y Diogenes,
deformed AEsop, silver-tongued Demosthenes, fleet-footed Mercury, drunken
Silenus, stately Juno, and lovely Venus,--a confused procession of
mortals and immortals rushed across the brain.

"Look," said the professor with note book in hand interrupting our
dreams of the past, "that strait to the left behind us is the entrance
to the bay of Salamis where the Persian fleet of one thousand sail
encountered the smaller fleet of only three hundred Grecian vessels in
the year 480 B.C. The rocky brow of the hill on the farther side of the
strait is the place where the haughty Xerxes sat in his silver-footed
chair to gloat over the expected annihilation of Greek power. I want to
read to you, before we go to our evening meal, the vivid description of
the conflict from the tragedy of 'The Persians.' It was written by the
poet Eschylus, who himself was one of the heroes in the fight."

CHAPTER VIII.

CONSTANTINOPLE AND SANTA SOPHIA.

On Wednesday morning, February twenty-fifth, the ladies donned winter
wraps and the gentlemen heavy overcoats for their morning promenades on
deck. All night the Moltke had steamed northward and the region of palms
and orange trees had been left behind. By referring to the large atlas
of the world in the library, we found that we were in the same latitude
as that of New York City.

As we approached the entrance to the Strait of Dardanelles, the ancient
Hellespont, which connects the AEgean Sea with the Sea of Marmora, the
Turkish fortifications crowning the hills on both sides of the channel
were plainly visible. Under the great guns of the fortresses the Moltke
anchored.

"Why do we stop here?" inquired one of the tourists of the surgeon, who
was standing near watching the shore.

"This is the quarantine station," replied the doctor, "and we must wait
here for the official inspection. According to Turkish regulations, the
passage of foreign warships through the Dardanelles is absolutely
prohibited at any time and merchant vessels are not allowed to enter
during the night. Every vessel arriving here must undergo inspection
before receiving a permit to proceed. The Sultan guards this gateway to
the most vulnerable part of his dominion, not only to prevent the
entrance of a hostile fleet, but to protect his people from the
incursions of that insidious foe, the plague, which sometimes ravages
the Eastern countries. There come the officials now in response to our
signals," he a