The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-19

than for the scientists. And while you
are about it, read the story Of primitive
man. the story Of the earth in past
ages, the story of extinct civilization
the story of religions. &c All Of these
books may be had, written by men who
quote only generally accepted author
ity. These books will not only inter-
est you, but surprise YOU They viii
cause you TO realize your insignincance
and after you have read them, you win
think as you never thought before
Friday. January g.
Ever since leaving Colombo. we
have had a vicious headwind. and q
rough sea, with squalls of rain. From
the time we left Hong Kong until we
reached Colombo, we had the wind be
hind US. it pushed US along. and we
arrived at our destination day or
two early, as we win arrive at Cal
cutta a day or two late. It is one OF
the mysterious things of the ocean
that in certain places, the wind blows
steadi'-- in a certain direction for
months There are currents that hoW
in a certain direction for years, with
out interruption: but this is too big
a subject to be discussed here. Be
sides, I do not understand it. Several
of the passengers have heard boast
that they do not know. what seastck-
ness is. have gone to their rooms 1
still believe that there does not live a
landsman who can go to sea without
experiencing sea sickness in some form
Sometimes 1t Is slight but no one es-
capes- I have felt queer at times
on the Bay of Bengal, but have kept
The day we left Colombo. the quar-
/ termaster of the "Somali' suffered
sunstroke; he is now very i'll, and
may die. We are sailing north, and
the weather is cooler; yesterday 1
enjoyed the luxury of going to my
room, and putting on heavier cloth
ing-this morning the bath water ac-
4 ~ III Il a m
greatly enjoying the cooler weather:
for more than a month we have been
sweltering in the heat. Christmas day
reminded me of the Fourth of July.
I greatly admire the young fellow
from Australia who loves his mother.
Sometimes 1 see the mother standing
at the rail lonely. In little While
appears with her at the table: the other
three sons come and go when they
! please. In the evening the lover-son
walks with the mother on deck, and
goes down after her wraps And he
does it all so naturally that it is admir-
able.
This morning. while taking an early
walk on deck. I saw the captain IN his
/ room, reading bible. I wish I knew
the chapter. to tell Fred Barrett.
I have heard a good deal about Aus
tralia from the mother and her four
sons who sit at my table. That coun-
try is cursed with rabbits and drouth
: Rabbits were introduced into Australia
! years ago, for sport, and they have since
taken the country. Unless a field is
protected with woven wire fence, the
rabbits will eat everything 1t contains;
roots and all. They are slaughtered
/ by the million, but they increase so
rapidly that there is no ~etting rid of
them. A drouth has just ended in Aus
! 10 n 511o
sold at forty cents a head, and millions
of them died I shall always remem-
/ Der Australia because It was there
Aaron Magwitch made his money.
The strong willed man who started
out yesterday to smoke four cigars,
and no more, smoked eight in my
! presence. I greatly admired the man
quit all my bad habits regularly
every morning, but, at the close of the
day, find 1 have made little or no
| progress
Travellers are like polo or golf
players. they dress for the game,
and buy the paraphernalia. A wo-
+ man passenger today showed me a
! little dressing case for which she paid
/ $1,000.
heard a queer statement the other
day; that the rickshaw, so universally
J uSeQ over mere, was invented DY an
rnerican. Yet 7 doubt if there is a
/ single rfckshaW in America.
Little wonder that Ceylon IS fun of
Indians: India is only sixteen hours
away. and a boat leaves every day. In
the very early days, the people of
Southern India overran Ceylon. I be
lieve they are responsible for the ruin
/ of the buried cities.
OF course shall miss Rangoon. the
place where are located big saw mills,
and where elephants handle the logs
The elephants pile up the logs and
after depOsiting a log, they sight
along it. to see that it is lying straight
This is the story of a traveller who has
been to RangOon, and who is trying to
make me regret that I cut it out.
met a traveller today who did not &c
to Handy. and I told him he didn't
miss much: I am not vicious have
not Travelled enough for that; not yet
z. W. H.
Major Beck to California.