A Visit to the Holy Land
by
Ida Pfeiffer
Part 2 out of 6
no more likely that the city could be taken than that fishes could
swim about half fried. Ever since that period the wonderful miracle
of the fried fish is said to occur annually at Easter.
On our return to our kaik, we saw near the shore an enormous cuttle-
fish, more than fourteen feet in length, which had just been taken
and killed. A number of fishermen were trying with ropes and poles
to drag the monster ashore.
The walks in the immediate neighbourhood of Pera are the great and
little Campo, and somewhat farther distant the great bridge which
unites Topana with Constantinople; the latter is a most amusing
walk, during which we can view the life and bustle on both shores at
the same time. In the little Campo are two Frankish coffee-houses,
before which we sit quite in European fashion on handsome chairs and
benches, listening to pleasant music, and regaling ourselves with
ices.
FEASTS IN CONSTANTINOPLE.
During my residence in Constantinople I had the good fortune to be
present at some very entertaining festivities. The most magnificent
of these took place on the 23d of April, the anniversary of
Mahomet's death.
On the eve of this feast we enjoyed a fairy-like spectacle. The
tops of all the minarets were illuminated with hundreds of little
lamps; and as there are a great many of these slender spires, it can
be readily imagined that this sea of light must have a beautiful
effect. The Turkish ships in the harbour presented a similar
appearance. At every loop-hole a large lamp occupied the place of
the muzzle of the cannon. At nine o'clock in the evening, salvoes
were fired from the ships; and at the moment that the cannons were
fired, the lamps vanished, flashes of light and gunpowder-smoke
filled the air; a few seconds afterwards, as if by magic, the lamps
had reappeared. This salute was repeated three times.
The morning of the 23d was ushered in by the booming of the cannon.
All the Turkish ships had hoisted their flags, and garlands of
coloured paper were twined round the masts to their very tops.
At nine o'clock I proceeded in the company of several friends to
Constantinople, to see the grand progress of the Sultan to the
mosque. As with us, it is here the custom to post soldiers on
either side of the way. The procession was headed by the officers
and government officials; but after every couple of officers or
statesmen followed their servants, generally to the number of twelve
or fifteen persons, in very variegated costumes, partly Turkish,
partly European, and withal somewhat military; in fact, a perfect
motley. Then came the Emperor's state-horses, splendid creatures,
the majority of them of the true Arabian breed, decorated with
saddle-cloths richly embroidered with gold, pearls, and precious
stones, and proudly moving their plumed heads. Their spirited
appearance and beautiful paces excited the admiration of all the
learned in such matters. They were followed by a number of pages on
foot; these pages are not, however, youths, as in other countries,
but men of tried fidelity. In their midst rode the youthful
Emperor, wrapped in his cape, and wearing in his fez-cap a fine
heron's plume, buckled with the largest diamond in Europe. As the
Sultan passed by, he was greeted by the acclamations of the
military, but not of the people. The soldiers closed the
procession; but their bearing is not nearly so haughty as that of
the horses. The reason of this is simple enough--no one dares look
upon the Arabians with an evil eye, but the soldiers are entirely
subject to the caprice of their officers. I would certainly rather
be the Sultan's horse than his soldier.
The uniforms of the officers, in their profusion of gold embroidery,
resemble those of our hussars. The privates have very comfortable
jackets and trousers of blue cloth with red trimmings; some have
jackets entirely of a red colour. The artillerymen wear red
facings. Their chaussure is pitiable in the extreme: some have
boots, not unfrequently decorated with spurs; others have shoes,
trodden down at heel and terribly tattered; and some even appear in
slippers. All are without stockings, and thus naked feet peer forth
every where. The position of the men with regard to each other is
just as irregular; a little dwarf may frequently be seen posted next
to a giant, a boy of twelve or fourteen years near a grey-headed
veteran, and a negro standing next to a white man.
At this feast a great concourse of people was assembled, and every
window was crowded with muffled female heads.
We had been advised not to be present at this ceremony, as it was
stated to be of a purely religious nature, and it was feared we
should be exposed to annoyance from the fanaticism of the Mussulmen.
I am glad to say, however, that the curiosity of my party was
stronger than their apprehensions. We pushed through every where,
and I had again occasion to feel assured that grievous wrong is
frequently done the good Turks. Not only was there no appearance of
a disposition to annoy us, but we even obtained very good places
without much trouble.
On their Easter days the Greeks have a feast in the great Campo. On
all the three holidays, the hamaks (water-carriers and porters),
after the service is over, march in large numbers to the Campo with
songs and music, with noise and shouting, waving their handkerchiefs
in the air. Arrived at their destination, they divide into
different groups, and proceed to amuse themselves much after the
manner of other nations. A number of tents are erected, where a
great deal of cooking and baking is carried on. Large companies are
sitting on the ground or on the tombstones, eating and drinking in
quiet enjoyment. We see a number of swings laden with men and
children; on this side we hear the squeaking of a bagpipe, on that
the sound of a pipe and drum, uttering such dismal music that the
hearer instinctively puts a finger into each ear. To this music a
real bear's dance is going on. Six or eight fellows stand in a half
circle round the musician, and two leaders of these light-toed
clodhoppers continually wave their handkerchiefs in the air as they
stamp slowly and heavily round in a circle. The women are allowed
to appear at this feast, but may neither take part in the swinging
nor in the dancing. They therefore keep up a brave skirmishing with
the sweetmeats, coffee, and delicacies of all kinds. The more
wealthy portion of the community employ these days in riding to
Baluklid, to gaze and wonder at the miracle of the half-baked and
yet living fishes.
As the Greeks are not so good-natured as the Turks, the latter
seldom take part in their festivities. Turkish women never appear
on these occasions.
On the 8th of May I saw a truly Turkish fete in the neighbourhood of
the Achmaidon (place of arrows).
In a plain surrounded on all sides by hills, men of all nations
formed a large but closely-packed circle. Kavasses (gens d'arme)
were there to keep order among the people, and several officers sat
among the circle to keep order among the kavasses. The spectacle
began. Two wrestlers or gladiators made their appearance,
completely undressed, with the exception of trousers of strong
leather. They had rubbed themselves all over with oil, so that
their joints might be soft and supple, and also that their adversary
should not be able to obtain a firm hold when they grappled
together. They made several obeisances to the spectators, began
with minor feats of wrestling, and frequently stopped for a few
moments in order to husband their strength. Then the battle began
afresh, and became hotter and hotter, till at length one of the
combatants was hailed as victor by the shouting mob. He is declared
the conqueror who succeeds in throwing his opponent in such a manner
that he can sit down upon him as on a horse. A combat of this kind
usually lasts a quarter of an hour. The victor walks triumphantly
round the circle to collect his reward. The unfortunate vanquished
conceals himself among the spectators, scarcely daring to lift his
eyes. These games last for several hours; as one pair of gladiators
retire, they are replaced by another.
Greek, Turkish, and Armenian women may only be spectators of these
games from a distance; they therefore occupy the adjoining heights.
For the rest, the arrangements are the same as at the Greek Easter
feast. People eat, drink, and dance. No signs of beer, wine, or
liqueur are to be discovered, and consequently there is no
drunkenness.
The Turkish officers were here polite enough to surrender the best
places to us strangers. I had many opportunities of noticing the
character of the Mussulman, and found, to my great delight, that he
is much better and more honest than prejudices generally allow us to
believe. Even in matters of commerce and business it is better to
have to do with a Turk than with a votary of any other creed, not
even excepting my own.
During my stay at Constantinople (from the 5th of April until May
17th) I found the weather just as changeable as in my own country;
so much so, in fact, that the temperature frequently varied twelve
or fourteen degrees within four-and-twenty hours.
EXCURSION TO BRUSSA.
The two brothers, Baron Charles and Frederick von Buseck, and Herr
Sattler, the talented artist, resolved to make an excursion to
Brussa; and as I had expressed a similar wish, they were obliging
enough to invite me to make a fourth in their party. But when it
came to the point, I had almost become irresolute. I was asked by
some one if I was a good rider; "for if you are not," said my
questioner, "it would be far better for you not to accompany them,
as Brussa is four German miles distant from Gemlek, and the road is
bad, so that the gentlemen must ride briskly if they wish to reach
the town before sundown, starting as they would at half-past two in
the afternoon, the general hour of landing at Gemlek. In the event
of your being unable to keep up with the rest, you would put them to
great inconvenience, or they will be compelled to leave you behind
on the road."
I had never mounted a horse, and felt almost inclined to confess the
fact; but my curiosity to see Brussa, the beautiful town at the foot
of Olympus, gained the day, and I boldly declared that I had no
doubt I should be able to keep pace with my companions.
On the 13th of May we left Constantinople at half-past six in the
morning, on board a little steamer of forty-horse power. Passing
the Prince's and Dog Islands, we swept across the Sea of Marmora
towards the snow-crowned Olympus, until, after a voyage of seven
hours, we reached Gemlek.
Gemlek, distant thirty sea miles from Constantinople, is a miserable
place, but nevertheless does some trade as the harbour of Bithynia.
The agent of the Danube Navigation Company was civil enough to
procure us good horses, and a genuine, stalwart, and fierce-looking
Turkoman for a guide. This man wore in his girdle several pistols
and a dagger; a long crooked scimitar hung at his side; and instead
of shoes and slippers, large boots decked his feet, bordered at the
top by a wide stripe of white cloth, on which were depicted blue
flowers and other ornaments. His head was graced by a handsome
turban.
At half-past two o'clock the horses arrived. I swung myself boldly
upon my Rosinante, called on my good angel to defend me, and away we
started, slowly at first, over stock and stone. My joy was
boundless when I found that I could sit steadily upon my horse; but
shortly afterwards, when we broke into a trot, I began to feel
particularly uncomfortable, as I could not get on at all with the
stirrup, which was continually slipping to my heel, while sometimes
my foot slid out of it altogether, and I ran the risk of losing my
balance. Oh, what would I not have given to have asked advice of
any one! But unfortunately I could not do so without at once
betraying my ignorance of horsemanship. I therefore took care to
bring up the rear, under the pretence that my horse was shy, and
would not go well unless it saw the others before it. My real
reason was that I wished to hide my manoeuvres from the gentlemen,
for every moment I expected to fall. Frequently I clutched the
saddle with both hands, as I swayed from side to side. I looked
forward in terror to the gallop, but to my surprise found that I
could manage this pace better than the trot. My courage brought its
reward, for I reached the goal of our journey thoroughly shaken, but
without mishap. During the time that we travelled at a foot-pace, I
had found leisure to contemplate the scenery around us. For half
the entire distance we ride from one valley into another; as often
as a hill is reached, there is a limited prospect before the
traveller, who has, however, only to turn his head, and he enjoys a
beautiful view over the Sea of Marmora. After a ride of two hours
and a half we arrived at a little khan, {71a} where we rested for
half an hour. Proceeding thence a short distance, we reached the
last hills; and the great valley, at the end of which Brussa is seen
leaning against Olympus, lay stretched before our eager eyes, while
behind us we could still distinguish, far beyond hill and dale, the
distant sea skirting the horizon. Yet, beautiful as this landscape
undoubtedly is, I had seen it surpassed in Switzerland. The immense
valley which lies spread out before Brussa is uncultivated,
deserted, and unwatered; no carpet of luxuriant verdure, no rushing
river, no pretty village, gives an air of life to this magnificent
and yet monotonous region; and no giant mountains covered with
eternal snow look down upon the plain beneath. Pictures like these
I had frequently found in Switzerland, in the Tyrol, and also near
Salzburg. Here I saw, indeed, separate beauties, but no harmonious
whole. Olympus is a fine majestic mountain, forming an extended
barrier; but its height can scarcely exceed 6000 feet; {71b} and
during the present month it is totally despoiled of its surface of
glittering snow. Brussa, with its innumerable minarets, is the only
point of relief to which the eye continually recurs, because there
is nothing beyond to attract it. A little brook, crossed by a very
high stone bridge, but so shallow already in the middle of May as
hardly to cover our horses' hoofs; and towards Brussa, a miserable
village, with a few plantations of olives and mulberry-trees,--are
the only objects to be discovered throughout the whole wide expanse.
