C ONTENTS

CHAPTER PAC E I TRAVEL I THE OLDE DAYS . N N II COACHI G DAYS . N

III STRA GE VEHICLES OF EUROPE . N

IV J OUR EYS THROUGH I DIA . N N

E J V . THE CONVEYANC S OF CHINA AND APAN

VI . J OURNEYS THROUGH AFRICA J OURNEYS IN THE NEW WORLD

VIII TRAV LLI G I THE WILDS . E N N x I . THROUGH ICE AND SNOW

x N E R . STRA G T AVEL IN STRANGE LANDS

I R OF - '. T AVEL YESTERDAY AND TO DAY

- 'II . THE TRAVEL OE To MORROW

LIST OF ILLUS TRATIONS

PA GE PREHISTORIC SLED EARLY CART WITH SOLID WHEELS EGYPTIAN CHARIOT ROMAN TRAVELLING CARRIAGE ROMAN LITT ER AND MOUNTING STOOL EARLY SIDE SADDLE A MEDIE VAL COACH AN OLD FAMILY COACH RIDING PILLION FASHION SEDAN CHAIR POST CHAISE IN THE WILD WEST SEASIDE CARRIAGE DRAWN BY GOAT BELGIAN DOG -DRAWN CART SEDA N CHAIR CO STA TI OPLE , N N N TURKISH MOURNING CAR SCHIESSEL CAR SICILIAN CART CAR I COLO BO CEYLO N M , N BOMBAY CAR WITH HOOD CONVEYANCE FOR 'ENANA LADIES LIS T OF I LLUSTRATI ONS

PAGE EKKA CA MELS HARNESSED TO CARRIAGE CHINESE COU NTRY CHAIR MULE PALA‘N'UIN WHEELBARROW OMNIBUS A TRAVELLING TRADESMAN CHINESE CART J APANESE RICKSHAW CAPE BULLOCK WAGON DURBAN RICKSHAW BEIRA TRAM CAIRO CART IN MOROCCO A MERICAN TROTTER 'UEBEC CALECH E LLAMAS CUBAN VOLANTE AUSTRALIAN BOUNDARY RIDER COU TRY COACH AUSTRALIA N , MI'ED TRANSPORT IN NIGERIA CAMEL WITH BRIDAL BOWER CARRIERS I N THE FOREST MONO-RAIL IVORKED BY NATIVES ICE-BOAT

REINDEER AND SLEDGE E'PLORERS DRAGGING SLEDGE INDIAN TRAPPER ON SNOVV-SHOES E NGLISH SLEDGE LI ST OF ILLUSTRATION S ix

PAGE A HAPPY PARTY IN AUSTRALIA BULLOC CARRO ADEIR K , M A TRAVELLI G HA OC ADEIRA N MM K, M CARRO DA MO TE ADEIRA N , M ULLOC CART A'ORES B K , MADAGASCAR LITTER PONDICHEBRY PUSH-PUSH EARLY ENGINE WHITE SUDAN TRAIN MOUNTAIN RAILWAY HIGH BICYCLE

EARLY CYCLE

EA RLY MOTOR-CAR

ONO-RAIL CAR ITH GYROSCOPE M , W OVERHEAD TROLLY 1 2 1

O OPLA E THE FIRST TYPE TO CROSS THE CHAN EL 1 23 M N N , N WATERPLA E B IPLA E A D SCOUT BALLOO 1 25 N , N , N N

HOW THE WORLD TRA V ELS

CHAPTER I

TRAVEL IN THE OLDEN DAYS H OA C , carriage , wheelbarrow , cart l k w e have a l , most li ely , repeated these a i a a i w t e words a g n and g n , as e counted h — da is cherry stones out of a pie , the petals of a y, or l d s the tufts on a b a e of gra s , and we have hoped , d ive as w e counted , that Dame Fortune woul g us a coach or a carriage to drive to church in on o ur wedding morning . ff A cart seemed a very commonplace a air , and a Wheelbarrow w a s almost too absurd to be pos Y sible . et there are countries Where people actually ride In wheelbarrows and In other con v a ey nces even more quaint and unusual . e It will b interesting , perhaps , to borrow a a m gic carpet for a little while , or the ca p of a n r n Fortunatus , dt avel round the world a dback through the ages of history , so that we ma y see u e - the strange vehicles that are in s to day , and l 2 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVE LS those in which o ur ancestors made their journeys hundreds of years ago . T o f u fa r- h e first conveyances all , sed in away pre historic days a n d later still in wild uncivilised v lands , were simply rough sleds on which hea y o f loads were dragged . Later , circular slabs wood were cut from the trunks o f trees to serve as i wheels , and , instead of pulling these primit ve t carts themselves , the men trained oxen o do the work .

As time went on improvements were made , and we find pictures of chariots on the walls o f A the ancient , ruined cities of Egypt and ssyria . Th e Bible tells us of the chariots and horsemen R of Pharaoh , who were overwhelmed in the ed Sea , but more than two hundred years before that time King Thutm o sis o f Egypt had a won derf ul 1 903 w a s war chariot , which , in , discovered

in his tomb at Thebes . It is now in the museum

at Cairo , and on it are painted pictures of Thu tm o sis driving in the chariot , charging his

enemies and shooting arrows at them . O d f ther nations also use chariots in war are ,

and we read that they carried two men , one being

the driver and the other the warrior . In a close f encounter the soldier alighted and fought on oot . Som e of these chariots were armed with great

hooks or scythes fastened to the wheels . Julius TRAVEL IN THE OLDEN DAYS 3

PREHISTORIC SLED.

C aesar tells us that when he invaded Britain the a siv la unu s chief , C s e , had more than four thousand 4 HOW THE WORLD TRAVELS

a o w f chariots , nd he describes h skil ully they

s l i w er e ha nd ed by th eir dr vers . ff In the most steep and di icult places , he t u says , they could s op their horses at f ll stretch , turn them which way they pleased , run along the

EARLY CART WITH SOLID WHEELS .

the l pole , rest on harness , and throw themse ves ” back into the chariots with incredible dexterity .

In Britain , at that time , there were also con ve a n c s en n a nd y e for travelling , called b , a also larger carriages with four wheels , which carried the wives and children of the warriors a nd their baggage . TRAVEL IN THE OLDEN DAYS 5

The Roma ns themselves used chario ts both for a nd warlike peaceful purposes , and they were

‘ bi a tri a o r ua dri a named g , g , q g , according to the number of h o rse S by which they were drawn . Chariot races were an important feature of the

EGYPTIAN CHARIOT .

great festivals that took place in the Colosseum , and it is said that Nero once drove one with ten s hor es abreast . e These racing chariots were , of cours , lightly f o r made and designed speed , but there were other vehicles of great size and magnificence , 6 H O W THE W ORLD TRAVEL S which carried successful generals when they rode in triumph through Rom e to celebrate their car w victories . This triumphal a s usually drawn

ROMAN TRAV ELLING CARRIAGE .

by four white horses , but very often by lions , elephants , tigers , bears , leopards , or dogs . Other vehicles for more everyday use w ere to ' s be seen in the street of ancient cities , and in the paved roadways of Pompeu are deep ruts made TRAVEL IN THE OLDEN DAYS 7 by the wheels of chariots nearly two thousand years ago .

Litters were also used at that time , and Pliny

ROMAN LITTER AND MOUNTING STOOL .

’ calls them travellers chambers. They were

borne on shafts , and special slaves used to act as R a bearers . oman ladies often tr velled in covered 8 H O W THE W ORLD TRAVELS

r en carriages called ca p ta , which were gorgeously decorated . During the mediaeval age s carriages fell into e disuse , or were only employed by wom n and o r r c invalids , by kings and p inces on eremonial d f occasions . Charlemagne ha a wonder ul vehicle with richly ornamented wheels a n dan inl aid roof supported by columns , and the Crusaders on their march had with them large wagons for their a bagg ge . In the fourteenth century new conveyances w hir lico es ch ret es W called t and a t were used . hen K nm ing Richard II . married Anne of De ark , the new queen ente red London accompanied by o f e c a r ett her maids honour , who drov in h es, which were wagons with benches , painted red and lined with scarlet cloth . On London Bridge were crowds of people anxious to see the royal bride . ch a rettes In the confusion , one of the was over turned and the ladies thrown to the ground . Litters very much like those of Roman days were still to be seen in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries . At her coronation 'ueen Elizabeth Y of ork , dressed in white and with her golden hair loose over her shoulders , was carried through a London in a rich litter , with a c nopy over her K head borne by four nights of the Bath . 1 5 53 Anne Boleyn , in , was carried to her

1 0 HOW THE W ORLD TRAVELS

Duri ng the Middle Ages vehicles were so few because the roads were very bad , and in many places there were only rough bridle-paths from f . R one town to another iding was , there ore , the s principal means of transit , and horse , mules , and V donkeys were used . ery large horses , the - o e ancestors of our present cart h rses , wer ridden r by the knights , for a wa rior in heavy mail could only be carried by a strong animal . This was especially the case when it was necessary for the horse itself to be also clothed in metal armour .

