APPENDIX. 501 furnish tents, waggons, carriages and horses; they also opened a branch hotel at Suez. In furtherance of the plan, Mohammed Ali ordered boats to be built for the Nile and the canal, and the English provided steamers to ply between Bombay and Suez. The plan came into successful operation, but was abandoned in December 1838, in consequence of a sudden revival of the Pascha's fears that the English might convert these station-houses into forts. The ancient mode of travelling was then for a time resumed, and the privilege of transporting passengers by dromedaries was sold to Mr. Waghorn, but during the short period above mentioned, no less than 800 persons passed between Bombay and Cairo. Great credit is due to Mr. Waghorn: he obtained the Pascha's consent to establish English steamers on the Nile, and received a handsome public testimonial as an acknowledgment of his services. Since that time, the Viceroy has bought his experience; and whether he has confidence in the English or not, he has at least learned that we have no thought of taking possession of Egypt, notwithstanding he protested against our sending troops through his territory. Mr. Waghorn continued his exertions, and the journey to India is now little more than an excursion of pleasure, instead of a tedious and formidable sea voyage. According to the improved arrangements of the Oriental Steam Navigation Company, a large vessel of between 1540 and 1670 tons, and with an engine of upwards of 450 horse power, leaves Falmouth on the first of every month, and the means of transit through Egypt are materially extended. A large iron boat of 130 tons, tracked by four horses, conveys the passengers from Alexandria by the Mahmoudieh Canal, to Atfieh on the Nile, whence they proceed by an iron steamer, (the "Cairo," or "Lotus,") to Boolak, the port of Cairo, where there is a steam-boat always in readiness to convey those who are coming from India, down the river. Thus a double route is established: for the steam-boat which arrives from Atfieh, after landing her passengers at Boolak, and remaining a day or two for their accommodation, ascends the Nile as far as Thebes, halting a short time at the principal places. There is now a regular conveyance between Kheneh and Kosseir on the Red Sea (about 120 miles,) and between Cairo and Suez (about eighty-four miles.) The steamers running between Suez and India touch at Kosseir regularly out and home, for the purpose of landing or embarking such as may prefer the route by Upper Egypt. Arrangements are also made for protecting travellers, as much as possible, from risk when the plague is raging; but I suppose there is no Act of Parliament against disease! Moreover, large steamers leave Malta every ten days, for Zante, Corfu, and Trieste, Genoa, Naples, Leghorn, Athens, Smyrna, Constantinople, Sinope, Samsoon, and Trebizonde, returning to Malta by the same route; the days of departure from, and arrival at Malta, being so arranged as to coincide with those of the vessels on the main line between England and Alexandria. Besides these, French, Austrian, and Russian steamers arrive at Constantinople from the Archipelago and the Black Sea, every ten days: and there are ten steam-boats with English machinery, plying regularly between the French Ports and those of the Mediterranean. It requires seventytwo hours to steam from Marseilles to Malta, including fourteen hours delay on shore at Leghorn and Civita Vecchia; and 150 hours to steam from Malta to Alexandria, touching at Syra; so that it is quite possible to proceed from London viâ Calais and Marseilles, and be in time for the steamer at Suez in three weeks; but travellers will do well to allow themselves a month or six weeks, especially if they wish to see any thing en route. The Company's track-boats on the Mahmoudieh canal are too heavy for speed: but they are commodious. Besides the luggage room, there is a saloon, and a separate cabin for ladies, both fitted up with divans and tables; the windows are on the sides like a Gravesend steamer, and there is no want of cleanliness or refreshments. Atfieh, a distance of fifty miles, is reached in twelve hours, for which there is a charge of 17. The distance from Atfieh to Boolak varies from 120 to 130 miles according to the season: but the journey may be accomplished in twenty hours against the stream, and the chief fare is 31. In future, the heavy luggage will be forwarded in separate boats. Messrs. Waghorn and Hill have provided excellent accommodation both in Alexandria, Cairo and Suez, for twelve shillings per diem, each person, including a liberal entertainment in the European style. There are now three modes of travelling between Cairo and Suez: 1. in from sixteen to twenty-four hours, by small spring carts, called coaches or omnibuses, under the superintendence of Messrs. Hill and Co: the fare is 67., including camels for the transport of luggage, which, with Indian travellers, is sometimes considerable: Servants and children pay half price. 2. by donkey-litters or donkeys, which requires from thirty to fifty hours, and for which sixteen shillings each is paid. 3. by dromedaries, which requires from twenty-five to thirty hours, and for which there is a charge of eight or ten shillings each: but those who travel by the two latter means, pay one pound for the support of the station-houses, which are seven in number, and twelve miles apart. At Nos. 2, 4, and 6, beds and refreshments are provided: the others are chiefly stables. The letters are conveyed by dromedaries in eighteen hours, so that correspondence may now be carried on between London and Suez in seventeen days, and with Bombay in thirty-five days. I insert the following extract from a traveller's journal :-"Cairo, 23rd Feb. Started for Suez at nine A. M. Our party consisted of fifty passengers, including twelve ladies and three female servants. The mails consisted of sixty-two chests and three bags. For the conveyance of the whole, we required 145 camels, sixty