situated in the grand square, about two miles from Mahoram Bey's,
that part of the Mahmoudie canal where the passengers embark on board
commodious boats, to be towed up to Atfeh (a distance of forty-eight
miles) by powerful steam-tugs. The names of the hotels are "Hotel de
l'Europe," "d'Orient" and "de Suisse." The rates of charges at all are
piastres forty, or 8s. per diem, for board and lodging, exclusive
of wines, beer and spirits. Those who prefer living _à la Francaise_,
will give a preference to the Hotel d'Orient. At the other hotels the
style of entertainment is more English.
"The extra charge, at 16s. the 112 lbs., for over-weight luggage
(two cwt. being allowed to first and one cwt. to second-class
passengers) is collected at the transit-office at Cairo, on exchanging
tickets, and takes place there, in order to check the passengers
proceeding beyond or remaining at this station.
"At Suez the luggage is embarked in the boat which takes the passenger
off; and here he should see it again."
As the transition from heat to cold in crossing the desert is great,
the range of the temperature varying from 94° in the shade at noonday
to 72° at night, in the summer months, it is indispensable that
travellers should be provided with warm clothing; and too great
precaution cannot be taken to avoid exposure to the night air.
Taking this matter into consideration, we subjoin a thermometrical
register recently kept in Egypt, which may be of service alike to the
passing traveller and those who purpose sojourning for awhile in that
country.
As the passage through Egypt _en route_ to India differs but little,
whether the traveller be hound to Calcutta or Bombay, we add to this
division of our subject a short account of the only portion of the
journey which can truly be called "Overland."
STAY AT ALEXANDRIA.--A delay of about three to four hours
occurs at Alexandria, in examining the luggage at the custom-house
and loading the boats with it. During this time the traveller may, if
so disposed, pay a visit to Cleopatra's Needle, Pompey's Pillar, and
the Pacha's palace and arsenal; all of which may easily be reached on
donkeys or in carriages in less than two hours, and at a very trifling
cost.
The boats being ready, the whole party again assemble, and, embarking
at the Mahmoudie canal, reach Atfeh in about ten hours, where the
passengers are trans-shipped to the Nile steamers, and perform the
trip to Cairo, 120 miles, in 16 or 20 hours, according to the depth of
water in the Nile. The boat stops at Boulac, two miles distant from
Cairo, to which place some walk, whilst others ride; carriages, horses
and donkeys being prepared, and in waiting. There are several hotels
in Cairo, the "British," "Oriental," and "English," the character and
accommodation of each of which will be most accurately learned on
reference to Mr. Davidson, to whom we have previously alluded.
[Illustration: BOULAC.]
ABSTRACT _of a Thermometrical Register, kept at Alexandria, in
N. lat. 31° 13', outdoor temperature, in the shade, for one whole year_.
Table Headings:
Col M1: Mean temperature.
Col M2: Mean daily variation.
Col M3: Mean maximum.
Col M4: Mean minimum.
Col M5: Mean temperature at 8 A.M.
Col M6: Mean temperature at noon.
Col M7: Difference of mean temperature of each successive month.
Col E1: Extreme daily variation.
Col E2: Extreme monthly variation.
Col E3: Extreme maximum.
Col E4: Extreme minimum.
+------------+----------------------------------+-------------------+
| | MEANS. | EXTREMES. |
| +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
| MONTHS | M1 | M2 | M3 | M4 | M5 | M6 | M7 | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 |
+------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
|January |59·5| 8·0|63·5|55·5|57·6|61·0| 3·0| 8 | 13 | 66 | 53 |
|February |59·5| 6·0|62·5|56·5|57·4|60·6| 0·0| 9 | 10 | 66 | 56 |
|March |64·7|10·5|70·0|59·5|61·1|63·6| 5·2| 5 | 13 | 72 | 59 |
|April |69·0|12·0|75·0|63·0|66·4|69·2| 4·3| 12 | 15 | 77 | 62 |
|May |74·7|16·5|83·0|66·5|71·7|74·6| 5·7| 13 | 22 | 88 | 66 |
|June |77·0| 9·0|81·5|72·5|74·6|77·3| 2·3| 5 | 14 | 85 | 71 |
|July |82·5| 4·5|82·5|78·0|78·5|80·7| 5·5| 5 | 8 | 85 | 77 |
|August |81·2| 7·5|85·0|77·5|79·5|80·6| 1·3| 6 | 10 | 87 | 77 |
|September |79·7| 6·5|83·0|76·5|78·4|80·1| 1·5| 8 | 9 | 84 | 75 |
|October |76·7| 7·5|80·5|73·0|76·1|77·8| 3·0| 8 | 9 | 81 | 72 |
|November |68·7|12·5|75·0|62·5|66·3|71·6| 8·0| 12 | 18 | 76 | 58 |
|December |60·7|17·5|69·5|52·0|58·5|64·3| 8·0| 20 | 25 | 71 | 46 |
+------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
|Annual Means| | | | | | | | | | | |
|and Extremes|71·1| 9·8|75·9|66·0|68·8|71·7| 3·9| 20 | 25 | 88 | 46 |
+------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
The seasons of the year to which the foregoing Table refers, it may be
well to explain, were peculiarly moderate, the Thermometrical range
varying less than in ordinary seasons.
