For the convenience of passengers from the Red Sea to India, the commanders of the Honourable Company's packets are authorised to receive payment of passage-money at Suez, or any port between Suez and Bombay, in sovereigns, Spanish dollars or German crowns, at the following rates of exchange, viz.:—
| Sovereigns at | Rs. | 11 each. |
| Spanish dollars at | " | 2 and 3 annas each. |
| German crowns at | " | 2 and 3 annas each. |
Each cabin-passenger may, if he pleases, put all his baggage into his cabin. The saloon and deck-passengers will be allowed to keep one box or bag above. The rest of the baggage is to be in the baggage-room, and passengers will be allowed access to it twice a week, on a day and hour fixed by the commander, who will appoint a person to have charge of the baggage.
Any applicant may be refused a passage without any cause being assigned, either by the authorities at Bombay or by the commander of the vessel when away from Bombay; but a report of the rejection is to be communicated to Government.
All persons who take passage, either themselves or through their agents, will be considered as thereby binding themselves to comply with these rules, which will be shown by the master-attendant or by the commander of the vessel to parties who engage a passage.
[ROUTE VIÂ FRANCE, GERMANY OR ITALY.]
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 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; but that they are, in other respects, less troublesome or more economical than the sea-trip cannot by experience be maintained. In truth, no person can even compute with accuracy the actual expense of a land-journey; for, though the charges for posting by diligence, eil-wagon, vetturino, or rail, may be easily ascertained, it is impossible to estimate probable hotel charges, the extortions of gendarmerie, custom-house officers, passport employés, &c., or to foretell what detentions may take place en route; detentions which, if for only one hour beyond the time for the departure of the steamer, involve a prolonged stay of another month. We, therefore, feel justified in discarding all minute particulars respecting the routes we have indicated, simply mentioning that parties who do not seek the accommodation of the Peninsular and Oriental Company's boats until they reach Malta or Alexandria, will have to pay (rateably) a higher sum for their passage to Ceylon, Madras or Calcutta, than would be charged them, were they to embark, in the first instance, at Southampton. We may add, however, that should any parties, in the face of the difficulties and objections, still prefer proceeding by the continental route, they will do well to limit their luggage to the least possible supply, and always refer, before deciding on the trip, to parties in London, who can give them the latest and fullest information on the subject.