- The ladies also rode , and side saddles were first o f introduced into England by Anne Bohemia , R the wife of ichard II . These saddles were very ff f di erent rom those of the present day , for they were like chairs placed sideways on the horses ’ backs . Pack -horses were much used in mediaeval S l times , and pictures how us ong trains of these l animals , each with its heavy oad , wending their w a y along the rough , na rrow pathways of old

England . CHAPTER II

C O A C H I N G D A YS

OA C 'H ING days 'The words carry us

back a hundred years or more , and bring

to our minds gay , romantic pictures of

- scarlet clad postilions , prancing horses , and a rosy-faced driver with his long Whip and quaint - W e three tiered cape . seem to hear the merry sound of the horns , the ring of hoofs , and the Wi rattle of harness , as the coach , th its passengers and piled baggage , clatters along a broad high road or draws up at the open door of some old fashioned English inn . Those are the eighteenth century days that we call to mind , the days when coaching was at its height , but we must go further back than that if we want to fin dthe origin of this I form of conveyance , and to see how t developed out of the clumsy wagons and quaint w hirlico tes ch a re ttes and of mediaeval times . W e first hear of coaches in the reign of 'ueen

Elizabeth , and they are said to have been intro du céd into England in 1 5 94 by a coachman who was a native of Holland 1 2 H OW TH E W ORLD TRAVELS

There is an old picture o f the great queen riding In one of her new equipages on some state

i . t h occas on I was open at t e sides , had a high

A MEDUEV AL COACH .

e roof decorated with waving plum s , and was drawn by two richly caparisoned horses . A t t first , i appears , coaches were reserved for o f S the use royalty , but towe tells us that after a while divers great ladies made them coaches In dOw n o and rid them up and the country , t the CO ACHING DAYS 1 3 d gr eat admiration of all behol er s . He goes on to say that within twenty years coach-making n be came a n important trade in Engla d .

AN OLD FAMILY COACH.

These coaches were very different from those of later times , for they were open at the sides n d a the wheels were very small and low . In s a o h pe. they were n t unlike the state coach that 1 4 HOW THE W ORLD TRAVELS is still used at coronations and other great occasions .

RIDING PILLION FASHION.

During the seventeenth century many altera tions and improvements took place in coach COAC HING DAYS 1 5

In building both England and Franc e , and in 1 62 0 'IV we find Louis . driving in a carriage

SEDAN HAIR C .

s . I with glass side n the reign of this monarch , a too , curious light two wheeled conveyance was 1 6 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS

i n ette introduced . It was called a fl g and very - much resembled a m o dern dog cart . _ In the eighte enth century greater progress was S made as roads improved . edan chairs came into

” POST CHAISE .

” se f u , and ladies rode pillion ashion , sitting on a

cushion behind the saddle of the horseman . r Hi ed carriages , too , began to be seen in the o f n streets Paris , a d in 1 62 5 they appeared in

1 8 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS N owadays , when we can travel from one end e of the country to the oth r in a few hours , we should think the old conveyances very slow e coaches ind ed , but at the end of the seventeenth and during the eighteenth centuries they were thought marvels of swiftness . It took a week — only a week , people said then to go from Y M London to ork , and the journey to anchester could actually be made in four days . ’ In Hogarth s pictures we can see what an early stage coach was like , with its large , clumsy

wheels , high roof , and an enormous basket at the back in which baggage was carried and where passengers who wished to travel cheaply could

sit . Later on this basket developed into an extra 1 83 4 back seat , and in a picture painted in there is a coach with no less than three separate co m a rtm ents i p , bes des having seats on the roof . 1 84 In 7 sixteen coaches left London every day , and it was one of the sights of the City to see them start from the General Post Office on th eir

journeys . Each vehicle had an armed guard , a for those were the d ys of highwaymen , and it was no uncommon thing for travellers to be

stopped and robbed by gentlemen of the road .

Dick Turpin was one of these thieves , and for a long time he terrorised Epping Forest and the —o r in outskirts of London , and another famous C OACHING DAYS 1 9

— famous robber w a s the young Frenchman D Claud uval , about whom many romantic tales are told . On one occasion he returned the jewels f f u that he had stolen rom a beauti l lady , on con dition that she would descend from her carriage w and dance a measure ith him on the open road . It is difi cult now to reali se what our highways were like a hundred years ago and more , when coaching w as at its height . Then the great roads i f - were crowded w th traf ic , post chaises , stage

- . N i wagons , and pack horses ow it s sad to see the same roads narrowed to half their former width by broad borders of grass that have been allowed to grow . In those days there were many private travel i ling carriages besides the publ c coaches . A most interesting one is no w in London at Madame ’ I i Tussaud s . This S the wonderful coach wh ch it he belonged to Napoleon Buonaparte . In t great emperor rode back from Russia after the M burning of oscow , and later on from Cannes to Paris on his triumphal progress through 1 France in 8 1 5 . It is said that Napoleon himself designed the a fittings of this carri ge , for it contained every in thing necessary for a long journey , and was tended to serve the purpose of a bedroom , a - dining room , and a kitchen . The coach w a s cap 2 0 HO W THE W ORLD TRAVELS

tu red by a German officer after the Battle of

W aterloo , the emperor making his escape on horseback and having been pu rchased by a man b named Bullock , it was exhi ited through the K whole of the United ingdom .

Gradually , as time went on , railways super seded the picturesque old coaches . They con inu ed t to be used , however , in less civilised countries , and can still be 'seen in the wild forest N . districts of Australia , ew ealand , and America In the early pioneer days Of the United States these coaches , with their loads of passengers and R mails , sometimes encountered bands of ed

Indians in their journeys across the prairies , and there are stories of terrible disasters and narrow escapes when the travellers were pursued and attacked by the savages .

‘ Those exciting times have passed away now , co but aches have not entirely disappeared . In Hyde Park on Sunday mornings before the W a r we could see the beautif ul vehicles of the Four in -hand Club to remind us of how our great grandfathers and great-grandmothers travelled — in the merry but , perhaps , rather dangerous days of old . CHAPTER III

STRANGE VEHICLES OF EU ROPE

T is not only in the fa r -away coun tries of th e world that we must travel in order to discover m curious conveyances. So e are to be seen W e quite near at home , even in England itself . must remember that a s a rule it is because things so let us try to imagine for a few moments that we are natives of some di stant land who have come to pay a visit to Great Britain . W e N land at Dover , perhaps , or ewhaven , and o g along the coast un til we come to Brighton . is mm s It quite a co onplace sea ide town , no doubt , but , in our characters of observant foreigners , we ll in sha notice many interesting th gs , and among them are several extraordi nary little vehi cles hi r w ch are d awn up in a row along the parade . W e hat can they be , these tiny carriag s , each w f ts - ' ith its wheels , sha , and box seat complete Then ns we see that i tead of a pony or donkey , l dr o the ittle conveyances are awn by shaggy , l ng horned goats . 2 2 H OW T HE W ORL D TRAVELS

SE ASIDE CARRIAGE DRAWN BY GOAT . STRANGE VE HI CLES OF EUROPE 2 3 The stranger stares with amusement at the dainty goat-chaises as they drive away filled with h ‘ merry loads of children . T en he travels up to London and goes for a stroll in one of the poorer districts of the great city . S It is a Bank Holiday perhaps , or a fine atur I m - m co sterm n er s day n the sum er ti e , and the e g ’ are o ff In their donkey-carts for a day s outing on W an d Hampstead Heath . hat a noise clatter there is a s the heavily laden little vehicles trot past , the donkeys looking so smart with their

- well groome d coats and bright harness , and the drivers in the festive costumes decorated with s no pearl button that , surely , foreign city in the world can rival ' W e leave W hitechapel or the Old Kent Road r e o n behind us now , and jou n y out int the cou try , o ne where , in some narr w green la or on a breezy a - common , we overt ke a yellow painted gipsy van , hung about with baskets and brooms , and drawn s o ld by a sturdy , leepy horse . The owner of the ’ van walks at his horse s head , or sits comfortably the f — on sha t , and through a little muslin curtained window we catch a glimpse of his wif e ’s dark face

n . and long earri gs The gipsy children , ragged ,

i - e , br ght ey d urchins , lag behind , gathering f lowers from the hedges , or run through the dust of the road to beg for pennies . 2 4 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS Certainly England has its own share of strange v r ehicles , and there are others even more cu ious - f - h still to be seen in out o t e r w a y districts . One of these is the two -wheeled cart used for farm w W ork in some parts of ales , which , in shape , is almost exactly like the ancient chariots that were found in Britain by the Roman invaders when they landed between W almer and Sandwich o nearly two thousand years a g . ’ - Across St . George s Channel the quaint look ing Irish jaunting car is to be found , and then we travel back again to the continent of Europe . If we landed at Ostend or Antwerp before the W a r , most likely the first thing we should have seen would be a neat little cart loaded with — e vegetables or bright milk cans , and harn ssed to one or two large handsome dogs .

