Chapter XXXIV · CONCLUSION.

ON the afternoon of the 10th of March, I took a walk down to the great bridge, and had a last and lingering look at the splendid harbor, the Golden Horn, and the Bosphorus. At 6 P.M., I took a carriage and a guide to the depot at Stamboul, from which leaves, twice a week, the Oriental Express for Vienna and Paris.

After an examination of my passport and baggage, and considerable delay, I got on the train, composed exclusively of Mann boudoir cars, lighted by gas, including dining-car; and every thing first-class, quite as good as any thing in America, except the vestibule trains from New York to Chicago. The road-bed is so perfectly constructed that the cars run easier than on any railroad I was ever on. You could read with comfort, and some of the passengers were writing. My journey from Constantinople was a solitary one, our party having separated, and other friends being left behind. Passing through Bulgaria and Servia, little was to be seen except vast plains, sometimes cultivated, but often not; mud houses with thatched roofs, and oxen ploughing in the fields. We then went up and over big mountains, covered with snow.

The second morning when I arose we were in Hungary, and the scene had changed to every appearance of business and activity. Four oxen, attached to a plough or to a four-wheel wagon, were to be seen all along the route. There were vast cultivated plains, and beyond them towns, villages, and houses, all looking in good shape. We arrived at Budapest after two nights and one day on the train. I spent two days in Budapest, and found it one of the most beautiful cities in Europe—handsome, well paved, wide, clean streets, splendid hotels, stores, and public and private buildings. This city is the capital of Hungary; the King, who is also Emperor of Austria, resides here for a portion of the year.

In one of my trips about the city, I saw him driving out in his royal coach. Leaving Budapest at half-past two one afternoon, after a fine journey of five hours, I arrived in Vienna, and was accommodated at the Imperial Hotel, which was first-class in all respects.

A week was passed in Vienna. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, many think even finer than Paris, and I thoroughly enjoyed the comforts of civilization once more, all the more, no doubt, from having been partly deprived of them for so many months, as recorded in the previous pages. I called on Colonel Grant, the United States Minister, who was very polite and kind. I dined with him and his charming family, and attended a diplomatic reception given by Mrs. Grant. I also dined with the distinguished Dr. Kolish and his family, some of whom spoke excellent English, and passed a very agreeable evening with them.

Passing on to Berlin, I there saw a grand review given by the Emperor to the Prince of Wales; and from there went to Dresden, in which delightful city several days were spent, going often to the large and splendid gallery of paintings, and lingering in front of that wonderful work of art, the "Sistine Madonna." One evening I went to the Grand Opera, and one afternoon drove around and through the city. Two American young ladies were kind enough to accompany me and to point out the various objects of interest. We met the King of Saxony, driving out in a showy royal carriage.

Hamburg came next, one of the most beautiful and enterprising cities in Europe, and then Bremen, where I boarded the North German Lloyds steamer Eider.

Every thing about this splendid ship was so perfect that one could not suggest an improvement; the table being of extraordinary excellence. We made a quick passage, and in eight days I landed in New York, April 8, 1890, having been absent exactly seven months. The distance travelled was 27,816 miles: 18,786 by water, 9,030 by land.

DISTANCES TRAVELLED:

Recorded from San Francisco to Cairo by Miss Roe; of Cincinnati.

Miles

From New York to San Francisco3,000

San Francisco to Yokohama 4,724

Yokohama to Tokio and return36

Nikko, Lake Chiu, and return253

Hankom Pass and return115 ½

Kamakura and Enoshima80

Yokohama to Kobé346

Kobé to Kioto and Osaka152

Kobé via Nagasaki to Hong-Kong1,456

Hong-Kong to Canton and return 180

Hong-Kong to Colombo, Ceylon3,096

N. Elliya and Kandy270½

Colombo to Madras and Calcutta1,401

Calcutta to Darjeeling and return740

Calcutta to Benares475

Benares to Lucknow202

Lucknow to Cawnpore46

Cawnpore to Agra160

Agra to Delhi144

Delhi to Jeypore101

Jeypore to Bombay699

Bombay to Aden1,661

Aden to Ismaïlia1,352

Ismaïlia to Cairo84

Memphis and return50

Pyramids and return16

Cairo to Alexandria150

Alexandria to Jaffa250

Jaffa to Jerusalem and return68

Jerusalem to Bethlehem and return10

Jaffa to Constantinople1,000

Constantinople to Vienna1,300

Vienna to Dresden340

Dresden to Berlin100

Berlin to Hamburg168

Hamburg to Bremerhaven90

Bremerhaven to New York3,500

27,816