New-York daily tribune., 1859-06-29
FROM CAIRO TO ADEN.
The N. Y. Tribune.


RED SEA, NEAR ADEN, May ii, 1889
Four times month the steamers Of the gigantic
Peniusular and Oriental Company leave South
ampton and Marseilles for Alexandria, with mails
and passengers for every part Of Southern and
| Eastern ASIA Australia ,and the Indian Archi-
pelago BY means of their inDumersble branches,
| all the Indian Presdencies, China Mauritius,
Ceylon, the Dutch Indies the Philippines, are
| brought within few weeks Of LOndon yet, the
American public is quite unfamiliar, l believe,
with the manner in which the transit from Europe
to the furthest East is accomplished, although
Americans are to be found on nearly every steamer
bomeward or outward bound. The great system
of intercOmmunication managed by the leviathan
Peninsuar and Oriental Company, owes its origin
to the genius of Lieut.. Waehorn, r. n, who, in
the infancy of ocean steam navigation, saw the
advantages Of and established what is known as
the Overland Route to India. This route is
"Overland" only in the same sense that the Pana-
ma route from New-YOrk to San Francisco is so,
i. g., in contradstnctiOn to the sea voyage round
the Cape. At the first establishment of this transit
line, monthly steamers starting from Southampton
took passengers 10 Alexandria, whence they tOlled
up the rivers and canal to Caro- and thence crossed
the desert 10 ShtZ on anu buVscducHtiJ
vans, several days being occupied in the journey
At present the steamers are weekly, and the jour
ney from Alexandria to Suez is accomplished In
few hours by means of the Egyptian Railway.
On the 2oth of April the steamship Elora, ZOO
tuns burden sailed from Marseilles, with the letter
portion of the India and China mall and such OF
the passengers as chose TO embark from that port,
instead of sailing eight days previously in the cor
responding steamer from southampton, both being
due at Alexandria about the same day. The
mails in large sheet iron boxes, arrived by the ex-
press train at 81 p. H.; were Immediately brought
on board-boxes for Alden, Ceyon. Calcutta,
Madras Singapore Java, Manila, Hong Kong,
Canton, Shanghai Japan; and shortly after five,
the vessel steamed from the harbor, in which
nine steam transports lay with troops on board,
ready 10 sail that evening for Genoa. On the 29th,
Corsica and Sardinia are passed-on the 3Oth
Sicily, and on the lst of May we stop for u or
hours at Malta, where all the passengers go
ashore, to be eced by cunning Maltese, to
visit the famous cathedral Of st. John and the
Governors palace, to take peep at the grand
hsrbor in which lies four OF the finest line OF
battle ships afloat and to spend all their loose
change in purchasing flagree trinkets, coral studs
and bracelets, and Malta lace.
Among the passengers by the EllOra were sew
ersl Americana principally China merchants; but
they included also Gen. Ward OF Westchester Co.,
n. Y, who with his daughter, was on his way to
take glimpse of Egypt, although they had chosen
for the purpose month by far too near the warm
est season.
1t 10 usual for the steamers TO reach Alexandra
on the morning of the seventh day from Marseiles,
and their passengers are landed Immediately, hur-
ried on board the railway carriage, and sent through
TO Suez, a distance of 230 miles, without inter
mission. In our case We were more fortunate.
The Ellora reached Alexandria on the sixth even
ing, and by Z O'Clock the next morning her passen-
sshora xx,,th fua hnurs hafnra IN
be spent in visiting the city. Then followed the
time. .honOred and never to- eorgotten but already
sufficiently described irruption into bazaars and
gallops to the citadel and struggles with heather
donkey boys, until 9 o'clock found the whole CON-
pany once more assembled in the railway station
outside the town.
A stranger medley Of Eastern and Western civil
lization aud customs cannot be imagined. Station
and platform built Of Yankee lumber, engines and
carriages bearing the names of Birmingham and
Manchester makers. Arab baggage -smashers,
Greek attendants, and passengers OF every nation
under heaven! The carriages, built after the
French model, are of three classes. The first were
monopOlized BY the p. and o. passengers; the sec
ond were chiefly filed with respectable Levantines
and Egyptian merchants or subordinate officials;
while the long line Of third class carriages was
crammed with the lowest order Of Egyptian vsga-
bondsm, who, however, outdid in picturesqueness
all the rest OF course we were half al hour later
than the schedule tune, but the interval was enjoy
ably passed in watching the vsregated crowd
upon the platform, comprising every conceivable
costume of the Orient, from the sober-suited
Turkish trader to the theatrical Arnaout,
of whom one gorgeous specimen, nearly seven feet
high, and bristpg with daggers, pistols and other
| weapons, stalked up and down. A door opens, and
Psshs of inferior rank appears-a score of peo
pie dash forward and struggle for the privilege Of
kissing his greasy hand. Another door is thrown
open, and ccckney traveller, rather beated dsshes
upon the platform, almost overturning the stoEd
Official, and struggles into compartment. At last
| there is a whistle, and 8 general scamper of the
| circumanbient crowd-snother whistle, and We
are of The railway traveller in Egypt has little
to complain of in point of comfort. His carriages
admirably built with double roofs for the sake Of
GOODNESS, and the motion 10 easier than on
any American railway on which have
ever had the happiness Of being joited.
| For miles beyond Alexandra the road follows