“We sailed at last for Alexandria, and my poor old father accompanied me in his boat as far as Khios. Little he or I thought we should never meet again. We had a pleasant twenty days voyage to Egypt, the ‘Alexanovitch’ was anything but a fast sailor, in fact, the greatest speed we could get out of her was seven knots an hour.
“On our arrival we went direct to the wharf, and discharged the cargo with the crew. We were three weeks at Alexandria and every night Captain Petri would take me with him and show me all the wonderful places in that famous ancient city, that was built by Alexander the Great. We visited the palaces of the Pashas, the Mosques, Arsenal, etc., I could not now remember one half of the places we went to. It would take many months, and much money to explore and see all the sights of Alexandria. It is said that in the year 640 A.D., when the Saracenic General Amer conquered the city, in his report to his royal master, the Caliph, he said he had found four thousand palaces, four thousand baths, forty thousand Jews paying tribute, four hundred royal circuses, and twelve thousand gardeners who supplied the city with herbs and vegetables. To my young mind it was all so wonderful and never having been out of Smyrna, I was a little bewildered with all I saw.
“By this time our cargo was discharged, and we had loaded again for Constantinople, and on leaving Alexandria we had a succession of gales of wind, in which the old brig got terribly knocked about, and this was the beginning of our troubles. When we were off the Island of Rhodes, our boats were washed away by a heavy sea, and a considerable amount of damage was done about the deck. Then off the Island of Patmos, the mate was washed overboard and drowned, and every man on board was bruised and sore with the buffeting. To make matters still worse, when we were off Cape Sagri, poor old Captain Petri was knocked down by a heavy sea and injured, and all through the Dardanelles the bad weather continued.
“When we arrived at Constantinople our crew was completely worn out, Captain Petri was taken seriously ill, and had to leave the ship. I was very sorry to part from him, but was getting more confidence in myself, and so resolved to stop by the vessel.
“The agent appointed another captain. He was a Turk, a native of Havac on the Bosphorus. He was a tall strong looking young man, with a long pointed moustache, and a villainous look on his face, and as was afterwards proved, his face was a true index to his character.
“We lay four weeks at Constantinople. The men asked me to go on shore with them, and I was unable to refuse, as they said they would show me round, and they did, but may Heaven’s curse fall upon them. They took me into all the dens of infamy, among the lowest of the low in that terrible city of corruption and vice. They taught me to forget all the good my dear old mother had taught me at her knee, and made me laugh at words that the dear old Padre had spoken so reverently.”
Again the old man broke down with the agony of remembrance. “Oh, Jesu Christi,” he murmured, “why did I leave the dear home, and the mother who was so proud of me, and who loved me so. Never again have I looked on her sweet face, or heard her voice, never again have I sat in the little church and heard the dear Padre’s blessing. For forty long years have I roamed around the world, but never again have I looked on those dear faces that I loved so well. But God is good, and some say that I may see them in that land where all these things are forgotten and forgiven.”
For a few minutes he was silent, lost in memories of the past, then he continued:
“We finished loading at last, and then hauled out to the anchorage off Scutari, and that evening while at anchor, at about nine-thirty p.m., a small boat came off from the shore, containing an old Turkish gentleman and a boy. He climbed on board very smartly for his apparent age, and asked for the captain. I called the captain, who at once came, and after a few remarks were passed at the gangway, he asked him into the cabin. They were there about half an hour, when, going in suddenly, I saw the visitor paying over some money to the captain, they came out shortly afterwards, and the gentleman was pulled back to the shore.
“We were bound for Algiers and Morocco, and were to heave up the anchor at daylight. About 2 a.m. a boat pulled off from the ‘Golden Horn,’ and came alongside, in it was the same old gentleman who had visited us earlier in the evening. He had with him two large portmanteaux and one small handbag. The portmanteaux were handed up, but he would not part with the handbag. As soon as he was on board, orders were given to heave up the anchor, and setting all sail, we stood out of the Bosphorus, and shaped our course for the Sea of Marmora.