PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE.

27

CHAPTER II.

Departure from Malta-View of Mount Etna-Scenery in Greece-A Greek hermit-Patmos-Crete-Storm at Sea-Arrival at AlexandriaPompey's Pillar-Cleopatra's Needles-Miserable abodes-Ruins of Cleopatra's Palace-Catacombs-Egyptian dress-Present appearance of Alexandria.

It is now time for me to introduce to the reader a travelling companion. At Malta I found myself a fellow-boarder with H. M. Chadwick, Esq., an English gentleman of fortune, travelling for his own pleasure. He was now on his way to India by the Red Sea, and, like myself, was waiting a conveyance to Alexandria. He had travelled extensively in Europe, the West Indies, and South America; is a gentleman of classic mind, and speaks several languages. I felt that I needed such a companion, and we finally concluded to embark together for Alexandria. We expected to set out on the 27th, but the French steamer in which we concluded to take passage, was delayed three days behind her time. She however arrived on the evening of the 29th. We immediately entered our names as passengers, to sail early the next morning.

The vessel was called the Leonidas, one of the French armed steamers. It was an excellent sea vessel, clean and neat, with a well-served table. I would, however, except a few of the dishes, as rather too strongly mixed with garlic. But as a large variety was served on the table, I was enabled to select the part free from that unpleasant herb. During my travels in the East, I could but remark the free

and abundant use made of garlic in seasoning food. The Greeks and Turks will chew and eat garlic with all the relish that they would eat apples. Finally, while on board this vessel, the sea was smooth, the weather fair, and the passage pleasant.

On the day of leaving Malta, we passed in view of a part of Sicily. Mount Etna was in sight, and we could see columns of black smoke ascending from the crater. The captain had deviated a little from his direct course, to gratify the curiosity of his passengers, with a distant view of this celebrated volcano.

On the 2d of December we were in sight of that part of Greece called the Morea, and much of that day sailed near the coast. I could but call to mind the bloody ravages committed on the ill-fated inhabitants of that peninsula, during the late Greek Revolution. It was there Ibrahim Pacha abundantly immortalized his name as a blood-thirsty merciless tyrant. The whole coast presented a mountainous and sterile appearance. Some towns and villages were seen in the distance, in the vicinity of which olive and other trees were discernible. We also saw what we supposed to be vineyards. Many of the mountains are so high that their tops are covered with perennial snows. Among these was plainly to be seen Mount Taygetus, immortalized by Virgil.

"Taygetique canes domitorque Epidaurus equorum." Its tall summit rises above the others, capped with eternal snow. In some places flocks of goats were seen feeding. The whole coast is entirely destitute of timber.

At one point of the Morea, the cell of a Greek recluse was pointed out to us. It was situated in a

small notch of a tall mountain that comes down to the sea with a bold and precipitous base. It would seem from all I could discern, that no passage could be found to the place by either land or water, without extreme labor. In that notch the hermit lives in his cell, and cultivates a few feet of ground, voluntarily excluding himself from all society. I know nothing of his history, and only had the fact communicated to me in broken English. He was not out, or we could have seen him from our distance.

On the morning of December 3d, we found ourselves in the harbor of Syra. A pretty Greek town presented itself in front of us, rising in terraces from the water's edge, on the side of a mountain, in a very picturesque manner. At the summit of the town stands a large Greek Convent, quite conspicuous from its location. On the opposite side of the harbor stands the Lazaretto, which shows to good advantage. The island of Syra, like many around it, is small, mountainous, and of sterile appearance. It is, however, a central place for vessels in the Levant to touch at, and has a good harbor.

Here a part of the passengers exchanged steamers. That from Malta proceeds directly to Constantinople, and passengers for Alexandria are here put on board another French steamer. This was also an armed vessel called the Dante, of the same size of the Leonidas. It was a good strong sea-vessel, but not so well commanded or furnished as the one we had just left. Rather more garlic was here served up in dishes than I had been accustomed to.

Passing out from Syra, we came in sight of Patmos, the island to which the Apostle John was ban

ished by the Emperor Domitian, and on which he wrote the book of Revelation. We had a plain though distant view of the island. Subsequently on my passage from Beyroot to Smyrna, we lay becalmed nearly a whole day within a few miles of Patmos. Gladly would I then have visited it, but I had not the means. It has a broken and mountainous aspect, and is about thirty miles in circumference. On it is a small city called Patmos, with a harbor and some monasteries of Greek monks. A cave is still shown where the monks say John wrote the Apocalypse.

On the morning of December 4th, we passed the island of Candia, the ancient Crete of the New Testament. This island is large, densely populated, and may be regarded as decidedly the best in the Archipelago. Though mainly inhabited by Greeks, it is still under Turkish Government. It had recently been in a state of civil war. The inhabitants had made another effort to gain their independence, but the insurrection was now suppressed, and the manacles of oppression newly riveted.

On the 5th, towards evening, we came in sight of Alexandria. About sunset a pilot came alongside, offering to conduct us into port; but the offer was strangely rejected by our captain. Whether from the dangerous state of the harbor, he was afraid to run in at that late hour, or whether he did not rightly understand what the pilot said, I am unable to state. The vessel was instantly brought about and put back This unaccountable movement still remains a mystery, as I was unable to obtain an explanation of it from any one on board. The vessel ran direct

to sea.

ly back till one o'clock the next morning. During that time, the wind being strong from the shore, we were carried further off than the captain designed to run. His intention was to have made the mouth of the harbor again by about ten the next morning. The wind increased during the night, and by sunrise was blowing a gale directly off land, while the sea ran so high as to frequently break over our bows. As no sail could now be set, our entire dependence was upon steam. We came in sight of Alexandria again at 5 P. M., but the wind was blowing so heavy and the sea running so high, that we were compelled to put back to sea. Before morning light came, it blew a perfect hurricane. I had seen storms at sea before, but never any thing to compare with this. On the morning of the 7th, the hazy and yet fiery appearance of the sirocco had overspread the whole heavens. Gusts of wind burst upon us like a tornado, carrying sheets of water over the vessel. It was indeed, an excellent sea-craft, and weathered the storm most admirably. Alexandria was once more visible in the distance, but night was drawing on and the sea running so high that it was impossible to get into the harbor. Again our vessel was brought about, but as coal on board was becoming scarce, the captain thought it advisable to lay-to and let her drift till morning. Morning found us again out of sight of land. The weather, however, had calmed greatly, and we now had a fair prospect of reaching port. At about noon we were again in sight of land, and at 2 o'clock, P. M., were opposite the Pacha's seraglio; but the sea was still running high. The same pilot came out, and on coming on board rebuked the captain