Mediterranean Sea

On the 24th of July, 1844, the writer of this little book went to dine at the —— Club, quite unconscious of the wonderful events which Fate had in store for him. Mr. William was there, giving a farewell dinner to his friend, Mr. James (now Sir James). These two asked Mr. Titmarsh to join company with them, and the conversation naturally fell upon the tour Mr. James was about to take. The Peninsular and Oriental Company had arranged an excursion in the Mediterranean, by which, in the space of a couple of months, as many men and cities were to be seen as Ulysses surveyed and noted in ten years. Malta, Athens, Smyrna, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Cairo were to be visited and everybody was to be back in London by Lord Mayor's-day.

On July 24, 1844, the writer of this little book went to dine at the —— Club, quite unaware of the wonderful events that Fate had in store for him. Mr. William was there, giving a farewell dinner to his friend Mr. James (now Sir James). These two asked Mr. Titmarsh to join them, and the talk naturally turned to the tour Mr. James was about to take. The Peninsular and Oriental Company had arranged an excursion in the Mediterranean. In the space of a couple of months, it would show as many men and cities as Ulysses saw and noted in ten years. Malta, Athens, Smyrna, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Cairo were to be visited, and everybody was to be back in London by Lord Mayor's Day.

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!