CHAPTER III.
THE “MINOS”—ENGLISH AND FRENCH APPETITES—LEGHORN—TOWTING JEWS—CIVITA VECCHIA—NAPLES—FORMALITIES OF LANDING—MALTA—MR. PORTENIER—THE “LYCURGE”—SYRA.
THE “MINOS”—ENGLISH AND FRENCH APPETITES—LEGHORN—TOWTING JEWS—CIVITA VECCHIA—NAPLES—FORMALITIES OF LANDING—MALTA—MR. PORTENIER—THE “LYCURGE”—SYRA.
I quitted Marseilles in the “Minos” steamer on the evening of June 21st, in company with some twenty fellow-passengers, bound to various parts of the Mediterranean. Amongst them was the venerable Bishop of Antioch, with a numerous suite of attendant priests, and a sprinkling of my own countrypeople; but I soon discovered that I was the only passenger going to the far East. The “Minos” is one of a fine class of armed French steamers, which serve the Mediterranean, running from Marseilles to Malta, Syra and Alexandria, calling at most of the larger ports on the southern coast of Italy. The accommodation on board these vessels is perfect, and the discipline of the first order, and they are withal so strongly built, that they defy the ugliest weather, and are very rarely overdue. I found myself in possession of a snug berth in the second cabin, andat dinner-time made the acquaintance of my fellow-travellers, the ship’s doctor taking the head of the table. Two meals, the one a dejeuner à la fourchette at ten, the other, a plentiful dinner at five o’clock, were the only ones I ever got a sight of, such being included in the cabin fare; and as I was invariably ready for breakfast long before ten, and always hungry again after dinner, I became a pretty good customer of the cook on deck, who by the time I had finished my voyage, had a considerable score against me for sundry stray cutlets and “cornichons,” devoured at the door of the caboose, to the great surprise of the captain and his officers, who made no allowance for the appetizing effect of the sea-breeze and bracing air of the Mediterranean.
The sudden stopping of the monotonous jog of the engines, awoke me about half-past six on the second morning of our voyage. On gaining the deck, I found we had dropped anchor off Leghorn, famed as I rightly remembered, for straw-bonnets and Jews. Having taken the precaution at Marseilles, to have my passport properlyvisè, I accompanied two French gentlemen on shore, to wile away the few hours of our stay, and by way of a cicerone, we took into our service the loquacious old boatman who conveyed us to land. There are not many objects of interest atLeghorn, which can be visited within the compass of a few hours. The English cemetery possesses a melancholy sort of attraction, and is well worth seeing, though it is not the most cheering thing to loiter among the graves of one’s countrymen, and decipher epitaphs upon disasters at sea and cholera morbus.
The chief street of the town is lined on either side with excellent shops, abounding with wares from all parts of the globe; whilst perambulating vendors of razors and pocket-pistols, besiege you at every ten paces, not to mention the Jew drapers, who, like their brethren in Holywell Street,towtin person at their own shop-doors to entreat an inspection of their goods. One street is a perfect Bazaar of yellow-looking ornaments, in thin gold and filigree work, such as brooches, and enormous ear-drops, highly prized by the dressy Contadine.
The following day, we paid a similar brief and passing visit at Civita Vecchia, a papal port, of much less importance than Leghorn, although its contiguity to Rome causes considerable traffic. We passed afterwards close to the Island of Elba, reaching the Bay of Naples on the twenty-fifth, or in three days and two nights from Marseilles, including our protracted stoppages. The view from our anchorage wasbeautiful in the extreme, appearing very different from anything I had been led to expect from the accounts of travelled acquaintance, who are fond of comparing the Bay of Naples to that of Swansea, which latter, although pretty enough, lacks the all-important features of islands and volcano, and is seldom to be seen in the colours afforded by an Italian atmosphere. Previous to going on shore, our captain intimated that our stay was limited to four hours, a piece of information which decided me on making no effort to see anything of the town, resolving, however, to return to Naples at some future period, to feast at leisure on its beauties. I was not suffered to land without showing my passport in three several places, and being felt all over by a dirty underling officer, whose delight was extreme on finding in my case two cigars, the last of my small stock from England. He was making off, to hand them (as he said) to his superior, when I thought it better to make a compromise by giving him one, whilst I put the other in my mouth. Nothing can exceed the vigilance of a Neapolitan in his search after tobacco, of which the importation is strictly forbidden. I was detained so very long by the formalities of landing, that by the time I had edged my way through a densely crowded market, in a street contiguous to the shore, andmade sundry stoppages at the little stalls where cooling drinks are sold, I found my furlough very nearly expired. At this time I could speak no Italian whatever, and know not how I managed to make myself intelligible in certain inquiries about the Toledo, which I was anxious to reach; but I am very sure that I never got so far, and that after walking a long way to no purpose, I was compelled to retrace my steps and return to the “Minos.”