In England most dogs , except those owned by farmers or sportsmen , lead idle lives , but this is not the case on the Continent . The dogs of

Belgium , Holland , and Germany are quite con — — tent to work and to work hard , too for their livings . There are numbers of them in the towns a and villages , bravely dragging he vy loads , or lying down between the shafts and taking a well earned nap in some shady corner of the cobbled street . i In Belg um dogs were employed , not only for

SEDAN CHAIR CONSTANTINOPLE , .

Oxen are also used to draw carts In most of the

European countries , and very picturesque some of them are . In Turkey most elaborate bullock S TRANGE VEHI CLES OF EUROPE 2 7 carts a re used in some districts as mourning car r e r i a g s, and them women a e conveyed when

TURKISH MOURNING CAR .

- wish to visit the grave yards . These carts a r e usually drawn by two animals which wear , fix o f ed to their collars, large curved pieces 2 8 H OW THE WORLD TRAVELS

wood hung with tassels . The carts themselves

are elaborately decorated , and while one man r f In leads the bullocks anothe , sta f hand , walks at the side of the vehicle There are many other strange conveyances to

be seen in Turkey , perhaps the most curious of

all being the sedan chairs which , although they have quite disappeared from other cities of

Europe , are still used at night or on snowy days

in the streets of Constantinople . In the eighteenth century sedan chairs were common In in England , and them the powdered and e nd patch d ladies went to their balls a routs , but it is strange to think of the quaint old-world conveyances being carried by stalwart Turkish porters along the dark , muddy streets of an a r i l Oriental city . These chairs , like the g cu

W . tural carts of ales , come down to us from a past age , and another strange survival is seen at chiessel S , a village near Bremen , where the pe asant girls drive to weddings and other festivi in t ties large wagons that , painted and decora ed with garlands of flowers , are exactly like the old ch a re e M carts and tt s of the iddle Ages . Russia is a country where the carriages appear hr very strange to English eyes , for there t ee horses are driven abreast , and while the two outer r animals gallop , the one in the cent e is trained to STRA NGE VEHICLES OF EUROPE 2 9

. A i trot s may be imagined , a very sk lful and experienced driver is necessary to guide these dr o ske s y , as they are called , along the rough country roads or through the crowded streets of a city .

SCHIESSEL CAR .

Am ong other cur ious vehicles which may be seen in Europe are the small two -wheeled omni -d buses of Portugal and the quaint , gaily ecorated n ca rts of Sicily . These latter conveya ces are picturesque and interesting , for they are covered 3 0 H OW T HE W ORLD TRAVELS

t o f with pain ings figures and landscapes , while d even the wheels are ornamented a n carved . n Donkeys draw these brillia t little carts , and they

SICILIAN CART .

f - are usually used by ruit sellers , but they

may be seen with a heavy load of passengers . Before the time of railways large public travel e e ling carriages , call d dilig nces , were used in

France , Switzerland , and other European coun STRANGE VEHICLES O F EUROPE 3 1

‘ tries . They were great , cumbrous vehicles s carrying many passenger with their luggage . -o f— - d In out the way country districts , an among

- the mountains , these old fashioned diligences are still to be seen , clattering along the dusty roads o r l toiling up the steep passes across the A ps . CHAPTER IV

J OURNEYS TH RO UGH INDIA E have seen some of the strange vehicles Of England and Europe , and now we i s a . will travel eastward into A There , 1 as s only right , we must go first to India , for the great peninsula is one of King George ’s domin ions , and its inhabitants , whether they be black , H Ma ho m eda n brown , or yellow , indoo or ,

civilised or savage , are as much British subjects

as we are ourselves .

India is an immense country , extending as it does from the Himalayas in the north to Point f de Galle in the extreme south o Ceylon , and if we travel through the country we shall find many m curious vehicles . So e of them are exactly the same as those which were in use hundreds of I years ago , for ndia is a conservative land , and , although there are railways and tramways there w lIi le - now , fine motor cars speed along the roads ,

most of the natives are content with old ways , and travel through the country districts in the 3 2

JOURNEYS THROUGH IND IA 3 3 q uaint bullock carts a nd palanquins that satisfied their ancestors in the days before the powers of steam and electricity had been discovered . W e will begin with Colombo , as that is usually

CAR IN COLOMBO, CEYLON . the place where travellers land on their journey to the East . W hen we go ashore from our w e steamer either take rickshaws , which were 1 883 introduced into the island from Japan in , or else engage one of the little bullock carts and 3 3 4 HOW THE W ORLD ' TRAVELS

h - drive throug the picturesque , tree shaded streets b of the town . These bullock carts , or g aris , e x dri en have two wheels and can b v very quickly . w s s su n They are provided ith hood , a the is very hot in tropical Ceylon . The bullocks are often decorated with elaborate patterns cut or branded into their hides , and the natives excuse this cru el practice by saying that not only does it distinguish the animals from each n other and prevent their being stole , but that it also protects them from rheumatism .

There are many larger carts with quaint , palm thatched roofs to be seen in Colombo . These are ca lled hackeries a nd are found in many parts of India . It is often strange and amusing to see n ” the numbers of natives , men , wome , and child s ren , who are able to pack them elves into one of these vehicles There are a great many different varieties of

I a . s bullock carts in ndi Tho e in Coonoor , for instance , have very high , narrow hoods, while in Bombay an awning is provided which stretches ’ o u t over the bullock s back and Shelters both

” r r passengers and drive . Anothe type of cart

- has four wheels and curious cage like sides , while the wooden cover is provided with blinds and there is a rack for baggage on the roof . M r ikl dif In adras the a a , a vehicle of quite a JOURNEYS THROUGH INDIA 3 5

f eren t . description , is seen It appears to con sist merely of tw o wheels and a tiny seat for the

. w driver These carts are very s ift , and are used e when great speed is r quired .

’ In A jm ere the bullock carts have awnings sup ported by four poles , and in Calcutta there a re

BOMBAY CAR WITH HOOD . elaborately decorated carriages drawn by gaily capa risoned oxen . Other interesting conveyances are those In a re which the zenana ladies travel . These carts with a hood , and velvet curtains at the sides .

When in use the curtains can be tightly drawn , so that passers -b y cannot catch a glimpse of the passengers . ‘ 3 6 H o w TH E W ORLD TRA VELS

Besides bullocks , ponies are used in India .

They draw the ekkas , which are light , hooded

' CONVEYANCE FOR ENANA LADIES .

o carts , and the t ngas , generally used by European travellers . JOURNEYS THROUGH INDIA 3 7 In some districts of India camels draw car ria es g , and we have a picture of a brougham into

EKKA . which two of these ungainly anim als are har

n essed. Very strange it looks , with the drivers 3 8 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVE L S

seated o n the humps of the camels and a rather — unnecessary coachman perched on the box seat

of the vehicle . A more imposing equipage is the

CAM ELS HARNESS ED TO CARRIAGE .

s Bho a l f o r tate carriage of the Begum of p k this IS n s drawn by four camels , sple didly capari oned , a nd e ach with a helmeted rider , while other ser

40 H O W THE W ORLD TR AVELS S appearance . ometimes the mahout , as the

keeper of the elephant is called , sits on the ’ animal s broad neck Or rides on a rough wooden

saddle . One of the most curious conveyances to be seen

in India is a travelling theatre , which consists of

a large , railed platform fastened across the backs

of two elephants which walk side by side . This strange moving stage figures in wedding pro ces

sions and other festivals , and during its passage through the streets of a town dancing girls give Is performances on the platform , which brightly

illuminated . Elephants are strange animals and need to be

very carefully trained and kindly treated . There is a story that once in Ceylon a newly—caught ele

phant , when required to draw a wagon , felt this to be such an indignity that he lay down between the shafts and died ' Perhaps his relations in India are not quite so proud and sensitive , for in that country we find them doing a great deal of hard work . They move large logs of wood , carry heavy burdens ,

. A and also drag cannon t times , e ven , they may be seen taking the place of steam- engines and a drawing railw y trucks along the line . In fact , there is nothing in the way of hard and heavy work that the elephant cannot do . CHAPTER V

THE CONVEYANCES OF CHINA AND J APAN

NE is alwa ys accustomed to think of China - as a strange , topsy turvy country , where everything is marvellous and unexpected, so that it is no surprise to find there many queer v conveyances and modes of travel . E en in very t early times China , or Tar ary as it was called then , was looked upon as a veritable wonderland , M and arco Polo , who explored the country more than six hundred years ago , gives us a very inter esting description of how the Emperor travelled when he went on one of his hunt ing expeditions . This is what he says The Khan upon his journey is borne upon four elephants , in a fine parlour made of timber , lined inside with plates of beaten gold and out ’

s . side with lions kins Sometimes, as they go t along , and he Emperor from his chamber is dis coursing with his nobles , one of the latter will S c exclaim , ire Look out for ranes Then the

Emperor has the top of his chamber thrown back , ha VIn lie and g seen the cranes , casts one of his 4 1 42 H OW THE WORLD TRAVELS

a nd Is i falcons , often the quarry struck in h s sight , so that he himself has the most exquisite sport as

he sits in his chamber or lies on his bed . I do not believe that there ever existed a man wi th

such sport or enjoyment as he has . ” Modern tourists in China cannot see quite such ’ wonderful equipages as this , but the Emperor s - 1 880 state palanquin , which was still in use in ,

was a very gorgeous affair , and it was carried by

no less than sixteen bearers .

