Venice.—A Gondola.—The Pigeons.—Trieste.—Pirus.—Athens.—Paul and Mars' Hill.—Sickness.—From Athens to Smyrna.—Man Overboard.—A Lesson of Unselfishness.—Smyrna.—A Cruel Father.—Ephesus.—Paul's Missionary Journey.—The Vesta.—Beyrut.—Jaffa Landing.
ou may go with me, in your mind, to Venice, a city in Italy, where we found ourselves very early one winter morning. Day had not yet dawned, and darkness reigned supreme. Lamps were burning inside of the depot, giving just light enough for passengers to see every object plainly. At the foot of a flight of steps not far away stood two men, and as we were in search of a hotel porter we immediately walked toward them. Upon their cap-band, in large letters, was the name of the hotel we desired going to, and without speaking one word our traveling bags were taken and placed in a small boat, and we followed after, taking a seat near by them. We were strangers, ignorant of the language, cold and tired.
The boatmen dipped their oars with a splash, and in the mean time talked loudly to each other. The townspeople, no doubt, were in bed asleep, for not a sound but that of our boatmen was heard, and no lights were seen, excepting the lights which marked the corners. The distance seemed great, for we paddled up one canal and down another, until we knew not where the starting point was, and had no idea where the men were taking us.
Venice was the strangest city we had ever visited. Front doorsteps extended out into the water, and boatmen pulled up alongside of them with their little gondolas. A large door showed us the entrance to the hotel; but it was closed, and with a great deal of energy our fist came down against it. After patiently waiting, admittance was gained, for a winking, blinking-eyed servant, with hair standing straight up over his head, had heard the noise and appeared to find out the cause. In one hand he held a candle, and with the other kept tight hold of the door. At first thought an entrance seemed out of the question; but after his eyes were opened more widely he saw better and knew we were guests of the hotel; so forthwith the door opened and we passed into the hall, where a man who was not dazed took charge of us and we were glad to be taken to our room, where in a short time after we were warmly covered up in bed. Our journey had been long and tiresome, and the next morning found us still tired and not willing to rise early.
Venice was the meeting point for us, as a party of tourists, and from there we were to go on to Jerusalem together. We were ahead of time, so decided to go sightseeing by ourselves; and an enjoyable time was had going from one point to another.
History tells us much about the city I'm writing about, but time and space will not allow me to repeat it to you. I will, however, tell you that Venice is said to stand on one hundred and seventeen islands. There are one hundred and fifty canals, and those canals are spanned by three hundred and eighty bridges. There are a few narrow streets where people can walk, and when standing in the middle of one with arms outstretched, the walls of the houses on either side can easily be touched. There are also a few streets a little wider than the first named, but I must say only a very few.
Horses and wagons are never seen in the city, and the people who never go from home do not know what a horse looks like. Do you wonder how the people get along without horses and wagons? Well, they use little boats called gondolas. A gondola is long and narrow, with a flat bottom. One man rows it, using one oar, and always standing at the stern of his boat. He is called a gondolier. It is very interesting to watch the gondolier as he guides the little boat, turning corners as swiftly as a driver turns a street corner with horse and buggy, never once running into an object.
Notes of warning are called out continually as they glide along, and you are impressed with the thought of their carefulness. We hired a gondola for three hours, and did not get out of it during that time. The gondolier did not understand a word of English, so we could not talk to him; but we knew well enough what he meant when he stopped every once in a while. We shook our heads, No, no, and motioned for him to go on, when reluctantly he moved forward. You see Italians like strong drink, and he always pulled up in front of a saloon. When he could stand it no longer he did as he pleased and stopped for the drink, leaving us seated quietly in the boat.
Gondolas are all painted black, and most of them have cabins which serve to shield the passenger from sun or rain. They are very comfortable boats to ride in, and one does not get tired of skimming over the water. There is one canal larger than any of the rest, which is known as the Grand Canal. The water in it is deep enough to float large sized vessels, and many of them stop there to land unlfreight, and also to take on passengers for other ports. The water was perfectly calm, and our ride was interesting and enjoyable.
