BANCROFT 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 < 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
c 
 
TRAVELS ABROAD: 
 
 EMBRACING 
 
 HOLL/ND, ENGLAND, BELGIUM, FRANCE, SANDWICH 
 ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, &c., 
 
 WITH 
 
 SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST. 
 
 BY 
 
 RICHARD L. MILLER. 
 
 LYNCHBURG, VA. : 
 J. P. BELL COMPANY, STATIONERS AND PRINTERS. 
 
 1891. 
 
1$ O 
 
 CTo i 
 
 , aftobe anti {jrgonlj all otfjers tfy's site of tfje Setter (Tountrg, 
 tfjte motest bolume is trttcatetj 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 THE accompanying letters were written in the haste inci- 
 dent to travel, and were suggested by the dear ones at home, 
 and by such friends as few men may claim ; and for their own 
 sakes, and as a tribute to them, this modest volume is submitted. 
 There has rarely been an occasion in which a newspaper cor- 
 respondent should be impelled to utter his thoughts in book 
 form. This is not done in this instance with a view of 
 immortality as a book-maker, but to gratify the dear ones in 
 the home circle and the personal friends heretofore alluded to. 
 
 The writer has endeavored to portray things as they ap- 
 peared to him. In the kaleidoscopic views it may be that 
 the guide-books have been intrenched upon, but I trust the 
 substance of the book will be recognized as my own. 
 
 The subjoined letters are published in this form, and ad- 
 dressed to my elder boy, Kenneth, for reasons that will be 
 understood by every father. 
 
 R. L. MILLER. 
 
 Lynchburg, September, 1891. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 "SEEING THE ELEPHANT" AND VIEWING THE SUSPENSION 
 BRIDGE IN NEW YORK ON BOARD THE ETRURIA A 
 
 SQUALL AND ITS RESULTS SHORTEST TIME ON RECORD 
 ARRIVAL IN LIVERPOOL. 
 
 LIVERPOOL, Sept. 7th, 1885. 
 KENNETH G. MILLER: 
 
 My Dear Boy Soon after the arrival of our party 
 in New York, we paid a visit to the famous suspen- 
 sion bridge connecting that city with Brooklyn. Its 
 immensity can only be understood when you stand 
 upon its highest point and take in a full view of New 
 York, Brooklyn, and a river covered with vessels of 
 every imaginable character, representing almost every 
 civilized nation of the world, and where your view 
 is limited only by the capacity of human vision. We 
 spent two hours very pleasantly in Central Park and 
 in the Art Gallery, notwithstanding our innate mod- 
 esty received something of a shock at the nudity of 
 the statues and the lack of drapery on the most pop- 
 ular paintings rendered more conspicuous, indeed, 
 by their absense. On the following day we " took in " 
 the big elephant. I but state a positive fact when I 
 
8 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 say this " beast " is one hundred and seventy feet 
 high, two hundred feet in length, and fifty feet wide. 
 The " Houda" he carries on his back is about twenty 
 by forty feet, and perhaps twenty feet high. For ten 
 cents we gained admittance to the inside of the Mas- 
 todon, and as we stepped into the enclosure our eyes 
 were confronted with a placard : " Enter by the leg 
 only." It proved to be the left behind leg. It at 
 once occurred to me what a treasure this leg would 
 be to some friends at home as a *' luck piece " to be 
 carried around in the pocket with toes up. After 
 climbing flight after flight of steps, we reached a 
 large room about fifty feet square, known as the ball- 
 room ; we then passed into numerous rooms, each 
 capable of accommodating a dozen people comforta- 
 bly, in the hollow of each of the Mastodon's cheeks. 
 I have forgotten the number of the millions of feet 
 of lumber and hundreds of squares of tin that were 
 used in its construction. One of its feet were it 
 capable of locomotion would cover nearly one-tenth 
 of the three unpaved squares on " Fifth Avenue " 
 in Lynchburg. How General S., C. & F. and the 
 Messrs. K. would have enjoyed the aquarium build- 
 ing. Almost every species of sea-fish that could be 
 seen in aquariums about two by four feet, supplied 
 with fresh sea water through pipes which sent small 
 streams bubbling through each of these receptacles. 
 
 Embarking on that floating palace, the Cunard 
 steamship Etruria, on the 29th, we realized as she 
 slowly floated seaward that we were indeed off for 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 9 
 
 the " old countree." Promptly at 11 A. M. services 
 were held in the dining saloon. Never before did I 
 so greatly appreciate the beautiful hymn for the pre- 
 servation of those " who go down to the sea in ships " 
 as I did to day. As the sweet tones of the organ 
 filled the immense saloon and the low-toned, devout 
 voices joined in this petition to God, I could feel the 
 throbbing of the engine, the rolling of the ship, and 
 hear the continual " swish " of the water as it glided 
 rapidly by. Then, and only then, did I fully realize 
 what a dependent creature man is, how infinitesimally 
 small he can at such times feel himself to be. Not- 
 withstanding this is the sultry month of August at 
 home, we are having an admirable illustration of 
 December weather here. I am half frozen ; the pas- 
 sengers on deck are wrapped in heavy overcoats, and 
 wear a blue, pinched look, while those in the smoking 
 room are steaming up with hot drinks. We made 
 yesterday 472 nautical miles from 12 to 12 A. M., at 
 which hour the distance is reckoned. To-day's log 
 (31st) says 430 knots equal to 508 land miles. 
 Major S. P. EL has had the good fortune to see two 
 whales and a school of porpoises a privilege denied 
 his companions. Up to the 2d of September I had 
 seen no case of sea-sickness, but felt the time for that 
 would inevitably come, and when old ocean begins to 
 stir herself there would be a " casting up of ac- 
 counts." Our vessel is almost a Great Eastern in its 
 dimensions, and would require a more than ordinarily 
 heavy sea to materially interfere with her progress. 
 
10 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 At 2:30 P. M. a large sail vessel loomed up on our 
 larboard, and although we are going in the same 
 direction, the Etruria soon left her behind. 
 
 On the 2d we came through a booming gale ; the 
 waves were about the size of Friends' warehouse, 
 and the hollows between as deep as the founda- 
 tion of the new government building. The deck of 
 the Etruria sloped about as greatly as Courthouse 
 hill. At one moment it would face due north, and 
 the next due south. In the smoking saloon things 
 were of a lively and varied character. Ever and 
 anon, spittoons, camp-stools, chess-men, gin-slings, 
 boys, whiskey toddies, stewards and passengers would 
 be all in a pile at one end of the saloon, and the next 
 moment they would radiate to the four corners at a 
 2:40 gait. A young man came whizzing by Captain 
 Lee, spun across the saloon and brought up against 
 the other side of it with a horrible gash across his 
 head, a broken arm, and a bruised body. Captain 
 Lee started to his relief as he lay on the floor, and 
 you would have thought he had been fired from a 
 catapult if you could have seen him wrap his sound 
 arm around a pillar in the centre of the saloon, while 
 his body swung straight out, and then downward, 
 like the sweep of a whip-lash, and there he " an- 
 chored." 
 
 On the 4th, at 6 P. M., the Irish coast came into 
 full view on our left. The rugged grandeur of its 
 tall rock cliff rising abruptly from the water reminded 
 me forcibly of the James river at Balcony Falls. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 11 
 
 Just in front of the position of our ship, a mile or 
 more from the coast stood, in solitary grandeur, an 
 immense rock, on which is built Facinet lighthouse. 
 
 Our trip has been the quickest ever made across 
 the Atlantic by about two hours. Think of it, ye 
 Lynchburgers, that your fellow-citizens have been 
 participants in so distinguished an honor. Our party 
 have all proven good sailors. Every one of us, with- 
 out an exception, have eaten five square meals every 
 day. True, it was sometimes attended with difficulty, 
 as we had to watch the water bottles, salt cellars, 
 etc., as they flew around promiscuously. We could 
 make sure only, on some occasions, of such things as 
 we could keep our fingers on. While our ship was 
 very rapid she was an adept at " rolling," and sad 
 havoc was wrought among our passengers on the 2d 
 and 3d in the matter of " casting up accounts." Per- 
 sonally, however, in this connection I was prepared 
 to exclaim, Vedi, vidi, vici ! 
 
12 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 LOOKING OVER LIVERPOOL CHARACTER OF THE BUILDINGS 
 IMPRESSIONS OF THE PEOPLE VISITS A TOBACCO FAC- 
 TORY IN WHICH THE WEED IS COOKED A PROBLEM IN 
 FINANCE CONVENIENCES FOR HUNGRY TRAVELERS. 
 
 BRISTOL, ENG., Sept. 11, 1885. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 In the interval since sending you a batch of jum- 
 bled notes, taken hurriedly, we have been looking 
 over Liverpool. The immense quantity of stone and 
 glass used here is almost the first thing that attracted 
 my attention. About one-half of the inside partitions 
 in our hotel and the dividing walls between the rooms 
 are of very thick ground glass. A greater portion 
 of the railroad stations are of stone, iron and glass. 
 You see these materials everywhere. 
 
 The appearance of the people here is decidedly more 
 like those in a Virginia city than are those of our 
 nearer neighbors, the New Yorkers. We have seen 
 a number of very fine buildings, and a few days ago 
 heard in front of one of them, St. George's Hall, sev- 
 eral very incendiary addresses from members of a 
 gathering purporting to be composed of workingmen. 
 Of liberty of speech there seemed a superabundance, 
 and judging from the occasion indicated, an English- 
 man need not go out of his own country to enjoy it. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 13 
 
 I went through a large tobacco factory in Liver- 
 pool on Wednesday, and as a matter of more than 
 ordinary interest to the average Lynchburger, will 
 try to give you an idea of what I saw, which was as 
 strange to me as though I had not been reared in 
 one of the greatest tobacco manufacturing towns in 
 the world. I was first taken into a room about 50 
 by 150 feet in its dimensions, where there was a 
 number of girls engaged in stemming leaf tobacco, 
 which had been cased until it was perfectly supple. 
 I was then conducted into another, where the strip 
 was being made into coils or ropes, ranging in size 
 from the little finger to the arm. In another apart- 
 ment these coils were put into shapes called targets, 
 ranging in size from about that of a kegshead down 
 to the thickness of a collar box. These shapes were 
 put into baking pans and baked in large ovens, and 
 after being taken out and allowed to cool off, were 
 wrapped around with hemp rope on the round side, 
 set on flat iron sheets and put under hydraulic pres- 
 sure ; after which they are taken out, boxed and 
 shipped to the retailer. All tobacco used here, cer- 
 tainly all manufactured here, goes through a cooking 
 or baking process. The duty on the raw stock is 3s. 
 arid 6d., yet the manufactured article can be and is 
 sold for 3s. and 3d. Think of that, 6 cents less than 
 the duty ! Upon what principle of legitimate profits 
 can this be accounted for? 
 
 I am staying at a hotel here, St. Vincent's Rocks, 
 which is high upon a rocky hill or mountain some- 
 
14 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 what in shape like that of a sugar loaf, at the foot 
 of which flows the Avon river. I can see in front of 
 ine for many miles over the county of Somerset, and 
 on my left and in the rear an equal distance into 
 Gloustershire. 
 
 I came down from Liverpool yesterday, 198 miles, 
 in 5 hours, and go to London to morrow by the "Fly- 
 ing Dutchman," which makes the trip in 2 hours. 
 While traveling by cars one can telegraph ahead 
 free of expense, and have a delightfully hot meal 
 handed into your carriage at any station on the line. 
 The lunch is placed in a square willow basket, with 
 plate, glass, knife, fork, salt, pepper, butter, etc. I 
 have always found, on such occasions, a nice salad of 
 some kind and a bottle of wine, stout, lager, ale or 
 mineral water in the basket accompanying the food ; 
 the cost is 3s. for cold, or 3s. 6d. for a hot meal with 
 the trimmings indicated. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 15 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 A GLIMPSE OF BREMEN THE RASKT-KELLER WINE CEL- 
 LARS MEETING OLD ACQUAINTANCES THE PICTURES 
 OF BREMEN A TRIP ACROSS THE GERMAN OCEAN RE- 
 TURN TO LONDON. 
 
 MORLES HOTEL, 
 LONDON, ENQ., Sept 27, 1885. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 Since sending a card from, the continent, written 
 in Raskt-Keller, one of the most famous wine cellars 
 in the world, I have returned to London, where I 
 was rejoiced to meet Messrs. R. H. T. Adams, Dr. 
 Thornhill and Davis Christian. Mr. Adams is in the 
 possession of enviable health, while Dr. Thornhill 
 says he is daily increasing in vigor. Mr. Halsey and 
 wife and Capt. Lee leave for Scotland to-morrow? 
 and Mr. Moorman sails for home in a day or two. 
 Messrs. Adams, Thornhill, Christian and the writer 
 go hence to Scotland on Wednesday. 
 
 It is perhaps pertinent at this point to say some- 
 thing of Bremen, from whence I have so recently 
 come. The old city was built about the year 818, 
 and was originally a walled town with a wide, deep 
 moat entirely encircling it, which, in the progress of 
 the centuries, has deepened and widened until it now 
 forms a beautiful sheet of clear water some two miles 
 in circumference. The new city has been built 
 
16 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 around the outer circle. The gigantic statue of Hol- 
 land, an ancient knight who performed wondrous 
 deeds with sword and lance, stands near the City 
 Hall, a building in the older city whose existence 
 dates back for about five centuries. On the wall of 
 this ancient structure is an immense painting repre- 
 senting Solomon's judgment, when the two women 
 claimed the child. The latter is held aloft by a sol- 
 dier who is represented as being almost in the act of 
 smiting the child in twain. The dates on this pic- 
 ture indicate that it was painted in 1353, and twice 
 retouched. They are as follows: "1353" retouched 
 in 1582, and again in 1615. Another picture of re- 
 cent date hangs on, the opposite wall, representing a 
 regiment of Bremen soldiers engaged in battle with 
 a French regiment in the late Franco-Prussian war. 
 The picture is a very fine one. 
 
 The famous wine cellar, Raskt-Kellar,* is beneath 
 this building ; the main cellar, fitted up with tables, 
 stalls and alcoves for its customers, is about 200 feet 
 long by 75 wide. The wine is stored in other rooms. 
 Two or three times a day a guide accompanies visit- 
 
 * A card of the character here referred to was sent to the editor 
 of one of the Lynchburg daily papers and was reproduced with 
 an introduction in his journal as follows : 
 
 " COSTLY WINE. Our townsman, R. L. Miller, Esq., now in 
 Europe, sends us a lithograph card upon which he writes: 
 ' This card is written in the Raskt-Keller, the most celebrated 
 wine vault in the German Empire. This picture represents the 
 Bacchus cask, filled in 1624. We have just taken a drink of it. 
 The value of the wine, with compound interest, is 5,500 marks a 
 drop.' " 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 17 
 
 ors through the rooms, explaining the contents to 
 them. The first one we entered contains 12 casks, 
 each holding 15,000 bottles of wine. These casks 
 represent the 12 apostles including Judas, and con- 
 tain the best wine. An immense cask, with a beauti- 
 fully carved figure of Bacchus astride the head, holds 
 25,000 bottles. Another room contains no wine, but 
 on the ceiling is painted a large red rose. It was 
 formerly used by the old City Council for secret 
 meetings, whence doubtless originated the expression 
 " sub rosa." These cellars are owned and run by 
 the city. The doors are promptly closed at 11 
 o'clock P. M., and the supply of wine ceases at ex- 
 actly 12, midnight. You can order as much as you 
 please up to this hour, and spend the night in drink- 
 ing it, but should your supply become exhausted 
 after 12, no more can be had for love or money. 
 
 We had a very pleasant trip across the German 
 Ocean on our way back, landing at Flushing, in Hol- 
 land, and thence returning to Queenstown, England. 
 Yesterday Messrs. Adams, Thornhill, Christian and 
 myself visited St. Paul's Cathedral, the oldest church 
 in London. We also paid a visit to the Interna- 
 tional Industrial Exhibition. Of course Westminster 
 Abbey came in for a share of our attention, where 
 we saw among other things the old monuments 
 erected to all of England's departed kings and queens, 
 and to England's celebrated dead in other ranks than 
 those of rulers. There were numerous artists pres- 
 ent during our visit copying the grand old raonu- 
 
18 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 ments and beautifully carved stone arches. We 
 failed to gain admission to the Parliament building, 
 as this is the period of recess and the building was 
 consequently closed. 
 
 I have seen so many things, and so little of any of 
 them, that I am at a loss about what to write. 
 Messrs. Adams, Thornhill and Christian will sail 
 from Glasgow for Bremen, and thence on .to Paris, 
 etc. The writer will go from Edinburgh to Liver- 
 pool, and from there sail for home. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 19 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 NEW YORK TO LIVERPOOL A ROUGH PASSAGE THE " STIR- 
 RING" SEA SICKNESS APPALLING WEATHER OLD 
 NEPTUNE ON A VERITABLE BENDER. 
 
 R. M. S. " GERMANIC," 
 
 August 31, 1887. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 After an interregnum of nearly two years, I am 
 again on the briny deep and amid very unpropitious 
 surroundings as to the fickle winds and waves. We 
 sailed promptly at one minute past 10 o'clock A. M-, 
 Wednesday, August 24. From the very incipiency 
 of the voyage we have had bad weather ; the 25th 
 it rained, and we had stiff winds ; the same continued 
 on the 26th, and notwithstanding C. was as fresh as 
 a lark, Col. Bullock was very limp and sickish, and 
 the writer was sick all over. The following colloquy 
 occurred in our state-room : 
 
 Col. B. " What makes the ship roll so, confound 
 her? She hasn't been still a minute since we left 
 Sandy Hook. Is sea- sickness from the brain or 
 stomach?" 
 
 M. " Both, has been my experience." 
 
 The waves increase in size and number, and as a 
 sequence in a few hours the Colonel and myself are 
 too sick to think and too busy to talk. The night of 
 the 27th the wind increased to a hurricane, the waves 
 
20 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 continually rolling over the deck. Sail after sail is 
 hoisted to keep the ship steady, but they are split 
 into ribbons as they are put up. Three of our boats 
 are seriously damaged, the partition around the look- 
 out blown away and the decks fairly swimming in a 
 depth of water. Everything is damp and sticky; 
 the smell of bilge- water, the odor from the smoke- 
 room and kitchen permeate every part of the ship, 
 while a large majority of our passengers are confined 
 to their berths. Those who can move about, look 
 like moulting chickens, and would show well at a 
 wake, but would be sadly out of place on any more 
 festive occasion. C. is one of the very few who 
 remain disgustingly well, horribly cheerful and 
 chronically hungry. Col. B. and the writer lay, or 
 rather roll, from side to side in our berths listening 
 to the shrieking of the wind through the cordage of 
 the vessel, the swish of the seething waters, as it 
 races past, and the dull thud of the bow as she 
 thumps through wave after wave. 
 
