MONEY. A small sum of money to start with should be taken in English or
French gold, but large sums should always be carried in the form of
circular notes, care being observed to keep the notes and the ‘letter of
indication’ quite separate. These notes are issued by the London and the
Scottish banks and by Messrs. Thos. Cook & Son (Ludgate Circus). The
cheques issued by the American Express Companies, by the American
Bankers Association, and by the International Mercantile Marine Co. are
also convenient. Wherever the traveller lands he will find an ample
supply of the small change of the country very needful.
PASSPORTS are not absolutely necessary, except in Turkey and in Russia;
but consuls, and sometimes bankers, require more convincing proof of
identity than a visiting-card. Passports must be shown at the
post-offices also in order to obtain delivery of registered letters.
Passports may be procured in England direct from the Passport
Department of the _Foreign Office_, Whitehall (fee 2 _s._), or through
any tourist-agent.—In the United States they are obtained from the
_Bureau of Citizenship_, State Department, Washington, D.C.—Travellers
may generally get their passports _visés_ for Turkey or Russia through
one of the steamboat-companies or by applying to their consulate at
one of the chief seaports, if they have omitted to take this step
before leaving home.
The CUSTOM HOUSE EXAMINATION at the various seaports and frontiers is
seldom very rigorous; but the traveller should be careful to declare
every new article not intended for personal use; and he should note
particularly that cigars, tobacco, and cigarettes, weapons and
ammunition (the import of the last four articles being entirely
prohibited in Turkey), playing-cards, matches, etc. are liable to a
heavy duty almost everywhere. These should therefore be carried in very
small quantities or dispensed with altogether. It is rarely worth while
carrying large supplies of any dutiable article, as the formalities are
tedious and the expenses heavy.
In Turkey a second custom-house examination of luggage takes place when
the traveller leaves the country, a small duty being levied on exports,
while the export of antiques without the authority of government is
forbidden. In Spain, Italy, and Greece also permission must be obtained
to carry away works of art. Persons who have made large purchases, or
have a superfluity of baggage to send home, had better employ a
goods-agent.