Venice is a very interesting city to visit, for there are many public buildings, such as the arsenal, which contains a museum of interesting objects, and Saint Mark's church. It alone would keep one occupied many days if he examined closely every object of interest in it; for it was constructed of the spoils of many buildings in almost every country in the far East. It has marble columns and panels dating back to the fourth century. It has been said that "St. Mark's body was brought to Venice secretly, from Alexandria, and placed in a vault in the chapel." We do not know how much truth there is in the guide's story; but, be that as it may, the church is a wonderful structure, and its panels, columns and mosaics are well worth examining.
Hundreds of pigeons have their nests in the cornice of St. Mark's, and no one dare drive them away. They ruin the beautiful molding, and one cannot help but wish it were different. The pigeons are quite tame, for they come down and sit upon the head, shoulders and hands of any one who will feed them. Some one bequeathed a certain sum of money for the feeding of the pigeons, and for years and years feed has been furnished them from the interest money. I am very fond of pets; so it pleased me greatly to see them come down by the hundreds for the food which was thrown them.
The streets were usually crowded with a set of lazy looking people, and we had a good chance to see them as we walked up one street and down another. There were many little shops where cooked victuals were on sale; in the windows could be seen crisp fried fish, and at the doors were large iron kettles filled with steaming hot boiled potatoes. Those articles were sold at reasonable prices, and I'm sure it was a convenience for the class of people who were too lazy to cook for themselves. The Italians are said to be a dirty set of people, and I am made to believe there is a good deal of truth in that saying.
By the time our party was ready to leave Venice we felt quite well acquainted with every street and canal, and to this day we look back with pleasure to the time when we visited the city of one hundred and fifty canals.
Our mind is now turned toward Athens, a city in Greece. Once again passage on a steamer was taken, for it proved to be the only way by which we were able to reach that place. There were seven of us now, and the personal conductor besides; yet not any of us had ever met before.
Trieste is an Austrian seaport town, and from there we sailed. The sea was as calm as a river, and sailing was delightful. Our first stopping place was at the Island of Corfu, where the anchor was cast and four hours spent in waiting for passengers. The whole company desired to go ashore, and after making proper arrangements with the boatmen were taken to land, where carriages were procured and a long drive in the country taken.
Oranges were plentiful in that country and little boys ran after the carriages just as fast as they could, wanting to sell their fruit. The party bought as many oranges as they desired, thinking the little fellows would discontinue the chase; but we were mistaken, for they followed on for miles, proving to be little nuisances.
Sea voyages are very tiresome, so the change was enjoyed by all, and the time spent on the steamer did not seem so long after the ride.
Pirus is the port of Athens, and is six miles from the city. Carriages had been ordered ahead, and we found them waiting at the landing. It took but a few minutes to settle ourselves in them, and we found the ride over the clean, br shaded rmore agreeable than the rocking motion of a steamship. By this time you must surely know I am a lover of land, and prefer it to water. Reaching the city in an hour after, we were driven to a hotel on one of the principal streets.
The hotel was new, and the appearance pleasing. Many guests were there from different parts of the world, and every one seemed intent on seeing the sights of Athens. Very little time was spent in resting, for there was too much to be seen to spend time idly. Just in front of our hotel was the great public square, and at stated times the band played, bringing together crowds of people. Across the square from the hotel was the royal palace, built of beautiful white marble, and surrounding it were the palace gardens.
The language and customs of the people were different from those of other countries, and a guide was hired to take the entire party to places of interest as well as to talk for them. Each person was therefore privileged to ask questions, which he answered according to his best knowledge. The climate was mild, quite like that of Italy, and the exercise which walking gave kept us as warm as at home in the months of July and August.
