus' ship
first plunged her bow into the tangled * ocean meadows,'
and the sailors, naturally enough, were ready to mutiny,
fearing hidden shoals, ignorant that they had four miles
of blue water beneath their keel, and half recollecting old
Greek and Phoenician legends of a weedy sea ofT the
coast of Africa, where the vegetation stopped the ships
and kept them entangled until all on board were starved.
"While dressing on Sunday, Feb. 16, some one
called out, * There is land' ! Welcome sound, and still
more welcome sight, for be the sea ever so pleasant, the
land is more so. We begin to pass islands. We are so
close to Fortune Island we see the trees and low sandy
banks, the houses of the life-saving station and a striped
light-house.
" Flying fish and gambolling porpoises keep us in-
terested. The sea is perfectly calm and the temperature
ideal. We pass San Salvador, forty-six miles long and
three to seven miles broad. It was the first land of the
EMMA J. BARTOL 2gy
New World seen by Columbus, October 12th, 1492.
We saw the white houses gleaming in the sunlight, the
tall slender light-house and the bright green forests.
Some time after breakfast a large dark cloud loomed up
ahead of the steamship ; a crowd of us were watching it
with strained eyes, and after awhile were rewarded by
seeing the dark cloud turning blue and assuming the
shape of mountains ; Jamaica broke on our vision.'
" Soon the trunks were trundled off; passengers
made a rush for the carryalls and vehicles to ride to the
hotel. The gentlemen stayed to look after the trunks and
Custom House officials. Away went Jehu at breakneck
speed, dashing by one team and nearly running into
another, passing a queer lot of poor stores where every
conceivable kind of goods was for sale. We at last
arrived at Hotel Titchfield, in Port Antonio, after climb-
ing up a very steep hill. The hotel is a queer conglom-
eration of buildings pieced together, looking like an old
hen and her chicks. We were ushered into a rough
looking room called the office to register and have
our rooms assigned to us. It took some time to get
forty-eight passengers accommodated. So many arriving
at once quite upset the equanimity of the proprietor.
He said he had lain awake all night thinking how he
could accommodate us. On the drive up to the hotel
we passed fine bread-fruit trees with small loaves of bread
hanging all over them, cocoanut trees, crotons of all
colors, hibiscus of various shades and pandanus lantaneas.
The hotel is all wood, no plaster, no paint ; the beams
2?8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
with planks laid upon them from the ceiling, consequently
every move is heard.
" Early rising in Jamaica, as in most tropical coun-
tries, is indispensible. The only train starts at half-past
six A. M., as also the steamers. Woe to those who
want to sleep, for the noise above, below and on every
side is distracting and makes sleep impossible.
" Jamaica was discovered by Christopher Columbus
on May 3, 1492, during his second voyage to the New
World, while sailing south from Cuba, ninety miles dis-
tant. The discoverer named the island Santiago, though
it still retains the Indian name, Xaymaca, now called
Jamaica.
"The turkey buzzards or, as they call them in
Jamaica, Jim Crows, are very amusing. We had a slight
shower which dampened their wings somewhat. After
the rain was over seven of them arranged themselves on
the limbs of the cocoanut tree opposite our table in the
dining-room, turning round and round, spreading out
their wings and flapping them up and down slowly till
they were dry. One seldom looks out without seeing a
number soaring round and round and across the garden,
or resting on the railings of some housetop, or acting as
scavengers. Being defended by law, they have no fear
of man.
" The Blue Hole is a curious inland pool many
fathoms deep, which empties into a little harbor, with ex-
quisite " blue water", whose turquoise color deepens into
amethyst in the shadows, over which the bending trunks
and swaying tops of a hundred cocoanut trees cast their
reflection. The entrance is a narrow passage where
EMMA J. BARTOL 2gg
steamers come to load for cocoanuts. The owner, a col-
ored woman who was born on the place, sells 41,000 a
year. We saw the process of taking off the husks of the
cocoanuts in a shed, where thousands were piled ready
for shipping. The cocoanut thrives only by the ocean.
In our drive we must have passed millions. They grow
more luxuriantly in Jamaica than anywhere else.