The average heat at Cairo will exceed that at Alexandria by about 10
degrees all the year round. This is accounted for by the prevailing
sea-breeze at Alexandria. The atmosphere at the latter is peculiarly
humid; at the former peculiarly dry and elastic. Rains prevail in
December and January; they are very rare at Cairo.
The luggage is conveyed to Suez on dromedaries, and, as these animals
travel slowly, those who do not desire to proceed to Suez by the first
division of carriages across the desert, will have sufficient time to
visit the lions of Cairo, which consist of the citadel, the palace, the
mint, the petrified forest, the Rhoda garden (chiefly botanical), the
Pyramids of Gizeh, and the Pacha's palace and gardens at Shubra; or
they may indulge in a bath, a luxury thus described in an article in
the _Asiatic Journal_, by Mr. Stocqueler:--
"A bath at Cairo, after a voyage, is an _agrémen_ which few will deny
themselves. It is neither as elaborate nor as effective an affair
as a Persian bath, but, like Mercutio's wound, 'it will _do_.' The
soft coir, or fibrous matter, which is used instead of flannel or
the hair-glove, is not by any means as efficacious as the latter in
removing the sodden matter, or _papier maché_, which covers the human
cuticle. Then there is neither shampooing, nor joint-cracking, nor
mustachio-dyeing; nevertheless, it is pleasant to _get into hot water_
after a month's exclusion from the indulgence, even though some of the
accessories to the hummaum be wanting."
Of the manner in which the ascent of the Pyramids is made, the
following sketch furnishes an accurate description:--
[Illustration: THE ASCENT OF THE PYRAMIDS.]
A recent writer, describing this laborious operation, speaks of
it thus:--"It is advisable, if bent on mounting to the summit,
to disencumber yourself of all but your shirt and a pair of loose
trousers; for the journey upwards must be taken rapidly, and cannot
easily be accomplished with warm and tight clothing. A couple of Arabs
leap on to the stones immediately above you, and offer you each a hand,
while a third follows, to give you an impetus from behind, and catch
you, in case of a slip. Up you go, panting and toiling, step after step
(each three feet in height) and stopping occasionally to take breath,
and receive the cheering congratulations of your rude guide--_good,
good, Inglese, berry good!_ and then, with an impatient grin and
extended hand, '_Baksheesh!_'"
We now come to the Overland part of the journey; viz., from
CAIRO TO SUEZ.[8]
[Footnote 8: The following extract from the last report of the
Peninsular and Oriental Company, may not be without interest to our
readers--showing, as it does, that efforts have recently been made to
improve the desert-transit. We should premise, that Sir John Pirie
proceeded to Egypt as the bearer of an address to the new Viceroy.
"His Highness the Pacha received Sir John with marked distinction and
courtesy, and readily acquiesced in every suggestion made to him for
the improvement of the transit; and His Highness was moreover pleased
to declare, that the increased expense consequent thereupon would be
of secondary consideration to the perfecting the transit through his
country.
"His Highness has authorised the directors to order for his account
one additional steam-vessel for the Nile, to be fitted with all the
improved accommodation which experience suggests; also two paddle-wheel
steamers for the Mahmoudie Canal. These canal boats will be devoted to
the conveyance of passengers only, and the baggage will be conveyed
in future by track-boats. These two steamers will be a most important
addition and improvement to the canal transit, which has hitherto been
considered the most inconvenient part of the journey; and they will
accordingly be fitted in the most commodious manner, and sent out with
the utmost dispatch.
"A small steamer, now building at Boulac, will shortly be placed at
Suez, for the embarkation and landing of passengers and baggage from
the India steamers, which will be productive of great comfort and
convenience.