Athens is not a city I should desire to have as a permanent place of residence, and we did not go there expecting to select a home; but we went to visit the city where years and years ago a great man introduced the Gospel. He was "of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews." Who was that man? Ah, Paul! Yes, you think rightly; but he was not always a Christian; no; he persecuted them at one time, for you know he stood by and watched the stoning of Stephen, that faithful Christian man. If he had been a follower of Christ, such cruelty would not have been countenanced. Shortly after the stoning of Stephen the Lord called Paul, he was converted, and his boldness for the new cause was marvelous. Paul was an educated man, and able to talk to learned men wherever he went; and there was no end of Christian work for him to do.
The people in those times had kings to rule over them; so when Paul came around and told them of a person who was greater than their king, "one Jesus," it troubled them greatly. They were so enraged when Paul told about Jesus that it was feared the people would take his life. So he was sent away by night, and the place they took him to was Athens, the very city I've been writing about.
In Paul's time Athens was known all over the world as a city of great learning and one that paid great attention to the worship of the gods. In every direction could be seen temples, altars and other sacred buildings.
Mars' Hill is the place where the learned men took Paul, "saying, May we know what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest is? Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' Hill and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious." He had no fear of man, but gave them the truth without one bit of polishing. We stood on Mars' Hill, and called to mind the time when this great man was there preaching to the pleasure-loving, idol-worshiping Athenians. All around us were the ruins of the great temples of the time of Paul.
Paul left Athens after this, and since then his great sermon has been read and reread; and these days many people turn to Christ through his wonderful preaching. Children, do you love the meek and lowly Jesus of whom Paul spoke? Think of it, my little readers, and may the Lord help you to be little workers for him.
All was not pleasure and joy while in Athens. Sickness comes to us whether at home or abr and many sad hours were spent at the bedside of the one who is very dear to me. The fever, which is so common in that country, fastened itself upon him, and the outlook seemed sad indeed to me. Many were the tears shed, and many were the prayers sent to the Father above, from the heart which seemed too heavy to perform its function; but the dear Father heard the prayers, and it was his will to raise the stricken one, so that the journey might be completed; and to-day we bless his name.
The time had come for us to leave Athens, and we were all taken back to Pirus, where we took ship for Smyrna. Three hundred miles were to be traveled on this trip, and then another rest. The wind blew quite hard at the start of the journey, and a rough voyage seemed to be in store for us; but we decided bad weather could be endured a couple of days, for soon rest would come. The wind had a splendid chance to blow, and after getting out into the open sea our little ship rolled and rolled, more than was agreeable to the poor creatures who were inclined to seasickness, and no doubt they wished for land; but the seasickness passed off after a while, and then the hollow-eyed people came forth from their staterooms to see whatever was to be seen along the way.
We passed an island and a city called Chios. Do you remember that Paul, on his journey, passed this very same island too? He did not stop there, because he was very anxious to reach Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost. Well, we did not stop either; our plans were to go right on, as we were on our way to Jerusalem too.
Sitting on deck was more agreeable to the passengers than remaining in the stateroom, so almost all of the time was spent on deck, even when the wind blew hard. One grew tired sitting all the time, so by way of change we walked back and forth. One time when we were sitting quietly a scream for help was heard; quickly every one of us rushed to the side of the ship, and there in the water below was a man. A sailor had been furling a sail—rolling it up—when, without a moment's warning, a strong gust of wind took him out to sea.
Life-buoys were fastened here and there along the railing of the ship, placed there to be used in case of necessity; that time had come, and quick as thought my husband cut the cords that bound one and immediately threw it far out in the water—toward the unfortunate man. By this time the excitement on board the ship was great. Other passengers cut loose life-buoys, and, strange to say, threw them out in quite a different direction from that in which the poor fellow was. The first buoy, however, was carried by a wave to the man. Almost breathless we stood watching him as he reached out and grasped the canvas-covered coil of cork. When his arm and head had been placed through it our breath came easier, for there was a possibility now of his being saved.