" Someone was indiscreet enough to ask the daughter
if she knew of anyone who took in washing ; she answered
with great dignity and fine English, ' I believe they have
a good laundry at the hotel.' The mother had sent her
away and she had had a college education. The mother
was quite stout, had gray hair, was well dressed and had
pleasant manners. Cocoanuts were opened for us to
drink the milk, and the shillings and sixpences were
poured into willing hands. Many beautiful conch and
other sea shells lay all around.
" On February 21st we went to St. Margaret's Bay,
where we saw an abandoned sugar estate. The sugar
industry is a thing of the past. Owing to old-fashioned
machinery and not having slave labor, they could not
compete with the sugar industry of Cuba and the beet
root sugar of the United States. So one sees everywhere
the ruined sugar mills and engine houses. Thus it is
with the march of improvement ; some go down in the
battle of life, and new ones arise — the evolution of the
centuries.
" Hedges of hibiscus glowed in the sunlight, also
the paschal flower — a blaze of scarlet. The star apple
tree is exceedingly handsome, as large as a forest tree
with dark green shiny leaves, a deep cinnamon brown on
300 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
the under side, which, flickering in the sunlight, keep
constantly changing their hues ; the apples are green and
turn to purple when ripe. The mango trees are enormous
and beautiful in flower or in fruit ; there are also custard
apples, sappodillas, guava, papaws, avacado pears, lemon
and many other trees and fruits.
"We met many Hindus, distinguished by their differ-
ent costumes, with long, shiny, black hair. The women
had silver collars and bracelets on arms and ankles. The
men had a quantity of cloth bound round the body and
legs, black hair and straight noses, good features, black
eyes and spare, agile figures. The children are much
prettier than those of the negro race.
" There was a dance on the tennis court of the hotel,
which was made of a bright green and situated about
300 feet below the hotel at the bottom of a steep hill.
It was bordered by beautiful shrubs, cretons of all colors,
rose bushes, waving palms and cocoanut trees. Electric
lights were hung all around and danced and shimmered
in the breeze. It was a pretty and novel sight as we
looked down on it from the piazza ; it appeared like a
far away theatre scene ; the blue ocean just below, the
dancing figures, the weird music, the tropical foliage and
the heavens brilliant with the Southern Cross and un-
known constellations of stars.
" Saturday was market day. The people came in
from the country, many of them walking six or eight
miles. All their packages were balanced upon their
heads, containing anything they had to sell — oranges, a
chicken, yams, the cocoa, dye woods, bottles to fill with
petroleum, anything and everything imaginable. The
EMMA J. BARTOL 301
young Jamaica women are often extremely pretty and of
most cheerful and happy demeanor. One woman had a
little black pig under her arm to sell, others had scarlet
and green peppers, tangerines, chiote. They sat or stood
in a large open space. One man had chicken tucked
under his arm. There was also a rude market house
where they were selling quantities of very dark sugar
with a great deal of molasses still in it. The tobacco
was made into ropes, which they sold by the yard. The
cocoa beans were made into dark, short rolls of chocolate.
I saw the unroasted coffee bean for sale, also the pine-
apple which was rare, as April and May are the months
for it. Seventy million bunches of bananas and sixty
million cocoanuts a year are exported from the island.
" Almost everything is carried on the heads of
women ; the drinking water in large square tin oil cans.
I saw very few horses and only one donkey. Children
of five and six years carried heavy loads on their heads.
The noise and chattering in the market are deafening,
but they seem a good natured crowd and no doubt enjoy
the gossip and social meeting as our Northern people do
teas and luncheons.
"In 1838, the negroes of Jamaica, through the
exertions of the venerated Wilberforce and other philan-
thropists in England, became free men.
" The coffee and fruit industries have increased very
rapidly within the last fifteen years. Coffee growing is
the best of all these industries. In starting the planta-
tion the young trees are usually set eight feet apart both
ways, though some prefer to plant wider. Two years
afterward there will be a sprinkling of coffee, and at the
302 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
end of the third year a small crop, usually enough to pay
running expenses. The fourth year brings a full crop
and the trees continue thereafter to bear for thirty or
forty years, according to the soil in which they are
planted. The coffee berry when ripe is of a bright pur-
plish red color and is in appearance much like a cran-
berry. The coffee kernels, like the cherry-stone, are
encased in the flesh of the fruit. First the berries are
run through a " pulper", a machine which tears off most
of the pulp from the kernel. They are then run into
tanks filled with water, where they are stirred frequently
to wash off what pulp may remain on them. Then they
are removed from the tanks and spread out in the sun on
great platforms made of cement, called barbacues or patios,
and left there until thoroughly dry. Up to this point
the two kernels which form the " stone", so to speak, of
the berry, and which lying with their flat surface face to
face, are surrounded by the horny covering. To remove
this the coffee is run through a mill properly constructed
for that purpose. The price of the coffee depends on
the way it is prepared for the market. The richly wooded
hills supply valuable dye woods and hard woods.
