The Mentor: The Mediterranean, Vol. 1, Num. 39, Serial No. 39, November 10, 1913

Dwight L. Elmendorf

The Mentor: The Mediterranean, Vol. 1, Num. 39, Serial No. 39, November 10, 1913

THE MEDITERRANEANBYDWIGHT L. ELMENDORFLecturer and TravelerALGIERS · THE RIVIERA · MONTE CARLO · NICE · GENOA · NAPLES

Across the straits from Gibraltar is another and very different world. Start with Tangier (tahn-jeer´) and wander along the Barbary coast, and you will find yourself in such contrasting conditions, and in a civilization so different from those north of you in Spain and in France, that it will be hard for you to believe that you are separated from those countries by distances varying from the narrow straits of Gibraltar to a mere matter of two or three hundred miles.

You will seem to have been transported to the other side of the world. No traveler can find greater variety in scene and life, in language and habit, in climate and condition, than he gets in the course of a full Mediterranean tour. Few travelers make the whole circuit of the Mediterranean. This great inland sea is usually visited only in parts, and while the traveler is in transit from one point to another. There is no general description that can apply to the whole of this interesting body of water. On every shore there is something that is new and different, and somewhere on these shores there is something to delight each one. If scenery is desired, the French and Italian Riviera (ree-vee-ay´-rah) will draw one irresistibly. A life full of gaiety will hold him there. If historic associations interest him, he will turn naturally to the shores of Italy and Greece, and he will spend months pleasantly in the Adriatic or Ægean Sea. There is in those countries an endless amount to learn and a wealth of natural beauty. When you have cruised through the Ægean (ee-jee´-an), visit the coast of Greece, and of Asia Minor. There you will know the feelings that stirred Lord Byron when he wrote:

“Fair clime! where every season smilesBenignant o’er those blessed isles,Which seen from far Colonna’s height,Make glad the heart that hails the sight,And lend to loneliness, delight.”

The Mediterranean has been the arena of the world’s history for several thousand years.

THE MEDITERRANEAN TRIP

As your eye traces the coast line on the map and you note the countries whose shores are washed by the Mediterranean, you realize what a trip throughout that sea must mean in instruction as well as in delights of travel. Besides the countries I have named, there are Turkey, Asia Minor, Palestine, and Egypt, to say nothing of the great stretch on the African coast. The shore line is so extended, and the life and customs at different points vary so, that we think of the Mediterranean as not one thing, but many things. What is usually called a “Mediterranean trip” rarely comprises more than ten or fifteen points. With limited time, the traveler naturally selects the points of which he has heard most.

ALGIERS

A Mediterranean trip to many travelers means Algiers (al-jeerz´), as far as the African coast is concerned, and the Riviera, with all the points on that beautiful north shore line. Then they must see Naples, of course, and after passing down the Italian coast they are likely to go straight on to Egypt. After passing through the straits of Gibraltar the attention of the traveler is soon centered on Algiers.

From the entrance to the harbor Algiers appears like a white diamond set in a circle of emeralds. The town consists of two parts, the French and the Arab quarters. To the visitor from the west Algiers is most interesting; for there he meets characters of all kinds, European peoples mixing with those of North Africa. The French quarters show that the Frenchman, when compelled to live in another country, takes a bit of Paris with him; for there is found the typical French café, with its little tables on the sidewalk, contrasting with the Arab café where natives, in their picturesque white costumes, sit and sip their coffee and gossip with wild gesticulation. Even in its African population Algiers is oddly mixed. Each tribe has its own peculiar costume, the marketplace often looking like a stage of a comic opera, only much more artistic and natural.

The government house, and in fact all the buildings except those in the French quarters, are Moorish in design and generally whitewashed, so that they masquerade as glittering white marble. The town is beautifully situated, and is surrounded by a very interesting country filled with relics of Punic War times, and ruins of structures of even a more remote period. Near Algiers is the building called the “tomb of the Christian woman.” This is really the tomb of Juba II, who married Cleopatra Selene (se-lee´-nee), daughter of the celebrated Cleopatra and of Marc Antony. Juba II had a son, Ptolemy, and a daughter, Drusilla, who was the wife of Felix, procurator of Judea, who, it will be remembered, said to Saint Paul, “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (Acts xxiv, 25).

All the coast about Algiers is filled with just such interesting relics of Biblical times. Perfect French roads now make it possible to reach the most interesting places by carriage or motorcar.