The steamer was stopped as soon as possible, and the anchor cast out to steady her, but by that time the man was far away, and he looked like a mere black speck in the distance. The captain stood by the railing of the ship, and in loud tones called to the unfortunate man to be brave and hold up, for soon help would come to him.
Three brave sailors manned one of the ship's boats, and when it was lowered faithfully and diligently rowed toward the dark speck in the distance. Everybody on that steamer watched the men, as nearer and nearer they drew to the object. What if he should drown? Just at that moment the unfortunate one was reached, then taken into the boat, and their faces soon after were turned shipward. Every dip of the oars brought them closer and closer to the ship, and oh how glad we were when at last their voices were heard near by. Steps were lowered, but the sea was so wild that every time the little boat came alongside of them a wave dashed it away. Finally they were successful, and soon after the dripping wet sailor stood before us.
The sailors who had gone to his rescue had great difficulty to get aboard the ship, and at times it seemed as though their little boat would surely be dashed to pieces. The sailor whose life had just been saved saw the perilous condition of his comrades and made a move to go to help them, but the captain seeing this in stern tones ordered him to go to his quarters. The man obeyed, but very reluctantly. The rest of the men came aboard shortly afterward, and once more quiet reigned.
I think I shall never forget with what sorrow we watched the poor fellow in the angry deep. His black hair and white face are still in my mind as we saw him floating along in the water, and his cry of distress still rings in my ears while I am writing this to you.
The language of the wet sailor was strange to us, and yet I knew he was unselfish. How did I know it? Because he had a desire to help his comrades when he in turn saw them in peril. A bruised body and dripping wet clothes were no hindrance to him; all was cast aside, and self was out of the question.
My little readers, can you not learn one good lesson from the conduct of the poor, half drowned sailor on the Mediterranean Sea? Yes, I believe you can. What is it? That of unselfishness. Help those who help you. Is that enough? No; no; go still farther; help those who are in distress, no matter whether they ever did a favor for you or not. Remember that deeds of kindness are never forgotten. Don't do acts of kindness for the reward; but because there is much love in your hearts for humanity. Cultivate a kindly disposition while young; and, believe me, you will be happier for it in after years.
Smyrna was reached at last, and just as the steamer reached the landing a large caravan of camels, about seventy in number, put in an appearance. A donkey with a man upon his back led the caravan, and they were all joined together with a rope, the leader holding tight to one end of it. They moved along slowly in single file, looking quite awkward with the heavy burdens upon their backs. Camels are said to be patient and enduring. In case of a scarcity of water they are able to go without it for from eight to ten days. Horses and donkeys could not endure crossing the desert, but camels can, because their feet are cushion like, and therefore enlarge when placed upon the ground, making traveling easier for them when going through the sandy soil.
Smyrna is one of the cities which was spoken of in the of Revelation, and there one of the Seven Churches of Asia was located. A busy crowd of people were upon the streets, and in almost every direction dogs were seen in every attitude. One of the distressing things to me was the abundance of fleas which hopped upon us, biting as they went. We desired to keep away from dogs, but their home had been in Smyrna long enough to have the city well stocked with the little pests, and strangers were not long in finding it out, for, whether near by or far away from a dog, you were sure to be pestered.
The streets of Smyrna are narrow and dirty, with pools of disease-breeding water standing here and there upon them. The houses are not very large, and from the outside have an uninviting appearance. The dress of the people seemed odd, and indeed so did everything we looked at.
In walking over the city we saw many Mohammedan mosques, and near them was a tall, slender tower from which a priest called the hour of prayer. Now those towers are called minarets, and the priest is a muezzin. "Allah-el-Allah" is called in loud tones, and all the faithful ones bow down and pray; no matter whether they are buying a bill of goods or on their way to the mosque. We have seen them upon their knees on board of steamers, and they seemed not one bit afraid of attracting the attention of the tourists who stood looking on. Do you believe those people pray to be seen of men? We wondered about it, and since we have no right to judge we leave the matter with them.