 The night of the 27th, although we are so little 
 past midsummer, is as dark as January. Intervals 
 of a groping twilight alternate with seasons of utter 
 blackness, and it is impossible to trace the reason of 
 these changes in the flying horrors of the sky. The 
 wind blows the breath out of one's nostrils; all 
 heaven seems to thunder overhead like the flapping 
 of one huge sail in the tempest, and when there falls 
 a momentary lull on board, we can hear the gusts 
 dismally sweeping in the distance. Looking over 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 21 
 
 the side of the vessel we peer upon a world of black- 
 ness, where the waters wheel and boil, where the 
 waves joust together with the noise of an explosion, 
 and the foam towers and vanishes in the twinkling 
 of an eye. The fury, height and transiency of their 
 spouting is a thing to be seen, not considered or de- 
 scribed. During this fearful storm one of our steerage 
 passengers adds another to the list. A purse of four 
 pounds and ten shillings is made up, and we name it 
 " Hurricane." 
 
 C. sighted a vessel to-day (the 30th) and assures us 
 that she is anchored. The fun comes in when it is 
 remembered that the water is only seven miles deep 
 just around here. The Colonel to-day expresses fear 
 lest our outside cabin be washed overboard. The 
 writer is just beginning to feel a little interest in 
 life again. Will probably sight the Irish coast some 
 time to-night (1st) and will mail this letter in Queens- 
 town to-morrow. 
 
22 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 ARRIVAL IN LIVERPOOL THE WONDERFUL DOCKS A 
 LABOR-SAVING MERCHANT DUBLIN A PLEASANT VISIT 
 TO BRAY A WELL-TRAINED HORSE IRISH NATURE. 
 
 LIVERPOOL, Sept. 16, 1887. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 We found upon our arrival here that " Mexican 
 Joe " and his troupe were the all-absorbing topic. A 
 girl from his show galloping down Church street to- 
 day at break-neck speed attracted unwonted atten- 
 tion. I noticed that the older people stopped and 
 watched her as long as she was in sight, while hun- 
 dreds of young men and boys ran after the pony. 
 
 One of the most wonderful examples of construction 
 in the world consists in the docks of this city. The 
 largest ocean steamer can be dry-docked here. We 
 saw the " British King " during our visit to them in 
 the Alexandria dock, undergoing repairs to her pro- 
 peller. A walk along the dock- wall, which extends 
 for several miles, affords one an idea of what is 
 susceptible of being done in the way of massive 
 masonry by a people who have subjected all of the 
 elements contained in it to the attainment of their 
 own purposes, whether commercial or otherwise. 
 
 I visited a store here, known as Lewis', that exceeds 
 even Yankee thrift and ingenuity in the adaptation 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 23 
 
 of labor-saving appliances. The employees are num- 
 bered by hundreds and the business averages 1,500 
 daily. One clerk sits in a kind of pulpit above the 
 counter, while just in front of him is a perfect net- 
 work of little railroads running in different directions 
 to the counters of other clerks some twenty or 
 thirty in number. Calling at the soap counter, I 
 purchased a package of three cakes of plain soap, for 
 which the charge was twenty cents, giving a two 
 shilling piece to the salesman, who put it into a 
 hollow ball, placed the latter on one of the railroads 
 and sped it away to the clerk in the pulpit the 
 correct change came back in the ball to the soap 
 counter. 
 
 With a view of visiting the Lakes of Killarney and 
 other points of interest in Ireland, we went first to 
 Dublin from this city, arrived in the night and 
 stopped at a very inferior hotel. True, we had 
 chickens, but they were not such as would have im- 
 pelled an itinerant preacher at home to have left his 
 devotions ; on the other hand they were unattractive, 
 ancient fellows, whose leg muscles, preternaturally 
 developed by a long career of fruitless scratching, 
 defied the teeth of even our hungry party. We also 
 had a loud- flavored ham in paper crinolettes, together 
 with tongues of leather-like consistency, all flanked 
 by stony-hearted cold bread and environed by a 
 forbidding regiment of evil-looking decanters of 
 poteen. Our party, however, notwithstanding such 
 temptations to ill-humor, are full of eager anticipa- 
 
24 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 tion, rendering the Colonel so absent-minded or ob- 
 livious to surrounding objects, that at breakfast this 
 morning he put soy on his eggs, and buttered the 
 newspaper instead of his toast. 
 
 I came near forgetting to mention a pleasant trip 
 to Bray, behind a team of four fine horses hitched to 
 a " tally-ho" coach, owned by a friend of the writer, 
 and by him put at our disposal. Bray is twenty 
 miles from Dublin. We made the trip in two and a 
 quarter hours, supplemented by a fine lunch, after 
 which we took a promenade on the esplanade on the 
 sea wall, which runs for miles up and down the 
 beach, and which is beyond question the most beau- 
 tiful walk I ever beheld. The place was full all 
 the old ladies having fans, umbrellas and vinai- 
 grettes ; all of the younger ones rejoiced in sailor hats, 
 cotton frocks, sunshades and the latest novel ; all of 
 the old gentlemen were arrayed in white duck and 
 pith helmets, while all of the younger ones were 
 ensconced in boating flannels, tennis stripes or lightest 
 of checks. Every nursemaid had secured a sweet- 
 heart, and every child a sand-spade or a sunstroke. 
 I passed one old lady sound asleep, her face wreathed 
 in smiles, doubtless from pleasant dreams, and at her 
 feet lay a novel on its stomach in the sand. As far 
 as the eye could reach the broad blue Irish Sea lay 
 glittering beyond the emerald cliffs. The promenade 
 was crowded with well-dressed people, and the cheery 
 thud of the lawn-tennis ball against its racket and 
 the laughter of the players sounded and mingled in 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 25 
 
 harmony with the never-ending plash of the waves. 
 Bray is a green spot in memory. 
 
 Our coach made the trip back to Dublin in two 
 and a half hours, when we went to dine with an Irish 
 gentleman of the old school a friend of the writer, 
 and I believe a kinsman. A beautiful lawn and grove, 
 comprised of forty acres, leads up to the fine but 
 very old house, with its large halls and rooms and 
 wide porches of stone and marble. After an hour 
 spent in the garden and shrubbery, dinner was an- 
 nounced. My entertainer's wife, who, by the way, is 
 the daughter of a baronet, was absent in London, 
 and her sister with her two little girls did the 
 honors. We had sherry, champagne and other wines 
 freely ; then the ladies retired, when we had hot 
 water and Irish whiskey. Then it was that the 
 shades of Charles O'Malley materialized. The party 
 was composed of Col. Mapleson, the husband of 
 " Marie Rose," the most celebrated singer in this 
 country, with Mr. Childs, our host, Col. Bullock, my 
 friend's partner, and the writer. Colonel M. proposed 
 
 to bet that Mr. 's horse could not, or would not, 
 
 come into the dining-room and prove himself gentle 
 and kind. The bet was promptly taken and two 
 grooms ordered to bring the horse in. In a few 
 moments we heard his iron shod hoofs on the marble 
 step, and the next moment he was in the room, a 
 coal-black hunter and a beautiful animal. After he 
 had shown his paces around the tables, our host, Mr. 
 M , mounted him and made him place his two 
 
20 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 fore-feet in a chair, remarking that he could ride 
 him up three flights of steps into the drawing-room 
 on the second floor. Col. Bullock very promptly 
 stepped forward and earnestly craved this privilege, 
 which was granted, and right gallantly did my 
 countryman perform -his task. The first flight of 
 steps was quickly mounted and a stop made on the 
 broad landing, when the old gentleman and his mag- 
 nificent black threw up their heads with a conscious 
 look of pride ; then quickly ascending to the second 
 and third landing, the Colonel rode proudly into the 
 ladies drawing-room. You may rest assured it created 
 quite a flutter. Colonel B. is to-day the proudest 
 man in Great Britain, and we correspondingly reflect 
 his grandeur. After this episode we decided it 
 would be best to return to our hotel, as jumping the 
 horse over the table was in serious contemplation. 
 It is more than possible that some of our more un- 
 charitable friends, in view of the foregoing statements, 
 may jump at hasty conclusions and are ready to ex- 
 claim, " They were drunk." Go easy, my dear 
 friends ; if this be your conclusion, you are mistaken. 
 Know ye not, that there is something in the very air 
 the people of Ireland breathe that renders them ever 
 ready for the commission of dare-devil deeds, and I 
 now know that Lever did not exaggerate one par- 
 ticle in his delineation of this characteristic of his 
 countrymen. 
 
 I purposed to say something about our trip to the 
 Lakes of Killarney and of the desolation of the 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 27 
 
 " evicted " farms, which are numerous in this section, 
 as well as of the beggars such beggars, such per- 
 sistent, such patient, hearty, cheerful beggars but I 
 have already written too much and must say good- 
 bye. All of our party are well. Mr. 0. has turned 
 into an exclamation point and Col. Bullock is almost 
 rejuvenated. I continue to maintain my equable 
 poise, but find my thoughts perpetually turning 
 homeward, and my constant wish is that the faces of 
 my friends and dear ones may be like the daughter 
 of Egypt a face that age could not wither or change ; 
 a slight case of the blues, you perceive. 
 
28 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 MANCHESTER ART EXHIBITION A MAGNIFICENT DISPLAY 
 RAMBLES IN EDINBURGH JENNIE DEAN'S COTTAGE, 
 HOLYROOD AND VARIOUS OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST 
 BILLINGSGATE AND A FISH DINNER. 
 
 LONDON, Sept. 23, 1887. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 In a former letter I neglected to make mention of 
 our visit to the exhibition at Manchester, near Liv- 
 erpool. The picture galleries contain more oil paint- 
 ings .of celebrity than were ever gathered together 
 before. Only think of sixteen or eighteen of Land- 
 seer's best creations, together with a number of 
 Long's, Wallace's and Millet's wonderfully touching 
 and pathetic picturing. The most beautiful of these, 
 in my judgment, is one entitled " The Poor Man's 
 Friend," representing a fisherman at his cottage door 
 mending a net; his wife stands in the door and his 
 little girl is leaning on his knee ; at his side stands a 
 blind beggar, while the mendicant's little girl is bash- 
 fully and tearfully pleading for a penny. The atti- 
 tude of eager pleading in the child's face and position 
 is something marvelous, and would touch the heart 
 of the most callous. Another fine picture by C. W. 
 Mitchell is " Hypatia," Charles Kingsley's heroine. 
 
 " On up the nave, fresh shreds of her dress strewing the 
 holy pavements up to the altar right underneath the great, 
 still Christ, and even there those hell-hounds paused. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 29 
 
 " She shook herself free from her tormentors, and springing 
 back rose for one moment to her full height, naked, snow- 
 white against the dusky mass around. Shame and indignation 
 in those wild, clear eyes, but not a stain of fear. Her lips 
 were open to speak, but the words that should have come 
 from them reached God's ear alone, for in an instant Peter 
 struck her down." 
 
 Lady E. Butler's painting of the return of the gal- 
 lant six hundred from their charge at Balaklava is 
 exhibited by the owner, John Whitehead, Esq. 
 " M'liss," by Long, and " The Village Wedding," by 
 Luke Fildes. The painting of " The Kit Kat Klub,"/ 
 by Yeames, and L. Almatadema's realistic marble 
 work, Millard's "Bride of Lammermoor," from which 
 so many copies have been taken, and from which so 
 many engravings have been made, are all here, and 
 richly deserving of close attention To even attempt 
 to mention a few of the 2104 paintings and sculptures 
 would require a week. 
 
 While in Edinburgh we visited the castle and the 
 historical old Abbey and palace of Holy rood ; the 
 next day riding over to Arthur's seat, passing Jennie 
 Dean's cottage and underneath the Salisbury crags 
 Sir Walter Scott's favorite walk' and where, it is 
 said, he composed "The Heart of Midlothian." In 
 the evening we went down to that wonderful piece 
 of engineering skill, the bridge across the Firth of 
 Forth. An idea of the immensity of the work may 
 be obtained from the fact that 4,000 men have been 
 employed here for five years, and it will require two 
 
30 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 more years to complete the work. The bridge, with 
 its approaches, is one and three-quarters miles long, 
 and the spans are 1,750 feet, built on the cantalever 
 plan. 
 
 Back in London, we have spent five busy days in 
 sight-seeing. Took in the Abbey and Tower, and 
 then spent a day at Kensington Museum, where can 
 be seen representatives of every animal (man in- 
 cluded), bird, fish, fowl, tree, shrub, flower, mineral, 
 insect in fact of everything that has lived or died 
 since Noah's day. Madam Taussard's wax-works 
 were a source of great enjoyment to Col. B. and J. C. 
 I am the guide, having gone over these grounds be- 
 fore, and consequently essay the role of " Ferguson." 
 At Madame Taussard's, Mr. C. and Col. B. walked 
 up to the wax figure of a policeman and insisted on 
 its answering some questions. The crowd saw the 
 fun and quickly gathered around them. They soon 
 saw their mistake and fled to me. I saw a huge 
 amount of embarrassment, and promptly declined to 
 recognize either of them when they spoke to me. I 
 pretended not to know them from Adam, and they 
 were mean enough not to like my very proper con- 
 duct. Yesterday we visited Scotland Yard and then 
 went down to Billingsgate and had a fish dinner at 
 the " Three Tuns Tavern," consisting of six kinds of 
 fish, viz : cod, eels, brill, haddock, soles, turbot, with 
 anchovy, oyster, clam and mussel sauces. The tav- 
 ern stands just back of the fish market, the latter 
 constituting a rare sight to our party. Every kind 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 31 
 
 of edible fish is here offered for sale, from a half- 
 pound to a hundred-pounder. C. F., the K.'s and 
 Uncles Charles and George B. would open their eyes 
 at the number, size and variety of the finny tribe 
 here exhibited. 
 
 Our lady friends at home would have greatly en- 
 joyed a visit to the building in which the Queen's 
 Jubilee presents are displayed. They came from 
 every quarter of the globe. The inhabitants of the 
 Sandwich Islands, Heligoland, Australasia, Canada, 
 India, China, residents in the colonies, English resi- 
 dents in Seville, consuls on the continent, all united 
 their gifts with those at home. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 BEAUTIFUL PARIS ITS NUMEROUS PLACES OF INTEREST AND 
 BEAUTY THE MORGUE GOBELIN TAPESTRY BRUSSELS 
 AND ITS CATHEDRAL A LEGEND CONNECTED WITH IT. 
 
 BRUXELLES, Oct. 3, 1887. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 We left Belgium two days ago, and as our trip 
 through Belgium, Holland and Germany will be a 
 very rapid one, Col. B. decided to remain with Mr. 
 Boykin and his family. They are Virginians, and 
 the brief time we spent with them will be long re- 
 membered as one of the most pleasant incidents in 
 our travels. 
 
 Beautiful Paris ! It is not within the power of 
 pen to describe thy countless attractions and beauties ; 
 certainly mine is incompetent to the task of affording 
 even a shadow of the substantive of them they must 
 be seen to be appreciated. In visiting the superb 
 palaces and enchanting gardens, and the galleries of 
 painting and sculpture, we felt for the time being 
 that we were in possession of Aladdin's lamp. The 
 palace of Versailles was especially attractive, being 
 . a marvel of art in its decorations and furnishings, 
 with grounds that are extensive and artistically laid 
 out. It is needless, however, to particularize, but to 
 afford you an idea of how much we did see in a few 
 days will only mention a few of the many places vis- 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TEAVEL. 33 
 
 ited : The great Boulevards, Porte St. Denis, Palace 
 de la Republique, the Bastile, Rue Rivoli, Louvre, 
 St. Germain, 1'Auxerrois, Bourse, Palais Royal,Champs 
 Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, St. Augustine, Grand 
 Opera House,(where we saw the " Huguenots" and the 
 " Patriot " performed, the ballet being composed of 
 over six hundred girls on the stage at one time), Place 
 Vendome, Tuilleries Gardens, Place du Carrousel, 
 Notre Dame, Tomb of Napoleon and Napoleons are 
 everywhere, the people worshipping the very name 
 of their dead hero. Louis the XIV. is also a very 
 important personage with all Parisians. I visited 
 the Morgue alone, none of our party desiring to ac- 
 company me. Three dead bodies were on the marble 
 slabs. One presented a horrible appearance, the face 
 being terribly battered. The other two were men 
 and suicides one having ended his career through 
 drowning, the other by hanging. A visit to the 
 Gobelin Tapestry works was very interesting ; only 
 one and one-half inches by each man being done per 
 day. I saw no women employed in the works, which 
 are owned and operated by the government. The 
 Column Vendome is a marvel of art. The tall circular 
 shaft was cast from fourteen hundred bronze guns 
 captured by Napoleon. 
 
 The portion of France through which we passed 
 from Dieppe to Paris is low, exhibiting a great deal 
 of wet land, with innumerable rows of poplar and 
 willow trees fringing a multitude of streams and ca- 
 nals. No better or more beautiful description of the 
 
34 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 country could be expressed than is contained in the 
 following little gem of a poem entitled " Petit Chauson 
 Picard ": 
 
 Pale leaves waver and whisper low, 
 
 (Silvered leaves of the poplar tree), 
 Waters wander and billows blow 
 
 In Pieardie. 
 
 Misty green of the orchard grass, 
 
 Grass-grown lanes by the sedge-fringed lea, 
 Pleasant ways for the feet that pass 
 
 Through Pieardie 
 
 Here the youth on a blue May night, 
 Soft to his maiden's home steals he, 
 Binds a bough to the lintel's height 
 
 Of dark fir tree. 
 
 Gaston sigheth for Bernadette ! 
 
 (Sorrow to come or joy to be ?) 
 This she knows by the token set 
 
 In secrecy. 
 
 Long lagoons where the lilies lie, 
 
 (Blossoms and buds of ivory), 
 Sweet the meadows and fair the sky 
 
 Of Pieardie ! 
 
 Where be the waters to drown regret ? 
 
 Where be the leaves of sleep's own tree? 
 Nowhere else in the world nor yet 
 In Pieardie. 
 