"A considerable improvement has already been effected in the landing
and embarkation of passengers and baggage at Alexandria; and commodious
storehouses have also been erected there, and at the Mahmoudie Canal.
"The occasional difficulties and delays at Atfeh will, in future, be
avoided, by the intended erection of a jetty and landing-place there;
but, in most cases, the new canal steamers will pass through the locks,
and go alongside the Nile steamers, and the change from one to the
other will thus be easily and conveniently effected. The navigation
of the canal is to be improved by deepening, for which object, three
dredging machines are now in operation."]
The distance (ordinarily accomplished in about twenty hours, including
stoppages) from Cairo to Suez is eightyfour miles, and along the route
through the desert there are seven station-houses. These station-houses
are numbered from 1 to 7, and contain the following accommodation:--
No. 1. Nine miles from Cairo, stabling and a resting-room.
No. 2. Twenty miles from Cairo, contains two public rooms (one for
ladies, and the other for gentlemen), two private rooms, and a
servants' room.
No. 3. Thirty miles from Cairo, stabling for relays of horses, with one
resting-room.
No. 4. Forty-one miles from Cairo, the centre station, contains a
large saloon, a ladies' room, servants' room, kitchen, a number of
commodious bed-chambers, large water-tank, stabling, &c. Here, also,
will be found, liberally provided, those "creature comforts," which
so essentially cheer and sustain the traveller on his way. Ladies,
however, would do well to take in their basket, on leaving the steamer,
a bottle of good water.
No. 5. Thirty miles from Suez, stabling and a resting room.
No. 6. Twenty miles from Suez, two public rooms, private rooms, and
servants' rooms. The same as No. 2.
No. 7. Nine miles from Suez, stabling and resting-room.
[Illustration: DESERT CARRIAGE.]
[Illustration: ADEN.]
The whole distance is traversed without inconvenience, in carriages,
on horseback, on chairs, or on donkeys; the latter a very superior
animal to those in this country. The Egyptian ass is easy in his pace,
capable of great fatigue, and, it is said, will perform the whole
distance with but little provender.
Travellers now embark on board the Peninsular and Oriental Company's
steamer, and, as soon as the luggage has been shipped, and every other
arrangement made, the anchor is weighed, and the steamer starts for
Aden. Beyond certain historical associations, the Red Sea presents
little that can interest the traveller in his brief and expeditious
trip. The shores are dreary and barren, and are only agreeable
to the eye of the landsman, because they present a somewhat less
monotonous scene than the expanse of "blue above and blue below," which
distinguishes the ocean in parts remote from land.
ADEN, which was formerly called "Portus Romanicus," is a town
of the Yemen, which, from its position, and now, on account of its
recent occupation by the English, promises to become a commercial and
military station of great importance. The town is built on the crater
of an exhausted volcano, and is situate at the extremity of a small
peninsula, formed of volcanic matter, and attached to the continent
solely by a low neck of land from 500 to 600 yards wide, and which
might be easily isolated by a canal. The harbour is a magnificent
basin, capable of containing an immense fleet; and is entered by a
narrow passage between two other craters. It would be easy to establish
defensive works on the rocks, which would place the fort in safety
against any attack. One redoubt has been already raised, as a security
against the Arabs, ever ready to attack the English. From this point
to the gate of the town has been traced a road of about a league in
length, by which the defile is reached that forms the entrance to
Aden. This defile is being fortified with a gate, evidently constructed
to resist other attacks than those of the Arabs, and is about 100 yards
long, and four or five wide; it is cut out of a rock which stands 150
yards above the level of the sea. A formidable battery, commanding the
entrance, is in process of being erected above the rock on the left
of the defile. A covered way, with an arch thrown from one rock to
another, unites the system of defence which the batteries on the summit
of the rocks on the left will complete.
In despite of sickness and desolation, the population of Aden has
greatly augmented in a short space of time. When first occupied, the
population did not exceed 4,000; it is now upwards of 30,000; and
every morning at daybreak 50 to 200 camels may be seen coming into the
town, laden with the produce of the interior, provisions, vegetables,
&c., to console and comfort the otherwise benighted occupants of this
extinguished crater. The fact is, the security to property afforded
by a residence within the limits of British possession and influence,
has contributed, in no inconsiderable degree, to this outward sign of
prosperity.