Writing about Mohammedans brings to mind an incident which will no doubt interest you. On board the steamer was an ugly old man who had two wives and several children with him. They did not occupy staterooms, but took up their abode upon the deck, and were known as deck passengers. The women did not sit upon chairs, as did the rest of us, but flat upon the floor. As a shelter from the wind and the glances of the passengers an umbrella was used. We tried hard to peep under the covering to get a glimpse of the women's faces, but that privilege was never granted us, for the umbrella was sure to come between us. The old man walked back and forth for exercise, and the children ran to and fro before us; but the women never stirred from their first sitting place.
The wind blew very hard and the air was quite chilly even to those of us who were warmly clad. The children wore neither shoes nor stockings, and their clothing was of the thinnest kind of cloth. Their feet were pink with cold, and they had a season of crying as a result. The father was displeased, and raising a heavy stick which he carried let it come down upon the cold feet and ankles of the children. What a cruel act! And of course that kind of treatment brought forth cries louder than ever. In angry tones he scolded in a language we did not know, and quiet reigned when the sobbing little ones were taken under the umbrella with the women.
A guide accompanied us everywhere we went and talked for us, and as a party we kept him busy.
One beautiful, clear day we all went to Ephesus, another noted place of Bible times. The city once had a port and landing place for vessels, and its location at one time was such as to command great commerce; but these days the city is gone, and no port is to be seen; instead there are marshes which breed fever and disease, and every one who visits there fears to remain long lest the disease germ be taken into the system.
The people of Ephesus were given to the worship of idols, and not far from there was a temple called "the temple of Diana." Now Diana was a goddess, and the people thought she had come down from heaven; and they imagined she had the power to watch over all of their streams, and their wealth too. Well, in this temple were many beautiful things, for the wealthy people had beautiful gold and silver images made and placed there in honor of the great goddess, "whom all Asia and the world worshipeth." Each year there was a great display made of the images, for they were carried in a procession so that everybody could see them. The making of shrines and images became a great business, and many people were engaged in the work, and they grew rich from the proceeds. Paul was a missionary in the true sense. He never failed to tell the people wherever he went to believe on the Lord. You know from Athens he went to Corinth, and from there to the city I have been telling you about.
We read that he found disciples at this place and that he began asking them questions. He said to them, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" And they told Paul that they had never heard of such a thing before. Immediately Paul told them they should believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Quite willing were they to accept what Paul had told them, and after that were baptized. Then Paul laid his hands upon them, and about twelve disciples—quite a body of workers for the Lord—received the Holy Ghost, and after this they talked and prophesied.
The city was full of wickedness, so there was a splendid chance for Paul and the disciples to work; and very earnestly and faithfully they did work. When Paul began to preach the image-makers became alarmed; so much so that there was a great stir among them. A man by the name of Demetrius, who was a silversmith, became very angry. He called together the other workmen and sympathizers, and they, too, were angry. There was a wonderful time, "and the whole city was filled with confusion." They were not quieted until the town clerk talked to them. Don't you think there must have been a great time in Ephesus then? And don't you think Paul was a wonderful man to stay two years in a city like that, persuading the people to turn from their idols? For "all that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks." Yes, he was a powerful preacher, and the Word of God grew and prevailed because of Paul's preaching.
The Lord does not countenance wickedness; so there came an end to the prosperity of Ephesus. Years and years ago the city and temple were destroyed; after which they were never rebuilt. Their ruins were covered up with mud and dirt for years, and so completely were they covered that no one knew exactly where their location was.
About twenty-four years ago a gentleman by the name of Wood hunted and dug until he found the ruins; then he worked faithfully until the temple of Diana was excavated. Now visitors have the pleasure of standing on the marble floors of the "temple of Diana of the Ephesians."
Instead of Ephesus, there stands a dirty little village called Ayasalouk, and here and there in the village can be seen marble columns and other pieces of fine marble taken from the once beautiful temple. The trip was an interesting one to us, because we knew that at one time Paul was in this very same country, and perhaps stood right where we stood.