THE RIVIERA

Across the Mediterranean is a stretch of shore that no traveler in Europe should miss. It is called “The Riviera,” and it extends from Cannes (kahn) to Ventimiglia (ven-tee-meel´-yah), thence to Spezia (spet´-see-ah), beyond Genoa (jen´-o-ah); the former section French, the latter Italian. From one end to the other is a chain of health resorts, some most fashionable, others the very opposite; the latter on that account more desirable to those who wish peace and quiet. Even in the most retired spots, however, there is no escape from the honk-honk of the motorcars; for Riviera highways are the favorite touring roads of southern Europe.

Beginning at Cannes, the necklace of the sea contains such jewels as Antibes (ong-teeb´), Nice (nees), Villefranche-sur-Mer (veel-frongsh-soor-mare´), Beaulieu (bo-lee-eh´), Monaco (mon´-ah-ko), Monte Carlo, and Mentone (men-to´-ne). These are followed by the Italian section, – Ventimiglia, Bordighera (bor-dee-gay´-rah), Ospedaletti, San Remo (ray´-mo), Alassio (ah-lahs´-see-o), Savona (sah-vo´-nah), Pegli (pel´-yee), and Genoa. This section is called the Riviera di Ponente (po-nen´-teh), followed by Riviera di Levante (le-vahn´-te) to the east of Genoa, – Nervi (ner´-vee), Recco (rek´-ko), Santa Margherita Ligure (lih-goor´-eh), Rapallo (rah-pahl´-lo), Sestri Levante, and Spezia.

The French section is more fully developed, and therefore more comfortable and fashionable. The Italian section, while beautiful, leaves much to be desired by the ordinary tourist.

There nestles in the southeast corner of France a tiny little principality called Monaco, the most remarkable place of its kind in the world.

MONTE CARLO

It is only about eight square miles in area, and contains nineteen thousand inhabitants. Strange as it may seem, there are no taxes there, as the Société des Bains de Mer, which is simply a name for the society or company that runs the Casino gambling tables at Monte Carlo, pays the tribute. From the millions of francs paid by this society to the Prince of Monaco and his government every year, the natural inference is that most of the visitors to Monte Carlo get nothing except experience.

The Casino building is very theatrical in style, built expressly for its purpose, and superbly placed on a promontory overlooking the sea and town. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens, carefully kept. In fact, the whole place is a delight to the eye and the most beautiful spot on the Riviera. It is attractive enough to detain one for days, even if the great magnet, the Casino, were not there. On account of the gaming, the whole district is filled with characters that one had rather not meet except in the Casino, where perfect order is assured by the presence of numerous detectives, ready to check disorder when it threatens, or to notify politely anyone of suicidal tendency to leave the Casino and the principality. There is no place in the world where arrangements are so well planned to satisfy the desire of human beings to get something for nothing. And it is not simply a gaming place. The spectacle of Monte Carlo has a great fascination even for those who never play at the tables, everything is so beautiful, so orderly, and so well kept. Many who visit there prefer, however, to stop at Mentone, which is but a few minutes distant by trolley or motorcar.

NICE

The Nicæa (ny-see´-a) of ancient times, founded by Massilians in the fifth century B.C., Nice is the birthplace of Masséna (mah-say-nah´) and Garibaldi, (gah-ree-bahl´-dee). Sheltered by the Maritime Alps, and because of the great limestone cliffs along shore, which absorb the heat rays of the sun, the temperature is so modified that flowers bloom the year round. Nice and its near neighbors have become a famous resort for invalids, especially of the English, who flee to this part of the world to escape their own disagreeable winter. In summer the temperature is fifteen to twenty degrees lower than Paris. The best view of the town is obtained from Castle Hill, overlooking the shore of the Promenade des Anglais, constructed by the English in 1822, in order to give work to the unemployed. One of the secrets of the great success of Nice as a resort is the great variety of entertainment offered by the clever Frenchmen. Fine hotels, theaters, casinos, promenades, and roads (the best in the world), especially the Petite and the Grand Corniche (kor-neesh´), together with a superb climate, are quite enough to attract people from all parts of the world. The business part of the town is a miniature Paris. Fine avenues, lined with shops filled with all kinds of attractive things, inveigle the tourist into extravagant expenditure; while casinos and gambling places relieve the venturesome of their spare cash most politely.

GENOA

From being a republic and a great naval power in the Middle Ages, and as such a rival of Venice, Genoa has come to be now a city of great enterprise and activity. It stands next to Marseilles (mahr-saylz´) in importance as a seaport. It is advantageously situated, the Gulf of Genoa affording an attractive harbor, and the slopes of the Ligurian hills at the back offering many spots of advantage for the display of the city’s beautiful buildings.

