The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-03
AROUND THE WORLD
IN 40 VEHICLES

Washington, D. c., August T.
Now that the Atlantic has been
crossed and there are plans afoot to
fly over the Pacific. the day may not
be far distant when some aerial Ma
gellan will make an aeroplane tour
around the world" say a bulletin of
the National Geographical society.
There are still many corners of
the world where aeroplane. automo-
bile and even the horse would be- curl
osities. And II a maj set out to tour
the globe and do as the Romans do
in respect to adopting native con-
veyances he would have to-
Resort to a donkey in Spanish
America and in the Holy Land.
Climb aboard a camel to traverse
African deserts.
Gross some rivers OF India on the
inflated skins Of buliocks. and others
by a bridge of one rawhide rope.
Submit TO the sea-going motion
of an elephant when he continued his
journey on land,
Get into a man-borne p~alanouin
at Calcutta,
Jolt over far eastern roads In a
~non-shock absorbing cart drawn by
oxen. "a
and in China be prepared to climb
into a j~inrikisha. a sedan chair or a
wheelbarrow."
A few of these curious means O,
travel are described in a communica
ton to the society by o. P. Austin
as follows:
I'm all parts of hat great line OF
deserts, stretching from North Africa
across Central Asia to Northwes,
China, the camel is everywhere in
evidence; the total number in the
world being estimated at about three
l. illions.
Not only is the camel a valuable
+. eight carrier. but he serves as the
travelling ar of the Rockefeller, the
Carnegie. the Morgans, and the Har-
rinans of the desert. When he is
chosen for this more ~pretentious ser.
vice, a light framework is placed up
on his back and covered with cloths
to screen the occupants from the
sun n the observation OF the pas.
sers, and decorated with pornpons OF
varied colors. In his gorgeous com.
p~artn1ent, which may be not inaptlS
termed the Palace Car OF the Desert,
the master of the camel train places
his wife and children, his choicest
merchandise, his cooking utensils. ant
daily requirements. and travels ir
state. the observed Of all observers
the envy of the wandering native Of
the desert.
ION the Euphrates and the Tigri.
are still retained the curious water
Il -nsports of centuries ago--the raj,
of skins and the circular boats. These
RATS are sustained by inflated skins
prepared for this especial purpose
and after the raft floats down the
river to its destination the inflated
skins are removed, the air permitted
to escape, and the skins carefully
folded and carried back to the upper
waters, where they are again inflated
and used as the support Of another
and still another raft.
Even more curious, to the eyes OF
the traveller from other parts of the
world, are the circular boats. made
OF wtckerwork and covered with skins
or made water-tight with pitch
which are still in daily use on the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The three principal methods o,
II 4ns~portation of people in Contra
and Southern China are the Sedan
chair. the jinrikisha. and the wheel
barrow.
Probably more freight and more
passengers are transported in China
by the w~heelbarrow then by any other
land method. The wheelbarrov
there used differs from that used by
us, in the fact that the wheel is set
in the center and thus supports prac.
tically the entire load. while the han.
dies are supported in part. by a strar
or rope over the shoulders of The
man who operates it. AS a result, the
wheelbarrow coolie in China will
transport nearly a halt ton on his We.
hicle.t