Wherever I found the olive-tree--here, near Trieste, and in Sicily,--
it was alike ugly. The stem is gnarled, and the leaves are narrow
and of a dingy green colour. The mulberry-tree, with its luxuriant
bright green foliage, forms an agreeable contrast to the olive. The
silk produced in this neighbourhood is peculiarly fine in quality,
and the stuffs from Brussa are renowned far and wide.
We reached the town in safety before sunset. It is one of the most
disagreeable circumstances that can happen to the traveller to
arrive at an Oriental town after evening has closed in. He finds
the gates locked, and may clamour for admittance in vain.
In order to gain our inn, we were obliged to ride through the
greater part of the town. I had here an opportunity of observing
that it is just as unsightly as the interior of Constantinople. The
streets are narrow, and the houses built of wood, plaster, and some
even of stone; but all wear an aspect of poverty, and at the same
time of singularity;--the gables projecting so much that they occupy
half the width of the street, and render it completely dark, while
they increase its narrowness. The inn, too, at which we put up,
looked far from inviting when viewed from the outside, so that we
had some dark misgivings respecting the quality of the accommodation
that awaited us. But in proportion as the outside had looked
unpropitious, were we agreeably surprised on entering. A neat and
roomy courtyard, with a basin of pure sparkling water in the midst,
surrounded by mulberry-trees, was the first thing we beheld. Round
this courtyard were two stories of clean but simply-furnished rooms.
The fare was good, and we were even regaled with a bottle of
excellent wine from the lower regions of Olympus.
May 14th.
Next morning we visited the town and its environs, under the
guidance and protection of a kavasse. The town itself is of great
extent, and is reported to contain above 10,000 houses, inhabited
exclusively by Turks. The population of the suburbs, which comprise
nearly 4000 houses, is a mixed one of Christians, Jews, Greeks, etc.
The town numbers three hundred and sixty mosques; but the greater
portion of them are so insignificant and in such a dilapidated
condition, that we scarcely observed them.
Strangers are here permitted to enter the mosques in company of a
kavasse. We visited some of the principal, among which the Ulla
Drchamy may decidedly be reckoned. The cupola of this mosque is
considered a masterpiece, and rests upon graceful columns. It is
open at the top, thus diffusing a chastened light and a clear
atmosphere throughout the building. Immediately beneath this cupola
stands a large marble basin, in which small fishes swim merrily
about.
The mosque of Sultan Mahomed I. and of Sultan Ildirim Bojasid must
also be noticed on account of their splendid architecture; the
latter, too, for the fine view which is thence obtained. In the
mosque of Murad I. visitors are still shewn weapons and garments
which once belonged to that sultan. I saw none of the magnificent
regal buildings mentioned by some writers. The imperial kiosk is so
simple in its appearance, that if we had not climbed the hill on
which it stands for the sake of the view, it would not have been
worth the trouble of the walk.
A stone bridge, roofed throughout its entire length, crosses the bed
of the river, which has very steep banks, but contains very little
water. A double row of small cottages, in which silk-weavers live
and ply their trade, lines this bridge, which I was surprised to see
here, as its architecture seemed rather to appertain to my own
country than to the East. During my whole journey I did not see a
second bridge of this kind, either in Syria or Egypt.
The streets are all very dull and deserted, a fact which is rather
remarkable in a town of 100,000 inhabitants. In most of the streets
more dogs than men are to be seen. Not only in Constantinople, but
almost in every Oriental town, vast numbers of these creatures run
about in a wild state.
Here, as every where, some degree of bustle is to be found in the
bazaars, particularly in those which are covered in. Beautiful and
durable silk stuffs, the most valuable of which are kept in
warehouses under lock and key, form the chief article of traffic.
In the public bazaar we found nothing exposed for sale except
provisions. Among these I remarked some small, very unpalatable
cherries. Asia Minor is the fatherland of this fruit, but I did not
find it in any degree of perfection either here or at Smyrna.
Brussa is peculiarly rich in cold springs, clear as crystal, which
burst forth from Mount Olympus. The town is intersected in all
directions by subterranean canals; in many streets, the ripple of
the waters below can be distinctly heard, and every house is
provided with wells and stone basins of the limpid element; in some
of the bazaars we find a similar arrangement.
On a nearer approach, the appearance of Mount Olympus is not nearly
so grand as when viewed from a distance. The mountain is surrounded
by several small hills, which detract from the general effect.
The baths, distant about a mile from the town, are prettily and
healthfully situated, and, moreover, abundantly supplied with
mineral water. Many strangers resort thither to recruit their
weakened frames.
The finest among these baths is called Jeni Caplidche. A lofty
circular hall contains a great swimming bath of marble, above which
rises a splendid cupola. A number of refracting glasses (six
hundred, they told me) diffuse a magic light around.
Our journey back to Constantinople was not accomplished entirely
without mishap. One of the gentlemen fell from his horse and broke
his watch. The saddles and bridles of hired horses are here
generally in such bad condition that there is every moment something
to buckle or to cobble up. We were riding at a pretty round pace,
when suddenly the girths burst, and the saddle and rider tumbled off
together. I arrived without accident at my destination, although I
had frequently been in danger of falling from my horse without its
being necessary that the girth should break.
The gentlemen were satisfied with my performance, for I had never
lagged behind, nor had they once been detained on my account. It
was not until we were safely on board the ship that I told them how
venturesome I had been, and what terror I had undergone.
CHAPTER V.
Contradictory reports--Departure from Constantinople on board the
Archduke John--Scene on the steamer--Galipoli--The Dardanelles--
Tschenekalesi and Kilidil Bahar--The field of Troy--Tenedos--Smyrna--
Halizar--The date-palm--Burnaba--The Acropolis--Female beauty--
Rhodes--Strong fortifications--Deserted appearance of the town--
Cyprus.
The extremely unfavourable reports I heard from Beyrout and
Palestine caused me to defer my departure from day to day. When I
applied to my consul for a "firmann" (Turkish passport), I was
strongly advised not to travel to the Holy Land. The disturbances
on Mount Lebanon and the plague were, they assured me, enemies too
powerful to be encountered except in cases of the most urgent
necessity.
A priest who had arrived from Beyrout about two months previously
affirmed positively that, in consequence of the serious
disturbances, even he, known though he was far and wide as a
physician, had not dared to venture more than a mile from the town
without exposing himself to the greatest danger. He advised me to
stay in Constantinople until the end of September, and then to
travel to Jerusalem with the Greek caravan. This, he said, was the
only method to reach that city in safety.
One day I met a pilgrim in a church who came from Palestine. On my
asking his advice, he not only confirmed the priest's report, but
even added that one of his companions had been murdered whilst
journeying homeward, and that he himself had been despoiled of his
goods, and had only escaped death through the special interposition
of Providence. I did not at all believe the asseverations of this
man; he related all his adventures with such a Baron Munchausen air,
assumed probably to excite admiration. I continued my
investigations on this subject until I was at length fortunate
enough to find some one who told an entirely different tale. From
this I felt assured at least of the fact, that it would be almost
impossible to learn the true state of the case here in
Constantinople, and at length made up my mind to avail myself of the
earliest opportunity of proceeding as far as Beyrout, where there
was a chance of my getting at the truth.
I was advised to perform this journey in male attire; but I did not
think it advisable to do so, as my short, spare figure would have
seemed to belong to a youth, and my face to an old man. Moreover,
as I had no beard, my disguise would instantly have been seen
through, and I should have been exposed to much annoyance. I
therefore preferred retaining the simple costume, consisting of a
kind of blouse and wide Turkish trousers, which I then wore. The
further I travelled, the more I became persuaded how rightly I had
acted in not concealing my sex. Every where I was treated with
respect, and kindness and consideration were frequently shewn me
merely because I was a woman. On
May 17th
I embarked on board a steamboat belonging to the Austrian Lloyd. It
was called the Archduke John.
It was with a feeling of painful emotion that I stood on the deck,
gazing with an air of abstraction at the preparations for the long
voyage which were actively going on around me. Once more I was
alone among a crowd of people, with nothing to depend on but my
trust in Providence. No friendly sympathetic being accompanied me
on board. All was strange. The people, the climate, country,
language, the manners and customs--all strange. But a glance upward
at the unchanging stars, and the thought came into my soul, "Trust
in God, and thou art not alone." And the feeling of despondency
passed away, and soon I could once more contemplate with pleasure
and interest all that was going on around me.
Near me stood a poor mother who could not bear to part with her son.
Time after time she folded him in her arms, and kissed and blessed
him. Poor mother! wilt thou see him again, or will the cold ground
be a barrier between you till this life is past? Peace be with you
both!
A whole tribe of people came noisily towards us;--they were friends
of the crew, who bounced about the ship from stem to stern,
canvassing its merits in comparison with French and English vessels.
Suddenly there was a great crowding on the swinging ladder, of
chests, boxes, and baskets. Men were pushing and crushing backwards
and forwards. Turks, Greeks, and others quarrelled and jostled each
other for the best places on the upper deck, and in a few moments
the whole large expanse wore the appearance of a bivouac. Mats and
mattresses were every where spread forth, provisions were piled up
in heaps, and culinary utensils placed in order beside them; and
before these preparations had been half completed the Turks began
washing their faces, hands, and feet, and unfolding their carpets,
to perform their devotions. In one corner of the ship I even
noticed that a little low tent had been erected; it was so closely
locked, that for a long time I could not discern whether human
beings or merchandise lay concealed within. No movement of the
interior was to be perceived, and it was not until some days
afterwards that I was informed by a Turk what the tent really
contained. A scheick from the Syrian coast had purchased two girls
at Constantinople, and was endeavouring to conceal them from the
gaze of the curious. I was for nine days on the same vessel with
these poor creatures, and during the whole time had not an
opportunity of seeing either of them. At the debarcation, too, they
were so closely muffled that it was impossible to discover whether
they were white or black.
At six o'clock the bell was rung to warn all strangers to go ashore;
and now I could discover who were really to be the companions of my
journey. I had flattered myself that I should find several Franks
on board, who might be bound to the same destination as myself; but
this hope waxed fainter and fainter every moment, as one European
after another left the ship, until at length I found myself alone
among the strange Oriental nations.
The anchor was now weighed, and we moved slowly out of the harbour.
I offered up a short but fervent prayer for protection on my long
and dangerous voyage, and with a calmed and strengthened spirit I
could once more turn my attention towards my fellow-passengers, who
having concluded their devotions were sitting at their frugal meal.
