On my refrigerator is a small magnet model of the ancient Acropolis in Greece, given to me by my dear friend, Rosemary, a souvenir from her recent trip. Now I can learn more about that area.
The tale of another sea voyage is calling me, "CRUISING TO CRETE: Four French Girls Set Sail in a Breton Yawl for the Island of the Legendary Minotaur," the last article in the February, 1929, issue of the National Geographic Magazine. Marthe Oulie and Mariel Jean-Brunhes are the co-authors.
So far, I've delved through chronicles of Vasco da Gama's great 1497-1498 trip from Portugal around the Cape of Good Hope, Africa, to India and back, and also, the four-year trip around the world started in 1921 by a solitary American sailor named Harry Pidgeon. And now, four French girls? How will they do it?
The names and duties of the "girls" on board their vessel were: Hermine de Saussure, the captain; Ella Maillart, the mate; Yvonne de Saussure, the commissary-doctor, and Marthe Oulie, the seaman-boatswain-cook. Hereafter, I'll call them by their first names. Hermine was "the daughter of a Naval officer, had lived in the water much of her life, and has an excellent knowledge of navigation" (p. 251).
We don't find out the sailing experience of several of the ladies until late in the article. Hermine, the captain, and Marthe, "a gifted young geographer", daughter of a French Geography professor, had previously sailed together in the Aegean Islands. Marthe was "commissioned by the French school at Athens to continue her archeological researches in Crete" (p. 264).
After having problems finding and repairing a 51-year-old yawl (boat with two sails and a smaller one near the rudder in the rear), the Bonita, the four set sail from Marseille, France, On July 7th.
They could handle the sea very well. "We took turns at the helm, eyes fixed upon the compass and upon the sails. One person was generally sufficient for a watch. She could steer and manage the sheets (sails) alone, while the trio off duty lounged on the deck, in the cabin, or in the cubbyhole, below and forward. But whenever the breeze freshened, everyone was needed to work the ship" (p. 249).
The sailors encountered British Naval ships at various points. They were heartily welcomed by all. One British officer asked how the group managed to not get bored. The ladies replied, "Such an idea never entered our heads. How could one be bored in this solitude, without vexations, with so much work, so much of the unlooked for, and with so many charming hours of reading aloud or of lively conversation?"
The officer countered, "Well. . .I cannot imagine four young Englishmen who in any case could thus amuse themselves in each other's company. At the end of several days they would be bored to death."
The authors concluded, " He did not say whether his observation was based primarily upon the supposition of their being English or merely men" (conversation, p. 249).
In addition to periodic storms at sea, the women were detained by police on the "fortified Italian island of Maddalena" as they were passing through the Strait of Bonifacio which is between the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. The police thought that their gramophone was used for espionage! (p,. 251). They were very happy to see a British squadron at anchor nearby.
The ladies enjoyed hopping from port to port on many of the Mediterranean islands and seeing the sights. "Many people were surprised that we should have taken pleasure in traveling for nine weeks, and at a cost of so much effort, a route which can be covered easily in five days by steamer! But in navigating our boat we obtained a better understanding of the geographic value of such words as "port of call," "harbor," and "current." Also, from our similar experiences, we understood better the difficulties, needs, and pleasures - even the very spirit - of ancient voyagings" (p. 254).
They admit that the hardest part of their trip was sailing through a very narrow canal at Corinth, close to Athens, Greece. The trip was made at night because small sailing boats were not generally allowed to navigate the canal without being towed.
The island of Crete was their primary goal. It is a long island south of Greece, 160 miles long; the width varies from 7 1/2 to 35 miles. I enjoyed another eight-page section of color photographs in this article. The authors report that the cities of Canea and Candia were the major cities and, due to the presence of pirates for many years, most of the small villages are so far inland that they can't be seen from the coast.
A steady wind from the North blows in Crete; windmills were an important source of power at the time. The only section of a railroad was three miles long. Motorcars were abundant but used only at the peril of the driver and passengers on the narrow mountain roads. There was much farming done in the central part, with raisins being a major export, grapes sent to Greece and Egypt, olive oil sent to America, citron sent to England and America and tobacco grown. Due to the influx of many immigrants to America returning to Crete in their later years, English was spoken in most parts of the island. The authors were disappointed that many of the young women had given up wearing the colorful native costumes. The inhabitants of Crete were extremely friendly and helpful to the ladies.
The four sailors concluded, "That which we have described is the Crete of the present. The larger story, the Crete of the past, presents too many ramifications to be set forth at this time. English, American, Italian, French, and Greek archeologists are engaged in unearthing the pages of the island's history during the three thousand and more years of its unique civilization before the Christian Era" (p. 272). And we will look forward to reading about the discoveries in the pages of National Geographic Magazine!
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