active 1837-1839 James Barber

“ The mode of living at Ceylon is more English, in all respects, than at Calcutta; the table more simple—the servants fewer—and the whole character of domestic economy less Oriental than we are accustomed to on the Indian Continent; but the scenery of the island itself is far from partaking of this un-Oriental appearance; it realises, in everything, all we fancy and read of in descriptions of tropical islands. ”

“ To the right of Citta Vecchia, an indifferent road of three or four miles leads to some gardens. Imtaklip is of no other particular interest than an occasional resort of parties from Valetta for a pic-nic. To the left, however, a good road, after passing a large convent, and still inclining to the left, is the Castle or Palace Verdali, of imposing appearance, but tenantless, and going to decay; below, in the valley, is the Boschetta, covered with pretty extensive groves of orange trees, the only truly agreeable retreat in the island, and almost daily resorted to by pleasure parties. ”

“ Never, perhaps, was a vessel freighted with so many who had distinguished themselves in conflict with the enemies of their country. Not less than twenty-six officers, who had seen service in Afghanistan, China and Scinde, paced the deck every day, and described the scenes which their own prowess and that of their comrades had, for the previous three or four years, rendered memorable in the history of British India. But of this large number of homeward-bound passengers, only three (one having two ladies in his family) , quitted the Oriental at Malta. ”

“ Arrived at Suez, it will be for the passenger who has not contracted for the entire trip home, to select his own method of getting to Cairo. The vans of the Transit Company offer unquestionably the most convenient and expeditious mode of carrying the traveller across the desert; but there are not wanting persons who prefer the romance and independence of a tedious trip on the back of a horse, donkey or camel. If there were any objects of interest worthy of an occasional halt in the desert, the inconvenience of this slow progress would have its counterpoise ”

“ Parties who, from necessity or choice, bring servants from India, have too frequently so indefinite an agreement, that disputes and unpleasantnesses in settling with them frequently arise. We, therefore, earnestly recommend passengers to endeavour to do without personal servants, if possible; but if it be impracticable to dispense with them, we would suggest that the engagement should specify whether services cease on arrival,—if the servants are to be returned to India at the expense of the employer and—whether it shall be viâ the Cape or Overland. ”

“ It is difficult to eradicate from any Anglo-Indians the notion that it is better to arrive cleansed of Indian rust and polished by a tour through civilised lands, or more prudent "to see the world" while you are in it, than to trust to the chance of quitting England when you have just tasted its infinite pleasures. ”

“ The voyage from India to Suez, as far as the attractions of the intermediate ports are concerned, presents very few charms for the traveller; and, even if they were numerous, the stay at each place is so brief, that there is scarcely any opportunity of enjoying them; but every change is acceptable to the landsman confined for several days on shipboard, more particularly if the scenes he beholds have a dash of novelty in them. ”

“ As a hint to travellers, especially those on horseback, who may consider this brief sketch a sufficient guide for an excursion, we may mention that they will find in every casal some idlers, who will insist on knowing where they are going better than themselves, and will mislead accordingly, by directing strangers to the only two points within the sphere of their knowledge or comprehension—Valetta or Citta Vecchia.
Between Malta and Alexandria there is no point of interest worthy of any notice; in fact, land is seldom sighted during the four days' trip. ”

“ I should never forgive myself, if I conveyed to you the accompanying resolution without, at the same time, assuring you of the sincere gratitude I feel in the bottom of my heart to a gentleman who has laboured so assiduously, diligently and successfully in one of the greatest cause that ever interested humanity. ”

“ We must not omit to advert to the total expense of an Overland journey, for it is an important question to all who must go to India. We think it will be found, on a fair calculation, that this is, by no means, so much in excess of the cost round the Cape of Good Hope as people are led to imagine. ”

“ The closeness and abundance of the vegetation, the variety of Eastern jungle trees, the palm-like characteristic towering of the cocoa and beetle-nut tree, everywhere prominent in the luxuriant woods around you, all tend to give to Ceylon a picturesque and Eastern style of beauty, very different from the low plains and unvaried flatness of the country in Bengal.
"The dresses of the natives are different from Bengal; men wear combs like the women of other countries, and have a loose cloth round their legs, vastly resembling a petticoat. ”

“ Arrived at Alexandria—provided the passenger has not booked himself in India for the entire transit to Southampton—it often becomes a question which route shall be taken to accomplish the remainder of the journey. The taste, inclinations or curiosity of some will lead them to Constantinople, to Syria, the Holy Land, the Grecian Archipelago; others may feel disposed to embark for Trieste, in order to visit Venice, northern Italy and Germany. Many chalk out for themselves a trip to Naples, Rome, Florence, Switzerland, &c., previously purifying themselves of the bugbear plague at Malta ”

“ Those who take a prominent and active part in promoting great schemes of public utility, where doubt and timidity, and envy and selfish interests are to be combated, must expect to meet with rebuffs and misrepresentations. Of these evils I have had my share, but I have also, from time to time, been unexpectedly cheered on the way by receiving voluntary and public testimonials of unspeakable value, graciously transmitted through various channels. ”

“ If the period chosen by the traveller for his voyage should admit of his reaching Malta between November and April, he will be enabled to regale on oranges, for which fruit the island is much celebrated. Other fruits, such as strawberries, figs, pomegranates, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, melons and prickly pears, are likewise to be had then. The climate of Malta is agreeable enough to tempt the visitor to prolong his stay, and, indeed, in the instance of pulmonary and other complaints, the atmosphere has often been found most serviceable. ”

