A Holiday Trip to Europe and America

Preface

. f AST year I had the privilege of revisiting ■*-' England, and I took the opportunity of travelling through several of the countries of Europe, and also of crossing over to America to see something of that wonderful land and of the go-ahead nation it represents. This little book embodies, in a very imperfect manner I am afraid, an account of my travels. My object in giving publicity to this work is to encourage my country men to take to travelling — especially in countries that have come under the influence of a higher civilization — as a means of education. Nothing would prove so effective a corrective to the one sided nature of the education imparted to us in our schools and colleges as travel. I trust that this book, containing, as it does, the opinions of an Indian on the manners and customs of Western nations and their social institutions, will prove of some interest to European readers as well.

S. S. CONTENTS. Chapter. Page I. The Voyage to Europe ... 1 II. Picturesque Italy ... ... 15 III. Italian and Swiss Scenery 28 IV. Germany and the Romantic Rhine ... 47 V. Indian Students in England ... ... 60 VI. London and its Sights ... ... ... 72 VII. Sports and Pastimes of Englishmen ... 88 VIII. English Character 98 IX. Voyage to America 117 X. Boston 125 XL Philadelphia 135 XII. Chicago 148 XIII. Falls of Niagara 150 XIV. General Impressions of America 160 XV. England once more ... ... ... ... 180 XVI. Paris and the Parisians 193 XVII. Holland — Amsterdam 205 XVIII. Denmark-— Copenhagen 212 XIX. Berlin and Vienna AND AMERICA.

Chapter I. The Voyage To Europe

§T was on the 1st July 1896 that, in the Bombay Harbour, I got on board the Imperatrix, one of the Austrian Lloyd mail boats, that was bound for Trieste, the picturesque sea-port in Austria. The first part of the voyage from Bombay to Aden was extremely uncomfortable. The weather was very stormy owing to the monsoon, and the ship rolled and pitched about in the most frightful manner. I shall not attempt to describe the horrors of that most distressing of al) maladies, which has been euphemistically termed mal de mer. Fancy being confined for four days and more in a hot stuffy cabin 8 or 9 feet square, fitted to accom modate four berths, with the port-hole closed, unable to either sit up or stand, on account of the fearful rocking of the vessel, with hardly anything in the way of food, — for one suffering from sea-sickness finds it difficult to swallow even a morsel of solid food — unable to go on deck for fear of the fury of the wind and the waves : altogether it was one of the most painful periods of my existence.

The first Sunday on board we experienced a regular a storm at st°rin- I made a desperate effort to go sea* on deck to have an idea of the scene outside. The waves kept dashing against the deck X I & AMERICA. [CH. I. 2 every half a minute or so, and before I could take a few steps on the lower deck I was wet through and through. With great difficulty I managed to get to the upper deck and once there I had to cling for very life to the railings. I felt the whip-like sting of the water on my face as the breakers that rose mast-high dashed against the steamer. The sky was dark as pitch and below and around rushed and roared the inky sea. The furious tempest drove over and around us, flinging the ship this way and that, the wind and the storm wreaths and the sheets of stinging spray blinding and bewildering the few sailors on deck.

There is no sight so impressive as that of a ship on a stormy ocean. How bravely the ship struggled against the fury of the winds and the waves ! It is an instance of the grandest contest between Man and Nature ; but one could easily see that it was an uneven contest, for Nature evidently does not put forth all its strength- It is like a giant fighting with a lad with merely a modicum of strength of his left arm. The waves as they dashed against the vessel shivered into thin white foam thus breaking the monotony of the blackness of the sea ; and the roar of the angry deep, — how well it harmonized with the majestic music of the winds. There is a sublimity about the scene which inspires awe and reverence. Was it not such a scene that inspired Newman to write those beautiful lines ? " Lead kindly light, amid the encircling gloom."