 The only impediment to our pleasure in France 
 has been in a lack of sunshine and a superabundance 
 of rain. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 35 
 
 Our advent into Brussels, the capital of the small 
 kingdom of Belgium, was greeted with the genial 
 rays of the sun, the beautiful god of light being out 
 in all his glory. How delightfully his warm rays 
 flow into my window and bathe my chilled frame. 
 What would the world be worth or man himself 
 if its light or warmth were withdrawn from us? 
 Heart and brain and soul would shrivel, sicken and 
 die in the monotonous gloom, for sunshine is the 
 revivifying power of nature indeed, the motive 
 principle. " And God said, let there be light, and 
 there was light." A visit to the cathedral at Brus- 
 sels was first in order. It is one of the finest in Eu- 
 rope. The carved wood pulpit, said to be the most 
 elaborate piece of wood carving in the world, was 
 presented to this church by Marie Theresa in 1776. 
 At the base are seen life-size figures of Adam and 
 Eve driven by angels from Paradise ; on the left, 
 Death is represented as pursuing them. The figures 
 of Adam and Eve are so grouped as to support the 
 globe, which is placed above them, and in the con- 
 cavity of which the preacher stands. This globe 
 rests upon a tree, on whose summit is a canopy sup- 
 ported by two angels, assisted in their task by Truth 
 in the form of a female figure. Below are seen the 
 Holy Family and infant Jesus, the latter standing 
 upon a crescent and holding a cross, with the aid of 
 which and his mother he crushes the serpent's head. 
 Below the pulpit are two small staircases, and on the 
 trunks of the trees which form the balustrade are 
 
36 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 to be seen various animals. On the side of Adam an 
 ostrich and an eagle ; on that of Eve the peacock, the 
 parrot and the ape. A part of the cathedral was 
 built to commemorate a miracle which runs as follows: 
 Some 350 years ago the French overran this country, 
 and wherever they went everything in church and 
 home was carried off. One of the priests of the ca- 
 thedral, knowing the fate of the altar furniture of 
 other churches, hid the gold and jewels of this sanc- 
 tuary in a wall on the west side of the building. 
 Just as the work was finished and the last coat of 
 lime had been spread on the wall concealing it, the 
 French entered the building. Not finding anything 
 of value where so much was expected, they very 
 promptly killed the priest. The bishop, on hearing 
 that the French had secured nothing, surmised that 
 the vessels had been hidden somewhere within the 
 cathedral. Years of search, however, proved fruit- 
 less. One of the priests in charge of the building 
 now decided to devote his life to prayer in order that 
 the lost treasure might be found. After years and 
 years consecrated to that end, and while praying one 
 morning with his face to the west wall of the build- 
 ing, he saw a bright gush of sunlight pour from an 
 aperture in the wall the regular orb was then shin- 
 ing on the other side of the immense structure. 
 Workmen were at -once summoned and the plaster 
 removed from the wall, when all of the vessels and 
 jewels were revealed and removed from where they 
 had so long been in hiding. A chapel and an im- 
 
SOUVENIE8 OF TRAVEL. 37 
 
 mense memorial window, illustrative of the miracle, 
 now stand where the wall once stood. 
 
 Probably the finest modern building in the world 
 is the court-house in this place. The architect died 
 under the mental strain incident to preparing the 
 plans and superintending the building. The widow 
 was awarded a pension of 10,000 francs. Some of 
 the young lawyers were promenading the halls 
 during our visit, amusing me no little with their 
 showy black gowns trimmed with white fur. Every- 
 body here wear uniforms, and the lower the office the 
 more gold lace. 
 
 A curiosity of Brussels, and one seen by few 
 strangers, is the statue of a little boy perfectly nude, 
 and used by the neighbors as a fountain from which 
 they get their water for all purposes. He is called 
 Menneken P. He stands at the corner of two streets, 
 Rue du Cliene and Rue de 1'Eluve. This little fellow 
 was a Burgundian under the Duke of B * a Ger- 
 man under Maximillian, a Spaniard under Charles 
 V., Rebel during the Netherland troubles, Austrian 
 under Maria Theresa, Republican in 1794, French 
 under Napoleon, semi-Dutch under William, and is 
 now Belgian under Leopold. Every one in Brussels 
 knows the man or child of bronze, one cubit high 
 alone, without wings, and consequently fixed where 
 he stands. He is fixed upon an ornamental pedestal 
 of much taste. His natural state is one of nakedness, 
 but during the grand festivals of Brussels he is 
 dressed as a noble, lord, knight or soldier. The 
 
38 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 history of Menneken P. as related by our guide is 
 this : The fountain of Menneken P. was erected by 
 a rich burgess of Brussels, who, having lost during a 
 festival his much-beloved and only child, three or 
 four years old, found him the fifth day afterwards at 
 the spot where the statue now stands, and in the 
 identical posture in which he is here represented. 
 There are many other legends about this very in- 
 teresting little fellow, but the above is believed to be 
 the true one. 
 
 We will be in Holland to-morrow and Germany 
 next day. This, with other letters, needs to be 
 charitably considered, for the reason that my mind 
 is in such a dazed condition from sight-seeing, and 
 everything is in such a jumble, that I find it difficult 
 to follow an idea when one strikes me an inch, 
 before I switch off at right angles on something else. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 39 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 HOLLAND THE WERTZ MUSEUM AT AMSTERDAM A BRIEF 
 NOTICE OF SOME OF THE REMARKABLE WORKS OF ART 
 CONTAINED IN IT DIAMOND CUTTERS ROTTERDAM A 
 CITY OF CANALS AND WOODEN SHOES. 
 
 AMSTERDAM, Oct. 8, 1887. 
 My Dear Soy : 
 
 The most interesting collection of oil paintings we 
 have seen is that in the Wertz Museum at Brussels. 
 "Ouida" says of Wertz: "Are there not many to 
 whom his name is yet as an empty sound, telling 
 nothing ? I fear so. He gave his whole life for fame, 
 and yet fame has only shed upon him a fitful and 
 incomplete luster." Wertz was born in 1805, in the 
 old town of Diant, on the banks of the river Meuse. 
 His best picture, in my judgment, is " The Greeks 
 and Trojans contending for the body of Patroclus." 
 The central figures are the beautiful nude corpse of 
 Patroclus and a divine fury endeavoring to drag it 
 to the Grecian camp. The latter is aided in this 
 purpose by a throng of Grecian warriors, while the 
 Trojans struggle to bear the body away to the city. 
 It is doubtful whether a more beautiful representa- 
 tion of a dead man was ever presented on canvass 
 than is seen in this picture. "The Triumph of 
 Christ" comes next; it was painted in an unused 
 factory in Brussels, and fairly shares with his " Pa- 
 
40 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 troclus " the honor of being his best work. " The 
 Orphans " represents the dead body of the father be- 
 ing removed from the humble cottage. The wife, or 
 rather widow, still young, leans in gloom against the 
 wall ; the children, utterly unconscious of the nature 
 of death, and not understanding the removal of 
 " father," fly like a band of beautiful young furies to 
 attack, with cries, blows and kicks, the men lifting 
 up the coffin. The picture is most intense ; one can 
 almost fancy the screams of the children sounding in 
 one's ears. 
 
 I can mention only a few more of these wonderful 
 pictures. Among them, " The Revolt of Hell," fifty 
 by thirty feet. Here are huge demons writhing in 
 every imaginable contortion ; avalanches of rocks 
 hurling into the bottomless pit ; the entombment in 
 the central panel is a representation of that event 
 as set forth in the Gospel. The conception of Satan 
 in this painting is remarkable, and I think correct. 
 No human form more beautiful can be conceived; 
 the evil is in his look; the eyes alone, "those mirrors 
 'of the soul," betray his fiendish intentions. The 
 most'remarkable of his modern subjects is the "Burnt 
 Child." This represents a poor woman who has gone 
 out to buy provisions, and finds on her return the 
 cradle on fire and the poor baby dead. She is repre- 
 sented as just having snatched the little body from 
 the flames and examining, in a dazed way, its dread- 
 ful injuries. "Buried Alive," "Hunger," "Madness," 
 "Crime," and "The Suicide," are among the most re- 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 41 
 
 markable of this very interesting gallery. That of 
 "The Suicide" is especially so. It represents a young 
 man who has destroyed himself. The body is totter- 
 ing to its fall. On either side of him is his good an- 
 gel and his bad ; the former veils its face in sorrow 
 and compassion, while a laugh of fiendish glee lights 
 up the face of the latter, who holds a second pistol, 
 should the first fail ; on a table close by a materialis- 
 tic volume is lying, together with "A Scene in Hell," 
 Quasemodo, (see Victor Hugo's Notre Dame de 
 Paris) ; "Two Young Girls, or the Beautiful Rosine"; 
 "Old Nick's Mirror" and "The Man of the Future 
 Regarding the Things of the Past," (the men of the 
 future are to be giants of civilization as compared to 
 the people of our day), completes the most attractive 
 of this very interesting gallery. 
 
 AMSTERDAM AND ROTTERDAM. 
 
 Rotterdam, to which we paid a brief visit, is a city 
 of canals and wooden shoes, where the dogs and wo- 
 men do all the work. Our guide here proved to be 
 quite a character. After walking about for an hour 
 he suggested we get a carriage. We agreed. He 
 went off and soon came back with two fine black 
 horses hitched to a very fine carriage, for which we 
 paid a very fine price. When the hour for luncheon 
 arrived, the scamp took us to the most expensive 
 " cafe ' in the place and ordered for himself the most 
 expensive dishes, for which we had to pay. At Am- 
 sterdam we went to see the diamond cutters. There 
 
42 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 are over 12,000 men engaged in that business in that 
 city. The diamonds are lovely, but quite high even 
 here. The Palace, the Crystal Palace and the Mu- 
 seum, with innumerable other attractions, we " took 
 in" in Amsterdam. Now for Bremen and London 
 and Liverpool, thence home. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 43 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 LEAVING EUROPE BRIEF OBSERVATIONS ON T H E TRIP 
 IRELAND FRANCE HOLLAND GERMANY, &C. VISIT 
 TO DR. MORILL MACKENZIE MEETING AN OLD AC- 
 QUAINTANCE HOMEWARD BOUND. 
 
 LONDON, Oct. 10, 1887. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 This epistle, which will be brief, is begun, as indi- 
 cated by the date line, in England's greatest city, but 
 will be concluded with the arrival of our steamer in 
 America's greatest city, New York. I have engaged 
 passage by the Guion steamship " Alaska," for the 
 14th inst. A brief reference to some of the countries 
 we have seen, and people we have met on this trip, 
 may not be inappropriate at this point. 
 
 The south of Ireland is in a woeful condition, 
 while the north, or Protestant portion of the country 
 is as prosperous as any part of our own dear land. 
 The causes that have produced this effect you can 
 figure out at your leisure. By the way, there is a 
 queer couplet on one of the old churches in Dublin, 
 which is credited to Dean Swift. The Dean wrote on 
 the door of the edifice indicated the following . 
 
 " Turk, Jew or Atheist 
 Can enter here, but not a Papist." 
 
 The Dean's servant, a good Catholic, saw the lines 
 
44 * . SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 and turned the tables on his worship in the following 
 neat manner : 
 
 " He who wrote this wrote it well 
 But the same is written on the door of hell." 
 
 Paris is the queen of the world, but France and 
 the French people were a woeful disappointment to 
 us all. Brussels is a marvel of beauty, and all Belgium 
 looks well. 
 
 Holland and its people are both queer and quaint, 
 presenting many points of interest to the traveller. 
 The inhabitants are slow but pains taking, and in the 
 main, intelligent and thrifty. We saw no beggars in 
 Holland. 
 
 Germany has the appearance of one large park, 
 with its fine highways and well-conducted railroads, 
 telegraphs, &c., all of which are in the hands of the 
 government. 
 
 In Bremen the writer met many of his good friends, 
 and again found himself in the " Raskt Kellar " 
 doing homage to the little god Bacchus. A quick 
 run brought us back to Flushing, and soon we were 
 again in old England, and very glad we were to hear 
 our native language spoken. I never intend to learn 
 any other, for the reason that I do not wish to en- 
 courage foreigners in their conceit of speaking any- 
 thing but the English tongue. If we fail to learn 
 their language, they must of necessity learn ours. 
 While in Liverpool on the 12th we had quite a 
 pleasant surprise. Walking down Church street I 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 45 
 
 saw a familiar figure in front of us, and to our great 
 pleasure we were soon shaking hands with Mr. 
 Richard Mathews, of old Lynchburg. Mr. M. will 
 sail with us on the " Alaska," which he informs us is 
 a good vessel, and he ought to know, if the fiftieth 
 voyage he has made be considered. While in London 
 the writer called on the celebrated Dr. Morill Mac- 
 Kenzie, and for the benefit of Lynchburg doctors, 
 that they may learn the value of five or ten minutes 
 of time expended professionally, tell them that I paid 
 four guineas, or 20, each visit. I only indulged 
 twice. Colonel Bullock will sail on the " Brittania," 
 the 19th, in company with Messrs. Boykin and Mayo, 
 of Richmond. 
 
 In due time (14th) our party was on board the 
 " Alaska," with a smooth sea, balmy air and the 
 prospect of a delightful run. Our passenger list 
 shows two celebrities Mrs. Scott Siddons and Archi- 
 bald Forbes, the correspondent of the London Times 
 during our civil war. We also have a few of the 
 " Mexican Joe " company. There are 200 cabin and 
 600 steerage passengers on board. From the very 
 inception of the voyage the weather and the waters 
 have been all that could be desired. These indispen- 
 sable adjuncts, together with a jolly company, and 
 bright anticipations of soon seeing the dear ones at 
 home and the many good friends of the old " burg," 
 rendered things extremely pleasant. From all this, 
 however, we were rudely awakened on the 22d by 
 the wind blowing big guns and rendering thereby 
 
46 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 two-thirds of our passengers sick. The most of them 
 have turned a beautiful greenish yellow, and look as 
 limp as a string. Two ladies fainted, while the 
 writer dare not move even a finger for fear of again 
 being sick. We have averaged to noon to-day about 
 400 miles ; will sight Fire Island light in the morn- 
 ing, and encounter the custom house officials about 
 noon. This will be about the eighth time these 
 fellows will have gone through us. In summing up 
 the chief characteristics of the vessels in which it has 
 been my fortune to encounter the waves of the 
 Atlantic, it may be said that as a first-class roller 
 give me the " Etruria," of the Cunard line ; as a 
 pitcher from base, I will always back the "City of 
 Rome," of the Anchor line ; and as a good boat for 
 a funeral occasion, or any other slow ceremony, I 
 would take the " Germanic," White Star line. I 
 find the " Alaska" combines all the qualities of the 
 other three, except she is quicker in her rolls and 
 more reckless in her pitches. 
 
 Messrs. Childs and Mathews think this sort of 
 weather is fun I can't see it in that way, I am 
 sorry to say. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 47 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 BY WAY OF PROLOGUE EN ROUTE TO AUSTRALIA AS COM- 
 MISSIONER TO THE MELBOURNE EXPOSITION NOTES BY 
 THE WAY THE ROMANCE OF A WHISKEY BOTTLE 
 ARRIVAL IN DENVER. 
 
 DENVER, COLO., June 24, 1888. 
 My Dear Boy: 
 
 I might preface this my first letter, resultant from 
 the trip now in progress, with some observations upon 
 the difficulty every traveler meets in obtaining accu- 
 rate information outside of guide-books, or where 
 guide-books are not available, and the consequent 
 temptation to plagiarize more or less whenever a 
 favorable opportunity is afforded. If what I shall 
 write of my experiences and observation is not always 
 wholly original and I cannot promise that every 
 line of it will be I am sure you will be the gainer 
 thereby. 
 
 After leaving the hills of Ljnchburg behind us, 
 nothing new or noteworthy occurred until we reached 
 Chattanooga, where we spent two days looking for 
 lost baggage. A visit to Lookout Mountain and trip 
 to the top on the cable cars was a revelation to my 
 fellow-traveler and myself. The incline is fully 75 
 degrees, and I would estimate the distance to the 
 top at about a- half or three-fourths of a mile. The 
 cars are about the size of those used upon our streets 
 
48 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 that are propelled by mule or horse power. We ob- 
 served in getting aboard that the cars were provided 
 with a cow-catcher in front and rear. After starting 
 John asks : " Mr. Conductor, is it possible you need 
 a cow-catcher on a road as steep as this? Why, a 
 goat could scarcely climb up here!" "Oh yes," re- 
 plied the conductor, "we find it useful in shoving the 
 mountain cows off the track." Both John and my- 
 self are both as quiet as mice for a brief time after 
 this episode, but on nearing the top, a few minutes 
 later, my companion " got even." There, standing 
 close to the track, was a mountain cow engaged in 
 pensively chewing an old sardine box, its long, white 
 beard waving in the wind. John, turning to the 
 conductor, says : "This is one of those cows, ain't it?" 
 "Yes," was the 'reply. "Well," remarked John, "I 
 think you ought to look after that cow right away, 
 as its milk is spoiling ; I could smell it as we passed." 
 The conductor said nothing, though doubtless he felt 
 bad. We soon arrived at the summit of the moun- 
 tain and found a fine hotel, where we obtained a glass 
 of soda-water would probably have secured some- 
 thing else, but for the fact that prohibition prevailed 
 in all directions for four miles around. From the 
 hotel three flights of rickety steps take us to the top 
 of the immense rock crowning the summit. As we 
 reach the top of the rock a voice at our elbow says, 
 "Twenty-five cents, please." "What for?" we de- 
 mand. " This is the charge for visiting the rock," 
 we are informed. We could almost imagine we were 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 49 
 
 in merry old England again, where every one you 
 meet expects you to tip him. 
 
 We stopped in Nashville one day and visited 
 Vanderbilt University and the capitol. This is em- 
 phatically a Methodist city. The grounds of the 
 University are beautifully shaded with a great variety 
 of native trees, while the air fairly vibrates with the 
 songs of birds. At every turn in the walks is a 
 notice warning visitors against harming or frightening 
 the feathered songsters. We reach St. Louis on the 
 17th, and have a contest with the railroad officials 
 about our tickets, which had been secured in advance 
 by Mr. Warren Rohr, the agent of the Norfolk and 
 Western road at Lynchburg. We got them properly 
 arranged after a day's hard work and left for Kansas 
 City on the 19th, where we arrived at 8 P. M. and 
 left at 9:40 for this city. As we rolled slowly along 
 the Northern Pacific in our comfortable Pullman car, 
 I noticed in the distance ahead, close to the track, a 
 bright glimmering object, the sunbeams sparkling and 
 flashing from it in beautiful prismatic colors ; its 
 round, opaque sides looked familiar, yet for the life 
 of me I could not make out what it was. We ap- 
 proached nearer, and yet nearer, when suddenly it 
 dawned upon me in its full glory. A lone whiskey 
 bottle lay glinting and shimmering in the sun light, 
 all alone and forgotten on the wide prairie. How I 
 longed to hold it in my hands, and perchance to draw 
 the stopper and sniff the faint odor of the departed 
 spirits of old rye, perhaps, new corn, possibly, of 
 
50 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 the vile mescal with which I was once familiar, only 
 by sight though, along the Mexican border years ago. 
 Had any other member of the Lynchburg fishing 
 party seen it a mile off they would have recognized 
 it at once; certaily J. K., W. 0., G. W. S., E. A. A., 
 or the General would have done so, but as I am noted 
 for my abstemiousness, I may well be excused for my 
 stupidity. Previous to the above incident, I had 
 begun to believe that the prairies held nothing to 
 interest me, and really thought 
 
 " The plain was grassy, wild and bare, 
 Wide, wide and open to the air." 
 
 Now, however, I discovered that they were, to say the 
 least, not entirely bare. 
 
