The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-04-10
A JOURNEY TO INDIA.
CONTRAST OF THE OLD AND NEW
WAYS OF MAKING THE TRIP.

The Cape Voyage, Which Thackeray Took,
the So Called Overland Route and the
suez Canal way-Intercsting Features of
the Latter.
You recall perhaps, said the re-
turned East Indian, THAT Colonel New
come in making his final visit homo
from India came by the so called over
land route, across tho desert from tho
head Of the Red sea to Cairo? Thacke-
ray, himself an East Indian by birth,
was sent to England as child, but he
came by way of the cape of Good Hope
and st. Helena and caught glimpse
of the exiled Napoleon. There must be
yet few persons living who recall the
time when Thackeray's voyage was the
one everybody made i'll going from In
dia to England, and there are, of course,
thousands that have made the caravan
journey, as it is only quarter of CEN
tury since the opening of the Suez Ca
nal. That last even has done more than
any other ono thing to mako life in
British India endurable, for the cutting
of the canal has reduced the journey
home to fortnight less and brought
the round trip ticket down to $50. The
price one way by the caravan route was
G120, just about tho cost of trip
around the world in our day. Thaoke-
rays journey was matter of months,
Colonel Newcomers o matter of weeks,
that of the East Indian now O matter of
days.
Lieutenant WagAorn was the man
to lay down and establish the caravan
route 1t soon became a regular freight
and passenger line 1t was from Suez TO
Cairo, q distance of 20 miles, usually
made in about three days. The freight
was carried on the backs of eamels, and
the passengers rode in a rude diligence
drawn by mules. There were caravan
saries every five miles, where the mules
were changed, and at some of these
there was food to BIO had. The great
standby was 'spatohcock. When the ma
tives i'll charge of oaravansary spied
an approaching caravan, they instantly
rushed out caught some fowls, wrung
their neeks, and an hour later served
them, scarce dead, to the travellers;
hence the name spatchcock. That jour
ney across tho desert was most trying
to women and children, and the railroad
from Suez to Cairo i'll 1859 was hailed
as vast Improvement over tho caravan
method of travel.
"Ten years later came tho canal The
digging of tho canal practically de-
stroyed Suez, for the port is some dis
tanco from tho city, and busy town
with a large hotel and many small ones
has been transformed into dust heap
in the desert. The canal, in destroying
one town, built up tho Others for Port
Said and Ismailia are creatures of tho
canal. The former used to be one of the
worst places on earth, and at ordinary
times ono of the dullest. The vicious
the equally vicious Europeans from ev-
cry part of tho continent seemed to
wake into activity only at the approach
of a ship Then danoehouses, gambling
bells and every sort of evil resort opened
wide their doors to the delayed traveller.
Perhaps it is bettor now, or possibly
worse for i'll these days single COM
pany pays moro than 81, 900, 900 year
in tolls, and thero is an almost oontin-
ueus procession of ships through the
canal
"Tho Suez canal is in some respects
the most wonderful waterway in tho
world AS soon as tho traveller enters it
he realizes that he is in the hands of tho
French A French speaking pilot takes
possession of the ship, and all officers Of
the canal arc Frenchmen. Tho cares, or
turnouts, where q ship waits to let an
other pass, arc in tho charge Of old
French soldiers, and it is charming to
see how they beautify their arid sur
roundings. When tho sand Of the desert
is watered, it almost bursts with bow
ers, and at every gare are neatly paint
cd little house and blooming garden,
while grass edges tho canal, and tho
dreariest region on earth Is transformed
by French thrift Ono of the most in
teresting sights to tho canal in early
days was to SEQ ono ship moot another
Tho passengers on each crowded for
ward with greetings and tho waving of
n1nukGTc0ltIB,
from tho outward bound at tho thought
of what the homeward bound were soon
to see. The meeting of ships is now no
longer o novelty. / once encountered
the Khedivo Tewfk's yacht, with his
harem on board, as wo passed through
tho canal OF course we caught no
glimpse of tho ladies, but Tewflk and
Do Lesseps, who was his guest. came
out OH tho SPONSOR beam to greet us,
and we manned the yards with native
sailors in honor Of tho two.
"The canal passage is made in from
II to "a hours, and since tho use of
powerful electric lights has made night
navigation In the canal possible tho
Journey from England to India is made
with few serious delays. 1t used to DO
that all the coal for ships trayersing
the Red sea was carried across tho 18TH
mus on the backs Of camels. Ships now
commonly coal at Port Said. One of the
curious features Of navigation i'll the
canal and tho Red sea is tho absence OF
largo sailing craft. Tho Red sea is 30
hemmed in with mountains on either
coast that the progress of q large sailing
ship would BIO extremely slow and at
tended with danger from sudden squalls
Such passage Of tho Red sea would be
almost intolorable, for the heat is OPP
pressive aud tho monotony OF tho arid
sand hills ashore is tedious beyond ex-
preston. There arc lighthouses along
the shores, and there is no drearier lot
than that of tho lighthouse keeper on
the Red sea. Few persons on this side
of tho world realize that the sea Is L.
500 miles long"
Barbes were coverings for the lower
part of tho face. They reached from the
nose to tho waist. In Italy and France
widows wero by law compelled to wear
them.