China has always been a land of ceremony , and very strict etiquette is maintained with regard to t h e conveyances of the mandarins . Sedan chairs a re used , and these vary in colour , decoration ,

and number of carriers , according to the rank of

the owner . If the mandarin is of a very high class he is accompanied on his journeys by a whole n reti ue of servants . One of these carries a large

open umbrella , a second has a fan attached to a pole , while others bear tablets on which the insi gnia ’ k r r di la of his ran a e sp yed. It is a great o fi en ce if a man ' has more coolies in attendance than those to which he is entitled . In a wedding procession a beautiful palanquin ’ is used to take the bride from her parents house I to the home of her future husband . It s painted ’ red kin fish er and ornamented with g s feathers . The little Chinese lady only tr avels once in this C ONVEYANCES OF C HINA 43 A gorgeous conveyance . fter her marriage she h a s to be content with an ordinary sedan chair' the curtains of which a re always tightly drawn so

HINE E OUNTRY HA R C S C C I . that she can neither see nor be seen as she is earn ed through the streets . When an important ma ndarin tra vels eve ry 44 H O W THE WORLD TRA VELS

one makes way for him and his imposing retinue , o f but with those lower rank this is not the case , and it is one of the duties of his bearers to keep

MULE PALAN'UIN . up a constant succession of loud shouts and com ' ” mands such as Mind your back ' Move to ” the right l Get o u t ‘ o f the way l ”As may be imagined the streets of a Chinese town are very CONVEYANCES OF C HINA 45

, noisy , for they are narrow and crowded with a motley throng of people , among whom are porters with heavy packs on their shoulders , itinerant

B WHEEL ARROW OMNIBUS . merchants carrying their wares in baskets slung a a n on long poles , begg rs , d children of all sizes and ages . 46 H OW THE W ORL D TRAVELS

A TRAVELLING TRADESMAN .

Besides these private sedan chairs there are othe rs which m ay be hired . These are fairly a n d comfortable , being provided with cushions

48 HOW THE WORLD TRAVELS

are seen , and for them a second coolie in front is employed . In Northern China donkeys and bullocks often — drag these strange , one wheeled carts . The

CHINESE CART .

roads are so bad that it is almost impossible fo r u larger vehicles to be sed , although sometimes ‘ we see a native family with their household goods C ONVEYANCES OF JAPAN 49 moving from one place to another in a rough wagon drawn by an and a donkey harnessed side by side .

J APANESE RICKS HAW .

F rom China we travel still further east , and in R Su n Japan , the Land of the ising , other curious and picture sque conveyances a re to be seen by the 5 0 H O W THE W ORLD TRAVELS fortunate tourist who is able to journey so far afield .

Horses are very little used in this country , and

- - the Chinese jin li che is the principal conveyance , its name being now changed into j i n -ri- che or s jinricksha . Very charming the e little vehicles look , as they career through the streets of a town ,

- — or under the blossom covered cherry trees of a a s e country ro d , e p cially if the wheels are painted scarlet , and if the passengers are two dainty little a J p maidens , with gay obis round their waists and

flowers decking their smooth , dark heads . The coolies who draw the jinrickshas are also picturesque in their blue cotton clothes , and in winter-time they wear most extraordinary straw cloaks which make them look like small moving haystacks . Another interesting Japanese conveyance is p - the kag : This is a small , hammock shaped litter ca m made of ne and ba boo , suspended to a strong pole . There is an awning overhead , and on this the light luggage of the passenger— a pair of straw shoes , a bouquet of chrysanthemums , or a bundle tied up in a brightly coloured h a ndker — chief is carried . o f The bearers a kago are two stalwart , bare legged men , and they always carry long sticks in their hands . CONVEYANCE S O F JAPAN 5 1 This curious type of litter is much used by the

Japanese themselves , but not by Europeans , as the occupant of a kago has to sit with his knees doubled up in what seems to W estern ideas a most uncomfortable position . There are other strange conveyances to be seen in Japan , one of the most interesting of all being the Imperial chariot which has its place in great religious processions . It is drawn by a M ’ black bull , and is decorated with the ikado s

- crest , a sixteen petalled chrysanthemum . CHAPTER VI

J OURNEYS THROUGH AFRICA

M W e RO the Cape to Cairo . have all heard of the wonderful railway which some da y is to ru n all the way from Table

Bay to Egypt , and is to carry passengers in ease and luxury through the heart of D arkest Africa . ut That will be in the future, no doubt 'b , even if d u the railway were already finishe , it wo ld surely be more interesting to travel in the old -fashioned n s ways , a d, even if it necessitated hardship and o f fatigue , see something the great continent and of its inhabitants .

Let us suppose , then , that we start on our r journey from Cape Town , and , igno ing the rail way which already could carry us far into Central A frica , put the clock back for fifty years , or more , and engage one of the great bullock wagons in which the old colonists made their adventurous pilgrimages . A traveller who j ourneyed through South Africa In 1 846 gives an interesting account of his conveyance and experiences . 52 JOURNEYS THROUGH AFRICA 5 3 In travelling by wagon one gets along

s . lowly , he says Twenty miles a day is

CAPE BULLOCK WAGON .

k rec oned moderate , and two and a half miles an hour is the usual rate of prog ress . Cooking 5 4 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS

utensils , as a kettle , a gridiron , and a pot , aecom Is pany the wagon . Bedding also a part of the Is travelling appurtenances , and either made up at night In the body of the wagon or in the open ” country , according to the weather . This description sounds pleasant and comfort able enough , but the men and women who in those days set out across unexplored country in search of new homes often h a d to endure hard K f hips and face terrible dangers , for the af irs and ' w l ulus were fierce and ar ike , and they often attacked and murdered the newcomers . As a saf eguard against these enemies the colonists used to arrange their wagons at night In t a circle , and within the primitive for , or laager as it was called , they would make their camp and light watc h - fire s to frighten away lions and other be asts of prey South African wagons are very large and have W canvas hoods . hole families can travel In them comfortably , and sometimes as many as sixteen oxen are used . N N orth of Cape Colony is atal , the oldest of In S A the British possessions outh frica , and now w e - will leave our quaint , old world wagon and pay a visit to the port of Durban as it is to day . Here we shall se e care ering along the streets or d waiting to be hire , some very strange little

5 6 HOW THE W ORLD TRAVELS

ever , we shall see that the rickshaws themselves are just the same as those which speed along the red roads of Colombo or under the cherry blossoms

of Yokohama . It is the men who drag them that are extra K a ffir s a ordinary , for the rickshaw boy of Durb n wear the most ama zing costumes and de ck them ' selves out in queer finery of all sorts . Beads , h scraps of ribbon , feat ers , all these are pressed

into the service , and very often as a finishing touch of gran deur the boys fasten buff alo horns on to

their woolly heads . N Leaving atal behind us , we will go up country

beyond the reach of railway lines . There travel

lers have to make their journeys in Cape carts , which are two -wheeled vehicles drawn by a pair n of mules and driven by a Basuto . These atives

are among the finest drivers in the whole world , and they will whip up their mules and dash reck ss le ly up hill and down dale , no matter how rough

‘ o ften h en s the road may be , or even , as app , if there is no road at all .

