Show FROM THE ORIENT last evening after A safe voyage of about 1000 miles rom I 1 arrived here feeling well and aside from the oppressive heat on the mediterranean I 1 have enjoyed my trip very much while wa traveling here now with our modern steamers one is forced to reflect upon the difference of comfort in traveling enjoyed in the nineteenth century with what was enjoyed in tile the days of the apostle paul as related by luke in n th the acts of the A apostles les of his trip to rome borne but ut while traveling by water has been wonderfully improved the fruitful hills on the coast of asia minor agnor and the rich ionian island have certainly retrograded the country seen from the sea appears bare and a wail is heard fro from nithe the people ale of all classes concerning the bard times and various government oppressions oppress ions this lack of energy is however not altogether the fault of ef the governments ern ments much may be justly laid bid 0 fo o the indolence of the people 1 sasai rel careless and regardless in all their temporal affairs one may see them idling away their time smoking and telling tales the greeks appear to be the more enterprising of the lot but they are rent by internal social difficulties church tyranny and often political aspirations here in smyrna the greeks decidedly predominate among the native races greek is universally spoken and turkish but sparsely understood french manners and ideas are at a hi high h standard here and a great effort Is Is being made by the people to be called french subjects any slight relationship or chance is eagerly grasped to be denominated something different to Lav antines they appear to be quite conscious that their fusion race is a perceptible discredit smyrna is the second city for size in the empire it has about inhabitants of which about one third are areek greek one third modam madans and the other third arme arine gians europeans etc smyrna has the best built seaport in the empire ships are laying to at the wharf a sight quite strange herein here in the orient where ships as a rule have to anchor out in the harbor and transport all freight to and from the ship by boats but even here boats have to be used in many instances as only the stern end of the ship is allowed to reach the wharf so that the passengers have all to be landed by khelik or boat if any one desires to see how work in general can be done in au an awkward way let him come to turkey the study seems to be how can things be done unhandy but coming back to smyrna again we find the city quite clean and neat a few streets well caveda pave danice nice promenade upon which is a street car line on the beach here also are located coffee shops casinos and saloons the city presents a pretty sight from the smyrna gulf upon which it is located smyrna is built partly upon a bottom and partly upon the side hill back of the city upon a high hill is a ruined fortification yet to be seen it would ap appear to be from the time of the crusa crusaders being of the style in which they have built several in syria our protestant friends have been trying to proselyte smyrna and to reform her in their caybut it seems hard work saloons and fine dress make much more impression upon the foolish orientals Orient als an english mission board and the american congregational mission society have each a station here each has also a coffee shop called the rest best here the weary traveler is invited to step in to read the word of god and if his soul be wearied with the sins of the wo world rl d he may be comforted by the visitors re who are supposed to be in a degree spiritually minded the walls of the rest best are decorated with scriptural passages bearing on the atonement of christ and bibles and religious newspapers can be found well the arrangement though curious when contemplated in connection with missionary work still does some good it furnishes a respectable place lace for people to spend a few tours hours reading and perhaps also here men may be turned from the evil of their ways the place is quite cosmopolitan mo politan inscriptions and bibles may be found found in about fifteen languages but think of the change from what we read in the bible of preaching the word of god here we have the work reduced to a business principle of course cafes cafe sare are in great lemand demand in the orient but I 1 can hardly conceive the idea that this is the way to preach the gospel but perhaps looking at it a little different it may be better comprehended I 1 ie e their doctrines being man made why should not also their methods of expounding them be man made as well after leaving the cafe one finds himself mixed up in a curious mul tude fruit venders benders and street peddlers every few steps each yelling or droning out some peculiar noise in order to attract attention donkeys with two large bread baskets one on each side of the animal quietly moving on camels and fine carriages well dressed people and bootblacks boot blacks all seem to assert some dignity in their respective vocations in life As a whole smyrna may be reckoned among the hard places to redeem or reform vice and anci pride and a bogus civilization have firmly rooted themselves here and such places as smyrna and Bey area are a disgrace to the name of christianity when we look at them as lights of a high and noble boble cause they present progress aej power or something better to the eye to be look looked edat at but inwardly they are only hot beds of sin sowing their deadly seeds to the country broadcast at P F P F HINTZE SMYRNA july 1889 |