Travel

hic ego propter aquam, quod erat deterrima, ventri indico bellum, cenantis haud animo aequo exspectans comites. jam nox inducere terris umbras et caelo diffundere signa parabat. tum pueri nautis, pueris convicia nautae ingerere. ‘huc appelle! trecentos inseris: ohe jam satis est!’

Here the water was so bad that I declared war on my stomach and went without dinner. I waited, not very patiently, while my companions ate. Now night was getting ready to draw its shadows over the earth and scatter the stars across the sky. Then the slaves began to hurl insults at the boatmen, and the boatmen at the slaves. “Pull in here!” “You’re packing in three hundred!” “Whoa, that’s enough!”

quattuor hinc rapimur viginti et milia redis, mansuri oppidulo, quod versu dicere non est, signis perfacile est: venit vilissima rerum hic aqua; sed panis longe pulcherrimus, ultra callidus ut soleat umeris portare viator; nam Canusi lapidosus, aquae non ditior urna qui locus a forti Diomede est conditus olim.

From there we were whirled twenty-four miles in carriages, to stay the night in a little town whose name won’t fit into verse. But it is easy to describe. Here they sell water, the cheapest thing in the world. But the bread is far the best anywhere, so a clever traveler usually carries a load of it on his shoulders for the road ahead. For at Canusium the bread is gritty. And that town, founded long ago by brave Diomedes, has not a jug more water.

4° C'est encore une chose extrêmement commode pour les voyageurs, pour les étrangers, pour ceux dont la famille réside momentanément à la campagne, et pour tous ceux, en un mot, qui n'ont pas de cuisine chez eux, ou qui en sont momentanément privés.

Fourth, restaurants are also very handy for travelers and foreigners, and for people whose families are away in the country for a while. In a word, they serve everyone who has no kitchen at home, or who is without one for a time.

L'établissement des nouvelles voitures qui font cinquante lieues en vingt-quatre heures a effacé le premier privilège; l'établissement des restaurateurs a détruit le second : par eux, la meilleure chère est devenue populaire.

The new coaches that cover fifty leagues in twenty-four hours have wiped out the first privilege. Restaurants have destroyed the second. Thanks to them, the finest food is now within everyone’s reach.

The idea of beholding these famous places inflamed Mr. Titmarsh's mind ; and the charms of such a journey were eloquently impressed upon him by Mr. James. "Come," said that kind and hospitable gentleman, " and make one of my family party ; in all your life you will never probably have a chance again to see so much in so short a time. Consider — it is as easy as a journey to Paris or to Baden." Mr. Titmarsh considered all these things ; but also the difficulties of the situation : he had but six-and-thirty hours to get ready for so portentous a journey — he had engagements at home — finally, could he afford it? In spite of these objections, however, with every glass of claret the enthusiasm somehow rose, and the difficulties vanished.

The idea of seeing these famous places set Mr. Titmarsh's mind on fire, and Mr. James eloquently pressed the charms of such a journey on him. “Come,” said that kind and hospitable gentleman, “and make one of my family party. In all your life you will probably never have a chance again to see so much in so short a time. Consider—it is as easy as a journey to Paris or to Baden.” Mr. Titmarsh considered all these things, but also the difficulties of the situation. He had only thirty-six hours to get ready for so weighty a journey. He had engagements at home. Finally, could he afford it? In spite of these objections, however, with every glass of claret the enthusiasm somehow rose, and the difficulties vanished.

It was one so easy, so charming, and I think profitable — it leaves such a store of pleasant recollections for after days — and creates so many new sources of interest (a newspaper letter from Beyrout, or Malta, or Algiers has twice the interest now that it had formerly), — that I can't but recommend all persons who have time and means to make a similar journey — vacation idlers to extend their travels and pursue it: above all, young, well-educated men entering life, to take this course, we will say, after that at college; and, having their book-learning fresh in their minds, see the living people and their cities, and the actual aspect of Nature, along the famous shores of the Mediterranean.

It was so easy, so charming, and, I think, profitable. It leaves such a store of pleasant memories for later days, and it creates so many new sources of interest. (A newspaper letter from Beirut, or Malta, or Algiers now has twice the interest it had before.) So I can't help recommending all persons who have the time and means to make a similar journey. Vacation idlers should extend their travels and follow it. Above all, young, well-educated men entering life should take this course—after their course at college, let us say. With their book-learning fresh in their minds, they should see the living people and their cities, and the actual face of Nature, along the famous shores of the Mediterranean.

For months the great Pleasure Excursion to Europe and the Holy Land was chatted about in the newspapers every where in America, and discussed at countless firesides. It was a novelty in the way of Excursions — its like had not been thought of before, and it compelled that interest which attractive novelties always command. It was to be a picnic on a gigantic scale. The participants in it, instead of freighting an ungainly steam ferry-boat with youth and beauty and pies and doughnuts, and paddling up some obscure creek to disembark upon a grassy lawn and wear themselves out with a long summer day's laborious frolicking under the impression that it was fun, were to sail away in a great steamship with flags flying and cannon pealing, and take a royal holiday beyond the broad ocean, in many a strange clime and in many a land renowned in history! They were to sail for months over the breezy Atlantic and the sunny Mediterranean; they were to scamper about the decks by day, filling the ship with shouts and laughter — or read novels and poetry in the shade of the smoke-stacks, or watch for the jelly-fish and the nautilus, over the side, and the shark, the whale, and other strange monsters of the deep; and at night they were to dance in the open air, on the upper deck, in the midst of a ball-room that stretched from horizon to horizon, and was domed by the bending heavens and lighted by no meaner lamps than the stars and the magnificent moon — dance, and promenade, and smoke, and sing, and make love, and search the skies for constellations that never associate with the “Big Dipper” they were so tired of; and they were to see the ships of twenty navies — the customs and costumes of twenty curious peoples — the great cities of half a world — they were to hob-nob with nobility and hold friendly converse with kings and princes, Grand Moguls, and the anointed lords of mighty empires!

For months the great Pleasure Excursion to Europe and the Holy Land was chatted about in the newspapers everywhere in America, and discussed at countless firesides. It was a novelty in the way of excursions. Its like had not been thought of before, and it compelled that interest which attractive novelties always command. It was to be a picnic on a gigantic scale. The people in it were not to load an ungainly steam ferryboat with youth and beauty and pies and doughnuts, and paddle up some obscure creek to land on a grassy lawn. They were not to wear themselves out with a long summer day's laborious frolicking, under the impression that it was fun. Instead, they were to sail away in a great steamship with flags flying and cannon pealing, and take a royal holiday beyond the broad ocean, in many a strange climate and in many a land renowned in history! They were to sail for months over the breezy Atlantic and the sunny Mediterranean. They were to scamper about the decks by day, filling the ship with shouts and laughter. Or they would read novels and poetry in the shade of the smokestacks, or watch over the side for the jellyfish and the nautilus, and the shark, the whale, and other strange monsters of the deep. And at night they were to dance in the open air, on the upper deck, in the midst of a ballroom that stretched from horizon to horizon. It was domed by the bending heavens and lighted by no meaner lamps than the stars and the magnificent moon. There they would dance, and promenade, and smoke, and sing, and make love, and search the skies for constellations that never keep company with the Big Dipper they were so tired of. And they were to see the ships of twenty navies, the customs and costumes of twenty curious peoples, the great cities of half a world. They were to hobnob with nobility and hold friendly talk with kings and princes, Grand Moguls, and the anointed lords of mighty empires!