During the whole time they remained on the steamer these people
subsisted on cold provisions, such as cheese, bread, hard-boiled
eggs, anchovies, olives, walnuts, a great number of onions, and
dried "mishmish," a kind of small apricot, which instead of being
boiled is soaked in water for a few hours. In a sailing vessel it
is usual to bring a small stove and some wood, in order to cook
pilau, beans, fowls, and to boil coffee, etc. This, of course, is
not allowed on board a steamboat.
The beauty of the evening kept me on deck, and I looked with a
regretful feeling towards the imperial city, until the increasing
distance and the soft veil of evening combined to hide it from my
view, though at intervals the graceful minarets were still dimly
discernible through the mist. But who shall describe my feelings of
joy when I discovered a European among the passengers? Now I was no
longer alone; in the first moments we even seemed fellow-countrymen,
for the barriers that divide Europeans into different nations fall
as they enter a new quarter of the globe. We did not ask each
other, Are you from England, France, Italy; we inquired, Whither are
you going? and on its appearing that this gentleman intended
proceeding, like myself, to Jerusalem, we at once found so much to
talk about concerning the journey, that neither of us thought for a
moment of inquiring to what country the other belonged. We
conversed in the universal French language, and were perfectly
satisfied when we found we could understand each other. It was not
until the following day that I discovered the gentleman to be an
Englishman, and learned that his name was Bartlett. {79}
In Constantinople we had both met with the same fate. He had been,
like myself, unable to obtain any certain intelligence, either at
his consul's or from the inhabitants, as to the feasibility of a
journey to Jerusalem, and so he was going to seek further
information at Beyrout. We arranged that we would perform the
journey from Beyrout to Jerusalem in company,--if, indeed, we found
it possible to penetrate among the savage tribes of Druses and
Maronites. So now I no longer stood unprotected in the wide world.
I had found a companion as far as Jerusalem, the goal of my journey,
which I could now hope to reach.
I was well satisfied with the arrangements on board. I had made up
my mind, though not without sundry misgivings, to take a second-
class berth; and on entering the steamer of the Austrian Lloyd, I
discovered to my surprise how much may be effected by order and good
management. Here the men and the women were separately lodged,
wash-hand basins were not wanting, we fared well, and could not be
cheated when we paid for our board, as the accounts were managed by
the first mate: on the remaining steamers belonging to this company
I found the arrangements equally good.
Crossing the Sea of Marmora, we passed the "Seven Towers," leaving
the Prince's Islands behind us on the left.
Early on the following day,
May 18th,
we reached the little town of Galipoli, situate on an eminence near
the Hellespont. A few fragments of ruins in the last stage of
dilapidation cause us to think of the ages that have fled, as we
speed rapidly on. We waited here a quarter of an hour to increase
the motley assemblage on deck by some new arrivals.
For the next 20 miles, as far as Sed Bahe, the sea is confined
within such narrow bounds, that one could almost fancy it was a
channel dug to unite the Sea of Marmora with the Archipelago. It is
very appropriately called the STRAIT of the Dardanelles. On the
left we have always the mainland of Asia, and on the right a tongue
of land belonging to Europe, and terminating at Sed Bahe. The
shores on both sides are desert and bare. It is a great contrast to
former times, a contrast which every educated traveller must feel as
he travels hither from the Bosphorus. What stirring scenes were
once enacted here! Of what deeds of daring, chronicled in history,
were not these regions the scene! Every moment brought us nearer to
the classic ground. Alas, that we were not permitted to land on any
of the Greek Islands, past which we flew so closely! I was obliged,
perforce, to content myself with thinking of the past, of the
history of ancient Greece, without viewing the sites where the great
deeds had been done.
The two castles of the Dardanelles, Tschenekalesi and Kilidil Bahar,
that on the Asiatic shore looking like a ruin, while its European
neighbour wore the appearance of a fortress, let us steam past
unchallenged. And how shall I describe the emotions I felt as we
approached the plains of Troy?
I was constantly on deck, lest I should lose any portion of the
view, and scarcely dared to breathe when at length the long-wished-
for plain came in sight.
Here it is, then, that this famous city is supposed to have stood.
Yonder mounds, perchance, cover the resting-places of Achilles,
Patroclus, Ajax, Hector, and many other heroes who may have served
their country as faithfully as these, though their names do not live
in the page of history. How gladly would I have trodden the plain,
there to muse on the legends which in my youth had already awakened
in me such deep and awe-struck interest, and had first aroused the
wish to visit these lands--a desire now partially fulfilled! But we
flew by with relentless rapidity. The whole region is deserted and
bare. It seems as if nature and mankind were mourning together for
the days gone by. The inhabitants may indeed weep, for they will
never again be what they once were.
In the course of the day we passed several islands. In the
foreground towered the peak of the Hydrae, shortly afterwards
Samothrace rose from the waves, and we sailed close by the island of
Tenedos. At first this island does not present a striking
appearance, but after rounding a small promontory we obtained a view
of the fine fortress skirting the sea; it seems to have been built
for the protection of the town beyond.
After passing Tenedos we lost sight of the Greek islands for a short
time (the mainland of Asia can always be distinguished on our left),
but soon afterwards we reached the most beautiful of them all--
Mytelene, which has justly been sung by many poets as the Island of
the Fairies. For seven hours we glided by its coast. It resembles
a garden of olives, orange-trees, pomegranates, etc. The view is
bounded at the back by a double row of peaked mountains, and the
town lies nearly in the midst. It is built in a circular form,
round a hill, strengthened with fortifications. In front the town
is girded by a strong wall, and in the rear extends a deep bay. A
few masts peered forth and shewed us where the bay ended. From this
point we saw numerous villages prettily situated among the luxuriant
shade of large trees. It must be a delightful thing to spend the
spring-time on this island.
I remained on deck till late in the night, so charming, so rich in
varied pictures of verdant isles is this voyage on the AEgaean Sea.
Had I been a magician, I would have fixed the sun in the heavens
until we had arrived at Smyrna. Unfortunately many a beauteous
island which we next morning contemplated ruefully on the map was
hidden from us by the shades of night.
May 19th.
Long before the sun was up, I had resumed my post on deck, to
welcome Smyrna from afar.
A double chain of mountains, rising higher and higher, warned us of
our approach to the rich commercial city. At first we can only
distinguish the ancient dilapidated castle on a rock, then the city
itself, built at the foot of the rock, on the sea-shore; at the back
the view is closed by the "Brother Mountains."
The harbour is very spacious, but has rather the appearance of a
wharf, with room for whole fleets to anchor. Many ships were lying
here, and there was evidently plenty of business going on.
The "Franks' town," which can be distinctly viewed from the steamer,
extends along the harbour, and has a decidedly European air.
Herr von Cramer had been previously apprised of my arrival, and was
obliging enough to come on board to fetch me. We at once rode to
Halizar, the summer residence of many of the citizens, where I was
introduced to my host's family.
Halizar is distant about five English miles from Smyrna. The road
thither is beautiful beyond description, so that one has no time to
think about the distance. Immediately outside the town we pass a
large open place near a river, where the camels rest, and where they
are loaded and unloaded; I saw a whole herd of these animals. Their
Arab or Bedouin drivers were reclining on mats, resting after their
labours, while others were still fully employed about their camels.
It was a truly Arabian picture, and moreover so new to me, that I
involuntarily stopped my long-eared Bucephalus to contemplate it at
my leisure.
Not far from this resting-place is the chief place of rendezvous and
pastime of the citizens. It consists of a coffee-booth and a few
rows of trees, surrounded by numerous gardens, all rich in beautiful
fruit-trees. Charming beyond all the rest, the flower of the
pomegranate-tree shines with the deepest crimson among the green
leaves. Wild oleanders bloomed every where by the roadside. We
wandered through beautiful shrubberies of cypress-trees and olives,
and never yet had I beheld so rich a luxuriance of vegetation. This
valley, with its one side flanked by wild and rugged rocks, in
remarkable contrast to the fruitful landscape around, has a peculiar
effect when viewed from the hill across which we ride. I was also
much amazed by the numerous little troops of from six to ten, or
even twenty camels, which sometimes came towards us with their grave
majestic pace, and were sometimes overtaken by our fleet donkeys.
Surrounded on all sides by objects at once novel and interesting, it
will not be wondered at that I found the time passing far too
rapidly.
The heat is said not to be more oppressive at Smyrna during the
summer than at Constantinople. Spring, however, commences here
earlier, and the autumn is longer. This fact, I thought, accounted
for the lovely vegetation, which was here so much more forward than
at Constantinople.
Herr von Cramer's country-house stands in the midst of a smiling
garden; it is spacious and built of stone. The large and lofty
apartments are flagged with marble or tiles. In the garden I found
the first date-palm, a beautiful tree with a tall slender stem, from
the extremity of which depend leaves five or six feet in length,
forming a magnificent crown. In these regions and also in Syria,
whither my journey afterwards led me, the date-palm does not attain
so great a height as in Egypt, nor does it bear any fruit, but only
stands as a noble ornament beside the pomegranate and orange trees.
My attention was also attracted to numerous kinds of splendid
acacias; some of these grew to an immense size, as high as the
walnut-trees of my own country.
The villas of the townspeople all strongly resemble each other. The
house stands in the midst of the garden, and the whole is surrounded
by a wall.
In the evening I visited some of the peasants, in company with Herr
von C. This gentleman informed me that these people were very poor,
but still I found them decently clad and comfortably lodged in large
roomy dwellings built of stone. Altogether, the condition of
affairs seems here vastly superior to that in Galicia and in Hungary
near the Carpathian mountains.
I reckoned the day I spent with this amiable family among the most
pleasant I had yet passed. How gladly would I have accepted their
hearty invitation to remain several weeks with them! But I had lost
so much time in Constantinople, that on the morning of
May 20th
I was compelled to bid adieu to Frau von C. and her dear children.
Herr von C. escorted me back to Smyrna. We took the opportunity of
roaming through many streets of the Franks' quarter, which I found,
generally speaking, pretty and cheerful enough, and moreover level
and well paved. The handsomest street is that in which the consuls
reside. The houses are finely built of stone, and the halls are
tastefully paved with little coloured pebbles, arranged in the form
of wreaths, stars, and squares. The inhabitants generally take up
their quarters in these entrance-halls during the day, as it is
cooler there than in the rooms. To nearly every house a pretty
garden is attached.
The Turkish town is certainly quite different; it is built of wood,
and is angular and narrow; dogs lie about in the streets, just as at
Brussa and Constantinople. And why should it be otherwise here?
Turks live in all this quarter, and they do not feel the necessity
of clean and airy dwellings like the fastidious Franks.
The bazaars are not roofed; and here also the costlier portion of
the wares is kept under lock and key.
It is well worth the traveller's while to make an excursion to
Burnaba, a place lying on the sea-coast not far from the town, and
serving, like Halizar, as a retreat for the townspeople during the
summer. The views in this direction are various, and the road is
good. The whole appearance of the place is that of a very extended
village, with all its houses standing in the midst of gardens and
surrounded by walls.
From the Acropolis we have a fine view in every direction, and find,
in fact, a union of advantages only met with separately elsewhere.
