Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-05-28
THE RED SEA.

| A Journey Down Its Treacherous Waters
How the English Secured the Island OF
Perrin.
To begin with the early morning, we
were offered the accustomed tea and
coffee, under the name of ''chota
hazeri ii. e., small breakfast. Next
we noticed that our luncheon was
| transformed into "tiffin." and that as
We sat in the cabin silent Hindu lads
squatted on the floor, pulling punkahs
to keep us cool, and at the same time
blowing away all our papers. till some
kind sailor friends supplied us with
leaden weights. Evidently we were on
the highway to some strangely new
state of existence. The ships company,
too, seemed to comprise samples of all
the Oriental races: Chinese quarter
masters, Malays. Lascars, SPLEEN
did Nubian stokers. British Off
GERS. There were Hindus, Mohamme-
dams, Confucians, Buddhists, and
Christians. The Captains servant,
who waited upon us, was Kitmutgar
of the true stamp-turbaned, white
robed, barefooted-a Mohammedan of
course, else how could he supply us
with genuine roast beef? The fruits,
too, at desert were new-bunches of
plantains, like creamy confectionery;
guavas, like Indifferent pears, but hate
full to smell; pummeloes. like huge or
anges with pink flesh, and scarlet
pomegranates, duly prepared with wine
and sprinkled with spices. The very
rocks were altogether strange to us.
Wonderful volcanic masses, like giant
heaps of finder and Stag round some
antediluvian smelling furnace, masses
of red and green and black lava cut
ting sharp against pale yellow earth,
make these freaks OF nature as strange
in color as in form. One group bears
the name of the Twelve Apostles.
Then comes Bab-el-Mandeb-J Gate
of Death-of Hell-or of Tears, as /
heard it variously rendered. 1t
was suggestive of all three as we
first beheld it, standing out in
purple relief against ground of fiery
sunrise, while clouds and sea were
alike somber and solemn. 1t received
its very suggestive name from the
Arabs of old on account of the dangers
of its navigation. So numerous were
the shipwrecks between these cruel
gates that when any man starts on this
voyage he was held to have indeed en-
tered the Jaws of death, and his family
walled and put on mourning for him as
though he were already dead. just
opposite this headland lies the small
island of Perrin, commanding the en-
trance to the straits. On it stands
lighthouse and a small fort. both of very
recent date. The story told concerning
the annexation of this island is curious.
From the beginning of time nobody had
coveted so ard a rock, till one day it oc-
Cured to France that it might prove a
useful position. So in January, 1857,
the French brig of war Nisus. eighteen
guns, was dispatched to take posses
sion, and very naturally she halted at
Alden. where her officers were invited to
mess, in the course of which, wine be-
ing in and wit out, so far as to loosen
tongues, they divulged their mission.
No comment was made, but Brigadier
Coghlan, (afterward Sir William Cogh-
lam the commandant. silently wrote
a few words on a slip of paper, which
was at once dispatched to Lieutenant
Templer, commanding the Indian navy
schooner Mahi, five guns. Not mo-
ment was lost. and the Mahi immedi-
ately sped on her way to Perrin, and
there hoisted the British tiag-to the
no small amaZement and disgust of
the loquacious ENJOYS on their ar
rival thither the following day.-Gea-
Uena2'S Maq0zlne.