" Balaclava is the center of the ginger as well as
coffee trade. The Appleton estate is celebrated for the
best quality of rum in the island. Large quantities of
logwood and other dye woods are brought down the
Black River in lighters. The river abounds in alligators.
" The natural requirements of the banana plant are
totally different from the coffee tree ; for while the latter
flourishes in the cool mountain country, the former re-
quires a hot climate, and being an extremely heavy feeder,
EMM J J. BARTOL S oj
will only grow in perfection on the rich plain-land. It
is true that bananas can grow in any part of the island
and patches belonging to the negroes are often seen on
steep hill-sides far in the interior, but this fruit is gener-
ally small and inferior and does not attain its proper pro-
portions. The large plantations of the white men are
always on flat lands. After the land has been plowed,
which is done with a very large plow drawn by eight or
ten oxen, the plants are set in straight rows ten to fifteen
feet apart in the row. The plants attain a height of ten
to fifteen feet, according to the soil and cultivation. At
the end of a year the first crop is ready for gathering.
Each plant produces one bunch holding from seventy-
five to one hundred bananas, after which it is worthless
and is cut down and left on the ground to rot. But new
plants or suckers are constantly coming up from the root
and three or four of these are allowed to grow. Thus
when the first plant is cut down another is nearly ready
to bear, while one or two others are in different stages of
growth. This process can be continued for about seven
years, by which time the ground is so full of roots that
it is necessary to plow it up and repeat the process.
" The coolie banana cutter is very expert at his
work. He passes around among the plants and selects
a branch of fruit which is perfectly filled out and fully
developed. As it hangs from the plant it is far above
the reach of the cutter and to bring it to the ground
without injury requires long practice. With his machete
he slashes the stem, cutting about half through. The
weight of the bunch of bananas at once causes the plant
to bend, and, as it slowly drops downward, the coolie
304 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
quickly catches hold of the stem at the end of the bunch,
and at the same moment cuts the stem from the plant
with one blow of his machete. With another stroke of
the machete he clips off the great maroon colored plum-
met that he holds in his hand, and as the bunch touches
the ground it is ready to be carted to the wharf, the
whole operation occupying only a few seconds.
" The cocoanut trees seldom bear until seven years
old ; but once in bearing they continue for a hundred
vears, and are a veritable mine of wealth to their owners.
A single tree produces on an average a hundred nuts a
year. There is no fixed season for blossoming and fruit-
ing. On the same tree blossoms, green fruit and ripen-
ing nuts can always be seen. Cocoanut trees like sea air
and do not do so well if planted too far from the coast.
After the first few years they need no cultivation ; and
as soon as their tops are out of reach, the land on which
they grow can be put into grass and pasturage.
" The Government Botanical Garden, two hundred
and twenty acres in extent, is the chief botanic garden of
the island. It is largely through these experimental
grounds and cultivation that Jamaica has become the
garden spot it is to-day. Probably two-thirds of the
nuts, fruits, choice woods and economic or medicinal
plants now grown there were introduced from foreign
countries.
"In driving in the country one is struck by the im-
mense quantity of orchids and air plants. Every large
tree has its quota to bear, being freighted with plants large
and small, notably the ceiba or silk cotton tree which
grows to an immense size. On one of these we saw a
EMMA J. BARTOL 305
beautiful large orchid of brilliant scarlet with a long
comb of bristling burr-like spurs. It was growing some
thirty feet high in the crotch of a large tree. Our drives
were frequently spoiled by the very poor horses ; they
are certainly the most heartbroken and crestfallen crea-
tures ever seen. The negroes beat them badly. One
never knows when starting out whether they will be able
to bring one back.
