THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID A TWO MONTHS' CRUISE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. A TWO MONTHS' CRUISE m THE MEDITERRANEAN IN THE STEAM-YACHT 'CEYLON.' SURGEON-GENERAL MUNRO, M.D., C.B. AUTHOR OF REMINISCENCES OF MILITARY SERVICE WITH THE 93kd SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS." •5-$^ii^-^^- LONDON: HUEST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1884. A U rights reserved. i|> DEDICATED TO MY WIFE, FOR WHOM THE JOURNAL OF THE CRUISE WAS WRITTEN, AND TO MY FELLOW -PASSENGERS AND FRIENDS, IN REMEMBRANCE OF PLEASANT INTERCOURSE AND CHEERFUL COMPANIONSHIP. COJfTENTS. CHAPTER I. The Steam-yacht Ceylon — Sail from Southampton — Ocean Steam Yachting Company — Object of the Company — Caught in a Fog — Anchor inside the Needles— Sail again 4th January — Rough Night — Fellow-passengers — Sunday Parade and Service — The Dreaded Bay — Delights of the Sea — Shorten Sail — Half Speed — Good-night 3 CHAPTER n. Entering the Tagus — First Sight of Lisbon — Prominent Objects — Land for Sight-seeing — Cathedral — Citadel — Portuguese Soldiers — Rocio Square — Old Cathedral of Carmo— Archaeological Museum — Church of San Roque — Silver Chapel — Beautiful Mosaics — Passeio Publico — Streets and Houses — Prisons . . 19 CHAPTER in. Landed Early — Start for Cintra — Aspect of Country — Aqueduct — Village of Cintra — Volcanic Hills — Castle of Cintra — The Gardens — Donkey Ride— View from the Castle — Beautiful Sunrise — Lisbon by Day and by Night — Farewell to the Fair City— History of Ijisbon 35 CHAPTER IV. A Rough Night in a Steady Ship — Passing Vessels — Straits of Gibraltar — The Old Rock — Lord and Lady Napier— 93rd and 79th Highlanders— The Blue Medi- terranean — Malaga — Scenery around the Town — The Gilalparo — The Cathedral — The Strangers' Cemetery — The Empress Eugenie's House— A Magnificent Sunset 51 ivi309151 viii Contents. CHAPTER Y. The Malaga Cathedral — The Chapel of Victoria — Start for Granada — Orange Gardens — Olive Groves — Wild Rocky Scenery — Mountain Scenery — Sunset — Cold Wind — Arrive at Granada — Suete Suellos and Don Jose de (ladea — Moonlight on the Ruins — A Morning Run— The Tower of the Bell— View of the City, Vega, and Mountains — Reflections ... 67 CHAPTER VI. The Alhambra — Its Ruined Palace, Walls, and Towers — Summary Justice — Romantic Little Stories — The Moorish Boabdil — The Geueraliffe — The Cathedral — The Organ — The Royal Chapel — Tombs of Kings and Queens — The Paucity of Worshippers — The Reredos — The Gipsy Dance — Guitar Music — Return to Malaga 81 CHAPTER Vn. Mediterranean Weather — The Good Ship Ceylon — Minorca — Port Mahon — Narrow Entrance — Beautiful Harbour — The Town — Churches — The Talayots — Bilithons and Monoliths — The English Missionary — The fepauish Flag-ship — Our Visit and Reception — Spanish Officers Speaking English — ^The Organ played for Us . 97 CHAPTER Vin. Leave Port Mahon — Ville Franclie — Nice— Scenery — Cli- mate — The Promenade des Anglais — Exhibition — Monaco— Monte Carlo — The Casino and Gardens — The Gaming Tables — The Gamblers — Old and Young Playing— Heavy Losses taken Quietly — Weeping and Distress — Sail for Naples . . . ^. 113 CHAPTER IX. Corsican Light — Elba and Monte Christo — Corsican Moun- tains — Americans on Board — Bay of Naples — Vesu- vius — The City — Capri— Ischia — Naples — Land and Visit Museum — Relics of Pompeii and Herculaneum — Ancient Statuary — The Tomb of Virgil — The Aqua- rium — The Chiaia or Fashionable Drive — Streets and Beggars 131 CHAPTER X. En Route for Vesuvius — Long steep dreary Road — Traces Conienis. ix of Vegetation — Lava Beds — The Solitary Hut — Its History — The Observatory — The Railway Station — Start for the Cone — Arrival — A Snow-storm — Sul- phurous Gas — Rents and Fissures in Cone — Effloresced Sulphur — Frequent Eruptions — Guide Alarmed — Dash for the Crater — Stand on its Brink . . 143 CHAPTER XI. Start for Ischia — Bright Sunshine — View of N'aples — Vesu- vius Unveiled — The Coast — Ischia and its History — Mount Epomeus — Extinct Volcanoes — Hot Springs — The Earthquake — Kuiu and Desolation — Walk Round the Town — The Guide and his Description — The Beautiful Valley — The Return Voyage — Beautiful Evening ICl CHAPTER XII. Sunday — Start for Pompeii — Porta del Marina — Museum — Human Bodies — Temples — Forum — Basilica — Baths — Private Houses — Streets and Shops — Wall Paintings — Statues — The Amphitheatre — Theatres — Excavating Still — The Skeleton in Situ — Church in Naples — Ex- quisite Statuary — Sail for Palermo . . 175 CHAPTER XIII. Storm at Night — Ceylon Behaves Well— Palermo Harbour —Scenery — City — Conchodoro — Cathedral — Monreale — Cathedral and Cloisters — Cappuccini Convent — Sub- terranean Corridors — The vast Golgotha — Advice to Visitors— The Palace — The Capella Palatina . 19a CHAPTER XIV. Leave Palermo — Lipari Islands — Strom boli— Etna — Straits of Messina — Grand Scenery — Scylla and Charybdis — Coast Lines — Etna in the Distance — Corfu — Albanian Coast — Snowy Range — Beautiful Harbour — Town of Corfu — Different Nationalities — Picnic in Albania — Duke of Sutherland 211 CHAPTER XV. Sailed from Corfu — Grand Views of Mountain Scenery — The Islands in the Ionian Sea — Ithaca and Cephalonia — Castle of Ulysses — Penelope — Zante — Cape Malea — Old Hermit — ^The Myrtoan Sea — Sinus Sardonicus — Salamis— Distant View of the Acropolis— Piraeus — X Contents. Athens — Theseum — Philopappus — Socrates' Prison — Dionysia — Temple of Jupiter . . . 227 , CHAPTER XVI. Acropolis — Roman Theatre — Propylaea — Temple of Wing- less Victory — Parthenon — llie Erechtheum — Tomb of Cecrops — Caryatides — Tower of the "Wind — Lantern of Demosthenes — Areopagus — Scenery — The City of Athens — Phalerum — King and Queen of Greece — Salamis Bay — Kleusis — Second Visit to Acropolis 243 CHAPTER XVII. Ell Route for Malta — Arrive at Malta — Sail for Tunis — The Bay of Tunis — Site of Carthage — Masonry Reser- voirs— Sidi Ben Said — Cliapel of St. Louis — The Byrsa — Position of Ancient Harbour — Temple of P'.sculapius — Goletta — Railway — The Bey — Bazaar of Tunis — Moors — Moorish AVomen — Carpets — Jewellery — Lake Tunis — African Coast — Atlas Mountains . 257 CHAPTER XVIII. Algiers — New and Old Towns — The Kasbah — Walk through old Algerine Town — The Arabs — Arab Wo- men — French Officers — French Admiral — Zouave Barracks — Recruits at Drill — Zouave Pack — Men's Dinners — Trapiste Monastery — Bleda — Gorge of Chiffa — Cathedral— INIosque— British Consul-General —An Old Friend 273 CHAPTER XIX. Gibraltar — Ape's Hill — ]Mud and Rain — The (naileries — St. Michael's Cave— 01<1 Friends— Glen Rocky— Old Friends Passed Away — The Old Jew— Sir John Adye — Leave Gibraltar — j\Lagnificent Sunset — The Coast of Portugal — Vigo Bay — The T'own of Vigo — Beauti- ful Scenery — The People of Vigo and the Women — The Schoolmaster 287 CHAPTER XX. On Shore — Showery Weather — 'i'he Schoolmaster — His Opinion of People North and South — Leave Vigo — The Northern Channel — The Bay of Biscay — Heavy Swell — Homeward Bound — In the Channel — The Dear old Home — Iler Kindly Welcome — Arrive at Gravesend — Farewell Speeches . . . 305 CHAPTER I. THE STEAM-YACHT « CEYLON '—SAIL FROM SOUTHAMPTON — OCEAN STEAM YACHTING COMPANY— OBJECT OF THE COM- PANY—CAUGHT IN A FOG — ANCHOR INSIDE THE NEEDLES — SAIL AGAIN 4tH OF JANUARY — ROUGH NIGHT — FEL- LOW-PASSENGERS—SUNDAY PARADE AND SERVICE— THE DREADED BAY — DELIGHTS OF THE SEA — SHORTEN SAIL — HALF SPEED — GOOD-NIGHT. A TWO MONTHS' CRUISE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN CHAPTER I. N Thursday the 3rd of January, 1884, the steam-ship Ceylon^ belongino- to the Ocean Steam Yachting Company, Limited, sailed from Southampton as had been advertised, punctually at two o'clock, p.m., on a two months' pleasure cruise in the Mediterranean, during which, accord- ing to the published programme, it is intended that she shall call at a number B 2 4 The Ceylon. of places of interest ; and I shall endea- vour to Avrite something about tliese places, in the order in which we arrive at or depart from them. The Ceylon is a stately ship of 2,200 tons burden, fitted with powerful engines of the most modern type, and fully rigged as a barque. She is a beautiful model of a ship, sits gracefully on the water, and, having been only recently painted and thoroughly overhauled and trimmed, had the appearance of a man-of-war, or large private yacht, rather than an ordinary trading vessel. She has a deep counter, square stern, splendid beam, and a fine cut-water and graceful figure-head, this last so unusual now with ocean-going steamers. She was built upwards of twenty years ago by Messrs. Samuda for the P. and 0. for mail and passenger trade to India ; and, having gone through sun- The First Cruise. dry vicissitudes since the P. and 0. parted with her as unsuitable for cargo trade, she passed into the possession of a private company or syndicate, who conceived the idea of using her as an ocean-going yacht, and sent her on a cruise round the world, and afterwards on a second cruise to Ma- deira and the Azores. After this last cruise, however, the company (or syndicate) for reasons with which I am not fully ac- quainted, resolved to sell the ship, and accordingly the present company pur- chased, completely refitted, and propose to sail her as a yacht for the use of the public. This cruise is the first of a regular series of short voyages which it is intended she shall make, and in 'bringing before the public the objects which the Ocean Steam Yachting Company, Limited, have in view the directors wish to avoid conveying the 6 , Object of the Company, impression that the proposed cruises of the Ceylon are in any way to be considered as personally conducted^ or that any who j^ar- ticipate in them are to feel that they are members of a party in any other sense than that, with others, they form the comple- ment of the ship's passengers ; though doubtless, amongst those likely to be on board, pleasant and congenial parties will be formed. ' The chief object of the company is to supply what has been thought to be a public want, namely, to provide those fond of a sea-trip, or who may have been recommended one for the benefit of their health, a large, commodious, and Avell- appointed ship which, when in port, can be made available as a liome or head-quar- ters^ free from dirt, confusion, and man}' other annoyances incidental to a vessel when embarking or discharging cargo.' I A Fog. 7 We sailed, as I have already stated, on the afternoon of the 3rd of January, 1884, hut on nearing the Needles a thick fog rolled in from the Channel, so dense and impenetrable (to the eye) that the pilot pronounced it 'unsafe' to attempt to go on, so we anchored for the night ; and a very uncomfortable night it was, for we lay right in the track of inward-bound steamers, enveloped in a fog that must piliu r have rendered us. invisible at a very . (^/^uftu^ short distance to any passing ship, so ' kk^ mtUj that it was necessary for us to be on the (hiujJKt "^ h alert, and to keep up a constant and" nt, ji^Mi. '■ furious ringing of a not very sweet- toned bell, which being placed right over my cabin made sleep or even rest im- possible. Friday, January Atli. — On the morning of the 4th, the fog having cleared off to some extent, and 'certain,' as the pilot 8 First Dinner on Board, said, ^ to lift altogether with the sun,' we w^eighed anchor and passed through the Needles, the fog, as predicted, gradually clearing away as Ave entered the Channel ; and then, with a smooth sea and westerly wind, gradually freshening, however, and bringing up Avith it heavy rain-clouds which will probably reach us before evening, we commenced our ' Pleasure Cruise.' At seven o'clock, p.m., we sat down to dinner, twenty-three gentlemen, including five of the ship's officers, and three ladies. Though I never had the pleasure of meet- ing any of my fellow-passengers before, from what I see of them I feel certain that we shall make an agreeable if not friendly party, and help each other to enjoy the pleasures and bear the discomforts of the voyage. Saturday^ January 5th. — We had rather a Mal-de-Mer, rouo-h nio^ht ; a stronsr head wind with rain, consequently a good deal of motion ; ^nd this morning all of our party, except my friend B , who is an old sali, and P a landsman, but fond of and familiar with the sea, are suffering more or less from mal-de-mer. Even I, who have been so much at sea during my military career, am suffering from unpleasant giddi- ness and fulness about the head, which €ondition, however, does not interfere with my appetite. There has evidently been a breeze from the west here, for, though the wind is now south-west, there is a nasty, tumbling €ross sea, which makes the good ship roll and pitch at the same time, a sort of double constant motion, which if one is at all inclined to be sea-sick is certain to convert the inclination into reality. This apparently is the case now, for only a 10 Sea-sickness. very few are moving about on their sea- legs. Some deem it prudent to sit still, and some look very miserable. But one of the peculiarities connected with sea-life is, that those unfortunates who suffer from sea- sickness never receive any pity or sym- pathy from those who feel the misery, nay, the horror, of the sensation themselves. I know no remedy for sea-sickness, though I have seen many tried. The only way that I succeeded in overcoming it, was never to 'give in,' and now I am a good sailor, and enjoy, above all things, a 'life on the ocean wave.' Sunday^ January ^th. — Still a head wind with the same nasty tumbling sea, but the rain has ceased, and the weather better, though the sun has not yet made his appearance. The wind has veered round a little more to the west, and the ship is The Old East- Indian, 11 tolerably steady, and the screw causes very little vibration. The majority of my friends are still very seedy, and our band is prostrate. The only music which we have is the shrill piping of the boatswain's whistle, and the hum of the wind through the rigging ; — our new engines work admirably and send the ship through the head sea at the rate of nine and a half knots an hour, and with a very small consumption of coal. The more I see of my fellow-passengers the more I like them. There is one amongst them, Mr. E , who was in India during the mutiny, and remembers meeting a party of my old regiment the 93rd on its way up to Lucknow for the relief of the Residency, when it was fired on by a passing body of rebels. I was with that party myself, and remember the occur- rence. 1 2 Sunday Parade, Mr. P , who sits next to me at table, is a very pleasant neighbour. He has travelled a great deal, and was many years in Canada, farming, partly for amusement and partly to make money. We had Sunday parade this morning. The crew appear to be a good lot, the stewards are smart, and very attentive under the management of their able 'chief.' We had morning service in the saloon, the captain officiating. All the crew except those on duty, were present, and appeared to appreciate the beautiful service, reading the responses well and universally. Towards the afternoon the sea quieted doAvn a good deal, and the wind, veering round to the west, enabled us to set fore a.nd aft sail. The air is warmer, and there is a cleft in the clouds to the Avestward. Most of ' The Much-dreaded Baij,' 1 3 the passengers are quite recovered, and able to move about. There were only a few absentees from dinner. The ship is much steadier, so that one can pace the deck in comfort, and, what is almost as pleasant, enjoy in peace the good cheer provided by the cook, a very essential person on board ship. We are half-way through the much- dreaded bay, so styled undeservedly as far as my experience goes, for this is the ninth time that I have crossed it, and only tAvice out of the nine have I seen it in an angry mood. By evening the breeze had much moder- ated, and the sky looked bright to the west and north-west. The passengers are all on deck, looking cheerful, and fast get- ting their sea-legs. I myself have quite got rid of my giddiness. When one is well — no tightness about the head, no 14 Pleasant Sea-life, nausea — a sea-life is glorious. The fresh sweet breeze, the rolling, tumbling ocean, Avith its Avhite crested waves breaking, as it were, into smiles and laughter, the lively motion of the ship as she rises and plunges, and rolls ' like a thing of life,' sending the billows, as they break against her boAV, back in a sheet of foam, and in clouds of spray, brightened by myriad rainbow tints, all stir the sluggish blood into rapid motion, brace up the shattered nerves and make them tingle with new life, send a warm glow over the body, bring a tinge of colour to the pale cheek, and make the dull eye sparkle. Ah, if I were a rich man, I should liave a noble fore and aft schooner, fit to carry me round the world and to battle with any weather. Monday, January 7th. — We have had a. quiet night, and arc cheered this morning The Coast of Portugal, 1 5 by bright sunshine and a fair wind. Everybody is on deck, sea-sickness forgot- ten. We have our square sails set, and the ship is steadily bowling along at the rate of eleven and a half knots. We passed Cape Finisterre in the early morn- ing, and have had a splendid run down the coast of Portugal. I have never seen a more beautiful day at sea ; not a cloud has been visible on the deep azure sky ; a strong, steady north wind has sent us along at a spanking rate through a sea blue as indigo, its great waves, with their white crests sparkling brightly in the sun, racing after us as if in sport. The en- joyment has been great, and the day has closed with bright conversation and merry laughter, my friend P and I being gifted with great capacity for enjoy- ment. Just as I close for the night we 16 Good-night, are shortening sail, and the order has been given to go at half-speed. Good- night. CHAPTER II. ENTERING THE TAGUS — FIRST SIGHT OF LISBON — PROMINENT OBJECTS— LAND FOR SIGHTSEEING — CATHEDRAL — CITADEL — PORTUGESE SOLDIERS — ROCIO SQUARE — OLD CATHEDRAL OF CARMO— ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM — CHURCH OF SAN ROQUE — SILVER CHAPEL — BEAUTIFUL MOSAICS— PASSEIO PUBLICO— STREETS AND HOUSES— PRISONS. The City of Lisbon. 19 CHAPTER II. jUESDAY, January 8th.— On com- ing on deck this morning we found that we were making our way at slow speed up the Tagus, which at its mouth is a magnificent river, with fine hilly scenery on both sides. The city of Lisbon stands on the north bank, and as seen from the ship's deck is very picturesque. It rises as it were from the water and spreads over and along a number of little hills or emin- ences which rise to a height of between five and eio^ht hundred feet above sea level. c2 20 The Ajuda Palace, The many palaces, public buildings^ churches, and private houses, are packed closely together, arranged, apparently, without order or regularity, and extending over an undulating surface made up of hill and dale ; all are white and clean and look substantially built, but close packing conceals the size and extent of many of the principal edifices. As we steamed slowly up the river to- wards the anchorage the chief objects of note were the Moorish tower of Beleni, standing close to the water, and the Ajuda Palace, the usual residence of the king, a large uninteresting pile of white marble standing on a bare height, mthout a single tree in its vicinity visible, from the ship at least. Not far from this palace, but lying lower and nearer to the water, and surrounded by, indeed almost buried from sight in the midst of many private Churches of Lisbon. 21 houses, are the Necessidades and Belem Palaces,' the latter of Avhich was occupied by the Prince of Wales during his visit in 1876. Near these and still nearer to the water, is a handsome building devoted to a charitable purpose, and affording an asylum to a number of orphaned children. It is open to visitors, and is well worthy of a visit. Other j)rominent objects are the churches of Nossa Senhora da Gra9ia, standing on the summit of one of the highest hills, a,lso that of Nossa Senhora da Penlia da Franca; and the Basilica do Cura9oa de Jesus ; this last being the most conspicu- ous object in the city as seen from the water, and towards the east end of the city, stand out prominently the citadel and the cathedral Se. The general appearance of Lisbon seen from the ship's deck is very picturesque 22 Sightseeing. indeed, and reminded me, to some extent^ of Constantinople. Shortly after we had anchored and ob- tained pratique, the whole party went off for the shore in a steam-tug supplied by our agents (Messrs. Pinto, Barsto & Co.), except B and myself We followed, however, in about an hour in a small sail- ing skiff ; and, after transacting some busi- ness with the agents, B , P , and I chartered a carriage and pair and started on a round of sight-seeing for the day. We drove past the Admiralty, a large building but without architectural attrac- tion, into the Pra^a do Commercio, a very handsome square, in which are the Post Office, Exchange, Custom House, and Public Library, and in the centre of which stands a fine equestrian statue in bronze of Joseph I. From thence we continued our drive up The Citadel 23 several steep, narrow streets to the Cathe- dral Se, not a handsome or even striking building externally. It is in the Moorish style (though some describe it as a mixture of Gothic and modern), plain outside but very tastefully finished inside. The lower part of the wall is covered with glazed tiles, on which are a series of Biblical pictures ; the roof or ceiling is adorned with beautiful oil paintings, and the pillars or columns which support the roof are massive and have elaborate capitals. But, taking the cathedral as a whole, it is dis- appointing. From the cathedral we drove, still up- hill, to the citadel, from whence we had a good view of the city, of the river, and of the really fine scenery on the left or southern bank. There was a strong guard at the entrance to the citadel, and there were also a num- 24 Portuguese Soldiers. ber of recruits drilling in tlie square, and, being accustomed to soldiers in the old, smart days of the British army, I stood to have a look at these. They were small in stature, though other^wdse of good physique, but they Avere badly set-up and badly dressed — at least, their uniforms were badly fitted and shabby ; they were not quick or steady in their movements, or in handling their rifles, and were careless and ungraceful in their attitudes. The sentry had a slouching appearance when he stood still (I could not say that he stood either at attention or at ease)^ and a shuflling, list- less gait when he moved on his beat. As to the recruits I can only say they were a queer-looking lot of bumpkins, though, certainly, all recruits, even our own, form an awkward squad at iirst. I saw a good many soldiers in Lisbon, but not a single smart one. The Museum. 25 From the citadel we drove to the Rocio Square, in the centre of which stands a handsome pillar, surmounted by a bronze statue of Don Pedro IV. On one side of this square stand the ruins of the old Cathedral of Carmo, or of Nossa Senhora de Benemento, within whose shattered walls still stand several graceful columns and arches ; scraps of exquisite marble tracery lying fractured on the ground, and several good pieces of statuary representing Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, and a, very handsome statue of Donna Maria Primiera ; and also a pair of beautiful Av rought-iron gates with bronze mountings. The museum of the Archaeological So- ciety is within the enclosure of the ruin, which contains specimens in the various branches of zoology, and a collection of the fauna of the country — but the collec- tions did not strike me as being extensive. 26 The Pontifical Chapel. On tlie west side of the Rocio stands the church of San Roque. This is an unpre- tentious building externally, but within its sacred walls is the Silver (or Royal, or Pontifical) Chapel, called also the chapel of St. John the Baptist. This chapel is generally closed by a heavy silk curtain, and only opened twice a year to the public. We were admitted, however, and, in assist- ance of my memory, I have transcribed a description of it given to us in the form of a printed memorandum as we entered the church : The Royal or Pontifical Chapel of St. John the Baptist, was made by order of Don John V. of Portugal, and erected in the church of St. Roque. The mosaic in the centre is a representation of the baptism of Christ in the Jordan : that on the right represents the annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary ; and the one on Fine Art in the Chapel, 27 the left the descent of the Holy Ghost (the cloven tongues). These pieces (pic- tures) are imitations in mosaic of the paintings of eminent artists ; the baptism of Christ being taken from Michael Angelo ; the annunciation from Guido ; and the descent of the Holy Ghost from Raphael Urbino. Fifteen years were spent in the execution of these mosaics by the ablest artists of the day. In the centre of the floor is represented a globe, to intimate that the above-mentioned pieces of mosaic are the most famous in the world. The two panels in the ceiling in Carrara marble Av^ere execut- ed under the direction of the renowned sculptor Mayne, assisted by Alexander Guisti, who brought the chapel to Portu- gal, where he afterwards reniained. There are in the chapel eight columns of lapis lazuli : the other stones of which it is 28 The Mosaics, composed being amethyst, Egyptian ala- baster, and granite, verde antique, Roman marble, porphyry, and ancient Jaul. All the ornaments are of gilt bronze. The candelabra and lamps are of silver gilt. In 1744 this chapel was temporarily set up in St. Peter's at Rome, and consecrated by Pope Benedict XI Y. who said the first mass in it, after which it was taken down and conveyed to Portugal, where, in 1 746, it was erected in the church of St. Roque. On entering the chapel I was struck with the beauty of the pictures, believing them to be oil paintings, and it was not until I was told to ascend a ladder and look closely at them that I discovered they were mosaics. The baptism is so particularly well done that the feet can be seen distinct- ly under water, and the reflection of the face on the surface. The large pieces of The Public Promenade, 29 lapis lazuli are remarkable, especially the slate which forms the front of the little altar. It is fully a yard long by two feet broad, and all the different stones I have mentioned are so arranged as to blend in a harmonious whole, and yet show each other off to advantage. There was some very fine gold embroidery in the chapel, and two silver gilt candlesticks standing more than six feet in heip-ht. From the Rocio a narrow street leads to the Passeio Publico, or public promenade. This is in disorder at present, as it is being altered and replanted so as to im- prove it both as a garden and pro- menade. Many of the other buildings in the city, especially churches, are Avorthy of a visit, but the period of our stay in Lisbon did not admit of our visiting more than the principal objects of interest. 