There is no brake to a Cape cart , and the harness is frequently rotten or mended with scraps t s of string or tape , but no hing seem to matter , and the Basuto will generally manage to bring his passengers and the piles of baggage safely to in their dest ations . JOURNEYS THROUGH AFRI CA 5 7 Occasionally in these districts a more ambitious conveyance is provided , this being a coach , much like the old stage coaches of England in appear n ance , drawn by te mules instead of four smart , prancing horses . Further north we notice many strange modes of travel , such as a white man riding a bullock ' with saddle , harness , and stirrups complete or a M m n n asai family on the move , the wo a leadi g an ox which carries not only her husband but all the household goods and chattels . At Beira we reach the boundaries of civilisation again , for here a little tramcar may be seen run ning through the streets . It is , however , rather a primitive affair and consists only of a light car or trolly , on which is room for one passenger , the whole being pushed along by a scantily dressed native . W e travel on northward again and reach Khar tum , whence a finished section of the Cape to

W H . Cairo railway will carry us to adi alfa Here , as throughout Egypt , donkeys are an important means of transport , and very smart the little animals look with their red leather , humped saddles , large stirrups , and the blue bead neck laces which are worn to protect them from the E Evil ye . The poorer inhabitants of Egypt and the Sudan have to be content with more simply 5 8 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS

attired mounts , and they either use a rough pad

- as a saddle or else ride bare back .

BEIRA TRAM .

i In Cairo , the old cap tal of Egypt , we find a ll vehicles of descriptions , for this city is a strange W mixture of East and est . In the crowded JOURNEYS THROUGH AFRI CA 5 9 — ff streets motor cars and bu aloes , splendid private carriages and long strings of clover- laden camels t r a in ca r s jostle each other , while steam carry tourists to th e Pyramids and old Arabs on their

CAIRO CART . tiny donkeys j o g contentedly along the road in front of the great European hotels . The equipage of a rich Egyptian or high official t is an imposing sight in the streets of Cairo . I is

preceded by two or more gaily clad servants , or sa ise s , who run in front of the horses with long sticks in their hands and shout to the pedestrians 60 H O W THE W ORL D TRAVELS a nd the more humble conveyances to get out of a the W y. A mong these latter , which halt and draw back ’ against the wall at the sais s command , we see some of the most curious of all the vehicles of fia t - l d Egypt , the little , two whee e carts on which native wome n of the poorer classes are conveyed .

These carts are drawn by a mule or donkey , led A s by an rab , and each carrie a group of crouching women , who sit closely together with their black veils drawn over their faces . An Arab taking — out his Wives for an airing that is how tourists t a of en describe these quaint vehicles , but re lly they are public conveyances , and the native r women , having paid their fa es , are going on shopping expeditions to the bazaars or to visit their friends in some distant part of the city . N s owadays , however , these picture que convey a n ce s are beginning to be considered old i fashioned , and the nat ves crowd into the electric trams which run in all directions through the town and into the suburbs beyond . u - - h Alexandria is even more p to date t an Cairo , for there not only tramcars but motor-omnibuses are to be seen . Mo rOcco o f N A , another country orth frica , a lthough much nearer to Europe , is still very e much behind the times , and therefore even mor J OURNEYS THROU GH AFRI CA 61

IN MOROCCO .

t A interes ing , perhaps , than lgeria and Egypt .

In Tangier , for instance , the streets are so steep and rough that only very primitive vehicles ca n be 62 H OW THE W ORL D TRAVELS

used , and most people , natives and Europeans I i alike , ride either on donkeys , nules , or pon es . S - i i The ok , or market place , n this city s most b s picturesque , for there can e seen group of pack o ff mules , laden and ready to start on some long journey 'ponies with women sitting on strange l A sadd es set sideways like chairs , and rab chiefs mounted on their magnificent horses . The

- market place itself is very curious , with its white washed and narrow gateways , through which the th en mules with large panniers can scarcely pass .

64 HO W THE W ORLD TRA VELS

A r me ica were large , hooded wagons , very much A s like those to be seen in frica , and in the e prairie

schooners , as they were sometimes called , the pioneers carried their wives and their children out into the wilderness .

AMERICAN TROTTER .

The wagons were drawn by teams of strong a n horses , mules , or oxen , d large numbers of emigrants generally travelled together . This Wa s necessary , as small parties would almost certainly d have been attacke by the Indians . JOURN EYS IN ” THE NEW WORLD 65

Even when they did travel in compa ny the colonists were not always safe , and a man who

'UEBEC CALECHE . went to the W est in 1 850 tells a terrible story Of his adventures . On this occasion Indian guides were employed to lead the way across the passes of the Rocky M n ou tains , and these guides proved to be untr ust 5 66 H OW THE W ORLD TRA VELS O worthy and treacherous . ne night , when the s a ll camp was pitched m a fore t , nearly the horses

were stolen , together with the stores , and then ,

when the emigrants were in this helpless position ,

they were atta cked by a band of Indians . After

that , the story seems like one of the cinema plays

with which nowadays we are all familiar , for the writer tells how he and another man were c hosen

to ride for help to a neighbouring fort , how they ho were pursued by the savages, w they escaped , l and how , fina ly , when they returned , it was to i find that they were too late , and that during the r

absence the wagons had bee n burnt and the hap7

less people murdered .

Even disasters like this did not , however , daunt

the brave adventurers , and thirteen years later we hear of a huge convoy starting westward from

. O Chicago n this occasion many , who could no t ff a ord to purchase wagons , set out on foot for the long journey of more than a thousand miles , drag ging their possessions on little two -wheeled hand

carts .

Times have changed now , and there are many

railways crossing the great continent . The

Indians have disappeared from the forests , and in the Rocky Mountains gay parties of holiday - i II makers can be seen in the summer t me , riding I r ce s the same woods where , a centu y ago , their a n J OURNEYS IN THE NEW W ORLD 67

r t tors , grimly ale and with guns in their hands to iled along on the weary journey that was to bring them at last to the wonderful El Dorado

of their dreams , where new homes and fabulous

riches were to be found . At the present time in the western districts the men are great riders , and extraordinary feats of horsemanship are common among the cowboys on some of the cattle ranches . The vehicles of modern North A m erl ca are co u n tr1e s much like those of European , but men tion must be made of the curious cars used to show o ff t the paces of the celebrated tro ting horses . These little two -wheeled carts are very lightly made , and seem to consist merely of two wheels , a small seat , and a pair of shafts . a In 'uebec , Can da , a very smart cab may be seen . It is of picturesque appearance , on t wo high wheels , and bears the French name of e ’ cal che . In South America there are not many curious — vehicles . A great part of the country is covered a nd th e with tropical forests , in south riding is the principal means of getting from place to place . M e ul s and oxen are used as beasts of burden , and in some districts quaint-looking animals called llamas are also employed . These creatures , h w ich most of us have seen in zoological gardens , 68 HOW THE W ORLD TRA VELS

LLAMA S are very hardy and can carry heavy loads on their backs . N c c ot far from the oast of A meri a is Cuba , and here bullock wagons suitable to the tropical JOURNEYS IN THE NEW W ORLD 69 i d d climate of the sland are use , with sha y roofs

- made of palm leaves . These are driven by negroes , who urge on the animals with long , iron

C UBAN V OL ANTE .

pointed goads . The reins are attached to the ’ ends of the bullock s horns . a In the streets of Havana , the capit l of Cuba , d kitrin s hoode carriages called volantes , or , are

s . een They are drawn by two horses or mules , on e being harnessed between the shafts while the 70 H O W THE W ORLD TRAVELS other i s outside on the left . Sometimes three a r horses e driven abreast . These vehicles are very curious in appearance , for they have enor mous wheels and shafts that are over fifteen feet r in length . The horses a e ridden by negro pos i n ho til o s, w sometimes wear gorgeous scarlet - liveries ornamented with gold lace , and jack boots that reach almost to their waists .

From Cuba we can travel east or west , sailing the either round the Horn or Cape of Good Hope , but whichever direction we choose our ship comes

A . at last to the great island continen—t of ustralia S There we find , in the large towns such a s ydney M a - and elbourne , tr mways , motor cars , and even the old familiar hansom cabs of the London streets . Australia has not any strange vehicles of its own , for when discovered it was inhabited only by s h avages , and it had no animals t a t c o u ld be used as beasts of burden . These latter have , however , been imported and acclimatized , and now horses m a and cattle y be seen everywhere , while , if we s travel acro s the sandy plains of the west , we meet long lines of heavily laden camels that look as if they had marched straight out of the Sahara or A the rabian deserts . The horses of Australia are now famous all over the world , and the Colonial riders are as cele

72 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS dary riders o ften have to ride long distances in ’ their day s work . An Australian horseman up country 1s a very picturesque figure with his slouched felt hat ,

Y COUNTR COACH, AUSTRALIA .