" The road to Montpelier was up a very steep hill.
It was a dark night and we went zigzaging on, turning very
sharp corners. It would have been uninteresting but
for the brilliancy of the stars and the innumerable quan-
tity of fire-flies, cuculios, which flew hither and thither
across the horses' heads as we slowly crawled up to the
hotel, which stands on an elevated, conical hill, giving a
fine panorama of surrounding country bordered by a belt
of mountains encircling the valley. In this the logwood
trees with their feathery foliage dot the meadows. Num-
bers of East Indian cattle imported at a great cost browse
below, and one is struck by their silver-gray hides and
the quaint shapes of the zebu and Mysore cattle.
" The cost of living in Jamaica is not so great as it
is in the North. Fruits are especially low in price and
of great variety, such as mangoes, oranges, bananas, cus-
tard apples, papaws, avorcado pears, lemons, tangerines
and many others. Clothing is cheaper, wages are lower.
" At Mandeville the scarcity of water was painfully
apparent. They have bored artesian wells with no suc-
cess, and must depend on open tanks for rain water. As
they have nothing but a small low wire grating of two
feet around the edge, the amount of debris that drops in
jo6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
can be better imagined than described. The water for
drinking is put into a porous stone bowl, hollowed out
in the center and kept in a small closet made of Venetian
slats. This stone is called a drip stone. The few con-
veniences are of the most primitive kind, such as be-
longed to a past century.
" The bulk of the negroes are but children of a
larger growth ; they have little or no training.
" It is said that Hindus were imported for a certain
time and after that time expired they continued to make
Jamaica their home. A party of five of us with a carry-
all, pair of horses and negro driver started for Windsor,
a Hindu settlement, passing through Port Antonio. Off
to the left we struck into the interior with fair roads for
the most part cut out of the face of the mountain, con-
stantly passing immense gorges with fine stone bridges.
These gave glimpses of banana groves below and beauti-
ful waterfalls and a lovely valley called the Golden Vale,
with the Rio Grande running swiftly through.
" The cleanliness of the women and children we
saw coming to market or going to school was noticeable.
They wore coquettish turbans formed of Madras hand-
kerchiefs, freshly laundered waists of thin white or bright-
colored stuffs, and spotted skirts drawn up about the
waist by a cord, allowing freedom to bare feet and ankles.
We passed a school and one of our party was anxious to
take a snap shot. After grouping the children quite
effectively the teacher happened to discover what was
going on. He came and scattered the young ones, as a
kite would a covey of partridges, and away they all flew.
The teacher, glad to show his authority, explained that
EMMA J. BARTOL 30 j
it was against the rules, but in the meantime another
kodak fiend had him and the school house without his
being aware of what was going on. The attempts to
photograph the women were ludicrous ; some laughed,
some ran away and declared the Obii would be angry
and they would be drowned ; some demanded fifty cents
to stand a few seconds. We saw many women by the
roadside breaking stones to mend the road. They get
about twelve cents a day ; they have to furnish the stone,
sometimes dragging it from the seashore or out of
brooks.
" We passed beautiful clumps of bamboo, bread-
fruit trees with their beautiful serrated, dark glossy leaves,
and loaves of bread hanging on them for the pickino-.
At last we came to a straggling row of poor, miserably
built houses where the coolies and Hindus lived. They
do not mix with or associate with the negroes. The
coolies by whom much of the work is done, are an am-
bitious people and thoroughly reliable. The white man
in the West Indies is the master, it being out of the
question for him to perform field labor. The original
inhabitants were a race of peace-loving Indians of the
Arawak tribe, such as still inhabit British Guiana, Cuba,
Hayti, Porto Rico and the Bahamas. The Spaniards
promptly exterminated these peaceful people and were
in turn expelled by the English at their conquest of the
Islands.
" The importation of slaves from Africa was begun
at an early date and continued up to March, 1801.
The African slaves imported by the Spanish were left by
their masters to fight the English ; and their descend-
jo8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
ants, being a mixture of negro and Indian, proved most
warlike in actual combat. These people are to-day
known as the Maroons of the Blue Mountains, an un-
conquered people with whom the English made treaties,
and who proved an able ally in the various negro
uprisings. Expediency and the uncertainty of the negro
labor have caused the planters to introduce coolies from
India and 20,000 of them have been added to the popu-
lation. The foundation of Jamaica is rocks. The sur-
face of the island is extremely mountainous ; one of the
Blue Mountain peaks attains an elevation of 7,360 feet.
