The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-06

Hutchinson, Kansas, are passengers
and we met them today. They left
nome month before we did, and are
making the tour around the world,
! thought they are not travelling as rapid
~ as we are.
have long contended that people are
always appreciatiVe when thew have
reason to be- The Persia" is a fine
snip, eXcellent1y managed, and the pas
sengers take pains to say so I think
nave never known more genteel lot
OF people than the passengers.
Thursday, January %.
Last night we passed out of the Ara
bIan sea, and into the Gulf of Alden. At
I0;S0' we anchored off the town of Alden,
| on the coast Of Arabia, for three hours.
Alden is possibly the driest and hottest
town IN the world. An old story is to
the effect that an Irishman went there
to live and was asked how he liked the
town. The devil take Aden," he said;
I don't wonder that Adam and eve
left it,
All the fresh water used at Alden is
condensed from the sea- and there isn't
a blade of grass or a tree within many
miles. good many English soldiers
are stationed there; English soldiers are
stationed everywhere. I saw nothing Of
1 the town, except the lights and few
| boats. tug pulling two coal barges,
covered with coal handlers came off to
/ the Persia" but the captain shouted
through a trumpet made of his b007s:
We don't want any coal" Then the
tug pulled away, with its noisy crowd
OF coolies.
Three passengers came aboard, and
we gathered about them for news. They
knew a lot about the English elections
but nothing from America.
By daylight, we were in the Red sea.
/ the desert Of oceans. Although It is
/ a big body of water it has no ir7D0rt-
! ant CIfV its Shnrae- 10
/ rounding it is desOlate and dry: Arabia
on one side, and Africa on the other
/ One of the ports on the Red sea is
! JeddO. Last year 40 600 Mohammedan
+ pilgrims left Bombay alone for Jeddo, en-
/ route for Mecca, 40 miles in the interior
/ Every good Mohammedan is expected to
/ visit Mecca at least once during his
/ lifetime; Ofteneri If possible. Tese Mohan-
medan pilgrimages to Mecca are fright
/ full things, as they spread disease and
/ thousands Of the pilgrims die. No white
/ man is allowed in Mecca. Some day it
I will become necessary for the progress
1 sive white races to suppress the No
! hamuledan religion: it is so intolerant
1 brutal, and so mixed up with filth in
4 humanity murder and disorder It
would not be a particularly big job il
! America, England, France, Germany,
/ Russia. Italy, etc. should undertake it.
/ The religion which teaches that Ameri-
| can bacon is unclean food, and all white
men worse than dogs, is becoming en-
4
dan religion was invented by a sensual
man. intended to appeal to sensual men,
as was the religion of Brigham Young.
1t has no more divine origin than has
Rays arithmetic, yet its followers are
the most unreasonable lot of fanatics
known to religion The civilized part
OF the world viii not much longer sub
NIT to Mohammedan insolence.
have noted a peculiar thing today
in the action of the Persia" For five
minutes the ship will roll prodigiously;
then for the next five minutes it will
run along quietly. There is very little
wind the weather is quite warm, and
the sun shines brightly.
Where did the name Red sea come
from, I wonder? The water of the
Red sea is as blue as the water Of the
Atlantic.
Captain Powell came to us this
afternoon with an order showing that
we will not be compelled TO undergo
quarantine at Port Said. The plague is
lately so mild at Bombay that the
quarantine regulations have been tenn
porarily given UP. This order was re-
ceived at Alden last night. and was
great relief to all the passengers going
to Egypt: the regulation has never at
fected passengers booked through to
London
At Port Said. passengers for London
have the privilege of taking fast
boat for Brindisi, in Italy. which they
reach in forty-eight hours. There they
are met by fast mail train. and after
a day and a night of very fast travel.
they are in London. This is the
quickest route. The Persia" goes on
to London. calling at Marseilles, and
arrives in London several days after
its passengers who have crossed the
continent by rail.
Yesterday we passed several islands,
but in other respects the passage
through the Red sea is much like a
VOYAGE from Honolulu to Yokohama.
On the map, the Red sea looks like
river.
Friday. January %.
Still in the Red sea, and the un-
usually pleasant weather continues.
We left Bombay a week ago, and the
weather ever since has been as near
perfect as possible
Three months ago today. I left home.
Nearly eight weeks of that time I have
spent on the water; two weeks more
on the water will land me in New
York.
sat on deck several hours today
talking America" with an Englishman
who is at the head of the weather bu-
reau in India. He is much impressed
with the fact tn atAmerican parents are
IPRIFnV OInV aRRN