The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-27


 for every day under that, and the postage rates were shilling per letter. Since then the rates have been reduced to ? cents, and the time to 1872 days. There are now about score of these mail steamers, and they all belong to the Union Castle company, which has perhaps a dozen or so other vessels in it's African service.
 These boats carry all the gold and dia monds that come from South Africa, their freight of that kind alone being annually worth at least $150000,000
 Among the other British lines are the Aberdeen which sails from London to Natal direct, rounding the Cape of Good Hope and calling only at the ports of East Africa. These are ships of from 3000 to GOOD tons. They go down the west coast, stopping at the Canary Islands, and come first into port at Durban. From there they go to Lourenco Marques, Beira, Mo zambiQue, Zanzibar and Mombasa The trip to Mombasa costs $220 and to Natal $150.
 Then there is the Bucknall steamship line, which goes to Cape Town by way of Madeira and also calls at Natal. Its fares to Natal are $160, and to Cape Town $40 The ships are of about 5000 tons each. The Natal line, to Durban direct, has smaller vessels, but it charges just about the same rates, while the British India line which goes from London to the Suez canal and down the east coast, costs con siderably more. Passengers on the latter beats must transship at Alden, and the vessels are comparatively small. The 1ate to Mombasa or Zanzibar is $225, whilo to Delagoa bay, the port for the Trans vaal it is more than $3OO
 Life on an African Steamer.
 Traveling on these African steamers is, it seems to be, much more agreeable than on the great floating hotels which cross the Atlantic. The ship which brought me from South Africa was almost 500 feet long, 69 feet wide and more than 40 feet deep. The first-class cabins were on the upper deck, and the ventilation was such that we were perfectly comfortable when we crossed the equator. The ship rolled a bit, but only a. few of us were sea- sick, and the voyage was enjoyable rom one end to the other.
 Leaving the cape of Good Hope we did not stop until we reached Madeira IA days later During this time the passen- gers became well acquainted, and all seemed anxious to have a good time Shortly after leaving collection, aver aging about 8 apiece, was taken up from the first and second class passengers, and this formed a purse of several hundred D. games and contests, into which all the messengers entered. It was sort of Olympic games held in midocean, in which both ladies and gentlemen joined There was considerable rivalry between the first and second classes and each had it's champions. Among the sports entered into by the ladies were the spoon and egg sprints and the potato race. In the spoon and egg race hen egg is laid on the dock at a certain spot and the girl contestant must run and scoop this up with a spoon and carry it, without letting it fall, back to the goal. The distance is 30 or 40 yards It requires skill to get the egg into the spoon and a steady hand to carry it.
 Tn the potato race three rows of ten raw potatoes are laid upon the deck, the potatoes of each row being three feet apart. There Is a bucket at the end of each row. In this game three girls can contest at one time. Each takes row and attempts to gather her potatoes more quickly than the others. The potatoes can be picked up only one at a time, and all must go into the bucket at the end of the row. The one who finishes first. getting her whole ten in her bucket, is the winner.
 Another sport in which both sexes con tested, was threading the needle. In this the boy puts the thread through the eye, while his girl holds the needle. The couple which threads first Is successful. As to games for the men, these were legion and some most ridiculous. One was marking the deck with what , was called the bow line stretch, and an- other was a pillow fight contest. In the latter two men balancing themselves