italy

A Voyage on White Star Line steamer Arabic in 1907

Extract from The Travel Diary of Rev. and Mrs. Alexander Brown Riggs

“Saturday, Feb. 23, 1907. Algiers, Algeria, Africa

We found ourselves here when we got on deck this morning. We took the tender to shore & then to carriages, when we had the most beautiful drive I have ever had. The day was perfect & the drive to the governor's house near the top of a hill upon the side of which the city is built, with the Atlas range of mountains, snow-capped in the distance. Then we drove through the city & the Arab quarter, where we saw Arabs, Moors, Turks, Jews, & many more of the unwashed, bringing to mind the lines of the hymn, “Though every prospect pleases & only man is vile.” As we looked in upon the little shops, most of the men were playing games, doubtless gambling.

The city government is under French control, & the two avenues nearest the harbor & parallel with it are filled with French stores, stocked with every variety of goods imported from France. The lady who had her hip broken at Granada was taken from the ship & placed in a hospital here which is said to be under Presbyterian control. At 1 PM we returned to the ship & remained aboard the rest of the day, watching the sale of all sorts of goods brought aboard. Weighed anchor & sailed at 4 PM.”

www.whitestarhistory.com/arabicdiary

I assume that the Alhambra reference is the Alhambra in Granada. With todays modern roads, that's just over a two and a half hour journey by car. I can't imagine what the journey would have been like in 1905.

“Frank C. Clark and his brother Herbert Edgar Clark had first-hand knowledge of Ottoman geography as part of the diplomatic network of the United States in the region. The fact that the region they were working in was one of the main destinations for tourism played an important role in the marketing strategy of the Clark agency. In the advertisements he gave to the press, Frank C. Clark was careful to state that the cruise trips to the Mediterranean were organized by the “former American vice-consul in Jerusalem” and that he personally accompanied the tourists. “

turkiyeturizmansiklopedisi.com/clark-frank-c

I suppose it may depend which part of Palestine you intend to venture..

I think the date must be incorrect, I am sure this advertising booklet was printed well in advance of the Feb 2nd 1905 start date, I would suggest that 1904 is the correct date for this document. I wonder, could you bring a dog on the cruise?

Reference G: Pistoia airfield.

Latina (Littoria) (Italy)