 Touching Denver, a few words at this point. Most 
 of her present leading men came here at the begin- 
 ning of the town's existence, but their energies were 
 sadly hampered from the fact that everything had to 
 be hauled 600 miles across the plains by teams. It 
 frequently happened that merchants would sell their 
 goods completely out, put up their shutters and go 
 fishing for weeks, before the new semi-yearly supply 
 arrived. Now, with railway communication, all this 
 is changed. She is now' a cultivated and beautiful 
 city of 75,000 people. Her streets are very broad, 
 and everywhere shaded with lines of cotton wood 
 trees, abundant in foliage and of graceful proportions. 
 On each side of every street there flows a constant 
 stream of water as clear and as cool as that of a 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 51 
 
 mountain brook, the source of which is a dozen miles 
 southward, whence the water is conducted in an open 
 channel. There are said to be 250 miles of these 
 irrigating ditches and gutters, and 275,000 shade 
 trees. The swish and gurgle and sparkle of waters 
 are always present in Denver, and always must be, 
 for thus she defies the desert and dissipates the 
 dreaded dust. The residents of the city are very 
 proud of their school buildings, which are constructed 
 and managed upon the most improved plans. The 
 fuel of the city was formerly wholly composed of 
 lignite coal which comes from the foot hills, but the 
 extension of the railway to Canyon City, El Moro, 
 and the Gunnison, have made the harder and less 
 sulphurous coal accessible and cheap. The water 
 supply is distributed through forty miles of mains. 
 Average consumption, 3,000,000 gallons daily. There 
 is a paid fire department costing $60,000 annually. 
 A branch of the United States mint is located here. 
 There are eight banks six national and two State. 
 These facts prove that this city of the desert is upon 
 a firm financial basis. Of the people, it may be said, 
 there is a most charming freedom of acquaintance 
 and intercouse, embellished with the polish and 
 good breeding of rank, devoid of the chill and ex- 
 clusiveness of regard for " who was your grand- 
 father." Yet this winsome good-fellowship by no 
 means descends to vulgarity or permits itself to be 
 abused. 
 
52 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 ON THE BAIL. 
 
 Now for the Rockies. Away we go. Why can 
 we not go on always? Have it said of us while 
 living, going, going ; and, when dead, written over 
 us, gone. 
 
 At Denver we take the Denver arid Rio Grande 
 railroad, which passes over the most picturesque part 
 of our continent. It is unfortunately a narrow-gauge 
 road, which is its only drawback. The distance it 
 really runs is about 700 miles, which could easily be 
 shortened, to say 550 miles. Inasmuch, however, as 
 it was subsidized by the government in order to 
 secure its construction, it was made as long as possible. 
 For example, say the subsidy was $15,000 a mile, 
 when smooth sections were reached where the road 
 could be built for. say $3,000 per mile, it was made 
 to go over just twice as much ground by curves and 
 twists as was necessary ; and thereby $12,000 per 
 mile was secured as profit. All of this is now in 
 process of being looked into by Congress, I believe, 
 and the lands granted are being recovered by the 
 government and opened to settlers. 
 
 Our sleeping-car party consists of half a dozen old 
 maids from " Bosting " out on an exclamation pil- 
 grimage, about the same number of young men, and 
 several old gentlemen and their wives. There was 
 one old lady, a widow, going out to California to see 
 her son. This old lady bought a book from a news- 
 boy somewhere near Denver. She lost the book on 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 53 
 
 an average of forty-eight times in every twelve hours. 
 Although she had a comfortable section in the car, 
 she would move her baggage, consisting of a bandbox, 
 a bundle, a bag, a shawl-strap bundle and lunch- 
 basket, from seat to seat all day and every hour in 
 the day, and every time she moved she lost her 
 book " that cost a dollar," the woman informed us at 
 every search. She would break up card parties and 
 tete-a-tete parties every fifteen minutes and have all 
 the baggage piled in the aisles and everybody look- 
 ing for her book, till she became such a nuisance we 
 all called her by common consent " the old woman 
 with the lost book," and every one in the party com- 
 menced to watch her. As soon as she would start on 
 her rounds, some one would say at once, " You put 
 your book in your lunch-basket." She would fish 
 it out and read a few lines, then put it in the band- 
 box. In a few minutes she would commence looking 
 around, and again would be told where the book was. 
 The old lady finally redeemed herself, however, as 
 will be seen hereafter. 
 
54 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS THE GRANDEUR AND SUBLIMITY 
 OF THE SCENERY AMONG THE MORMONS SALT LAKE 
 AND SALT LAKE CITY MEETING OP THE WOMAN OF THE 
 LOST BOOK AND HER SON ARRIVAL IN SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 ON THE RAIL, July 8, 1888. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 We awoke the morning after leaving Denver to 
 find ourselves in the heart of the Rocky Mountains/ 
 Our little engine puffs and blows as it drags our train 
 up the slopes and over the high trestles, the canyons 
 in their magnificent grandeur slowly unfolding them- 
 selves to view. We pass through the garden of the 
 Gods, with their weird and fantastic rock-capped 
 columns. Everything in view is on a gigantic scale, 
 and, seen from the observation cars, brings forth many 
 exclamations of delight. One characteristic of the 
 Rocky Mountains is its system of vast indentations, 
 cutting through from top to bottom of the range. 
 Some of these take the form of funnels, others are 
 deep, tortuous galleries, known as passes or canyons, 
 but all have their openings toward the plains. A 
 theory : The descending masses of air fall into these 
 funnels or sinuous canals, as they slide down, concen- 
 trating themselves and acquiring a vertical motion. 
 When they issue from the mouth of the gorge at the 
 base of the range they are gigantic augers, with a 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 55 
 
 revolution faster than man's cunningest machinery, 
 and a cutting edge of silex obtained from the first 
 sand heat caught up by their fury ; thus armed with 
 their own resistless motion and an incisive thread of 
 the hardest mineral, next to the diamond, they sweep 
 on over the plains to excavate, pull down or carve in 
 new forms whatever friable formation lies in their 
 path. 
 
 A few remarks from the observation car as it passes 
 through the garden of the Gods, and the canyons 
 around the mountain tops, or glides close to the edge 
 of some stupendous cliff of granite and we look down 
 upon a long thread of silver 1,500 feet below, a river 
 of considerable volume, closed in by walls of basaltic 
 rock, rising sheer 1,500 or 2,000 feet above it. The 
 effect of the appalling depth it is impossible to de- 
 scribe. Can you realize what 2,000 feet means when 
 suspended upon two small rails above this height ? 
 I cannot form words to express it. If the most gifted 
 writers acknowledge the impossibility of conveying 
 an adequate idea of the extraordinary appearance of 
 this country when describing it in detail, how can 
 I expect to do it in the few lines that I can devote 
 to it ? That it is worth coming all the way from 
 Virginia to see, is saying very little. I might try to 
 compare it with something with which you are 
 familiar, but when there is nothing else in the world 
 like it, what am I to do ? Well, amid all of this 
 grandeur, we (John and myself) got very tired of one 
 of the old maids that wore magnifying glasses, ex- 
 
56 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 claiming, "Oh, how grand ! " " Oh, how superb ! " 
 etc., and " See the lovely light and shadow on the 
 snow " (there was lots of snow all around us). Fortu- 
 nately, just about the time she was in full swing, and 
 as we greatly feared would turn into an exclamation 
 point, a miserable, long-shanked, saw-legged Kansas 
 grasshopper lazily sailed into view, and to our sur- 
 prise and delight she exclaimed : " Oh, what a lovely 
 bird ! How gracefully he flies ! What beautiful plu- 
 mage ! Oh, can any one name it? " " Yes, marrn," 
 says John, "it is called the great Rocky Mountain 
 condor; they are very scarce now, as the Modoc 
 Indians are quite fond of their flesh, and have, it is 
 said, almost exterminated the race." A funeral pall 
 fell upon the crowd, and the beautiful scenery was 
 enjoyed in peace for the next hour. 
 
 We are rapidly whirled down the slope of the 
 mountain, through the foot-hills and out on the alkali 
 plains of Utah. The burning dust fills our eyes and 
 nose; they are inflamed; our lips crack and seem 
 parched ; to laugh is agony, and to move a muscle 
 of the face makes it feel as though we had on 
 a mask tightly glued to the skin. We roll in our 
 berth and awake in Salt Lake City. We are soon 
 out of the cars and among the Mormons. Our first 
 visit is to the new tabernacle, so called to distinguish 
 it from the old tabernacle which formerly stood near 
 it. There is nothing very attractive about the outside 
 appearance of this building ; to be appreciated, it 
 must be viewed from the inside. It is elliptical in 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 57 
 
 shape, 250 feet long by 150 wide, and 70 feet high 
 from floor to ceiling. The interior of the building 
 presents an oval arch without any centre supports 
 the largest self-supporting arch in the United States, 
 I am told. A little south of the tabernacle stands 
 the temple, which is a superb granite building, 
 copied, I think, from a description of Solomon's 
 temple. The following inscription appears on a large 
 tablet- stone placed in the face of the east centre 
 tower : 
 
 " Holiness to the Lord." 
 
 "The House of the Lord." 
 
 " Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." 
 
 " Commenced April 6, 1853." 
 
 " Completed - , ." 
 
 The corner-stone was laid in April. 1853, as stated 
 in the inscription, but it will be many years yet ere 
 this building is completed. About one block away 
 stand the residences of the late Brigham Young. 
 The first is known as the Lion House ; a statue of a 
 lion, crouching, being placid over the entrance. The 
 Bee-Hive house comes next ; a carved bee-hive (the 
 insignia of Utah) crowns this edifice. Near by are 
 several houses occupied by the deceased Young's 
 wives, among which the most imposing is Amelia's 
 palace. The altitude of the city is more than 4,000 
 feet above sea level. All of the streets are bordered 
 with shade trees and running brooks. Every street 
 is 132 ieet wide, so you can well imagine it is a city 
 of " magnificent distances." 
 
58 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 About noon we take the cars for Salt Lake, and 
 after a run of fifteen miles reach Lake Park, a popular 
 bathing place. The writer dons a bathing suit and 
 in he goes. The water of the Lake contains 22 per 
 cent, of pure salt, rendering it so buoyant that the 
 least possible effort is necessary to maintain one's 
 epuilibrium. As sinking is out of the question, I 
 float for almost fifteen minutes with feet and hands 
 out of the water. For a long time the wonders of 
 this marvelous salt sea have been heralded afar, but 
 the theme is one of never-ceasing interest, which can 
 be dwelt upon in a thousand moods without risk of 
 tiring the reader. Island mountains spring from its 
 blue depths, whose lonely shores are rarely traversed 
 by human footsteps, and whose heights have never 
 been explored. What wild and romantic scenes, 
 fraught with mystery of isolation and seclusion, may 
 lie hidden amid their lofty summits no one can say. 
 They lie silent and solitary in the wilderness of for- 
 bidding waters. There is a place on Church Island 
 where a sharp and rocky ridge stretches down to the 
 sea, where the stormy northwest winds of centuries 
 have hollowed out the rocks along the shore, carving 
 them into fantastic shapes, which point their fingers 
 skyward, or arch gracefully over the green waves 
 that lap against them. On this shore the wild winds 
 fling the spray up the cliffs, coating them with salt 
 that hangs in stalactites in the crevices and on the 
 dead limbs of the stunted trees, or glistens like glass 
 on the smooth, round boulders piled along the coast. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL, 59 
 
 Sea gulls, with snowy plumage, sweep over the 
 crusted water in great numbers. This Dead Sea of 
 America is there anything on earth like unto it ? 
 I cannot believe that the broken walls that now cover 
 the sites of Sodom and Gomorrah can compare with 
 it. We return to the city and take the South Pacific 
 for San Francisco. 
 
 Away we rush through the alkali desert again. 
 At Humboldt Sinks we witness the mirage, a seeming 
 lake of sparkling water, which proves to be only a 
 wide plain of alkali. Oh ! how our eyes inflame, and 
 smart and sting. Our lips are dry and parched. 
 Water gives but little relief. Our hair and beard 
 feel like wire and our cheeks are seamed and wrinkled 
 like " She " after her second bath in the purple fires 
 of immortality. We draw near the Sierras, and 
 begin to feel the cool mountain breezes. 
 
 At a station just as we enter the foot-hills of Cali- 
 fornia, a powerfully built man, apparently about 
 forty-five, enters our car. After a careful scrutiny 
 of each member of our party, he stopped at my seat 
 and asks: "Is there a Mrs. W T ade on this car?" 
 " Yes," I say, and point out the old woman with the 
 lost boob:. A great, joyful light shines in his eye : 
 " Mother, mother! don't you know me? I am Harry! " 
 The old lady attempts to rise she throws her arms 
 around Harry's neck. " Oh, God, I thank Thee, it is 
 my boy." We are spell-bound ; we forget the time, 
 place, everything, and live, move and have our being 
 in Harry and his ma. She laughs and we all laugh. 
 
60 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 Our parched lips crack open. Our crisp cheeks split 
 in every direction. We are in agony ; she cries we 
 a ll cr y s he laughs again we don't laugh any more, 
 but continue to cry and keep it up till the cars roll 
 into Sacramento. " Twenty-five minutes for fresh 
 air," calls out the porter out we all tumble and 
 drink soda-water and such like by the quart. Away 
 we skim over the wide wheat fields of California 
 past immense orchards of figs, apricots, cherries and 
 peaches, all in full bearing. At the first station out 
 from Sacramento, " Harry " gets out and buys a dozen 
 large figs for his ma. She beams on the dear boy 
 and declares there is nothing she likes half so well 
 as figs ; he makes her eat them all. At the next sta- 
 tion he buys a dozen large apricots ; she eats them all 
 for her dear boy's sake. We all get uneasy. At the 
 next station Harry buys a dozen large plums ; he 
 says she must eat them. She says she will try, to 
 please him. She eats two or three ; a far-away look 
 comes over her kind, motherly face. She toys with 
 another plum, tries to eat it ; then rises suddenly and 
 rapidly retires to the ladies' dressing room and does 
 not return for half an hour. She looks pale, but 
 there is a happy light in her eyes as they dwell 
 fondly on her boy. We all forgive the old lady, and 
 would consider it a privilege to look for her book 
 from now till we reach San Francisco, which we do 
 very soon. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 61 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO ITS PERFECT CAR SYSTEM MARVELOUS 
 FRUITS AND FLOWERS HORRORS OF THE CHINESE 
 QUARTEH AN OLD VIRGINIA DINNER OLD FRIENDS 
 SUTRO PARK, &C. 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO, June 8, 1888. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 This is a city of enterprise and improvement. The 
 street- car system is the most perfect in every respect 
 that I have ever seen. Although some of the hills 
 are far steeper than Bridge street or even Courthouse 
 Hill in Lynchburg, yet the cars rush up and down 
 them at a rate of seven or eight miles an hour, and 
 withal run so smoothly that you can write comfortably 
 on them. All this is due to the cable system. 
 
 The fruits and flowers are marvels of beauty and 
 perfection. Only think of cherries as large as our 
 blue plums, apricots as large as our peaches, with 
 everything in the fruit and vegetable line formed on 
 a corresponding scale. The walks and drives, lined 
 with rose and fuschia bushes, pinks and geraniums, 
 all in great profusion, of mammoth size and wondrous 
 odor, is most enticing to the stranger. 
 
 There is one serious blot, however, upon this other- 
 wise lovely picture, which it is well at this point to 
 mention. It comes from the horrible, all-pervading 
 smell of Chinatown. It possesses an individuality 
 
62 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 that no other odor on earth can lay claim to. On 
 cold, froggy mornings, or at a mild, windy dawn, long 
 before other smells are up, this smell has had its fires 
 made, had breakfast and is ready for business. It 
 hates a " Melican man," and will skip around a cor- 
 ner or jump a dozen blocks to do him an injury. 
 Old travelers have told me that with a favorable 
 breeze you can smell China for fifty-miles out at sea. 
 I doubted this at one time. My doubts have been 
 dispelled since my visit to the Chinese quarter of San 
 Francisco. This portion of the city is an exact 
 counterpart of the towns and cities in the Chinese 
 Empire, and for filth, degradation, immorality and 
 disease, it is doubtful if its counterpart can be found 
 on our continent. I can readily understand, after 
 my few days stay here, why the Pacific coast people 
 are willing to vote for any one, be he Republican, 
 Democrat or Devil, that will relieve them of this 
 curse to progress and to Christianity. Even Dr. 
 Hannon informed me of the utter hopelessness of 
 doing anything with this people. 
 
 Mr. Marion Langhorne and his charming and 
 hospitable sister, Mrs. Langhorne, gave John, Dr. 
 Hannon and the writer, a regular old Virginia dinner, 
 and seasoned it with true, refined Virginia hospitality. 
 We met Mrs. Langhorne's son, an intelligent, hand- 
 some young gentleman of about twenty one years, 
 who is holding a very responsible position in the 
 Pacific steamship service. I am more than ever im- 
 pressed with an idea that has long been one of my 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 63 
 
 strongest convictions, viz : that it is not worth 
 while to be born at all unless one can be born in 
 old Virginia. An old college-mate and friend of the 
 writer, "Gus" Berlin, attorney-at-law, was exceed- 
 ingly kind to John and myself during our sojourn. 
 He took us out to the Cliff House, some four miles 
 from the city. From the hotel balcony we could see 
 hundreds of sea lions sunning themselves on the 
 rocks a few hundred feet out in the ocean ; their 
 roaring and barking was incessant. Just above the 
 hotel, on a high plateau of several acres in extent, 
 are the most beautifully laid out grounds I ever saw. 
 This is Sutro Park, owned and occupied by Mr. 
 Adolph Sutro, of tunnel fame. From the ramparts 
 of the high wall surrounding this park nothing can 
 present a more sublime and beautiful appearance 
 than the wide, gently rolling waters of the Pacific 
 under an azure sky without a cloud. The eye sweeps 
 over a vast watery plain of the deepest blue, which 
 extends even beyond the ken of the imagination. On 
 our right we see the Golden Gate, through which 
 ocean vessels must needs enter the bay at San Fran- 
 cisco. By the way, this is a veritable land of gold. 
 The conductor of our car coming out had a full set 
 of teeth, upper and lower, of solid gold. Ask John, if 
 you don't believe me. 
 
64 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 LEAVING CALIFORNIA OFF FOR THE SANDWICH ISLANDS- 
 PACIFIC OCEAN MUSINGS CELEBRATING THE FOURTH 
 
 "HOME, SWEET HOME" A TOUCHING SONG BEAUTIFULLY 
 
 SUNG. 
 
 S. S. MARIPOSA, July 6, 1888. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 Promptly at 3 P. M., Sunday, we started out from 
 the Oceanic wharf, and down the bay, and within an 
 hour we passed through the Golden Gate and were 
 on our long journey across the wide Pacific. Looking 
 over the wide waste of waters, rny mind reverted to 
 the old Spanish adventurers. I thought of Vasco 
 Nunez de Balboa, the first discoverer of this ocean, 
 who took possession of it in the name and for the 
 benefit of the Spanish Crown in the following high- 
 flown style : " Long live the high and mighty monarch, 
 Don Ferdinand, and Donna Juanna, Sovereigns of 
 Leon and of Arragon, in whose name and for the 
 royal Crown of Castile I take real and corporeal and 
 actual possession of these seas and lands and coasts 
 and ports, and islands of the South and all there- 
 unto annexed," etc., etc., etc. 
 