30 General Appearance. The appearance of the city is oriental in many respects (indeed a portion of it is Moorish) ; the streets are narrow and steep, except the beautiful straight road which runs along the river bank, called the Aterro da Boa, Vista, closed in by lofty houses Avith flat roofs, many of them with balconies and grated mndoAvs ; and what gives them a more oriental appearance, is that many of them are faced with tiles, generally white picked out with blue and pink. The more pretentious dwelling houses are surrounded by gardens en- closed by high walls ; and one can only get a glimpse of orange trees and flowering shrubs and shady Avalks through the iron gateways. Everything is very clean in and about the city, and, unlike Eastern towns gene- rally (if I may so speak of a European capital, but, as I have said, part of it is The Inhabitants. 31 Moorish, and we must remember how much of Moorish blood still flows in the veins of the Portuguese), there are no pungent or aromatic and no off*ensive smells. The /^ ^ . /J population appears to be very orderly and ^ /lOU/^ quiet, but I think shows distinctly traces Imfi / of Moorish origin. The men are manly- * ^ -^ looking and bronzed, the women plain and pale (at least those I saw), and dressed like English women. There are no pic- turesque dresses to be seen, and there are no street cries to be heard; beggars are rare and few homeless dogs run about the streets. I passed several prisons, mournful, dilapidated-looking buildings, the prisoners standing with their heads thrust through the broken windows, and holding by a cord baskets let down to the ground, to receive the alms of the charitable. CHAPTER III. LANDED EARLY — START FOR CINTRA — ASPECT OF COUNTRY — AQUEDUCT — VILLAGE OF CINTRA — VOLCANIC HILLS — CASTLE OF CINTRA — THE GARDENS — DONKEY RIDE — VIEW FROM THE CASTLE — BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE — LISBON BY DAY AND BY NIGHT — FAREWELL TO THE FAIR CITY — HISTORY OF LISBON. D Drive to Cinira. 35 CHAPTER III. EDNESDAY, January 9th.— We landed early, and with four of my €ompag7ions de voyage (B , P , S , L ), started in a carriage and pair for Cintra, the beauty of which we had heard the praises of so often, and not to visit which is looked upon by the Portuguese as an oiFence. The distance from Lisbon is seventeen miles, but at this season of the year it is not an interesting drive ; for being mnter the flat country through which the road runs is bare and bleak-looking. The trees d2 36 The Great Aqueduct and vines were leafless, there was no green ^ luxuriant grass covering the fields, only the thick, brown stubble of the previous- autumn. Here and there a solitary man was ploughing with a small and primitive instrument, drawn by two pair of heavy, slowly-moving bullocks. Rows of bare fig and pomegranate trees, and hedges of ragged cactus lined the road, along and frequently crossing which was seen the celebrated aqueduct, that conveys the pure element into the great reservoir (the Mother of Waters) from whence it is dis- tributed over Lisbon. This great work was erected during the reign of Don Joao V., between 1729 and 1748, under the direction of Manuel da Maia. It conveys the water from springs situated more than two leagues from Lisbon and pours it into the Mai d'Agua, the great reservoir which we had visited > * The Mother of Waters: 37 yesterday, and with which, though I may be wrong to acknowledge it, I was a Httle disappointed. I had expected to see some- thing on a larger scale, and on making a remark to this effect afterwards was told that this Mai d'Agua is only one of three reservoirs, all of which are filled by the same aqueduct. After a drive of three hours we reached the village of Cintra, which lies in a wood- ed valley at the base of a range of rocky hills of volcanic formation varying from 1,800 to 3,000 feet in height. On the summit of one of the highest peaks stands the palace or castle of Cintra, formerly the Alhambra of the Moorish kings, but now one of the royal residences of a Christian monarch. After luncheon at Lawrence's Hotel, where another party from the ship had spent the previous day and night, we 88 A Donkey Ride. mounted very diminutive donkeys, and started for the palace, or castle, the steep ascent mnding and zigzagging round and between huge boulders and under shady trees clothed Avith a drapery of ferns and creepers, until we arrived at the entrance to the castle gardens, where we were met by a couple of gardeners or gate-keepers and politely requested by signs to alight and proceed on foot along a well-kept path, shaded and bordered by flowering acacias and thick camelia-bushes, bright with a wealth of blossom, scarlet, crimson, and white. Our donkey ride was amusing, nay, ex- citing. All the party, except myself, appeared larger than the animals they bestrode ; but the little creatures were all Are and spirit, and vied mth each other for the lead in the race uphill. Possibly the fear of the goad, used dexterously by The Palace of Cintra. 39 the donkey boys who followed in pursuit, and their loud shouts, either of encourage- ment or abuse, roused the mettle or the fear of our poor little steeds, and caused them to make every exertion to keep well ahead. The ascent proved to be much easier and more rapid than the descent. In the latter, our donkeys, instead of racing at full speed, required to pick their steps slowly and carefully ; and we had to keep our seats firmly to avoid being shot over their heads. I was disappointed with the castle ; for the most remarkable thing about it is its position — perched upon the summit of a vast pile of rock. Its style of architec- ture is chiefly Moorish, with some com- paratively modern additions, and with some very beautiful marble tracery near the entrance and over one of the large windows. Its history, of course, is in- / 40 The View from the Top. teresting; but as I am rewriting a journal only, and not writing a guide-book, I do not refer to this more particularly. The view from the top of the castle is magnificent ; just below it are the town of Cintra, half hidden in its nest of trees and shrubs ; the villages of Kalores, sur- rounded by their vineyards, and the beau- tiful chateau of Mr. Cooke, nestling among orange and lemon groves and exquisitely laid-out gardens. In the distance, to the south, is seen the mouth of the Tagus, to the west the broad Atlantic, to the north the town of Mafra and its grand cathedral, and to the north and east the Lines of Torres Vedras and the Serra Bara- gueda. I have seldom seen a more ex- tensive and, at the same time, more mag- nificent view ; but two things were want- ing to make it perfect — foliage and ver- dure. No one should visit Cintra at this Time to Visit Cintra, 41 season of the year, but should come in spring or summer, when Nature has clothed the surface mth all her wealth of living beauty, under the influence of genial weather and bright sunshine. Near the castle is an old Moorish tower, which I had not time to visit, and behind it, standing on a pinnacle of rock, is a bronze statue of Vasco de Gama, looking down upon the Tagus and on the broad ocean, which in his wisdom and ambition he had traversed so often and so success- fully. Cintra and its surroundings require and deserve more than one day to see and enjoy them thoroughly ; but we could afford no more. So, late in the afternoon, as the sun was sinking in the far west beyond the great ocean, we commenced our homeward drive ; and a miserably cold one it proved, for the evening air was 42 A Sunrise. sharp and chill, and probably we felt it all the more as the excitement of sight- seeing was over for another day. It was quite dark when we reached Lisbon, and we were just in time to catch the last tug, get on board our ship, and home for dinner. Thursday^ January 10th. — I was up before daylight to see the sunrise, and I never beheld a more gorgeous one. For fully an hour before the great orb appear- ed above the horizon, the whole eastern heaven was aglow like burnished gold — deep red, almost crimson — which gradually brightened, until just before the advent of the sun there was a blaze of brilliant, sparkling light that shot up to the zenith, as if to herald the coming glory of the great luminary and centre of our system. Not a cloud was visible, and the great vault above us and to the west was of the 0)1 Shore. 4a k deepest shade of blue, in which the silvery morning star alone still lingered, as if to shed his feebler light upon the earth until the greater light appeared. The city, perched upon the hilly slopes and nestling- in the narrow valleys, looked fair and white, contrasting wonderfully with the dark waters of the broad expanse of the majestic Tagus. What a lovely situation for a city. How commanding, and yet how picturesque. With such a home, Indian habit of early rising. He and I /^^ ^ often speak of India, compare notes of our , ^ experiences there, and recall pleasant me- tr 4 The Alhamhra, mories of the sunny East. I like him, for he always has a kind thought of and a kind word for everybody. After breakfast, we sallied forth in several parties of four and five, each party under a guide — my own party consisted of six ; Mr. and Mrs. B , Mr. B and son, Mr. S , and myself, under the charge and guidance of Lawrenzo Basileo Bagna (who tells me that he re- members me at Gibraltar). We walked up to the Alhambra, and entered the for- tress by the Puerta de la Justicia, and before entering the palace walked across the square or courtyard to the Torre de la Bella (the Tower of the Bell), from which we had a magnificent view. The City of Granada, old and new, nestles close under the fortress, shut in on the east, where the old part stands, by a solid defensible wall, built by the Moors. Be- The Great Vega. 75 yond the city, and on three sides of it, extends the great Vega, or plain of Gran- ada, beautifnl, rich, under cultivation, dotted over with white villas, pretty vil- lages, and substantial farm-houses, and watered b}' two large streams. This mag- nificent plain is shut in on all sides by mountain barriers ; on the north-east by the snow-clad Sierra Nevada, now robed in white, and sparkling like a sheet of glass under the bright sunshine of noon- day. Far away to the left, as I look down upon and across the plain, stands a lofty mound amid a billowy range of hills, on which, tradition says, the defeated and unfortunate Boabdil stayed in his rapid flight for a moment, and, looking back on the fair scene of his former poAver and splendour, wept in bitter anguish as he gazed for the last time on the fair realm he had lost. To the right are the rugged 76 A Grand Panorama. mountains tliat separate Granada from Cordova. J (Xi4>f^(iukl stood for some time in silent admira- iJi KC*>^ion of the grand panorama round. 7'here ^^ 1 was the city immediately beneath me, old P JL ^I ^^^ ^^^^ contrasting so strangely Avith each other ; the former with its history of centuries, its crumbling, battlemented towers and walls, and ruined palaces, em- blem of strife and war and departed power; the latter with its cathedral, churches, houses, Alameda, and railway-station, all of modern growth, emblem of peace, goodwill, and progress; Beyond the city stretched the vast undulating plain, with its Avealth of verdure, its peaceful homes, and prosperous homesteads; and still fur- ther in the far distance the great moun- tain range, with its bold, irregular out- line, rugged slopes, and deep, gloomy ravines, swept round, as if to form a pro- A Fair Scene. 77 tecting barrier, and shield plain, city, and fortress from all danger. Human eye never looked upon a fairer scene, and every human heart must feel sympathy for the vanquished sovereign when he wept l/ffU and sorrowed over his defeat and fall. -/. ux^Q^^ CHAPTER VI. THE ALHAMBRA — ITS RUINED PALACE, WALLS, AND TOWERS — SUMMARY JUSTICE— ROMANTIC LITTLE STORIES— THE MOORISH BOABDIL — THE GENERALIFFE — THE CATHEDRAL — THE ORGAN— THE ROYAL CHAPEL — TOMBS OF KINGS AND QUEENS — THE PAUCITY OF WORSHIPPERS — THE REREDOS — THE GIPSY DANCE — GUITAR MUSIC— RETURN TO MALAGA. The Paerta de Vino. 81 CHAPTER VL ETRACING our steps from the Tower of tlie Bell — which bell, the guide informed us, was rung only once a year, and that on the occasion the maiden who first pulls the rope may expect to be married mthin the year. Probably a knowledge on the part of her companion maidens of an engagement induces them to afford her the opportunity to give the first pull. After leaving this tower, we passed, on our right, the Puerta de Vino (why so called I could no t _as certain), and a little further on, also on the right, the G 82 Entrance to the Alhamhra. Plaza de los Algibes, beneath which are seve- ral old Moorish cisterns, and beyond which is the large Tuscan palace commenced l)y Charles Y., but never completed. The entrance into the palace of the Al- hambra is by the Patio Estanque (or the Court of the Fish-fountain), a beautiful paved court surrounded by a balcony sup- ported on slender, graceful marble pillars. To the right of this court is the Patio de los Leones, a large, square court paved with marble, with a verandah on its four sides supported by one hundred and twen- ty-four marble pillars, and in the centre of which stands the large marble basin, rest- ing on twelve rather grotesque-looking lions. On the right of this court is the Sala de los Abincerages, or the Hall of Courtiers, so called from the circumstance of thirty-six of the court officials having been beheaded in it in one day under the Rough Justice. 83 suspicion that one of their number had attempted to intrigue with a royal princess, and, as it was uncertain which individual of the thirty-six was the guilty one^ all were condemned to death so as to put the matter beyond doubt — rough_but_certain ' ' justice ! The spot is pointed out in the middle of the hall on Avhich the executions were carried out — you are shown where each man in turn placed his feet, where he rested his hands, and where he bowed his head to receive the fatal stroke, and the little channel along which the blood flowed. The marble really appears to retain the stain of blood, and, pointing to the bloody stain, the guide told the story Avith the most perfect sang-froid^ while it almost made our blood curdle to hear it. i^^ ^ h. - tC - Opposite the entrance of the Patio de los Leones is the Sala de Justicia, where it is to be hoped that greater discrimination g2 84 The Halls of the Alhamhra, was exercised than in the Hall of Courtiers, and that ^justice was tempered with mercy.' To the left of this hall is the Sala de los Hermanas, or the Hall of the Two Sisters, so called from two immense slabs of white marble which are laid side by side and form part of the pavement. Beyond this is the Sala de los Cupulos, or the Hall of the Towers, and adjoining it the Merador de la Lundarava, or the Boudoir of the Favourite, which looks into the Court of Lemons, a small, jealously- guarded garden, planted with lemon and orange-trees. Passing from the boudoir to the left, along a little corridor (open to- wards the garden) you enter the Tucador, or the Sala del Peinador, or the Room of Sweet Scent, in which the royal ladies per- fumed themselves, by standing over a perforated slab of marble on which were placed musk or other perfumes, and be- The Hall of Audience. 85 iieath which stood a brazier filled with flowing charcoal. This practice is still common in India, but the women there adopt a simpler plan. They dig a small hole in the ground, into which they throw several pieces of glowing charcoal on which they sprinkle a few grains of musk, and sit over this until their persons and gar- ments are saturated with the perfume. From thence we passed into the Sala de los Embaj adores or the Hall of Audience, in which the immortal Columbus received his final orders to sail on his great voyage of discovery. The very spots are pointed out where Ferdinand and Isabella sat on their thrones, and that on which Columbus stood in respectful attitude during the celebrated interview. Attached to this hall is the Sala de la Barca. Retracing our way, and descending a short flight of steps, we entered Jhe Sala de 86 The Towers, los Secretos, or the Whispering Chamber^ immediately beyond which is the Casala del Descanso, or the Ante-chamber of the Bath, where the ladies prepared themselves for, and reclined after they had performed, their ablutions in the bath-room attached to the ante-chamber. Turning back again, ascending the same flight of steps, and passing along a narrow covered passage, we entered the court of the mosque, and then the mosque itself, converted by Ferdinand and Isabella into a Christian chapel. The massive towers which surround tlie fortress, commencing from the left as one looks towards the plain — that is, the east — are as follows : La Torre Berenaga, or the Tower of the Prisoners, still used for such purpose, as military prisoners are confined in it ; La Torre de la Bella, which I have already mentioned ; Los Torres de The Tower of the Captive. 87 las Princesas, which have romantic stories jittached to them, as in the first, three Moorish princesses were imprisoned by their father to prevent their marrying Christian knights. Two of them escaped with their lovers, but what became of the third the guide could not inform us. •— j* crf^S*^ In the second tower (also called La Torre de la Cautiva, or the Tower of the Captive), a Christian lady was imprisoned because she refused to enter the harem of a Moorish prince as his wife, or in a hiim- - 1^ l)ler_j3apijdty, and who, to escape from either fate, threw herself from the Avindow and perished. These two towers are in a very good state of preservation — inside, at least ; the floors are of white marble, the ceil- ings of beautiful variegated tile-work, and the slender pillars which form the framework of the windows are of pure 88 The Water-l^owers. Avhite marble, adorned with alabaster capitals. The other towers are La Torre de Boab- dilla, or the King's Smoking Saloon ; La Torre de los Picolos, at the base of which is the iron door through which Boabdil passed out of the fortress to join his army on the eve of the great battle in Avhich he was defeated and lost his crown ; La Torre de las Dames, or the Tower of the King's Mistress ; Los Torres de I'Agua, the two towers between Avhich passed the aqueduct by means of which the water supply was conveyed into the fortress. None of these last mentioned are in a good state of pre- servation, and very little of the great wall which connected these towers is in a per- fect state. The two last towers are La Torre de los Siete Suelas, or the Tower of the Seven Floors ; and La Torre de dos Cavessa, or the Tower of Two Heads. The Generaliffe. 89 My description of the Alhambra is no <#4ty/xe. doubt imperfect, but I may mention that fj^ , my visit was limited to one day, that I made no notes while I was going through it, but on the evening; of the same day ^ wrote down from memory in my journal ^ ^"tn; what I saw and heard, and then read it over to the guide, who pronounced it correct. To give a full and minute description of the Alhambra would |ill a book. '^^ f^ Iricu^cLy!:^^ na.'r..' ^' ^/j In the afternoon Ave visited the Gene- -S^ raliife, or the abode of the architect. This was a mistake. One should see this before visiting the Alhambra, for with one's head full of the beautiful palace, this humbler building, with its pretty gardens, rushing streams, and little fountains and jets d'eau^ scarcely rouses even temporary interest. From hence we walked down to the city and entered the cathedral — another / 90 The Cathedral noble pile, but in an unfinished state. It is built in the Groeco-Italian style, very delicate and beautiful, but not equal to, lot to be compared with the grand, grave, simple old Gothic. The flat roof is sup- ported by two rows of Corinthian columns with elaborately wrought capitals ; the beautiful ceiling is richly ornamented with gilding, and the floor is paved with white marble. The chapels round the sides are hand- somely decorated, but spoilt by grotesque figures, though there are many fine pic- tures in them. The altar is overshadowed by a dome-shaped canopy. The organ is magnificent; placed in the centre of the building, and of enormous size, reaching almost up to the ceiling, and completely encased in gilding. I never saw such an organ, or, to speak more correctly, set of organs; but, unfortunately, though I The Royal Chapel 91 heard it played, it was not with its full power. The ^ Dead March in Saul,' played on such an instrument, in such a building, by a good performer, would have been "fraud indeed. ^< < / - - " r H^ - From the cathedral we entered the lioyal Chapel, which adjoins, in fact is part of the cathedral. Here are the tombs of Philip and Joana, and of Ferdinand / and Isabella, both most exquisitely exe- cuted in white marble in the Italian style. Below, in the crypt, are the iron coffins y Avhich contain the royal dust. In the centre of the chapel stands a splendid organ, enclosed within a very handsome wrought-iron railing. Though service was going on in both cathedral and chapel, there were not a dozen worshippers or listeners in either. I forgot to mention the reredos in the chapel. It is a beauti- ful work of art ; is formed of a deep red 92 A Gipsy Dance. marble, picked out with black and white, and adorned with gilding. At night we attended a gipsy dance. The dancing, or rather attitudes and mo- tions, of both men and women were stiff i^dud and ungraceful, indeed, indelicate; their voices were harsh, and singing wild and barbarous, but their guitar music was truly wonderful. I had heard so much and often of the Spanish gitanas that I was all the more surprised and disappointed to find them more than plain (there was not one of them even good-looking), and with stout, squat figures, in which there was neither grace nor elasticity. Tuesday, January 15th. — Up at three o'clock, a.m., to return to Malaga, regret- ting greatly that I had had so short n stay in Granada ; for to see it thoroughly, describe its beauty of scenery, and inspect the Alhambra properly, would require Return to Malaga. 93" many days instead of one. We reached Malaga at twelve o'clock noon, went on board our comfortable ship, feeling our- selves at home once more ; and at nine o'clock, p.m., weighed anchor, and pro- ceeded on our voyage. CHAPTER VII. MEDITERRANEAN WEATHER — THE GOOD SHIP ' CEYLON ' — MINORCA — PORT MAHON — NARROW ENTRANCE — BEAUTI- FUL HARBOUR — THE TOWN — CHURCHES — THE TALAYOTS — BILITHONS AND MONOLITHS — THE ENGLISH MISSIO^^ARY — THE SPANISH FLAG- SHIP — OUR VISIT AND RECEPTION — SPANISH OFFICERS SPEAKING ENGLISH — THE ORGAN PLAYED FOR US. Charming Weather, 97 CHAPTER YII. EDNESDAY, January 16th.— We have charming Mediterranean weather to-day; bright sunshine, a calm, placid sea, but a sharp, cold, bracing air. Thursday^ January 17th. — The sea calm . nn u^ as a well, and the noble Ceylon is gliding j^ vj^ along without the least perceptible mo- tion. We shall be in Port Mahon, in the island of Minorca, by to-morrow morning, as the distance this afternoon is said to be ninety-one miles. At six o'clock p.m., we sighted the Port Mahon light, but our careful captain does -j^y^^i ^r H 7j/-vi^ a. mjitJL- flUl dAMrU 98 Port Mahon. not intend to enter the harbour until day- light to-morrow morning, so the order is given for 'half-speed.' Friday, January l^tJi. — Steamed slowly into port this morning at 7.30. The en- trance to the harbour is very pretty, but so narrow that, as the saying is, one could throw a biscuit on shore. The description of the entrance that I had previously read does not convey a correct impression of its narrowness. The harbour itself is long, narrow, and deep — probably about two miles long by half-a-mile broad — and is perfectly sheltered by two ridges of high land, one on either side. I have read that it is one of the largest and safest harbours in the Mediterranean, and that there is room enough in it for all the ships of war which sail on its waters ; but, if I may express an opinion, not more than twelve large ships could Interest for Englishmen. 99 ride in it at single anchor, and even for that number there would scarcely be room for them to swing. Packed closely to- gether, however, or moored fore and aft, many ships might lie in the harbour. At present the Spanish Mediterranean squad- ron, consisting of five ironclads, is moored about the middle of the harbour. A certain amount of interest for Eng- lishmen is attached to the island of Min- orca and to the city of Mahon, for during the war of succession in Spain it was occu- pied by a British force, and at the peace of Utrecht, having been recognised as a British possession, it continued to l)e so until 1756, when, during the war betAveen Great Britain and France, it was taken bv a French expedition under the Due de Richelieu. It was in consequence of his having failed to prevent its capture that Admiral H 2 1 00 The City of Mahon. Byng was tried by court-martial, and sen- tenced to be shot. Seven years afterwards (in 1763) Min- orca was restored to Great Britain, but again taken by a combined French and Spanish force, after a gallant and deter- mined resistance. In 1792 it was again captured by the British, and in 1802 ceded to Spain by the treaty of Amiens. Minorca is further historically famous as having been the birthplace of the great Carthagenian general, Hannibal. At the entrance to Port Mahon, on the left, is the ruined fortress of San Felipe, and on the right the elevated peninsula of La Mora. We anchored off the pretty little city of Mahon (the chief town of the island), about fifty yards from the landing-place, and in deep water. The city lies close to . the water, and extends up an abruptly The Churches. 