In Smyrna I found the most beautiful women I had yet seen; and even
during my further journey I met with few who equalled, and none who
surpassed them. These fairy forms are, however, only to be sought
among the Greeks. The natural charms of these Graces are heightened
by the rich costume they wear. They have a peculiarly tasteful
manner of fastening their little round fez-caps, beneath which their
rich hair falls in heavy plaits upon their shoulders, or is wound
with a richly embroidered handkerchief round the head and brow.
Smyrna is, however, not only celebrated as possessing the loveliest
women, but also as the birthplace of one of the greatest men. {85}
O Homer, in the Greece of to-day thou wouldst find no materials for
thine immortal Iliad!
At five o'clock in the afternoon we quitted the harbour of Smyrna.
In this direction the town is seen to much greater advantage after
we have advanced a mile than when we approach it from
Constantinople; for now the Turks' town lies spread in all its
magnitude before us, whereas on the other side it is half hidden by
the Franks' quarter.
The sea ran high, and adverse winds checked the speed of our good
ship; but I am thankful to say that, except when the gale is very
strong, it does not affect my health. I felt perfectly well, and
stood enjoying the aspect of the waves as they came dancing towards
our vessel. In Smyrna our company had been augmented by the arrival
of a few more Franks.
May 21st.
Yesterday evening and all this day we have been sailing among
islands. The principal of these were Scio, Samos, and Cos, and even
these form a desolate picture of bare, inhospitable mountains and
desert regions. On the island of Cos alone we saw a neat town, with
strong fortifications.
May 22d.
This morning, shortly after five o'clock, we ran into the superb
harbour of Rhodes. Here, for the first time, I obtained a correct
notion of a harbour. That of Rhodes is shut in on all sides by
walls and masses of rock, leaving only a gap of a hundred and fifty
to two hundred paces in width for the ships to enter. Here every
vessel can lie in perfect safety, be the sea outside the bar as
stormy as it may; the only drawback is, that the entering of this
harbour, a task of some difficulty in calm weather, becomes totally
impracticable during a storm. A round tower stands as a protection
on either side of the entrance to the harbour. The venerable church
of St. John and the palace of the Komthur can be distinguished
towering high above the houses and fortifications.
Our captain imparted to us the pleasant intelligence that we might
spend the hours between this and three o'clock in the afternoon on
shore. Our ship had for some time lain surrounded by little boats,
and so we lost no time in being conveyed to the land. The first
thing we did on reaching it was to ask questions concerning the
ancient site of the celebrated Colossus. But we could gain no
information, as neither our books nor the people here could point
out the place to us with certainty; so we left the coast, to make up
for the disappointment by exploring the ancient city.
Rhodes is surrounded with three rows of strong fortifications. We
passed over three drawbridges before entering the town. We were
quite surprised to see the beautiful streets, the well-kept houses,
and the excellent pavement. The principal street, containing the
houses of the ancient Knights of St. John, is very broad, with
buildings so massively constructed of stone as almost to resemble
fortresses. Heraldic bearings, with dates carved in stone, grace
many of the Gothic gateways. The French shield, with the three
lilies and the date 1402, occurs most frequently. On the highest
point in the city are built the church of St. John and the house of
the governor.
All the exteriors seem in such good preservation, that one could
almost fancy the knights had only departed to plant their victorious
banner on the Holy Sepulchre. They have in truth departed--departed
to a better home. Centuries have breathed upon their ashes,
scattered in all the regions of the earth. But their deeds have
been chronicled both in heaven and among men, and the heroes still
live in the admiration of posterity.
The churches, the house of the governor, and many other buildings,
are not nearly so well preserved inside as a first glance would lead
us to imagine. The reason of this is that the upper part of the
town is but thinly inhabited. A gloomy air of silence and vacancy
reigns around. We could wander about every where without being
stared at or annoyed by the vulgar and envious. Mr. Bartlett, the
Englishman, made a few sketches in his drawing-book of some of the
chief beauties, such as the Gothic gateways, the windows, balconies,
etc., and no inhabitant came to disturb him.
The pavement in the city, and even in the streets around the
fortifications, consists wholly of handsome slabs of stone, often of
different colours, like mosaic, and in such good preservation that
we could fancy the work had been but recently concluded. This is
certainly partly owing to the fact that no loaded wagon ever crushes
over these stones, for the use of vehicles is entirely unknown in
these parts; every thing is carried by horses, asses, or camels.
Cannons dating from the time of the Genoese still stand upon the
ramparts. The carriages of these guns are very clumsy, the wheels
consisting of round discs without spokes.
From our tower of observation we can form a perfect estimate of the
extent and strength of the fortifications. The city is completely
surrounded by three lofty walls, which seem to have been calculated
to last an eternity, for they still stand almost uninjured in all
their glory. In some places images of the Virgin, of the size of
life, are hewn out of the walls.
The neighbourhood of Rhodes is most charming, and almost resembles a
park. Many country houses lie scattered throughout this natural
garden. The vegetation is here no less luxuriant than in Smyrna.
The architecture of the houses already begins to assume a new
character. Many dwellings have towers attached, and the roofs are
flat, forming numerous terraces, which are all built of stone. Some
streets in the lower part of the town, inhabited chiefly by Jews,
are bordered with cannon-balls, and present a most peculiar
appearance.
I was also much struck with the costumes worn by the country-people,
who were dressed quite in the Swabian fashion. It was in vain that
I inquired the reason of this circumstance. The books we had with
us gave no information on the subject, and I could not ask the
natives through my ignorance of their language.
By three o'clock in the afternoon we were once more on board, and an
hour afterwards we sailed out into the open sea. To-day we saw
nothing further, except a high and lengthened mountain-range on the
Asiatic mainland. It was a branch of the Taurus. The highest peaks
glistened like silver in the evening light, enveloped in a garment
of snow.
May 23d.
To-day our organs of vision had a rest, for we were sailing on the
high seas. Late in the evening, however, the sailors descried the
mountains of Cyprus looming in the far distance like a misty cloud.
With my less practised eyes I could see nothing but the sunset at
sea--a phenomenon of which I had had a more exalted conception. The
rising and setting of the sun at sea is not nearly so striking a
spectacle as the same phenomenon in a rocky landscape. At sea the
sky is generally cloudless in the evening, and the sun gradually
sinks, without refraction of rays or prismatic play of colours, into
its ocean-bed, to pursue its unchanging course the next day. How
infinitely more grand is this spectacle when seen from the "Rigi
Kulm" in Switzerland! There it is really a spectacle, in
contemplating which we feel impelled to fall on our knees in
speechless adoration, and admire the wisdom of the Almighty in his
wondrous works.
May 24th.
On mounting to the deck this morning at five o'clock I could
distinguish the island of Cyprus, which looks uglier the nearer we
approach. Both the foreground and the mountain-peaks have an
uncomfortable barren air. At ten o'clock we entered the harbour of
Larnaka. The situation of this town is any thing but fine; the
country looks like an Arabian desert, and a few unfruitful date-
palms rise beside the roofless stone houses.
I should not have gone on shore at all, if Doctor Faaslanc, whose
acquaintance I had made at Constantinople, and who had been
appointed quarantine physician here four weeks before my departure,
had not come to fetch me. The streets of Larnaka are unpaved, so
that we were obliged literally to wade more than ankle-deep in sand
and dust. The houses are small, with irregular windows, sometimes
high and sometimes low, furnished with wooden grated shutters; and
the roofs are in the form of terraces. This style of building I
found to be universal throughout Syria.
Of a garden or a green place not a trace was to be seen. The sandy
expanse reaches to the foot of the mountains, which viewed from this
direction form an equally barren picture. Behind these mountains
the appearance of the landscape is said to be very fruitful; but I
did not penetrate into the interior, nor did I go to Nikosia, the
capital of the island, distant some twelve miles from Larnaka.
Doctor Faaslanc took me to his house, which had an appearance of
greater comfort than I had expected to find, for it consisted of two
spacious rooms which might almost have been termed halls. An
agreeable coolness reigned every where.
Neither stoves nor chimneys were to be seen, as winter is here
replaced by a very mild rainy season. The heat in summer is often
said to be insupportable, the temperature rising to more than 36
degrees Reaumur. To-day it reached 30 degrees in the sun.
We drank to my safe return to my country, in real old Cyprian wine.
Shall I ever see it again? I hope so, if my journey progresses as
favourably as it has begun. But Syria is a bad country, and the
climate is difficult to bear; yet with courage and perseverance for
my companions, I may look forward to the accomplishment of my task.
The good doctor seemed much annoyed that he had nothing to offer me
but Cyprian wine and a few German biscuits. At this early season
fruit is not to be had, and cherries do not flourish here because
the climate is too hot for them. In Smyrna I ate the last for this
year. When I re-embarked in the afternoon, Mr. Bartlett came with
the English consul, who wished, he said, to make the acquaintance of
a lady possessing sufficient courage to undertake so long and
perilous a journey by herself. His astonishment increased when he
was informed that I was an unpretending native of Vienna. The
consul was kind enough to offer me the use of his house if I
returned by way of Cyprus; he also inquired if he could give me some
letters of recommendation to the Syrian consuls. I was touched by
this hearty politeness on the part of a perfect stranger--an
Englishman moreover, a race on whom we are accustomed to look as
cold and exclusive!
CHAPTER VI.
Arrival at Beyrout--Fellahs--Backsheesh--Uncomfortable quarters--
Saida--Tyre--St. Jean d'Acre--Caesarea--Excursion among the ruins--
Jaffa--An eastern family--The Indian fig-tree--An Oriental dinner--
Costume of the women of Jaffa--Oppressive heat--Gnats--Ramla--Syrian
convents--Bedouins and Arabs--Kariet el Areb, or Emmaus--The
Scheikh--Arrival at Jerusalem.
May 25th.
This morning I could discern the Syrian coast, which becomes more
glorious the nearer we approach. Beyrout, the goal of our voyage,
was jealously hidden from our eyes to the very last moment. We had
still to round a promontory, and then this Eden of the earth lay
before us in all its glory. How gladly would I have retarded the
course of our vessel, as we passed from the last rocky point into
the harbour, to have enjoyed this sight a little longer! One pair
of eyes does not suffice to take in this view; the objects are too
numerous, and the spectator is at a loss whither he should first
direct his gaze,--upon the town, with its many ancient towers
attached to the houses, giving them the air of knights' castles--
upon the numerous country-houses in the shade of luxurious mulberry
plantations--upon the beautiful valley between Beyrout and Mount
Lebanon--or on the distant mountain-range itself. The towering
masses of this magnificent chain, the peculiar colour of its rocks,
and its snowclad summits, riveted my attention longer than any thing
else.
Scarcely had the anchor descended from the bows, before our ship was
besieged by a number of small boats, with more noise and bustle than
even at Constantinople. The half-naked and excitable Arabs or
Fellahs are so ready with offers of service, that it is difficult to
keep them off. It almost becomes necessary to threaten these poor
people with a stick, as they obstinately refuse to take a gentler
hint. As the water is here very shallow, so that even the little
boats cannot come quite close to shore, some others of these brown
forms immediately approached, seized us by the arms, took us upon
their backs amidst continual shouting and quarrelling, and carried
us triumphantly to land.