 It was indeed one of the most splendid discov- 
 eries that had yet been made in the new world, and 
 must have opened a boundless field of conjecture to 
 the wondering Spaniards. The imagination delights 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 65 
 
 to picture the splendid confusion of their thoughts. 
 Was this the great Indian Ocean, studded with pre- 
 cious islands, abounding in gold and gems and spices, 
 and bordered by the gorgeous cities and wealthy 
 marts of the East, or was it some lonely sea locked 
 up in the embraces of savage, uncultivated continents 
 and never traversed by a bark, save the light pirogue 
 of the Indians? The latter could hardly be true, 
 for the natives had told the Spaniards of golden 
 realms and luxurious and populous nations upon its 
 shores. Perhaps it might be bordered by various 
 peoples, civilized in fact, yet differing from European 
 civilization, who might have peculiar laws and cus- 
 toms, arts and sciences ; who, in truth, might form a 
 world of their old, inter-communing through their 
 mighty ocean and carrying on commerce between 
 their own islands and continent, but who might exist 
 in total ignorance and independence of another hemis- 
 phere. At the period of which I write, no dream 
 was too wild to entertain, and even at the present 
 time there is a mystery and an enchantment that 
 hangs over this mighty body of water that renders 
 it a constant theme with the novelist. 
 
 Among our passengers are T. C. Williams, wife, 
 son and daughter, and Maj. Ginter, niece and servant, 
 of Richmond. Almost as soon as we passed out of 
 the Golden Gate .a squall struck us, and almost every 
 passenger became sick ; even John, who has crowed 
 over me since our trip to Europe last year, when he 
 proved himself such a good sailor, collapsed com- 
 
66 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 pletely, and was as sick, yellow and disconsolate a 
 poor fellow as I ever saw. All night the wind howled 
 through the rigging, and our little tub (for she is no 
 better) rolled and tossed. The next day opened 
 calm' and bright. We all gathered on deck on the 
 4th of July and celebrated it in great style. We 
 had two orations. A girl twelve years old repeated 
 the Declaration of Independence; a lot of New 
 Englanders sang the " Star Spangled Banner," and 
 a party of Englishmen sang " God save the Queen." 
 There were toasts and short talks, songs and long 
 sentiments, etc., while altogether we had quite a jolly 
 
 day. 
 
 We have had the trade-winds with us for several 
 ( l a y 8 _ a t least I suppose it is the trade ; at any 
 rate, a soft, gentle breeze has filled our sails, yet 
 the waves have been scarcely perceptible. We are 
 bowling along on an almost even keel. All space is 
 filled with a divine gray-blue effulgence, which has 
 to my wondering fancy always seemed to be the 
 trade-wind itself the only visible wind I know of. 
 It is not too hot nor too cold, not too bright nor too 
 dull ; and the ship is going fast and smooth, keeling 
 over just enough to make everything you lean against 
 as pleasant as a rocking-chair, going with a gentle, 
 heaving motion for which it would be absurd to hunt 
 up a simile, because there is nothing so wonderfully 
 delightful wherewith to compare it. There are clouds, 
 slow-sailing clouds, but they are of frosted silver, and 
 there is open sky, but of the very faintest blue, save 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 67 
 
 immediately overhead where the delicate needle of 
 our top-gallant mast sweeps across it ill a shortened 
 arc and where it is a faint purple. There are sounds ; 
 one a gentle, universal rush, that of wind itself fill- 
 ing space, and others, supplementary voices ; the low, 
 gentle lapping of the waves upon the ship's sides and 
 the sleepy, gurgling and hissing of many eddies 
 around her. All things seem to be going one way 
 with some settled purpose. The clouds seem to be 
 leading the wind and the wind to be steadily follow- 
 ing the clouds, while the blue and purple waves, a 
 joyous, busy crowd, seem to be hurrying on after both 
 of them to some unknown trysting-place. Yes, I 
 know we are in the trades. If the above is not mine, 
 whose is it ? 
 
 What a lazy, good-for-nothing life we are leading ; 
 we rise at 8 A. M. and breakfast ; then a short walk 
 of perhaps half an hour; then to our deck chair; 
 luncheon at 1 and dinner at 6 ; tea at 8 to 9, and 
 then to the social hall for games and music. There 
 is a noted singer aboard, traveling "incog." She 
 sang for us last night " Home, Sweet Home." My 
 heart was full to overflowing ; my dear ones came 
 vividly before my mind's eye. How beautifully she 
 sang. Towards the close of each verse the god-like 
 voice went sweeping through airy fields of sound like 
 a lark upon the wing, until it paused aloft in a wild, 
 melancholy minor, and then came gently down like 
 the weary bird dropping, tired, sad with too much 
 joy, to its nest amidst the grass. I retired abruptly to 
 
68 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 my cabin, to lie awake hour after hour and finally 
 sleep and dream of home, wife, children and friends. 
 Day after day this do-nothing existence goes on, till 
 I think of the following lines, and only wish the poor 
 woman had tried a trip across the Pacific. This was 
 her soliloquy : 
 
 " Here lies a poor woman who always was tired, 
 For she lived in a world where loo much was required. 
 Weep not for me, friends, for I am going 
 Where there's no reading or writing or sewing ; 
 Weep not for me, friends, for when life's thread doth sever, 
 I'm going to do nothing for ever and ever." 
 
 She could have found no better place on earth to 
 do nothing than on the deck of a Pacific steamer. 
 We expect to sight Honolulu soon, and then for a few 
 hours on terra firma and a glimpse of the lands of 
 fruits, flowers, volcanoes, lepers and other queer, hor- 
 rible, beautiful and wonderful things. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 69 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 THE SANDWICH ISLANDS VISIT TO CONSUL SCHAEFER 
 CHARMINGLY ENTERTAINED HORRORS OF LEPROSY 
 BEAUTY OF THE ISLAND OF HONOLULU AND ITS HARBOR 
 HARROWING STORY OF A WRECK. 
 
 HONOLULU, S. L, July 8, 1888. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 We arrived in port at 8 A. M. to-day, and in as- 
 cending the grand stairway from the saloon to the 
 deck saw the following posted notice : " The Mari- 
 posa will sail at 2 P. M., sharp." John and myself 
 promptly disembarked, and securing a carriage, drove 
 to the Hawaiian Hotel, where we breakfasted. Our 
 fruit bill of fare consisted of cantaloupes, mangoes, 
 bananas, figs and a half dozen other tropical fruits 
 with unpronounceable names. Immediately after 
 breakfast we hired a carriage and proceeded to " do 
 the town.V We drove to Diamond Head, an extinct 
 volcano which rears its lofty head seven hundred feet 
 above sea level ; passed cocoanut and banana groves 
 and cottages embowered in flowers of every hue and 
 in the greatest profusion. During our drive, a caval- 
 cade of native women passed us, riding cavalier 
 fashion and going at top speed. You can imagine 
 our surprise when we learned that there was not a 
 woman'? saddle on the island, and that not only the 
 
70 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 native women, but the white, all ride man fashion. 
 All of the natives, whites and Chinese, wear the 
 native costume called holoku, which is simply our 
 Mother Hubbard, only a little more so. When riding, 
 they put on bloomers under the holoku. and wear a 
 spur on each foot. 
 
 At 10:30 we drove up to Mr. Shaefer's to present 
 a letter given the writer by our townsman, Mr. Ed- 
 mund Schaefer, to his brother, who is German consul 
 here. Had I been searching for the lost garden of 
 Eden I could have rested content here. To say that 
 this is a wondrously beautiful place does not convey 
 the shadow of the substance. Only think of acres 
 of smooth, green grass interspersed with tropical 
 flowers, fruits, cocoanuts, mangoes, mountain ap- 
 ples, bananas, and in fact everything to please the 
 eye or gratify the palate. Just behind the house 
 rises in majestic grandeur a mighty mountain peak, 
 on whose top ever circles a misty cloud, and as we 
 look away down the misty slope a mile away there 
 glimmer the ever-varying waters of the parti-colored 
 Pacific, with its foam crested breakers rolling over 
 the coral reefs, which almost completely encircle the 
 island. No brother, no life-long friend could have 
 been kinder to us than were Mr. Shaefer and his 
 charming wife. Everything that kind hearts could 
 do was done for us, and there was no mistaking the 
 genuine hospitality of our entertainers. Even their 
 little ones vied with each other in efforts to make our 
 visit pleasant ; and when we left, which was not till 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 71 
 
 1:30, our carriage was loaded down with tropical 
 fruits, the gift of our new friends. This visit will 
 ever remain an oasis in our memory. Mr. Childs re- 
 remarked that there might be many good arid beau- 
 tiful women in Honolulu, but that he felt perfectly 
 satisfied that Mr. Schaefer had drawn the prize of 
 King Kalakaua's domain. 1 say, amen. 
 
 This group of islands constitute a perfect paradise, 
 with one exception : the dark cloud that constantly 
 hovers over everything is that most loathsome of all 
 diseases, leprosy. A boat leaves Honolulu for the 
 Leper Island ; the heart-rending cries of husband 
 separating from wife, mother and lather from their 
 children, and lover from sweetheart, ring in our ears 
 and go echoing up to the great white throne, till my 
 heart asks the question, Why does a merciful God 
 allow this dreadful scourge to afflict his children ? 
 Does it doubt the goodness of God ? I cannot answer. 
 Such misery I never saw before. This disease is be- 
 yond the power of my feeble pencil to describe. It 
 first shows itself in the bleared eyes of the victim, 
 then the fingers and toes drop off joint by joint, the 
 cheek-bones protrude through the flesh and skin, the 
 lobes of the ears elongate but I will stop ; it is too 
 horrible to think or write about. The wife of our 
 chief commissioner spent a year on the Islands, and 
 gave me an account of some of her experiences. 
 During the first three months of her stay she took 
 milk and butter from one of her Hawaiian neighbors. 
 About the close of her third month's residence, a 
 
72 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 friend asked her who furnished her with milk and 
 butter. She gave the name of the neighbor. " Why, 
 he is a leper," remarked the gentleman (a Catholic 
 priest). " Look at his hand when he brings your 
 supply to-morrow." " I don't believe it," remarked 
 Mrs. McCoppin ; " they would send him to the Leper 
 Island." " You will soon learn," the gentleman re- 
 marked, " that the natives use every effort to keep 
 the disease from the knowledge of the authorities," 
 which is a sad fact. Even the King and Court will 
 make no effort to eradicate this scourge, and those 
 now being made are due to the unremitting work of 
 the English and American residents. Well, the next 
 morning Mrs. McCoppin received the milk-man in 
 person, and to her dismay found that the joints of 
 his fingers on the left hand were all gone. In a few 
 days the man and one or two members of his family 
 were banished to the Leper Island. She also told 
 me of a woman (native) who married ; her husband 
 developed a case of leprosy and was banished to the 
 Island. This is a legal divorce. This woman married 
 again, and within the year the second husband be- 
 came a leper and was banished. Again she married, 
 and again her husband was a leper in twelve months, 
 yet all this time she had shown no sign of the disease. 
 She went with her third husband to the Island, and 
 to-day she is a leper as white as snow. Mrs. Schaefer 
 informed me that there are three Catholic priests who 
 went to the Island to teach these poor creatures of 
 our Lord, who are to-day loathsome lepers. Does 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 73 
 
 God require any such sacrifice as this of us ? I can- 
 not believe it. But enough of this. 
 
 What would I not give to be able to describe the 
 beauty of this Island and harbor ! A great billowy 
 waste of mountain lay beyond the town, among which 
 played the shadows of the over hanging clouds at 
 their games of hide-and-seek, graciously merry in the 
 eyes of the happy man, but sadly solemn to him in 
 whose heart the dreary thoughts of the past are 
 engaged at a similar game. Just below the clouds, 
 snowy sea-gulls, not unlike the thoughts of a lady, 
 flitted about in gradually lessening circles until they 
 seemed suspended in the soft air over our heads. 
 The marked variation in the color of the ocean among 
 the coral reefs is magical. Close to shore it is a deli- 
 cate grey, then a distinct line of bottle green, then 
 pale blue, next orange yellow, and then dark green, 
 and still again the darkest blue tint, with many other 
 magic colors, striking in their effect as viewed beneath 
 the clear evening light and embossed with the rays 
 of the glowing sun. The streets of the Hawaiian 
 capitol are clean and admirably macadamized with 
 coral, lava, stone and sand. At night they are lighted 
 up with electricity. The city has about 30,000 in- 
 habitants. But a brief time has elapsed since this 
 was a wilderness, peopled by a race of cannibals ; to- 
 day, nearly all the rising generation can read and 
 write. The government spends $50,000 a year on 
 local schools. The present King, Kalakaua, is very 
 fond of gin and iast horses, yet he is said to be a 
 
74 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 man of more than ordinary intelligence and a con- 
 siderable degree of culture. Morally, he has no traits 
 of character which command respect, and is at times 
 so much given to a sensual life as to outrage all kingly 
 associations, incurring the disgust of even his most 
 intimate associates. He is remarkably superstitious, 
 which is indeed a prevailing trait of the entire nation. 
 I was much surprised at the color of the Hawaiians. 
 They are of a very light yellow, in fact some of them 
 brighter than the Chinese, and many of them quite 
 handsome, and all of them graceful in their bearing. 
 Obesity is the highest type of beauty among the na- 
 tives, and as " poy," which is the national dish, has 
 the effect of fattening rapidly, there are consequently 
 very few natives that are not handsome after the 
 order of their own estimate. The currency of the 
 Island is silver, the denominations of the coins being 
 10c., 25c., 50c. and $1.00. I saw no gold or notes. 
 United States 5c. nickels are used for small change. 
 I saw no smaller coins. 
 
 ON BOARD THE MARIPOSA. 
 
 Our steward is quite a character he has gotten 
 John and myself down quite fine. The first day at 
 table John declined soup. On taking our seats at 
 dinner the second day, the steward remarked to 
 John : " You don't go the soup racket to-day, sir. 
 Will you have some fish ? " " No, thank you," says 
 John. " Oh ! " says the steward, " you don't take to 
 fish worth a cent, either, sir." When I reach the 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 75 
 
 table I always find a plate of soup, and as soon as it 
 is finished Harry, our steward, says, " Next on bill, I 
 suppose, sir?" I invariably say yes, not that I eat 
 much, as all my friends know, but I go through the 
 bill just to kill time. The eggs on our boat are in a 
 condition that would make Jim Kyle's heart leap for 
 joy. We dare not have them cooked in any other 
 way than that of scrambled. In fact, they won't 
 stand it. En passant, you see ducks everywhere on 
 Hawaiia. They are hatched by simply placing the 
 eggs in rice straw, and leaving the straw out in the 
 sun (and moon too) day and night for a week, when 
 out run the little ducks. The mother duck never 
 thinks of setting on them. 
 
 Our purser gave me an account of the wreck of 
 the Henry James and the rescue of the crew from 
 Palmira Island on the last trip of the Mariposa from 
 Sydney. There were thirty-five persons, including 
 two women and several children ; also one dog. They 
 had been on the Island six weeks, subsisting on crabs, 
 small eels caught with forked sticks among the coral 
 rocks, cocoanuts and young sea birds. Their only 
 cooking utensil was a tin meat-can which held about 
 one-half gallon ; in this, cooking was carried on all 
 day long. The vessel was wrecked on a coral reef 
 about thirty-five miles from Palmira Island, and it 
 was so sudden and complete that the crew and pas- 
 sengers had only time to get out two boats and make 
 for the Island, the nearest point from which to get 
 help being the Samoan Islands, 1,400 miles away. 
 
76 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 Five of the castaways agreed to take one of the boats 
 and try to make these Islands and bring help for the 
 others. They took seven pounds of the bread (one 
 half of the entire quantity saved from the ship), some 
 eels, crabs, and 250 cocoanuts. When they reached 
 a point near the Samoan Islands, they were all ex- 
 hausted, but providentially the boat was seen drifting 
 about by a passing ship near the harbor and picked 
 up. The men were all insensible but one, and he 
 was too weak to give any account of himself and his 
 companions until the following day. When this tale 
 was heard, a vessel started to the relief of the poor 
 wretches, but owing to heavy weather returned. 
 About this time the Mariposa arrived on her way to 
 San Francisco, and as soon as her commander, Capt. 
 Hay ward, heard of the condition of the unfortunates, 
 he promptly started to their assistance, although it 
 took him out of his course. (I do not admire our 
 captain at all, but am glad to be able to write the 
 above to his credit. With one or two exceptions, 
 I think he has no admirers on the ship, but he is 
 doubtless a safe officer, and this is everything in the 
 " fix" we are in, and 4,000 miles from land.) When 
 the Island was reached, the people were found to be 
 in a horrible condition, almost naked ; their skin ac- 
 tually parched like leather, hair matted and offensive 
 odors emanating from the body, &c. They were 
 promptly taken aboard ; clothing was given them by 
 the steamer's passengers, which they donned after 
 hot baths and the use of scissors and razor by the 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 77 
 
 barber. When they again made their appearance on 
 deck they did not know each other. One hundred 
 pounds was raised by the passengers and divided 
 among them, and when they reached Honolulu they 
 were placed under the care of the English consul. I 
 hope we may have no such experience on this trip. 
 This letter will be mailed at Tutuila. 
 
78 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 OFF FOR AUCKLAND THE SAMOANS THEIR LACK OF SUS- 
 CEPTIBILITY TO IMPROVEMENT OLD WHALING GROUND 
 LEAVING THE TORRID ZONE VARYING THE MONOT- 
 ONY OF A LONG VOYAGE 
 
 S. S. MARIPOSA, 
 AT SEA, July 20, 1888. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 The Sunday after we left Honolulu Monday with 
 the Samoans, or Kanakas, as they are called (indeed, 
 the most of the natives of these South Sea Islands 
 are said to be of this latter race ; they have the red 
 tinge, first noticed at Honolulu ; the same large, dark 
 eyes and long, waving hair and handsome physique). 
 Our experience among them to-day, will long be re- 
 membered as a red-letter period in our wanderings. 
 
