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HISTORY OF THE IXDIAX NAVY. 529

is due to Commander Wilson, but the experiment would, in all
probability, have long borne no fruit as regards the establish-
ment of the overland route, but for the unbounded energy of
Mr. Waghorn. As soon as he became convinced of the
superiority of the Suez route—which was not until some time
after he left Calcutta, where it appears he still advocated the
Cape route, notwithstanding Commander Wilson's successful
voyage—he threw into his adv^ocacy of the new line all the
admirable energy and perseverance for which he was so
conspicuous. Turning his attention to the speedy mail com-
munication afforded by the overland route, he felt that nothing
could compensate for the loss of time caused by the Cape
voyage. Early in 1831, he resigned the Company's service, as
he says in his pamphlet, "the better to further the object of
steam navigation between England and India." lie returned
to Bombay on the 12th of July, 1883, and again pi-oceeded to
England, and, after giving evidence before a Parliamentary
Committee, went out to Egypt in October, 1835, and, after
many years of arduous labour, in which means and health were
sacrificed, succeeded in establishing the overland connnunicatiou
through Egypt.*
* Mr. Wagliom proceeded to Egypt uot only without ofllcial recommendations
,
but, as lie says, " with a sort of otlicial stigma upon his sanity." Tiie Govern-
ment officials pronounced tl>e Red Sea unnavigable ; tlie East India Company
laid documents before Parliament, showing tlr.vt the scheme was impracticable,
because coals cost £20 a ton at Suez, and took Uftecn months to get there.
Waghorn soon removed this objection, by carrying coals on camels' backs to Suez
at £!• 3s. 6d. a ton. At the outset of his endeavours to carry his point, which
occupied many weary years, his attention was directed to that extraordinary man,
Mehcmet Ali, whom, above all otiiers, it was necessary to concilitate, as his
will and iileasure were supreme in Egypt. IMr. Waghorn having entered
the service of the Pasha, conciliated liis esteem, and then, knowing that a regular
traffic could not be carried on across the desert between Cairo and Suez witliout
the permission of tlie Arab tribes, lived in their tents fur tiiree j-ears, and induced
them to exercise forbearance, and ]iermit the jiassage througli llieir midst, of tiuit
mysterious tiling, the overlanil letter-bag. Ilis next step was to prevail u])i)n I lie
Pasha to open a house of agency at Suez, and to cstablisli caravanserai^ at points
between that dreary locality and Cairo. Mr. Waghorn subsequently built houses
at the latter city and Alexandria for the reception and safe deposit of tlie letters.
On tlie completion of his arrangenuMits he had the gratilication of conducting
from Jlombay the f)arl of Munster and a party ofolliccrs, by the new route aerosM
the desert, and througli France to London. Mehenu't Ali was so jileaseil with
what had been eHeetcd, that he continued to permit every existing facility during
his war with this country in 1810, and for the protection thus alloriied to tlie
Indian mail, he received on its conclusion tiie thanks of the merchants of tliis
country. The result of Mr. Wagliorn's exertions was the estahlislunent of n
communication from India, by Egypt and Marseilles, to Kngland, occu]ning about
tliirty-live davs. This was the route used for letters, and available forlnr.
also,"with the alternative of the steamer viti Gibraltar. Unfortunately, tin 1
were at this time animated by hostile feelings to England, the two co;
having taken diU'erent sides in the Syrian war. In<lit;nant at the annoyances thus
experienced, Mr. Waghorn determined to try if it was possible to lind another
and equally convenient line of transit across the continent. After eneomiterin^
numberless obstacles, and receiving a rebulf from tiie British Oovenunent, to
whom he applied to assist him in establishing the Trieste route, he was more
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VOL. I.