Strange is it not that, notwithstanding all the bitter struggles of life, and the agonizing experiences one goes through as the remorseless years roll on, one CH. I.] 3 THE VOYAGE TO EUROPE. seems never to get nearer home ? But then there need be no fear so long as the Pilot is on board. The haven must be reached sooner or later. From Aden, however, the voyage was very enjoyable. The sea was more rational and Adsn. the ship was steady. After travelling for some days together without seeing land, to come in sight of a port produces a most agreeable sensation. We touched at Aden, Suez, Port Said, and Brindisi, before reaching our destination which was Trieste. What life and activity one notices all around as soon as a steamer touches a port ! There is the rush in all directions of the sailors trying to secure a safe a.nchorage for the ship ; and then the yelling and the shouting and the incessant creaking of wheels that go on owing to the loading and unloading of cargo; — it is enough to drive one mad.

The vendors of petty wares never fail to pester the passengers, and at Aden, Suez and Port Said their importunate annoyance can only be stopped by the cuffs and the kicks of the sailors. Soon the huge vessel is surrounded by barges ef all descriptions, just as flies congregate round something sweet. At these ports it is the tiny steam launches, trim little vessels, with pretty flags floating gaily in the wind, that seem to perform the most important function. It is they that flit about coquet tishly on the placid waters, now carrying a gaily dressed party of ladies and gentlemen, now conveying a group of gorgeously dressed port officers, and now lugging in a huge unwieldy barge full of noisy, chat tering, unwashed coolies and lascars. The sight of a & AMERICA. lch- **• 4 large number of vessels at anchor at night with lights lit is indeed very picturesque.

It is especially so at Aden as the buildings on shore are on rocky eminences, the lights from which are beautifully reflected on the waters below. The picturesqueness of the scene is enhanced tenfold when there is moonlight. The port of Aden is 1,664 miles from Bombay and has been occu pied by the British since 1 839. On my return voyage I went ashore with a number of fellow-passengers and visited the artificial tanks, a few miles away from the town, which are the principal source of the water supply. These tanks are scooped out of gigantic, irregular rocks and are built of solid masonry so as to catch and retain rain-water. They are worth visiting. A more desolate, God-forsaken place than Aden I have not seen anywhere. The place is entirely destitute of vegetation, and the natives, Negroes, Arabs and Jews, and other half-castes, are extremely lazy.

It is at Aden that the woolly-headed, half-naked Somali boys, who surround the steamers in their crude, light canoes, afford amusement to the passengers by clapping their hands and shouting out " hab adie (have a dive j, hab adie, aho, aho ! " When passengers throw any silver piece in the sea, they dive and catch it before it reaches the bottom. The Red Sea is about 1,260 miles in length, its The Red breadth about the centre varying from sea. 100 to 225 miles. The depth is also anything but uniform, varying from 400 to 1,200 fathoms. Navigation in the Red Sea is, I believe, rather difficult on account of its numerous rocks and CH. I.] 5 THE VOYAGE TO EUROPE. shoals, but the sea is now better lighted everywhere so that these very rocks and shoals, once sources of danger, are changed into guides.

Our Red Sea voyage was extremely pleasant. The sea was as calm as a tank and the temperature moderate. Passengers dread most the heat of the Red Sea, but we were fortunate, for at no time, I believe, the temperature was above 80 in the shade. We constantly sighted other vessels, and the sight of innumerable islands helped to relieve the monotony of the interminable deep blue sheet of water. The islands in the Red Sea are bare, bleak and barren, entirely destitute of vegetation, and some of them are nothing but coral reefs rising abruptly from the sea. The only inhabitants of these desolate islands seem to be the sea-gulls, which take a pleasure in racing with the vessel, taking advantage of the disturbance of the waters to secure food. Occasionally we came across a solitary pigeon or two or a parrot that had escaped from some vessel, alighting on the mast timidly not knowing where to go.