 About eleven o'clock a dim, misty outline of peaks 
 and gently undulating hill-tops could be seen about 
 sixty miles ahead. This, we were informed, was 
 Tutuila, one of the Samoan or Navigator group. As 
 we rapidly approached I could see through my glass 
 a small sailing vessel the mail boat from Apia 
 beating up and down, waiting for our steamer, and, 
 on approaching still nearer, I could distinguish six 
 large, long, native canoes loaded down with the red 
 skinned aborigines, so that the water reached almost 
 to the top of the gunwales. They had on a beautiful 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 79 
 
 suit of tattooing, their own long hair, and nothing 
 else. Each boat held about twenty-five men, women 
 and youths. When we had arrived within a mile of 
 the Island our engine stopped, and the boats came on 
 with a rush ; each native had a paddle about four 
 feet long, and every one handled it to suit him or 
 herself, without any regard to concert of action with 
 their neighbor. We began to cheer, and the six boats 
 commenced a race, cheering each other to top speed 
 by wild cries. It was a wild, weird-looking sight, 
 their red, oiled bodies glistening under the bright 
 rays of a vertical tropical sun like burnished copper. 
 In a few moments they had thrown their cocoanut- 
 fibre ropes to willing hands and were swarming up 
 the side of the steamer, but just as their boats touched 
 the side of our "vessel, those who designed coming on 
 deck donned their breech-cloths. Some of them were 
 put on very hurriedly ; the result may safely be left 
 to the imagination of the reader. In a few moments 
 we were engaged in traffic. War-clubs, spears, beads, 
 shells, cocoanuts, fruits, &c., &c., were all and sever- 
 ally offered for $10 " ten dollar " and bought for a 
 shilling. The natives know no other coin or price, so 
 say $10 whenever asked the price of anything, yet 
 are willing to take a shilling, quarter of a dollar or 
 any piece of money of that size having the appear- 
 ance of silver ; any smaller sized coin they will 
 promptly refuse. 
 
 They are a much finer looking people than the 
 Sandwich Islanders. Their features are clear cut, 
 
80 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 no trace of resemblance to the negro being apparent, 
 and are the merriest looking lot of beggars I ever 
 saw. I have picked up some queer curiosities lately, 
 and among them an entire change of ideas about what 
 is good for the " heathen." We had an addition to 
 our passenger list at this point consisting of a lieuten- 
 ant from a German man-of-war stationed here ; he 
 will go with us to Sydney to spend some time recu- 
 perating his health. I learned from him some very 
 interesting facts relative to the natives, their habits, 
 etc. They are very hospitable and kind to all 
 strangers, fairly worshiping the whites, supplying 
 them with everything the Island affords, such as 
 yams, cocoanuts, bread-fruit and all of the tropical 
 fruits and nuts, together with fish and wild hogs, the 
 latter the progeny of those left by Captain Cook. The 
 natives are not fond of meat ; cannibalism is not prac- 
 ticed among any of the islands in this group. 
 
 On the 16th the air became cool and bracing, sug- 
 gesting that by the end of the week overcoats would 
 not only be comfortable but absolutely necessary. 
 Flying fish are numerous ; they spring from the water 
 at the side of our ship and go skimming over the 
 waves in singles, pairs and in large schools, to great 
 distances. On the 18th the water became very rough, 
 rendering most of us again actively ill, myself among 
 the unfortunate number. A few days ago we were 
 sweltering under a tropical sun, listless, lifeless, drip- 
 ping with perspiration ; at night feeling like we were 
 wrapped in a blanket freshly dipped in boiling 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 81 
 
 water. To-day (the 20th) we are all looking blue 
 and pinched, with a freezing south breeze blowing 
 and everybody wrapped up in overcoats and furs. A 
 north wind at home means cold ; a north wind here 
 means heat. Yesterday a huge whale came to the 
 surface to breathe, not more than three hundred yards 
 from our vessel, showing a great part of its enormous 
 bulk. This part of the ocean was once the favorite 
 ground for very large fish in years gone by, when 
 whale fishing was profitable. We nightly vary the 
 monotony of this long voyage with concerts, readings, 
 recitations and sleight-of-hand performances. We 
 have on board, bound for the Melbourne Exhibition, 
 a noted magician, who adds greatly to our enjoyment. 
 We sighted New Zealand about 8 o'clock this morn- 
 ing, and, as I close this letter and at 1 P. M., we are 
 well into the Island, and will probably anchor at 3 
 P. M. in Auckland. 
 
82 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 LETTER XVI. 
 
 NEW ZEALAND INTERESTING FACTS RELATING TO THE 
 MAORIS A PEST OF RABBITS THE ALBATROSS FROM 
 AUCKLAND TO SYDNEY A DARK AND BREEZY TIME. 
 
 AUCKLAND, N. Z , July 25, 1888. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 A band just outside my window has been playing 
 " Home, Sweet Home " to welcome the return of a 
 local political favorite from an electioneering tour. A 
 lonely, unheeded stranger was also in hearing under 
 the deep blue canopy studded with stars, whom those 
 familiar strains moved to quickening tears. But we 
 cannot stop our onward march through life to indulge 
 in sentiment. " This world is a bog," said Queen 
 Elizabeth, " over which we must trip lightly. If we 
 pause we sink." 
 
 It is not a hundred and twenty-five years since the 
 first landing of Captain Cook in New Zealand, and 
 yet in that comparatively brief period the numerous 
 native population then swarming upon its shores have 
 dwindled to a mere handful. It requires no prophet 
 to foretell that the race will soon be extinct. In 
 Australia many of the native tribes have entirely dis- 
 appeared not a single representative being left. The 
 Maoris are far superior to the Australians in appear- 
 ance and intellect ; indeed, are very like our finest 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 83 
 
 type of Indians, yet, like the Indian, they are rapidly 
 giving place to the Anglo-Saxon race. The Maoris 
 are often met in the streets of the cities, dressed in 
 European clothes, and it is very amusing to see them 
 salute each other, which they do by rubbing their 
 noses together. The men tatoo themselves all over 
 the face, the women only about the chin and mouth. 
 I did not find these people a cleanly race ; those that 
 occupy the Hot Lake district are said to spend two- 
 thirds of their time in the water, and are doubtless 
 less dirty. The full-bloods are a fairly good looking 
 race, but the half-breeds are remarkably handsome. 
 Like our Indians, they make the women do all the 
 drudgery ; the men hunt and fish. It seems strange 
 that while these people were cannibals they throve 
 and increased, but since civilization has been intro- 
 duced there has come annual decimation. There is 
 one feature seen in every Maori's face which is mar- 
 velously beautiful, viz.: the eyes; they are large, 
 black as night and brilliant, full of feeling and ten- 
 derness. The Maoris as a race have some striking 
 peculiarities. For example, they never eat salt ; they 
 have no fixed industry, and no idea of time of its 
 divisions into hours and months. They are like our 
 Indians, constitutionally lazy ; they are intensely 
 selfish, and care nothing for their dead. They have 
 a quick sense of insult, but cannot, as a rule, be called 
 pugnacious; they excite themselves to the fighting 
 point by indulging in a hideous war-dance and sing- 
 ing songs full of braggadocio, and when thus wrought 
 
84 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 up they are perfectly reckless as to personal safety. 
 He is not, however, a treacherous enemy ; he gives 
 honorable notice of his hostile intent, warring only 
 in an open manner, thus exhibiting a degree of 
 chivalry unknown among our Indians. Money with 
 them is considered only as representing so much to- 
 bacco and whiskey, or rum. Alcohol is their crite- 
 rion of value bread and meat are quite secondary. 
 " White man drink whiskey, why not I," says the 
 Maori ; they will beg for drink, but not for bread. 
 Those that know them best say it is quite impossible 
 to imbue them with a sense of the importance of 
 chastity ; the idea is altogether ignored. But after 
 a woman is married she becomes sacred, and to treat 
 her with unchaste violence then, is to incur the penalty 
 of death. It would be impossible to imagine a more 
 immoral people than the Maoris, judging by our 
 standards. 
 
 Ancient traditions are fast dying away among these 
 people dying with the elders of their tribes, in whose 
 memories they are locked up. The missionaries half 
 invented, half transcribed an oral Maori language, 
 whfch was used to translate the Bible. But there 
 cannot be said to exist any native literature. The 
 aborigines gave themselves the name Maori pro- 
 nounced Mau-re. We are told by well-informed 
 writers upon this subject, that they were of all the 
 South-Sea tribes the most intelligent. They are 
 physically the most vigorous of any savages inhabit- 
 ing islands south of the equator. Wherever they are 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 85 
 
 now found in the neighborhood of cities, they usually 
 adopt European clothing, yet we are told amusing 
 anecdotes of their going back into the " bush " from 
 time to time, solely to indulge in the old savage con- 
 dition of nudity, and to enjoy a sense of entire freedom 
 from the conventionalities of the whites. There is 
 not much inter- marriage between the whites and 
 natives now, but when there were few white women 
 it was not so uncommon. The race evinces to-day 
 many of the wild traits of their ancestors. You can- 
 not quite tame an Apache, a Gypsy, or a New Zealand 
 Maori. Polygamy and slavery still exists among 
 them. They believe in a future state of existence, 
 and build rude temples to a great spirit, but as late 
 as 1840 their greatest delight was the war-dance, the 
 cannibal feast and the boasting war-song. The Maori 
 affords us the anomaly of a braggart who is not by 
 any means a coward. Now and then is seen among 
 them a face of unmistakable Jewish cast, which sets 
 the imagination to work to find some possible con- 
 nection, far back among bygone ages, between this 
 race and the Hebrew. 
 
 The Maoris, when first discovered, had many games 
 and sports which were identical with our own, such 
 as kite-flying, skipping-rope, hide-and-seek, dancing, 
 walking upon stilts, &c. Cook estimated, when he 
 first visited them, they had passed the period of their 
 best days. He thought that in the century previous 
 to his coming, they had eaten about one-fourth their 
 number. The race now numbers about 35,000, though 
 
86 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 it is certain it aggregated over 100,000 a century ago. 
 The half-caste seldom lives to be over forty years 
 of the pure blood you will see but few old persons. 
 They are all, both men, women and children, most 
 inveterate smokers. What a blessing it would be to 
 old Virginia if there were 35,000,000 of them instead 
 of 35,000. You can give a Maori nothing more ac- 
 ceptable than a pipe and a plug of tobacco. When 
 a Maori meets another after a long separation, the 
 first thing is a mutual rubbing of noses, after which 
 each of the parties begins to weep and moan, but 
 when they say good-bye, be it in view of never so 
 long a separation, they indulge in the most boisterous 
 laughter. As the dead lie prepared for burial, the 
 nearest of kin first, then the closest friends, rub 
 noses with the corpse. 
 
 The Maoris live nearly like the lower class of ani 
 mals, preferring that sort of life even after half a 
 century of intercourse with the whites. They may, 
 from motives of policy, listen to and pretend to accept 
 Christianity, as many of the Chinese do ; but both 
 races, it is well understood, return to their original 
 faith at the first opportunity. The modern Maori 
 accepts the creed of the missionary because it is the 
 easiest thing for him to do, but he still believes in 
 witchcraft, the evil eye, etc. The Roman Catholic 
 faith, which addresses itself so palpably to the eye 
 through form and ceremony, is the most popular among 
 them, and has by far the largest number of professed 
 adherents of any denomination. The decrease in the 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 87 
 
 portion of the Island set aside for them is as rapid as 
 it is where they are brought into more close connec- 
 tion with the whites. As a people, they have mani- 
 festly fulfilled the purpose for which God placed 
 them in these Islands of the South Sea, and, like the 
 " Moa," they must pass off the scene and give place 
 to another race of beings. So it is with the Indian, 
 and so it was with the now totally-extinct natives ol 
 Tasmania. Nothing can prevent the inevitable. It 
 is Kismet. 
 
 I have endeavored to be as clear and succinct as 
 possible in this somewhat extended description of an 
 interesting race, and acknowledge my indebtedness 
 to M. M. Ballou's book, " Under the Southern Cross," 
 for aid in writing it. During my short stay among 
 these people I have seen and heard many things that 
 will constitute delightful reminiscences in future 
 days. These are some of their unique names : " Wi- 
 rernu Turei," " Te Kepa," " Terurahuihui," " Ropata 
 Wohawaha." 
 
 In New Zealand rabbits are so abundant that they 
 are killed, skinned, and the carcasses left on the 
 ground to be devoured by carrion birds. The head 
 is always saved and turned into the government for 
 the bounty which is paid upon each one. The skins 
 are packed and shipped to Europe, to be made into 
 gloves, etc. The total claims made to the rabbit 
 branch of the Sydney Land Department for rabbits 
 destroyed amounts to date to 191,351, say $1,000,- 
 000. Mr. Ballou, in his graphic description of this 
 
88 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 Island, says : " I have seen, by moonlight, a whole 
 sloping hill-side which seemed to be moving, so com- 
 pletely was it covered by these little furry quadru- 
 peds." They are shot, poisoned, trapped and killed 
 with clubs, but still so rapidly do they breed there is 
 no visible diminution of their number. 
 
 The rivers of New Zealand are generally destitute 
 of fish, and the forests and plains of game. It is no 
 country for a sportsman. Vegetation runs riot, how- 
 ever, the soil being very fertile, and drouth is un- 
 known. In this respect it is entirely unlike Australia. 
 In the northern portion it is very much like Spain 
 in climate, the middle not unlike France, while the 
 southern portion is very similar to that of England. 
 At the Christ Church Museum can be seen the skele- 
 ton of that most remarkable pre-historic bird, the 
 " Moa." This bird was indigenous in New Zealand, 
 and is supposed to have existed up to a period of 
 2,000 years ago, probably disappearing before any 
 human beings came to the Island, as the Maori people 
 can only be traced back for some 700 years, and are 
 believed to have come from the Sandwich Islands. 
 Tradition fails to give any account of the gigantic 
 bird "Moa" while living, but their bones are often 
 found in caves, from which the specimens extant have 
 been reconstructed. The head of one of these skele- 
 tons stands sixteen feet from the ground, the various 
 portions of the body harmonizing with the height. 
 When standing erect it was several feet higher 
 than the giraffe, and was to the rest of the bird- 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 89 
 
 tribe what our townsman Ike U is to a toddling 
 
 infant. 
 
 From Auckland, where this letter was begun, to 
 Sydney, where it will be completed, the sea is always 
 rough, and it certainly did not depart from the pre- 
 vailing rule to accommodate us. Almost as soon as 
 we steamed out of Auckland the storm was upon us. 
 As night came on it increased in intensity. On we 
 drove through darkness so dense that nothing could 
 be seen fifty feet from the ship. Our lady passengers 
 clung to the arms of their seats in the saloon, and 
 with blanched faces and bated breath, whispered their 
 fears to their male protectors. Those who had here- 
 tofore escaped sea-sickness succumbed to this dismal 
 disorder, and were "actively ill." "He that will 
 learn to pray, let him go to sea," says George Herbert. 
 " God maketh the sea to boil like a pot," can be 
 literally understood by any one that has ever crossed 
 it between the two places indicated. 
 
 Many an otherwise weary hour was pleasantly 
 passed watching the graceful flight of the albatross, 
 that fateful bird of nautical romance. The ease and 
 apparent lack of effort with which it sustains itself 
 in the air is simply wonderful. What secret power 
 is it that can propel him for hundreds of yards against 
 the wind, with no perceptible motion of the wings ? 
 The albatross is armed with the most powerful beak 
 attached to any of the feathered tribe, being from 
 seven to nine inches long, the end of which is a keen, 
 pointed hook as hard as steel. The average size of 
 
90 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 the bird is : length of body, three feet ; spread of 
 wings from tip to tip, ten feet. In many instances 
 the wings will measure twelve feet from tip to tip. 
 The feet are large, say eight inches across, webbed 
 and armed with three sharp claws over an inch in 
 length. The prevailing color is that of a dirty white 
 or dove on the upper part of the body and wings ; 
 the breast and under part of the wings are always 
 snowy white. The flight of these birds is so rapid 
 that it is said they could sup at the Cape of Good 
 Hope and breakfast at New York. 
 
 We have just arrived (July 26th) at Sydney, after 
 a troubled voyage, and leave this P. M. for Melbourne. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 91 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 THE MELBOURNE EXPOSITION THE OPENING CEREMONIES 
 CHIEF COMMISSIONER AND MRS. M'COPPIN MEETING 
 NOTABLE PEOPLE. 
 
 MELBOURNE, Aug. G, 1888. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 The great Melbourne Exposition opened on the 
 1st in due form. The high and mighty dignitaries of 
 the world occupied the dais in the centre of the main 
 building. At 11:30 A. M., Sir Henry Loch and Lady 
 Loch entered at the main entrance of the Avenue of 
 the Nations ; the various representatives of all the 
 nations on earth marched down the long gallery to 
 receive and escort them to a raised platform. As 
 they passed the various courts, bands of music played 
 national airs, the immense organ in the west nave 
 poured out its powerful tones, the tens of thousands 
 of spectators rose to their feet, and the opening cere- 
 monies had commenced. 
 
 Among the supporting escort, one of the most 
 conspicuous, dignified and commanding figures was 
 our chief commissioner, Hon. Frank McCoppin. No 
 title was necessary to inform the spectators that here 
 walked a true gentleman and a man among men. Six 
 feet, four inches in height; straight as an arrow; 
 thoroughly proportioned ; complexion ruddy ; a short, 
 thick, gray moustache ; hair perfectly white, and an 
 
92 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 eye that took in everything and everybody at a 
 glance. I felt a sincere pride in my countryman, nor 
 can I refrain from saying a word or two in praise of 
 his charming wife. Mrs. McCoppin is just such a 
 woman as Beaconsfield would have taken for one of 
 his characters a woman with a kind, sympathetic 
 heart, a mind of extraordinary capacity stored with 
 an amount of information simply wonderful, and pos- 
 sessed with the faculty of imparting it in the simplest 
 and most pleasant way imaginable. Her reading 
 extends over the greatest variety of subjects. Politics 
 are quite as familiar to her as are the best poets, 
 while every fiction of any note from Fielding and 
 Smollett to Amelia Rives are entirely familiar to her. 
 Mrs. McCoppin is stout, with a handsome, striking 
 face, and is about forty-five years of age. Among 
 the wealth, beauty and nobility occupying the main 
 stand, there were no two figures more striking than 
 that of our chief and his accomplished wife. 
 
 The position of the four assistant commissioners 
 was quite near the principal stand, and a little to the 
 left of the choir of one thousand voices. Miss Sher- 
 wood sang a solo, and although the building in which 
 the ceremonies were held is over five acres in floor 
 extent, the main building alone being used, her power- 
 ful voice could be heard in every nook and corner. I 
 am quartered just across the street from the Exhibi- 
 tion building; have a small room, and pay four 
 guineas or $20 per week for it and board. I have 
 made numerous efforts to settle down to business and 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 93 
 
 letter writing, but owing to calls from American 
 exhibitors, find it an exceedingly difficult thing to do. 
 I have had the pleasure of meeting Lady Musgrove, 
 daughter of David Dudley Field, and niece of Asso- 
 ciate Justice Field of the U. S. Supreme Court, and 
 found her a genuine American in both accent and 
 bearing. You know it is said an Englishman loves 
 a lord above all things. The Australian would give 
 his life almost for a nod from one. Titles are simply 
 adored out here. I have been very kindly treated 
 by every one I have met, and should, and do, feel 
 very grateful, but I would prefer my modest cottage 
 in old Lynchburg to the finest palace in this country. 
 
94 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 LETTER XVIII. 
 