From a tropical temperature of 8o°-86° at the sea coast
the thermometer falls to 45 ° -50 on the tops of the
highest mountains, and there is a dryness of atmosphere
that renders the climate of the mountains of Jamaica par-
ticularly delightful to the most delicate constitution.
" The sun was just peeping above the horizon,
tinging the clouds with rose and gold, as we moved out
of the depot on our way to Kingston, the capital, and a de-
lightful freshness was in the air. The long ride of sev-
enty-five miles by rail was full of interest, winding in
and out the defiles of mountains through numerous
tunnels. The mangoes were in full flower and there
were miles of feathery bamboo, sugar cane and forest
trees up which stealthy parasites were creeping, though
already loaded with air plants. Under the shade of the
bananas quantities of cattle were browsing ; at many
stations numbers of goats and kids attracted our atten-
tion with their gambols. The varied play of light and
EMM J J. BJRTOL 3 oo
shade on the mountains added ever new beauty to the
scenery.
"As we neared Kingston the change in temperature
was very perceptible. We saw the lignum vitae, with its
wealth of light blue blossoms. The trees were very
large and beautifully shaped and appeared as if covered
with bunches of light blue violets. The fences were
often made of the organ cactus and he would be a bold
man or beast who would venture to climb through."
Kingston stands on a fine harbor in the southeast
coast, at the entrance of which lies Port Royal. From
here we made many excursions to different parts of the
island and finally sailed for home March u. This was
my last sea voyage up to the present time, but I am by
no means certain that I may not take another, as I have
never visited Bermuda !
I spent most of the spring and part of the summer
of 1902 in Atlantic City. Between these seasons I gave
a large wedding breakfast for my grand-daughter, and a
reception in the same drawing room where her mother
was married twenty-four years before. Later I went up
to Lake Mohonk, and remained until the middle of Sep-
tember, enjoying the glorious scenery and climate, and
then came down to West Point for awhile. I have
found but one letter written while there, from which I
make an extract.
West Point, N. Y., Sept. 12, 1902.
" I have been doing West Point ; been to Fort
Putnam where the General on horsebackjumped down a
precipice a hundred feet high, and seen the prison where the
jio RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
British were confined. Have been to Kosiusco's Garden ;
spent a morning at the observatory, which is like the
" Lick " on a smaller scale, and also visited the convent
of the " Lady of our Cliff" at Highland Falls.
I went to Cold Spring and called on Dr. Young,
our old family physician, but he was not able to see me.
All, all, were dead and gone with whom your father
was associated and whom we knew so well. I could not
even find the house we lived in. It was a sad and unsat-
isfactory visit. I can see Cold Spring from my windows
and have been living over and over many an episode of
my young life. The Hudson River is woven into many
of my early experiences in this country."
The last few years of my life have been uneventful,
calm and happy. In June, 1903, I had printed in a
pamphlet my lectures on New Zealand and Jamaica,
which I had given about a dozen times in and around
Philadelphia, and I have had much pleasure in present-
ing this booklet to relatives and friends as a Christmas,
Valentine or Easter remembrance. As the recipients
generally renewed their urgent requests that I would put
into permanent form the recollections of my long and
busy life, I finally set about this. While spending the
summer at Eagles Mere and other quiet retreats in the
Alleghany Mountains, I prepared the reminiscences of
my childhood and youth, but when I returned to the
endless demands of housekeeping and life in a large city,
any further writing had to be laid aside until the next
summer's vacation time. This was spent partly in the
Alleghany and partly in the Catskill Mountains, and the
EMMA J. BARTOL
j
ii
early autumn at Delaware Water Gap. At all of these
places I applied myself assiduously to the work of col-
lecting material and putting it into readable shape.
The chief event of personal interest to me in 1904
was the marriage of one of my grandsons, November 29.
The autumn was filled with the usual duties, and the
winter of 1905 given largely to the completion of this
volume of recollections of my travels.