101 ;steep slope to the crest of the long, low ridge on the north side of the harbour. A similar ridge runs along the southern side. Narrow, steep, paved streets lead from the landing-place to the upper part of the city, in which the most conspicuous objects are the churches of Santa Maria and Santa Maria del Carmen, and except these there are no other large buildings in the place. We visited both. That of Santa Maria del Carmen is the smaller but handsomer of the two, and is purely Gothic in style. It is dark and gloomy within, but the eye soon accommodates itself to the semi-darkness. The altar is very beau- tiful, and shows to great advantage by being placed under an arch of dark-colour- ed marble. The oro^an is laro:e, and occu- pies the end of the church opposite the altar, tilling up the whole space. It is said to be a very fine-toned one, so we 102 The Talayots, arranged for a performance at four o'clock j).m., at which hour the organist promised to attend. After our visit to the church, we started to Avalk a distance of a couple of miles,, to insj^ect one of the remarkable structures called Talayots, of Avhich there are a num- ber in the island. It was a rough walk, during which we had to climb over several high rough stone dykes, and scramble over stony fields before arriving at the object we were in search of; and in this we should not have been successful but for the guidance of an English Protestant Missionary, whom we met accidentally, and who in his pleasure at meeting so many countrymen, and hearing his own mother tongue, volunteered to j^ilot us. He is the only Englishman, and the only person on the island who speaks English. On arriving at the first Tahxyot, we clam- Their Structure. 1 03 bered to the top of it, but seeing a little further on one in a better state of preser- vation, and in a position from whence we should have a better view, we went throus'h some further climbino^ to reach it. We found it apparently in perfect condition, with one bilithon (two large stones placed one on the other in the form of a T) standing near, and a number of monoliths, standing upright, round it ; and from the top had a good view of a great extent of the island. These Talayots are constructed of rough- ly hewn blocks of sandstone, laid upon each other, but without mortar. In shape they are short truncated cones, enclosed within four square stone outwarks, connect- ed by loose stone walls ; the whole, includ- ing bilithon and monoliths, surrounded by low, loosely-built stone walls of singular serpentine formation. These Talayots are 104 Their Purpose. to be seen in diiFerent parts of the island, but it is not known Avhen, or for what purpose they were erected. If the word Talayot is derived from ' atalayar ' (to mount guard), which some suppose, they may have been erected for some military purpose, such as defensible granaries. But the presence of the bilithons and mono- liths Avould lead to the supposition that they were built for religious purposes, either as places of worshij) or of sepulture. One, I believe, has been opened, but not perfectly examined. Several have fallen into decay, and reveal the existence of chambers and circular passages. There is a good deal of cultivation in the island, but the fields are very small, and all are enclosed by loose stone dykes. I noticed an unusual number of open-air threshing-floors, all circular, and formed with stone. There are very few trees in Cultivation of tfie Island, 105 this part of the island, only some sickly- looking fig-trees and dwarf olives ; but I understand (from my reverend friend the Missionary) that the north and east dis- tricts are fairly wooded, and covered with grass sufficient to graze cattle, which are bred extensively, and which make good beef. There are no sheep, and horses and mules are very scarce ; carriage hire is therefore expensive, and for a drive of two hours in a carriage, mth a pair of ponies, the sum of twelve shillings is the ordinary charge. There are no hotels, as visitors are so few, and the few generally come in yachts. Quantities of vegetables of different kinds are cultivated, for home consumption chiefly, but also to supply ships of war and private yachts. Boots and shoes are the only manufacture, and also the only export, and are sent in large numbers to Spain. Pretty shell orna- 106 The Spanish Flag-ship. inents, and gold and filigree work are made, but not exported. These, I believe, are bought principally by visitors ; and the Ceylon party brought away specimens of each class of work as mementos of their visit. After lunch a number of us went along:- side the Spanish flag-ship and sent up our cards. We were received with the greatest civility, invited on board, and shown over every part of the ship even to the sick-bay ; this on my account specially, as from my card they knew that I was an army medical oflicer. The young officer who received and ac- companied us round the ship spoke English very fluently, and, on our asking how he had mastered the language so perfectly, he informed us that he had spent twelve years of his boyhood and youth in England at school and college, that during those years God Save the Queen. 107 lie had quite forgotten his own mother- tongue, and had to learn it afresh on his return to Spain. He is an officer of Marines, but at present holds the appoint- ment of Aide-de-camp to the Admiral in command of the fleet. On our first stepping on the quarter- deck and saluting the Spanish flag, the ship's band, which was at practice at the time, played ' God save the Queen,' a very delicate attention to us Englishmen, and for which we expressed our gratitude and thanks. Our Missionary friend accompanied our party to act as interpreter, and while act- ing in that capacity between one of the officers of the ship and myself, would persist in repeating the officer's replies to my questions in Spanish ; and on my re- monstrating, the officer smiled good-hu- mouredly, and said, ' I can speak a little 108 An Organ Performance. English, and will try to converse with you in your own tongue.' I asked him ' how he had picked up English,' and he replied, 'by the help of your own grammar only.' How few EngUshmen are persevering enough to acquire proficiency in a foreign tongue in the same way ! In the evening three of the ofiicers of the flag-ship came on board the Ceylon to dinner. Having paid our visit we rowed ashore, and walked up to the church for our promised organ performance. We were delighted with the tone and power of the instrument, but one of our party proved to be a better performer than the organist himself, and played splendidly, bringing out the full tone and filHng the whole church Avith a flood of music. I could not help thinking and saying to myself as the grand, solemn tones pealed through the old A Quiet Little Community. 109 church, ' What would the accomplished organist of our OAvn church of St. Barnabas, Kensington, give for an opportunity of touching the keys of such organs as I have been seeing and hearing lately ? Such as those in Malaga, Granada, and this one. He would be in an ecstacy of delight.' Well, we have done this queer little dot on the world's surface. Even in such an out-of-the-way place, though, people are politicians, and always are, or Avish it to be thought that they are, 'en revolution.' From the little I saw of the inhabitants of Port Mahon they appeared to form a very quiet little community — half asleep, and too poor to make any political disturbance. CHAPTER VIII. LEAVE PORT MAHON — VILLE FRANCHE — NICE— SCENERY — CLIMATE— THE PROMENADE DES ANGLAIS — EXHIBITION — MONACO — MONTE CARLO — THE CASINO AND GARDENS — THE GAMING TABLES — THE GAMBLERS — OLD AND YOUNG PLAYING — HEAVY LOSSES TAKEN QUIETLY — WEEPING AND DISTRESS — SAIL FOR NAPLES. Fine Weather. 113 CHAPTER VIII. |ATURDAY, January 19th.— We left Port Mahon this morning at eight o'clock. Fine weather follows us still. We have a clear blue sky and calm sea, but the air is keen and bracing. Sunday.^ January 20th. — Arrived at Ville Franche about breakfast-time, having had a good view of Nice as we steamed up to our anchorage. There is only an open roadstead at Nice, Ville Franche being the port, distant from Nice three miles both by land and sea. The harbour of Ville Franche is very pretty, and large enough I 114 Yille Franche, to accommodate tAventy or more large vessels. The water is deep close in shore, and the holding-ground good, but as it is open to the south I should not think it a very safe anchorage during a strong south- erly wind. The small town of Ville Franche lies at the head of the harbour on the western side. Looking at it from the water, it is pic- turesque, the houses being built in terraces on the side of the hill, Italian in style, they say, but to me it has an Eastern or Moorish appearance. It is a poor place, as one discovers on landing, and not clean- ly, and never can increase in importance, as everything centres in Nice or gravitates to Monte Carlo. There are some old fortifications low down on the shore, almost on the water- line, and an old castle on the summit of the hill overlooking both Ville Franche and The French Fleet 115 Nice. High hills dominate both towns on the north, and protect them to a great ex- tent from the cold cutting north winds that sweep down from the snow-clad hills. At present, though the sun's rays are warm and penetrating, the air is keen and cold, rendering a thin overcoat necessary. The French Mediterranean fleet, consist- ing of ^YQ large ironclads and a despatch vessel, is here just now, and occupies and monopolises the best anchorage, so that the Ceylon has to lie on the east side of the harbour, at a good distance from the landing-place. We do not propose to visit the French flag-ship, as we did the Spanish, as our reception might not be so cordial. After breakfast everybody landed except three of us, Mr. E , Dr. L , and myself, and went off to Nice by train, which passes and stops at the head of the harbour. We three remained on board i2 116 An Old Friend. until after luncli, when we landed and took a stroll along the road in the direc- tion of Monaco, returning at sunset. In the evening our whole j)arty was present at dinner, there being nothing sufficiently attractive — not even dinner a la Fran9aise — to detain them in Nice. I have just heard that my friend, Colo- nel T (who like myself has soldiered many years in many lands), and his wife join us here, and remain with us during the rest of the cruise, and am very pleased to hear it. Seven new passengers join us here also ; six go as far as Naples only, and one to Gibraltar. Monday, January ^Ist. — A very cold morning ; clouds obscure the sun, and heavy mists hang over the crests of the hills. The dew was so heavy during the night that (as the quarter-master of the mid die- watch told me) it fell on deck Promenade des Anglais. 117 from the ropes and rigging like drops of rain. Surely, with a hot sun and keen ^vind during the day, and such heavy dews at night, followed by clouds and dense fogs in the morning, the climate cannot be favourable for invalids or delicate persons. After breakfast, I landed mth Mr. and Mrs. B and B , and drove by bus into Nice, going first, on arriving there, to the post-office, but there were no letters for any of us. For my own part, I did not expect any, as mine are always awaiting my arrival at every port. From the post-office we walked to the Promenade des Anglais, a beautiful and well-kept ter- race stretching along the sea for quite a mile. From thence we continued our walk up to the exhibition building, w^hich, though not complete, has been opened 118 The Town of Nice. for visitors and to the public. The exhi- bition has been got up by a private com- pany, under the patronage of the mayor of Nice ; in fact, I was informed that he Avas a member of the company. I was- also informed that sufficient funds have not been raised to meet the expenses of erecting the handsome building and put- ting the grounds in order; and that ill- natured individuals of the community say, that, in consequence of this lack of funds^ the standing employees of the town are taken from their legitimate duties to work at the exhibition, and that hence the dirty and neglected state of the streets at pre- sent, which usually are patterns of cleanli- ness and order. The town of Nice is much larger when one is really in it than it appears to be when seen from the sea. It is divided into old and new (Billingsgate and West Picturesque Situation. 119 End), separated from each other by a river, which, as I saw it, was a rippling stream in the middle of a broad, dry channel. Hotels and pensions are situated along or near the Promenade des Anglais, and the villas, which can be hired by the season, are scattered all over the southern slopes of the hills, which (as in Ville Franche) rise to a considerable height behind and above the town. Mce is a pretty place, and very pic- turesquely situated (as, I think, I have already remarked), but at this season of the year there is a want of greenness and freshness about or around it generally, though beautiful flowers are to be seen in gardens and to be bought in the shops. There are few trees in the town, and the bare, brown hill sides are covered with the sombre olive and ragged Scotch fir, especially above Ville Franche. Along the 120 Monaco. road-sides one sees tlie pepper-tree, Avith its hanging clusters of red berries, the leafy aromatic eucalyptus, and the iig-tree, bare and leafless at present, also the aloe and the cactus ; and, growing as a hedge, the scarlet geranium. After an indiiferent lunch in a French restaurant — which disabused me of the idea that French cookery is always good — my friend B and I started by train for Monte Carlo. The distance, about ten miles, was accomplished in three quarters of an hour. On the way we passed close to Monaco, a little princi- pality consisting of an old fort and some three or four hundred houses, all packed closely together on a mountain spur which projects from the mainland into the sea. The flag of the principality was floating over the fort, to show its royalty and independence. Monte Carlo. 121 A little beyond Monaco lies Monte Carlo, a village close to the sea, and shut in behind by high, rugged, bare hills. On a flat space of about thirty or forty acres in extent are situated the beautiful gar- dens, in the middle of which stands the . casino, or gambling house, a large and handsome building. We entered by ticket, on first presenting your card, not ajisual ^jij^^J^ proceeding, I believe ; but in explanation no^*^**^ I was told that this was probably done on v the present occasion to keep out some ob- jectionable person or persons known to be about. However, having got our ticket, for which there was no payment demand- ed, we entered a handsome ante-room, from which we passed into the rooms where the gaming-tables are. On first entering, I looked round upon the crowd of people passing and re-passing, consist- ing of persons of both sexes, of all ages, 122 The Gaming-TaUes. in groups, in couples, talking, laughing, silent ; some apparently with full purses^ some with empty ones carried in the hand ; some moving slowly, as if in thought, and calculating the chances, some quickly^ some hurriedly and excitedly, as if smart- ing under their losses. I then turned to the roulette-table, round which a row of persons ^ve^^ seated, t\A and behind whom a double row wo^e ^ standing. There were old, grey-headed, wrinkled, toothless men, old women gaily dressed, and with elaborate head-gear, young men and young women, all staking their money, winning and losing, and ac- cepting either result quietly and silently. I saw no excitement — perhaps any display of excitement at the table is forbidden — but on the old and elderly faces there was an expression of eager watchfulness ; a smile would brighten up the face of a win- Heavy Losses, 12^ ner, a frown would darken that of a loser, but not a word escaped their lips. The stakes did not appear to be heavy, as it was chiefly silver that was placed upon the table, w^ith here and there an English sovereign or half-sovereign, or a French gold coin. Turning from this, I entered the room where the card-tables stand, but the game A^^as something unknown to me. I ob- served, however, that only gold and bank- notes were placed upon this table, and that evidently large sums were won and lost here. One young, good-looking woman was playing heavily; I saw her at one time stake a thousand francs, and at an- other she placed on the table two five- hundred franc notes and a number of large gold pieces. She lost on both occasions, and showed no disappointment as her notes and gold were raked away from 124 Gain at Last before her. A third time I saw her put down a large sum in both paper and gold, and this time she won, sweeping up notes and gold, and arranging them carelessly beside her, as if it were a matter of indif- ference to her whether she lost or won. I was so absorbed in Avatching the players that I forgot to stake a sovereign myself, which I had intended to do, just that I might be able to say, ' I have played at Monte Carlo.' As we were leaving the building, there were two ladies, one elderly and the other young (mother and daughter apparent- ly), seated, with their arms round each \ other, in the ante-room, sobbing piteously. Doubtless they had been losers — perhaps they had staked and lost their last farthing. In another part of the room there was a lady crying bitterly, and pleading mth a gentleman standing near Effects of Gambling, 125 her (probably her husband) for jn.onej,M/i^ that she might make another venture ; but he stood before her shaking his head, and holding his open palm to her, as if firm in his refusal. I must confess, how- ever, that I saw no greater signs of dis- appointment or distress ; no wringing of hands, tearing of hair, gnashing of teeth ; I did not hear even a muttered curse. Players were intent upon the games and the ' chances ;' those that were weary, or maybe cleared out, were walking about, either to rest from the excitement, or to calculate how they were to raise funds for another chance to redeem their losses. Visitors were moving about ; some observ- ant, others indiiferent ; some smiling and chatting pleasantly, others silent and look- ing disapproval of the whole scene and of the whole performance. I saw a young Englishman win a good 126 Young Winners. deal. He was quite a young fellow — not more than one-and-twenty — and evidently playing ^ for a lark.' Probably, most pro- bably it was the first time he had ever o-ambled. He staked a half-sovereio:n €very time at roulette, and ahvays won, taking up his mnnings and pocketing them as if he thought it a good joke. It would have been far better for him to have lost ; for winning at first might lead him on to be an habitual gambler in the future. At the same table, behind the row of chairs, stood a very young and pretty woman, who was also winning, and who appeared to enjoy the pleasure, or excitement, or whatever the feeling may be, immensely. It was probably her first visit to Monte Carlo, her first attempt at play ; for she Avas too young to be a gambler. I had seen enough, and came away, A Miserable Excitement. 127 thinking 'what a wretched amusement,' 'what a miserable excitement' it was. What fools people were to throw away pp their money thus ! and thankful that I / p had never had inclination or opportunity' to 'play.' Tuesday, January 22nd, — In the evening our new friends came on board, and our good old friend B left us, on his return to England ; and at fiYQ o'clock p.m. the Ceylon sailed for Naples. CHAPTER IX. COPwSICAN LIGHT — ELBA AND MONTE CHRISTO — CORStCAN MOUNTAINS— AMERICANS ON BOARD — BAY OF NAPLES — VE- SUVIUS — THE CITY — CAPRI — ISCHIA — NAPLES — LAND AND VISIT MUSEUM — RELICS OF POMPEII AND HERCULANEUM — ANCIENT STATUARY — THE TOMB OF VIRGIL — THE AC- QUARIUM — THE CHIAIA OR FASHIONABLE DRIVE — STREETS AND BEGGARS. K Mountains of Corsica. 131 CHAPTER IX. EDNESDAY, January 23rd.— We have had a quiet night, so that one could hardly tell that we Avere sailing on the deep sea, so often troubled in this particular corner of the Mediterranean. Our party are all up, fresh and in happy mood, and ready to be pleased. Very early (four o'clock a.m.) we sighted the Corsican light, and now (nine o'clock) are threading our way between the islands of Pianosa, Elba, Monte Christo, and Giglio. In the distance, on our starboard quarter, are visible the magnificent mountains of Corsica, robed in snow, while in the still k2 / 132 Elba, further distance on our port-beam is in- distinctly seen the mainland of classic Italy. It is very delightful. We are steaming along as quietly as if Ave were on a river. There is scarcely a flaw of Avind, and the sea is without a ripple, but clouds obscure the deep-blue, Mediterranean sky, and in-, terfere Avith our \dew of land, for we can- not see perfectly the irregular outline, the deep valleys, and the rough, rocky ridges^ which separate these, without sunshine. We have several American ladies and gentlemen on board, who are going Avith us as far as Naples. They have travelled a great deal, are very intelligent and pleasant, and know much more about the Mediterranean than we do, and are very willing and ready to impart their know- ledge and experience to us. Elba appears to be a fine, bold, mountain island, and any man whose ambition was The Bay of Naples. 133 not inordinate might be happy to accept it as a possession, if not a kingdom. Pianosa is perfectly flat and uninteresting, Monte Christo is pyramidal in form, rising abruptly from the water, and its sides are scarred and scored by deep rents and Assures, and Giglio, though possessing no striking scenery, consists of undulating mountain-land. Thursday^ January 2^t]i. — Unfortunately^ as we entered the Bay of Naples, heavy clouds obscured the view, and it was with a feeling of disappointment that I looked on the surrounding scenery which I had so often heard described as beautiful. We could, however, distinguish the prominent features of the bay even without sunshine. An amphitheatre of bold hills in which Vesuvius takes a prominent position, whose very summit, alas ! is veiled in cloud to-day. In this amphitheatre, rising from 134 The City of Naples. the very Avater, tlie city of Naples lies, ex- tending far up the sides of the hills, and forming the centre of a very fine panorama, the whole overtopped on the east by Vesu- vius with its extinct and active craters, its slopes and valleys enlivened by little villages, and at its base close to the sea the towns of Portice, Torre de Greco, Torre Annunciata, and Resina, this last built over the buried Herculaneum. Fur- ther to the east on the curve of the amphi- theatre to the south-west, are the towns of Castellamare and Sorento, and the head- land of Campanella, to the west of which, at a distance of not more than a mile, lies the little island of Ca]3ri, celebrated not only for its natural beauty, but as the retreat of the Roman Emperor, Tiberius, who, though the most powerful of living men, the absolute ruler of the whole world, over whose power there was no control, / Capri and Tiberius. 135 to whose wealth there was no limit, and to whose pleasure there was no restraint ; yei^ weary of his power, regardless of his Avealth, and indifferent to society, he fled from his palace and capital, deserted his subjects and his duties, and selected this little islet as his home, that there he might give him- self up without restraint to the extreme gratification of luxury and licentiousness, but where he not only exhausted his ability to enjoy pleasure, but failed to find peace of mind, and lived in gloomy solitude, as we learn from his celebrated letter to the Roman senate. The north and west of the amphitheatre are formed by the hill and Cape of Posilipo, the island of Nicia, the town and gulf of Puzzioli (Puteoli, where the apostle of the Gentiles landed on his way to Rome), Cape Miseno, the island of Procida, and, to the extreme west, the beautiful island of Ischia, lately the scene 136 In Naples, of the destructive earthquake which laid in ruins the town of Casamacciola, of which I shall speak in a separate chapter. On rounding the small promontory of Castel d'Ovo, the Ceylon came to anchor within the Mole, and pratique having been obtained, and home letters received and read, we landed, and, forming little parties, proceeded to visit the several places and objects of interest in the city of Naples. Colonel and Mrs. T , Mr. S , the Eev. M , and self, as one party, first visited the museum, where all the relics recovered from Herculaneum and Pompeii are collected, consisting of statues, bronzes, mosaics, wall pictures, and engravings, of articles of pottery, household furniture, gems, surgical instruments, &c. The finest pieces of mosaic are the ^ Triumph of Bac- chus ' and the ' Cave Canem,' this latter The Statuary. 137 representing a dog straining at his chain as if to attack. Amongst the statuary is a gigantic Hercules in marble, and many statues and statuettes in marble of women, with all of which we are familiar at home. There is also the group of the Farnese bull, a masterpiece of Greek sculpture. The whole group was originally one block of marble, representing two men tying a woman by her hair to the horns of a wild bull, while behind is another full-sized figure of a woman pleading for mercy for her sister-woman. Only portions of the different figures are ancient, for in its various removals the figures were injured and broken, and have been replaced by modern workmanship. Numbers of artists were at work copy- ing the wall-paintings recovered from Pompeii, and, though their copies are excellent, their prices are high. 138 The Aquarium. From the museum we drove alono- the Stracia di Roma to the aquarium, where, paying two francs, we were admitted. It is not a large aquarium, but contains a very fine collection of sea anemones, and several large specimens of the octopus. From this we drove to the tomb of Virgil, but, though I have a great admiration for the Q^niad, I demurred at paying six francs to look at the possible resting-place of the author. Beyond the tomb is the tunnel cut by the Romans through the hill of Posilipo to the grotto of Puzzuoli. From this we drove doAvn to the Chiaia, a fashionable drive and promenade along the bay, where the Neapolitan elite and beauty take their evening drive and walk. There were many carriages in the drive, but the greater number occupied by men. The ladies we saw were not remarkable for beauty, and, except the very youngs had a tendency to embonpoint All seemed Appearance of the Streets. 