The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-09-06
ROUND THE Womb BY RA1nRoAp.

ROUND THE WORLD BY RAILROAD
There are enthusiastic persons who ex-
pece to live to see the time when they
can take palace-oar in New York which
will carry them to the utmost confines of
Alaska. get traushipped over Behring's
Straits, and be thence conducted by
vast circle railroad through Central Asia,
Upper India. Cabool and Persia, along
the Euphrates Valley. thence to Constnn-
tinople, Vienna and the confines of
Western Earope. Sober minded folks
think this rather less reasonable than
would be the expectation of performing
the same journey in balloon. To any
body at all disposed to conclude that,
because the present generation will cor.
tainly see three or four railroad routes
across this continent, therefore it is not
unreasonable to suppose that. at least one
may traverse, at NO remote dute, the Gu
tire breadth of Europe and Asia, we re-
commend the reading of the recent dis
cussions over what is called s'the direct
highway to India" This idea found en-
thuslastlc advocates at Il time when our
Pacific railroads were undrenmed of, and
as long ago as 1856 the possibility of
forming the most esscut;al link of said
highway was very conclusively demon
ooANsSN " oCGoot outSoJ. NCu. SneSQoY,
tho veteran explorer of the Euphrates
Valley route to the Persian Gulf, died
without seeing the first stop made to-
ward the realization of his favorits pro-
jecs, and though his views have recently
found sufficient countenance to be made
the subject OF inquiry by committee of
the British Parliament, their practical
embodiment seems hardly NOR. near
than it was sixteen years ago. And yet,
this much talked Of railroad between the
Mediterranean and tho head of the Per
slnn Gulf is the merest instulment of the
proposed railroad connection between
Europe and Asiu. IT; would be but 800
miles long. and would require connec-
ton OF ut least equal length to allow it to
tnp the European railroud system at Con-
longer TO liifRqt ut Kuraches, or some
adjoining point with the ruilrouds of
British India. 1t must not be supposed,
however, that the Enphrates Valley Ruud
is mere geographical chimera The
most practically y minded OF its opponents
admit that it will be carried out some
day. The difficulty in the way of it, al.
vocates is to show how it could bu got to
pay now. Its proposed route is rs fol-
lows: a glance at the map of Asia Minor
VIII show that tho extreme North east
corner of the Mediterranean is occupied
by - gulf variously known rs that of
Sclhderoon. I,kenderoon or Alcxandrct-
ta. Tho traveller round the world would
here disclnbnrk from steamer and enter
railroad Car, which would tuke him,
probably, by way of Aleppo, to the right
bank of the ancient river Euphrates. In
the course OF his journey through Meso-
potamia he would pass across the probu-
bic site Of the Garden of Eden, would
find Babylon waysdo stution, after
passing branch line to Nineveh, and
would probably cross into tho valley of
the Tigris at the point where stands Bag.
dad, the city OF the Caliphs. and the
scene of the marvcls of the Arabian
Nights. Thence to Kowait, ut the head
of the Persian Gulf, would be but IL brief
Journey, and at that point the steamer
would be in waiting to convey him, if
bound for India, to kurachee, the great
seaport of Scinde Of course, the geo
graphers, the social philosophers. and
the probable Cooks excursionists grow
enthusiastic over the prospect of bring
ing the hoar antiquity of Challean dy-
nasties face to face with the latest pro-
ducts Of the worlds civiliz ,tion. ''To
AIoCJ VII hbo CtCh AOI ROOOi even
attract hundreds of our own countrymen
to fulfill the prophecy of an enthusiastic
member of the British Association that
the restoration of tae ancient route of
tho Euphrates' would bring three cont.
nents into closer relation, besides "r,iu-
venating" Babylon and Nneveh. and
''rcawakening" Bagdad and Ctesiphon.
TO the English mind there is also the
tempting prospect of making the Go
vernment Independent of tho Suez Caual
for the conveyance of troops to India.
And yet, although nll that is wanted is
the guarantee of the British Government
to II four per cent. loan Of $50. 900, 900,
the idea has not met in official or bust
ness Quarters with anything like en-
couragement. The Turkish Government
is open to givo all the laud that is want
ed. free Of cost. to take the joint respon-
sibility of the loan, to give the yield cf
the customs duties of two ports, and Of
sundry provincial revenues, to the pro-
posed corporation; and, in fact, to un-
dertake the construction of the railroad
after the money has been raised, rcserv-
ing to the British Government right of
transportation Of mails and troops. And
of;n ~ foIx, Ln