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

slaves to their children. IF our chill
dren should act Is American children
do towards their parents" he said,
I'VE should tell them that such selfish
ness was bad manners, and not submit
to it." Are American children lacking
IN thoughtfulness for the rights of par
entS? The English think so; and they
speak specifically of American girls:
they see very few American boys, for
few American boys travel-that is a
JOY reserved for the girls
The better class of Englishmen as a
rule, do not rail at American institu-
tons; indeed, I have beer surprised to
hear Englishmen speak in enthusiastic
praise of many phases Of American life.
The Englishman who is always grun-
bling at America, is nearly always a
cheap Englishman. There seems to
be a geat difference in the Englishmen
you meet between Hong Kong and Co
lombo and the Englishmen you meet
between Bombay and Port Said. and the
difference is in favor of the last named
Having idle time on my hands. I
have been in 2 mood to read a great
deal lately. There is an extensive Ii
brary on board, but I find little that
suits me; considering that am a very
poor writer myself I fear I am a harsh
critic. Not one book in hundred is
IGdQdDl6- Inc readers Oh MANUSCRIPTS
employed by publishers. are not strict
enough; although I have myself had
occasion to grumble at them for being
too strict.
The Red Sea is about 200 miles in
length. with an average width of some
thing like IS miles. It's greatest width
is 100 miles, and at one place it mar
rows down to IA miles. The Red Sea
is noted for coral reefs, ard the naviga-
bic channel IS at many places quite
narrow AS I have already stated it
is surrounded by deserts, and no river
empties into it. The villages around the
Red Sea are said to contain the poorest
people in the world. Seeing that I was
interested in the subject, Captain
Powell loaned me book entitled The
Red Sea and Cuff of Alden Pilot" and
spent an afternoon looking through It,
The book contains all available infor-
nation for seamen on the subjects
tTeate and I found much curious in
formation. Tor example, in landing for
supplies at certain ports. it is advised
that the landing party be armed as
the natives are tTeacEerous, hate TIE
whites, and frequently massacre unarTn-
ed seamen. I also learned that at GER
tain of the little ports, the slave trade
still exists. One town exports sharks
fins and tails; the Chinese regard these
as a great luxury. The town of Jidda
has 10000 population, ard 1t is one of
the numerous places at which Eve is
buried yet the book states that no
European is safe a mile out of the town;
this in spite of the fact that 900 ships
call at Jidda annually, and that many
of the civilized countries maintain con
suls there. Jidda is the port at which
pilgrims for Mecca lard. The book
mentions in dozens of places that the
different tribes are constantly at war
with each other. In many of the ports
are found ruined cities; it seems that
many centuries ago, the country about
the Red Sea was fertile, and populous.
Many of the villages aJong the coast
are entirely deserted in sumner. all the
inha bitants going up into the noun
tains. Away from the coast are OCcas-
ional fertile patches Of land. and here
date palms are found. Ships may OBJ
tain sheep and goats at most places.
but water is very scarce. During The
Sea is intense. thermometers often reg
istering 1O5 on the decks of ships for
DAYS q. a time. There is almost no rain
and sometimes, when the wind is fol-
lowing a ship. the captain turns and
runs the other way for a time, to give
the passengers a little relief. OF nearly
all the ports the caution is given that
the natives are unfriendly to whites
and not to be trusted; when opportun-
ity presents, whites are murdered from
pure wantonness. II 1895 the captain
of a French warship landed at one
port with eight meE. to look for wa
ter. All were murdered by natives,
and the French government had no re-
dress.