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.

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DISTANCES TRAVELLED:

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

MILES
From New York to San Francisco 3,000
San Francisco to Yokohama 4,724
Yokohama to Tokio and return 36
Nikko, Lake Chiu, and return 253
Hankom Pass and return 115-1/2
Kamakura and Enoshima 80
Yokohama to Kobé 346
Kobé to Kioto and Osaka 152
Kobé _via_ Nagasaki to Hong-Kong 1,456
Hong-Kong to Canton and return 180
Hong-Kong to Colombo, Ceylon 3,096
N. Elliya and Kandy 270-1/2
Colombo to Madras and Calcutta 1,401
Calcutta to Darjeeling and return 740
Calcutta to Benares 475
Benares to Lucknow 202
Lucknow to Cawnpore 46
Cawnpore to Agra 160
Agra to Delhi 144
Delhi to Jeypore 101
Jeypore to Bombay 699
Bombay to Aden 1,661
Aden to Ismaïlia 1,352
Ismaïlia to Cairo 84
Memphis and return 50
Pyramids and return 16
Cairo to Alexandria 150
Alexandria to Jaffa 250
Jaffa to Jerusalem and return 68
Jerusalem to Bethlehem and return 10
Jaffa to Constantinople 1,000
Constantinople to Vienna 1,300
Vienna to Dresden 340
Dresden to Berlin 100
Berlin to Hamburg 168
Hamburg to Bremerhaven 90
Bremerhaven to New York 3,500
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27,816

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