Near Suez we had to pass through two very long ridges of mountains quite close to each other. Not a blade of grass was to be seen on these desolate ridges that rose abruptly from the sea. The sunlight falling on them produced a charming effect as the light and shade on the land blended beautifully with the dark blue sea that kept embracing the shore in gentle wavelets. I spent many an idle half hour in watching these silent, eternal regions, listening to the weird music of the ocean, noting the beautiful effect of the waves, which, dashing against the vessel & AMERICA. [CH. I- 6 and breaking into spray, reflected beautifully the colours of the rainbow, and, in sadder moods, attempting to fathom the message of the deep interminable ocean, which has always seemed to me the nearest concrete embodiment of the Infinite that we poor mortals are able to realize in this world.

They point out the place where Pharaoh and his host tried to cross the Red Sea with results so fatal, and we saw distinctly Mount Sinai from the steamer. Nearer Suez we had a full view of the African coast on the left,— -wide intermin able tracts of desert land of white sand, broken here and there by low ridges of rocky hills. Only near Suez was there any sign of vegetation — a thin row of date palms with reeds and wild shrubs. Suez town itself is about a mile and-a-half from the port where the steamers anchor. I went Suez. r ashore to post some letters under the escort of an Egyptian guide, who spoke intelligibly in English and who seemed honest. I wanted to have an idea of an Egyptian town and asked the guide if I could get to Suez and back within an hour's time as the steamer was to leave Suez within that time.

He said we could, and so we hired two donkeys and rode at a fearful rate to Suez which we reached within quarter of an hour. It is quite a novel sensation riding on one of these Egyptian donkeys with the peculiar high cushioned saddle they have on. There does not seem to be any need for guiding them with the reins, but they need no end of spurring and beating. Once set a-going they gallop at a breakneck pace, till, after another abrupt halt, the beating and spurring are CH. I.] 7 THE VOYAGE TO EUROPE. renewed, and they begin to gallop again. Suez is not much of a city. The streets are narrow and appear dirty, but there is a characteristic oriental aspect about it. The population is very mixed, consisting of Turks, Arabs, Egyptians, Jews, French, Italians, Greeks, &c. The Egyptian women are distinguished by the peculiar black veil which they wear, which however seems to serve every other purpose but that of hiding their features, for the wind blowing on it leaves the face fully exposed.

The shops were well filled with fresh fruits, — grapes, figs, melons, oranges, &c, and for a shilling I got quite a basketful of newly-gathered deli cious grapes and figs. After passing hurriedly through some of the streets of Suez we galloped back to the steamer in time. I was rather afraid about the guide, as terrible stories are told of their treachery and dis honesty ; but this one seemed pretty straightforward and did not attempt to fleece me. " Me honest," he said, " me find that pay best." The total length of the Suez Canal, which we next The Suez entered, is about 100 English miles. To Canal. Mons. Lesseps, the French Engineer, belongs the honour of conceiving the idea of con structing this canal, and carrying it out practically. The making of it was facilitated by three or four de pressions, which are now huge lakes.

The first is called the Bitter Lakes ; near the middle is Lake Tenisa; beyond it is Abu Ballah Lake, and near the Mediterranean is Lake Menzaleh. The canal was formally opened for traffic in 1869. At intervals of 5 or 6 miles there are sidings to enable vessels to pass, and one ship must stop & AME1UCA. [CH. I. 8 to let another pass, as the widest part of the canal is not more than 213 feet broad. Vessels are not allowed to sail quicker than five miles an hour, as the agitation would damage the banks. Since the canal was constructed the traffic has increased very considerably, and now between 3,000 and 4,000 vessels pass through it every year. It took us less than a day and a night to pass through the Suez Canal and very interesting it seemed, the huge steamer passing through a narrow strip of water which in some places only admits of two vessels going abreast.

We passed a French Man-of-War and other vessels, and the passengers as usual exchanged greetings. What picturesque scenes meet one's eye to be sure as the steamer glides over the smooth waters of the canal between two sand banks. Now we come across a group of wild-looking Bedouins, gazing with mute wonder at the huge vessels that pass and repass with their motley cargo ; now we meet a band of Egyptian men and women, in their striking old-world costumes, hurrying to some village close by with baskets full of fruits and vegetables on their heads ; now it is some Arab soldiers that we see riding on camels with loaded rifles dangling at their side. The shades of night are closing fast and these bold riders on camels are seen clearly outlined against the darkening sky which still reflects the glory of the setting sun.