“ The traveller is also apt to mix "duty goods" with personal luggage, in anticipation of their escaping notice. This is a "forlorn hope," and leads invariably to the most rigid scrutiny of every package, thereby causing great delay. If the goods be such as trinkets, Bombay work-boxes, Dacca or Cuttack silver, China or India filligree packed in cotton, a still greater commotion arises at the custom-house, and we are not quite sure whether the circumstance does not render the articles liable to seizure and confiscation, under the quarantine laws. ”

“ Quitting Aden, the shores of the Red Sea are frequently seen, but rarely approached during the upward voyage. In six days Suez is reached, and, as soon as boats can come off to the steamer, the passengers are landed and almost immediately conveyed by van (see previous details on this head) across the desert.
The town of Suez offers no kind of inducement to prolong one's stay. Small, dirty and destitute of any architectural beauties or antique remains, it exhibits the worst specimen of a Mahomedan city in the whole Ottoman empire. ”

“ Although there is positively no restriction as to the quantity of a passenger's luggage, the excess of that allowed being paid for, still it is obvious that when a hundred persons are travelling with the speed of a mail through Egypt, every extra-package becomes an incumbrance, if not a positive nuisance ”

“ Notwithstanding the advice already given in this little volume, we repeat that passengers would always save themselves much trouble, and, by facilitating the examination of luggage, their fellow-travellers great delay, if they would take the precaution to pack goods liable to duty in a separate case, marked "duty goods," and leave it in charge of Mr. Hill, the "Peninsular and Oriental Company's" custom-house agent at Southampton, who always goes on board the steamer on its arrival, and who will punctually forward it as directed. ”

“ The salaries and receipts of the public functionaries and others in Ceylon are not quite so good as under the Company, but the habits of living, as I have before remarked, are more economical, and, I dare say, there is more money comparatively saved in Ceylon, than in the Company's wider and more imperial territories. ”

“ At Shekh Said, the mountains recede to the eastward, leaving the river, and a little beyond is the village of Tel el Armarnar, to the north of which are the remains of a small town, and to the south the ruins of a city, which I suppose to be Alabastron: all the stone buildings have been quite destroyed, but some of the brick houses remain; near the crude brick towers of the temple are the largest houses. To the east are several fine grottoes in the face of the mountain, with curious sculptures, and on the summit of it is an ancient alabaster quarry. ”

“ Leaving San Antonia and regaining the main road, you pass through Casal Attard,—a small casal with some good houses in it, but of gloomy appearance as compared with other casals.
From hence all is barren to the eye, until in the immediate neighbourhood of Citta Vecchia, where the fields appear more natural and to greater advantage. As you ascend the hill, you will find more guides from the idlers of the place, probably, than guests, who insist on giving their assistance where it is little required. Within the citadel is the cathedral, a very handsome church ”

“ At Gibraltar, the steamer on the Indian line will receive the traveller and convey him to Malta. In forming a calculation, it will be prudent to reckon on having not less than seven or more than nine days' stay at each place, provided it be intended to go forward by the next steamer. Again, should a party desire to remain a fortnight in Egypt, previous to joining the steamer at Suez, he can be accommodated by the Peninsular and Oriental Company, who will convey him to Alexandria, and cause him to be taken up by the vessel on the Indian side at any later period. ”

“ Persons arriving from India, particularly families, incur great expense by proceeding, on their arrival, direct to hotels or to furnished lodgings. In most cases they would do better by resorting to a boarding-house. There are many suitable establishments of this nature throughout England, where comfortable accommodation is afforded at a moderate charge. A letter of inquiry, written on the passage from Alexandria to Malta, and dispatched viâ Marseilles, would be answered, and wait the writer's arrival at Southampton. ”

“ The centre and principal road in Malta, proceeding as before from Porte des Bombes, between Valetta and Citta Vecchia, is a spacious and well-kept road (like all others in the island) , without turnpike trusts or imposts on the traveller. To the archway of the aqueduct, a distance of two miles, it may be considered the great suburb of a rich city. Here are various houses of noble aspect on the road, near the archway of the aqueduct-one called "the Lions"—from two effigies in stone of that sovereign of the forest, placed over the entrance ”

“ The Syra lazaretto is, according to the report of the latest visitors, exceedingly commodious and clean, and facing, as it does, the sea, where there are continual breezes, it is infinitely cooler than the city of Athens. The charges of the Trattoria are not greater than those at Malta (about eleven shillings per diem) , and the detention in quarantine never exceeds seventeen days, and when a clean bill of health is brought by the French steamer from Alexandria, the duration of the imprisonment is very much less. ”

“ An impression is abroad that parties leaving England for India may travel through France, Germany or Italy, embarking for Alexandria at either Marseilles, Trieste, or Naples, at as reasonable a cost, and with as little trouble as if they had taken their passage in the Peninsular and [Pg 42] Oriental Company's steamers from Southampton. [9] That such routes have their advantages, in the information and experience which travelling on the continent imparts to the intelligent, no one can deny ”

“ To parties who are proceeding to India, this Society offers advantages such as are not attainable in any other Assurance Company; for, while a fair and equitable rate is charged for the increased risk of residence in a tropical climate, the assured are, upon permanent return to this country, reduced to the English rates, corresponding with the age at which the assurance was originally effected, without reference to their state of health, and without being subject to any medical examination whatever. ”

“ The temple of Luxor was probably built on the banks of the Nile, for the convenience of sailors and wayfaring men; where, without much loss of time, they might stop, [Pg 83] say their prayers, present their offerings, &c. Great and magnificent as it is, it only serves to show us the way to a much greater, to which it is hardly more in comparison than a kind of porter's lodge; I mean the splendid ruin of the temple at Karnak. The distance from Luxor to Karnak is about a mile and a half, or two miles. The whole road was formerly lined with a row of sphinxes on each side. ”