139 to belong to the noblesse^ for on every car- riasfe we met there was a coronet. The streets of Naples are paved with slabs of lava, consequently the noise made by the hundreds of little pony-carriages rattling over them is intolerable. The streets, with the exception of the one or two principal ones, are narrow, and those that run up-hill are steep and slippery. Crowds of idle people throng the tho- roughfares ; vendors of all sorts of things walk about uttering their peculiar street cries, and beggars abound, who, if you do not attend to their importunity, do not hesitate to attract your attention by touch- ing you on the arm. They are easily re- buffed, and go away in good humour. The houses are lofty, mth flat roofs, and balconies projecting from the windows. The sanitary condition of Naples I fear is neglected, for the smells are overpowering, 140 Vesuvius, and altogether, like Constantinople, Naples looks best from the water and at a distance. In the evening we returned to our ship for dinner, as we all consider that we fare bettei*w^^ ^ in the Ceylon than in the hotels on shore. In the evening Vesuvius unveiled his summit, and, without noise audible to us at least, burst out into a dull red glow every quarter of an hour, this occasionally- brightened up by numbers of little bright scintillations ; no flame was visible, only the dull red glow brightened by fiery sparks. X . -^' • I^have made arrangements to-night for the whole party to ascend Vesuvius to-morrow. I have not attempted a lengthy or mi- nute description of the museum of Naples, for to even mention everything contained in it — pictures, statues, bronzes, mosaics, relics, — would fill volumes, while I am yt, writing only a little record of a two months' cruise. |Ui)dj^ l<) .4^0^^ CHAPTER X. EN KOUTE FOR VESUVIUS— LONG STEEP DREARY ROAD — TRACES OF VEGETATION — LAVA BEDS — THE SOLITARY HUT— ITS HISTORY — THE OBSERVATORY— THE RAILWAY STATION — START FOR THE CONE — ARRIVAL — A SNOW-STORM— SUL- PHUROUS GAS — RENTS AND FISSURES IN CONE— EFFLO- RESCED SULPHUR — FREQUENT ERUPTIONS — GUIDE ALARM- ED — DASH FOR THE CRATER — STAND ON ITS BRINK. For Vesuvius. 143 CHAPTER X. RID AY, January 25tli. — We are fa- voured mth a beautiful brifflit morning for our expedition — not a cloud visible, and Vesuvius stands above us in all his majesty, pouring fortb great vol- umes of thick white smoke which the west wind blows clear away from his summit. Our party, fourteen in number, landed after breakfast, and started at ten o'clock precisely en route for the fiery mountain, with a determination to reach the crater. We had three large carriages with two horses in each (our agreement had been for three horses per carriage, but we had 144 The Ascent no inclination to make a row or cause delay, as time was precious), and one small car- riage mtli a pair of horses. These four vehi- cles accommodated our party comfortably. We went oiF from the landing-place (where the carriages were ready waiting for us) in regular order, and after a drive of an hour through the insanitary sub- urbs, inhabited chiefly, I presume, by maccaroni merchants (for festoons of this universal article of Neapolitan food were artistically arranged on wooden frames standing before the doors, and attached even to the windows), turned oiF the main road or street, and commenced to ascend, very gradually at first between rows of poor shabby looking dwellings, occupied by dirty, unkempt, sallow men, women, and children, the number of the latter clear proof that the poor of Naples are at least rich in offspring. Emerging from Neapolitan Vineyards. 145 this squalid neighbourhood we drove along amongst extensive vineyards unlike any that I had hitherto seen. Here the vines are trained along light wooden frame-work in the open air just as we train our \dnes in hot-houses, while in Spain and Portugal, in South Africa and in the Cri- mea, the vines are trained and pruned like bushes, and cut down to the roots at the end of the season when the vintage is gathered in. In many parts of our route, and between the vineyards, were little plan- tations of fig-trees, and patches of ground covered with broad-leaved cactus. But the ascent soon became steeper, so steep that our little horses could only drag us upward at a walk. Here we first came upon pieces of broken lava and quantities of pumice, amongst which grew coarse tufted grass, the familiar bramble, stunted broom, dwarf oak, and ragged L 146 A Bough Road. cactus. But we gradually passed beyond any trace of vegetation ; got amongst large isolated masses of old lava, then crossed over beds of it, along deep hol- lows with high banks or ridges on either side, all black, broken, riven, contorted, heaped^p into great blocks, where, having cooled and hardened, it had been forced up, piled up in masses by the flow of liquid lava behind, all reminding me of an ice-bound river when the spring thaw sets in, and when the ice, rent and broken into great disjointed masses, is piled up into irregular, and often fantastic, heaps by the enormous and rapid pressure from above on the firm, resisting mass below. In some places the lava had assumed the appearance of rolling waves, in others great flat masses were marked with little ripples, just such as one sees on the sands of the seashore made by the advance of A Gloomy Scene. 147 succeeding wavelets ; in other places it seemed to have been arrested suddenly in its flow, and cooled into solid matter in the very form in which it had been moving as a liquid. We drove through several miles of this dark, weird, gloomy scene, nothing around us or near but the black lava, on whose barren surface was no sign or sound of life, except one solitary hut,--!*!?* which had escaped destruction when everything else had been swept away. The story of this little human habitation is as follows : A stream of liquid lava pouring down the mountain side had swept everything before it, and had almost reached the back- wall of this little hut when it was sud- denly arrested, divided into two streams — one passing on either side — but uniting again as one large stream a little further on, it continued its destructive course, l2 / 148 The Observatory. and left only this solitary hut untouched. The grateful owner thought, or said, it was an instance of the efficacy of prayer ; for when he saw the coming danger, he invoked the Virgin's pity and protection, and in answer to his fervent prayer she had stayed the lava flow miraculously, and saved his life and property. Strange if he were the only man who j)rayed, and unfortunate that devotion and petition had not been more universal on the occa- sion ! Two hours after starting, we arrived at the Observatory. This institution has been placed there simply for the purpose of watching and noting the freaks of the volcano, and to warn the dwellers in the villages on the slopes and in the valleys at the base of the mountain, and also the inhabitants of Resina, Naples, &c., of probable danger. Those who make their The Railway Station, 149 abode on this bleak, dangerous spot must be eitber well-paid servants, or so enthus- iastic in their devotion to scientific pur- suits as to be regardless of comfort and devoid of fear. At the observatory commences the road made by the railway company, and here we had to show our tickets. This done, we drove on rapidly over a level road cut along the side of the mountain through the lava-bed. It was a continuation of dreary blackness, for the surface, though less broken and rugged, was covered over with pieces of lava, scoriae, and fine ashes, the latter lately ejected from the crater. In half an hour we reached the railway station, a wooden building larger and more commodious than I expected to find it, and mth a fairly good restaurant. It had been very cold during the latter part of our drive, and we had seen with 150 A Dense Mist concern that heavy clouds were coming^ up from the south-east, and that a dense mist was gradually creeping up the side of Vesuvius. We watched these sio^ns with jealous eyes, but at the same time gradu- ally reconciled ourselves to the probability of a little disappointment, though still re- solved to carry out our jirogramme. On arriving at the station, and alighting from our carriages, we found that the rain had commenced, and was likely to con- tinue, and that a dense mist enveloped the top of the mountain, shrouding it from sight completely. Well, there was nothing to be done but submit to adverse cir- cumstances, and go on with our pleasure excursion even in the rain, with that patience which Enghshmen generally ex- hibit in their own charming but change- able climate. Still further to show our nationality and our home-training, we The Terminus. 151 thought it advisable — nay, incumbent on us to eat the lunch which we had prudent- ly brought Avith us, not knowing that there was a restaurant up here in the clouds. This done, and our cigars lighted, we took our seats in the open car — ten at a time — and were drawn slowly up the very steep — I do not know at what angle — side of the mountain by means of a wire rope worked by steam, one car ascending while the other descended. We got on all right, though it did look rather risky, and in about a quarter of an hour reached the terminus, a wooden shed at the foot of the cone. On alighting, we found that a strong, piercingly cold wind was blowing, and that snow was falling heavily, which, as it fell on the hot sur- face, ascended in clouds of steam, which at one moment lifted off suddenly, and at the next enveloped us in a dense shroud 152 A Dangerous Part of vapour. The guides met us here, and each party of four secured one. My party consisted of five, and, placing ourselves under the guidance and at the mercy of an old fellow, experienced and trustwor- thy, if one could judge from his grey locks, commenced the final, most difiicult, and most dangerous part of the ascent. Three Americans (one gentleman and two pretty girls or young women), who had come up in the same car with us, pluckily led the way, but gave in before they had gone far, unwilling to face the cold, boisterous wind, the driving snow, and the dense clouds of vapour, mixed with the stifling sulj)hurous gas, or per- haps unable to walk over the hot shifting ashes, and the pieces of rough, sharp, broken lava. Even we men had occasionally to turn our backs to the driving snow, to stand Near the Crater. 153 still while enveloped in an impenetrable (*loud of vapour, and at the same time almost choked by the strong, pungent, sulphurous gas which, mixed with fine ashes, was pouring out of vent-holes and fissures all round us. I put my hand down to the orifice of one of these fis- sures, but the blast that issued from it Avas so hot that I had to draw it quickly back again. The scoriae and ashes under foot were quite hot, and every here and there we came upon large patches of effloresced sulphur, quite warm to the touch. At last, after a sharp struggle against wind, and snow, and vapour, we got to within a dozen yards of the crater, on the windward side of it, fortunately ; when the guide declared that in such a high wind, with snow falling so thick and fast, and such clouds of vapour rolling round 154 Not to he Deterred. us, it Avould be dangerous to aj^proach nearer; besides, as he further said, the great furnaces beneath us were in a state of fierce activity, as could be heard from the deep rumbling far below, the rushing noise that accompanied the volumes of thick, pungent smoke that rolled heavily to leeward, brightened by showers of large, red-hot masses of lava, which, during a roar like thunder, were hurled into the air, and fell around us, some large enough to hurt one. But we scorned the fact of there being danger ; we had not taken so . much trouble, undergone so much fatigue, ^ i defied the wind and the snowstorm, even the choking sulphurous gas, and got so near the desired goal, to turn our backs to danger, merely because the old man was afraid, or said that there was danger, to extract an additional franc as an induce- ment to go on. Hard Work 155 We were determined to see tlie end, to stand on the very brink of the crater, and to look down into the fiery gulf ; so told the old guide that, if he feared to lead, we should go on without him. We then arranged ourselves in a row, a few feet apart from each other, and about ten yards below the crater, leaning forward ready for a rush, and waiting till an eruption should take place, so as to avoid the danger of falling red-hot lava. Thus we stood for a few seconds, T a little in front, the others of us close behind; when we heard the hoarse rumbling far below, followed by the rushing blast, as a great volume of smoke burst forth, bringing with it a cloud of fiery, scintil- lating masses, which fell around and amongst us. Then we made our dash ; but it was hard work, for the foothold was bad, the loose lava, scoria, and ashes 156 At the Craters Edge. 60 deep and shifting that we only ad- vanced by inches, and slipped back almost as fast as we advanced. But we did it ; and the guide followed for very shame. At last we stood on the very edge of the crater, and looked down into the black depth ; but, alas, we saw no fiery furnace, no tossing waves of liquid, molten lava ; nothing but a great black gulf, filled with dark, rolling, eddying smoke, which con- cealed the depth below. What a disap- pointment ! But hark ! as we stand there we hear the loud growling beneath us, the rushing noise coming nearer, nearer, reverberating through the deep cavern, and then, bursting from the crater with a roar, came volumes of smoke and a shower of brilliant, red-hot pieces of lava, some of which fell back into the crater, some amongst us, and some far beyond where we stood ; one fell at my very feet. The Descent. 157 one struck a companion on the arm, but^ fortunately, did not injure him. ^ ^ It was hardly prudent to remain there I --^ J longer, especially as we could not see /.. i^ /aX fcti down into the crater, and were certainly in iff a aangerous__position f-so with disappoint- j^ inent and reo;ret, but with a feeling; of tri- ^ (^ ^ ^ umph at having succeeded so far, we turn- ' ' ^ ed and made the descent faster than we had accomplished the ascent of course. Like others who ascend Vesuvius, we brought away pieces of lava which we had seen ejected from the crater and into which we had inserted coins while it was still hot and soft ; and collected pieces of hot sulphur and other specimens as me- mentoes of our ascent of the celebrated volcanic mountain. Judging by the arc of the circle that I saw, I should think the diameter of the crater is about thirty or forty feet. CHAPTER XL START FOR ISCHIA — BRIGHT SUNSHINE— VIEW OF NAPLES — VESUVIUS UNVEILED — THE COAST — ISCHIA AND ITS HISTORY — MOUNT EPOME US— EXTINCT VOLCANOES — HOT SPRINGS— THE EARTHQUAKE — RUIN AND DESOLATION — WALK ROUND THE TOWN — THE GUIDE AND HIS DESCRIP- TION — THE BEAUTIFUL VALLEY — THE RETURN VOYAGE — BEAUTIFUL EVENING. We Start for Ischia. 161 CHAPTER XL ATURDAY, January 26th.— With the assistance of the agents 1_ made arrangements last night for a small steamer to take our whole party to Ischia and back to-day, and this morning at eight o'clock a tidy little craft came alongside the Ceylon ready for the day's excursion. Punctually at ten a.m. the whole party consisting of twenty gentlemen and four ladies embarked on board our little vessel in excellent spirits, for it was a lovely day, bright sunshine undimmed by even a passing cloud; the air soft and balmy; M 162 A Magnificent View. and just wind enough to ripple the sur- face of the sea and blow our smoke to lee- ward. Never did the sun shine more brightly, never was weather more favour- able for a party bent on sight-seeing and enjoyment. As we steamed out into the bay, we had a perfect view of the whole magnificent panorama. On our left in the distance were Capri, Sorrento, and Castellamare ; be- hind us the lovely city spread over its seven hills, dominated by the gloomy for- tress of San Elmo, but enlivened by its picturesque palaces, cathedral, churches, and convents, with their graceful domes and spires ; while in the distant back- ground, frowning upon all around and be- neath it stood out clear and distinct the great volcanic mountain, pouring forth dense volumes of both white and black smoke which, floating clear of the summit, / Sights in our Course. 163 formed a great mass of cloud that rolled slowly away to eastward. The coup-d'oeil was magnificent, re- paid me for my first disappointment, and enabled me to appreciate the saying, ' See Naples and die.' However, one must see it from the water and at a distance. Our course was close along the northern shore of the bay ; past the beautiful prom- ontory of Posilipo with its villas, gardens, grottoes, and turreted buildings ; round y the Cape of Posilipo, whose extreme point is called the Rock of Virgil, and near to which is the entrance to the tunnel of Sejanus; then along the little island of Nisida with its lazaret betAveen it and the mainland, and its prison on its summit; from thence across the bay of Puzzeoh, along whose curved shore lie, nestling close down to the water, the little town of Bagnoli, once famous for its mineral baths ; M 2 164 The Brighton of Naples. and near it Puzzeoli, illustrious in ancient times for its commercial wealth, its amphi- theatre, its temples, grottoes, and rock- hewn baths ; then an old castle standino- prominently out and above the ruins of the ancient Baia, formerly the Brighton of Naples, and the summer retreat of the patrician families of Rome ; then round Cape Misenum with its lighthouse ; then on to Procida with its vines and olives, its dockyard, and its castle — now a prison ; then up the Canal of Ischia (as it is called), past the castle and town of Ischia, the \dllage of Bagno, round to Casamacciola, where in a little open bay we drop our anchor. Ischia, formerly called Pythecuse and also Inarime, is the largest island in the vicinity of Naples, and remarkable for its fertility, delightful climate, and hot mineral waters, which (the waters) have during Mount Epomeus. 16o many years brought invalid visitors to its shores. The island was and is famous for its pottery works (hence the name of Pythe- €use), and for its pleasant wines. Its history is marked by a series of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes extending as far back as 500 years, B.C., about which date its earliest inhabitants fled in terror from the eruptions of Mount Epomeus, beneath which mountain, as the poets tell us, lies in confinement the giant Typhosus. Mount Epomeus, 2,450 feet in height, is in the centre of the island, and, though not active now, is a much more ancient volcano than Vesuvius. At its base twelve volcanic cones can be counted, from which the beds of lava and scoriae found in the vicinity of Mount Epomeus and in different parts of the island must have been ejected. Since the 166 Earthquakes. time of Titus, however, when Vesuvius resumed its activity, the volcanoes of Ischia have been inactive. The island has been famous for its hot mineral baths from its earliest history, and no portion of the world now possesses such a number of hot springs, the waters of which contain muriates, sulphates, and carbonates of soda; also magnesia, lime, potash, sulphur, and free carbonic acid. It is supposed that these hot springs have so honeycombed the island, that the sur- face is only a thin crust which may sink in at any moment. In 1880 a violent shock of an earth- quake destroyed the old village of Casa- macciola, situated at a higher altitude than the present (or late) town of that name. Again, in July, 1882, at midnight, without previous warning, another violent shock of earthquake was felt all over the island, but Casamacciola . 167 with greatest intensity at Casamacciola. In a moment the town was completely destroyed, every building rent, unroofed, shattered, or thrown down, and numbers of the inhabitants buried beneath the ruins. It was to see this ruin and desolation that we made our excursion to Ischia. Looked at from the deck of our little vessel, Casamacciola is picturesquely- situated; partly on the shore, and partly on the slopes of the hills, which enclose a narrow valley that lies under the shadow of Mount Epomeus. This valley and encircling hills appeared to be well wooded and richly cultivated, but their beauty is marred by the wreck of human habitations on the high ground, in and around which there seemed to be no life. Even in the lower part of the town, few persons moved about, and only two or 1 68 Effects of Earthquake. three fisliing boats came oif to us, ex- fl Jp^vv^ pectant of a harvest out of the English- man, i n which they succeeded. We landed about 1.30 p.m., put the ladies and several of our party into small, rickety carriages drawn by ponies, mount- ed others upon mules, and the rest of us, having secured a guide, set out on foot to walk round and see the wreck of what had but lately been a thriving town and fashionable resort. We found the town a mass of ruin ; not a single house had escaped the terrible shock. Some were levelled to the ground ; the walls of others still standing were so rent and shattered that they might fall at any moment ; and every roof had fallen in. The church had completely disappeared ; only a heap of rubbish left to point where it had stood. Hotels and boarding-houses had withstood the shock, but it was unsafe A Scene of Ruin. 169 to enter them ; the bathing establishments were destroyed, and the stream of hot mineral water Avhich had supplied the baths was flowino^, rippling down the valley, its course marked by the vapour given oiF from it. Our guide pointed out and named the different buildings, and told us how many persons had perished under each, and pointed to the many graves into which the mangled bodies, as they were recovered from beneath the debris, had been hastily interred, each one marked by a little wooden cross ; took us to the spot where his own house had stood, and counted on his fingers how many of his family — father, mother, bro- ther, sisters — had perished ; and explained how he alone had escaped by having been in the garden when the sudden and de- stroying shock had occurred. It was a terrible scene of ruin and 170 The Town of IscJiia. desolation, and yet surrounded by all that was grand and beautiful in nature. Behind the town was a smiling valley, watered by a mountain stream, well cul- tivated, and rich in fruit-trees and vine- yards ; and the sloping hill-sides beyond were covered with a forest of young oak. On our way back, we ran close along shore to look at the little town of Ischia, the capital of the island, and at the Castle of Ischia, situated upon the top of a huge rock that has been united to the island by a causeway. By this time the declining sun warned us to turn homewards^ as we always spoke of the good ship Ceylon ; and, as our little vessel steamed steadily but slowly over the quiet bay, the great luminary slowly disappeared from view beneath the western horizon, in a perfect halo of glory, which gradually faded from the most brilliant A Success. ill colours to sombre hues, until darkness closed around us, to be dispelled, however, by the succeeding soft, subdued light of innumerable stars which shone in the great vault above, and by the pale, silvery brightness of the evening star, which cast its rays in one long line of light across the waters. To our left the lighthouse on Cape Misenum threw its fitful light across our path, in the distance ahead of us sparkled and twinkled the lights of Naples, and high in mid-heaven glowed the deep red glare from the summit of Vesuvius. Our little expedition, as kindly acknow- ledged by the whole party, had been a success, and a vote of thanks was unanim- ously given to the promoter and organiser of it. .:t - //V. We got alongside of the Ceylon in time for dinner, during which, and in the even- 172 Topics of Talk. ing after, our conversation turned upon the great beauty of the Bay of Naples and surrounding scenery when seen under the favourable circumstances of calm weather, blue skies, and bright sunshine ; on the classical history of each town and island we had passed during our day's voyage ; on the beauty of the island of Ischia itself; and on the ruin and desolation which but yesterday, as it were, had fallen upon it suddenly, and which we had witnessed with our own eyes. The people of Casamacciola who have survived the calamity appear to be afraid to rebuild their town as substantially as it was before the earthquake, but are erect- ing houses which will be likely to withstand future shocks. CHAPTER XII. SUNDAY— START FOR POMPEII— PORTA DEL MARINA — MUSEUM — HUMAN BODIES — TEMPLES — FORUM- ^BASILICA — BATHS — PRIVATE HOUSES — STREETS AND SHOPS— WALL PAINT- INGS — STATUES — THE AMPHITHEATRE — THEATRES — EXCA- VATING STILL — THE SKELETON IN SITU — CHURCH IN NAPLES— EXQUISITE STATUARY — SAIL FOR PALERMO. Drive to Pompeii. 175 CHAPTER XII. ANUARY 27tli.— This is Sunday, but time is limited, and, there- fore, we must make the most of it. After breakfast, five of us — Colonel and Mrs. T , Mr. S , Mr. M , and myself — started on a visit to Pompeii. On landing from the ship, we at once got into a carriage, drove to the railway station, and there took tickets for Torre Annun- ziata, one of the small suburban towns of Naples. On arrival at this little town, w^e again took carriage and drove to Pompeii, distant about a couple of miles. We entered the ruined city by the Porta 176 The Museum, del Marina, a handsome vaulted gateway, on the right of which stands the museum, in which are arranged many relics found during the exhumation of the buried city, such as vessels of classic pattern, earthen jars and basins, skeletons of men and wo- men, and of animals also, kitchen utensils, carbonized loaves, and several marble statues ; also, under glass cases, a ghastly row of human skeletons, covered and filled up with plaster of Paris, so as to show the complete body lying in the very positions in which they had been found, all bearing evidence, more or less, of intense suffering before death ; and there is the body of a dog under one of the cases, so contorted as to show that it must have died in hor- rible fear and agony. Leaving the museum we passed along the Strada del Marina, a paved street, and, turning to the left, entered the Temple of The Basilica. 