the
eighth day of June we sailed out of New York harbour. Our first stopping
place was at the Azores, then we went to Gibraltar and Marseilles, where
time was given to the passengers to visit Paris and London; next to
Genoa, from which port we made visits to Milan, Venice and Lake Como.
The next stopping place was Leghorn, where we turned aside to Florence
and Pisa and visited Garibaldi, who was then at his home. From Leghorn
our course took us to Naples, giving time to see Rome, Vesuvius and
Pompeii; then on through the Straits of Messina, across the Ionian Sea,
through the Grecian Archipelago to Athens, Greece; through the
Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmora to Constantinople. After one week's
stay in that Oriental city, the route lay through the Bosphorus, across
the Black Sea to Sebastopol. After visiting the famous battlefields of
the Crimea, we sailed to Odessa, in the northwest corner of the Black
Sea, ours being the first American steamship which ever entered that
harbour. While staying there a telegram was received from the Emperor of
Russia inviting us to visit him at his palace, Livadia, at Yalta. Yalta
is a very beautiful place on the slope of a mountain, overlooking the
Black Sea, about two hundred miles east of Odessa, and is the summer
home of the imperial family of Russia. The Grand Duke Michael's palace,
Orianda, the Grand Duke Vladimir's, Worondow, and their grounds join
those of the Emperor. The invitation was accepted. Mrs. Griswold's story
of the visit as given in the "Pilgrimage" is as follows:

"On the way from Odessa to Yalta, several meetings were held by the
gentlemen in the saloon for the purpose of preparing an address to
be presented to the Czar; at the same time the ladies were gathered
in groups conversing about the coming event.

"This morning we dropped anchor at Yalta. The Governor-general
conveyed to us a message from the Emperor 'that we were welcome,
and he would be pleased to receive us the next day at twelve
o'clock.' Word also came that carriages and horses would be in
readiness to convey the party to the palace, which is about two
miles from the landing place.

"All was astir on board preparing for the great occasion. The
porters are overtaxed in getting out the stored-away trunks for the
passengers, as the most _recherche_ wardrobes must be selected. The
ladies' purchases through Europe are now brought into