e Thursday Oct 13^th. Still on board
the Neptune.
After I wrote yesterday morning in the harbor of Corfu the
American Vice Consul attracted by the national flag
at our mast head came off in a boat and made
me a call, but the quarantine laws forbid my
going to him, and him from coming aboard our
ship. So we conversed over the deck. He went back
to the shore to get me special permission going all
alone to set my foot on the soil of Greece. But
our coal had been taken in and our steam

15
up, and so we were off before he had time to return
to the steamer. Leaving Leaving Corfu freedom and
Christianity on the one side, and Suli ^or Souli^ ^its^ Turkish despotism
and its Turkish despotism on this other we floated
onwards coasting towa in the Gulf Straits of Otranto
between Naples on the left and Albania on the right.
The scenery is wild and romantic. Clouds hang down
mountain sides and vallies with ^their^ white cottages
below. Some of the mountains rise to the height of five
thousand feet. A watery morn just beginning to wane
allowed us only a misty view of the scenery — at ten
o,clock when I returned. At seven in the morning the
sun broke through the mist and disclosed to us on the
right left the broad expanse of the Adriatic on our
right, the islands of Dalmatia an Austrian province
which shuts out the Turk from the shore of this
mountain and beautiful sea. The countries on other
side were once the provinces of Venice. Castles and
forts and towns which sprung up under her rule
and figured conspicuously in the period of the crusades
now belong to the Austrians, the Neapolitans and
the Turks who conquered them first, and left her alone
to sink gradually from power and wealth into
debauchery and decay. Her authority is gone her
wealth, her sentries, all but her fame, a fame
which still wherever he it spread awakens doubt

16
whether a Republic can maintain empire and
preserve freedom. This is the last day of our voyage.
Tomorrow evening morning we shall ^have^ arrived at Trieste —
and once more I shall be in the midst of Europe
and the European political system. What may befal me
there I do not know. It may be quarantine and detention
but I hope for liberty to look in upon Venice and
then make my way straight through Venice and Italy
homeward. Already we have Northern winds and rains.
The steamer rocks and I can write only at the
cost of discomfort lines which you can hardly read.