Feb 8th Sunday. After tempestuous, cold passage, came to anchor at Pireus and by moonlight to Athens. Hotel d Angleterre. Alexander, guide--with Boyd who wrote Murray's G. B.--Acropolis--blocks of marble like blocks of Wenham ice--or like huge cakes of wax.-- Parthenon elevated like cross of Constantine. Strange contrast of rugged rock with polished temple. At Stirling--art & nature correspond. Not so at Acropolis. Imperceptible seams--frozen together. --Break like cakes of snow.-- Jupiter Olympus. Like clearing in woods. clump of columns--Two isolated at further end.--Tuft of sculpture at top--Palm tree-- drooping of acanthus like palm &c--Prostrate pillar in railing, like grave. Roulaeu of guineas--massy--base leaning--fallen pine-- fell straight--still symmetric even in its fall. Stood more than 2000 years--down at last. Same night pillar of Erectheum fell. Feb 9'/~ Monday. Viewed the ruins with Alexander--looked at his shop (Hymettos honey, Parnasus canes, Marathon necklaces of shell, views of Athens--dress &c.)--Mr Marshall of Boston or N.Y. at hotel. Been all over Meditterranean on ice business. Cut ice at Black Sea.--I imagined his story of life) Called on L)r King Consul. Greek wife. Invited to tea. His daughter been in America. Pleasant evening. --Cold, with intervals of snow & sun through the day.
Herman Melville (1819-1891) was een Amerikaanse schrijver. Hij schreef onder meer
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