Before the stranger puts himself into the hands of men of this kind,
such as captains of small craft, donkey-drivers, porters, etc., he
will find it a very wise precaution to settle the price he is to pay
for their services. I generally spoke to the captain, or to some
old stager among the passengers, on this subject. Even when I gave
these people double their usual price, they were not contented, but
demanded an additional backsheesh (gratuity). It is therefore
advisable to make the first offer very small, and to retain
something for the backsheesh. At length I safely reached the house
of Herr Battista (the only inn in the place), and was rejoicing in
the prospect of rest and refreshment, when the dismal cry of "no
room" was raised. I was thus placed in a deplorable position.
There was no second inn, no convent, no place of any kind, where I,
poor desolate creature that I was, could find shelter. This
circumstance worked so much on the host's feelings, that he
introduced me to his wife, and promised to procure me a private
lodging.
I had now certainly a roof above my head, but yet I could get no
rest, nor even command a corner where I might change my dress. I
sat with my hostess from eleven in the morning until five in the
afternoon, and a miserably long time it appeared. I could not read,
write, or even talk, for neither my hostess nor her children knew
any language but Arabic. I had, however, time to notice what was
going on around me, and observed that these children were much more
lively than those in Constantinople, for here they were continually
chattering and running about. According to the custom of the
country, the wife does nothing but play with the children or gossip
with the neighbours, while her husband attends to kitchen and
cellar, makes all the requisite purchases, and besides attending to
the guests, even lays the tablecloth for his wife and children. He
told me that in a week at furthest, his wife would go with the
children to a convent on the Lebanon, to remain there during the hot
season of the year. What a difference between an Oriental and a
European woman!
I still found the heat at sea far from unendurable; a soft wind
continually wafted its cooling influence towards us, and an awning
had been spread out to shelter us from the rays of the sun. But
what a contrast when we come to land! As I sat in the room here the
perspiration dropped continually from my brow, and now I began to
understand what is meant by being in the tropics. I could scarcely
await the hour when I should be shewn to a room to change my
clothes; but to-day I was not to have an opportunity of doing so,
for at five o'clock a messenger came from Mr. Bartlett with the
welcome intelligence that we could continue our journey, as nothing
was to be feared from the Druses and Maronites, and the plague only
reigned in isolated places through which it was not necessary that
we should pass. He had already engaged a servant who would act as
cook and dragoman (interpreter); provisions and cooking utensils had
also been bought, and places were engaged on an Arab craft.
Nothing, therefore, remained for me to do but to be on the sea-shore
by six o'clock, where his servant would be waiting for me. I was
much rejoiced on hearing this good news: I forgot that I required
rest and a change of clothes, packed up my bundle, and hurried to
the beach. Of the town I only saw a few streets, where there was a
great bustle. I also noticed many swarthy Arabs and Bedouins, who
wore nothing but a shirt. I did not feel particularly anxious to
see Beyrout and its vicinity, as I intended to return soon and visit
any part I could not examine now.
Before sunset we had already embarked on board the craft that was to
carry us to the long-wished-for, the sacred coast of Joppa. Every
thing was in readiness, and we lacked only the one thing
indispensable--a breeze.
No steamers sail between Joppa and Beyrout; travellers must be
content with sailing vessels, deficient alike as regards cleanliness
and convenience; they are not provided with a cabin, or even with an
awning, so that the passengers remain day and night under the open
sky. Our vessel carried a cargo of pottery, besides rice and corn
in sacks.
Midnight approached, and still we were in harbour, with not a breath
of wind to fill our sails.
Wrapping my cloak tightly round me, I lay down on the sacks, in the
absence of a mattress; but I was not yet sufficiently tired out to
be able to find rest on such an unusual couch. So I rose again in
rather a bad humour, and looked with an evil eye on the Arabs lying
on the sacks around me, who were not "slumbering softly," but
snoring lustily. By way of forcing myself, if possible, into a
poetical train of thought, I endeavoured to concentrate my attention
on the contemplation of the beautiful landscape by moonlight; but
even this would not keep me from yawning. My companion seemed much
in the same mood; for he had also risen from his _soft_ couch, and
was staring gloomingly straight before him. At length, towards
three o'clock in the morning of
May 26th,
a slight breath of wind arose, we hoisted two or three sails, and
glided slowly and noiselessly towards the sea.
Mr. B. had bargained with the captain to keep as close to the shore
as possible, in order that we might see the towns as we passed.
Excepting in Caesarea, it was forbidden to cast anchor any where,
for the plague was raging at Sur (Tyre) and in several other places.
Bargains of this kind must be taken down in writing at the
consulates, and only one-half of the sum agreed should be paid in
advance; the other half must be kept in hand, to operate as a check
on the crew. After every precaution has been taken, one can seldom
escape without some bickering and quarrelling. On these occasions
it is always advisable at once to take high ground, and not to give
way in the most trifling particular, for this is the only method of
gaining peace and quietness.
Towards seven o'clock in the morning we sailed by the town and
fortress of Saida. The town looks respectable enough, and contains
some spacious houses. The fortress is separated from the town by a
small bay, across which a wooden bridge has been built. The
fortress seems in a very dilapidated condition; many breaches are
still in the same state in which they were left after the taking of
the town by the English in 1840, and part of the wall has fallen
into the sea. In the background we could descry some ruins on a
rock, apparently the remains of an ancient castle.
The next place we saw was Sarepta, where Elijah the prophet was fed
by the poor widow during the famine.
The Lebanon range becomes lower and lower, while its namesake, the
Anti-Lebanon, begins to rise. It is quite as lofty as the first-
named range, which it closely resembles in form. Both are traversed
by fields of snow, and between them stands a third colossus, Mount
Hermon.
Next came the town of Tyre or Sur, now barren and deserted; for that
mighty scourge of humanity, the plague, was raging there to a
fearful extent. A few scattered fragments of fortifications and
numerous fallen pillars lie strewed on the shore.
And now at length I was about to see places which many have longed
to behold, but which few have reached. With a beating heart I gazed
unceasingly towards St. Jean d'Acre, which I at length saw rising
from the waves, with Mount Carmel in the background. Here, then,
was the holy ground on which the Redeemer walked for us fallen
creatures! Both St. Jean d'Acre and Mount Carmel can be
distinguished a long distance off.
For a second time did a mild and calm night sink gently on the earth
without bringing me repose. How unlucky it is that we find it so
much harder to miss comforts we have been used to enjoy, than to
acquire the habit of using comforts to which we have been
unaccustomed! Were this not the case, how much easier would
travelling be! As it is, it costs us many an effort ere we can look
hardships boldly in the face. "But patience!" thought I to myself;
"I shall have more to endure yet; and if I return safely, I shall be
as thoroughly case-hardened as any native."
Our meals and our beverage were very simple. In the morning we had
pilau, and in the evening we had pilau; our drink was lukewarm
water, qualified with a little rum.
From Beyrout to the neighbourhood of St. Jean d'Acre, the coast and
a considerable belt of land adjoining it are sandy and barren. Near
Acre every thing changed; we once more beheld pretty country-houses
surrounded by pomegranate and orange plantations, and a noble
aqueduct intersects the plain. Mount Carmel, alone barren and
unfruitful, stands in striking contrast to the beauteous landscape
around; jutting boldly out towards the sea, it forms the site of a
handsome and spacious convent.
The town of St. Jean d'Acre and its fortifications were completely
destroyed during the last war (in 1840), and appear to sigh in vain
for repairs. The houses and mosques are full of cannon-balls and
shot-holes. Every thing stands and lies about as though the enemy
had departed but yesterday. Six cannons peer threateningly from the
wall. The town and fortifications are both built on a tongue of
land washed by the sea.
May 27th.
During the night we reached Caesarea. With the eloquence of a
Demosthenes, our captain endeavoured to dissuade us from our project
of landing here; he pointed out to us the dangers to which we were
exposing ourselves, and the risks we should run from Bedouins and
snakes. The former, he averred, were accustomed to conceal
themselves in hordes among the ruins, in order to ease travellers of
their effects and money; being well aware that such spots were only
visited by curious tourists with well-filled purses, they were
continually on the watch, like the robber-knights of the good old
German empire. "An enemy no less formidable," said the captain,
"was to be encountered in the persons of numerous snakes lurking in
the old walls and on the weed-covered ground, which endangered the
life of the traveller at every step." We were perfectly well aware
of these facts, having gleaned them partly from descriptions of
voyages, partly from oral traditions; and so they were not powerful
enough to arrest our curiosity. The captain himself was really less
actuated by the sense of our danger, in advising us to abandon our
undertaking, than by the reflection of the time it lost him; but he
exerted himself in vain. He was obliged to cast anchor, and at
daybreak to send a boat ashore with us.
Our arms consisted of parasols and sticks (the latter we carried in
order to beat the bushes); we were escorted by the captain, his
servant, and a couple of sailors.
In the ruins we certainly met with a few suspicious-looking
characters in the shape of wandering Bedouins. As it was too late
to beat a retreat, we advanced bravely towards them with trusting
and friendly looks. The Bedouins did the same, and so there was an
end of this dangerous affair. We climbed from one fragment to
another, and certainly spent more than two hours among the ruins,
without sustaining the slightest injury at the hands of these
people. Of the threatened snakes we saw not a single one.
Ruins, indeed, we found every where in plenty. Whole side-walls,
which appeared to have belonged to private houses, but not to
splendid palaces or temples, stood erect and almost unscathed.
Fragments of pillars lay scattered about in great abundance, but
without capitals, pedestals, or friezes.
It was with a feeling of awe hitherto unknown to me that I trod the
ground where my Redeemer had walked. Every spot, every building
became invested with a double interest. "Perchance," I thought, "I
may be lingering within the very house where Jesus once sojourned."
More than satisfied with my excursion, I returned to our bark.
By three o'clock in the afternoon we were close under the walls of
Joppa. To enter this harbour, partially choked up as it is with
sand, is described as a difficult feat. We were assured that we
should see many wrecks of stranded ships and boats; accordingly I
strained my eyes to the utmost, and could discover nothing. We ran
safely in; and thus ended a little journey in the course of which I
had seen many new and interesting objects, besides gaining some
insight into the mode of life among the sailors. Frequently, when
it fell calm, our Arabs would recline on the ground in a circle,
singing songs of an inconceivably inharmonious and lugubrious
character, while they clapped their hands in cadence, and burst at
intervals into a barking laugh. I could not find any thing very
amusing in this entertainment; on the contrary, it had the effect of
making me feel very melancholy, as displaying these good people in a
very idiotic and degrading light.
The costume of the sailors was simple in the extreme. A shirt
covered them in rather an imperfect manner, and a handkerchief bound
round their heads protected them from a coup de soleil. The captain
was distinguished from the rest only by his turban, which looked
ridiculous enough, surmounting his half-clad form. Their diet
consisted of a single warm meal of pilau or beans, eaten in the
evening. During the day they stayed their appetites with bread.
Their drink was water.
The town of Joppa, extending from the sea-shore to the summit of a
rather considerable and completely isolated hill, has a most
peculiar appearance. The lower street is surrounded by a wall, and
appears sufficiently broad; the remaining streets run up the face of
the hills, and seem at a distance to be resting on the houses below.
Viewing the town from our boat, I could have sworn that people were
walking about on flat house-tops.
As Joppa boasts neither an inn nor a convent which might shelter a
traveller, I waited upon the Consul of the Austrian Empire, Herr D---,
who received me very kindly and introduced me to his family,
which comprised his lady, three sons, and three daughters. They
wore the Turkish costume. The daughters, two of whom were
exceedingly beautiful, wore wide trousers, a caftan, and a sash
round the waist. On their heads they had little fez-caps, and their
hair was divided into fifteen or twenty narrow plaits, interwoven
with little gold coins, and a larger one at the end of each plait.