The city is finely constructed. As you enter the harbor you find just before you that part of the lower town that is on the level of the water. Beyond that and up the hillslopes beautiful structures have assembled themselves on the different levels of a great natural theater, as if to watch your coming and to greet you on your arrival.

On landing at the pier the traveler quickly finds himself in the attractive Palazzo Doria, named after Andrea Doria, (do´-ree-ah) the famous admiral of Charles V. It is well for the visitor, especially if an American, to take this course, following up the Via Doria to the square in front of the railway station; for there, surrounded by flowers and palms, stands a fine monument of Christopher Columbus; who, it will be remembered, was a native of the city. Genoa is full of stirring activity. If you have gone there from some of the quieter towns along the Riviera, you will feel a change in spirit. You are inclined to move a little faster. Things are happening all the time. There is much to be seen, and all that you see tells a story of years of vigorous, successful civic life. The most notable physical features of Genoa are its fine medieval churches and its many splendid sixteenth century palaces.

Follow up the Via Garibaldi, a magnificent street with many beautiful palaces on both sides. To vary the impressions of fine architectural display take a ride in the tramway up to San Nicolo (nee-ko-lo´) and Castellaccio (cahs-tel-ah´-cho), where you will find yourself over a thousand feet high, and commanding a superb view of the Bisagno (bih-sahn´-yo) Valley and the Campo Santo (kahm´-po sahn´-to) below you. The cemetery called Campo Santo is one of the most interesting features of Genoa. It is beautifully situated, and is filled with remarkable monuments, some of them executed by the leading sculptors of Italy. In the burial spots of the Genoese, as well as in the homes where they live, there is much of luxury and elegance. In its business activities, its social life, its climate, and its customs, Genoa is attractive, and holds the visitor there for sometime content.

NAPLES

On the most beautiful site in Europe stands Naples, the Neapolis of the Athenian colonists. After the Romans conquered it, it still retained Greek culture and institutions. It became the favorite summer resort of the Romans, and the delight of the poets Horace, Ovid, and Virgil. It was when living in Naples that Virgil wrote his famous verses on agriculture, the “Georgics.” After many vicissitudes Roger de Hauteville formed the kingdom of Naples in 1130.

Medieval Naples is traceable in its walls and great gates. The Porta Capuana is one of the best preserved.

After the young Conradin (kon´-rah-deen), the last of the Norman dynasty in Naples, was executed, the country was ruled by the house of Anjou (English, an´-jo; French, ong-zho´), then by the French (Louis XII), and then by Ferdinand of Spain. Don Carlos improved the city and surrounding country. In 1806 the city was invaded by Napoleon, who established his government there for a short time. The Bourbon (boor-bong´) rule came to an end in 1860, when Frances II was dethroned by Garibaldi. From the time it was founded till the present day poor Naples has been so torn to pieces by the many nations contesting for it that there is but little left of its ancient beauty or grandeur, and it now depends upon its wonderful situation, which, with the beautiful places about it, holds the visitor enchanted.

THE BEAUTY OF NAPLES

There are travelers of years of experience who have declared that the site and surroundings of Naples are not excelled in beauty anywhere in the world. You enter the Bay of Naples with the island of Ischia (es´-kee-ah) on one side and on the other the island of Capri (kah´-pree). Immediately before you lies Naples, stretching out from the water’s edge up the hills beyond; the second largest city in Italy, with a population of over five hundred thousand. Back of it and to the southeast is Vesuvius. History has taught us to look with feelings of respect and awe upon that smoke-crowned cone. On the shore, to the south, Herculaneum (her-kew-lay´-nee-um) and Pompeii (pom-pay´-yee) are to be seen, and as the coast curves out to the peninsula you come to Sorrento (sore-ren´-to) and the road along the mountainside that takes you on a scenic tour of matchless beauty, including Amalfi (ah-mahl´-fee), Vietri (vee-ay´-tree), and Salerno (sah-ler´-no).

The interest in Naples is not only scenic, but historic. It is not the achievements of monarchs nor the monuments of artists that attract you. In such matters Naples is poorer than other towns in Italy. But the relics rescued from the explorations in Herculaneum and Pompeii afford an interest that is unique and compelling – an interest, too, that is continually growing, for new discoveries are being made from time to time.

Many are the scenic trips to be taken from Naples. It is a point of departure for pleasure tourists in almost every direction. The ascent of Mount Vesuvius is interesting; but that is the interest of curiosity. Where visitors find the greatest happiness is in the trips to outlying points, especially to the peninsula of Sorrento, to the island of Capri, and to Amalfi and Ravello. It is at these points that we find the greatest beauty of the Mediterranean. It seems indeed as if the great inland sea and mankind had joined there to make a pleasure ground beyond compare.

