Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-27
Written for The Evening Star.

T,oR THREE THOUSAND TRACKLEss
sweeps from the narrow Sunda straits to
where, green billed, the lonely island of Mauri-
tins rises from unfathomed depths. No ocean
in the world presents to the mariner such an
equal stretch Of havenless water. In the
crowded channels Of the stormy Atlantic the
eompanionship of another, and often many
sail in sight, Is Of daily occurrence to the
traveller across the ocean. In the greatPacifc,
too. the surface Of the peaceful sea is dotted
with countless isles and archipelagoes and
crossed by the great highways Of commerce to
the orient and to Australia. A glance at map
OF the eastern world will show the Indian sea
can claim no such advantages as are possessed
by its two big brothers. If a straight course
be drawn from the southern extremity Of Java
10 Mauritius in the East Indian ocean between
the parallels Of about 5 degrees 20 20 degrees
south latitude. distance Of 8, 600 miles, 1t will
be seen that this line intersects no land Of any
character (save the rocky uninhabited peak of
Rodriguez till the Sugar Island Of England
stands solitary sentinel of the coast of Great
Madagascar. u is a dreary, lonely voyage to
those to whom the novelty Of ocean travel has
long since lost its freshness But withal a
peaceful voyage. with steady warm winds of
fropic trades; with blue and cloudless skies and
bluer, almost unruffied water. 1t was my for
tune once, some half dozen years ago, to find
myself stranded and almost penniless in that
hot and dusty outpost Of the British East Indian
empire-Singapore. / was endeavoring in
some way to reach the coast Of distant NADIA
gnscar, without money and friendless. Absolute
necessity and the daily inroads that the ex-
penses Of the meanest Of sailor boarding houses
made upon my scanty purse at last drove me
TO wandering hour after hour about the ship
ping wharves and to sit in gloomy detection in
the tar-smelling rooms Of ship chandler shops.
At last a little luck came to me in the shape of
. small, hairy, Scottish skipper, who COM
ms1ded a little Australian brig, then living in
the outer harbor and loading for Mauritius.
We soon struck q bargain; he wanted a mate to
his S00-ton ship, and to his crew Of seven men.
one Lascar and one Chinaman cook, and /
wanted cheap passage somehow across the
Indian ocean to funds and to friends So one
brilliant tropical day we got up our rusty an
chcrs and steered down and along the high YER
durs-clad shore of Sumatra, through the
Bsnca and the Sunda straits, and hauled
up TO the eastward and across the
Indian sea- Fifty-eight DAYS after
this one dark and stormy night, for the south
west monsoon was freshly blowing the little
vessel rushed by the rocky peak of the Rodrique
and steered away FOR Mauritius. In three DAYS
more there rose from out the ocean before
our weary eyes the green and lovely hills of
that fairest gem on the bosom of any sea-
Mauritius- 1t is queer place this Port Louis
the capital Nestled in the lap of lofty noun
tairs towering cloud-capped on every side, it
sleeps in hot and lazy peace Yellow, green
blind houses glare in the tropic sun at one
another across narrow and crooked streets
Dusty statues of long since dead French digni-
taries stand mutely protesting here and there
at british occupation; bronze fountains, long
since dry. with dusty mermaids gazing down
at empty basins in the parks. Long rows of
tumble-down vehicles Of every shape and make
IN tle public squares Now and then a lofty.
In and out-sugar warehouses. Now ami then
q little hustle on the wharyes, where some new
arrival "hauls in" and with much shouting
and profanity, in all manner Of languages, is
finally dashed to her sisters at the docks. But
above all a relentless sun by day and a sultry
starlit sky by night