 AUSTRALIAN FORESTS THEIR UTTER DESOLATION HUNT- 
 ING BEARS AND KANGAROOS THE RESULT LAUGHING 
 JACKASSES THE ART GALLERIES AT THE EXHIBITION 
 THE DRAMA. 
 
 UNITED STATES COUKT, 
 EXHIBITION BUILDING, 
 
 October 3, 1888. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 Messrs. Faulkner and Craighill, of Lynchburg, 
 gave me a letter of introduction to a friend of theirs 
 in Melbourne. I was delighted to find that he is as 
 much devoted to sport as myself, and we at once 
 arranged for a hunt for the foPowing Tuesday. So 
 on that day, accompanied by this friend, we took the 
 train for Goldburn, New South Wales, which was 
 reached Wednesday at 8 A. M. We hired a two- 
 horse trap, and within one hour after our arrival 
 were on our way to " Bungonia," a station in the 
 heart of the colony. We were on the road almost all 
 day. After leaving Goldburn, we entered the forest, 
 which extended for hundreds of miles in every direc- 
 tion. 
 
 A word here anent Australian forests. Every 
 square acre is just like every other square acre 
 throughout the whole country. There is no more 
 desolate sight than is presented by these forests. The 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 95 
 
 trees are gnarled and twisted, and all of the trunks 
 and limbs are white, with that peculiar ashy appear- 
 ance seen only in a pile of bleached bones on some 
 wind-swept desert. The ground underneath the trees 
 is almost entirely bare, as there is but little to fertilize 
 it, the trees never shedding their leaves, but only 
 their dry, sapless, lifeless bark, which peels off in 
 long strips, and lies along the ground in tangled 
 masses. No sound is heard among the trees, except 
 occasionally the peculiar guttural note of the magpie 
 or the shrill pipe of the " soldier bird." I have wan- 
 dered for hours through these " skeleton woods " with- 
 out hearing even a leaf stir, and only occasionally 
 catching a glimpse of a kangaroo or wallaby scudding 
 away in the distance like a brown shadow. I can 
 now readily understand why the bushmen, when lost 
 in these miles of desolate, white timber trees, with 
 their funereal plumes of " black-green foliage," go 
 mad in a few days, and when found, which seldom 
 happens, are raving maniacs. To a stranger, there 
 is no way of locating one's route of return by any 
 peculiarity of trees or ground, as it is all so exactly 
 alike that only those raised amid such surroundings 
 can navigate through these pathless wastes with any- 
 thing like safety. 
 
 Now for the hunt : I saw my first ferocious Austra- 
 lian bear a few miles from our starting point. He 
 was resting comfortably in the fork of a blue gum, 
 and looked at me as I approached the trees with an 
 air that said, " Well, what do you want here ? " I 
 
96 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 planted a 44- Winchester ball in his back, which only 
 made him move up the trunk of the tree a few feet 
 and commence to cry. The tears streamed down his 
 face, and the cry was so like that of a child in deep 
 distress that my heart reproved me, and I promptly 
 put a ball through its head. I had killed my first bear. 
 During the day we killed twenty-seven bears. We 
 spent three days and a-half in our hunt, killing ninety- 
 two bears, seventy one kangaroo arid wallaby, six hares, 
 and parrots innumerable. The most amusing incident 
 of the trip I note here. I was placed on a stand to 
 shoot kangaroo, and the drivers, a squad of six boys, 
 on horseback, were sent to the woods a half mile to 
 drive the poor brutes toward me by " cooing " (Aus- 
 tralian for yelling) and cracking whips, though 
 my stand I was told to keep perfectly quiet. Soon 
 after my guide left me I heard some one Jaugh the 
 sound seemed to come from the direction of a " water 
 hole " I had passed about one hundred yards in rear 
 of my stand ; " ha, ha, ha," then " he, he, he," quickly 
 followed by " ho, ho, ho," and again " hey, hey, hey," 
 then altogether the entire party broke out in the most 
 uproarious, jolly laugh I ever heard, and although 
 I was furiously angry I could riot, for my life, keep 
 from joining in it. Knowing that this infernal racket 
 would prevent any sensible animal from coming with- 
 in a mile of me, I went down to the water hole to 
 request the party to leave, as they were interfering 
 with my sport. When I reached the place no one 
 could be seen. I looked in every direction, and the 
 
80UVENIR8 OF TRAVEL. , 97 
 
 only thing I saw was five large birds that looked 
 like " king-fishers " on a big scale. Just as I was 
 about to return to my stand completely mystified, I 
 heard " ha, ha, ha," and to my surprise it came from 
 one of the birds ; the next one took it up, " he, he, 
 he/' and so on, and then altogether in a chorus the 
 most rollicking, jolly peals of laughter I ever heard. 
 I laid down on the dead grass and rolled over in con- 
 vulsions, and was only brought to my senses by an 
 " old man " kangaroo jumping almost over me. I 
 picked up my gun and gave him a parting shot, and 
 almost immediately heard my drivers shouting their 
 coo, coo, coo, in the woods near me. I was soon 
 joined by my guide, who informed me that the birds 
 that had amused and annoyed me so much were 
 "laughing jackasses." I met these unique fowls 
 several times afterwards, and had many hearty laughs 
 with them. 
 
 I am again hard at work on my tobacco report 
 subject : tobacco its growth, progress, etc., having 
 been assigned to me by the commissioner. Almost 
 every night I spend an hour or two in the picture 
 gallery in the Exhibition Building. I am greatly 
 pleased with the German Art Gallery, and will men- 
 tion a few pictures that have particularly taken my 
 fancy. 
 
 " The Only Friend," a fine picture by Hillah, rep- 
 resents a dog lying outside the barred window of a 
 prison, while the inmate has pushed his hand through 
 the iron railings to allow it to rest caressingly on the 
 
98 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 animal's head. " A Summer Morning on the Beach," 
 by Leistikow, a delicately-toned sea picture, with 
 early summer light lighting up the boats and planks 
 on the sea-shore. " The Norwegian Harbor," by 
 Garebe, and the " Norwegian Fiord " by the same 
 artist. In both, the main feature is the lustrous and 
 pellucid blue of the water, which in the middle dis- 
 tance has caught the tints from the mountains as they 
 rise abruptly from the sides of the narrow bay. " The 
 Sattenfiord," a very glowing composition, with sunlit 
 rocks and shipping, almost dazzling in their warmth 
 of color, is a fine picture. I do not now recall the 
 artist's name. " A Winter Evening," by Muller- 
 Kurzwellz, in which the treatment of sunshine on 
 snow is very realistic, the last gleam falling on the 
 branches of the trees like a thread of gold, and catch- 
 ing the surface of a tiny pool where two aquatic 
 birds are resting. A charming picture is the one en- 
 titled " A Moonlight Night," by Schleich, with the 
 moon rising over a gloomy marsh. " Poppies," a 
 richly-painted cluster of leaves and flowers by Mary 
 Bross, is another very fine painting. " The Evening 
 Bell," by Leisklow, represents a landscape fading 
 away into the gray tints of twilight, while a boat is 
 slowly making its way through the rippling water. 
 " Scene Outside an Osteria," in Albino, by Raven- 
 stein a masterpiece of brilliant coloring with a 
 bevy of peasant girls dancing to the music which a 
 group of rustic musicians are making. "Autumn 
 Evening" is merely a corner in a forest, glorified by 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 99 
 
 the setting sun, whose reflected rays are bringing 
 out the tints of the surrounding foliage, rocks and 
 branches. 
 
 From the French Gallery I will only mention two 
 pictures that made a deep impression upon me. One 
 is a superb painting by Rixens : an angel clasping a 
 dead musician and holding aloft a crown "of laurel 
 leaves, while the music sheets have fallen forever 
 from the nerveless hand. The subject is treated with 
 great power. The other picture, entitled "Nor- 
 mandy Pastures," by Barillot, I regard as one of the 
 best animal studies in the Exhibition. The distinctive 
 characteristic of this picture is the brilliant atmos- 
 pheric tint which lights up the whole canvas and 
 gains its full measure oi effect in the soft shadow on 
 the ground. 
 
 But enough of pictures. I only look at a few each 
 evening, and will venture a word of advice to my 
 Lynchburg friends, which is founded upon actual 
 experience. Don't go on looking at a succession of 
 pictures until your eyes are pained by the strain upon 
 them, and the faculties of observation, comparison 
 and criticism are wearied, but on the other hand, 
 study a few attentively, until you have mastered 
 their subject, sentiment, spirit and style all they 
 express and all they suggest, until an accurate and 
 enduring image of 'them has impressed itself upon 
 the tablets of your memory. This is the way to enjoy 
 them prospectively, as well as in the immediate 
 present. When visiting the celebrated galleries of 
 
100 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 Europe remember this, and you will find my advice 
 worthy of consideration. 
 
 Now for a little city news, and I am done. The 
 good ship " Gaiety," in which Melbourne people have 
 been pleasantly voyaging for the past few weeks, has 
 drifted into a quiet haven, and all on board are now 
 anxious for the rest that a brief respite from merry- 
 making will afford. In fact, society has been so 
 gorged with fetes of pleasure during the present month 
 that, were any other brilliant entertainments now or- 
 ganized, the promoters would risk the chance of 
 being socially " boycotted." In the present phase of 
 welcome quietude, afternoon teas, small dinners and 
 theatre parties are the most excessive forms of pleas- 
 urable dissipation, where little exertion is necessary, 
 and the yield of enjoyment is most satisfactory. 
 Afternoon teas at the Exhibition have become a most 
 popular institution, and during the past week many 
 ladies have played the hostess at these dainty enter- 
 tainments within the monster show. The theatre 
 parties are receiving due attention, as the dress cir- 
 cles of the Princess and the Bijou theaters nightly 
 attest. At the Bijou on Friday evening, amongst 
 the large audience there were none who so thoroughly 
 enjoyed the drolleries of " The Magistrate " as the 
 ladies in the dress circle. 
 
 Miss Essie Jenyns, a native Australian, has gained 
 quite an enviable reputation as an actress. She will 
 leave for England in a few weeks, and will doubtless 
 favor the States, and possibly Lynchburg, with her 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 101 
 
 presence before her return home. There was an 
 overflowing and most enthusiastic audience at the 
 Princess last Saturday evening when she appeared as 
 Rosalind. In the last scene she wore a model gown 
 (Australian for dress) of soft, white material, long 
 train and wide sleeves lined with crimson velvet. 
 On her head was a pearl coronet, and diamond orna- 
 ments completed an outfit in which Miss Jenyns 
 looked quite lovely. Lady Loch and the Governor, 
 Sir Henry Loch, who omit no opportunity of evincing 
 their interest in Miss Jenyns, accompanied the vice- 
 regal party to the Princess to-night, when the lovely 
 actress by special vice-regal command portrayed 
 the charming wiles and ways of Parthenia, the Greek 
 maiden. My friends must not regard me as stage- 
 struck, or longing for a closer intimacy with colonial 
 nobility. I merely chanced to feel in this vein, hence 
 the above, which may amuse if it does not instruct. 
 
 I find the life of a United States commissioner 
 very pleasant, and my path made very smooth and 
 comfortable, yet my heart longs for the clasp of a 
 true friend's hand 
 
 " I sigh for the touch of a distant hand and the sound of a 
 voice that is still." 
 
102 80UVENIE8 OF TRAVEL. 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 THOUGHTS OF HOME AND FRIENDS THE ADVANTAGES OF 
 TRAVEL THE EXHIBITION BUILDING JAMES WASH- 
 INGTON AN INCORRIGIBLE BACHELOR SOME REFLEC- 
 TIONS ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND 
 THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 MELBOURNE, Oct. 3, 1888. 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 As the period approaches to turn our faces home- 
 ward, memories of that home come thronging thick 
 and fast upon us. How often during the last few 
 days have these lines occurred to me : 
 
 " How brightly gleams the orb of day 
 
 Across the trackless sea ; 
 How lightly dance the waves that play 
 
 Like dolphins on our lee. 
 The restless waters seem to say, 
 
 In smothered tones to me, 
 How many thousand miles away 
 
 My native land must be. 
 
 " Speak, ocean ! is my home the same ? 
 
 Now all is new to me 
 The tropic sky's resplendent flame, 
 
 The vast expanse of sea. 
 Does all around her, yet unchanged, 
 
 The well-known aspect wear ? 
 Oh, can the leagues that I have ranged 
 
 Have made no difference there?" 
 
 How often have I asked myself the question : Is my 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 103 
 
 home the same? Will I soon clasp the hand and 
 look into the eyes of all the dear friends I left behind ? 
 One dear friend I know is gone ; than whom no truer, 
 better friend ever lived than Tom Kyle ! Will I 
 miss others on my return ? God grant it may not be 
 so. This dread of not finding our dear ones on our 
 return is the one great obstacle to the pleasure of 
 travel. That travel enlarges the mind, produces 
 clear-sightedness, tolerance and sympathy, and tends 
 to refine the manners, we must all admit. One thing, 
 however, must be borne in mind relative to travel, 
 wherever it is- indulged in. If it is to be productive 
 of lasting good, the traveler must have something to 
 put into his traveling in order that he may get some- 
 thing out of it. There are travelers who have eyes, 
 but they see not, and ears, but they fail to hear and 
 understand ; for such persons travel can do but little. 
 Travel is one only of the valuable aids to culture, 
 which includes also reading, reflection, discussion and 
 conversation. It is well to remember that without 
 the others, the teachings of travel will not be very 
 efficacious, and that it is of importance, not only that 
 people should travel, but that it would be always 
 best that they should be such persons as would likely 
 be benefited thereby. 
 
 Touching the Exhibition Building, of which I have 
 heretofore said but little or nothing, I will give you 
 a few items about the American court therein. The 
 commissioner's office is a handsome room, situated 
 about midway of the main aisle, at the front door of 
 
104 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 which stood a tall, strongly-built negro, as black as 
 midnight, his dark uniform, elaborately trimmed with 
 gold lace, only serving to intensify his ebony hue. 
 James Washington is his name, and I believe he 
 attracts more attention than any exhibit we have. 
 There are two assistants, also dressed in blue and 
 gold ; they are mulattoes, and all three came from 
 the States. Washington is about sixty years old, and 
 worth, I am informed, $100,000 in property. I asked 
 him if he was married. " No, sir ; I gits trouble 
 enough, 'dout havin' no wife." " Don't you know if 
 you marry and have lots of trouble you will be ad- 
 mitted in Paradise when you die, as you will have 
 had all of your allotment on this earth?" "Well," 
 said James, ' Dat's a new doctrine to me, Mr. Miller, 
 but if I knowed it was true I would ruder take my 
 chances in de nex world dan de certainty what I 
 would hab in dis." I then told James Washington 
 it was a Hindoo doctrine, and as some of our Lynch- 
 burg friends are unacquainted with the theory, I 
 give them the story as illustrated in verse : 
 
 A Hindoo died a blessed thing to do 
 
 When twenty years united to a shrew. 
 
 Eeleased, he hopefully for entrance cries 
 
 Before the gates of Brahma's paradise. 
 
 " Hast been through purgatory ? " Brahma said. 
 
 " I have been married " and he hung his head. 
 
 " Come in, come in, and welcome too, my son ! 
 
 Marriage and purgatory are as one." 
 
 In bliss extreme he entered heaven's door, 
 
 And knew the peace he ne'er had known before. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 105 
 
 He scarce had entered in the garden fair, 
 
 Another Hindoo asked admission there. 
 
 The self-same question Brahma asked again : 
 
 " Hast been through purgatory ? " " No what then ! " 
 
 " Thou cans't not enter ! " did the God reply. 
 
 " He who went in was there no more than I." 
 
 "All that is true, but he has married been, 
 
 And so on earth has suffered for all sin." 
 
 "Married? 'Tis well, for I've been married twice!" 
 
 " Begone ! We'll have no fools in Paradise ! " 
 
 . Well, I started to say something about the Expo- 
 sition, and instead skipped over to India. 
 
 There ought to be a feeling of peculiar sympathy 
 on the part of the United States of America towards 
 the Australian colonies on the occasion of those 
 colonies celebrating their centenary. The sympathetic 
 feeling on the part of the United States towards 
 Australia ought to be a vital emotion, because both 
 countries are engaged in the same grand work that 
 of rearing the human race under conditions such as 
 have never before been known in the history of this 
 planet under the absolute liberty of the people and 
 their freedom from the oppressions of governing 
 classes who, in less happily circumstanced countries, 
 have so often plunged the people into wars of ag- 
 gression, and more securely bound the chains of 
 military authority around them at the very time their 
 victims supposed themselves to be patriotically fight- 
 ing for their country's freedom, or at least for their 
 national aggrandizement. When an enlightened peo- 
 ple have the government in their own hands there is 
 
106 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 little fear of long-continued war ; not only so, but one 
 of the greatest benefits that is found to be growing 
 with the free institutions of the young nations of the 
 United States and of Australia is that of educational 
 enlightenment. The United States is the only country 
 ever known in the history of the world that has 
 spent, and is spending, more money in education 
 than on armaments, and consequently there is reason 
 for hope that the people will in the future increase 
 the national wisdom, and by means of general edu- 
 cation may, in the language of Lord Brougham, be 
 "Easy to lead, but hard to drive; easy to govern, 
 but impossible to enslave." 
 
 While in these colonies, as in the United States, 
 the people are learning to appreciate their privileges, 
 to maintain their rights, and, in fact, to carry out the 
 ideal theory of governing, so as to afford the greatest 
 happiness to the greatest number, they are at the 
 same time making a progress in the industrial arts 
 and manufactures that is simply unparalleled in his- 
 tory. One of the advantages which result from free 
 institutions and political equality is, that every man, 
 no matter what country may have given him birth, 
 no matter what his origin may have been, nor what 
 his color is, or his creed may be, has an opportunity 
 to make a living and enjoy it in comparative comfort, 
 happiness, and independence, and has a still higher 
 opportunity by the exercise of honest industry, com- 
 mercial talent or political ability to become a leader 
 amongst his fellows. The experience of the United 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 107 
 
 States shows that such freedom and equality are 
 wonderful incentives to that energetic enterprise 
 which means progress, and which has shown in the 
 nineteenth century how such a nation can almost 
 spring into existence. The energy and enterprise re- 
 ferred to are among the most admirable results of the 
 government of the United States, though it is possible 
 that it does not arise solely from the liberal constitu- 
 tion of the country, but also from the additional fact 
 that the people of the United States are, as a nation, 
 necessarily enterprising. 
 
 Under the circumstances that it is the example 
 of progress set by the United States that Australia 
 must follow it is a matter for regret that the repre- 
 sentation of that great country at the Australian 
 Centennial Exhibition is not more complete. What 
 one can see at the Exhibition does not give anything 
 like an adequate idea of the importance of American 
 manufactures. But, as one of its commissioners truly 
 remarked, the United States are well represented in 
 these colonies altogether outside of the Exhibition, 
 and with some great ideas. A visitor may go down 
 from his apartment at his hotel in an American ele- 
 vator. He will travel to the Exhibition in an Ameri- 
 can cable tram car. He will pass into the building 
 through an American patent turn-stile, and he will 
 see the place lighted with electric lights, which an 
 American has largely assisted in perfecting. Such 
 appliances as sewing machines and reapers and bind- 
 ers, which are generally used throughout the country, 
 
108 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 are certainly American in their origin, and there are 
 numerous similar ideas in frequent use which came 
 from that country. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 109 
 
 LETTER XX. 
 
