A Visit to the Holy Land, Egypt, and Italy | Page 2

seeking to impart interest to their works by the relation of
imaginary dangers, and by exaggeration of every kind, for the sake of
gaining praise and admiration. Many such men might blush with shame
on reading this journal of a simple, truth-loving woman.
After much trouble I succeeded in persuading the Authoress to allow
her journal to appear in print.
My efforts were called forth by the desire to furnish the reading public,
and particularly the female portion, with a very interesting and
attractive, and at the same time a strictly authentic picture of the Holy
Land, and of Madame Pfeiffer's entire journey.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
Departure from Vienna--Scene on board the steamer--
Hainburg--Presburg--The "Coronation-mount"--Pesth--Ofen--The
steamer Galata--Mohacs--The fortress Peterwardein--Discomfort and
bad management on board the steamer--Semlin--Belgrade--Pancsova--
Austrian soldiers--The rock Babakay--Drenkova--Falls of Danube--Alt-
Orsova--The "Iron Gate"--Cattle-breeding--Callafat--Vexatious delay
CHAPTER II.
Giurgewo--Interior of the town--Braila--Sanitary
precautions--Galatz--Scarcity of good water--Ridiculous fear of the
plague--The steamer Ferdinand--Entrance into the Black Sea--Stormy

weather and sea-sickness--Arrival at Constantinople--Picturesque
appearance of the city--Mosques--The dancing Dervishes--The Sultan
and his barge--Pera--The great and little Campo--Wild dogs--Dirty
state of the streets--Preparations in case of fire
CHAPTER III.
Scutari--Kaiks--The howling Dervishes--The Achmaidon, or place of
arrows--The tower in Galata--The bazaar at
Constantinople--Mosques--Slave-market--The old Serail--The
Hippodrome--Coffee-houses--Story-tellers--Excursion to Ejub--Houses,
theatres, and carriages
CHAPTER IV.
Walks and drives of the townspeople--The "Sweet
Waters"--Chalcedonia--Baluklid--The great and little Campo--Feasts in
Constantinople--Anniversary of Mahomet's death--Easter holydays of
the Greeks--Gladiators and wrestlers--Excursion to Brussa--Olive-
trees--Mosques at Brussa--Stone bridge--Wild dogs--Baths and mineral
springs--Return to Constantinople
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
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
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 ruins--Mount of Offence--Valley of Jehosaphat--Siloam--
Mount Sion--Jeremiah's Grotto--Graves
CHAPTER VIII.
Bethlehem--Rachel's grave--Convent at Bethlehem-- Beggars--Grotto
of the Nativity--Solomon's cisterns--St. John's-- Franciscan church at
Jerusalem--Mourning women--Eastern weddings--
Mish-mish--Excursion to the Jordan and the Dead Sea--Wilderness
near Jerusalem--Convent of St. Saba
CHAPTER IX.
Ride through the wilderness to the Dead Sea--The Dead Sea--The river
Jordan--Horde of Bedouins--Arab horses--The Sultan's well--Bivouac
in the open air--Return to Jerusalem-- Bethany--Departure from
Jerusalem--Jacob's grave--Nablus or Sichem-- Sebasta--Costume of
Samaritan woman--Plain of Esdralon--Sagun
CHAPTER X.
Arrival at Nazareth--Franciscan convent--Tabarith-- Mount
Tabor--Lake of Gennesareth--Baths--Mount Carmel--Grotto of the
prophet Elijah--Acre--The pacha's harem--Oriental women--Their
listlessness and ignorance--Sur or Tyre
CHAPTER XI.