A necklace of gold coins encircled their necks. The mother was
dressed in exactly the same way. When elderly women have little or
no hair left, they make up with artificial silk plaits for the
deficiencies of nature.
The custom of wearing coins as ornaments is so prevalent throughout
Syria, that the very poorest women, girls, and children strive to
display as many as possible. Where they cannot sport gold, they
content themselves with silver money; and where even this metal is
not attainable, with little coins of copper and other baser metals.
The Consul and his son were also clothed in the Turkish garb; but
instead of a turban the father wore an old cocked hat, which gave
him an indescribably ludicrous appearance. A son and a daughter of
this worthy patron of the semi-Turkish, semi-European garb, had but
one eye, a defect frequently met with in Syria. It is generally
supposed to be caused by the dry heat, the fine particles of sand,
and the intense glare of the chalky hills.
As I reached Joppa early in the afternoon, I proceeded in company of
the Consul to view the town and its environs. In dirt, bad paving,
etc., I found it equal to any of the towns I had yet seen. The
lower street, near the sea, alone is broad and bustling, with loaded
and unloaded camels passing continually to and fro. The bazaar is
composed of some miserable booths containing common provisions and a
few cheap wares.
The neighbourhood of Joppa is exceedingly fertile. Numerous large
gardens, with trees laden with all kinds of tropical fruits, and
guarded by impenetrable hedges of the Indian fig-tree, form a half-
circle round the lower portion of the town.
The Indian fig-tree, which I here saw for the first time, has an odd
appearance. From its stem, which is very dwarfish, leaves a foot in
length, six inches in breadth, and half an inch in thickness, shoot
forth. This tree seldom sends forth branches; the leaves grow one
out of another, and at the extremity the fruit is formed. Its
length is about two or three inches. Ten or twenty such figs are
frequently found adhering to a single leaf.
I could not conceive how it happened that in these hot countries,
without rain to refresh them, the trees all looked so healthy and
beautiful. This fact, I found, was owing to the numerous channels
cut through the gardens, which are thus artificially irrigated. The
heavy dews and cool nights also tend to restore the drooping
vegetation. One great ornament of our gardens was, however, totally
wanting--a lawn with wild flowers. Trees and vegetables here grow
out of the sandy or stony earth, a circumstance hardly noticed at a
distance, but which produces a disagreeable effect on a near view.
Flowers I found none.
The whole region round Joppa is so covered with sand, that one sinks
ankle-deep at every step.
Consul D--- fulfils the duties of two consulates, the Austrian and
the French. From both these offices he derives no benefit but the
honour. By some people this honour would be highly valued, but many
would rate it at nothing at all. This family, however, seems to
have a great idea of honour; for the consul's office is hereditary,
and I found the son of the present dignitary already looking forward
to filling his place.
In the evening I was present at a real Oriental entertainment in the
house of this friendly family.
Mats, carpets, and pillows were spread out on the terrace of the
house, and a very low table placed in the centre. Round this the
family sat, or rather reclined, cross-legged. I was accommodated
with a chair somewhat higher than the table. Beside my plate and
that of the Consul were laid a knife and fork, that appeared to have
been hunted out from some lumber closet; the rest ate with a species
of natural knife and fork, namely--fingers.
The dishes were not at all to my taste. I had still too much of the
European about me, and too little appetite, to be able to endure
what these good people seemed to consider immense delicacies.
The first dish appeared in the form of a delicate pilau, composed of
mutton, cucumbers, and a quantity of spice, which rendered it more
unpalatable to me than common pilau. Then followed sliced cucumbers
sprinkled with salt; but as the chief ingredients, vinegar and oil,
were entirely wanting, I was obliged to force down the cucumber as
best I could. Next came rice-milk, so strongly flavoured with attar
of roses, that the smell alone was more than enough for me; and now
at length the last course was put on the table--stale cheese made of
ewe's milk, little unpeeled girkins, which my entertainers coolly
discussed rind and all, and burnt hazel-nuts. The bread, which is
flat like pancakes, is not baked in ovens, but laid on metal plates
or hot stones, and turned when one side is sufficiently done. It
tastes better than I should have expected. {101}
Our conversation during dinner was most interesting. Some of the
family spoke a little Italian, but this little was pronounced with
such a strong Greek accent, that I was obliged to guess at the
greater portion of what was said. No doubt they had to do the same
with me. The worthy Consul, indeed, affirmed that he knew French
very well; but for this evening at least, his memory seemed to have
given him the slip. Much was spoken, and little understood. The
same thing is said often to be the case in learned societies; so it
was not of much consequence.
There are many different kinds of cucumber in Syria, where they are
a favourite dish with rich and poor. I found numerous varieties,
but none that I found superior to our German one. Another favourite
fruit is the water-melon, here called "bastek." These also I found
neither larger in size nor better flavoured than the melons I had
eaten in southern Hungary.
The Consul's house seems sufficiently large; but the architectural
arrangement is so irregular that the extended area contains but few
rooms and very little comfort. The apartments are lofty and large,
extremely ill-furnished, and not kept in the best possible order.
I slept in the apartment of the married daughter; but had it not
been for the beds standing round, I should rather have looked upon
it as an old store-closet than a lady's sleeping-room.
May 28th.
At five o'clock in the morning Mr. Bartlett's servant came to fetch
me away, as we were at once to continue our journey. I betook
myself to the house of the English Consul, where I found neither a
horse nor any thing else prepared for our departure. It is
necessary to look calmly upon these irregularities here in the East,
where it is esteemed a fortunate occurrence if the horses and mukers
(as the drivers of horses and donkeys are called) are only a few
hours behind their time. Thus our horses made their appearance at
half-past five instead of at four, the hour for which they had been
ordered. Our baggage was soon securely fixed, for we left the
greater portion of our effects at Joppa, and took with us only what
was indispensably necessary.
As the clock struck six we rode out of the gate of Joppa, and
immediately afterwards reached a large well with a marble basin.
Near places of this description a great number of people are always
congregated, and more women and girls are seen than appear
elsewhere.
The dress of females belonging to the lower orders consists of a
long blue garment fastened round the throat, and reaching below the
ankle. They completely cover the head and face, frequently without
even leaving openings for the eyes. Some females, on the other
hand, go abroad with their faces totally uncovered. These are,
however, exceptional cases.
The women carry their water-pitchers on their head or shoulder, as
their ancestors have done for thousands of years, in the manner we
find represented in the oldest pictures. But unfortunately I could
discover neither the grace in their gait, the dignity in their
movements, nor the physical beauty in their appearance, that I had
been led to expect. On the contrary, I found squalor and poverty
more prevalent than I had thought possible. We rode on amid the
gardens, every moment meeting a little caravan of camels.
Immediately beyond the gardens we descry the fruitful valley of
Sharon, extending more than eight miles in length, and to a still
greater distance in breadth. Here and there we find villages built
on hills, and the whole presents the appearance of an extremely
fertile and well-populated region. In all directions we saw large
herds of sheep and goats; the latter generally of a black or brown
colour, with long pendent ears.
The foreground of the picture is formed by the Judaean mountains, a
range apparently composed of a number of barren rocks.
A ride of two hours through this plain, which is less sandy than the
immediate neighbourhood of Joppa, brought us to a mosque, where we
made halt for a quarter of an hour and ate our breakfast, consisting
of some hard-boiled eggs, a piece of bread, and a draught of
lukewarm water from the cistern. Our poor beasts fared even worse
than ourselves--they received nothing but water.
On leaving this place to resume our journey across the plain, we not
only suffered dreadfully from the heat, which had reached 30 degrees
Reaumur, but were further persecuted by a species of minute gnats,
which hovered round us in large swarms, crept into our noses and
ears, and annoyed us in such a manner that it required the utmost of
our patience and determination to prevent us from turning back at
once. Fortunately we only met with these tormentors in those parts
where the corn had been cut and was still in the fields. They are
not much larger than a pin's head, and look more like flies than
gnats. They are always met with in great swarms, and sting so
sharply that they frequently raise large boils.
The vegetation was at this season already in so forward a state that
we frequently passed stubble-fields, and found that the wheat had in
several cases been already garnered up. Throughout the whole of
Syria, and in that part of Egypt whither my journey afterwards led
me, I never once saw corn or vegetables, wood or stores, carried in
wagons; they were invariably borne by horses or asses. In Syria I
could understand the reason of this proceeding. With the exception,
perhaps, of the eight or ten miles across the valley of Sharon, the
road is too stony and uneven to admit the passage of the lightest
and smallest carts. In Egypt, however, this is not the case, and
yet wagons have not been introduced.
A most comical effect was produced when we met long processions of
small donkeys, so completely laden with corn, that neither their
heads nor their feet remained visible. The sheaves seemed to be
moving spontaneously, or to be propelled by the power of steam.
Frequently after a train of this kind has passed, lofty grey heads
appear, surrounded by a load piled up to so great a height, that one
would suppose large corn-wagons were approaching rather than the
"ship of the desert," the camel. The traveller's attention is
continually attracted to some novel and curious object totally
dissimilar to any thing he has seen at home.
Towards ten o'clock we arrived at Ramla, a place situate on a little
hill, and discernible from a great distance. Before reaching the
town, we had to pass through an olive-wood. Leaving our horses
beneath a shady tree, we entered the coppice on the right: a walk
of about a quarter of a mile brought us to the "Tower of the Forty
Martyrs," which was converted into a church during the time of the
Knights Templars, and now serves as a dwelling for dervishes. It is
a complete ruin, and I could scarcely believe that it was still
habitable.
We made no stay at Ramda, a place only remarkable for a convent
built, it is said, on the site of Joseph of Arimathea's house.
The Syrian convents are built more like fortresses than like
peaceful dwellings. They are usually surrounded by strong and lofty
walls, furnished with loopholes for cannon. The great gate is kept
continually closed, and barred and bolted from within for greater
security; a little postern is opened to admit visitors, but even
this is only done in time of peace, and when there is no fear of the
plague.
At length, towards noon, we approached the mountains of Judaea.
Here we must bid farewell to the beautiful fruitful valley and to
the charming road, and pursue our journey through a stony region,
which we do not pass without difficulty.
At the entrance of the mountain-chain lies a miserable village; near
this village is a well, and here we halted to refresh ourselves and
water our poor horses. It was not without a great deal of trouble
and some expense that we managed to obtain a little water; for all
the camels, asses, goats, and sheep from far and wide were collected
here, eagerly licking up every drop of the refreshing element they
could secure. Little did I think that I should ever be glad to
quench my thirst with so disgusting a beverage as the muddy, turbid,
and lukewarm water they gave me from this well. We once more filled
our leathern bottles, and proceeded with fresh courage up the stony
path, which quickly became so narrow, that without great difficulty
and danger we could not pass the camels which we frequently met.
Fortunately a few camels out of every herd are generally provided
with bells, so that their approach is heard at some distance, and
one can prepare for them accordingly.
The Bedouins and Arabs generally wear no garment but a shirt barely
reaching to the knee. Their head is protected by a linen cloth, to
which a thick rope wound twice round the head gives a very good
effect. A few have a striped jacket over their shirt, and the rich
men or chiefs frequently wear turbans.