donkeys, twelve saddle horses; twelve carriage horses, seven dromedaries, twelve donkey-chairs, three two wheeled carriages, and one four-wheeled carriage. The camel and donkey drivers, and servants numbered 130, and the escort of Arab horsemen furnished by Mohammed Ali, seventeen, making up a total of 197 bipeds. Having journeyed twenty miles, we halted at station No. 2, where we partook of roast fowls, turkeys, and geese, hams, mutton, London porter, pale ale, port, sherry, Maderia, claret, and champagne, with all the necessary (?) accompaniments, in the pic-nic style-and were entertained by the Arabs, who displayed their skill in horsemanship, and dexterity in 'throwing the d'gereed.' At midnight, we halted at the centre station, forty miles from Cairo. Here we had tea, and afterwards, supper! We passed the night here-(query, slept). Before starting in the morning, we had a substantial breakfast, and on arriving at No. 6 station, another pic-nic dinner. We reached Suez at 4 A. M. on the 25th; slept at the hotels, and embarked on board the E. I. Company's steamer for Bombay." I conclude they halted during the extreme heat, and slept-those that could: for after so much feasting, they must have been in a fine state of excitement, and if they continued repleting in such sort, they would assuredly be attacked with fever on landing, if they even reached Bombay in safety. On such a journey, it is the height of imprudence to take more than a simple pilaf of rice, onions, and chicken, with dates, water-melon, tea, coffee, and the like. Beer, and wine, unless freely diluted, are heating and prejudicial. The passage from Suez to Bombay is 80l., or 60l. if the passenger is willing to sleep on deck, which I should say, for a gentleman, is decidedly the best place, as no other distinction is made between him and a cabin passenger. The route from England to Bombay may be thus estimated : Or, from Falmouth to Alexandria direct by one of the Company's steamers From Alexandria to Suez... From Suez to Bombay Expenses at Alexandria, Cairo, and Suez .. 15 or 16 days £46 10 4, 18 38 days Thus it appears that the overland journey from England to To return by the same route may require..... 12 0 .38 or 42 days The route by Malta, Constantinople, and Trebizonde, on the southern shores of the Black Sea, and thence The same journey, proceeding to Trebizonde by Vienna and ...... ..... It appears that if a line of steamers were established, the journey might even be made by the Mauritius and the Cape of Good Hope, in from: .... ......60 to 65,, The latter suggestion was offered to the public by a gentleman signing himself "R. S." and who considers that the best way to India is Britain's highway—the high seas-because we shall not then, he says, be detained by tedious quarantines; we shall have no hordes of savages to contend with; we shall have no transit duty to pay; neither shall we be at the mercy and caprice of the Rulers of Egypt-to say nothing of coral-rocks, monsoons, shifting sands, and disease! It would be quicker, more regular, and safer in the end, he observes; for the winter between the latitudes of England and Gibraltar is as bad as can be met with any where in the whole voyage. Let there be steam ships of 1000 tons and 450 horse power engines, so built that they might, on sudden emergencies, be armed. Let the voyage be divided into three stages, as follows: Nautical miles. 1.-From Portsmouth to Ascension... 4,100 (Calling for coals at St. Vincent, one of the Cape de Verd Islands, 2,450 miles.) 2. From Ascension to the Mauritius ... 4,430 (Taking in coals at Hout Bay, Cape of Good Hope, 2,200 3. From Mauritius to Calcutta.... 3,400 (Taking coals at Point de Galle, in Ceylon, 2,150 miles, Three steamers to each station will admit of proper time for overhauling, and putting machinery in order, absolutely necessary at the end of each passage. The vessels should be made gradually to change stations, so as to return to England in regular rotation, or as may be required for repairs, new boilers, &c., and there should be two additional vessels for the Bombay Branch, which would secure a monthly communication with India-the passage not exceeding upon the average, sixty or sixtyfive days, in the worst season of the year." Before quitting this subject, I may mention that in 1834, Mr. Robert Tod, a British merchant of Damascus, and who has also a house at Bagdad, organized a line of couriers between these two cities, aided by Colonel Taylor, the Chargè d'Affaires at the latter, and under the sanction of the Syrian Authorities. A courier was dispatched once every twenty days from Damascus, and arrived at Bussorah in from sixteen to twenty-three days, whence the letters were forwarded by the first vessel, to Bombay. A Government Tahtah now leaves Constantinople regularly once a month, who conveys the letters to Aleppo in about ten days: so that by these means, the communication with the Persian Gulf would stand thus : From London to Constantinople From Constantinople to Aleppo.. From Aleppo to Damascus From Damascus to Bagdad From Bagdad to Bussorah.... from 16 to 18 days. 8 10 5 6 10 15 56 days. In cases where the expense is not an object, an Express would get over the ground in much less time: but by such a route, the communication must always be very uncertain, on account of the refractory disposition of the wandering tribes, and would only be attempted, I should think, in the event of the communication by Egypt or the Euphrates being cut off. Four iron steamers (thanks to Colonel Chesney) now float on the broad waters of the Euphrates; and the ultimate success of that gentleman's plans will mainly depend on those who have charge of the navigation. THE TRANSIT OF GOODS THROUGH EGYPT, AND THE NAVIGATION OF THE NILE. On the 4th of September, 1841, Mr. Anderson, one of the managing directors of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, returned to Alexandria from Constantinople, where he had been making See Vol. II. p. 196. |