- his rolled scarlet blanket , tin billy can

' dangling from his saddle . w i th There are not , as yet , many rail ays n e A more thinly inhabited districts of ustralia , and JOU RNEYS THE NE W W ORLD 73 travellers drive in coaches drawn by two or four

horses . Other vehicles are the buggies , light two wheeled conveyances which can be used where there are few roads and the tracks through the bush are rough and CHA PTER VIII

TRAVELLING IN TH E WILDS FTER seeing the strange conveyances and modes of travel in Europe and in the civi

lised countries of Asia , it will be interesting to leave the beaten tracks behind us altogether W for a time . e will go beyond the high roads and the railways , and find out how people make h journeys in t e great wildernesses of the world , where travellers must be prepared to undergo dis i comforts and hardsh ps , to meet with dangers , and , very often , to carry their lives in their hands . If we open our atlases and turn to the maps of A A A A frica , merica , sia , and ustralia , we shall find that in each continent there are blank spaces . Sometimes these are called deserts or forests , but often we can only guess at the char acter of the country from the fact of there being no rivers marked and very few names of towns and cities . The most famous of all deserts is the Great S ahara , which extends for thousands of miles M across the north of Africa . ost people picture 74 TRAVELLING IN T HE W ILDS 75

it as a huge sandy plain , where there is no water and no sign of life or vegetation , but , in reality , although there are districts where the shifting sandhills stretch away as far as the eye can see , a vast part of the Sahara consists of a stony table land covered with a scanty growth of low , thorny bushes . s In the desert there are , moreover , many fer tile spots looking like exquisite little green islands set in the midst of a glowing , yellow sea . They are called oases , and are found where there are v wells or pools of water . Arabs li e in these places , cultivating the land and building mud houses , while other tribes spend their time in n wandering about the desert , seeki g food for their animals and trading in the scattered towns and villages . These wanderers , or nomads , with their camels , horses , and herds of sheep and goats , may be seen slowly moving across t he great sunburnt plain and pitching their brown tents at night

- among the sand dunes . The no madic Arabs tr a Vel in large parties called caravans , for there are brigands in the Sahara a d who would rob n murder lonely wayfarers .

The men in the caravan often ride , and their horses are considered the finest in the whole world . The Arabs prize these horses highly and treat them well , never allowing them to be teased 76 HOW THE W ORL D TRAVELS

'E MI D TRAN SPORT IN NIGERIA . TRAVELLING, IN THE W ILDS 77

’ end f s by the children , and , at the o a long day

‘ ivin th em e journey , g g th ir meal of milk and dates before they eat anything themselves .

Horses , however , are only used for riding , and all the hard work is done by the camels , the ” ships of the desert , as they are called . It is a strange sight to se e a great cara van crossing the desert , sometimes as many as a thousand camels i marching along in s ngle file , each with a heavy load on his back . a s Camels are str nge animal , for although they are strong and have wonderful powers of endur ance , they are surly , intractable , and even more i a w obstinate than mules . Occas on lly a camel ill d consider that he is overloaded , and lying own will h snarl at is driver and refuse to move . Blows and commands are useless in such a case , but if the driver pretends to remove something from the burden the animal is often completely deceived , and thinking that he has outwitted his master and a d t o ff g ine a victory , will rise to his feet and s art

contentedly on the journey . One of the greatest dangers o f desert travel is

lack of water , for wells are very few and far apart . r Camels are pa ticularly suited to these conditions , ' d as they can live for several ays without drinking , h and w en no water is forthcoming , will plod

a nd - o n patiently on , until their strength is ex 78 HO W THE W O RLD TRAVELS

80 H OW THE WORLD TRA VELS

CARRIERS IN THE FORE ST .

TRAVELLING IN THE W ILDS 81

m n trees are , moreover , hung with atted curtai s b elo w is l of creepers , while s a tang ed undergrowth , so tall and thick that pathways have to be cut through it inch by inch . The travellers must needs walk single file through these narrow tracks , and they must be always armed a n d on their guard against the dan g erou s Wild animals that live in those weird , gloomy jungles . Leopards , fierce gorillas , and rhinoceros , all have their homes in those dark s thicket , and there are besides great herds of ele pha nts that if alarmed will charge through the a n d f forest trample the intruders under oot . In addition to these perils the natives are often f d n un riendly , a n there have bee many instances

of cruelty and murder . I n these districts it is , of course , impossible to

use wagons or any large vehicles , and the climate N is unhealthy for horses and cattle . egroes , h therefore , act as carriers and marc along th e

narrow paths with hea vy loads on their heads . s n The e atives are very strong , and may be seen a e x carrying large b l s , bo es , and even bicycles

through the jungle . e ' The Europeans of the party eith r walk too , A or are carried in hammocks slung on poles . n r m a n awning is fixed ove the ha mock , dthe o ccu pant can lie down comfortably while he is borne 6 82 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS W along by two or more negro porters . ounded men or those ill with fever are often ta ken for N many miles in this fashion , and in igeria special

‘ MONO RAIL WORKED BY NATIVE S . hospital hammocks are provided for this purpose on which the familiar red cross may be seen . The natives of these tropical forests either carry t heir merchandise and other burdens themselves , TRA VELLIN G IN THE W ILDS 83 or have light conveyances suited to the narrow r tracks that are the only roads of the count y . The Sobo negroes of W est Africa have a very ingenious arrangement , and often three or four of them may be seen walking in single file and carrying a long pole on their shoulders . From this pole are hung jars , bundles , and baskets of fruit and vegetables . In another district a still more curious device is e used . This is a single railway line running b

o n . tween two towns , which light trucks can travel

These trucks have two wheels each , one behind the other , and to each truck is fastened a pole - N which projects on the left hand side . egroes walk beside the line , holding the poles and thus driving the cars along . In regions where the forest is less dense and the climate more dry and healthy , animals can be used , and sometimes strange teams are seen camels , donkeys , and oxen being all pressed into the transport service . CHAPTER I'

THROUGH ICE AND SNOW

N A the rctic regions , far beyond the reach of

railways , and where even the sea is frozen

- during many months of the year , we find o r strange conveyances and means of travel , f in those desolate lands there are n o roads . Even if t t n a rack is made i may , withi a few hours , be covered with drifting snow a n d entirely lost . Horses and oxen cannot live in the bitter climate of the north , so carriages , or any other wheeled conveyances , are useless . Travellers , s therefore , must needs adapt them elves to the o f conditions weather and country , and , either invent n ew means of locomotion or else borrow ideas from the original inhabitants of those blea k , - snow clad lands . The first Arctic explorers described their ex erien ces a d h p in the Polar regions , n life among t e Esquimaux has changed very little since those pion eer days when Frobisher and Sir Humphrey Gilbert set sail in search of a new route to India and the East .

86 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVEL S

- ICE BOAT .

he A appeared in t unknown rctic world , many parties set out in search of him . The leader of A one of these , Captain ustin, tried a new means THROUGH ICE AND SNOW 87

o n of progression , and _ one occasion attached sails n and large kites to his sledges . This experime t

REINDEER AND SLEDGE .

seems to have met with some success , but we do it not hear of , being attempted again , although ice4boa ts are sailed as an amusement during the 88 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS

E'PLORERS DRAGGING SLEDGE .

winter months on the frozen lakes and rivers of w - h Canada and the United States . Sno s oes are

90 Ho w ' THE W ORLD TRAVELS

INDIAN TRAPPER ON SNOW ‘ H E S O S . THROUGH I CE A ND S NOW 9 1

without its dangers , and there are many stories of travellers who have been frozen to death , and of others who have been overtaken and killed by wolves as they drove across the snow-covered plains and through the forests . A writer of fifty years ago tells us of an ex citing experience which he and a fellow-traveller had when j ourneying in the Volga district after a heavy snowstorm .

It was early morning when they started , and

' the road was a very lonely one . They had not gone far when six large wolves were seen , and although these a mm a ls w ere frightened away by a handful of burning hay being flung among them — — for wolves cannot bear the sight of fire they

. O soon returned thers joined them , and before long the sledge was tearing across the snow with a whole pack in close pursuit . The horses were terrified and the position seemed a hopeless one , but fortunately the travellers were armed , and when they had managed to shoot four of the t wolves the o hers dispersed . S 1n A u s rl a m ledges are also used t , Ger any , and

Holland , and m many museums quaint old Dutch sledges can be seen , shaped like armchairs and richly gilded and painted. T d hese ainty sleds were pushed , not drawn , and in them the fair-haired Dutch maidens of former 92 H OW THE W O RLD TRA VELS days were taken fo r m err v excursions by their brothers an d boy friends along the smooth high o f ways the frozen canals .

ENGLISH SLEDGE .