Crude, simple Arab villages are passed now and then, aud half-naked children are seen playing in front of the tiny conical wooden cottages or sport ing in the canal, while something simple but sub- CH. I.] 9 THE VOYAGE TO EUROPE. stantial is being baked inside over the blazing fire. We pass every two miles or so groups of neatly built houses of the Canal officers, kept scrupulously clean and neat, with beautiful creepers, palms and casuarinas growing around. And at night, what a weird spectacle it is to see the gigantic vessel with a blaze of electric light in front being piloted cautiously along the canal. The wild, desolate, man-forsaken deserts on both the sides, the narrow strip of deep water running right through, over which the huge vessels glide with their maddening light in front, and the moon throwing over all its mild, silvery veil — all help to make up a picture of surpassing weirdness and beauty.

We reached Port Said, our next destination, very early in the morning. Port Said is Port Said. J 5 known as the "Half Way House on the High Way to the East." It is here that the traveller bids good-bye to the Old World, and it is here that he finds himself on the threshold of all that is European and modern. It would be impossible to name another port of call where visitors are influential in every sphere of activity. Here halt the civil and military rulers of India, the Governors and most of the states men of the colonies, the masters of many argosies who control and extend the trade in the East and the West. On a moderate computation it is reckoned that fully half a million persons now call in each twelve months at this "Half Way House on the High Way to the East." I spent three or four hours at Port Said, strolling about the town, admiring the & AMERICA. [CH. I. 10 shops and noting the varied street scenes which were to me so novel.

A group of Arab street boys are fighting over a stolen dog, kicking up a tremendous row which no one, not even the policeman who was standing opposite, take any notice of. At one corner of a street I notice a number of primitively dressed Arabs selling milk in bottles. I pass a little further on and notice the fruit vendors dis playing with pride their delicious grapes and figs, melons and bananas, &c. A number of devout nuns are hurrying with downcast eyes and reverential looks to a church close by to attend an early mass. Every third shop is a cafe or restaurant. Innumerable small tables are laid out in the open streets where the people, men and even women, seem to have nothing else to do but sip coffee and drink beer or other strong drinks. In some of the larger restaurants they have bands playing, the players being mostly ladies.

I went into two of these restaurants and enjoyed a cup of coffee, listening to the delicious strains of the band. They say it is unsafe for strangers to venture out alone at Port Said after dark. The place is infested with rogues of all nationalities who spot out a stranger in an instantr and not content with relieving him of all his spa.re cash attempt to take his life for the mere fun of the thing. Port Said has the reputation of being the wick edest city in the world. Our voyage on the Mediterranean which took us three days was pleasant. It was turning out to be de cidedly cold here, which necessitated warm clothing. The Mediterranean is reputed to be the healthiest sea CH. I.] 11 THE VOYAGE TO EUROPE. in the world and the people along the European side of the Mediterranean are said to live ten years longer than those in other parts of Europe.

On the second day, I think, we passed within a stone's throw of Crete and the Ionian islands. Very early On the 21 st July we reached Brindisi, and peeping out of my cabin I saw the town Bfinoisi. . . ht up by the soft radiance of the rising sun. On the right was an island covered with deep green vegetation. Brindisi is not much of a town, consisting as it does of a number of ill-kept streets, through which one good street passes, from the station to the water side. " Here Cæsar besieged Pompeii and here Virgil died B.C. 19," says the guide book, for Brindisi is the ancient Brundusium. It contains a sheltered harbour full of Roman remains and the English Mail (P. & 0.) and other steamers berth along side the quays. We stayed for only a. couple of hours, and during that short time the vessel was literally besieged by vendors of fruits, hawkers of all kinds and a band of Italian musicians who discoursed sweet music.

