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... . Thus it appears that the overland journey from England to To return by the same route may require.. The route by Malta, Constantinople, and Trebizonde, on £140 10 .38 or 42 days .40 the southern shores of the Black Sea, and thence The same journey, proceeding to Trebizonde by Vienna and ..... ......53 to 55 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: 1.-From Portsmouth to Ascension ... Nautical miles. 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, whence there might be a branch steamer to Bombay.) 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: 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. arrangements for the extension of their line of steamers to the Bosphorus and the Black Sea. He first came to Egypt five or six months previously, but affairs were then disordered, and nothing was done. He now pointed out to Mohammed Ali the intentions, principles, prospects, and objects of the Company, and satisfied him that it had nothing to do with politics, but was an Association of British merchants. He represented that if this route were made preferable to that by the Cape, merchandise to the value of 2,000,000l. sterling would pass through Egypt annually-giving employment to his subjects, and circulating an enormous capital among them which would enrich not only individuals, but the Treasury further, that a duty of one half per cent., would pay the Government 10,000l. per annum, but that if a higher rate were made, this route would be abandoned: that he therefore hoped the Pascha would accede to his proposals, undertake to protect goods, and cause the roads between Cairo and Suez, Kheneh and Kosseir, to be cleared. Three or four days afterwards, Mr. Anderson received for answer through Boghos Youssouff Bey, "That any amount of merchandise might pass during 1842, provided at the end of the year, the Company would pay whatever duty they thought him entitled to: that he would protect their property as much as he could, and afford them every facility in his power-and that the Company had his entire confidence, because it was incorporated by Royal Charter. He added, that he would improve the state of the roads, and cause a tariff to be drawn out, regulating the charges for boat and camel hire." According to the arrangements made, merchants sending their goods through Egypt, have no direct transit duty to pay, the Company being accountable for it to the Pascha. His Highness is content to receive one half per cent., instead of the three per cent. ad valorem duty, payable under the treaties and convention of commerce, made between Great Britain and the Porte in 1838. This is a great advantage, because all valuable articles will now be sent by the Mediterranean, and benefit Malta, which will become the Entrepôt for the Oriental trade; and by means of steam, the communication with India is made in weeks instead of months. The Convention was to take effect on and from the 1st of January, 1842. Some time ago, Boghos Youssouff Bey issued a notice that any person might build boats on the Mahmoudieh canal, or on the Nile, on the following conditions: 1. That the Captain and crew of the boats should be all Egyptian. 2. That the flag carried by the boats should be that of the country, and that they should pay the established tonnage duty. Mohammed Ali was willing that British boats should navigate to Sennaar, but thought the trade carried on by barks ought to be left to the natives. Many persons suppose, because the English have hitherto been allowed to do almost anything they chose, and their flag has been respected, that they have a right to navigate wherever they please, not only hoisting the British colours, but claiming indemnity and exemption wherever they go but this is not the case, and the Consul General suggested to the Pascha, that Europeans proceeding to the interior should be furnished with His Highness's firmaun to protect them from the over officiousness of the petty Authorities. The Nile steamers draw about three feet of water: there are several continually afloat, and the traveller is reminded of his native rivers. In December 1839, three gun-boats made their appearance, with the Roman flag flying: they had on board, the columns from Upper Egypt which Mohammed Ali had presented to the Pope. The pious Moslems gazed with surprise and indignation at the Papal colours, supposing them to be the standards of the Jews-whose physiognomy they recognised in the full length figures of St. Peter and St. Paul, as they fluttered in the breeze. In the summer of 1838, Galloway Bey made trial of a temporary railroad, 300 yards long, under the windows of the Seraglio. The experiment succeeded, and the Pascha was much pleased, and tram work was subsequently laid down on the banks of the canal, for the conveyance of cargoes of grain to the Government magazines; but it was continually getting out of order, and ultimately abandoned; and the preference is now given to baskets and the fellahs' backs, as formerly.* THE GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS AND COTTON MILLS.† The Pascha's attempt to organize Establishments for the education of youth, does him great honour, and is a convincing proof of his comprehensive genius and intelligence. These useful Institutions consist chiefly of 1. The College of Kasserlyne: delightfully situated on the right bank of the Er-Rhoudah canal. Opposite, are the gardens of Ibrahim Pascha, and the palace of Sheriff Bey: the Seraskier's Divan is on the left; and near at hand, in the midst of a grove of stately sycamores, there is a large religious edifice of the Moslems, which was formerly the residence of Mourad Bey: the intervening spaces being now cleared, levelled, and planted. This Establishment is a sort of preparatory school for young gentlemen of promising talents, selected as suitable persons to be distributed when duly qualified, among the various departments under Government. There are generally from *See page 118, and Vol. II. p. 63, 568, and 597. 1000 to 1200 of them: they are fed and clothed by Mohammed Ali, and provided with books, stationery, pocket money, and every other necessary. There is a library at their disposal, containing about 12,000 volumes, chiefly French and Italian; but by all accounts, in a beautiful state of confusion, and very little used: for after a time, the European Professors were dismissed, and the Lancasterian system being introduced, it was imagined that the senior pupils might instruct the rest: everything was regulated by beat of drum, and-the Koorbasch: nevertheless, the indolent spirit, natural to Orientals, soon gained the ascendancy; and as no attention was paid to morals, the young men engaged in every species of debauchery;-considering themselves as the acknowledged protegés of the Viceroy, (although in fact, they voluntarily parted with their liberty, the moment they entered the College, and rendered themselves liable to be disposed of as His Highness thought fit,) they became arrogant, dissipated, and diseased, contracted syphilis, ophthalmia, and itch, in their most virulent forms, and although the Institution is furnished with baths and a Hospital, we are credibly informed that in 1832, 300 of them, (many only twelve years of age,) were sent off, en masse, to the Infirmary at Aboo Zabel. There is another building adjoining, which may be considered a branch of this: it is called a School for Mamlûks, being intended for the instruction of Europeans: the Teachers are Mohammedans, the pupils chiefly Greeks, the system pursued, similar, the result the same. By far the most respectable of the Pascha's elèves, are those educated at 2. The School of Cadets: a noble Establishment on the banks of the river, a little to the north of Ghizeh-formerly a palace of Toussoon Pascha. The inmates are Turks, Georgians, and Circassians, extremely well behaved, and many of them highly talented individuals. They are made acquainted with the Art of war, drawing, and fortification,—the principal European and Oriental languages, and horsemanship, in which they excel: their Teachers are chosen from both Franks and Natives; they have a military air about them, and when, during the late wars, they were placed at the head of a newly organized corps, they conducted themselves well. 3. The School of Engineers is at Khanka: the pupils learn surveying, modelling, drawing, mining, and fortification, and are selected from the number of those who distinguish themselves at Kasserlyne. The same be said of may 4. The Artillery College at Toura, where the Art of gunnery is taught in all its branches, by Europeans, as well as mathematics, and the current languages of the day. 5. The Naval School is of course located at Alexandria, in the Arsenal, where everything ascertaining to ship-building and navigation is taught; and as I have already stated, practical instructions are given to young men on board every ship of war:-the Arabs, however, have |