Our stay at this place was not very long, for it was near train time, and we were compelled to go with the rest of our company. We tramped over the hills and among the ruins of Ephesus until we had gone eight miles. We were tired, and rest was welcome. A little before dark we were safe in Smyrna again, ready for a warm meal and a good rest.
Soon after this we left Smyrna for Jaffa. This time we had a distance of perhaps eight hundred miles to travel, and the voyage took five days. Many times we wished more of our traveling could have been upon land, and yet, when we think of it, many pleasant days were spent upon the sea, even though it was rough and stormy at times.
Our company consisted of Americans and English people, some from our own State,—Illinois,—some from New York. I must say that the most agreeable people of the company were Americans.
We took passage on the steamer Vesta, and Smyrna was left behind; we were started on our five days' journey to Jaffa. The voyage was pleasant and the scenery varied, for we passed many islands. Our boat stopped a short time at the Island of Cyprus, another one of Paul's missionary points and also the native place of Barnabas, who, having heard the bold speeches of Peter and John, sold his land "and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet." Barnabas is frequently spoken of in the New Testament, for he was a good man and "full of the Holy Ghost and of faith;" and he, with Paul, made many missionary tours through this same Island of Cyprus.
About three hundred Greek and Armenian pilgrims wanted to be taken aboard at this place; but there were too many of them, the captain thought, so he took some and left the rest to wait for another ship. They made so much noise we felt almost sure there was some disturbance brewing; but it proved to be only their earnest way of talking, for they seemed peaceable enough.
Each year hundreds of them make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem; they go there to enjoy the Easter ceremonies. Many of them walk from Jaffa to Jerusalem with pebbles in their shoes, or bare-foot. If some great sin has been committed, they take upon themselves some torture which may bring about suffering to the flesh.
The Vesta carried passengers who came from many parts of the world,—merchants, tourists and pilgrims,—some on their way to Jerusalem, others to Damascus, and still others to Egypt. There were ever so many Turks on board, and right outside of our stateroom were a number of Turkish women and children. There was a sofa in our stateroom by the window, and I often sat there listening to their strange language. I tried hard to see their faces, but that seemed out of the question, for the women were veiled, which is a custom among them. Occasionally the veil was thrown back, but just as soon as there was the least suspicion of any one looking at them it was hurriedly pulled down. The women who are seen with uncovered faces are considered bold.
The women and children were deck passengers, and during the trip stayed there close by my window. They had plenty of bedding which was very clean and nice looking. At night they slept upon it, and in the daytime used it to sit upon. The men kept baskets well filled with the finest of oranges, and no doubt there were plenty of good things besides for them to eat. The women wore large earrings in their ears, and the prevailing fashion among them was to stain the fingernails black; and thinking to add to their looks they put a streak of black under the lower eyelid.
One of the Turks had several women under his care, and among the number was a young girl whose father and mother were dead. She did not want to leave her home in Constantinople, but the man who had her in charge took her regardless of her wishes. This man was an uncle to the girl, and therefore had a right to do as he pleased; but it so happened that she never reached Damascus, the place aimed for.
There was great confusion among the Turkish women one night, and everybody on board the Vesta was aroused from slumber. Overhead there was an unusual amount of walking and talking, and above all could be heard the stern voice of the captain. We were very sure something had gone wrong, for the confusion lasted several hours and the captain seemed to have great trouble in quieting the people. After a while they settled down and we fell asleep. The next morning we learned that the young girl had disappeared during the night. All search seemed in vain, and after finding her clothing upon deck they concluded she had jumped overboard. Surely her Damascus trip was ended, and sad indeed must have been the heart of the poor, motherless girl who found a resting place in the Mediterranean Sea. That event brought sadness to our hearts, and yet we had a strong desire to know more of the life of the poor Turkish maiden; but there was no need of dwelling longer on this subject, and therefore we cast it aside for more cheerful thoughts.
