Page 313 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

204 COAST or ARABIA. [CH.

to carry cargoes; and it will subsequently be
shown that to such vessels the Red Sea would
afford no impediment.
The second is a question of great import­
ance. Mohammed ’All contemplates laying
down a railroad between Cairo and Suez, and
it is said requires pecuniary aid from our

government to complete it. If so, let it be
granted. A footing in Egypt of this nature
would be invaluable, as it would give us at all
times a right of passage. I have, however,
always contemplated that Egypt, the high­
way between Europe and India, must, sooner
or later, be ours. How gladly its present
wretched inhabitants would hail the change,

let those answer who have visited it, instead
of drawing their ideas of the government of
its enlightened ruler from reports current in
Europe.
To return, however, to the subject of the
passage through Egypt. I have already ex­
pressed an opinion that Suez may be con­
sidered the most eligible terminal port for
the transmission of merchandise, and passen­
gers who do not prefer visiting Thebes, The
upper part of the Red Sea presents no greater

i