It has been a work of love, with no expectation of
any reward save the pleasure of living the past over
again and the feeling that I shall have left to my
family and friends a remembrance that I trust they will
accept with the same loving appreciation which they al-
ways have given the writer of it — far beyond the deserts
of either the author or the book, and for this reason all
the more gratefully received.
312 RECOLLECTIONS OF J TRAVELLER
CHAPTER XXXII.
It is with a great deal of reluctance that I refer to
the matters contained in this chapter, but friends who
have read those preceding, and whose opinion I value,
say that to give only a record of my travels and the
things I have done for my own enjoyment would indi-
cate a very selfish woman. They also say that the
organized work in which I have participated and to
which I have contributed has been so large a feature in
my life that to ignore it would leave the story most in-
complete. I yield to their judgment and make brief
reference to certain things, so far as I can remember
them. In doing this it will show how busy and com-
plex is the life of the modern woman ; how it is possible
for one with even a moderate income, compared to what
many enjoy, to assist a large number of worthy enter-
prises ; and especially to prove that after a woman has
passed four-score she may still be of use in the world and
keep in touch with the activities around her. As the
friends of my youth and of middle age have passed away,
I have thus been able continually to form new acquaint-
ances and find fresh sources of enjoyment. In this way
I have maintained an unfailing interest in life and escaped
that extreme loneliness which usually comes to those
who outlive their generation.
When I came to Philadelphia in 1847, at tne a g e
of twenty-six, I soon entered actively into the charitable
work of the Unitarian Church, the woman's branch of
which was known as the Dorcas Society, and for many
EMM J J. BARTOL J7J
years I was one of the visiting committee that investi-
gated the cases applying for relief. At the outbreak of
the Civil War I went at once into the Sanitary Commis-
sion and labored without ceasing until its close, giving
much of my time and strength to the care of the
sick and wounded who filled the hospitals of Philadel-
phia.
In the great work which the women did for the
Centennial Exposition of 1876 I tried to contribute my
share, and I entered heartily into the proposition to
utilize the knowledge and experience which had been
gained during that strenuous time by forming a perma-
nent organization. This was done the following year by
founding the New Century Club, of which I was one of
the forty-four charter members. I have always felt the
warmest interest in this Club, which now has reached a
membership of six hundred. When it was proposed to
form a corporation and build a clubhouse in 1890, I
was happy to subscribe to the building fund, and after-
wards to present to the club the shares of stock I
had thus acquired. When the New Century Guild
for Working Women was formed as an outgrowth of
this club I took pleasure in assisting the move-
ment.
Mr. Bartol and I contributed liberally toward estab-
lishing the Women's Homeopathic Hospital, and I was
first vice-president of the board of managers for over a
quarter of a century. I also am on the board of
the Southern Hospital for Women in Philadelphia; and
314 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
I have been glad to assist in establishing the proposed
McKinley Memorial Hospital for Contagious Diseases.
I am an interested member of the Society for Ethical
Culture and for a number of years past have been one
of its Board of Trustees.
It was a great privilege and pleasure to become a
life member of the Children's Aid Society. I have
always been interested in and assisted the National
Woman Suffrage Association. The societies for various
purposes which I have helped to start are almost too
numerous to mention. My early experiences in Cuba
made me feel kindly towards the negro race and for
some years I have maintained a scholarship at Hampton
and contributed to Tuskegee Institute. I am or have
been on the boards of many institutions. I never con-
tribute to any organizations without investigating as to
their worthiness, and afterwards I endeavor to visit them
during each year. It is a great privilege to be able to
assist in a small way a few of the many agencies which
are trying to help the world along, but the pleasure is
largely mitigated by the flood of appeals which burden
every mail. Each morning of the year I find beside my
plate a pile of letters begging financial help for every
conceivable purpose. Many of these doubtless are quite
as worthy as those to which I contribute, but could I
multiply many times the amount which I am able to
give each year it would be totally inadequate to meet
the demand.
At one time when I was in London I became greatly
interested in the Flower and Fruit Mission and investi-
gated its methods very thoroughly. When I came home
EMMA J. BARTOL JIS
I organized the present one in Philadelphia and was its
president for many years. Until it disbanded I was a
member of the Association for the Advancement of
Women — that pioneer of the great club movement of
to-day. I was also for a number of years a member of
Sorosis, in New York, the mother of women's clubs.