177 Venus, a large court surrounded by a number of broken columns, partly Doric and partly Corinthian in style, and in the centre of which stood the little temple with its altar. From this temple we entered the Basilica, on the right hand side of the Strada Marina. This must have been a large edifice ; at one end of it stands the remains of the tribune for the judges or the Duum- viri, around which are still seen shattered remnants of columns, and beneath which are two small chambers, by some supposed to have been lock-ups^ by others dressing- rooms for the judges or pleaders. We then passed over to the Forum, a large oblong space, which served, during the existence of the city, as a place of public resort and as courts of law. It was originally paved with marble slabs, and adorned with statues and columns, the N 178 The Chalcidium. remains of which and of a noble arch are still standing. At one extremity of the Forum, and close to the Basilica, from both of which they are separated by streets, are three small halls — the tribunals or coun- cil halls ; and at the other extremity (of the Forum) is the Temple of Jupiter. Separated by a street from these tribunals is a large, open space supposed to have been the site of a public school, and oppo- site to this, but separated from it by another street (Strada dell' Abbondanza) is the Chalcidium, built by the Priestess Eumachia, and dedicated by her in the first instance to ^ Concord,' but subse- quently to * Piety,' in homage to Livia, widow of Augustus. This is a large space surrounded by broken porticoes and remnants of marble columns; and around its base are a number of small recesses or chambers supposed, The Temple of Mercury. 179 from paintings of the owl on tlie walls, to have been used as workshops by fullers. In a niche stands a statue of Eumachia, but not the original statue which is in the museum at Naples. Next to this is the Temple of Mercury, in the middle of which stands a marble altar with bas-reliefs re- presenting a sacrificial scene. At present this court is closed by an iron gate, as in it are stored many objects and articles found during the excavations, such as capitals, portions of statues and statuettes, fragments of sculptured marble, vases, earthenware, etc. Next to this is the Curia, a hall (or atrium) in which it is supposed the mag- istrates or municipal council assembled. Beyond this is the Temple of Augustus, also called the Pantheon or Temple of Vesta. In the middle of this court is a space where stood an altar, and within n2 ISO The Temple of Jupiter. which are twelve lesser altars, supposed to have been dedicated to the twelve principal divinities ; at the end of this space is a pedestal on which the statue of Augustus stood, and in a niche on either side of this now stand the statues of Livia and her son Drusus, but not the original statues, however. On the left of the court is the sanctuary in which sacrifices were of- fered, and on the right the banqueting- hall, or Triclinium, where feasts were given by the priests in honour of Augustus. Opposite to this (and ^ at one extremity of the Forum ') is the Temple of Jupiter, raised on a platform, to which two small flights of stone steps lead to the main or central stair (also of stone) which leads to the vestibule, around which stand the remains of columns ; and beneath the shrine of the divinity are three small, vaulted rooms — probably intended for the The Public Baths, 181 priests — on the walls of which now grows an abundant crop of maidenhair fern. On the left, a small stone-staircase leads to the upper part of the wall, from whence there is a good view of the city of Pompeii. Leaving this temple by the Forum Street, at the end of which is the small Temple of Fortune, we found ourselves in the Strada delle Terme (street of the bath), and turning at once to the left, entered the public baths, an immense establishment. The first room is the wait- ing or undressing-room, a large hall, with marble floor, and marble seats round it, and arched masonry roof, part of which is still uninjured. Opening off this is another handsome room (the Frigidarium, or cold room) the vaulted ceiling of which is still in a state of good preservation, encrusted with stucco, and adorned with bas-reliefs of little cupids. Here is seen 182 The House of Pansa. in an almost perfect condition the bronze pipe by which water was let into the room. On the right of this room is the Tepidarium, or warm bath, the vaulted ceiling of which is partly destroyed. This room was heated by means of a large bronze brazier (still there) and by means of hot-air pipes, which are still to be seen in the walls. Beyond this again is another room, the Sudatorium, or sweat- ing-bath, the floor of which is in mosaic, the walls hollow and perforated by many holes, as is also the floor, for the admission of hot air. Near the public baths is the house of the poet Pansa, on the threshold of which was found the mosaic of the chained dog (the 'Cave Canem' which I alluded to in speaking of the museum at Naples), and on the walls of which are many paintings still in good preserva- tion, though exposure to the air and rain Style of Architecture. 183 has dimmed the brightness of the colours. In all the private dwellings which we visited we observed the same style of wall- painting ; some of the pictures interesting, some amusing, but many indelicate, show- ing a loose state of morality amongst the inhabitants of the city. In almost all the houses the same style of architecture and internal arrangement had been followed. There is the Atrium, or hall, with cubicula, or sleeping apart- ments, on each side for the domestics, and in the centre a large basin, the impluvium, [ .J . for the reception of rain-water from the • roof, and where visitors were first re- | . . „ ^ ceived. Next to this is the Perystilium mth its fountain and flower-beds, and adorned with statues, busts, and marble carving, and on two sides of it little dor- mitories, all for the private use of the family. Beyond this (Perystilium) are the muui 184 The Stahian Baths, Triclinium, or dining-room, the Tablinium, or reception or drawing-room, the Q^lcus, or ladies' boudoir (in which pictures of a questionable character are seen), the lib- rary, picture-gallery, the lalarium, or shrine of the Lares and the bath, and in rear of the house the garden. From the neighbourhood of the public baths we retraced our steps, walked dow^n the Strada della Fortuna, and turning into the Strada de Stabiie inspected the Terme di Stabige (the Stabian baths) in- tended for both sexes. That for the men begins at a large open court which served as a Paloestra for wrestlers and gymnasts, on one side of which is the plunge bath, and on the other the follomng rooms, viz., the Vestibule, or dressing (undressing) room ; the Frigidaria, or cold baths ; the Apodyterium, or warm or vapour bath, with double walls and floor, both perfor- The Temple of I sis. 185 ated to give entrance to heated air or steam from pipes fitted into the walls and floor. Beyond these is the women's bath, also a number of small private baths, and baths for the poorer class, and a 'Cloaca'' of very simple construction. The floor of the first room is of marble, of the second of tile and mosaic work, and part of the vaulted roof still remains. All these bathing establishments show how much care was bestowed by the Ro- mans and other contemporary people upon the bath, not as a luxury only, but as a necessity, for even the poorer classes of the community. From the baths we passed on to the Temple of Isis. The raised platform on which the sanctuary and statue of the goddess stood is still seen, and behind it a secret passage leading to a small cell where the ofliciating priest could place 186 The Theatre. f himself unseen behind the statue of Isis, and pronounce her oracles. We next visited the theatre, the trian- gular forum, and the barracks of the gladiators, in which when opened up a number of skeletons were found. From this we passed on to the amphitheatre Avhich is very perfect, oval in form, and with its stone seats rising tier above tier, the whole capable of seating twelve thou- sand spectators. The streets of the city are narrow, all are paved with slabs of lava, which in many places are deeply grooved by chariot and cart wheels. The side pavements are raised a foot above the streets, paved with lava generally, but in front of the dwell- in o:-houses with slabs of marble or mosaic work. At the street corners are rows of large fiat stepping-stones, and in the mar- ble steps in front of dwelling-houses, and Drinking Fountains, 187 even in the doorposts, holes are bored for the purpose of fastening up the horses of visitors. The shops are in remarkable preserva- tion. Counters of masonry work, coated with many small squares of marble and different coloured jasper, still stand unin- jured; many of them with large earthen- ware jars, for holding oil or wine, built in- to them, just as one sees at the present day in the shops of an Indian bazaar. Drinking fountains stand in many of the streets, and the edge of the basin, where people rested the hand when they leant down to drink, is Avorn away rounded and smooth. Besides the temple of Mercury, two other houses are closed and kept locked, one, in which have been collected all the wall paintings that are not fit for general inspection, and which women are / 188 Mementoes. not admitted to see at all ; the other, in which is lying a skeleton in the very po- sition and spot in and on which death had occurred, probably instantaneously. It lies in a little recess in the wall, from the shape of which and from the position of the remains, the man or woman, whichever it was, must have been smothered while asleep in bed. Excavating is still going on, and it is supposed that the best part of the city is still buried. Monday^ January 2Sth. — To-day, with my friends. Colonel and Mrs. T , Mr. S , and Mr. M , we went on shore, purchased some coral ornaments, for which Naples is famous, a number of photos of Pompeii, &c., and other mementoes of our visit, and finally visited the church of St. Severo, in which are exquisite works of art. The most remarkable of Boisterous Weather. 189 these is a marble statue representing the fallacy of worldly vanity, as figured in a man enveloped in a net, and struggling to free himself ; ojDposite to which is a beau- tiful statue of a woman representing mo- desty, and in a little chapel the celebrated figure of the Dead Christ, wrapped in a sheet, through which the perfect symmetry of the body is seen. The weather has been boisterous all day, Avith heavy showers of rain, and away to the south-west black clouds and vivid flashes of lightning, followed by the low growl of distant thunder, warn us to ex- pect rough weather during the night. We sail to-night, however. CHAPTER XIII. STORM AT NIGHT — ' CEYLON ' BEHAVES WELL — PALERMO HAR- BOUR — SCENERY — CITY— CONCHO DORO — CATHEDRAL — MONREALE — CATHEDRAL AND CLOISTERS — CAPUCCINI CONVENT — SUBTERRANEAN CORRIDORS — THE VAST GOL- GOTHA—ADVICE TO VISITORS — THE PALACE— THE CA- PELLA PALATINA — LEAVE PALERMO. A Bough Night. 193 CHAPTER XIII. jUESDAY, January 29th.— Yester- jj day afternoon we left the Bay of Naples, passed between the mainland and the Island of Capri, and then out into the open sea, en route for Palermo, the next stage in our cruise. We had a very rough night of it indeed, the first really rough weather that we have had since we left Southampton. The wind, half a gale, blew on our starboard quarter, and this, with a head sea, made the good ship pitch and roll unpleasmitly. I know nothing more disagreeable than heavy weather at night. During the day 194i Ocean in a Gale. one can remain on deck and see what is going on, and, even if one cannot pace the deck, one can at least stand and steady oneself by a rope, and thus, for those who like it, watch the angry waves as they come rolling majestically on, either to break into a sheet of foam, that seethes and hisses as it rushes under the ship's counter, or to strike mth a thud against her side, making her quiver from stem to stern, rolling her over to leeward, and deluging the deck Avith a flood of water. Ah, nothing is more beautiful than the ocean in an angry mood, and a good ship, well trimmed and handled, battling with the tempest. How gracefully she rises to the coming wave, how nobly she breasts it ; what a plunge she takes into the great hollow beyond, cleaving the water right and left, and churning it into a sheet of foam that sparkles and shines with the What Misery! 195 brilliancy of fire, and, as she rolls deeply in the trough of the sea, how easily she seems to recover herself, in spite of the great weight of masts and spars which sweep so heavily from side to side ! One can almost feel that there is life in every motion of a ship. But at night one loses all this pleasure and excitement, and if obliged to remain - . below, the roar of the wind, the hurried tread of men on deck, every thud of a mountain wave, every tremor of the ship, !_ the fetching-way of things above, the Y smashing of china below — things which are not noticed by day — all sound loud ^ [ and dismal by night; and if one is not ^ a good sailor and has to take refuge in -Ls his berth, what misery awaits him there ! Do what he may, assume any position he ;. will, there is no sleep, no comfort for him ; but as the ship rolls, his body sways from o 2 r § 196 Scenery round Palermo. vj side to side also, no matter how lie squares ^ his elbows ; and when she pitches heavily, . ^ his heels go higher than his head, to the %^^^ I imminent danger of his neck. Towards morning wind and sea went down, and as we neared the coast of Sicily we ran into smooth water, and by break- fast time were off the harbour, which opens to the north, and is formed by an artificial breakwater on the west, and by a ridge of rugged hills that curves round on the east. On entering, we were berthed on the west side, letting go two anchors at the bow, and making fast astern by a couple of hawsers. If the scenery around Naples is more extensive and more beautiful, that around Palermo is grander and more majestic. The city stands close to the water, with a magnificent plain behind it, five miles long by three broad, covered with orange and lemon groves — The Cathedral 197 hence called ' concho doro ' — and encircled by a chain of bold, rugged mountains, commencing with the rocky Mount Pelle- grino on the left, from which a mass of mountain sweeps round, and terminates in a rocky point on the right (the natural breakwater of the harbour). Beyond this in the distance rises a lofty snow-clad range, in which Etna is seen distinctly from the summit of Mount Pellegrino. The city is modern, the houses lofty and well built, many faced with marble and with handsome marble pillars at the doors, the streets wide and open, paved with square slabs of unpolished marble, while the pavements are of polished marble. The people are good-looking, well-dressed, and busy, though in the fashionable streets there appear to be many idlers of both sexes. The cathedral is a most imposing build- 198 The South Entrance, ing, a noble pile of mixed construction,, portions dating as far back as the twelfth century. In architectural style it is partly Gothic and partly Saracenic or Moorish, and even Grasco Italian. It was erected by an Englishman (Archbishop Walter of the Mill) between 1169-85, and stands on the site of an ancient church, which was. converted into a mosque, and afterwards re-converted into a Christian church. The building and ground in front of it form a square, the cathedral being one side of it ; the other three sides being railed-in and adorned with marble statues of bishops and other ecclesiastics. The south entrance to the noble edifice is beautiful, and consists of three Gothic arches. Within it is plain, lofty, and ha» a dome where the aisle and transept meet. In one corner are four sarcophagi entirely in porphyri, with canopies of beautiful Sta. Rosalie. 199 mosaic work supported on handsome pil- lars. These contain the remains of four Sicilian monarchs — Roger, his daughter Constance, Henry VL, and Frederick II. There are also two marble tombs of queens, beautifully executed in white marble, and, besides these, some very fine specimens of marble sculpture in dilFerent parts of the building. The body of Sta. Rosalie, the patron saint of Palermo also lies in the cathedral. She was the daughter of William II., commonly called the '' good^ and from mo- tives of piety immured herself in a grotto on Mount Pellegrino, where she died. Four hundred years afterwards the petri- fied body was found in the grotto and brought from thence to Palermo with great pomp, during the prevalence of a pestilence in the city. Her gracious presence arrested the terrible disease, and 200 Monreale. from that time she has been the accepted patron saint of Palermo. In the grotto where she lived and died a shrine has been erected, and enriched with precious gifts, and in front of the grotto is a recumbent figure in marble of the saintly maiden. From the city to the grotto a zig-zag path has been made on the side of the hill, to enable the piously inclined to ascend with ease, for the purpose of pay- ing their tribute to the memory of the saint, or to her marble representative. From the cathedral four of us, Mr. M , Mr. S , Dr. L , and myself, drove out to Monreale, a town or village on the mountain-side, about from five to seven miles distant from the city. During our drive both out and back we had a good view of the concho doro, and of Palermo and its encircling hills, but it Cathedral of Monreale. 201 was startling, or perhaps I should rather say reassuring, to learn that the Bersaglieri, whom we saw on sentry every few hun- dred yards along the road, was there to protect passers-by from the brigands. In former days it was no uncommon thing for travellers to be caught and robbed by brigands on this very road, and occasion- ally murder was committed by them, and in one part of the road we saw a little wooden cross erected, to mark the spot where a murder had been committed. The Cathedral of Monreale, in the form of a Latin cross with three apses, was built in the twelfth century and is a mixture of Gothic and Saracenic architecture. The entrance doors are of bronze adorned Avith relics of scenes from sacred history. The vaulting of the nave is supported by eight- een columns of polished grey granite with exquisitely carved capitals of white marble 202 Exquisite Carvings, and the transept is borne by four pillars. The floor of the nave is of white marble, the lower part of the walls is encrusted with white marble inlaid with coloured marbles, cornelian and agates, and the upper part of the walls of nave, aisle, and transept are enriched with mosaics in three rows, the upper representing scenes in the life of our Saviour, and the two lower, scenes from the lives of apostles and saints. The roof or ceiling is in the Ara- bic style and is painted dark red picked out with black and gold. In the right transept is the porphyry sarcophagus of a king. In the north aisle is some very fine carving in relief on wood ; and here also is the chapel of the cruci- fixion, the floor of which is in mosaic, the walls of difi'erent kinds of marble inlaid with cornelian and agate, and the ceiling adorned with the most exquisite marble The Cappuccini Convent. 203 tracery. In the ante-cliamber of this chapel are full-sized marble figures of the four great prophets, standing against mosaic drapery. After examining the interior of the building we ascended to the top of the tower, from which we had a splendid view of mountain, plain, and city, and of the deep blue sea beyond ; after descending we walked through the ruins of the extensive cloisters which adjoin the cathedral. TJiere^ are two hundred and sixteen columns of Saracenic design, in pairs. All the capitals are different, and the mosaic work still remaining in the arches is very fine. On our way back to the city we called at the Cappuccini convent, to see the sub- terranean corridors, in which are deposited (stored, I might say) the desiccated bodies of the former wealthy inhabitants of 204 Ghastly Skeletons. Palermo. Each corridor is about a couple of hundred feet long, arched over, broad, well lighted and ventilated, and paved with stone. On both sides of the corridor are long boxes or coffins, mth glass tops or sides, piled one above the other, each one of which contains a dead human body; a ghastly skeleton, with just enough shrivelled skin covering the bones to give it a semblance of humanity. The bodies are clothed from head to foot, some in finery — silks, satins, and brocades, with kid gloves and satin shoes — and others in dresses of humbler material. There lie the sire and matron clad in gar- ments of sombre hue ; the virgin, in her robe of white with tinsel crown upon her head, and faded lilies in her hand ; and, / beside her, the little infant, swathed in its I long garment of white muslin or linen, 1 and laced cap covering its little head. Musi it come to iliis ? 205 Above these piles of coffins hang, either by the neck or waist, rows of hideous skeletons partially covered mth parchment skin, and all dressed exactly alike in dark cotton clothes, horrible to look at, the withered faces grinning, scowling, smiling even in death ; presenting terrible, humor- ous, or ludicrous likenesses to the living. In many of the coffins photographs of the poor departed have been deposited, from which the passing visitor may in imagination clothe the dry, dead bones with the manly grace or feminine beauty Avhich they had possessed in life. Must all come to this at last, and shall we, too, . # ^ i look like these mouldering skeletons ? cLuJ^ - What comfort it can afford the friends and relations to visit these vaults and look upon the ghastly remains of those they loved in life it is impossible to understand, or what satisfaction it can give to the 206 Additions Prohibited. living to think that their own poor bodies may be exposed to view in this chamber of the dead, I cannot conceive. For my own part, though I have often seen the dead • in hundreds, nay, in thou- sands, on the battle-field, I fled, as soon as my companions would follow me, from the horrible sights of this vast Golgotha. The manner in which the desiccation is effected is as follows. The bodies are in- terred in a sealed pit in the cemetery for a year, when they are exhumed, dressed, and either enclosed in a coffin or hung up on the walls. There is, I understand, some- thing peculiar in the soil where the bodies are placed which dries without destroying the skin and flesh. There are eight thousand bodies in the corridors at present, but it is understood that the government has prohibited any further addition to the number, and it is The Cavella Paladna. 207 hoped that this is a first step towards the closing of these chambers of horror. I advise all visitors to Palermo to avoid the horrible sights of this vast tomb. Wednesday^ January SOth. — To-day the same party paid a visit to the royal palace, attached to which is the Capella Palatina, the greatest object of beauty in Palermo. It is a mixture of Norman and Saracenic architecture and embellishment. The floor is mosaic-work ; the pillars are alternately of porphyry and granite, with beautiful marble capitals, and the walls and spaces between the pointed arches are covered with mosaics on a gold ground, representing scenes from both Old and New Testaments. The pul- pit and altar-rail are formed of slabs of porphyry, with marble mountings and in- laid work. Standing by the pulpit is a marble monolith, with a flat vase support- ed on four small figures, intended origin- / 208 The Royal Palace. ally for a lamp, but now only ornamental. The cathedral at Monreale is grander, but this is more beautiful and wonderful as a work of art and labour. We were shown round a part of the palace, but, after seeing the chapel, the palace even of a king seemed common and insignificant. CHAPTER XIV. LEAVE PALERMO — LIPARl ISLANDS — STROMBOLI — ETNA — STRAITS OF MESSINA— GRAND SCENERY — SCILLA AND CHARYBDIS— COAST LINES— ETNA IN THE DISTANCE — CORFU — ALBANIAN COAST — SNOWY RANGE — BEAUTIFUL HARBOUR — TOWN OF CORFU — DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES — PICNIC IN ALBANIA — DUKE OF SUTHERLAND. Leave Palermo. 211 CHAPTER XIV. jHURSDAY, January 31st.— We left PJ Palermo last night, and at six o'clock a.m. this morning were passing the Lipari, known in classic history as the Lipari and Q^olian Islands, so called from two kings, Liparus and CEolus. The sun had not risen, not a breath of air was stirring, and the sea was perfectly calm. We were close to two large islands, but I had no time to look at them, for in the distance, to the north, was Stromboli, a great cone-shaped volcanic island, from whose summit was ascending a thin column p2 212 Etna, of white smoke ; on my right hand was a grand coast-line of great mountain masses^ dominated by a mighty pile overtopping everything near it, clad in a spotless gar- ment of white, and from whose lofty sum- mit Avas rising slowly, undisturbed by even a breath of wind, a long thin column of clear white smoke — ^Etna.' How grand, how magnificent it looked, and how won- derful to feel that we were quietly and safely moving between two active volca- noes, and so near to both ! I was the only passenger on deck at the time, so gave myself up to the pleasure of the moment in silence. By breakfast-time we were nearing the Straits of Messina ; by ten o'clock we had entered the narroAV channel, with moun- tain scenery on all sides of us — great mountains, with such bold, rugged outline, so scarred and riven by wild, deep ravines, Scylla and Charyhdis. 213 and upheaved masses of rugged rock on the one hand, while on the other the sloping hill-sides, though rough and broken too, were brightened up by picturesque white villages, terraces of cultivation, well- wooded valleys, and by a line of railway. But all was overshadowed by the giant Etna in his white robe of snow. It was beautiful — it was grand ! As we steamed on, we passed the rocks of Scylla on the left, and the whirlpool of Charybdis on the right; past the towns of Bagnara and Scylla on the Italian side, and the town of Messina on the Sicilian, all fair to look upon, but constantly my eyes turned from all other objects to gaze on Etna, which loomed out great, majestic, no matter how the good ship headed, and I think that was to every point of the compass while we were passing through the straits. There was a strong tide or 2 14 Vesuvius and Etna. current running, but it only fretted or agitated the surface of the water. How different owr experience from that of 'pious CEneas/ whose safety was threat- ened on the one hand by Scylla, and on the other by the insatiable Charybdis, the latter ' sucking vast waves into its vortex, to spout them forth again, and lash the stars with the spray.' At one o'clock p.m. we had cleared Cape Spartimento, and out into the open Medi- terranean. Still Etna looked as grand — ay, grander than ever ; and even after the sun had set in a heaven and above a sea of glory, Etna stood forth majestic and plainly visible at a distance of seventy miles. In appearance Vesuvius is not to be compared mth Etna. The former is dark and dismal looking, only brightened by its cloud of fire, while the latter is- nearly three times as high, is clad in pure Pcuvo and Antipaxo. 