An hotel on the sea-shore, kept by some enterprising Parsees from
Bombay, and a great number of donkeys, attended by their drivers or
proprietors (little woollyheaded urchins), offer to the passenger who
may go ashore, the _contrast_ of a dinner of fish and a ride to the
town and cantonment of Aden. Beyond these, the attractions of the place
may be represented by a cipher.
At Aden the steamer takes in a supply of coal, and then starts for
Ceylon; which island she reaches in ten days, and where she remains but
for a few hours. Here will be found a branch steamer ready to start
for China; and, to the traveller thenceward, we can promise that this
portion of the journey, touching at Penang and Singapore, _en route_,
will surpass in picturesque and romantic scenery all that his eye has
hitherto beheld--we do not mean to say that, in many parts of Europe or
America, there are not isolated spots equally beautiful and sublime;
but, whether, for a continuous sea-journey of so many miles, for the
most part, in water as smooth as a "milk pan," it can be equalled?
certainly, it cannot be surpassed. The voyage from Ceylon to Penang
is commonly made in six days,--the steamer stopping there six hours;
that to Singapore in three days, with a stay of twenty-four hours;
and, finally, to Hong Kong, in another six days. Four days under steam
from Ceylon carry us to Madras, where, after another supply of fuel,
we proceed to Calcutta, occupying four days in the trip; and there
terminates our interesting journey. We have given a brief description
of the three last-named places in the section appropriated to the
details of the homeward trip, and therefore consider it unnecessary to
offer any remarks here.
TO BOMBAY.
The responsibility of this journey is divided, being firstly in the
hands of the Peninsular and Oriental Company; secondly, of the Egyptian
Oriental Transit Company; and, lastly, of the East India Company.
Forethought and precaution are therefore recommended in making the
arrangements necessary to secure the passage to Bombay throughout, with
as little inconvenience and as much comfort as can be experienced under
the circumstances above stated.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company allow a limited number of
passengers to book for Aden, on the 20th of each month, and, when
this can be effected, it is decidedly the most comfortable and least
expensive mode of reaching Bombay. The East India Company's frigates,
that convey the mid-monthly mail from Aden to Bombay, afford good
accommodation for a few persons; and the run is only one of ten days'
endurance.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company, under no circumstances, book
the whole way to Bombay. Passengers wishing to adopt that course,
and having fixed the date of their departure, should make immediate
application to JAMES BARBER and Co., whose circular will be
found at the end of this book, and whose advice and assistance will
always be found useful to the Overland traveller.
Passengers who cannot adopt the first part of this route, so far as
Aden, in the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamers, will find the
following directions serve them in the time of need.
The Company's steamers for Malta and Constantinople start from
Southampton on the 29th of every month, at 1·30 P.M. (when
the 29th falls on a Sunday, the steamer leaves at nine o'clock on the
morning of the 30th), arriving at Malta about the 10th of the month.
Passengers for Alexandria and Bombay are conveyed from Malta to
Alexandria by one of Her Majesty's steamers, leaving Malta, on the
arrival there, from Marseilles, of the London mail of the 7th of the
month.
On their arrival at Alexandria, the same means of travelling are
provided for passengers, as described in a previous part of this work;
but the passenger, in this case, having only hitherto paid for his
sea-journey to Malta £27 10s.--a further sum of £12 10s. has to be
paid for passage from Malta to Alexandria, and then he has to make his
arrangement with the Egyptian Transit Company, in order that he may
reach Suez in time to embark in the East India Company's steamer at
that port, which conveys the mail to Bombay.
The Transit Company have established the following rates:--
From Alexandria to Suez,
and vice versâ.
A lady { } £12
A gentleman { } 12
A child above ten years { In } 12
" of five years and under ten { vans } 8
" of two " " five { across } 6
" under two years { the } free
A European female servant { desert. } 10
A European man-servant or mechanic { } 8
A native female servant { } 8
Two cwt. of baggage is allowed at the £12 rate, and one cwt. for all
below it, and 16s. per cwt. is charged for any excess on that weight.
Provisions are liberally supplied on the journey; but hotel expenses at
Alexandria, Cairo and Suez, as well as wines, beer and spirits, are not
included in the sum charged by the Transit Company. The following may
be considered a fair estimate of the cost of the trip:--
£ s.