In England the winters a re very seldom cold fo to enough r sledging be indulged in , but still it A . n d is not entirely unknown English sle ge is ,

94 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS

W e most of us think of Australia as a very warm , almost a tropical land , and it is quite a sur prise to learn that even our cousins Down

Under can sometimes enjoy real winter sports . O ur illustration , however , shows us that this is the case , for here we see a picture of a sledge at K N S W osciusko , ew outh ales , taken , perhaps , on — K some cold June mid winter day . osciusko is situated in one of the mountainous districts of — Australia , and there ice and snow as we see in — the picture are by no means unknown . This

- sledge is low on the ground with two seats , one behind the other , and it is drawn by a pair of sturdy ponies . CHA PTER '

STRANGE TRAVEL IN STRANGE LANDS E have been to many countries and have

seen many modes of travel , but there are l d stil places , scattere over the globe , which have not been visited and yet which hav e strange and interesting vehicles of their own . w e Let us imagine , then , that are taking a hurried voyage round the world , stopping here and there for a few moments to - see those lands which we have left out on our previous tours . W e will start from Plymouth , and sail south ward until we come to the beautiful Portuguese M s island of adeira , and here some very curiou conveyances are to be seen . These are the carros , - light carts made of basket work , which , instead of having wheels , are mounted on runners like sleds . It seems very strange at first to think of sledges in connection with a country which boasts a semi a n d c tropical climate , where , ex ept in the moun tains , ice and snow are unknown , but the quaint carro is well- suited to its conditions and slides smoothly over the steep , paved roads . 95 96 H OW THE W O RLD TRAVELS M Two kinds of these sleds are used in adeira . f ro The bullock carros , which are com ortably p vid d s r1n s a nd i e with p g , awnings , curta ns , and the more simple carros da monte , that look like large l toboggans and run at a great spee d down the hi ls . Hammocks are also used in the island to carry

BULLOC CARRO MADEIRA . K , travellers into districts where rough a nd winding paths make the carro impracticable , and bullock o b e f carts are t seen on the arms and vineyards . S re 1 tu res u ome of these carts a very p c q e , espe cia ll o n y those which huge casks are carried . M ’ h In St . ichael s a nd t e other islands o f the

98 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS

CARRO DA MONTE, MADEIRA .

A W From the zores , or estward Islands , we s journey on until we come to the W est Indie , TRA VEL IN STRANGE L ANDS 9 9

in w e where , Jamaica , find that large , four wheeled wagons are used in the sugar plantations . These have high sides so that great quantities of

B OC CA T A'O E . ULL K R , R S

a re the canes can be carried , and drawn by four

or six oxen . Small donkeys with panniers also have their i share of work in Jamaica , but the negro nha bi 1 00 H O W THE W ORLD TRAVELS

tants do much of their transport for themselves , and on market days chattering crowds of women may be seen making their way into the towns with great baskets of fruit or heavy bundles tied up in ' g a y bandana handkerchiefs on their woolly heads . After seeing the islands o f the Atlantic Ocean A M we skirt round frica and come to adagascar , where we fin d litters in use which are much like those we have already seen in many countries and M in many ages . A traveller who visited adagascar in 1 861 describes a royal procession when th e queen rode in a palanquin that was richly gilt and a n d embroidered with gold scarlet . W e now cross Asiatic Turkey and reac h to

Persia , where , if we wish to see the country , we must engage horses for ourselves and baggage A mules to carry our goods and chattels . traveller w h o went from Treb l z o n d to Erzeroum in 1 862 made the journey in this fashion , and a very t romantic experience it mus have been , for the a n d t scenery traversed was hilly pic uresque , and O the climate left nothing to be desired . ur ' caravan passed cheerfully along , he says , the bells on our horses jangling merrily a ndthe mule teers singing their chanting so ngs and entertain r ing each other with marvellous nar atives . Much in the same way as we were travelling then , the ” old Crusaders rode to Pa lestine .

1 02 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS h silver harness , on which the igh officials of Persia eh era n rode through the streets of T , and goes on to say that the people might be called a nation of horsemen , for even the royal despatches of the Shah and the public documents were dated K ’ ” From the ing s Stirrup . Among other interesting sights to be seen in the towns of Persia are the itinerant beggars s mounted on mall humped bullocks , and the large p a nniers slung on to the backs of mules in which women travel . s These panniers , which are clo ely covered , look a s if they would be very airless a n d uncomfort able , but in them long journeys are made , and the mules thus loaded may be met in company with bullock—carts and long lines of camels on the great caravan road which leads from Persia into e A 1 the h art of Central s a . In Afghanistan women and children travel on a c mels , wooden panniers being hung on either ’ ‘ a side of the anim l s hump , while between them is — a kind of platform sheltered by a little tent like a wning . O n we go , through Thibet and over the Hima a s see l ya , where we shaggy yaks coming across s ss s o n the teep pa e with heavy loads their backs , a n d so the reach India , strange vehicles of which have been already described . TRAVEL 1 N STRANGE LA NDS 1 03

There was , however , one province which was omitted when we visited India before , and this is

Pondicherry , which belongs to France and is the only district of the great peninsula not under

British dominion . In this place a very original — conveyance called the push push is to be seen . It

- PONDICHERRY PUSH P U SH .

is a light carriage with wheels , springs , and awn ing complete , but instead of being drawn by a horse it is , as its name implies , pushed from behind by two stalwart natives .

East of India , across the Bay of Bengal , is a Burmah , country where , as in Japan , everything s a nd seems to be picture que artistic . Here we 1 04 HO W THE W ORLD TRA VELS

see little gaily clad women driving in charming two -wheeled carts which have gracefully curved

fronts like the bows of a boat . Over the heads of the passengers is arranged an umbrella - shaped k awning , and the bulloc s which draw these dainty conveyances wear elaborately decorated harness

and have collars hung with tinkling bells . S From Burmah our journey takes us to iam , where elephants are used both for transport pur poses and to carry travellers into the mountains

an dforests of the interior . The howdahs o f these

elephants are very curious , having larg e hoods

which project both in front and at the back . Leaving the co ntinent of Asia we cross the sea to the Dutch island of Java , where the women ride in palanquins suspended from a long pole and carried by two or four porters . Hammocks , a a fl which are very much like the kagos of J p , are o x— also used , and there are quaint carts with little pent roofs and rough wheels made out of solid

slabs of wood . Not very far from Java are the Philippine

I A . slands , which now belong to merica Here - a t - ff strange looking animals c lled wa er bu aloes , or carabaos , are employed to draw clumsy wooden carts . The carabao is guided by a cord attached t o h a ring in his nose , the driver sitting eit er on ' ’ o n the shaft of the cart or the animal s back .

1 06 H O W THE W O RLD TRAVELS

from the spout of a boiling kettle , who puzzled his head over its power and who , when he grew up , worked hard l n order to earn money and be able to carry out his experiments . 1 82 5 The first railway was opened in , but before that the steam eng1n e 1nvented by W att had been in use for some time in collieries . One l P u ffin of these ear y engines , which was called g ” a . Billy , can still be seen in London museum

The railway trains of ninety years ago , won derful as they were considered then , were very ff - fo r di erent from those of to day , there were no co mfortable carriages with windowsand cushioned s n eats , and the passengers had to travel in ope wagons . There were no waiting rooms or plat forms either , and the speed was very moderate , fifteen to twenty miles an hour being thought marvellous and even dangerous . This is what a writer says in the year 1 83 7 The length of the Liverpool railway 1s thirty-one miles , and the fact that passengers are regularly conveyed that distance by locomotive engines in one and a half to two hours produced an extra ” ordinary sensation . A s the years went on , railways and the trains which ran on them improved very quickly and m - stage coaches beca e hopelessly old fashioned , but for some tim e a railway journey was some~ EARLY ENGINE . 1 08 H OW THE W ORL D T RAVELS

thing of an a dventure and many strange plans

were made in order to prevent accidents . One of the most ecc entric of these ideas w a s that the last carriage or van on a train should have a roof sloping backwards towards the ground and i fitted with ra lway lines , so that if the train to

WHITE SUDAN TRA IN

it a d v which was att che were o ertaken by another , e there w ould be no collision , for the second engin

would run up the sloping roof and . travel along

on the top of the slo wer train . N s w o owaday , rail ay travelling has bec me much s s e luxur l o u s i afer and al o mor , and our tra ns , with e s t th ir leeping ber hs and restaurant cars , would

1 1 0 H O W THE W O RLD TRAVEL S

9 o open trucks of 1 83 . One of the m st interest ing of modern trains is to be seen on the Sudan

fo , line . It is painted white r the sake of coolness and has wooden venetian blinds instead of windows . At first it was considered impossible for railways diffi to be constructed except on level ground , but culties were gradually overcome and for many years there have been trams running up the Rigi m n a n and other o u t I s . Now a line has been made to the summit of the Jung Frau , which is over t it thirteen housand feet high , and by tourists can t be taken far into he region of perpetual snow . Towards the end of the nineteenth century a

new power began to be used , and we hear of loco

motives driven not by steam but by electricity . d Now , although steam has not been ouste from

the field , there are many electric trams , and in almost every city of Europe electric trams run through the streets and often far out into the

country beyond . Another invention of the nineteenth century t which made , as time wen on , a new means of

travel , was the bicycle , but although the first of these machines appeared more than a hundred s - year ago , they were very strange looking con t r iva n ces n i deed , and were considered ridiculous

and useless . 'E YESTERDA Y A ND TO -DAY 1 1 1

HIGH BICYCLE . 1 1 2 H O W TH E W ORLD TRAVELS

— The first of all cycles if it ca n be dignified by

w such a n a m e m a de it début in 1 808 in Paris . It was called a hobby-horse and consisted of a nd two wheels placed one behind the other , con