Two more weary days of steaming brought us to Malta, and a truce to the miseries of passports and customs. I had no sooner finished dressing, for it was quite early when we entered the harbour, than a portly individual descended into the cabin, inquiring ifMr.W——n, were on board. The inquiry being made in English, I replied at once in the negative; and learning that my questioner was W——n’s agent in Malta, I showed him my letter of introduction toMr.Portenier of Alexandria. “Hah!” said he, as he rapidly scanned it, “I shall then have the pleasure of introducing you, asMr.Portenier is here at this moment on his way to England.” We then hailed a boat and rowed away to the quarantine harbour, where, on landing at the lazaretto, I was forthwith made acquainted with a gentleman, who was leaning over a rail in company with a dozen others, all busilyengaged in sucking oranges—I was most politely received,—and upon hearing my letter, for I was not allowed to place it in his hands, my new acquaintance wished me a pleasant voyage, saying that I should findMr.Furner in Alexandria, who would receive me in his stead, and give me all necessary instructions. I made some few inquiries as to the nature of my probable employment in Egypt, but received no more definite an answer than that I should find out when I got there! Telling me that he would be back again in September, we wished each other “good morning,” andMr.Gallia, for such was the name of my Maltese friend, conducted me to his office in the town.
Malta is certainly not the most agreeable place to walk about in on a broiling hot morning, and we ascended so many steep steps, and had so much ground to get over, that I was heartily tired by the time we reachedMr.Gallia’s place of business, where I waited for a few letters, and then begged to be recommended to some good hotel, where I could find a warm bath and a breakfast. My request was met half way, by a very polite offer of the services of one of the juniors to shew me about the place, a proposal which I accepted with many acknowledgments. We visited the governor’s palace, and mounted to the telegraph tower, from whence is a goodview over the island. It appears remarkably sterile, and exhibits little more than low ranges of naked hills, with here and there an insignificant village. The church ofSt.John abounds with interesting mementos of the Knights of Malta, and boasts some good tapestries and paintings, and anextraordinaryaltar-piece of lapis-lazuli, the which, all and sundry may be found described in detail in every guide book to the East, and need no further comment on my part. My kind cicerone dined with me at Baker’s Hotel, introducing me to some novel fruits and dishes. Altogether I was much gratified with my one day in Malta, where an English sovereign changes for twenty shillings and sixpence, and “Cote Roti” is only half-a-crown the bottle. Here I quitted the “Minos” for the “Lycurge,” another steamer of the same size, and once on board, I discovered that I was in quarantine, and entirely cut off from all further communication with the shore. My baggage was all stowed in my berth, even to the portmanteau, which is not generally allowed below; and I pounced with much delight upon a clean shirt and other luxuries, which I feared I should have difficulty in obtaining.
On touching at Syra, where we fell in with the line of steamers from Constantinople, we took on board a number ofTurkish families, which gave our deck, for they were none of them cabin passengers, a very novel appearance. The men smoked away the time on their prayer carpets, watching the gambols of their children, and leaving unheeded and unnoticed the poor women, who sat huddled away in one mass as much out of view as possible, and veiled up to the eyes in black silk. At their mid-day meal, however, there was a general commotion, and a great scrambling round a large wooden bowl of mish-mish, into which all dipped their fingers most unceremoniously. In return for a pencil sketch which I made of one of the men, I was invited to partake of his coffee and pipe, and a seat on his mat—though I found the latter involved so very uncomfortable a position, that I could not long enjoy his company. The coffee and long chibouk were excellent.