All on board flocked around him, listening in reverential silence to the words he spoke in his pleasing and impressive tone; and, overtopping them all by his lofty figure, he had the appearance, as he stood among them, of an ancient patriarch addressing his loving children.
The "Iron Gate," or "Demirkapi," as the spot is called by the Turks, was another object to which his attention was directed, and called forth his admiration; but it is too well known to need any further description here.
The place selected by Sir Moses for resting on the Sabbath was charming. The view presented by the river and the adjacent rocks was grand and imposing, and delighted him all day long. He now felt greatly relieved from the fatigue and anxiety which, during the last few weeks, had so enfeebled his health.
In the evening, about nine o'clock (September 7th), we went on board the _Szechenyi_ steamboat, and arrived the following Monday at Pesth and Buda. On Tuesday we left Pesth for Vienna, where we arrived the same day. Sir Moses called on Lord Bloomfield, on the Russian Ambassador, on the Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Herr von Beust, and again received deputations from various communities. On Thursday he bade farewell to his friends, and proceeded _via_ Salzburg, Munich, Strassburg, and Paris to Dover and Ramsgate, where he arrived on Friday, the 20th, and went at once to Synagogue to render thanks to heaven for his safe return.
Among the numerous letters which awaited him at East Cliff was one from the representatives of the Portuguese and German congregations at Bucharest, in which the following passages, translated from the original Hebrew, show the gratitude of his brethren, and the high appreciation of his presence among them in a time of great trouble.
"In all generations," they say, "thorns and thistles have grown up in the vineyard of the Lord, but the Almighty delivered us from them; also, in our generation, and in our land, our enemies have embittered our lives and resolved upon the extermination of our remnant, fear and dread surrounded us, our lives were in constant peril; this was our portion and our lot.
"In our affliction we have called on our brethren to have compassion on us, but none of them took it to heart, until it came to your ears, Father of Israel. As your prototype Moses, son of Amrám, you stood by us in the time of our troubles, and for the benefit of all our brethren you pleaded our cause before princes, and, as rain from Heaven causes the plants to grow, so your words entered the hearts of princes and caused beautiful fruits of salvation to flourish.