215 white, and, thougli it does not blaze into fianies intermittently as Vesuvius does, it sends forth quietly a continuous volume of white smoke. The one seems to burst into moments of fiery passion, while the other acts with constant, quiet dignity. It has been a most delightful day — a picnic on the sea when all that is grand and wonderful in nature has been round us. What a splendid sunrise ! What a lovely day ! What a gorgeous sunset ! What magnificent scenery ! What a beau- tiful world God has given us to dwell in ? Friday^ February 1st. — We were in sight of land early this morning, passed between the islands of Paxo and Antipaxo on our right hand, and the southern extremity of Corfu on our left, far ahead the ir- regular, wild Albanian coast, and beyond that a chain of lofty, snow-clad mountains, which I have seen nothing to compare 216 Corfu. 'with, except the snowy Himalayhian range. On rounding the southern point of Corfu, we steamed into the splendid, almost landlocked harbour, and by noon anchored off the town, which is situated about the middle of the curved line of coast on the east side of the island. On the south side of the town stands the citadel, a formidable-looking work, and about the centre stands another strong fortification. Near the middle of the har- bour is the small, flat island of Vido, on which, during the period of our pro- tectorate, we erected at considerable ex- pense barracks for two regiments and n series of strong fortifications which, when the islands were handed over to the Greek government, we blew up. The ruins re- main just as we left them, no effort having been made either to rebuild or to clear away the debris. The Town. 2! The town itself is small and crowded into a narrow space ; the streets are narrow and Eastern-like, the shops small and dark, and the insanitary odours overpowering. The people begin to regret the absence of the English, for since they left, money has become scarce, or at least less abund- ant, and no progress has been made in improvements. In the streets are seen a variety of nationalities and of costumes — Greeks, Albanians, Montenegrins, and Corfuites jostle each other, but not in the hurry of business — for all move about slowly, silently, and rather dismally — several Albanian shepherds, in great, rough sheep-skin coats, were wandering about, and looked at a little distance more like bears than human beings ; others of a higher (and cleaner) class, dressed in short jacket and white kilt, with ample girdle full of pistols and 218 Our First Day, knives, stood about in little groups ; tall, handsome, powerfully-built Montenegrins shouldered their way through the crowd Avith scant ceremony; Greeks from the country walked about in short, dark-blue jacket and wide baggy trousers reaching to the knee ; country girls looked gay in their picturesque attire, and contrasted favourably with the short, hard-featured, dirty, coarsely-dressed, and ungainly Al- banian women. Our first day was spent in merely wan- dering about the town, visiting the citadel and public promenade, making a few pur- chases, and watching the mihtia drill. Saturday, February 2nd. — We had made up our minds to set foot upon Albanian soil, therefore hired two smart little cut- ter yachts for the day, and after breakfast started in two parties. My friend, B , an experienced yachtsman, and I taking Enchanting Scenery, 219 charge of our tidy little craft, while Mr. S , a veteran traveller and sailor, took command of the other. The day was perfect; not a cloud in the heavens, the air was soft and balmy, and we were favoured Avith a southerly breeze — a sol- dier's wind — which if it held from the same quarter and did not die away into a calm Avould take us across the bay and back again. The scenery ahead was of great extent and very grand. Before us was a broad expanse of water (seven miles in breadth) bounded by a long curve of undulating hills, above which rose a chain of wild and rugged mountain, and beyond that again, and in the far distance, towering sublime to heaven, appeared the Pindus moun- tains, the great snow-clad range of Albania. We were all enchanted wdth the scenery, and for my own part I acknowledged that, except the snowy range of the Himalay- 220 Crossing the Bay, ahs, I had never seen anything to equal the grandeur, beauty, and extent of the Albanian snowy range. It took us an hour and a half to cross the bay, for the wind slackened as we neared the opposite highland, and running into a little landlocked harbour, we landed on a rocky promontory overgrown with hardy scrub, Avirey grass, and wild onions of gigantic size, amongst which peeped out the pale yellow anemone and other wild flowers ; and here, in the pure fresh air, under the shadow of a great mountain and close to the sea, with the music of its little w^avelets murmuring softly in our ears, we sat down to rest, to think, and to talk over the day's pleasure, and of the wondrous natural beauty of the scenery around us, the sublime work with which the Beneficent Creator has clothed our world for man's use and man's enjoyment. Return to the ^ Ceylon.'' 221 And then after this intellectual and moral feast — human-like — we did not fail to nourish the frail body by a good lunch. This accomplished, my party re-embark- ed, and after a pleasant sail reached our comfortable home, the Ceylon^ in time for dinner. The other party, however, re- mained behind, in order that they might see something of the wild Albanians, in which they succeeded, and had a satisfac- tory interview with some very suspicious characters. This detained them so long that it was sunset before they left the little Albanian harbour, and very late in the evening before they reached the ship. Sunday^ February Srd. — Last night my friend, the Reverend Doctor F , came on board to take passage with us as far as Athens, our next port of call. From him we heard that the Duke of Sutherland was 222 A Long Walk, in Corfu on his way to Greece. This morning Colonel T and J^ called on his Grace at the hotel, and offered him the use of the ship. His Grace declined, as he is going to Corinth not to Athens, but promised to come on board and see the ship, which he did, and was good enough to express satisfaction with our arrange- ments, and a hope for our success. The majority of our party attended divine service on shore, while the rest of us had service on board. In the afternoon Dr. L and I took a long walk to the other side of the island, which in this part is narrow. We were not much impressed with the beauty of the scenery, but were with the apparent pov- erty of the lower orders, and the misery of their dwellings. The little country chil- dren in Corfu have a very pretty way of begging. They meet you or run after you A Magnificent Sunset. 223 on the road, offering a little bouquet for which they do not ask though they expect payment, and take any trifle that you offer. This is not the best season of the year to visit this beautiful island. One should come later, if one Avishes to see it smilino; under its wealth of flowers, for which it is so famous. We had a magnificent sunset this even- ing, the brilliant colours of the sky reflect- ed by the perfectly calm sea, while the distant snowy range assumed a delicate rose-pink tint, and then, as the curtain of night closed around us, what a brilli- ancy of star-light lit up the heaven above ! CHAPTER XV. SAILED FROM CORFU— GRAND VIEWS OF MOUNTAIN SCENERY — THE ISLANDS IN THE IONIAN SEA— ITHACA AND CEPH- ALONIA — CASTLE OF ULYSSES — PENELOPE— ZANTE— CAPE MALEA — OLD HERMIT — THE MYRTOAN SEA— SINUS SAR- DONICUS — SALAMIS — DISTANT VIEW OF THE ACROPOLIS — PIRiEUS — ATHENS — THESE UM—PHILOPAPPUS — SOCRATES' PRISON — DIONYSIA — TEMPLE OF JUPITER. Q Leave Corfu. 227 CHAPTER XV. ONDAY, February 4tli.— Sailed this morning at four o'clock, and as we steamed out from the great basin of Corfu, left Paxo and Antipaxo on our right, and the magnificent Albanian mountains on our left. At eight o'clock we were abreast of Santa Maura, with Cephalonia and Ithaca on our starboard bow. We were under a cloudy sky, but the Albanian coast was in sunshine, which lighted up brilliantly the snowy range in the distance. At 9.30 we were abreast of the southern point of Santa Maura, and q2 228 Famous Spots. intended passing through the strait which separates this island from Cephalonia and Ithaca, so as to run down the broad channel between these islands, Zante, and the mainland of Greece. The scenery was very beautiful, and as the clouds had cleared away we had a clear blae sky abovCy a deep blue sea around, the snowy range visible far behind, and the islands, with their bold mountain outline and smiling landscapes, a-beam and ahead of us. Instead of passing between the mainland and the islands, our obliging captain al- tered his route, and steered for the narrow channel between Cephalonia and Ithaca as being the more interesting, and afFordmg us opportunity of seeing several spots famous in classical history. As we ran past the southern point of Santa Maura, the ancient Leucadia (so called from its white rocks), the famous Cephalonia. 229 rock was pointed out to us from wHcli despairing lovers threw themselves into the sea to end their heartaches and disap- pointments. Notably amongst these (so tradition says) was Sappho, the lovely woman and amorous poetess. Cephalonia (the ancient Cephalena) and Ithaca together formed the kingdom of Ulysses, and it was from the former chiefly that he collected the warriors whom he led to the Trojan war. One of the highest hills of Ithaca, overhanging the narrow strait, is pointed out as the spot on which his impregnable castle stood from which he ruled his little kingdom, and in which, on his departure for the war, he left the fair but sorrowful Penelope, and where, during her husband's long absence, she dwelt in weary solitude, beset by eager wooers, whose addresses she evaded, while weaving and unweaving her interminable / jkuiA 230 A Hermit's Blessing. \web, ever hopeful of her lord's return. w^W * Having cleared the strait, we made for Zante, and, running close inshore, had a good view of the thriving little town, and of the old English citadel above it, and then southward ho ! down the Ionian Sea. Tuesday, February 5th. — Rounded Cape Malea early this morning, passing between Cerigo and the mainland about nine o'clock, and were saluted Avith a blessing by the old hermit who for years has dwelt in a little hut built under the rocks almost at the very extremity of the cape. A lonely life it must be, for there is no human habitation near, and his only em- ployments must be devotional, tending his few goats, and keeping the little garden which surrounds his hut in order. Steam- ers, as they round the cape, generally blow their whistle to attract his attention, and he invariably comes forth and stands with / The Myrtoan Sea. 231 hands uplifted, as if invoking a blessing. It blew hard during the night, with a head sea, and as we doubled the cape the wind, still blowing fresh, drew round to the north, thus heading us, but not raising heavy waves, as we sped up the Myrtoan Sea. A lovely day it has been, and mth a pleasant temperature. Land has been constantly in sight, at first the mainland of Laconia, and afterwards Uttle rocky islands, each no doubt with a name and a history. In the afternoon we again sighted the mainland on both sides, and about three o'clock p.m., on entering the Sinus Sar- donicus, could distinguish the Acropolis / at least twenty miles ahead. Gradually we neared it, having jEgina and Salamis on the left, and the mainland of Attica on the right, all showing a bold outline of mountain scenery, bare and bleak, certain- 232 The Pirwus. ly, and tlie summits of the mountains covered with snow, but possessing an over- whelming interest as being the land of classic history., and immortal renown and glory. At 5.30 p.m. we entered the harbour of the PiraBus, and took up our position on the east side. I was surprised at the extent of the harbour, as I had been under the impression, from written de- scription, that it was very limited in extent. The fact is that it is a con- siderable port, capable of affording ac- commodation to many vessels, if care be taken in allotting them berths. At pres- ent there are moored near the entrance on the east side three large and one small war-ships, and on the west four large ironclads; and around the head of the harbour there are upwards of one hun- dred small craft, all moored close to each The Town of Pirwus. 233 other certainly, but with ample room for ingress and egress. The port is almost circular, and there is deep water up to the very wharf. Our stern is not more than thirty yards from one of the landing- places. The little town of Piraeus is clustered round the head of the harbour, and from the ship's deck has a trim and comfortable appearance. We are all excitement, and anxiously looking forward to the morrow that we may visit Athens. Wednesday, Fehntary 6t/i. — At 10.30 a.m., left the ship, and landed, unfortunately, at the point furthest from the railway station, but made the best of it, and walked round the head of the harbour, along the wharf, where there was appar- ently much business going on, with 7nuch noise of human tongue in the midst of much unnecessary dirt and dust. Little 234 Phalerum. vessels of curious build and rig, with cargoes of oil and fruit and wine, were lying close packed, and moored by the stern to the well-built stone wharf, whose sturdy crews, intent on the work of land- ing cargo, took no heed of the passing strangers, but jostled us out of their way. The streets were badly paved, out of repair, covered with dust, and lined on one side (opposite the shipping) with shops and booths of humble character, con- spicuous amongst which was the bureau of the money-changer, who disdained our silver money, but willingly gave us full value for our English sovereign. We left the town of the Piraeus at eleven o'clock by a slow train, passed Phalerum, the ancient port of Athens, on our way, a pretty bay, but too open, not to be compared with the Piraeus, and used now only as a resort for bathers. From hence The Theseunu 235 a quarter of an hour brought us into Athens, and to a certain amount of dis- appointment, but of this by-and-by. On alighting from the train, we separated into parties, and, under guides, went off in different directions. My party, con- sisting of Mr. S , Mr. M , and Mr. B , started on foot, under the escort of a little sJwehlack^ the only guide that we could procure, and commenced our exploration. Close to the station is the Theseum (or Temple of Theseus) a beautiful building in the Doric style, and less a ruin than all the temples we visited afterwards ; and it would have been still less a ruin had we not robbed it. This temple was erected to the memory, or to receive the ashes, of Theseus, an Athenian king and hero. From thence, passing south towards the sea, our shoeblack took us to, and pointed 236 Prison of Socrates, out, the prison of the virtuous Socrates, the artist, soldier, philosopher, moralist, and the ^ wisest of mankind.' But which of the three excavations in the side of the rocky hill had had that honour is doubt- ful, at least our shoeblack could not say for certain. From thence we walked on still nearer to the sea, and ascending a conical hill, stood beneath the Tower of Philopappus, a ruin consisting of blocks of white marble, mth the remains, very much defaced, of some good sculpturing. From this little eminence there is a good view of the surrounding country, includ- ing Phalerum, the Ilissian plains. Mount Hymettus, the Acropolis, the city itself, and the broad Sardonic Gulf, closed in on either side by noble mountain scenery. Who Philopappus was, I confess I do not know, unless he was an eminent soldier The Acropolis. 237 and statesman who was called 'The last of the Greeks,' and in whose honour, or to whose memory, this tower had been erected. Descending thence we approached the Acropolis, and there our shoeblack left us, deeming himself no longer fit to guide, or perhaps not fit to enter the sacred pre- cincts. ;;?>/^ iuf^I^ U HuJ(^ "^ A^idPt/^^^ But at the gate an old man met us, who ^^ f \ speaking English ofi^ered to go with us, and tell us the history of the great ruins on the hill above. He made only two condi- tions, viz., that we were 'each to give him one franc,' and that we were ' not to speak to or interrupt him during his historical recital.' He spoke English fluently, and I must acknowledge gave us a wonderful historical sketch of the Acropolis, just as if he had learned it by heart out of a ^ruide book— I forget his name. \ \^\^^ " fja 'V^^ ' 238 Theatre of Dionysia, I will not here follow the route he took lis, nor repeat his words, but give a short description of what we saw, commencing at a different point of observation. Passing round the southern base of the Acropolis to the south-east angle we stood immediately above the beautiful theatre of Dionysia. This must have been a gem of beauty. Semi-circular as all ancient theatres were, built of white marble, with tiers of seats above each other facing the stage. In front of these seats was a row of arm-chairs, each cut out of a single block of white marble, and Avith the names of the officials entitled to use them carved on the back. The seats behind these for officials lower in degree, and those still / further back for the '67 TToXXot.' -V \s V4VaXi> The Trpoo-KrjVLov (prosccnium) is very per- fect and in mosaic. The stage itself is in ruins, but the The Temple of Jupiter. 239 marble statues and figures, which I pre- sume supported or faced the front of it, are (some of them at least) in good pre- servation, especially the figure of a man kneeling on one knee, and affording the support of his back and shoulders. Be- yond (or behind) this theatre, lying on the ground neglected, is a beautiful altar consisting of one block of pure white marble with exquisite carving on it. To the left of the theatre, and on a plain below it, are the remaining columns of the temple of Jupiter, of white marble, in the Corinthian style, and with exquisitely carved capitals. One of the columns is lying on the ground broken (at least, the blocks separ- ated from each other), having been thrown down, during a storm, by the shock of an earthquake. It is a magnificent ruin, ly- ing there at full length. Near this are 240 A Magnijiceiit Ruin, the Stadium on one side, and the Arch of Hadrian on the other. In the next chapter I shall continue my description of the Parthenon and other ruins. CHAPTER XVI. ACROPOLIS — ROMAN THEATRE— PROPYLJ^A— TEMPLE OF WING- LESS VICTORY — PARTHENON — THE ERECHTHEUM— TOMB OF CECROPS — CARYATIDES — TOWER OF THE WIND — LANTERN OF DEMOSTHENES — AREOPAGUS — SCENERY — THE CITY OF ATHENS — PHALERUM — KING AND QUEEN OF GREECE — SALAMIS BAY— ELEUSIS— SECOND VISIT TO ACROPOLIS. R The Propylcea. 243 CHAPTER XVI. ROM the theatre of Dionysia Ave ascended towards the entrance of the Acropolis, passing two marble columns standing under the wall above a grotto. We were admitted near the Roman thea- tre. Similar in architectural style and iirrangement to the theatre of Dionysia (which we had just left), but not by any means so well finished, or so beauti- ful, or in such good preservation. On our left stood the Propylsea, or entrance- gate of the Parthenon, near which is the little temple of ' Nike Apteros,' or the Temple of Minerva, termed the Wingless, R 2 244 The Parthenon, because the Athenians, after the battle of Marathon (when the temple was erected), thought, or hoped, that the goddess would never desert them. From thence we walked up the inclined plane, up which chariots were driven into the court of the Parthenon. This inclined plane was originally paved with marble slabs, deeply grooved transversely, to pre- vent the horses slipping. Many of the slabs are still in situ, many are broken and displaced, and many are wanting alto- gether. At the head of this incline, and standing in a great open space, is the Parthenon, a noble pile of ruin. In shape it is oblong, composed of massive marble columns of the Doric order ; many of which are injured and defaced, but many still in a perfect state. In the centre formerly stood the shrine of the Minerva, from which rose a splendid column, which The Erechtheum, 245 extended up to and above the top of the temple, and on the top of this column was placed the statue of the goddess. The original Parthenon was destroyed by the Persians, but rebuilt by Pericles with greater magnificence, preserved intact by the Romans, injured and defaced by Christians, and afterwards by the Turks, and lastly mutilated by time and neglect. But even in its present state of decay the Parthenon is a grand and imposing ruin. Passing out at the east end we threaded our way through a mass of debris to the Erechtheum, a beautiful little temple of Athene Polias (Minerva, protectress of the city), built in the Ionic style, attached to which is the tomb of Cecrops (sup- posed to have been the founder of Athens), the roof of which is supported by six exquisite statues of women, the caryatides or maidens (from the Greek word Kopau). 246 The Areopagus. Within the temple was in former days the statue of Minerva, seated and holding in her hand the Eternal Lamp. From this point of the Acropolis, we looked down upon the city, in which stands the Tower of the Wind and the Lantern of Demosthenes. LTnfortunately, Ave had not time to make a closer inspec- tion of these. Passing out of the Acro- polis, we descended to the Areopagus, a mighty mass of rock. We ascended by a flight of steps cut in the rock to the top, on which there is a levelled spot, probably where the Areopagites (men re- nowned for virtue and justice) sat in judgment in cases of importance and \^^ solemnity. Here the great Apostle of the J^jjjr W Gentiles stood to answer for and defend ^ijjby^ 'Faith,' and from hence he preached ^^^ of the Unknown God, to the critical and sceptical Athenians. City of Athens. 247 Returned to our ship in the evening greatly impressed with the grandeur of the Acropolis, its ruins and surroundings. The scenery is magnificent, composed of mountain, plain, and sea, which, with the mouldering ruins of man's power, skill, and industry, made up a whole which I have never seen equalled. But the city of Athens itself is a wretched capital to represent a people that was so great, so skilled, so learned. It lies in the low ground on the north of the Acropolis, is badly built, and dirty, giving rise to the impression of laziness and poverty on the part of its inhabitants. This was the disappointment which I experienced on my arrival in the city, and which I alluded to in my last chapter. Iflufr ^'"^ ^^'^ f^ ^^/ Thursday^ February 1th. — I remained on board during the forenoon, but in the afternoon landed with our Captain, and 248 The Fhalerum. walked round by Phalerum, a little village standing at the head of the bay of the same name, famous as having been the naval station of Athens until after the battle of Salamis, when the Pirasus was selected, fortified, and connected to Athens by a double wall, of which, however, there is no trace now. While Captain Lunham and I were seated in the open air, waiting for a ship's boat to take us off, sipping a cup of coffee a la Turque, and smoking a cigar- ette, the King and Queen of Greece, with a very small attendant retinue, passed along the wharf on foot. As they were in plain clothes, and with so few attend- ants, we should not have known who they were had we not seen passing officers and soldiers salute, and heard them name them. Of course, as Britons loyal to our own good Queen, we rose Bay of Salamis. 249 and saluted too, and were favoured by a recognition from the king. In the earlier part of the afternoon, we had seen the heir-apparent to the crown, drilling with a squad of recruits. Friday, February Sth. — Started this morn- ing with our whole party, in a little steamer, to visit the bay of Salamis. Leaving the Piraeus, we turned to the north-west, passed the island of Psytalia (now Lipso), on which Xerxes had placed a chosen body of troops, for the purpose of massacring the Athenian prisoners who should be taken in the great naval fight, but instead of that arrangement those chosen troops were themselves slaughtered by the victorious Greeks. Xerxes also, before the engagement, had closed the channel between this island and the oppo- site headland of the larger island, Sala- mis, so as to oblige the Greeks to make 250 Georgia ChanmL their attack from one direction, and to prevent their using it after defeat as a passage for escape. Passing Psytalia, we entered the Straits of Salamis, and steamed over the very spot where the great battle had been fought. Divers are at present employed in exploring the bottom in quest of relics of the fight. Overlooking the straits from the north is a little hill, on the top of which the Persian monarch is supposed to have sat to witness the engagement. From the straits, we passed into the Georgio Channel, and then into the Bay of Salamis itself, and, turning to the right, kept close along shore, so as to get a view of the Yale of Daphne and the sacred way. A monastery now occupies the site on which a temple of Apollo once stood ; a few Ionic columns of which, are still to be seen. The sacred way led from Athens Temp le of Mysteries. 