Among the other organizations in which I have a mem-
bership, without solicitation on my part, are the National
and Philadelphia Geographical Societies, the Archaeologi-
cal, the Botanical and the Forestry Associations con-
nected with the University of Pennsylvania ; Unitarian
Club, Consumer's League, Women's Health Protective
Association, Universal Peace Union, Woman Suffrage
Society of the County of Philadelphia, National Con-
gress of Mothers, Civic Club, Public Education Asso-
ciation of Philadelphia, Needlework Guild of the United
States, Fairmount Park Art Association, Pennsylvania
Horticulture Society, Women's State Press Association,
Zoological Society of Fairmount Park, Academy of Fine
Arts, American Academy of Political and Social Science.
In all of these I take an active interest.
One of the blessings connected with a spacious house
is the privilege of sharing its comforts with other people.
In all the past years there has been scarcely a month
when I have not had visitors in my home, sometimes
relatives, at other times intimate friends, and often some
cultured and estimable person who had found life a
struggle and appreciated the rest and recreation which I
was able to offer. It has been my good fortune also to
entertain many distinguished men and women who gave
far more than they received. Among the guests whom
ji6 RECOLLECTIONS OF A TRAVELLER
I love to remember have been Mrs. Elizabeth Cady
Stanton, Miss Susan B. Anthony, Mrs. Julia Ward
Howe, the Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, Mrs. Carrie Chap-
man Catt, the Rev. Anna Garlin Spencer, Miss Maria
Mitchell, the eminent astronomer, Mrs. Isabella Beecher
Hooker, Mrs. May Wright Sewall, Mrs. M. Louise
Thomas ; Mrs. Ormiston Chant, Miss Emily Faithfull,
Dr. and Mrs. Stanton Coit, Mr. John A. Hobson, of
England ; Dr. Tamei Kin, of China ; Prof. Toyokichi
Iyenaga, of Japan ; Dr. Henry W. Bellows, Prof, and
Mrs. Felix Adler, Dr. John Graham Brooks, Henry D.
Lloyd, Hon. Chester Holcombe, David Saville Muzzey.
There have been many others whose names I cannot
now recall.
A great pleasure enjoyed by the mother who has
her own home is that of having with her her children
and grand-children on occasions which will be pleasant
for them to remember in the years to come. On Sunday
of the week in which this last chapter is written, I cele-
brated my 84th birthday, April 2, 1905, and gathered
about me the members of my immediate family to the
number of sixteen. The house was filled with flowers
which had been sent by relatives and friends, the long
table glowed with great clusters of jonquils, the warm
spring sunshine streamed in at the south windows, and
life to me never seemed more bright and beautiful. My
younger son expressed the congratulations and loving
wishes of the family, and one of my sons-in-law a tender
tribute to the mother-in-law. Mrs. Ida Husted Harper,
who had been my guest for the winter, ended her own
greetings by reading the following letter from Miss Susan
EMMA J. BARTOL 317
B. Anthony and the Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, whom I
had expected to arrive from Florida in time for the dinner :
"Eighty-four years young! Many of them years
of unselfish devotion to your family ; and when they left
the home nest for one of their own, then the same
thought and care to others who needed them and to
causes which called for assistance. What a blessing to
have lived eighty-four years if they have been useful and
helpful, and surely whatever else you may feel in regard
to your life, you cannot but feel that it has been full of
usefulness and helpfulness.
"You have done so much to enable other people
to have a little easier and happier life and to make many
a good cause run more smoothly. It is a great privilege
to be able to do this, and it is a grand thing to have the
desire to do it. We wish to send our word of gratitude
for what you have done for us personally. We want to
thank you for your splendid example of growing old
happily and full of interest in the world's progress. It
is a help to those who have kept pace with you in years;
it is an inspiration to those who know that their strong-
est and most useful days lie behind them, for it makes
them feel that those still remaing may be a benediction.
"With a wish that you may have many more of
these helpful years, and with sincere gratitude and
affection, we are faithfully yours."
A feeling of pride in such friends may be pardoned.
Looking back over the long years I can only wish that
3I 8 recollections of a traveller
the harvest of their sowing had been more abundant ;
and looking cheerfully forward to those which may still
remain for me, my hope shall be to make them more
worth the living than any which have preceded.
ft