The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-03-28
DOWN BY THE RED SEA.
Scenes of Utter DesOlation.-Babel-M Mandeb
and Perrin Island.-The City and Noun
tain.-The Somulees.-NativeC Customs.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

luIOuku tAC lNEh DChs lllbb
Egyptian port to this renowned Arabian
colony in the south, there is presented a
succession of visions, dreary, lifeless and
gloom inspiring. The grim headlands of
Egypt and Akabat the jagged crests Of
Nubia and Arabia, the white sand dunes
and the coral reefs along the coast. and
the endless array of joyless islands, form
world of utter desolation. Not yes.
tige of vegetation, not a show of life is
seen anywhere. A spirit Of gloom and
death seems broodlng over the land.
Above all these scenes of desolation is
spread clear sky, offering no obstruc-
tion to the burning and penetrating rays
of the tropical sun. By day and night
the very atmosphere seems on fire, and
fairly parches every living tissue, max
ing almost intolerable the life of all on
shipboard, who are fortunate if they are
enabled to eat or sleep tithe of their
usual allowance. For few days our
ship was driven before a fair wind, in
which all her sails were spread, for un-
like merchant steamer oui war vessel
was required to depend upon her sailing
qualities whenever practicable. When
near the center of the sea dead calm
set in, while the canyas fluttered and
bung in shrouds. For the rest of the
way we encountered strong head winds,
against which we steamed as in the face
of hot furnace blast.
In its greatest width the Red Sea is
two hundred miles broad, and the ex
treme length from the Straits to Suez,
including the gulf in the north, is four
teen hundred miles, requiring five days
for a steamship to make the run to Alden.
Its waters are beautiful, whether seen in
the light of the sun or of the moon, as
those bottles appear to make their flight
from Arabia toward Egypt. Unham-
pered by the restraints and necessities OF
other vessels, our crusier, under govern
ment orders to carry the stars and stripes
into as many foreign ports as possible,
made her way leIsurely down the sea,
now on the one side and now on the
other, getting view here and glimpse
there If the desert and rocks, of treeless
and lfeless nature, and of the barren
islands with which the borders are stud
ded.
At the port Of Jidda on the Arabian
shore, midway down the sea, were the
first signs of activity, save that of pass
ing steamers, along the route. This is
the approach by water to Mecca, the
shrine of the faithful, which lies a few
miles inland, whittier thousands of pill.
grims are constantly journeying from all
parts of the Mohammedan world. The
town stands on an eminence, and amid
its dirty and forlorn surroundings is
without any special interest. 1t will he
remembered as the place in which oc-
CURED the massacre of Christian resi-
dents generation ago, and which was
subsequently bombarded by the English
gun boats, from which it has not yet re-
covered. 1t claims to contain the tomb
of Mother Eve, whose last resting place
is still guarded with religious care Un
happily for us, we were not permitted to
pour out our tears at the grave of our
esteemed ancestress, whom in life we
never even had the joy of meeting.
Farther 10 the south, where the shores
begin to approach each other, we came
to Mocha, another miserable and desc
late town, which was once an important
center in the coffee trade. The traveller
wonders how anything can be grown on
these barren rocks of Arabia. but LEI
him remember that the coffee comes
from the interior of the country where
some fertility and industry abound. The
trade at Mocha, however, has been grad
ually passing away, and is now centereo
at Alden What particular fuuction'
Mocha and the various ports of the Rec
Sea perform in the economy of the
world cannot pretend to say. They
are neither ornamental nor useful in ouI
way of looking at things, and as for pos
slbilities of becoming anything else they
| sr,hf ,an ha haan lnRafpH this
hidden side of the moon.
At 8 lower extremity the Sea is mar
rowed to a strait that all students ot
geography will recognize as Babel Man
deb. but whether deriving its name from
the tower which wa never completed
, do not know. 1t is sometimes called the
Gate of Tears, because of the swift cur
tent and hidden rocks which are sup
posed to make navigation dangerous
The wrecks of some unfortunate ships
atranded upon the reefs, tell silent stor
les of the perilous ways. The channel IL
about twenty miles wide, and is flankeC
on either side by lofty mountains, WHOSE
gray walls beetling in the air rise &
thousand feet or more above the waters
Perched upon the rocks at intervals art
seen the forts of several rival nations
with their colors floating almost in sigh
of each other. Here are the flags Of
Turkey, Italy, France and England pro
claiming national sovereignty.
In the lower part of the strait. shorl
distance from the shore, is the little
island of Perrin, that is really the key tC
the situation. 1t is of volcanic origin
with an area of seven square miles, anc
lies Just above the level of the tides. Il
contains a lighthouse, and few build
ings and barracks for the British garri
son, by whom alone it is occupied, 1t II
strongly intrenched, and its Notifications
and batteries enable it to command
effectively the entrance to the Red Sea
To live upon this island is anything but
delightful, for nothing grows upon IT,
not a square foot of shade is found, and
not so much Ls a drop of water any
where exists.
Beyond the Strait of Babel Mandeb
which 10 so well guarded by natura
fortresses and sentineled by Perrin
Island, the navigator approaches the
city of Alden the site Of which is marked
by a solitary mountain that resembles in
form the Rock of Gibraltar. The black
and SCARED walls, which seem to have
been shaped by the fiery elements, are
lifted more than two thousand feel
above the sea, standing trowniDg and
defiant guard over the city at its base
For a type of perfect desolation the
scene is admirable. II il be the location
of the original Eden. as some antiquar
ians insist and as its name implies, we
are forced 10 believe that time has
wrought many changes in its surround .
ings.
The city cannot be seen from the har-
Dor, Along the terrace at the foot oi
the mountain are rows of red-tiled and
white walled buildings and warehouses,
the first signs of habitation. This is the
landing place for boats, and is called
Steamer Point, where most of the busi-
ness OF the port is transacted. Here are
assembled the tradesmen from many
lands, few Europeans, a large number
OF Jews of the original type, any many
Arabian and African merchants.
As soon aa a vessel comes to anchor in
the harbor 1t is surrounded by scores Of
boats, manned by dusky and naked boat
men. who offer for sale articles of native
manufacture. A fund Of amusement il
furnished by the small boys, in state
of perfect mud ty, who paddle about in
little dug-out canoes. They are expert
in swimming and diving, and expect
YOU to throw a few pennies into the
water. They understand perfectly every
movement on deck. There is u scram
BILE among them the very moment you
take the money in your fingers. With
a splash. that fairly upsets their boats
| n dczau hox G diaa nnpar under the water