Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-03
SOUTH AT RIGA
Tropical Exploration de Luxe
by Steamer and Rail.
FALLS OF VICTORIA
Gold Of Rand and Of Ophir-Dia-
monds Of Kimberley and of Solomon.
JOHANNESBURG METROPOLIS
Land Of Briton, Boer. Kafir-Liv-
ingstone, Kruger. Rhodes-Jess.
She, Umslopogaas.
Ely THEODORE ". MOVES.

/ BY THEODORE W. NO1ES
Editorial Correspondence Of The Star.
To some men and women an ocean
steamer, sailing for thousands of miles
| through a lHacing. oZone-laden atmos-
phere. divorcing them totally. if only tenn
porarily. from all worries and response
bilities, and administering TO minds per-
haps somewhat jaded the stimulating but
wholesome tonic of views of things new.
strange and wonderful in the tropics or
near the poles or on the other side of
the world, Is the only practically effective
health promoting sanitarium. And to
thousands Of other travellers, who do not
need especially the rest cure and the
nerve tonic Of the long sea trip, such a
voyage means enjoyment of one of the
highest types Of human pleasure.
Last year in editorial correspondence l
sketched briefly for Star readers the most
vivid impressions of one approximately
circumnavigating South America. This
year I have to report with equal brevity
concerning the circumnavigation of South
Africa
My trip took me by steamer 10 South
ampton. Madeira. Cape Town. Port Eliza
beth, East London and Durham, Natal.
en- the east coast of Africa; by rail to
johannesburg. Pretoria. Victoria Falls,
Livingstone, Bulawayo. Kimberley. Wei
ifngton and Cape Town: thence by steam
er to Southampton and New York. 1t is
possible with case and comfort to circum-
navigate all Africa. going down the west
coast. turning the cape. and connecting
| At Durham with steamers that go up the
east coast, traverse the Red Sea and
the Mediterranean. and proceed to South
ampton. But the east coast steamers are
smaller than and not SO comfortable as
tN<cA rix;va 4,
| atmosphere of the Indian ocean and the
| Red sea Is far from being as b. acing and
healthful as that of the Atlantic. If.
however. one has not visited the Medi-
terranean countries. and especially Egypt,
he should by all means make this most
interesting voyage of the complete cir
cumnavigation Of Africa.
Tropical Exploration de Luxe.
The most remote point to which this
| trip carried me was Livingstone. near
Victoria Falls, on the projected Cape to
Cairo railroad, about 1850 miles from
Cape Town. and approaching the kongo
| border, across which the railroad has al
ready been extended. The conditions OF
comfort under which this trip was made
were a distinct and pleasant surprise.
/, ploration into tropical Africa, even to the
| latitude OF the wonderful Victoria Falls
| by apprehension of unusual hardships
of travel The voyage from Southampton
| TO Cape Town or Durham is made on the
| Once-a-week mail steamer of the Union
Castle line. which; runs with .clockwork
| regularity and takes a little less than
| seventeen days between Southampton and
Cape Town. My outward voyage was
i.lnade on the Edinburgh Castle and the
return trip by the Balmoral Castle. These
are sister ships and the largest of the
Union Castles feet. registering nearly
| 14.(O0 tons each. l have travelled on
larger steamers, of course, but never on
| any better equipped. better handled and
| more comfortable for passenger travel. in
ocean. In the rail travel the South
African railways run by the government
+. Of the Union of South Africa. and the
Rhodesian railroad, owned and run by
| the Rhodesian Chartered Company. are
| the lines traversed For many miles the
| track passes through an arid plateau
| section, corresponding to the Great
American desert of the old Biographies
and as in some areas still of transcontf-
mental American travel, and as i'm cross
| ing by the trans-Andine railroad the
plains Of Argentina. the South African
| traveller is subjected to the plague of a
| penetrating dust, from which there seems
| no escape. The conditions of travel
however, on both the government and the
| privately owned lines are very comfort
able. judged even by the most eXactin.
of American standards. One can in less
than four days travel at leisurely pace
with generous stops at Kimberley and
Bulaw ayo. from Cape Town to Victoria
Falls by a through corridor express
train, with dining cars. sleeping cars and
other details OF up-to-date railroad equip
ment. including d shower bath to aid
| In the battle against the dust. 1t is
thus possible to enjoy tropical eXplora-
ton de luxe SO far as both steamship
and railroad travel are concerned.