Our road now continues to wind upwards, through ravines between
rocks and mountains, and over heaps of stones. Here and there
single olive-trees are seen sprouting from the rocky clefts. Ugly
as this tree is, it still forms a cheerful feature in the desert
places where it grows. Now and then we climbed hills whence we had
a distant view of the sea. These glimpses increase the awe which
inspires the traveller when he considers on what ground he is
wandering, and whither he is bending his steps. Every step we now
take leads us past places of religious importance; every ruin, every
fragment of a fortress or tower, above which the rocky walls rise
like terraces, speaks of eventful times long gone by.
An uninterrupted ride of five hours over very bad roads, from the
entrance of the mountain-range, added to the extreme heat and total
want of proper refreshment, suddenly brought on such a violent
giddiness that I could scarcely keep myself from falling off my
horse. Although we had been on horseback for eleven hours since
leaving Joppa, I was so much afraid that Mr. B. would consider me
weak and ailing, and perhaps change his intention of accompanying me
from Jerusalem back to Joppa, that I refrained from acquainting him
with the condition in which I felt myself. I therefore dismounted
(had I not done so, I should soon have fallen down), and walked with
tottering steps beside my horse, until I felt so far recovered that
I could mount once more. Mr. B. had determined to perform the
distance from Joppa to Jerusalem (a sixteen hours' ride) at one
stretch. He indeed asked me if I could bear so much fatigue; but I
was unwilling to abuse his kindness, and therefore assured him that
I could manage to ride on for five or six hours longer. Fortunately
for my reputation, my companion was soon afterwards attacked with
the same symptoms that troubled me so much; he now began to think
that it might, after all, be advisable to rest for a few hours in
the next village, especially as we could not hope in any case to
reach the gates of Jerusalem before sundown. I felt silently
thankful for this opportune occurrence, and left the question of
going on or stopping altogether to the decision of my fellow-
traveller, particularly as I knew the course he would choose. Thus
I accomplished my object without being obliged to confess my
weakness. In pursuance of this resolve, we stayed in the
neighbouring village of "Kariet el Areb," the ancient Emmaus, where
the risen Saviour met the disciples, and where we find a ruin of a
Christian church in a tolerable state of preservation. The building
is now used as a stable. Some years ago this was the haunt of a
famous robber, who was scheikh of the place, and let no Frank pass
before he had paid whatever tribute he chose to demand. Since the
accession of Mehemet Ali these exactions have ceased both here and
in Jerusalem, where money was demanded of the stranger for admission
into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other sacred places. Even
highway robberies, which were once on a time of daily occurrence
among these mountains, are now rarely heard of.
We took possession of the entrance-hall of a mosque, near which a
delicious spring sparkled forth from a grotto. Seldom has any thing
strengthened and refreshed me so much as the water of this spring.
I recovered completely from my indisposition, and was able to enjoy
the beautiful evening.
As soon as the scheikh of the village heard that a party of Franks
had arrived, he despatched four or five dishes of provisions to us.
Of all these preparations we could only eat one--the butter-milk.
The other dishes, a mixture of honey, cucumbers, hard-boiled eggs,
onions, oil, olives, etc., we generously bestowed upon the dragoman
and the muker, who caused them quickly to disappear. An hour
afterwards the scheikh came in person to pay his respects. We
reclined on the steps of the hall; and while the men smoked and
drank coffee, a conversation of a very uninteresting kind was kept
up, the dragoman acting as interpreter. At length the scheikh
seemed seized with the idea that we might possibly be tired with our
journey. He took his leave, and offered unasked to send us two men
as sentries, which he did. Thus we could go to rest in perfect
safety under the open sky in the midst of a Turkish village.
But before we retired to rest, my companion was seized with the
rather original idea that we should pursue our journey at midnight.
He asked me, indeed, if I was afraid, but at the same time observed,
that it would be much safer for us to act upon his suggestion, as no
one would suspect our departure by such a dangerous road at
midnight. I certainly felt a little afraid, but my pride would not
allow me to confess the truth; so our people received the order to
be prepared to set out at midnight.
Thus we four persons, alone and totally unarmed, travelled at
midnight through the wildest and most dangerous regions.
Fortunately the bright moon looked smilingly down upon us, and
illuminated our path so brightly, that the horses carried us with
firm step over every obstruction. I was, I must confess, grievously
frightened by the shadows! I saw living things moving to and fro--
forms gigantic and forms dwarfish seemed sometimes approaching us,
sometimes hiding behind masses of rock, or sinking back into
nothingness. Lights and shadows, fears and anxiety, thus took
alternate possession of my imagination.
A couple of miles from our starting-place we came upon a brook
crossed by a narrow stone bridge. This brook is remarkable only as
having been that from which David collected the five stones
wherewith he slew the Philistine giant. At the season of my visit
there was no water to be seen; the bed of the stream was completely
dry.
About an hour's journey from Jerusalem the valley opens, and little
orchards give indication of a more fertile country, as well as of
the proximity of the Holy City. Silently and thoughtfully we
approached our destination, straining our eyes to the utmost to
pierce the jealous twilight that shrouded the distance from our
gaze. From the next hill we hoped to behold our sacred goal; but
"hope deferred" is often the lot of mortals. We had to ascend
another height, and another; at length the Mount of Olives lay
spread before us, and lastly JERUSALEM.
CHAPTER VII.
Residence at Jerusalem--Catholic church--The "Nuova Casa"--Via
Dolorosa--Pilate's house--The Mosque Omar--Herod's house--Church of
the Holy Sepulchre--Disturbances at the Greek Easter feasts--Knights
of the Holy Sepulchre--Mount of Olives--Adventure among the ruin--
Mount of Offence--Valley of Jehosaphat--Siloam--Mount Sion--
Jeremiah's grotto--Graves.
The red morning dawn had began to tinge the sky as we stood before
the walls of Jerusalem, and with it the most beauteous morning of my
life dawned upon me! I was so lost in reflection and in thankful
emotion, that I saw and heard nothing of what was passing around me.
And yet I should find it impossible to describe what I thought, what
I felt. My emotion was deep and powerful; my expression of it would
be poor and cold.
At half past four o'clock in the morning of the 29th May we arrived
at the "Bethlehem Gate." We were obliged to wait half an hour
before this gate was opened; then we rode through the still silent
and deserted streets of the Nuova Casa (Pilgrim-house), a building
devoted by the Franciscan friars to the reception of rich and poor
Roman Catholics and Protestants.
I left my baggage in the room allotted to me, and hastened into the
church, to lighten the weight on my heart by fervent prayer. The
entrance into the church looks like the door of a private house; the
building is small, but still sufficiently large for the Roman
Catholic congregation. The altar is richly furnished, and the organ
is a very bad one. The male and female portions of the congregation
are separated from each other, the young as well as the old, and all
sit or kneel on the ground. Chairs there are none in this church.
The costume of the Christians is precisely the same as that of the
Syrians. The women wear boots of yellow morocco, and over these
slippers, which they take off on entering the church. In the street
their faces are completely, in the church only partially, muffled,
and the faces of the girls not at all. Their dress consists of a
white linen gown, and a large shawl of the same material, which
completely envelops them. They were all cleanly and neatly dressed.
The amount of devotion manifested by these people is very small; the
most trifling circumstance suffices to distract their attention.
For instance, my appearance seemed to create quite a sensation among
them, and they made their remarks upon me to one another so openly
both by words and gestures, that I found it quite impossible to give
my mind to seriousness and devotion. Some of them pushed purposely
against me, and put out their hands to grasp my bonnet, etc. They
conversed together a good deal, and prayed very little. The
children behaved no better; these little people ate their breakfast
while the service was going on, and occasionally jostled each other,
probably to keep themselves awake. The good people here must fancy
they are doing a meritorious work by passing two or three hours in
the church; no one seems to care _how_ this time is spent, or they
would assuredly have been taught better.
I had been in the church rather more than an hour when a clergyman
stepped up to me and accosted me in my native language. He was a
German, and, in fact, an Austrian. He promised to visit me in the
course of a few hours. I returned to the Nuova Casa, and now, for
the first time, had leisure to examine my apartment. The
arrangement was simple in the extreme. An iron bedstead, with a
mattress, coverlet, and bolster, a very dingy table, with two
chairs, a small bench, and a cupboard, all of deal, composed the
whole furniture. These chattels, and also the windows, some panes
of which were broken, may once, in very ancient times, have been
clean. The walls were of plaster, and the floor was paved with
large slabs of stone. Chimneys are no more to be found in this
country. I did not see any until my return to Sicily.
I now laid myself down for a couple of hours to get a little rest;
for during my journey hither from Constantinople I had scarcely
slept at all.
At eleven o'clock the German priest, Father Paul, visited me, in
order to explain the domestic arrangements to me. Dinner is eaten
at twelve o'clock, and supper at seven. At breakfast we get coffee
without sugar or milk; for dinner, mutton-broth, a piece of roast
kid, pastry prepared with oil or a dish of cucumbers, and, as a
concluding course, roast or spiced mutton. Twice in the week,
namely on Fridays and Saturdays, we have fast-day fare; but if the
feast of a particular saint falls during the week, a thing that
frequently occurs, we hold three fast-days, the one of the saint's
day being kept as a time of abstinence. The fare on fast-days
consists of a dish of lentils, an omelette, and two dishes of salt
fish, one hot and the other cold. Bread and wine, as also these
provisions, are doled out in sufficient quantities. But every thing
is very indifferently cooked, and it takes a long time for a
stranger to accustom himself to the ever-recurring dishes of mutton.
In Syria oxen and calves are not killed during the summer season; so
that from the 19th of May until my journey to Egypt in the beginning
of September, I could get neither beef-soup nor beef.
In this convent no charge is made either for board or lodging, and
every visitor may stay there for a whole month. At most it is
customary to give a voluntary subscription towards the masses; but
no one asks if a traveller has given much, little, or nothing at
all, or whether he is a Roman Catholic, a Protestant, or a votary of
any other religion. In this respect the Franciscan order is much to
be commended. The priests are mostly Spaniards and Italians; very
few of them belong to other nations.
Father Paul was kind enough to offer his services as my guide, and
to-day I visited several of the holy places in company with him.
We began with the Via Dolorosa, the road which our Lord is said to
have trodden when for the last time he wandered as God-man on earth,
bowed down by the weight of the cross, on his way to Golgotha. The
spots where Christ sank exhausted are marked by fragments of the
pillars which St. Helena caused to be attached to the houses on
either side of the way. Further on we reach the "Zwerchgasse," the
place whither the Virgin Mary is said to have come in haste to see
her beloved Son for the last time.
Next we visited Pilate's house, which is partly a ruin, the
remaining portion serving as a barrack for Turkish soldiers. I was
shewn the spot where the "holy stairs" stood, up which our Lord is
said to have walked. On my return, I saw these stairs in the church
of S. Giovanni di Laterani. They also pretend to show the place
where the Saviour was brought out before the multitude by Pilate. A
little distance off, in the midst of a dark vault, they shew the
traveller the stone to which Jesus was bound when "they scourged
Him."