 ADIEU TO AUSTRALIA WHERE THE ORIENT AND OCCIDENT 
 MEET IMPRESSIONS OF THE COUNTRY THE ACME OF 
 DESOLATION THE MAORIS NEW ZEALAND AND SAMOA 
 MY CHIEF'S HEAD GENIAL OFFICERS, ETC. 
 
 S. S. " ALAMEDA," 
 
 SOUTHERN PACIFIC OCEAN, Oct., 1884. 
 
 i 
 My Dear Boy : 
 
 This letter is begun at Sydney, N. S. W. ; just 
 where it will be completed remains for the future to 
 determine. As I am leaving Australia, perhaps for- 
 ever, my impressions of the country may not be in- 
 appropriate in this place. What is the dominant 
 characteristic of Australian scenery? is a natural 
 enquiry that may be very summarily answered as 
 being identical with the dominant character of our 
 own Edgar Allen Poe's poetry, viz : "Weird melan- 
 choly." The Australian mountain forests are fune- 
 real, secret, stern ; their solitude is the perfection of 
 desolation. They seem to stifle in the black gorges 
 a story of sullen despair. No tender sentiment is 
 nourished in their shades. In other lands the dying 
 year is mourned ; the falling leaves drop lightly on 
 his bier. In the Australian forests no leaves fall ; 
 the savage winds shout among the rock clefts. 
 From the melancholy gum, strips of white bark hang 
 
110 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 V 
 
 grotesquely or ghostly. Great grey kangaroos hop- 
 noiselessly over the coarse grass. Flocks of white 
 cockatoos stream out, shrieking like evil spirits. The 
 sun suddenly sinks and the mopokes burst out into 
 horrible peals of semi-human laughter. From a 
 corner of the silent forest rises a dismal chant, and 
 around the fire dance natives painted like skeletons. 
 All is fear-inspiring and gloomy. Australia has been 
 rightly named the " Land of the Dawning." Wrap- 
 ped in the midst of an early morning their history 
 looms up vague and gigantic. The lonely horseman 
 riding between the moonlight and the day sees vast 
 shadows creeping across the shelterless and silent 
 plains ; hears strange noises in the primeval forest, 
 where flourishes a vegetation long dead in other 
 lands. There is a poem in every tree and flower, 
 but the poetry which lives in the trees and flowers 
 of Australia differs from that of other countries, and 
 makes the observer feel that the trim utilization that 
 bred him, is but an insignificant atom in contrast with 
 the grandeur of these forests that are coeval with 
 civilization itself. Europe is the home of knightly 
 song and gallant deeds. Asia sinks beneath the 
 weighty recollection of her past grandeur as the 
 " Sattee " sinks, jewel burdened, upon the corpse of 
 dead magnificence, distinctive even in its death. 
 America swiftly hurries on her way, rapid, glitter- 
 ing, insatiable even as one of her own gigantic water- 
 falls. From the jungles of Africa, and the creeper- 
 tangled groves of the South Pacific islands, arise from 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. Ill 
 
 the hearts of a thousand flowers heavy and intoxicat- 
 ing odors, the upas poison which dwells in barbaric 
 sensuality. 
 
 In Australia, alone, is to be found the grotesque, 
 the weird, the strange scribbling of nature learning 
 how to write. Strangers see no beauty in the trees 
 without shade, flowers without perfume, birds that 
 cannot fly and beasts who have not yet learned^to 
 walk on all fours. But the dwellers in this strange 
 country acknowledge the subtle charm of this fantas- 
 tic land of monstrosities ; they become accustomed to 
 the beauty of loneliness whispered to by the myriad 
 tongues of the wilderness ; he hears the language of 
 the barren and the uncouth, and can read the hyero- 
 glyphics of haggard gum-trees, blown into odd shapes, 
 distorted with fierce, hot winds, or cramped with cold 
 nights, when the Southern Cross freezes in a cloudless 
 sky of icy blue. The phantasmagoria of that wild 
 dreamland, termed " the bush," interprets itself, and 
 the poet of its desolation can well comprehend why 
 free Esau loved his heritage of desert eand better 
 than all the bountiful richness of Egypt. 
 
 Now that we are at Auckland, in New Zealand, a 
 few additional words about the Maoris may not be 
 out of place. From all I can learn they would be 
 glad to throw off the English yoke. There is a reser- 
 vation on the North Island called the " King's Coun- 
 try," where the great bulk of the natives are settled, 
 and into which no white man can enter without per- 
 mission of the head chief. Yet, strange to relate, 
 
112 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 the Mormon from Utah has been, and is yet, among 
 these people, and now has a following of more than 
 3,000. At one time these Mormons seriously con- 
 templated leaving their country to settle among the 
 Mormons in Utah. They were doubtless actuated, 
 in great measure, by their hatred of the English. 
 They are a very intelligent people, considering their 
 opportunities, these Maoris ; and did they not plainly 
 see the futility of the effort, they would declare war 
 and attempt the wresting of their island home from 
 the clutch of the invader. Many years ago, when at 
 war with the English, the missionaries were warned 
 to leave. One of them declined to go and was killed. 
 The body was laid on the ground in front of the 
 Mission house and Chief Keropa collected the tribes 
 around it, and as is their custom as also their great- 
 est delight, harangued them, speaking with great 
 contempt of the English. Suddenly, in the midst of 
 his most telling abuse of the enemy, he stooped over 
 the body of the murdered preacher, gouged out both 
 of the eyes and ate them, saying, " Now we can whip 
 the Pakehas." The latter is a name given by the 
 Maoris to all English-speaking people. 
 
 We to day passed Sunday Island, which lies about 
 midway between New Zealand and Samoa, and which 
 has a very curious history. The island is about three 
 miles wide by seven long. Many years ago a few 
 Americans left Samoa and settled on this island. 
 They made attractive homes and gathered fine crops 
 from the fertile soil. Occasionally a whaling fleet 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 113 
 
 would visit them, bringing news from the outside 
 world and buying their surplus crops, etc. Ten or 
 twelve years passed, when one day a trading vessel, 
 plying between China and Peru, stopped at the island 
 and sent ashore several boat loads of coolies and 
 sailed away. The horror of the poor islanders can be 
 imagined when they found that the new comers were, 
 without an exception, suffering from small-pox. In 
 a short time every living soul had the disease. Every 
 Chinaman died, and only two or three whites were 
 left alive. These were taken by a passing vessel to 
 Samoa, and for years the island was uninhabited. 
 The next settlers were Americans from Tutuila. They 
 had just gotten settled when a volcanic eruption 
 frightened them off. Next came the present occu- 
 pant, an American named Bell. His family consists 
 of a wife and eight or nine children, most of them 
 grown. Twelve or fourteen years ago, Bell and his 
 wife decided to take possession of the island, and 
 lead a sort of Swiss- Family-Robinson-Crusoe life. As 
 their children grew, and others were born, the area 
 of cultivation was gradually extended. They have 
 never evinced any desire to leave their island home. 
 A few years ago they petitioned our government to 
 attach it to the United States, and wrote several 
 times to. the consul at Auckland, N. Z., urging their 
 request. The policy of our government being adverse 
 to acquiring more territory, Bell failed in his effort. 
 But Great Britain, as we all know, has a very decided 
 talent for acquiring every little speck of land any- 
 
114 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 where and everywhere she can, so New Zealand was 
 instructed to gobble up poor Bell's island, which she 
 very promptly proceeded to do. They marked off a 
 paltry five hundred acres, for which they gave " Cru- 
 soe " Bell a deed, and threw the remainder open for 
 settlement. 
 
 As we are within a short run of the Samoan 
 Islands, I may be pardoned for referring to the much- 
 talked-of and very queer bargain and sale of that 
 country that occurred between England and Ger- 
 many. This transaction aroused considerable feeling 
 in Australia, New Zealand and the United States, 
 and some very pertinent questions were asked by the 
 colonies, which brought out the following facts : 
 Samoa lies right in the middle of the track from 
 Australia and New Zealand to Vancouver's Island 
 and San Francisco. Seven years ago, England, Ger- 
 many and the United States made a treaty with the 
 King of Samoa, by which they agreed to maintain 
 him on his throne, the property of Europeans to be 
 protected by a court consisting of the consuls of the 
 three powers ; it was further agreed that neither of 
 the powers should annex the islands. That being 
 the condition of things, people were much puzzled 
 at what took place in August, 1887. King Malietoa 
 had strictly kept all his engagements ; he had ruled 
 his people well ; the islands were prospering, and a 
 large amount of trade was being done with them, 
 English influence being mainly predominant. In 
 August, 1887, five German war vessels sailed into the 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 115 
 
 harbor of Apia, landed six hundred armed men, and 
 without premonition or a syllable of explanation to 
 the English consul, carried off this native king, who 
 was in treaty relations with England, and transported 
 him seven thousand miles to the Cameroons, on the 
 west coast of Africa. They then proceeded to declare 
 the arrangement whereby three consuls had the di- 
 rection of affairs at Samoa at an end, and appointed 
 a vice-king, with a German prime minister, so that 
 the whole direction of Samoan affairs was now in the 
 hands of Germany, and that in face of the fact that 
 only twelve or eighteen months ago fifty-four out of 
 the fifty-seven native chiefs petitioned England to 
 annex the island, on the ground that they were afraid 
 of the Germans, and protested against German an- 
 nexation. The point was that all this was done in 
 defiance of the treaty. As far as was known, the 
 Germans had obtained no sanction for this violation 
 of treaty engagements, and the English consul very 
 properly issued a protest and had it placarded, to the 
 effect that the English government did not recognize 
 the new king whom the Germans had set up, but 
 would continue to recognize the king whom they had 
 taken prisoner. Nothing happened as a result of this 
 protest of the English consul, except that two months 
 afterwards it was withdrawn, and the Germans were 
 allowed to do as they pleased. 
 
 Towards the close of 1886, when England was in 
 trouble in Egypt and their relations with some of 
 the European powers were strained, they resigned 
 
116 SOUVENIRS OF 1RAVEL. 
 
 their rights in Samoa to the German government with 
 the understanding that they were not to be interfered 
 with in Egypt. They did this, not only without in- 
 forming the United States and the Australian colo- 
 nies until months later, but absolutely without 
 informing their own consul at Samoa. So that this 
 unhappy man, whose duty it was to carry out the 
 views of the English government, and who protested 
 against what he regarded as a violation of interna- 
 tion^al law, found himself in an unenviable predica- 
 ment when he obtained information in September of 
 last year, nine months " behind the fair," that the 
 English government had agreed to the action of the 
 Germans nine months before he received any instruc- 
 tions whatever. They had sacrified the natives of 
 these islands to a rule which they detested ; they 
 had seen a king, whom they had vowed to protect, 
 seized and transported to a distance of 7,000 miles not 
 only without a word of protest, but with at least an 
 implied consent, and in return they had received 
 absolutely nothing save a promise that they should 
 not be interfered with in Egypt, while the Egyptian 
 campaign had gained nothing for England except the 
 obligation of paying an enormous bill and the privi- 
 lege of leaving the country at the earliest possible 
 moment. Two months ago the Malatea party threw 
 off the German yoke and war was commenced 
 between them and the adherents of the vice-king 
 and his German prime minister. Germany stands 
 idly by and sees the poor natives kill each other. 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 117 
 
 Up to this writing they have had several bloody 
 fights, and the end is not yet. 
 
 There is a fleet of six whaling ships cruising about 
 in these waters, and I understand they are making 
 money. Owing to the low price at which whale oil 
 is now selling, no effort is made to save it. When a 
 whale is captured the head is cut off and taken aboard, 
 from which the bones are then taken, the body being 
 allowed to go adrift. A good-sized head will yield 
 about $4,000. 
 
 Speaking of heads reminds me of one I have hang- 
 ing in my saloon, just opposite my berth. While in 
 Auckland I found in a " curio shop " the head of a 
 Mario chief who was killed in battle on the Waikato 
 river. After much haggling, I bought it at a very 
 high price and brought it aboard, tied a string around 
 it and hung it from the ceiling of my room, where it 
 bows continuously to me with every roll of the ship. 
 When John came aboard and walked into our cabin, 
 my chief made him a very polite bow. "Why don't 
 you return the gentleman's courtesy ?" I asked him. 
 " What do you propose to do with that horrible 
 thing?" John answered. "Why, take it home to 
 my wife and babies," I replied. "Well," says John, 
 " you will occupy this cabin alone or put that grin- 
 ning skull out of sight." So, to please the old fellow 
 1 put a traveling cap on my chief's head, tied a silk 
 scarf under his chin, and he would look very respect- 
 able if he didn't stare a fellow so completely out of 
 countenance, and would only change the set grin he 
 
118 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 has acquired from years of solitary musing over the 
 fat missionaries he has eaten. In a closet at the 
 head of our bed I have a number of bows, arrows, 
 spears and war clubs used by the Fiji Islanders and 
 Maoris. Last night the sea became very rough, and 
 about midnight I heard a most infernal racket going 
 on in the closet. I called to John to know what was 
 the matter. " You ought to know," he said ; " it is 
 that old Maori chief of yours. I saw by a flash of 
 lightning that he had taken his head down, and now 
 he is skirmishing around in the closet after his club, 
 spear, etc." I jumped up and felt for my skull. It 
 was gone. I couldn't find a match, so I commenced 
 to feel around with my foot. Suddenly I jabbed my 
 big toe into something that would not let go, and I 
 commenced to yell and dance around, call for the 
 steward and kick up Jack generally. When light 
 was finally brought, I had dropped on the cabin floor 
 from sheer weakness and fright, and my toe was 
 tightly jammed in the mouth of the old cannibal 
 chief, who, true to his hereditary instincts, was try- 
 ing to make a meal of me after his long fast. This 
 morning I secured a number of sheets of strong paper 
 and wrapped the old savage's head up, eyes, mouth 
 and all, and tied about 100 yards of strong twine all 
 over him. This will keep him quiet, I hope. 
 
 The contrast between the captain and officers of 
 the Alameda which is the Commodore's ship and 
 the officers of the Mariposa, the ship we went out in, 
 is so marked that it has been commented on in my 
 
SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 119 
 
 presence on numerous occasions. Captain Morse, of 
 the Alameda, is the jolliest, kindest-hearted gentle- 
 man I ever sailed with. His cabin is open at all 
 times to the passengers, and any information desired 
 is cheerfully given. No one on the ship is shown 
 any sort of preference, and everything is done to 
 render the long voyage pleasant. The Captain's 
 hearty, infectious laugh can be heard at every meal, 
 and all over the large dining saloon. On the Mariposa 
 things were quite different. The Captain was doubt- 
 less a good officer, but I don't think the comfort or 
 pleasure of the passengers concerned him much ; as 
 for John and myself, we had seats at his table and 
 one of the two best staterooms on the ship, and were 
 consequently among the favored few. We found the 
 officers, with two exceptions, the chief engineer and 
 chief officer Hart, a gruff lot. All seemed to be suf- 
 fering from the same disease that had attacked the 
 Captain, i. e., " the big head." An indignation meet- 
 ing was talked of on account of the doctor's perfect 
 indifference and neglect of the sick. Mr. W., quite 
 a noted tragedian from Chicago, vowed vengeance 
 against the M. D. for his neglect of his wife, who was 
 suffering greatly during almost the entire trip. It is 
 very unpleasant to have to write such disagreeable 
 things about any one, particularly about " the bridge 
 that has carried me safely over the dangerous chasm," 
 yet I can truthfully say I would lay over a month 
 rather than take this long trip by the Mariposa, and 
 would lay over two months to go by the Alameda. 
 
120 SOUVENIRS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 Captain Morse, of the last-named vessel, is a true, 
 genial gentleman in the best sense of that word. 
 
 Among our passengers is Mr. Campbell, United 
 States consul at Auckland, New Zealand. He is on 
 his way home on leave of absence. It will be grati- 
 fying to all good Democrats to know that this,is 
 another case of Mr. Cleveland's correct judgment in 
 putting the right man in the right place. Mr. Camp- 
 bell has proved himself not only a first-class official, 
 but a very popular gentleman with the people. We 
 have on board a part of the London Gaiety troupe, 
 consisting of six ladies, four gentlemen, and four ser- 
 vants. They did a good business in Australia, play- 
 ing "Esmeralda" and "Monte Cristo." I hardly think 
 they will do well in the United States, as it is what 
 is known as a " leg show," and our people have about 
 had a surfeit of shows of that character. Miss Nellie 
 Farron and Mr. Fred. Leslie are quite clever in their 
 way, but the jokes which our Australian cousins ap- 
 preciated will scarcely be appreciated on our side of 
 the water as being at all funny. There are two pretty 
 good dancers in the company, Misses Linn and Grey. 
 Judging, however, from their conversational powers, 
 we are forced to the conclusion that they have culti- 
 vated their heels by sadly neglecting their heads. 
 The quantities of stout champagne and other strong 
 drink these ladies consume is something marvelous 
 to an American. 
 
 The Oceanic Steamship Company, owned by Messrs. 
 Spreckles & Brother, of San Francisco, consists of a 
 
80UVENIE8 OF TRAVEL. 121 
 
 fleet of four steamers of three thousand tons each. 
 The Alaineda flag ship Mariposa and Zealandia, 
 run from San Francisco to Sydney, touching at Hono- 
 lulu, Samoa and Auckland. The Australia plies be- 
 tween San Francisco and Honolulu. The sister ships 
 Alameda and Mariposa, built by Clapp of Philadel- 
 phia, cost $500,000 each ; the Zealandia and Australia, 
 co*>t $250,000 each. They were bought from an op- 
 position line. The cost, per ship, of a round trip to 
 Sydney and return, is $50,000 Each ship makes 
 four trips a year. We will estimate the passenger 
 receipts at $20,000, and freight at $20,000 per round 
 trip, i. e., San Francisco to Sydney and back to 
 " Frisco," in all three months. They are paid a sub- 
 sidy by New South Wales and New Zealand of 32,- 
 000, or $150,000, and are allowed all the postage by 
 our government on mail matter carried by them, 
 which amounts to about $50,000 per year. The life 
 of an ocean steamer is from ten to fiiteen years. 
 Taking this into consideration, together with the 
 original cost of the " plant," Messrs. Spreckels haven't 
 a very paying investment in this line. 
 
 First-class passage from "Frisco" to Sydney is 
 $200 ; steerage, $100. The Alameda and Mariposa 
 are by far the best for first class passengers, while the 
 Zealandia and Australia are much the best for steer- 
 age, as they were originally fitted for only first-class 
 and second-class, and the steerage now occupies the 
 second-class accommodations. 
 
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