Page:"Round the world." - Letters from Japan, China, India, and Egypt (IA roundworldletter00fogg 0).pdf/249

 American war, and the Alabama claims. I laugh at their conventual idea of a Yankee as represented on the stage, who is sup- posed to talk through his nose, wear trowsers strapped half way up to his knees, and a hat and long-tailed cout of the last ecntury. The new route from England westward te India is becoming better known aud more populur every year, and opens to these Anglo-Indians new and more correct ideas of the American continent.

Our voute is westward, inclining a lice to the south, for Aden is three hundred miles newer the equator than the last land we saw in India. This voyage has long been dreaded as hot, wearisome aud fd) of discomfort. ut the consolation is that it is the fes¢ loug sea trip before reaching Rurope, Sea voy- aging in the tropies las its pleasures, but they are not unmixed. A. sonfl: later and the Arabian Sex willbe hot as a furnace, sox even now ihe noonday sum pours down so fiercely that the awnings are an insufii- cient protection, while the airin the cabins below is stifling. We go down ta meals aul hurry up again on deck leaving our dinner half eaten, and gasping for « breath of fresi ir, The scais calm and the water smooth watmirror. The engine has broken «own and for half a day we Noat like a “‘ painted ship upon & painted ocean.” Tie captain anil officers are annoyed at the accident and im bad hemor so that we do not like to ssi. questions; and, besides, ite sur total of faten umoug Ue passengers is insufiicient ter much conversation. ‘Che nature of the accident we know uot, but the relief is great, mentally as well as physically, whea we nace more feel ibe jar of the inschinery and weleome the refreshing breeze caused by the motion of the ship.

After cight days ateaniing over the sooth aud trackless Juslian Orean, withont once seeing a sail or a speck of land, we sight fur away the high peaks and desolate erags ot Aden, which ut first seemed like hazy clouds, but for five hours have been gradnalty he- coming more and more distinct, until at sun set we anchor in a spaetons sheltered harbor, so easy of aceess and with water so deep that no pilot is required, Unless the teader is well posted in geography, or fond of books of travel, he may know very Jittle about this possexsion of England in the northwest corner of the Arabinn Sea, whieh she lhas fortitied like another Gibraltar.

Aden, the great halfway coaling station