We spent First day evening with Dr. Hill and his family, and (through the medium of Edward Masson, a Scotchman, and formerly one of the judges of the supreme court of Areopagus) E. and S. Jones had an opportunity of addressing a school at Dr. Hill's house for between twenty and thirty Greek girls of the upper classes. Several were introduced to them from Macedonia, Asia Minor, and many parts of Greece and the islands, besides Athens. An impression seemed to be made that evening which we trust will not soon be forgotten. After visiting another of the schools on First day, where we saw five hundred children taught on the national-school system, and some Cretan women spinning and weaving their native silk, we went to the prison, where Sybil Jones had obtained permission to speak to the prisoners. Leave was granted for all the prisoners, about one hundred and fifty in number, to come into the courtyard, in the centre of which was a large plane tree, under the shadow of which all stood, the poor men forming a large semicircle around S. Jones and D. Sackellarios, her interpreter, and the others. It was a striking scene and a time of great interest. The men were exceedingly attentive, and many were moved while S. J. spoke to them for nearly an hour. She sympathized with them in their present condition. She related some narratives of prisoners who, having found their Saviour in prison, had been filled with joy, and she prayed for them that they too might be brought to Him. The governor of the prison seemed very grateful—said he hoped the words spoken would be blest to the souls of the poor prisoners; and many said it was a day never to be forgotten. It was found that the prisoners had no Bibles, but an arrangement was made that each should be supplied with at least a Gospel. We spent the evening very pleasantly at the house of Dr. Kalopothakes, where we met most of the missionaries, to whom, after the First of Romans had been read, E. and S. J. addressed many words of encouragement, as they did on a similar occasion on Third day morning, when many came to the hotel to take leave, alluding to the refreshment it had been in coming to a strange land to meet with those to whom, as servants of the same blessed Master, they could feel united in one common love and faith, partaking together of the one true communion and speaking together the language of Canaan. All present were deeply affected, and a strong impression was made there as on all other occasions. Some said that the visit of these dear Friends to Athens was just what they had long desired and prayed for—that what they had brought was as a message from the Saviour to encourage them in their work; and D. Sackellarios said that the day of his interpreting for them was the happiest of his life. The same morning E. and S. Jones visited the theological college for the education of young Greek priests. It is under the superintendence of a young Greek, who seems a serious man. He has one or two Friends' books, and is desirous to know something of our Society. S. J. addressed a few words both to him and to the students, encouraging them to give their hearts to the Saviour and to attend to the teaching of the Holy Spirit in their hearts.
E. and S. J. also received a visit from the Cretan bishop of Kissaruss to thank them for their visits to the schools and their interest in the Cretan children, and through them to express gratitude to the American people for their help and sympathy. He also asked for the prayers of Americans that Crete might be made free.
We sailed from the Piræus 10th mo. 22d, landing at Syra the following morning, where E. and S. J. visited the school for Greek children under the care of F. A. Hildner, a Basle missionary, who has been for thirty-seven years engaged in work on this island. Here, as before, the gospel message was spoken to the children and a cheering visit paid to the missionary. We re-embarked on Fifth day, and after running for some time pretty near the coast we sailed into the beautiful bay on which Smyrna stands. The city looks bright and Eastern with its light-painted, square, flat-roofed houses, among which towers and minarets rise. Behind the city rises a steep bare hill crowned with a mosque and the ruins of an old castle. The mountains rise all round the bay, greener than any we had seen since leaving the south of France, and with olive trees and vineyards round their base.
To-day, the 25th, we went on shore, and were driven up and down the narrow, roughly-paved streets of Smyrna, in which we saw many sights reminding us we were in Asia—the trains of laden camels, the veiled Turkish women, the fine large cypress trees shading the graveyards with their painted inscriptions in foreign characters. We visited the deaconesses' home, where fourteen of the sisterhood educate between two hundred and three hundred children, many of the upper class. The establishment is in beautiful order, and a bright and Christian spirit appeared to reign in it. We hope to-morrow to continue the voyage to Beirut. Our dear friends are pretty well, though needing rest. Thine sincerely,
Ellen Clare Miller.
Ellen Clare Miller writes again in 11th mo. to the Friends' Review:
Beirut, Syria.
The account of the journey of our dear friends E. and S. Jones was brought down to the time of our leaving Smyrna. Having now reached Beirut in safety, they wish thee and their friends in America to know as soon as may be of their welfare, and of the pleasant and very interesting voyage which we were favored to make safely and comfortably. Since our arrival here, on Sixth day, the weather has been so broken and stormy that we do indeed feel that there is great cause for thankfulness to Him who holds the winds and waters under His control.
We sailed from Smyrna about noon on the 26th, gradually losing sight of the beautiful mountains which rise up on the south-west side of the bay with their fine coloring of gray, pink, green, and purple, which gives such a charm to the hills about this coast. We passed Chios and Samos—Patmos with its great interest as the isle to which the beloved disciple was banished by the emperor Domitian, and where the wonderful visions were revealed to him. The following day, First day, the 27th, we reached Rhodes, and, the steamer stopping for a few hours, we went on shore, going up the steep street where on either hand stand the half-ruined, strongly-built castles and houses once occupied by the Knights of St. John. Over each doorway may still very plainly be seen the various coats-of-arms of the members of the order, the grand master having a larger house and more elaborate escutcheon. We passed a mosque at the time when the congregation were coming out, and saw each man resume his shoes at the door; there were no women. We were allowed to look inside, but not to enter more than a step or two. It was a plain, whitewashed building, with matting, but no seats; texts from the Koran painted here and there upon the walls, and a kind of pulpit from which the Koran is read. There are many Jews and Mohammedans at Rhodes. It was sorrowful to think how many there were who were professing to worship God, but in so mistaken a manner. E. Jones and A. Fox distributed a great many portions of Scripture and tracts in Arabic, Turkish, and Hebrew, as they did all along the coast at our various stopping-places, so sowing much good seed, some of which at least may, we hope, take root and bear fruit.
The whole of the following day was spent in coasting along that part of Anatolia formerly called Lycia, Pamphylia, and Cilicia, keeping very near the shore. It was a great privilege to pass near scenes of such interest as those regions through which Paul and his companions passed, and to see the very places on which their eyes must have rested. Cyprus was visible on the right, but too distant from us to obtain much idea of its appearance. Early in the morning of the 29th we found ourselves in the harbor of Mersina, the port of Tarsus, about ten miles from that city, of which Paul was a citizen. This latter place itself we could not see, but we were shown the direction in which it lay among the mountains, and the point where the Cydnus flows into the sea with its cold waters fresh from Taurus, whose snowy tops we plainly saw. The ship remained here till the afternoon, shipping wheat, and we were much interested in seeing a train of one hundred and fifty camels winding down from the direction of Taurus and moving slowly along the shore to discharge their freight at the warehouses upon the quay. We then turned our faces southward, passing not far from Antioch, which, however, cannot be seen from the sea. We stopped a few hours at Latakia, near which rises the cone-shaped Mount Cassius. Soon after passing this we had our first view of one of the spurs of Mount Lebanon, crowned with snow. This grand and extensive range became more and more conspicuous until we reached Tripoli, which lies beautifully at its feet in a fine wide bay. We sailed very near the island of Aradus, the ancient Arvad, opposite to which lies "the entering in of Hamath" so often mentioned in the Bible, the boundary of the Land of Promise, though never of that really possessed by the Israelites. The weather was very fine, but extremely hot, all the time we were on the water.