We ascended the highest terrace of this house, as this spot affords
the best view of the magnificent mosque of Omar, standing in a large
courtyard. With this exterior view the traveller is fain to be
content; for the Turks are here much more fanatical than those in
Constantinople and many other towns, so that an attempt to penetrate
even into the courtyard would be unsuccessful; the intruder would
run the risk of being assailed with a shower of stones. But in
proportion as the Turks are strict in the observance of their own
ceremonies and customs, so they respect those Christians who are
religious and devotional.
Every Christian can go with perfect impunity to pray at all the
places which are sacred in his eyes, without fear of being taunted
or annoyed by the Turkish passers-by. On the contrary, the
Mussulman steps respectfully aside; for even he venerates the
Saviour as a great prophet, and the Virgin as his mother.
Not far from Pilate's house stands the building designated as that
of Herod; it is, however, a complete ruin. The house of the rich
man, at whose gate the beggar Lazarus lay, has shared the same fate;
but from the ruins one may conclude how magnificent the building
must originally have been.
In the house of Saint Veronica a stone is pointed out on which they
shew you a footprint of the Saviour. In another house two
footprints of the Virgin Mary are exhibited. Father Paul also drew
my attention to the houses which stood on the spot where Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary were born. These houses are all
inhabited by Turks, but any one may obtain admittance upon payment
of a small fee.
The following day I visited the church of the Holy Sepulchre. The
way lies through several narrow and dirty streets. In the lanes
near the church are booths like those at Maria Zell in Steiermark,
and many other places of pilgrimage, where they sell wreaths of
roses, shells of mother-of-pearl, crucifixes, etc. The open space
before the church is neat enough. Opposite lies the finest house in
Jerusalem, its terraces gay with flowers.
Visitors to this church will do wisely to provide themselves with a
sufficient number of para, as they may expect to be surrounded by a
goodly tribe of beggars. The church is always locked; the key is in
the custody of some Turks, who open the sacred edifice when asked to
do so. It is customary to give them three or four piastres for
their pains, with which sum they are satisfied, and remain at the
entrance during the whole time the stranger is in the church,
reclining on divans, drinking coffee and smoking tobacco. At the
entrance of the church we noticed a long square stone on the ground;
this is the "stone of anointing."
In the centre of the nave a little chapel has been built; it is
divided into two parts. In the first of these compartments is a
stone slab encased in marble. This is vehemently asserted to be the
identical stone on which the angel sat when he announced our Lord's
resurrection to the women who came to embalm his body. In the
second compartment, which is of the same size as the first, stands
the sarcophagus or tomb of the Saviour, of white marble. The
approach is by such a low door that one has to stoop exceedingly in
order to enter. The tomb occupies the whole length of the chapel,
and answers the purpose of an altar. We could not look into the
sarcophagus. The illumination of this chapel is very grand both by
night and day; forty-seven lamps are kept continually burning above
the grave. The portion of the chapel containing the tomb is so
small, that when the priest reads mass only two or three people have
room to stand and listen. The chapel is entirely built of marble,
and belongs to the Roman Catholics; but the Greeks have the right of
celebrating mass alternately with them.
At the farther end of the chapel the Copts have a little mean-
looking altar of wood, surrounded by walls of lath. All round the
chapel are niches belonging to the different religious sects.
In this church I was also shewn the subterranean niche in which
Jesus is said to have been a prisoner; also the niche where the
soldiers cast lots for our Saviour's garments, and the chapel
containing the grave of St. Nicodemus. Not far from this chapel is
the little Roman Catholic church. A flight of twenty-seven steps
leads downwards to the chapel of St. Helena, where the holy woman
sat continually and prayed, while she caused search to be made for
the true cross. A few steps more lead us down to the spot where the
cross was found. A marble slab points out the place.
Mounting the steps once more, we come to the niche containing the
pillar to which Jesus was bound when they crowned him with thorns.
It is called the pillar of scorn. The pillar at which Jesus was
scourged, a piece of which is preserved in Rome, is also shown.
The chapel belonging to the Greeks is very spacious, and may almost
be termed a church within a church. It is beautifully decorated.
It is very difficult to find the way in this church, which resembles
a labyrinth. Now we are obliged to ascend a flight of stairs, now
again to descend. The architect certainly deserves great praise for
having managed so cleverly to unite all these holy places under one
roof; and St. Helena has performed a most meritorious action in thus
rescuing from oblivion the sacred sites in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and
Nazareth.
I was told, that when the Greeks celebrate their Easter here, the
ceremonies seldom conclude without much quarrelling and confusion.
These irregularities are considerably increased when the Greek
Easter happens to fall at the same time as that of the Roman
Catholics. On these occasions, there are not only numerous broken
heads, but some of the combatants are even frequently carried away
dead. The Turks generally find it necessary to interfere, to
restore peace and order among the Christians. What opinion can
these nations, whom we call Infidels, have of us Christians, when
they see with what hatred and virulence each sect of Christians
pursues the other? When will this dishonourable bigotry cease?
On the third day after my arrival at Jerusalem, a small caravan of
six or seven travellers, two gentlemen namely, and their attendants,
applied for admittance at our convent. An arrival of this kind,
particularly if the new-comers are Franks, is far too important to
admit of our delaying the inquiry from what country the wanderers
have arrived. How agreeably was I surprised, when Father Paul came
to me with the intelligence that these gentlemen were both Austrian
subjects. What a singular coincidence! So far from my native
country, I was thus suddenly placed in the midst of my own people.
Father Paul was a native of Vienna, and the two counts, Berchtold
and Salm Reifferscheit, were Bohemian cavaliers.
As soon as I had completely recovered from the fatigues of my
journey, and had collected my thoughts, I passed a whole night in
the church of the Holy Sepulchre. I confessed in the afternoon, and
afterwards joined the procession, which at four o'clock visits all
the places rendered sacred by our Saviour's passion; I carried a wax
taper, the remains of which I afterwards took back with me into my
native country, as a lasting memorial. This ceremony ended, the
priests retired to their cells, and the few people who were present
left the church. I alone stayed behind, as I intended to remain
there all night. A solemn stillness reigned throughout the church;
and now I was enabled to visit, uninterrupted and alone, all the
sacred places, and to give myself wholly up to my meditations.
Truly these were the most blissful hours of my life; and he who has
lived to enjoy such hours has lived long enough.
A place near the organ was pointed out to me where I might enjoy a
few hours of repose. An old Spanish woman, who lives like a nun,
acts as guide to those who pass a night in the church.
At midnight the different services begin. The Greeks and Armenians
beat and hammer upon pendent plates or rods of metal; the Roman
Catholics play on the organ, and sing and pray aloud; while the
priests of other religions likewise sing and shout. A great and
inharmonious din is thus caused. I must confess that this midnight
mass did not produce upon me the effect I had anticipated. The
constant noise and multifarious ceremonies are calculated rather to
disconcert than to inspire the stranger. I much preferred the peace
and repose that reigned around, after the service had concluded, to
all the pomp and circumstance attending it.
Accompanied by my Spanish guide, I ascended to the Roman Catholics'
choir, where prayers were said aloud from midnight until one
o'clock. At four o'clock in the morning I heard several masses, and
received the Eucharist. At eight o'clock the Turks opened the door
at my request, and I went home.
The few Roman Catholic priests who live in the church of the Holy
Sepulchre stay there for three months at a time, to perform the
services. During this time they are not allowed to quit the church
or the convent for a single instant. After the three months have
elapsed, they are relieved by other priests.
On the 10th of June I was present at the ceremony of admission into
the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. Counts Zichy, Wratislaw, and Salm
Reifferscheit were, at their own request, installed as knights of
the Sepulchre. The inauguration took place in the chapel.
The chief priest having taken his seat on a chair of state, the
candidate for knighthood knelt before him, and took the customary
oaths to defend the holy church, to protect widows and orphans, etc.
During this time the priests who stood round said prayers. Now one
of the spurs of Godfrey de Bouillon was fastened on the heel of the
knight; the sword of this hero was put into his hands, the sheath
fastened to his side, and a cross with a heavy gold chain, that had
also belonged to Godfrey de Bouillon, was put round his neck. Then
the kneeling man received the stroke of knighthood on his head and
shoulders, the priests embraced the newly-elected knight, and the
ceremony was over.
A plentiful feast, given by the new-chosen knights, concluded the
solemnity.
Distant somewhat less than a mile from Jerusalem is the Mount of
Olives. Emerging from St. Stephen's Gate, we pass the Turkish
burial-ground, and reach the spot where St. Stephen was stoned. Not
far off we see the bed of the brook Cedron, which is at this season
of the year completely dried up. A stone bridge leads across the
brook; adjoining it is a stone slab where they shew traces of the
footsteps of the Saviour, as He was brought across this bridge from
Gethsemane, and stumbled and fell. Crossing this bridge, we arrive
at the grotto where Jesus sweat blood. This grotto still retains
its original form. A plain wooden altar has been erected there, a
few years since, by a Bavarian prince, and the entrance is closed by
an iron gate. Not far off is Gethsemane. Eight olive-trees are
here to be seen that have attained a great age; nowhere else had I
seen these trees with such massive trunks, though I had frequently
passed through whole plantations of olives. Those who are learned
in natural history assert that the olive-tree cannot live to so
great an age as to render it possible that these venerable trunks
existed at the time when Jesus passed his last night at Gethsemane
in prayer and supplication. As this tree, however, propagates
itself, these trees may be sprouts from the ancient stems. The
space around the roots has been strengthened with masonry, to afford
a support to these patriarchal trunks, and the eight trees are
surrounded by a wall three or four feet in height. No layman may
enter this spot unaccompanied by a priest, on pain of
excommunication; it is also forbidden to pluck a single leaf. The
Turks also hold these trees in reverence, and would not injure one
of them.
Close by is the spot where the three disciples are said to have
slept during the night of their Master's agony. We were shown marks
on two rocks, said to have been footsteps of these apostles! The
footsteps of the third disciple we could not discover. A little to
one side is the place where Judas betrayed his Master.
The little church containing the grave of the Virgin Mary stands
near the "Grotto of Anguish." We descend by a broad marble flight
of fifty steps to the tomb, which is also used as an altar. About
the middle of the staircase are two niches with altars; within these
are deposited the bones of the Virgin Mary's parents and of St.
Joseph. This chapel belongs to the Greeks.
From the foot of the Mount of Olives to its summit is a walk of
three quarters of an hour. The whole mountain is desert and
sterile; nothing is found growing upon it but olives; and from the
summit of this mountain our Saviour ascended into heaven. The spot
was once marked by a church, which was afterwards replaced by a
mosque: even this building is now in ruins. Only twelve years ago
a little chapel, of very humble appearance, was erected here; it now
stands in the midst of old walls; but here again a footprint of our
Lord is shown and reverenced. On this stone it is asserted that He
stood before He was taken up into heaven. Not far off, we are shown
the place where the fig-tree grew that Jesus cursed, and the field
where Judas hanged himself.
One afternoon I visited many of these sites, in company with Count
Berchtold. As we were climbing about the ruins near the mosque, a
sturdy goatherd, armed with a formidable bludgeon, came before us,
and demanded "backsheesh" (a gift, or an alms) in a very peremptory
tone. Neither of us liked to take out our purse, for, fear the
insolent beggar should snatch it from our hands; so we gave him
nothing. Upon this he seized the Count by the arm, and shouted out
something in Arabic which we could not understand, though we could
guess pretty accurately what he meant. The Count disengaged his
arm, and we proceeded almost to push and wrestle our way into the
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