251 through the Vale of Daphne, round the head of the bay to Eleusis, once the second city in Attica, and where were celebrated the Eleusian Mysteries, the exact nature of which has never been accurately ascer- tained. There stood the Temple of Mys- teries in the midst of a flourishing city ; but now only the ruins of the former are to be seen, and instead of the proud city only a poor village stands upon the margin of the bay. The Bay of Salamis, or Eleusis, is formed by the Island of Salamis on the south and the mainland on the east, north, and west. It is perfectly landlocked, and surrounded by wild, barren hills, between which (on the north and west) and the shores of the bay is a large extent of flat, fertile plain, dotted over with villages, and rich in vine- yards, from the produce of which, our boatman informed us, the best wines of 262 Little Life. Oreece are made. Passing the town of Eleusis, we steamed down the bay, and, landing close to a monastery, spread our lunch under a splendid pine-tree, while we sat uppn soft seats of thyme, which fragrant herb grew in wild abundance. It had been a lovely day. We had been favoured with bright sunshine, and during the morning and early part of the day there had not been a breath of wind to ripple or disturb the surface of the water, in which the rugged mountains, with their veil of snow, were reflected like realities. The bay is of great extent, but not a sail, not a speck was visible on its wide expanse, except our own little craft. It is sad to see so little life and energy in a land where there is so much natural beauty, and which was once the home of power, wisdom, and industry, and where art and learning in their various The Acropolis again. 25 B branches were cultivated so successfully. ' 'Tis living Greece no more.' In the evening we turned homewards^ first running north as far as Eleusis, with the intention of landing there to examine the ruins of the ancient temple, but time failed us, so we turned and steamed across the bay, reaching the Ceylon by sunset. All our party were in excellent spirits, and delighted at having had the oppor- tunity of visiting the scene of one of the greatest naval battles ever fought in de- fence of freedom and independence, but regretting that time would not admit of our visiting other equally historic spots, and especially the field of Marathon. Saturday, February dtli. — Landed again to-day with Colonel T , and made ano- ther visit to the Acropolis ; on this occa- sion without a guide, for the information we had gained at our previous visit en- ii/i^^ 254 Adieu to Greece, abled us to dispense with one, much to the disappointment of the shoeblack and of the garrulous old man. While we were standing on the Areopa- gus, I saw a boy, stretched at full length, reading a book. On approaching him I found it was a copy of Anacreon's ' Odes,' and on taking the book from him, and reading an ode aloud in our own broad Scotch manner of pronunciation, he smiled / with surprise andjpleasure^ This evening, at four o'clock, we left the harbour of the Piraeus, bade adieu to Greece, and turned our faces homeward — this being the limit eastward of our pleasure cruise. CHAPTER XVII. EN ROUTE FOR MALTA — ARRIVE AT MALTA— SAIL FOR TUNIS — THE BAY OF TUNIS — SITE OF CARTHAGE — MASONRY RESER- VOIRS — SIDI BEN SAID — CHAPEL OF ST. LOUIS — THE BYRSA — POSITION OF ANCIENT HARBOUR — TEMPLE OF ESCULAPIUS — GOLETTA — RAILWAY — THE BEY — BAZAAR OF TUNIS — MOORS— MOORISH WOMEN — CARPETS — JEWEL- LERY — LAKE TUNIS— AFRICAN COAST — ATLAS IiIOUNTAINS. Malta. 257 CHAPTER XVII. ^UNDAY, February lOih.— En route to Malta. We are having beau- tiful weather, and expect to make a quick run. Monday^ February 11th. — Arrived at Malta this morning, a naval and military station which is so universally known that I will not enter into any particulars about ^^[ our visit to it. We remain here till the evening of the 13th, when we sail for Tunis. Thursday, February IMi. — During last night we passed Pentallaria, and early this morning, after rounding Cape Bon, ran s 258 Site of Carthage, between the mainland and the two rocky islands of Zembra and Zembretta, and en- tered the Bay of Tunis. This (the Bay of Tunis) is of great extent, lies between Cape Bon and Cape Farina, but the inner bay lies deeper inland between Capes Zafrau on the east and Cape Carthage on the west. At 11.30 this morning we anchored off Goletta, an inconsiderable town on the sandy neck of land which lies between the bay and the salt-water lake of Tunis. The first object of attraction on enter- ing the inner bay was the site of ancient Carthage. The great city occupied a com- manding position, viz., a mountain plateau somewhat triangular in shape just behind the present Cape Carthage, mth the sea on two sides of it, and also at the irregular apex, and the Lake of Tunis at the base. This was not only a beautiful and com- ' Carthago est Delenda,' 259 manding, but a strong position for a for- tress city. There are few remains of the great city, however, and the advice, to the senate, of the great Roman general who conquered it appears to have been followed most completely — ^ Carthago est delenda ' (Carthage must be destroyed), and it has been effectually done, for truly not one stone has been left standing upon another ; only the great tanks, or reservoirs, are left to mark the spot, and these had been built with such solidity as to defy the power of man and the destroying influence of time. There are still in good preservation nine- teen of these cisterns, all communicating with each other, arched over, and with long passages at each side ; several of them still hold water. The visitor of the present day will be disappointed to find so little to remind him of the great city which rivalled Rome s2 260 Sidi Ben Said, in power for so many years. At the point of the plateau where it stood, and over- looking the sea, now stands the picturesque little town of Sidi Ben Said. Near this stands the little chapel and monastery erected by Louis Philippe to the memory of his ancestor, Louis the Saint, who died on the spot in 1270, while engaged in a crusade against the Turks. This chapel is suj^posed to stand on the site of the ^ Byrsa,' or ancient citadel of Carthage, and Avhich was the first spot fortified by the Carthaginians. The walls which enclose the chapel garden are part- ly built of pieces of marble, on which can be distinguished Punic and Roman in- scriptions and letters ; and arranged about the garden are marble columns, statues, &c., which were found during the exca- vations. In the monastery, or college, attached to the chapel is a small museum Temple of Esculapius. 261 containing coins, mosaics, and other in- teresting relics, found also during tlie excavations and amongst the ruins. The position of the ancient harbour, so well described by Virgil, is now occupied by two little lakes ; the original harbour was destroyed by Scipio, afterwards restored, but allowed to fall to ruin again after the Arab conquest. The temple of Esculapius is situated under the chapel of St. Louis. Of the Forum and the many temples few or no remains are visible. All that was valu- able, and could be found and removed, was carried away to build and ornament the Moorish city of Tunis, or to enrich public buildings and museums in Europe. The Ceylon is anchored about three miles from Goletta, and six or seven from Tunis, which we can plainly see at the head of Lake Tunis. 262 Goletia. Friday, February 15ih. — Landed this morning at Goletta, the port of Tunis, mth my friends, Colonel and Mrs. T and Dr. L , for the purpose of visit- ing the city. Goletta is a small town situated on a narrow neck of sandy ground which sepa- rates Lake Tunis from the sea. There is a connecting channel, but narrow and shallow, just deep enough, in fact, for the small, flat-bottomed coasting vessels. This channel might easily be enlarged and deep- ened, and the lake made of more use than it is at present. The line of railway runs from Goletta west, past the site of ancient Carthage, a& far as the village of El Marsa, and from thence, cast to Tunis ; the whole distance being about twelve miles. The Bey, with a small suite, travelled in the same train ^vith us as far as El Marsa. He is a tally City of Tunis. 263 good-looking man of middle age. Instead of his own picturesque costume, he ap- pears to have assumed a sort of French military undress. The city of Tunis lies at the south-east side of the Lake of Tunis. At that part of the city where the railway enters it, the French appear to have established themselves, and to be building new and converting old houses into homes and restaurants, public stores, and second-rate cafes. We found a guide on our arrival who could speak French (though I think he was an Italian), and, stepping at once into a carriage, drove oiF to the Moorish quarter of the city, where the great bazaar is situated. To me, who have seen so much of Eastern life, and been in Tangier and ^ ^ , visited the bazaar in Stamboul, that of 3tQA Tunis was no novel sight, but my com- 264 Moors of T\ urns. pagnons de voyage generally were astonished at the, to them, new race of mankind ; their rich and varied coloured dresses, and at the picturesque, almost classical, manner in which their flomng garments were arranged ; at the curious little shops, or stalls, in the arched arcades ; at the lazy attitudes assumed by the shopmen, and at their readiness to deal, and appar- ent indifference when disappointed in a customer. The Moors of Tunis are certainly a line race ; tall, muscular, and healthy-looking, with comparatively fair and ruddy com- plexion, and large, full, dark eyes that beam mth good humour, and look full into the stranger's. All are broad-shoul- dered, deep-chested, and have well-de- veloped limbs ; but, like all Easterns, the rich, or well-to-do, have a tendency to obesity, or at least to corpulency. We Moorish Bargaining. 265 found them polite, returning our recogni- tions gracefully; and the little chubby children — who were numerous — willingly shook hands with us. Many women, un- I jj^ £ comfortably sJiod, were wandering about the lAtaa% Telegraph. XLIIL— HANNAH. BY THE AUTHOR OF " JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN." "A very pleasant, healthy story, well and artistically told. The book is sure of a wide circle of readers. The character of Hannah is one of rare he&VLty."— Standard. "A powerful novel of social and domestic life. One of the most successful efforts of a successful novelist." — Daily News. XLIY.— SAM SLICK'S AMERICANS AT HOME. "This is one of the most amusing books that wo ever read." — Standard. " 'The Americans at Home' will not be less popular than any of Judge Halliburton's previous works." — Morning Post. XLV.— THE UNKIND WORD. BY THE AUTHOR OP " JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN." " These stories are gems of narrative. Indeed, some of them, in their touching grace and simplicity, seem to us to possess a charm even beyond the authoress's most popular novels. Of none of them can this be said more emphatically than of that which opens the series, ' The Unkind Word.' It is wonderful to see the imaginative power displayed in the few delicate touches by which this successful love-story is sketched out" — T/ie Echo. HURST & BLACKETT'S STANDARD LIBRARY XL VI.— A ROSE IN JUNE. BY MRS. OLIPHANT. •'•A Hose in Jtme' is as pretty as its title. The story is one of the best and most touching which we owe to the industry and talent of Mrs. Oliphant, and may hold its own with even 'The Chronicles of Carlingford.' ''—Times. XLVII.— MY LITTLE LADY. BY E. FRANCES POYNTER. "This story presents a number of vivid and very charming pictures.^ Indeed, the whole book is charming. It is interesting in both character and story, and thoroughly good of its kind."— (Saturday Review. XLVIII.— PHCEBE, JUNIOR. BY MRS. OLIPHANT. "This last 'Chronicle of Carlingford' not merely takes rank fairly beside the flrst which introduced us to 'Salem Chapel,' but surpasses all the intermediate records. Phoebe, Junior, herself is admirably dT&wn."'— Academy. XLIX.— LIFE OF MARIE ANTOINETTE. BY PROFESSOR CHARLES DUKE YONGE. "A work of remarkable merit and interest, which will, we doubt not, become the most popular English history of Marie Antoinette." — Spectator. L.— SIR GIBBIE. BY GEORGE MAC DONALD, LL.D. ' Sir Gibbie ' is a book of genius." — Pall if all Gazette. ' This book has power, pathos, and humour." — Athenceum. LL—YOUNG MRS. JARDINE. BY THE AUTHOR OF " JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN." ' 'Young Mrs. Jardine ' is a pretty story, written in pure English."— 2%fl Ti7nes. ' There is much good feeling in this book. It is pleasant and wholesome." — Athen(eum. LII.— LORD BRACKENBURY. BY AMELIA B. EDWARDS. "A yery readable story. The author has well conceived the purpose of high-class novel-writing, and succeeded in no small measure in attaining it. There is plenty of variety, cheerful dialogue, and general ' verve ' in the book." — Athenceum. LIII.-IT WAS A LOVER AND HIS LASS. BY MRS. OLIPHANT. " In ' It was a Lover and his Lass,' we admire Mrs. Oliphant exceedingly. It would be worth reading a second time, were it only for the sake of one ancient Scottish spinster, who is nearly the counterpart of the admirable Mrs. Margaret Mait\&n±"— Times. LIV.— THE REAL LORD BYRON— THE STORY OF THE POET'S LIFE. BY JOHN CORDY JEAFFRESON. " Mr. JeafTreRon comes forward with a narrative wcich must take a very important place in Byronic literature; and it may reasonably be anticipated that this book will be regarded with deep interest by all who are concerned in the works and the fame of thi& great English poet."— 77ie Times. WORKS BY THE AUTHOR OF JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN NEW AND CHEAP EDITIONS, Each in One Volume^ Illustrated, and Uniformly Bound, price 5s. JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN. "This is a very good and a very interesting worli. It is designed to trace the career from boyhood to age of a perfect man— a Christian gentleman, and it abounds in incident both well and highly wrought Throughout it is conceived in a high spirit, and written with great ability. This cheap and handsome new edition is worthy to pass freely from hand to hand as a gift-booli in many households." — Examiner. ' ' The story is very interesting. The attachment between John Halifax and his wife is beautifully painted, as are the pictures of their domestic life, and the growing up of their children, and the conclusion of the book is beautiful and touching." — Athenaeum, " The new and cheaper edition of this interesting work will doubtless meet with great success. John Halifax, the hero of this most beautiful story, is no ordinary hero, and thia his history is no ordinary book. It is a full-length portrait of a true gentleman, one of nature's own nobility. It is also the history of a home, and a thorough'y English ona The work abounds in incident, and is full of graphic power and true pathoa It is a book that few will read without becoming wiser and better." — Scotsman. A WOMAN'S THOUGHTS ABOUT WOiMEN. "A book of sound counsel. It is one of the most sensible works of its kind, well written, true-hearted, and altogether practical. Whoever wishes to give advice to a young lady may thank the author for means of doing so." — Examiner. *' These thoughts are worthy of the earnest and enlightened mind, the all-embracing charity, and the well-earned reputation of the author of ' John Halifax' "Standard. "This excellent book is characterised by good sense, good taste, and feeling, and is written in an earnest, philanthropic, as well as practical spirit." — Fost. A LIFE FOR A LIFE. " We are always glad to welcome this author. She writes from her own convictions, and she has the power not only to conceive clearly what it is that she wishes to say, but to express it in language elTective and vigorous, in 'A Life for a Life' she is fortunate in a good subject, and she has produced a work of strong effect The reader, having read the book through for the story, will be apt (if he be of our persuasion) to return and read again many pages and passages with greater pleasure than on a first perusal. The whole book is replete with a graceful, tender delicacy ; and in addition to its other merits, it is written in good careful English." — Athenceum. NOTHING NEW. " ' Nothing New ' displays all those superior merits which have made • John Halifax ' one of the most popular works of the day." — Post. " The reader will find these narratives fully calculated to remind him of that truth and energy of human portraiture, that spell over human affections and emotions, which have stamped this author one of the first novelists of our day." — John Bull. THE WOMAN'S KINGDOM. " ' The Woman's Kingdom ' sustains the author's reputation as a writer of the purest •ind noblest kind of domestic stories. The novelist's lesson is given with admirable force and sweetness." — Athenaeum '• ' The Woman's Kingdom ' is remarkable for its romantic interest The characten* are masterpieces. Edna is worthy of the hand that drew John Halifax."— i*osf. STUDIES FROM LIFE. " These Studies are truthful and vivid pictures of life, often earnest, always full of right feehng, and occasionally lightened by touches of quiet genial humour. The volume is re- markable for thought, sound sense, shrewd observation, and kind and sympathetic feelina lor all things good and beautiful." — Post. [continued on next page.] WORKS BY THE AUTHOR OF JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEIAK (continued.) CHRISTIAN'S MISTAKE. •'A more cbamiing story, to our taste, has rarely been written. "Within the compass of a single volume the writer has hit off a circle of varied characters, all true to nature- some tnie to the highest nature — and she has entangled them in a story which keeps us in suspense till its knot is happily and gracefully resolved ; while, at the same time, a fiathetic interest is sustained by an art of which it would be difficult to analyze the secret t is a choice gift to be able thus to render human nature so truly, to penetrate its depths with such a searching sagacity, and to illuminate them with a radiance so eminently the writer's own. Even if tried by the standard of the Archbishop of York, we should expect tkat even he would pronounce 'Christian's Mistake ' a novel without a fault." — The Times. " This is a story good to have from the circulating library, but better to have from one's bookseller, for it deserves a place in that little collection of clever and wholesome stories that forma oo'* of the comforts of a well-appointed home." — Examiner. MISTRESS AND MAID. "A good, wholesome book, as pleasant to read as it is instructive." — Athmceum. " This work is written with the same true-hearted earnestness as ' John Halifax,' The epirit of the whole book is excellent " — Examiner, '♦A charming tale charmingly told." — Standard, A NOBLE LIFE. "This la one of those pleasant tales in which the author of 'John Halifax' speaks out of a generous heart the purest truths of life." — Examiner. "Few men, and no women, will read a 'Noble Life 'without finduag themselves the t e tier. '"—Spectator. " A story of powerful and pathetic interest" — Daily News, A BRAVE LADY. "A very good novel, showing a tender sympathy with human nature, and permeated t)y a pure and noble spirit" — Examiner. " A most charming story." — Standard. "We earnestly recommend this novel. It la a special and worthy specimen of the author's remarkable powers. The reader's attention never for a moment flags."— Pwt. HANNAH. "A powerful novel of social and domestic life. One of the most successful efforts of a «nccessful novelist" — Daily Neics. " A very pleasant healthy story, well and artistically told. The book is sure of a wide circle of readers. The character of Hannah is one of rare beauty." — Standard. THE UNKIND WORD. •The author >,»i ' John Halifax ' has written many fascinating stories, but we can call to mind nothing' *rom her pen that has a more enduring charm than the graceful sketches in tbis work. Such a character as Jessie stands out from a crowd of heroines as the type of Ail that is truly noble, pure, and Ytomnj^y."— United Service Magazine. YOUNG MRS. JARDINE. •• • Toung Mrs. Jardine' is a pretty story, wri ten in pure English."— TAe Times. •• There S much good feeling in this book. It is pleasant and wholesome."—^ thenaum, " A book that all should read. 'Whilst it is quite the equal of any of its predecessors tn elevation of thought and style, it is perhaps their superior in interest of plot and dramatic intensity. The characters are admirably delineated, and the dialogue is natural and clear." — Morning Pott. HUEST AND BlACKETT, PUBLISHERS, 13, GrEAT MaRLBOROUQH StREET. WORKS BY THE AUTHOR OF 'SAI SLICK, THE CLOCK! AKER/ NEW AND CHEAP EDITIONS. Each in One Volume^ Illustrated, and Uniformly Bound, price 5s. NATURE AND HUMAN NATURE. "We enjoy our old friend's company with unabated relish. This work is a rattling miscellany of sharp sayings, stories, and hard hits. It is full of fun and fancy." — Athenceum. " Since Sam's flrst work he has written nothing so fresh, racy, and genuinely humorous as this. Every line of it tells in some way or other — instructively, satirically, jocosely, or wittily. Admiration of Sam's mature talents, and laughter at his droll yarns, constantly alteruate as with unhalting avidity we peruse the worlj. The Clockmaker proves himself the fastest time-killer a-going."— Observer. WISE SAWS AND MODERN INSTANCES. " This delightful book will be the most popular, as beyond doubt it is the best, of all the author's admirable works."— -Stondard " The book before us will be read and laughed over. Its quaint and racy dialect will please some readers — its abundance of yarns will amuse others. There is something to suit readers of every humour." — Athenaeum. " The humour of Sam Slick is inexhaustible. He is ever and everywhere a welcome visitor ; smiles greet his approach, and wit and wisdom haug upon his tongue. We pro- mise our readers a great treat from the perusal of these ' Wise Saws,' which contain a world of practical wisdom, and a treasury of the richest fun." — Morning Post. THE OLD JUDGE ; OR, LIFE IN A COLONY. " By common consent this work is regarded as one of the raciest, truest to life, most humorous, and most interesting works which have proceeded from the prolific pen of its author. We all know what shrewdness of observation, what power of graphic descrip- tion, what natural resources of drollery, and what a happy method of hitting off the broader characteristics of the life he reviews, belong to Judge Haliburton. We have all those qualities here ; but they are balanced by a serious literary purpose, and are employed in the communication of information respecting certain phases of colonial experience which impart to the work an element of sober utility." — Sunday Times. TRAITS OF AMERICAN HUMOUR. " No man has done more than the facetious Judge Haliburton, through the mouth of the inimitable ' Sam,' to make the old parent country recognise and appreciate her queer transatlantic progeny. His present collection of comic stories and laughable traits is a budget of fun, full of rich specimens of American humour,''— C^oZ^e. " Yankeeism, portrayed in its raciest aspect, constitutes the contents of these superla- tively entertaining sketches. The work embraces the most varied topics — political parties, religious eccentricities, the flights of literature, and the absurdities of pretenders to learn- ing, all come in for their share of satire ; while we have specimens of genuine American exaggerations and graphic pictures of social and domestic life as it is. The work will have a wide circulation."— /oAw Bull. THE AMERICANS AT HOME. "In this highly entertaining work we are treated to another cargo of capital stories from the inexhaustible store of our Yankee friend. In the volume before us he dishes up, with his accustomed humour and terseness of style, a vast number of tales, none more entertaining than another, and all of them graphically illustrative of the ways and man- ners of brother Jonathan. The anomalies of American law, the extraordinary adventures incident to life in the backwoods, and, above all, the peculiarities of American society, are variously, powerfully, and, for the most part, amusingly exemplified." — John Bull. " In the picturesque delineation of character, and the felicitous portraiture of national features, no writer equals Judge Haliburton, and the subjects embraced in the present delightful book call forth, in new and vigorous exercise, his peculiar powers. 'The Americans at Home ' will not be less popular than any of his previous works." — Post. LONDON: HUSST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS. WORKS BY M1^S. OLIFH^NT. NEW AND CHEAP EDITIONS. Each in One Volume, Illustrated, and Vniformly Bound, price 5s. ADAM GRAEME OF MOSSGRAY. " ' Adam Graeme ' is a story awakening genuine emotions of interest and delight by its admirable pictures of Scottish life and scenery. The plot is cleverly complicated, and there ia great vitality in the dialogue, and remarkable brilliancy in the descriptive pas- Bages, as who that has read 'Margaret Mailand' would not be prepared to expect? But the story has a ' mightier magnet still,' in the healthy tone which pervades it, in its feminine delicacy of thought and diction, and in the truly womanly tenderness of its sentiments. The eloquent author sets before us the essential attributes of Christian virtue, their deep and silent workings in the heart, and their beautiful manifestations in the life, with a delicacy, a power, and a truth which can hardly be surpassed,"— i/or»f«5' PoU. THE LAIRD OF NORLAW. "We have had frequent opportunities of commending Messrs. Hurst and Blackett's Standard Library. For neatness, elegance, and distinctness the volumes in this series surpass anything with which we are familiar. ' The Laird of Norlaw ' will fully sustain the author's high reputation. The reader is carried on from first to last with an energy of sympathy that never fid.gs."— Sunday Times. "'The Laird of Norlaw' is worthy of the author's reputation. It is one of the most exquisite of modem novels."— Ofoercer. IT WAS A LOVER AND HIS LASS. " In 'It was a Lover and his Lass,' we admire Mrs. Oliphant exceedingly. Her story is a very pretty one. It would be worth reading a second time, were it only for the sake of one ancient Scottish spinster, who ia nearly the counterpart of the admirable Mrs. Mar- garet Maitland."— ifYme* AGNES. " 'Agnes' is a novel superior to any of Mrs. Oliphant's former worka" — AtJienceum. " Mrs. Oliphant is one of the most admirable of our novelists. In her works there are always to be found high principle, good taste, sense, and refinement 'Agnes' ia a story whose pathetic beauty will appeal irresistibly to all readers."