Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1895-05-28
A JOURNEY TO INDIA.
CONTRASTS or THE OLD AND NEW
WAYS or MAKING THE TRIP.

the 30 Called Overland Route aud tho
Sue, Canal way-TntorestinE Ventures q
tho Latter.
lyon recall perhaps, " said the re-
turned East Indian, that Colonel New
come ia making his final visit home
from India camo by the q called over
land route, across the desert from the
head Of the Red sea to Cairo7 Thacke-
ray, himself an East Indian by birth,
was sent TO England as a child, but he
came by way Of the cape Of Good Hope
and St. Helena and caught a glimpse
Of the oxilod Napoleon. There must be
yet q few persons living who recall the
time when Thackeray's voyage was the
one everybody made in going from In
Ola to England, and there are, Of course,
thousands that have made the caravan
journey, as il Is only a quarter Of a con-
fury since the opening Of the Suez Ca
nal. That last even has done more than
any other ono thing to make life in
British India endurable, for the cutting
Of the canal has reduced the journey
homo 10 q fortnight less and brought
the round trip ticket down to eS5. The
price one way by tho caravan route was
ei2O, just about the cost Of a trip
around the world in our day. Thaoke-
rays journey was q matter Of months.
Colonel Newcome's a matter Of weeks,
that Of the East Indian now q matter Of
days.
Lieutenant Waghorn was tho man
20 Law down and establish the caravan
route. II soon became a regular freight
and passenger line. 1t was from Suez to
Cairo, a distance OF 30 miles, usually
made in about three days. The freight
was carried on the backs Of camels, and
the passengers rodo in a rude diligence
drawn by mules. There were caravan
saries every five miles, where the mules
were changed, and &C some of these
there was food to be had. The great
standby was 'spatchoock. When the ma
tives in charge Of a o-aravansary spied
an approaching caravan, they instantly
rushed out, caught some fowls, wrung
their nccks, and an hour later served
them, scarce dead, TO the travellers;
hence the name ~spatohcook. That jour
ney across the desert was most trying
TO women and children, and the railroad
from Suez TO Cairo in 1859 was hailed
as a vast improvement over the caravan
method Of travel.
''Ten years later came the canal. The
digging of the canal practically de-
stroyed Suez, for the port is some dis
lance from the city, and a busy town
with q large hotel and many small ones
L.. Larn kwuwuFnrvaa1 fnNa a 1nuE hann
in the desert. Tho canal, in destroying
one town, built up the others, for Port
Said and Ismailia are creatures Of the
canal. The former used to be one of the
worst places on earth, and at ordinary
times one Of the dullest. The vicious
Levantines, of all eastern races, and
the equally vicious Europeans from ev-
cry part of the continent seemed to
wake into activity only at the approach
Of a ship. Then dancehouses, gambling
bells and every sort of evil resort opened
wide their doors to tho delayed traveller
Perhaps IL is better now, or possibly
worse, for in these days a single COM
pany pays more than 81, 900, 900 a year
in tolls, and there Is an almost contin-
nous procession Of ships through the
canal.
1.-The Suez canal is in some respects
the most wonderful waterway in the
world. AS soon as the traveller enters it
he realizes that no is in the hands of the
French. A French speaking pilot takes
possession Of the ship, and all officers Of
the canal are Fronohmen. The cares, or
t~urnouts, where a ship waits to let an
other pass, are in the charge of old
French soldiers, and IL is charming to
see how they beautify their arid sur
roundings. When the sand Of the desert
is waterod, it almost bursts with bow
ers, and at every gare are a neatly paint
ed little house and a blooming garden,
while grass edges the canal, and the
dreariest region ON earth is transformed
by French thrift. One Of the most in
teresting sights to the canal in early
DAYS was to see one ship meet another.
The passengers ON each crowded for
ward with greetings and the waving of
handkorchiefs, and there were tears
from tho outward bound at the thought
Of what the homeward bound were soon
20 see. The meeting of ships is now no
longer a novelty. / once encountered
the Khedive TeWfk's yacht. with his
harem on board, as we passed through
the canal. OF course We caught no
glimpse OF the ladies, but Tewhk and
Do Lesseps, who was his guest. came
out ON the sponsor beam to greet uA,
and we manned the yards with native
sailors in honor Of the two.
''Tho canal passage is made in from
n to "a hours, and since the use OF
powerful electric lights has made night
navigation in tho canal possible the
Journey from England to India is made
with few serious delays. It used to be
that all the coal for ships traversinG
the Red sea was carried across the 18TH
mus ON the backs Of oamels. Ships now
commonly coal at Port Said. One Of the
curious features of navigation in the
canal and tho Red sea Is the absence OF
large sailing craft The Red sea Is SO
hemmed In with mountains on other
coast that tho progress Of a large sailing
ship would DO extremely slow and at.
tended with danger from sudden squalls.
Such a passage Of the Red sea would be
almost intolerable, for the heat is OPP
pressive. and the monotony Of the arid
and hills ashore Is tedious beyond ex-
preston. There are lighthouses along
the shores, and there is no drearier lot
than that Of the lighthouse keeper on
the lied sen. Few persons on this side
Of tho world realize that tho sea 10 L.
800 miles long"
Barbes were coverings for the lower
part Of the face. They reached from tho
nose 10 tho waist. In Italy and France
widows were by Jaw compelled to wear
tham.