‘ n ectedby a bar on which was a small sa ddle . The rider kept his feet on the ground , and when he came to a hill raised them and l et the machine A h a d . t v carry him down corners , howe er , he — to lift up the hobby horse and turn it round

- The dandy horse , which had a movable front suc wheel , came next , and then there was a long o f o f cession strange inventions , many which o f h c hailed from America . One t ese onsisted of - e a large rocking horse mounted on two wh els , and another had o n e very large wheel in which the e rider sat . Some of th se machines were pro ll h e ed . p with the feet , others with the ands ’ f i w a s t tw o Cro t s invent on pun ed along by long , ’ o f M poles in the hands the rider , and ey s machine had a large front wheel in which a dog ran round like a squirrel in a cage . VVhile experiments were b eing made with c these extraordinary contrivances , more practi al bicycles were already in use . They were called - n e velocipedes , or bone shakers , and very wo d rful b e they were thought to , although to our modern eyes the high bicycle of thirty yea rs a go with its large front wheel on which the rider w a s perched

1 1 4 H OW THE W O RLD TRAVELS

- EARLY MOTOR CAR .

s o r enger , and are able t travel at the rate of thi ty , forty , or even fifty miles an hour . F - rom cycles we go to motor cars , and now YESTERDAY AND TO -D A Y 1 1 5 when the roads are thronged with these swift con veya nces it is strange to think that for a long time horseless carriages were considered an im po s sibility and spoken of with jeering incredulity .

More than a hundred years ago , however , a Frenchman invented a steam carriage which could travel at the rate of two miles an hour , and during the next half-century other vehicles of the sort were patented besides several very curious mechanical carriages . A picture and description of one of these appears in a magazine of the time , and we see that it was a large carriage with four wheels . One man sits in front , holding what are apparently quite useless reins , while a second man , standing hi behind in a kind of box , works a mac ne with his feet and so propels the heavy conveyance along . Another and an even more extraordinary M r looking carriage was invented by a . Boller in 1 8 4 0 . It was propelled by a very complicated

- arrangement of large and small cog wheels .

Progress was made during the next few years , and in 1 82 9 tw o 'in ven to r s had constructed a steam carriage which could travel at the rate of fifteen miles an hour . A little later we learn that there was a regular service of steam coaches running e between Gloucest r and Cheltenham .

After that , however , many years elapsed before 1 1 6 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS i horseless carr ages came into general use , one reason being that such conveyances were heavily taxed and subjected to many rules . It was not 1 896 im until that these were altered , and then mediately there was a change a nd cars driven by steam , electricity , and petrol came into use .

1 1 8 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS

In Africa we saw a very primitive form of - A mono railway , and there is another in lgeria , w here the trucks or baskets filled with a g ricu l tural produce hang on either side of a single line

and are drawn along by mules .

- A real mono railway with engines , railway car ria s g e , and trucks is already in existence in Ire i R land , where t runs between Listowel and ally Th e bunion . e line is raised some f et from the

1 0 . ground , and is about miles in length The

- engine is a very curious looking machine , with a

boiler on each side and two funnels . This is

arranged so that the weight is evenly balanced . There are also methods by which the trains on a mono—railway may be steadied by means of a won rful de contrivance called a gyroscope . Closely allied to the single -line railway is the hanging railway , which was first invented to carry loads of merchandise or minerals across rivers or over rough forest lands where an ordinary line f would be di ficult and expensive to construct . There is one of these hanging railways in

Rhodesia , where a strong wire crosses from bank

- to bank of a river , and carries a chair shaped seat

which can hold two passengers . This is dragged backwards and forwards by means of a second

w 1re . S m m ometimes , instead of , rope is used , and THE TRAVEL OF TO -M ORRO W 1 1 9

- O O . MONO RAIL CAR, WITH GYR SC PE 1 2 0 H OW THE W ORLD TRA VELS these rope railways can be seen in use at many of the mines in South Africa . Other and more elabora te railways in the air e fo r have been made in Germany , and ther is one passengers running between Barmen and Elber l fie d. In this case the single rail is raised on high trestles , and the carriage , which looks very much t like a large ramcar , runs along the line suspended beneath the trestles . w e Then , too , may in the future have railways that will take us across the Eng lish Channel , either through a great tunnel or over a bridge , 1 884 reaching , as was proposed in , from Folke ri n z stone to Cape G s e . A third plan that has been suggested for cross

ing to France is that of a submarine bridge , upon which a curious construction or platform would

run , and on this the trains themselves could be

taken from shore to shore , while still another — proposal was that large ferry steamers should be h built , on the lower decks of which t e trains could

be carried . And now we will leave the earth and look at the pictures of airships and the wonderf ul aero t planes , which , although improvemen s are being

made every day , can already travel at an almost incredible speed and with a security that only a little while ago would have been considered quite

1 2 2 H OW THE W ORL D TRAVELS N impossible . owadays air travel is not only a e possibility but an accomplish d fact , and it is hard to realise that it has come about during the last e twenty years , and that before th n practical flying machines were unknown s From very early times , however , inventor and an d scientists have dreamed and experimented , R no less than seven hundred years ago , oger

Bacon , one of the most learned men of his day , seems to have looked down through the centuries and to have actually seen the aeroplanes with which we are now familiar .

There may be made a flying instrument , he i says , so that a man sitt ng in the midst of the instrument and tu rn l ng some mechanism may move some art ificial wings so that they may beat m ” the a like a bird in flight . I —o ff t was a strange prophecy , but in those far times— the dark ages we call them— men had already fixed their hopes on flight , and school chil dren were trained i n the use of wings as in that of the globes . W e are not told what advantages this curious accomplishment gave to the little boys and girls of the thirteenth century , and , indeed , it may r — have b ought them ill fortune , for in those days inventors were often accused of witchcraft , and new ideas were looked upon with suspicion . Even THE TRAVEL OF TO -M OR RO W 1 2 3

M ONOPLANE, THE F IRST TYPE TO CROS S THE CHANNEL . 1 2 4 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS

centuries later , when the first balloons were caus n ing great excitement in E gland , many people thought that it was wrong to spurn the laws of nature by attempting to fly . During the seventeenth and eighteenth cen tu ries some very strange flying machines were made , and even before that time , in the reign of a A James IV . of Scotl nd , we find that The bbot ” o f Tu n glan d tuik in hand to fiie with w ingis . b o ldChu r chm a n n o t The _ , however , did succeed in r o f S i his rash ventu e , but fell from the wall tirl ng

Castle and broke his thigh . In 1 709 another monk planned a wonderful fly ing ship which was to carry twelve men besides o f a n d stores food , about sixty years later a

Frenchman made himself A whirl of feathers , curiously interlaced and extending gradually at suitable distances in a horizontal direction from ” hi his head to his feet . In t s e ccentric costume the would-b e bird-man fluttered down from a s height of eventy feet and escaped uninjured . l m w The makers of ba loons , meanwhile , e t ith more success , and they bravely experimented with their frail contrivances , which at first were filled with heated air and necessitated a fire in the - f e d basket work car , with fuel of chopped straw . A s m a y be imagined , many accidents occurred , but the inventors went on their way undaunted ,

1 2 6 H OW THE W ORLD TRAVELS and in the middle of the nineteenth century we find a man named Nadar constructing an enor i ” mous balloon called the G ant , which seems to have been the forerunner of the great airships of

- to day . This monster would , we hear , have

exactly fitted into the dome of St . Paulis Cathe

dral . It had a smaller balloon attached to it , and below both a car fitted with wheels . This was divided into compartments for the captain and s w i h ds the pa senge rs, t b e , baggage , and provi ’ s ions , while a printing office and a photographer s o r om were included . N ’ did adar s ambitions , however , not stop at this

marvel . Indeed , the Giant was only intended to be a means of raising funds for the making of a n flying machi e, which was to be called the aeronef and have wings and a screw propeller f The di ficulty then , and for many years after

wards , was to make an engine which a t the same s u fli cl n l time hould be s e t y strong and yet light . It was not until another fifty years had passed that this problem wa s solved and then we find the modern aeroplanes and hydroplanes being

gradually developed a n d improved . In 1 909 a French a w a t o r cro ssed the Channel s for the first time , and since then the progre s has r been extraordina y , so that now we think little of feats which a dozen years ago would have THE TRAVEL OF TO -M ORROW 1 2 7

been co n s1dered quite outside the bounds of

possibility . S s ide by side with the aeroplane , dirigible bal loons have been developed , and we can hardly doubt that in the future this mode of travel will come to be as safe and almost as commonplace as

- - our railways and motor cars of to day .

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