Among the players was a pretty Italian girl, with typical Italian features, who played the mandoline and went about every now and then with the collection plate. Poor people ! they don't seem to have got much. I doubt whether they obtained altogethertwo shillings, though they were eight of them. Two of them had a good drenching besides, for as the boat containing the musicians was nearing the steamer some mischie vous sailor threw a bucketful of cold water on them. This threw the pretty Italian girl into fits of laughter, & AMERICA. [CH. I. and she stopped playing the mandoline every now and then to indulge in ahearty good laugh, to the amusement of the passengers and to the disgust of the two musicians, who did not seem to enjoy the early cold ablution they had received quite unasked. As our destination was Trieste in Austria we sailed more along the eastern side of the Adriatic sea, which is studded with islands, and very pretty they looked too, covered with verdure, and affording such a contrast to the islands in the Red Sea.

Nearing Trieste we passed pretty little Austrian villages nestling among hills which were all vine-clad. During the latter part of the voyage we had moon- Mooniight light. How lovely the sea looks when at sea. the moon shines on it with all its chastened loveliness ! How the waves drink in the soft radiance of the moon's rays and dance merrily under its silver-spangled glory ; and then, the sunrise on the sea, it has a beauty and a majesty of its own. I could see it all from my cabin window. One by one the stars begin to pale before a splendour in the East, and then the quivering footsteps of the dawn come rushing across the new-born blue. The heralds of the dawn search out the shadows and drive them away with ruthless force and then he comes in glory flooding the deep with warmth and light.

What joy these sights give us, and yet there is an inexplicable sadness about it all, a sadness due to the very excess of its beauty, a sadness that makes us think of those who are no more to enjoy such scenes, and makes one dream of death and its mystery. CH. I.] 13 THE VOYAGE TO EUROPE. We had not many passengers on board between The Pas- Bombay and Port Said. There were only seven of us in the second class who travelled almost the whole voyage together : three Germans, an elderly German lady, a lively young Italian maid, an Englishman and myself. At Suez and Port Said quite a cart-load of Italians of all descriptions got in. I found the passengers sociable, especially the foreigners. The steamer which was one of the Austrian Lloyd line, though small, was comfortable. The officers were all Austri ans who spoke Italian and were extremely polite.

The only drawback was that none of them could con verse in English. The food supplied was not sump tuous but simple and substantial. We had some good music on board. One of the officers played the mando line and in the evenings he and a few others came to the second-class deck and played and sang for the special edification of the lively Italian damsel. How very lovely is Italian music ! We were treated to bits of operatic music, now and then a serenade or a popular ballad was sung. The sentimental songs have such deep pathos about them and the lively ones such go in them. Some of the songs and pieces still ring in my ears mingled with the musical ripples of the water on the sides of the vessel and the deeply reso nant sound of the engine at work. They observe the quarantine rules rather strictly at the Italian ports, and it was rather amusing to see all the passengers — first, second and deck — walk past the quarantine officers in single file.

What a motley & AMERICA. [CH. I. 14 group it was to be sure ! Ladies dressed in silks and satins, gentlemen of the masher type, clumsily dressed artizans and traders, sailors and lascars with shabby dirty clothes on — all had to pass before the officers one after another, and though among our company there was the Governor of Port Said and the Austrian Consul at Egypt, in the eye of the quaran tine officers, each counted for one and no one for more than one, and yet there are fools in the world who would put a higher value on certain human beings on account of their external appearance or on account of any material advantages they may possess. The quarantine officers evidently know better wisdom. Taken, as a whole, I had a pleasant voyage, notwithstanding the painful experiences of the first few days ; and I was glad to set foot on solid ground on the Austrian shore after a voyage of 21 days, thanking God for journeying mercies so far.