— Afomtn^ Post. A ROSE IN JUNE. " ' A Rose in June ' is as pretty as its title. The story is one of the best and most touching which we owe to the industry and talent of Mrs. Oliphant, and may hold its own with even ' The Chronicles of Carlingford.' ''—Times. PHffiBE, JUNIOR. "This last 'Chronicle of Carlingford' not merely takes rank fairly beside the first which introduced us to * Salem Chapel,' but surpasses all the intermediate records. Phcobe, Junior, herself ia admirably drawn."— .icoctemy. LIFE OF THE REV. EDWARD IRVING. "A good book on a most interesting theme." — Times. "A truly Interesting and most affecting memoir. ' Irvlng's Life' ought to have a niche in every «aUery of religious biography. There are few lives that will be fuller of in- btmction, interest, and consolation."— Salurdaj/ Review. LONDON : HUaST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHEBS. WORKS BY GEORGE MAC DONALD, LL.D. NEW AND CHEAP EDITIONS. Each in One Volume, Illustrated, and Uniformly Bound, price 55. ALEC FORBES OF HOWGLEN. "No account of this story would give any idea of the profound interest that pervades the work from the first page to the \&s\,."—Athenxum. " A novel of uncommon merit Sir "Walter Scott said he would advise no man to try to read ' Clarissa Harlowe ' out loud in company if he wished to keep his character for manly superiority to tears. We fancy a good many hardened old novel-readers will feel a rising in the throat as they follow the fortunes of Alec and Annie."— PaZi Mall Gazette. "The whole story is one of surpassing excellence and beauty."— Z)at72/ News. " This book is full of good thought and good writing. Dr. Mac Donald looks in his stories more to the souls of men and women than to their social outside. He reads life and Nature like a true TpoeV— Examiner. ROBERT FALCONER. " ' Robert Falconer ' is a work brimful of life and humour and of the deepest human interest It is a work to be returned to again and again for the deep and searching knowledge it evinces of human thoughts and feelings." — Athenceum. " This story abounds in exquisite specimens of the word-painting in which Dr. Mac Donald excels, charming transcripts of Nature, full of light, air, and colo\xr."—Saturda!/ Review. " This noble story displays to the best advantage all the powers of Dr. Mac Donald's genius." — Illustrated London News. " • Robert Falconer ' is the noblest work of fiction that Dr. Mac Donald has yet pro- duced."— 5r if is/i Quarterly Review. " The dialogues in ' Robert Falconer ' are so finely blended with humour and pathos as to make them in themselves an intellectual treat to which the reader returns again and again." — Spectator. DAVID ELGINBROD. " A novel which is the work of a man of genius. It will attract the highest class of readers. " — Times. "There are many beautiful passages and descriptions in this book. The characters are extremely well drawn." — Athenceum. "A clever novel. The incidents are exciting, and the interest is maintained to the close. It may be doubted if Sir "Walter Scott himself ever painted a Scotch fireside with more truth than Dr. Mao Donald." — Morning Post. "David Elginbrod is the finest character we have met in fiction for many a day. The descriptions of natural scenery are vivid, truthful, and artistic; the general reflections are those of a refined, thoughtful, and poetical philosopher, and the whole moral atmosphere of the book is lofty, pure, and invigorating." — Globe. SIR GIBBIE. " ' Sir Gibbie ' is a book of genius." — Pall Mall Gazette. " This book has power, pathos, and humour. There is not a character which is not lifelike. There are many powerful scenes, and the portraits will stay long in our memory." — Athenceum. " ' Sir Gibbie ' is unquestionably a book of genius. It abounds in humour, pathos, insight into character, and happy touches of description." — Graphic. " ' Sir Gibbie ' contains some of the most charming writing the author has yet pro- duced " — Scotsman. " ' Sir Gibbie ' is one of the most touching and beautiful stories that has been written for many years. It is not a novel to be idly read and laid aside ; it Is a grand work, to be kept near at hand, and studied and thought over." — Morning Post. LONDON : HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS. WORKS by the AUTHOR of ' JOHN HALIFAX, Each in a Single Volume, with Frontispiece, price 5s. JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN. A woman's thoughts ABOUT WOMEN. A LIFE FOR A LIFE. NOTHING NEW. MISTRESS AND MAID. THE woman's kingdom. CHRISTIAN S MISTAKE. A NOBLE LIFE. HANNAH. THE UNKIND WORD. A BRAVE LADY. STUDIES FROM LIFE. YOUNG MRS. JARDINE. WORKS by GEORGE MAC DONALD, LED. Each in a Single Volume, with Frontispiece, price 5s. DAYID ELGINBROD. ROBERT FALCONER. ALEC FORBES. SIR GIBBIE. WORKS by MRS. OLIPHANT. Each in a Single Volume, with Frontispiece, price 5s. IT WAS A LOVER AND HIS LASS THE LAIRD OF NORLAW. A ROSE IN JUNE. ADAM GRAEME OF MOSS- GRAY. PHOEBE, JUNIOR. AGNES. THE LIFE OF THE REV. EDWARD IRVING. WORKS by the A UTHOR of ' SAM SLICK: Each in a Single Volume, with Frontispiece, price 5s. NATURE AND HUMAN NATURE. WISE SAWS AND MODERN INSTANCES. IN A COLONY. TRAITS OF AMERICAN HUMOUR. THE AMERICANS AT HOME. LONDON: HURST AND BLACKETT. MESSRS. HUEST AND BLACKETrS LIST OF NEW WORKS. A TWO MONTHS' CRUISE IN THE MEDITER- RANEAN IN THE STEAM- YACHT "CEYLON." By Surgeon- General Mtjnro, M.D., C.B. Author of " Reminiscences of Military Serv^ice with the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders." 1 vol. crown 8vo, 7s. 6d. MEMOIRS OF MARSHAL BUGEAUD, From His Prtvate Correspondence and Original Documents, 1784 — 1849. By the Count H. d'Ideville. Edited, from the French, by Charlotte M. Yonge. 2 vols, demy 8vo. 30s. Contents :— Birth and Childhood— Private Soldier— The Coronation— The Camp at Boulogne— Austerlitz— Poland — In Spain— Terida— 1814 and 1815— The Hundred Days— Country Life— Revolution of July— The Duchess de Berry- Legitimist Tactics— Politics— Duel— Landing in Africa— The Sickack — The Treaty of the Tafna— Abd-el-Kader— The Brossard Trial— System of War in Africa — Political Orator — Military Orator — Governor-General — Medeah and Milianah — Tackdempt and Saida — Chdlif and Ourens^nis — Tenbs and OrMans- ville— The Smalah— Dellys and Biskra— The Battle of Isly— Eeturn to France — Bou-Maza and the Dahra — Sidi-Brahim — The Five Months' Campaign — Abd-el-Kader in the South — Kabylia — Final Departure — Departure from Algiers — D'Aumale — Arab Offices — Soldiers — Colonisation — Revolution of 1848 — Provisional Government — The Days of June — Presidential Elections — The Army of the Alps— The Assembly— Death. " This is a work of great value to the student of French history. A perusal of the book will convince any reader of Bugeaud's energy, his patriotism, his un- selfishness, and his philanthropy and humanity He was, indeed, a general who may serve as a pattern to all countries, and his name deserves to live long in the memory of his countrymen. His sagacious, far-seeing opinions on military aa well as civil matters they will do well to ponder and take to heart." — Athenceum. "Miss Yonge has done well to edit for the English public M. d'Ideville's life of the conqueror of Abd-el-Kader. Marshal Bugeaud was worth knowing as a man even more than as a soldier. M. d'Ideville is both an enthusiastic and a veracious chronicler." — Spectator. " Marshal Bugeaud was a more remarkable man than nine out of ten who have been the idol of a biographer, and his career is fertile in episodes or incidents characteristic of the times, and throwing light on history." — Quarterly Review. GLIMPSES OF GREEK LIFE AND SCENERY. By Agnes Smith, Author of " Eastern Pilgrims," &c. Demy 8vo. "With Illustrations and Map of the Author's Route. 15s. " A truthful picture of the country through which the author travelled. It is naturally and simply told, in an agreeable and animated style. Miss Smith dis- plays an ample acquaintance and sympathy with all the scenes of historic interest, and is able to tell her readers a good deal of the present condition and prospects of the people who inhabit the country." — St. James's Gazette. " Every lovsr of Greece must hail with pleasure each new book of travels in that country which tends to increase the interest of English people in Greece, and spreads the knowledge that it is not only delightful, but quite safe, to travel there. Miss Smith's 'Glimpses ' are lively and pleasant." — Academy. " These ' Glimpses ' are presented to us in a very bright and sensible fashion. It is a very agreeable and instructive book. The chapter on the language and character of the modern Greeks is well worth reading for the sound judgment and knowledge of the subject which it displays." — Pall Mall Oazette. MESSRS. HURST AND BLACKETT'S NEW WORKS— Continued. WITHOUT GOD: Negative Science and Natural Ethics. By Perot Greg, Author of *'The Devil's Advocate/ "Across the Zodiac," &c. 1 vol. demy 8vo. 12s. "Mr. Greg has condensed much profound thought into his hook, and has fullj' succeeded in maintaining the interest of the discussion throughout."— Jforrarn^r Posi. " This work is ably written ; therq are in it many passages of no ordinary power and brilliancy. It is eminently suggestive and stimulating." — Scots)nan. '• This is the work of a man full of thought upon a number of highly important subjects, and of strong convictions strongly enunciated, which no one can read without benefit." — Morrdtig Advertiser. " Mr. Greg's speculative works are always worth study, and this certainly not the least of them. It is a powerful and instructive book for the doubter to read, and the author has given us many discussions of great subtlety and depth.'" — Spectator. SIBERIAN PICTURES. By Ludwik Niemojowski. Edited, from the Polish, by Major Szdlczewski. 2 vols. 21s. " This book contains a good deal of interesting matter. M. Niemojowski's de- scription of Siberian game and the hunting of it is clearly valuable, and shows that he really has lived among the people. His work is not without interest to ethnographers, for it deals with almost every race that inhabits Siberia — Tun- guzes and Tartars, Samoyedes and Ostiaks, the Buriats of Lake Baikal, and the Gilliacks of the Pacific coasts." — Saturday Review. " Major Szulczewski has done a service by translating from the Polish the in- teresting account which Mr. Niemojowski has given of the dreary land in which he spent so many years of exile. The book contains a number of very intere sting Siionea" —Atlienasum. "This book contains by far the most exhaustive and reliable account which has yet been given in English of Siberia." — British Quarterly Beview. REMINISCENCES OF MILITARY SERVICE WITH THE 93rd SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS. By Surgeon-General Munro, M.D., C.B., Formerly Surgeon of the Regiment. 1 vol. demy 8vo. 15s. "This is a book of interesting recollections of active military campaigning life. It is told in a frank, simple, and unpretentious manner."— Illustrated London A'ews. "This book is not only bright and_ lively, but thoroughly good-natured. What makes these reminiscences exceptionally readable is the amount of illustrative anecdote with which they are interspersed. The author has a keen appreciation of humour, with the knack of recalling appropriate stories."— Saturday Beview. "There is much in these interesting reminiscences that will gratify while it pains the reader. A book like this, which portrays the horrors and not merely the showy side of war, has distinct usefulness. Dr. Munro recotmts many inci- dents with pardonable Tpride."— Pall Mall Gazette. THE FRIENDSHIPS OF MARY RUSSELL MITFORD: As Recorded in Letters from her Literary Correspondents. Edited by the Rev. A. G. L'Estrange, Editor of " The Life of Mary Russell Mitford," &c. 2 vols. 21s. "These letters are all written as to one whom the writers love and revere. Miss Barrett is one of Miss Mitford's correspondents, all of whom seem to bo inspired with a sense of excellence in the mmd they are invoking. Their letters are ex- tremely interesting, and they strike out recollections, opinions, criticisms, which will hold the reader's delighted and serious attention."— Z>a% Telegraph. "In this singular and probably unique book Miss Mitford is painted, not in letters of her own nor in letters written of her, but in letters addressed to her; and a true idea is thus conveyed of her talent, her dispobition, and of the impres- sion she made upon her friends. It seldom happens that anyone, however dis- linguished, receives such a number of letters well worth reading as were addressed to MiHH Mitford ; and the letters from her correspondents are not only from inter- eatiDg peiBons, but are in themselves interesting."— ^<. James's Gazette. MESSRS. HURST AND BLACKETT'S NEW WOB^KS— Continued. THE REAL LORD BYRON : New Views of the Poet's Life. By John Cordy Jeaffreson, Author of " A Book about Doctors," &c. 2 vols, demy 8vo. SOs. " Mr. Jeaffreson comes forward with a narrative which must take a very im- portant place in Byronic literature. Almost every chapter contains material which may be fairly called new, and the book differs from many biographies of Byron in one very important point — it is scrupulously just to every person con- cerned, the facts dealt with being placed before the reader in a judicial spirit Mr. Jeaffreson had a specific work to do, and he has done it fully, conclusively, and well ; and it may reasonably be anticipated that these volumes will be regarded with deep interest by all who are concerned in the works and the fame of this great English poet."— 7%e IHmes. " Mr. Jeaffreson has produced a work that throws a flood of new light on the most critical periods of Byron's life, and that every future critic of modern English poetry will have to read and re-read." — Athenoeum. " Everybody will read these volumes, many for the sake of the great poet, whose biography forma the subject, and others simply on account of the extra- ordinary amount of interesting gossip which it contains about the famous per- sonages who flourished in the days of our grandfathers. It is a very able book admirably written, and evidently entirely unprejudiced." — Morning Post. "This is a masterly performance, and one of the most important contributions to literary biography published for many years. Mr. Jeaffreson writes not only like a student, but a man of the world, and his entire analysis of the relation be- tween Byron and his wife is admirable." — The World. COURT LIFE BELOW STAIRS; or, London UNDER THE FiRST Georges, 1714 — 1760. By J. Fitzgerald MoLLOY. Second Edition. Vols. 1 and 2. Crown 8vo. 21s. *' Well written, full of anecdotes, and with its facts admirably grouped, this ex- cellent work will prove of the greatest value to all who desire to know what man- ner of men the flrst Electors of Hanover who came here really were. Pictures of Court life so drawn cannot fail to be very instructive. Some of the word pictures are wonderfully well drawn '' — Daily Telegraph. VOLS. IH. and IV. of COURT LIFE BELOW STAIRS; or, London Under the Last Georges, 1760—1830. By J. Fitzgerald Molloy. Second Edition. 21s. Completing the Work. "The reigns of George the Third and George the Fourth are no less interesting and instructive than those of George the First and George the Second. Mr. Molloy's style is bright and fluent, picturesque anS. animated, and he tells his stories with unquestionable skill and vivacity." — Athenasum. " These last two volumes of Mr. Molloy's ' Court Life Below Stairs ' are likely to attain as much popularity as the first two did. The narrative is fluent and amusing, and is far more instructive than nine-tenths of the novels which are published nowadays." — St. James's Gazette, GRIFFIN, AHOY I A Yacht Cruise to the Levant, and "Wanderings in Egypt, Syria, The Holy Land, Greece, and Italy in 1881. By General E H. Maxwell, C.B. One vol. demy Svo. With Illustrations. 15s. " The cruise of the Griffin affords bright and amusing reading from its beginning to its end. General Maxwell writes in a frank and easy style— J/ornmgr Post. WITH THE CONNAUGHT RANGERS in Quar- ters, Camp, and on Leave. By General E. H. Maxwell, C.B., Author of " Griffin, Ahoy I" 1 vol. Svo. With Illustrations. 15s. "A warm welcome may be presaged for General Maxwell's new work. It is an eminently readable book, quite apart from the special attraction it must possess for all who are, or who have been, connected with the gallant 88th." — Daily lelegraph. " When General Maxwell made his debut in that capital book, 'Griffin, Ahoy!' we expressed a hope that we should soon meet him again. This expectation is now fulfilled, and again we have to congratulate the author on a distinct success* Scarcely a page in his volume but has its little anecdote, and these stories have a real touch of humour in them.'— C^ofie. 3 MESSRS. HURST AND BLACKETT'S NEW WO^KS—Co7itmued, LIFE OF MOSCHELES ; with Selections from HIS DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE. By His Wife. 2 vols, large post 8vo. With Portrait. 24s. "This life of Moscheles will be a valuable book of reference for the musical his- torian, for the contents extend over a period of threescore years, commencing with 1794, and ending at 1870. Moscheles writes fairly of what is called tho ' Music of the Future,' and his judgments on Herr Wagner, Dr. Liszt, Kubenstein, Dr. von BUlow, Litolff, &c., whether as composers or executants, are in a liberal spirit. He re- cognizes cheerfully the talents of our native artists: Sir S. Bennett, Mr. Mac- farren, Madame Goddard, Mr. J. Bamett, Mr. Hullah, Mr. A. Sullivan, &c. The volumes are full of amusing anecdotes." — Athenseum, MONSIEUR GUIZOT in Private Life (1787- 1874). By His Daughter, Madame db Witt. Translated by Mrs. Simpson. 1 vol. demy 8vo. ISs. " Madame de Witt has done justice to her father's memory in an admirable re- cord of his life. Mrs. Simpson's translation of this singularly interesting book is in accuracy and grace worthy of the original and of the anhiecV— Saturday Review. MY OLD PLAYGROUND REVISITED ; A Tour IN Italy in the Spring of 1881. By Benjamin E. Kennedy. Second Edition, with Appendix. 1 vol. crown 8vo. With Illustra- tions, by the Author. 6s. " It is no small merit of Mr. Kennedy that he has rendered an account of a journey over such familiar ground as that lying between London and Naples re- markably readable. These pages are full of really useful information, and travel- lers ' going South ' cannot do better than take Mr. Kennedy's experiences as their rule of conduct." — Morning Post. " ' My Old Playground Revisited ' will repay perusal. It is written witb the ease that comes of long experience." — Grapfdc. WORDS OF HOPE AND COMFORT TO THOSE IN SORROW. Dedicated by Permission to Thb Queen. Fourth Edition. 1 vol. small 4to. 58. "The writer of the tenderly-conceived letters in this volume was Mrs. JuliuE Hare, a sister of Mr. Maurice. They are instinct with the devout submissiveness and flne sympathy which we associate with the name of Maurice; but in her there Is added a winningness of tact, and sometimes, too, a directness of language, which we hardly find even in the brother. The letters were privately printed and circu- lated, and were found to be the source of much comfort, which they cannot fail to afford now to a wide circle. A sweetly-conceived memorial poem, bearing the well-known initials, 'E. H. P.', gives a very faithful outline of ihelife."— British Quarterly Review. PLAIN SPEAKING. By Author of " John Halifax, Gentleman." 1 vol. crown 8vo. 10s.* 6d. " We recommend ' Plain Speaking ' to all who like amusing, wholesome, and instructive reading. The contents of Mrs. Craik's volume are of the most mulii- farloug kind, but all the papers are good and readable, and one at least of them of real importance." — St. James's Gazette, MEMOIRS OF QUEEN HORTENSE, MOTHER OF NAPOLEON III. Cheaper Edition, in 1 vol. 6s. " A biography of the beautiful and unhappy Queen, more satisfactory than any we have yet met with."— 2>ai7y Newt. Published annually, in One Vol., royal Sro, with the Arms beautifully engraved, handsomely bound, with gilt edges, price Sis. 6d. LODGERS PEERAGE AND BARONETAGE, CORRECTED BY THE NOBILITY. THE riFTY-THIRD EDITION FOK 1884 IS NOW EEADY. Lodge's Peerage and Baronetage is acknowledged to be the most complete, as well as the most elegant, work of the kind. As an esta- blished and authentic authority on all questions respecting the family histories, honours, and connections of the titled aristocracy, no work has ever stood so high. It is published under the especial patronage of Her Majesty, and is annually corrected throughout, from the personal com- munications of the Nobility. It is the only work of its class in which, the type being kept constantly standing, every correction is made in its proper place to the date of publication, an advantage which gives it supremacy over all its competitors. Independently of its full and authentic informa- tion respecting the existing Peers and Baronets of the realm, the most sedulous attention is given in its pages to the collateral branches of the various noble families, and the names of many thousand individuals are introduced, which do not appear in other records of the titled classes. For its authority, correctness, and facility of arrangement, and the beauty of its typography and binding, the work is justly entitled to the place it occupies on the tables of Her Majesty and the Nobility. LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL CONTENTS. Historical View of the Peerage. Parliamentary KoU of the House of Lords. English, Scotch, and Irish Peers, in their orders of Precedence. Alphabetical List of Peers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, holding supe- rior rank in the Scotch or Irish Peerage. A Iphabetical list of Scotch and Irish Peers, holding superior titles in the Peerage of Great Britain and the United Kingdom. A Collective list of Peers, in their order of Precedence. Table of Precedency among Men. Table of Precedency among Women. The Queen and the Eoyal Family. Peers of the Blood EoyaL The Peerage, alphabetically arranged. Families of such Extinct Peers as have left Widows or Issue. Alphabetical List of the Surnames of all the Peers. The Archbishops and Bishops of England and Ireland. The Baronetage alphabetically arranged. Alphabetical List of Surnames assumed by members of Noble Families. Alphabetical List of the Second Titles of Peers, usually borne by their Eldest Sons. Alphabetical Index to the Daughters of Dukes, Marquises, and Earls, who, hav- ing married Commoners, retain the title of Lady before their own Christian and their Husband's Surnames. Alphabetical Index to the Daughters of Viscounts and Barons, who, having married Commoners, are styled Honour- able Mrs. ; and, in case of the husband being a Baronet or Knight. Hon. Lady. A List of the Orders of Knighthood. Mottoes alphabetically arranged and trans- lated. " This work is the most perfect and elaborate record of the living and recently de- ceased members of the Peerage of the Three Kingdoms as it stands at this day. It is a most useful publication. We are happy to bear testimony to the fact that scrupulous accuracy is a distinguishing feature of this book." — Times. " Lodge's Peerage must supersede all other works of the kind, for two reasons: first, it is on a better plan ; and secondly, it is better executed. We can safely pronounce it to be the readiest, the most useful, and exactest of modern works on the subject." — Spectator. " A work of great value. It is the most faithful record we possess of the aristo- cracy of the day." — Post. " The best existing, and, we believe, the best possible Peerage. It is the standard authority on the subject." — Standard. 5 HURST AND BLACKETTS SIX-SIIILLIT^& NOVELS By THE BRANDRETHS. the Right Hon. A. J. B. Beresford Hope, M.P., Author of " Strictly Tied Up." " Tn 'The Brandreths ' we have a sequel to Mr. Beresford Hope's clever novel of Strictly Tied Up,' and we may add that it is a decided improvement on his mai ien effort Mr. Hope writes of political life and the vicissitudes of parties with the knowledge and experience of a veteran politician. The novel is one which will repay careful reading." — Times. " 'The Brandreths ' has all the charm of its predecessor. The great attraction of the novel is the easy, conversational, knowledgeable tone of it ; the sketching from the life, and yet not so close to the life as to be malicious, men, women, periods, and events, to all of which intelligent readers can fit a name. The poli- tical and social sketches will naturally excite the chief interest among readers who will be attracted by the author's name and experience."— Spectator. SOPHY: OR THE ADVENTURES OF A SAVAGE. By Violet Fane, Author of '^Denzil Place," &c. •' • Sophy ' is the clever and original work of a clever woman. Its merits are of a strikingly unusual kind. It is charged throughout with the strongest human interest. It is, in a word, a novel that will make its mark." — World. "A clever, amusmg, and interesting story, well worth reading."— Post. " This novel is as amusing, piquant, droll, and suggestive as it can be. It over- flows with humour, nor are there wanting touches of genuine feeling. To consider- able imaginative power, the writer joins keen observation." — Dailp News. '•'Sophy' throughout displays accurate knowledge of widely differing forms of character, and remarkable breadth of view. It is one of the few current novels that may not impossibly stand the test of time." — Graphic. MY LORD AND MY LADY. By Mrs. Forrester, Author of "Viva," <'Mignon," &c. " This novel will take a high place among the successes of the season. It is as fresh a novel as it is interesting, as attractive as it is realistically true, as full of novelty of presentment as it is of close study and observation of life."— TForZd. "A love story of considerable interest. The novel is full of surprises, and will serve to while away a leisure hour most agreeably." — Dailp Telegraph " A vei-y capital novel The great charm about it is that Mrs. Forrester is quite at home in the society which she describes. It is a book to rea,±"— Standard. "Mrs. Forrester's style is so fresh and graphic that the reader is kept under its gpell from first to last."— Pos^. HIS LITTLE MOTHER: and Other Tales. By the Author of " John Halifax, Gentleman." "This is an interesting book, written in a pleasant manner, and full of shrewd observation and kindly feeling. It is a book that will be read with interest, and that cannot be lightly forgotten."— .