50 
OBJECT OF ROOSEVELTS EXPEDITION. 
every one of them. In fact, Roosevelt was the most popular of all the 
passengers on the Hamburg and no one ever thought of doing him any 
harm. 
RECEPTION IN EUROPE. 
All Europe had been anxious to see and welcome our former Presi¬ 
dent. Invitations for him to visit all the capitals of the Old World had 
been sent out and rejected; but nothing could prevent the Europeans 
from manifesting their interest in this extraordinary man by extend¬ 
ing to him a most cordial and elaborate welcome upon his arrival at 
Naples. Thousands had gathered there from far and near to greet 
the former executive. The U. S. Ambassador, Griscom, had come down 
from Rome, and newspaper men from all the capitals of Europe had 
hurried to Naples to interview him and to cable their impressions to 
their respective countries. 
He left Naples late at night by the steamer Admiral which was go- 
ingto take him to the ruins of Messina and to Mombasa—gliding slowly 
along the beautiful Italian shore through the balmy breezes of southern 
Europe. He passed close to the Lipari Islands and the volcano Strom- 
boli whose cone rising more than 3,500 feet above the sea sent out a huge 
column of vapor that enwrapped the whole country in its cloudy veil. 
About noon they passed through the Strait of Messina, where the 
ancients believe that the two horrible sea monsters, Scylla and Cha- 
rybdis who according to the immortal Homer, caused the Trojan hero 
Ulysses so much trouble, had their abodes. It is not recorded, however, 
that our national hero had any difficulty in escaping these fabled mom 
sters, arid he arrived hale and hearty at Messina, so recently the theatre 
of one of the most terrible spectacles contemporary annals have 
registered. 
A SCENE OF DESOLATION. 
Approaching Messina and armed with a pair of marine glasses, 
Roosevelt saw at a distance the barren ruins of the wrecked city. Ob¬ 
serving them from a distance, he remarked: “There is more standing 
than I expected. ” He was greeted by an immense crowd at the land¬ 
ing. and was saluted by the Re Umberto with the King of Italy on 