The weather was fine almost all of the trip, and much time was spent on deck watching the waves chase each other as we dashed along. Watching waves seemed like a trivial thing to do, but when passengers must depend upon themselves for amusement they are often intensely interested by the very smallest thing, especially when nothing is seen but sky and water for miles and miles and miles.
There are few secure harbors along the Mediterranean. Vessels always cast anchor out from shore from half a mile to a mile, and passengers as well as cargo must be taken ashore in small boats. If the sea should be boisterous the vessels are compelled to lie by until a calm; then discharge the cargo. That seemed to be our fate at Beyrut, for on reaching the port there was a stiff breeze which resembled a gale; and instead of stopping only a few hours we remained until the day following. The heavy sea twisted the Vesta and caused her to drag the anchor a little. We did not enjoy that part of it, for a restless, uneasy feeling in our stomach made us think of seasickness, which came very near following. Some passengers went ashore at Beyrut because it was the end of their journey, and others went for a change of scene. As we were not of the venturesome kind we decided to remain where we were until the next stopping place was reached, and that would be Jaffa.
Jaffa seemed very far away when we first thought of taking a journey through Palestine; but each day shortened the time until less than twenty-four hours remained, and then the next thing we knew the city was in view. The tourists commenced to talk about the dangerous landing and wish it were over with; and we of course were among the number.
Almost every one going to Jerusalem goes to the port of Jaffa. It is a very dangerous landing, because of its rocky coast. There are large, black rocks extending far out in the sea, and when the waves run high the little boats are dashed upon them, and all are lost. Sometimes ships are obliged to go on to the next port without landing a passenger or discharging the cargo.
There was so much noise and confusion at the landing, almost enough to scare a timid person. Boatmen crowded around the passengers and shouted at the top of their voices, each one trying to see how many passengers he could get, just like the cabmen at depots in our cities. I kept away from the noise as much as possible, and found a good hiding place in the stateroom, where they were not allowed to go. There I stayed until almost all the passengers had gone ashore.
There was a flight of steps on one side of the steamer, held in place by ropes, and quite a thick rope was used for a railing. The steps were used only by the passengers, and when needed no more by them were drawn up and fastened to the side of the ship. Those steps were somewhat shaky, for every time a person went down one step the whole flight took to shaking. Oh, how it made me tremble! for it seemed as though it were loose and would surely come down, and the passenger along with it. Sometimes the little boat was at the foot of the steps (for I have told you it was necessary to go ashore in small boats), and sometimes it was far away from them; so there was a quick movement needed if you were to be successful in getting in before a wave washed it away.
The boatmen are strong looking fellows, and the great sinews stand out on their arms so plainly that every one can be counted if you desire to do so. Their shirt sleeves were rolled up above the elbow, and no shoes were upon their feet. To see them is to impress one with their strength. One by one the gentlemen and ladies passed down the steps, each keeping his feelings to himself. Our turn came, so with weak and trembling knees we went down, keeping our eyes upon the boat which was tossing and pitching at a rapid rate at the foot of the steps. It seemed almost out of the question to step into it. Just as the attempt was to be made one of the Arab boatmen took me, and without much of an effort seated me in the little boat. The transfer was sudden, yet I shall always feel grateful for the kind act. Very cautiously the men rowed, passing between the rocks which were seen more plainly as we drew nearer and nearer the shore. No wonder all passengers dread the Jaffa landing, and no wonder many lives have been lost in landing when storms were raging.
Strong men are always glad when the ordeal of landing at Jaffa is over with. Is it any wonder then that timid women rejoice over the fact that there is only one Jaffa landing?
You can imagine we were rejoiced to be on solid ground again, and when the guide took us to the hotel we retired to our room; and there on bended knees we thanked our kind heavenly Father for his protecting care over us. Our hearts were full of thankfulness, and tears of gratitude filled our eyes. Though far, far from home, it was a pleasing thought to feel that the Lord was with us all the way.
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