After leaving this burial ground, we passed the Barracks (used as an English Hospital during the Crimean war, the scene of Miss Nightingale's memorable labours), and then reached a spot from which there was a fine view of the Sea of Marmora, Prince's Islands, and Stamboul (as the ancient part of Constantinople is called), the Golden Horn, the town of Chalcedon, etc. A short drive further brought us to the British Military Cemetery—a beautiful enclosure, planted with trees and shrubs—which was laid out with grass nicely mown, and neat gravel walks. A few flowers also were in bloom, and the whole was kept in perfect order, either by a gardener, or the lodge-keeper at the entrance. Part of the ground sloped gradually towards the Sea of Marmora, the sun shone brightly upon the Cemetery, and the whole enclosure looked so peaceful, quiet, and even hallowed, compared with the Turkish burial-ground we had just quitted, that the superiority of Christianity to Mahometanism was vividly conspicuous. This Cemetery contains the graves of 8,000 of the British officers, soldiers, and sailors, who died of wounds received in the Crimean war; and the bodies of British residents in Constantinople may likewise (by permission) be interred therein. Upon the first monument that attracted our attention was the following touching epitaph:—"In memory of Julian Henry Layard, Lieut. 37th N. Hampshire Regiment, assistant military attaché to the British Embassy at Constantinople, who died of typhoid fever while on duty with the Turkish forces under Suleiman Pasha in the Shipka Pass. Born 15th May, 1850, died Sept. 24th, 1877. This monument has been erected by his parents Col. Frederick and Ida Layard, in testimony of their undying loss. Pitifully behold the sorrows of our hearts, oh! Lord." Further on was a large, handsome, white marble monument, a column between 20 and 30 feet high, which had angels carved upon it, with folded arms, drooping wings, and down-cast countenances; and on one of its four sides was the following inscription:—"A la mémoire des officiers, des soldats, et des marins de l'armée Anglaise, et de la flotte, morts pour la patrie, dans la guerre de la Russie en 1854, 1855, et 1856. Ce monument a été elevé par la reine Victoria et son peuple, en 1857." After leaving the Cemetery, we took a drive through Scutari before returning to the Hôtel d'Angleterre. Constantinople, including Stamboul and the suburbs of Galata, Pera, Tophana, and Scutari, contains a population of upwards of a million.
On April 21st, at 5 p.m., we left for Athens in the "Minerva"; arrived at the Piræus, Greece, at 6 a.m. on the 23rd, after a favourable voyage, and proceeded immediately by rail to Athens, which is only seven miles distant. There, on the evening of that day, Mr. Müller preached at the Chapel of the American Congregational Mission, in English, from Phil. iv. 6, 7, with translation into modern Greek. On the 26th he spoke at the house of an American Baptist minister, with translation also into Greek, and on the following evening, at 8 o'clock, preached at the American Presbyterian Mission Chapel, from Romans viii. 28, when Dr. Kalopothakos translated for him. On the 28th he addressed 257 Greek boys at "The Ragged School," in the presence of their teachers and a number of gentlemen interested in the Institution; and, after having spoken to the boys, particularly impressed upon these gentlemen (privately) the importance of introducing religious instruction into the school. On the morning of the 29th, at one of the prisons in Athens, he addressed 275 male prisoners, for half an hour, who were all assembled in a yard, and went afterwards to a second gaol, where he preached the gospel to 155 other prisoners. These men, who were very quiet and attentive, listened with much interest to the instruction given. On Sunday the 30th Mr. Müller preached at the American Presbyterian Mission Chapel in the morning; and in the evening, at the same place, addressed the largest congregation that had ever assembled in the Chapel during the ten years it had been open. On May 1st he spoke there again, and on the 2nd addressed the 700 children belonging to Mrs. Hill's School, in German; upon this occasion (as at all other times) with translation into Greek.
Whilst at Athens we visited the Areopagus, or Mars Hill;—stood on the spot where Paul preached, explored the Acropolis, and saw the ruins of many idol temples, celebrated ancient buildings, etc., some of which are said to be nearly 4,000 years old. We ascended Mount Lycabettus also, and admired the beautiful view obtained from it of Athens and the neighbourhood. During the whole of our visit, Dr. Kalapothakos and Mr. Sakkalarios (two missionary brethren) were most kind and attentive to us.
On Wednesday, May 3rd, we rose at 4, went by rail to the Piræus, and there embarked for Kalamaki, on the Isthmus of Corinth, 40 miles distant. At 11 o'clock we reached our destination, crossed the Isthmus in a carriage (a drive of seven miles) and at Corinth, the other side of it, went on board a Greek steamer, bound for Brindisi in the south of Italy. At half past 1 we sailed from Corinth, and after touching at Corfu on the evening of the 4th, on May 5th, at noon, landed at Brindisi. From this town, viâ Foggia and Caserta, we went on direct to Rome, arrived in that city on the 8th of May, and remained there until the 18th.
During this our third visit to Rome, Mr. Müller held twelve meetings, when he preached occasionally in English without translation, but generally with interpretation into Italian. On May 12th we attended one of Mrs. Wall's interesting meetings for Italian beggars (held once a week), when Mr. Müller addressed them with translation by Mr. Wall. On May 18th we visited Tivoli, 18 miles from Rome, and on the 19th went on to Florence (our third visit to that city), where my dear husband had five precious, happy meetings. There, it was our intention to have remained longer, but finding it would be desirable that we should return to England a little earlier than usual, on May 25th we left Florence for Turin, arrived at Paris on the 27th, continued our journey to Dover on the 29th, and arrived at Bristol on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 30th, at half-past two.
NINTH TOUR.
EUROPEAN: INCLUDING VISITS TO GERMANY, AUSTRIA, HUNGARY, BOHEMIA, RUSSIA, AND RUSSIAN POLAND.
From August 8th, 1882, to June 1st, 1883.
Before our departure from England to begin another Continental tour; on August 8th, 1882, we went to Weymouth, where Mr. Müller preached four times. On the 14th we left for Dover, crossed over by steamer to Calais the next morning, and taking the train for Brussels which was waiting, reached that city in the afternoon at 5 o'clock. On the 17th we proceeded to Düsseldorf, where my husband held eight German meetings, and on the 26th left for Neukirchen, a village about two miles from Mörs. There, on Sunday the 27th, he preached in the morning at the parish Church, and in the afternoon attended a meeting (held at a large Hall, in connection with the dedication of the Mission House), at which he was the chief speaker. His address occupied from 4 till 5 o'clock, but the whole meeting, which was crowded to overflowing, lasted for four hours. Early the following morning he conducted family worship in the large dining-room of Pastor Doll's parsonage; where, besides its inmates, a congregation from the village had assembled. At 10 o'clock we left for Homberg in a carriage, crossed the Rhine by ferry steamer, and went on by rail to Mülheim an der Ruhr, at which place, on the evening of that day, he addressed a large audience of 1,600 persons at the Vereins Haus. On August 29th, a religious festival was held at this Vereins Haus, when the building was crowded in every part of it; and at half-past 2, Mr. Müller addressed a multitude, numbering from 1,600 to 1,800. In the evening at half past 8, he spoke at the Vereins Haus for the third time, and again addressed (if possible) a more crowded audience than had assembled there in the afternoon.