Chapter II. Picturesque Italy

What strikes an Indian most on setting foot in a First im- European city is the sight of white faces areIu?o|ean Posing and repassing the busy crowded Cltythoroughfares, and the freedom with which women of all classes go about their varied occupations just as men do. I remember well when landing at Malta 16 years ago, my standing perfectly bewildered in the streets, trying to take in the novel sensation of a sea of white faces, and this time, at Trieste, the same sight, though it did not strike me quite as novel, was nevertheless interesting. Trieste, which is the first sea-port of Austria, and by far the most thriv ing commercial place on the Adriatic, is picturesquely situated at the foot of the Karst-hills. Its cluster of white buildings, all lying crowded in the valley, with other buildings on slopes of hills, nestling among trees, its cathedral and churches whose spires stand out con spicuous everywhere, its vineyards covering every nook and corner of hill slopes, — all these combined to produce a very picturesque effect from the steamer.

After putting my things in the Hotel de la Ville, which faces the harbour, I took a stroll through the town. What a contrast the streets of a continental town present, as compared with those of an Indian town ! The huge buildings, five, six and even seven stories high, all built after the same fashion ; the beautiful shops & AMERICA. [CH. II. 16 with glass show-windows in which articles of every description are aesthetically arranged so as to catch the eyes of the passers by ; the brilliantly lit restaurants, where, in the evenings, men and women, dressed in the height of fashion, sit and sip beer and talk gossip ; the gas-lit roads, with the large shops, and more important hotels, restaurants, theatres and other public buildings lit with electric light ; the statues and monuments, works of men's highest artistic powers, that catch one's eye in every corner almost; the streams of well-dressed people, as well as those of the poorer classes, passing and repassing in all directions, on duty or on pleasure bent, — these and other sights stand out in striking contrast to those we notice in our ill-lit, ill-kept thoroughfares of Indian cities,. with their ugly irregular buildings, and insanitary surroundings.

There are no doubt parts of Bombay and Calcutta that remind one of European cities, but then there can be no comparison between even Bombay and Calcutta and some of the European cities of third or fourth rate importance, with regard to impressiveness of street scenery. At a book seller's shop I bought the " Life and Letters of Charles Kingsley" and a volume of Shakespeare, both of Tauchnitz's edition, which is exceedingly cheap, but is only sold on the continent. I am never tired of reading Kingsley, for there is so much that is inspiring in his life and writings. I hope our Indian young men in particular will make a point of studying his life as it cannot but prove of the greatest benefit to them. I also went up a flight of stone steps to the «CH. II.] PICTURESQUE ITALY. 17 top of a hill from which I had a splendid view of the harbour and the city.

The hotel where I stayed was a six-storied building beautifully constructed, with marble floors, and was lighted by electricity. I went up to my room in a lift, or an elevator, as it is called, and it reminded me of the occasion when, in a Paris hotel, I tried to work the elevator myself and got stuck in the middle, where I had to stay fully half an hour before any one could come to my rescue. One of the waiters, an Italian, spoke English quite in a learned style and discussed with me several questions, including even the missionary problem. I had to leave early next morning (the 24th) for Venice, and so I did not. go the round of the public buildings. On my return, however, I stayed a full day at Trieste. Strange this city, which looked very attractive compared with the Indian cities I had been accustomed to, seemed rather insignificant when I visited it again, after seeing some of the most striking capitals of Europe, such as Paris, Brussels, Copenhagen, Berlin, Vienna, though the sur roundings did not in the least lose their picturesque ness for me.

The journey from Trieste to Venice took six hours From Trieste an<^ was mos^ enjoyable. We had the to Venice, combined beauty of European mountain and sea scenery, each unique of its kind. On one side rose hills in all directions covered everywhere with gardens and orchards, with white winding foot-paths. Nestling am'ong these hills were solitary villages with neatly-built houses all of white stone, affording a striking contrast to the lovely dark-green surroundings. X & AMERICA. [CH. II. Vine, vine, vine — we see everywhere, hanging in festoons from tree to tree, clinging to mulberry trees,, creeping over arches and windows, covering trellised doorways; and one is never tired of seeing it every where and in all possible shapes. Nature has been lavish in its gifts in this part of the world, and no wonder one notices on all sides thriving villages and hamlets.