Transit 12 0
One cwt. of extra luggage 0 16
One day's board at Alexandria 0 8
Wine and beer 0 7
Ditto on journey to Cairo 0 7
One day at Cairo 0 8
Wine and beer 0 7
Ditto in the desert 0 7
Half a day at Suez 0 5
One bottle of beer 0 2
Boat-hire on landing, and, probably, donkey-hire
for sight-seeing 0 10
-----
£15 17
-----
This amount will vary, of course, according to the mode of living and
views of the passenger, but 15s. per day may be taken as a fair
average for living, and 5s. additional, well managed, will pay the
expense of seeing the sights of interest in or about Cairo, if a
prolonged stay be contemplated or practicable.
Arrived at Suez, the passenger will have to secure his accommodation to
Bombay, according to the regulations in the following pages.
_East India Company's rules for the engagement of passages and
accommodation of passengers in the Government steam-packets between
Bombay and Suez._
Application for passage is to be made at the office of the
master-attendant in Bombay, and at other ports to the commander.
Passengers are to be divided into two classes, viz.:--
First class, who sit at the commander's table and are entitled to all
the privileges of the quarter-deck.
Second-class, who are not entitled to walk aft of the paddle-boxes,
who berth forward, and either arrange for their own provision, or mess
with the warrant-officers or engineers.
Every passenger of the first class shall pay the following sum, as
table-money, for the voyage from Bombay to Suez, or from Suez to
Bombay, viz.:--
A lady or gentleman Rs. 200
A child ten years of age, and above five years 100
A child five years and above one 80
A child one year and under 50
A child under one year and with the mother Free
It is to be understood that, for the above sums, the passengers are to
be provided with a plain, substantial table; but no person is entitled
to more than one pint of wine and one bottle of beer per diem. Cabin
passengers have the first choice of seats at the table, and, after
them, the saloon passengers, in preference to those on the deck,
whose priority will be arranged according to their standing on the
passage-list. The seats will be arranged by the commander, and, once
taken, they cannot be changed without his permission during the voyage.
In addition to the table-money, the following sums will be charged for
the accommodation engaged by first-class passengers, viz.:--
A treble cabin Rs. 1000
A double cabin 800
A single cabin 500
A saloon berth 350
A deck passage 300
Every second class passenger shall pay Rs. 150.
For each European servant 50 Rs. must be paid as subsistence-money,
and 50 Rs. as passage-money; for native servants the charge will be
one-half the rate for a European; but none are to be considered and
taken as servants unless they actually accompany their masters or
mistresses.
A passenger who has engaged a cabin may make what arrangement he likes
for its occupation; he may either keep it entirely to himself, or
admit to share it with any one that he pleases, provided only that the
name of the person so admitted (if an adult) have been previously on
one of the lists, and subject to the following restrictions, viz.:--
A treble cabin cannot be appropriated to the accommodation of more
than--
Four ladies.
Three gentlemen.
Six children.
One lady and four children.
Two ladies and three children.
Three ladies and two children.
One gentlemen and three children.
Two gentlemen and two children.
A lady and her husband, with two children.
A double cabin cannot be appropriated to more than--
Three ladies.
Two gentlemen.
Four children.
A lady and three children.
Two ladies and two children.
A gentleman with two children.
A lady and her husband, with one child.
A single cabin cannot be appropriated to more than--
Two ladies.
One gentleman.
Three children.
One lady and two children.
Passengers in a steamer that may from accident or other cause be
obliged to return to port, will be entitled to the refund of the
amount that has been paid, deducting therefrom a sum for the table
allowance of the commander, according to the number of days that the
vessel may have been at sea, calculating the average time occupied in
a voyage to or from Suez to be eighteen days, and Aden ten days.
For the convenience of passengers from the Red Sea to India, the
commanders of the Honourable Company's packets are authorised to
receive payment of passage-money at Suez, or any port between Suez
and Bombay, in sovereigns, Spanish dollars or German crowns, at the
following rates of exchange, viz.:--
Sovereigns at Rs. 11 each.
Spanish dollars at " 2 and 3 annas each.
German crowns at " 2 and 2 annas each.
Each cabin-passenger may, if he pleases, put all his baggage into his
cabin. The saloon and deck-passengers will be allowed to keep one box
or bag above. The rest of the baggage is to be in the baggage-room,
and passengers will be allowed access to it twice a week, on a day and
hour fixed by the commander, who will appoint a person to have charge
of the baggage.
Any applicant may be refused a passage without any cause being
assigned, either by the authorities at Bombay or by the commander of
the vessel when away from Bombay; but a report of the rejection is to
be communicated to Government.