River Mishmir--Saida--Arnauts--Desert-path-- Residence of Lady
Hester Stanhope--Beyrout--The consul's-- Uncomfortable
quarters--Sickness--The Bazaar--Vexatious delays-- Departure from
Beyrout--Beautiful views--Syrian costumes--Damascus-- Aspect of the
city--House of the consul
CHAPTER XII.
The bazaar at Damascus--The khan--Grotto of St. Paul--Fanaticism of
the inhabitants--Departure from Damascus--The desert--Military
escort--Heliopolis or Balbeck--Stupendous ruins-- Continuation of our
voyage through the desert--The plague--The Lebanon
range--Cedar-trees--Druses and Maronites--Importunate
beggars--Thievish propensities of the Arabs
CHAPTER XIII.
The Lebanon--Druses and Maronites--Illness of Herr Sattler--Djebel or
Byblus--Rocky passes--Dog's-river--Return to
Beyrout--Sickness--Departure for Alexandria--Roguery of the captain--
Disagreeables on board--Limasol--Alarm of pirates--Cowardice of the
crew--Arrival at Alexandria
CHAPTER XIV.
Alexandria--Keeping quarantine--Want of arrangement in the
quarantine-house--Bad water--Fumigating of the rooms--
Release--Aspect of the city--Departure by boat for Atfe--Mehemet
Ali--Arrival at Atfe--Excellence of the Nile water--Good-nature of the
Arab women--The Delta of the Nile--The Libyan desert--The
pyramids--Arrival at Cairo
CHAPTER XV.
Cairo--Quarrel with the captain--Rapacity of the beggars--The
custom-house--The consulate--Aspect of Cairo--Narrow and crowded
streets--Costumes--The mad-house--Disgusting exhibition-- Joseph's

well--Palace of Mehemet Ali--Dates--Mosques at Cairo-- Excursion to
the pyramids of Gizeh--Gizeh--Eggs hatched by artificial heat--Ascent
of the pyramids--The sphynx--Return to Cairo
CHAPTER XVI.
Christian churches at Cairo--The Esbekie-square-- Theatre--Howling
dervishes--Mashdalansher, the birthday of Mahomet-- Procession and
religious ceremony--Shubra--Excursion through the desert to
Suez--Hardships of the journey--Scenes in the desert--The
camel--Caravans--Mirage--The Red Sea--Suez--Bedouin
Camp--Quarrel with the camel-driver--Departure for Alexandria
CHAPTER XVII.
Return to Alexandria--Egyptian burials--Catacombs of
Alexandria--Viceroy's palace--Departure from Alexandria--The
steamer Eurotas--Candia--Syra--Paros and Antiparos--The Morea--Fire
on board--Malta--Quarantine--St. Augustine's church--Clergymen--
Beggars--Costumes--Soldiers--Civita Vecchia
CHAPTER XVIII.
The steamer Hercules--Syracuse--Neapolis--Ruins-- Catanea--Convent
of St. Nicholas--Messina--The Duke of Calabria-- Palermo--The royal
palace--Church of St. Theresa--St. Ignazio-- Catacombs of the
Augustine convent--Skeletons--Olivuzza--Royal villa "Favorite"--St.
Rosalia--Brutality of the Italian mob--Luxuriant vegetation--Arrival at
Naples
CHAPTER XIX.
Sojourn at Naples--Sickness--Laziness of the people-- Royal
palace--Rotunda--Strada Chiaga and Toledo--St. Carlo Theatre-- Largo
del Castello--Medina Square--Marionettes--St. Jesu Nuovo--St. Jesu
Maggiore--St. Maria di Piedigrotta--Public gardens--Academy "degli
Studii"--Cathedral of St. Januarius--St. Jeronimi--St. Paula

Maggiore--St. Chiara--Baths of Nero--Solfatara--Grotto "del Cane"--
Resina--Ascent of Vesuvius--Caserta
CHAPTER XX.
Caserta--Costume of the peasants--Rome--Piazza del
Popolo--Dogana--St. Peter's--Palaces--Borghese, Barberini, Colonna,
etc.--Churches--Ancient Rome--The Colliseum--Departure for
Florence- Bad weather--Picturesque
scenery--Siena--Florence--Cathedral and palaces--Departure from
Florence--Bologna--Ferrara--Conclusion
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. JERUSALEM 2. NAZARETH 3. CHURCHYARD AT SCUTARI 4.
THE DEAD SEA 5. MOUNT CARMEL 6. LEBANON 7. BALBECK
8. ISTHMUS OF SUEZ
CHAPTER I.
Departure