It is in and about Naples that the traveler will care to linger longest. There is so much to be seen there – and, when satisfied with pleasure jaunts and scenic trips, there is a serenity of life in Naples, and a soft, sunny climate that, to repeat Byron’s words, “lend to loneliness delight.” One friend of mine prolonged a trip, planned for a week, until it filled out twelve months. There is much to interest and delight one in all the seaport towns of the Mediterranean. After all has been said of its varied shores, however, one is apt to conclude by giving the palm of distinction in beauty and interest to Algiers, to Monte Carlo, and to Naples with its environs.

SUPPLEMENTARY READING – “Mediterranean Winter Resorts,” E. Reynolds-Ball; “Algeria and Tunis,” Frances E. Nesbitt; “The Barbary Coast,” H. M. Field; “The Garden of Allah,” R. S. Hichens; “Servitude,” Irene Osgood; Burckhardt’s “Cicerone,” translated by Mrs. A. H. Clough; “Afloat and Ashore on the Mediterranean,” Lee Meriwether; “Mediterranean Trip,” N. Brooks; “Italian Cities,” E. H. and E. W. Blashfield.

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ALGIERS, ALGERIA

Less than a century ago the Barbary Coast, and the city of Algiers in particular, was a nest of pirates. All the principal nations of the world paid them tribute. Their nation was known as the “scourge of Christendom.” Up to the year 1800 the United States alone had poured over $2,000,000 into the coffers of the dey, or ruler. But it was our country, the youngest of all, that put a stop to this cowardly practice of paying toll for immunity from attack on the high seas.

In 180 °Captain Bainbridge, in a United States warship, went to Algiers, taking the usual “presents.”

The dey commanded him to become his messenger and carry his despatches to Constantinople. “The English, French, and Spanish captains have always done this for me. You also pay me tribute, and you also are my slaves,” he said insultingly.

Not daring to disobey without orders from home, Bainbridge did as he commanded; but this was too much for the American people. After the War of 1812 Commodore Decatur served notice on the dey that never again would the United States pay him tribute in money. The dey replied that some powder for his fleet would be acceptable.

“The powder you shall have, if you insist,” answered Decatur; “but the bullets go with it.”

The dey refused the present; but ordered his ships to destroy all American shipping hereafter. These orders having been carried out, Commodore Decatur sailed again for Algiers, and forced the terrified dey to sign a treaty which gave to American ships immunity forever after.

In 1816 the English attacked Algiers; but it was not until fourteen years later that the pirates’ nest was destroyed for good. On June 13, 1830, the dey of Algiers slapped the French consul in the face, and brought down upon himself the wrath of France in the shape of an army of forty thousand men. On the fourth of July, Algiers surrendered, and the “scourge of Christendom” was ended.

Algiers, the French capital of Algeria, has 154,000 inhabitants. It is located on the west side of the Bay of Algiers, and is the most important coaling station on the whole coast of northern Africa.

In Roman times the famous Biblical town of Cæsarea occupied almost the same site. The present city was founded about 935; but Algiers was of little importance until after the expulsion of the Moors from Spain, many of whom settled in the city. From then on until its capture by France, Algiers was the chief seat of the Barbary pirates. The French have greatly improved the place.

THE RIVIERA

The Riviera is a narrow belt of coast that lies between the mountains and the sea all round the Gulf of Genoa in the north of Italy, extending from Nice on the west to Spezia on the east. Part of the Riviera is in France and part in Italy. The Riviera di Ponente (“the coast of the setting sun”) lies between Nice and Genoa. The part between Genoa and Spezia is called the Riviera di Levante (“the coast of the rising sun”).

The climate of the Riviera is very mild, and it is one of the most beautiful regions on earth. All this district is open to the south and sheltered by the mountains on the north and east. The landscape is delightfully varied, – here a bold and lofty promontory, there a wooded hill, and down near the coast richly cultivated plains. The traveler passes steep and frowning cliffs, whose bases are washed by the surf of the Mediterranean, whose summits are crowned by the venerable ruins of towers erected in bygone ages for protection against pirates.

Many of the towns in the Riviera are situated in fertile valleys or on picturesque hills; while others are perched like nests among the rocks. Little churches and chapels peering from the somber foliage of cypresses, and gigantic gray pinnacles of rock frowning upon the smiling plains, frequently enhance the charms of the scenery; while the vast expanse of the Mediterranean, with its ever changing hues, dazzles the eye with its beauty.