From Occident to Orient. A record of a nine months' tour through Europe, Egypt, Holy Land, Asia Minor and Greece

Dedication

To the mother whose tender and prayerful interest has ever followed me through childhood's little griefs, the temptations of young manhood, the joys and sorrows of more mature years, and the perils of travel in foreign lands; as well as to the multitude of personal friends with whom we have been more or less associated in times past, is this little volume affectionately inscribed by the

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Author's Preface

The literature of travel is so abundant in these days of multiplied facilities for easy and inexpensive travel, that we have hesitated to thrust before the public a second edition of a work that was never intended for anything but a limited circulation among the author's own friends and acquaintances. But the first edition has been so kindly received, that now, at the solicitation of friends, a second edition, enlarged and revised, is sent forth and committed to the tender mercies of a more public reading.

Careful as we have been to make our record, both as to historical fact and personal observation, as correct as possible, there will undoubtedly be found some errors, in regard to which the critical must be as lenient as though the authorship was their own.

Indebtedness is acknowledged to guide books, etc., for statistics, measurements, and general history. As for the rest we have relied on a good, full journal of daily events, kept as we went along.

It had been the life-long ambition of the author to see for himself those countries of the Old World, where history was made, particularly those portions of the Orient so intimately connected with the Book of books, so that by being able to localize place and event he could be clearer in his own mind and more useful to the public before which he must continually stand in his chosen sphere of teacher and minister. It was study then, and not pleasure alone, that gave motive to the nine months' tour of which the present work is a narrative. The journey was undertaken at a critical period of the author's life, at a time when it was specially calculated to be a renewer of health and spirits ; it was both in an abundant measure. The journey was a constant succession of delights from the beginning to the end. We have tried to make the reader feel that it was such, and to enter, as far as his imagination would permit, into the pleasure of the journey with us. It is hoped that some of those who may read our record, and who may •afterwards make a similar tour in person, being limited in means, may find some hints as to economical traveling, which may be of some practical service to them.

W. ALEX. SMITH.

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Homeward Bound 280

Introduction

By the Rev. W. W. Barr, D. D.

The prophet Daniel said more than five hundred years before Christ, as he looked with the seer's eye into the distant future, "Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." His prophecy is being fulfilled, at least in measure, in our day. Never was there such running to and fro in the world as at the present time, and never was knowledge so largely increased as now.

King Solomon said in his day, nearly a thousand years before Christ, "Of making many books there is no end." Did he live in this day he would repeat the declaration with an emphasis that he could not have given to his words when he wrote them. If he lived now, and contemplated only a single class of books, he would say, "Of making many books of travel there is no end." Perhaps he might add, "And much study of many of these is a weariness of the flesh." We are confident, however, that he would not say this of the little volume which it is now our pleasure to introduce to the reader.

The part of the world traveled by the author of this book, namely, from New York to Glasgow, to London, Paris, across France, through Italy, over the Mediterranean to Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt, then over to Palestine and through the Holy Land, then back to Greece and across the Continent through Switzerland to London, and again to Scotland and through Ireland, and by the Atlantic to New York, is familiar to travelers and to a large number of readers who have perused the volumes which they have written. On the whole there is no route of travel so interesting and profitable as this. A large number have realized its pleasure and enjoyed its advantages. A much greater number have only had it in their desire, or as a fond dream never to become a reality.

The best that these last could do has been to travel in thought and sympathy with those who have gone over the ground and have published what they have seen and experienced by the way. The pleasure and profit enjoyed by the volumes of travel that have appeared have been varied. Some of

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these have been delightful pen pictures and have been packed full of useful information; others have been commonplace, prolix, prosy and dull.

We do not hesitate to class with the former the volume that is now before us. The author traveled with his eyes and ears open. He went deliberately when and where the most important things were to be seen and learned. Places of less note and interest were passed by, or were seen hurriedly. He had with him for the most of the way a very pleasant and witty traveling companion, whom he designates as "H." Not infrequently he gives his readers the benefit of "H's" humorous and sage observations. On these the author sometimes comments, and exhibits a large degree of wit and humor himself. Often we seem to hear the loud laugh of these genial companions in travel, and we, though not with them, enjoy the fun. The book is much enlivened by this means.

It was our pleasvire to go over, some years ago, the greater part of the tour made by the author of this volume. We have much enjoyed the trip again with him, and we are glad to testify in general to the accuracy of his observations and descriptions. The fault which we found with the book in its first edition was that there was too little of it. Often we wished that he had told us more. This was specially true of his trip through Egypt. We were disappointed that he did not take more time in that country, and especially that he did not tell us more of what he saw and learned of the United Presbyterian mission and missionaries in that land. This defect, however, is remedied in the new edition that is now issued by the United Presbyterian Board of Publication. Two chapters are here added: one entitled, "Cross and Crescent," and the other, "United Presbyterian Missions in Egypt." The value of the first edition, which was "intended rather to afiford a little pleasure and recreation to personal friends, than as a means of adding to the world's store of knowledge," is greatly enhanced by these additional chapters. As at present pubHshed, the work takes its place among the most readable, pleasant and useful books of travel.

Philadelphia, August, 1896.