THE VOYAGE TO SOUTHAMPTON.
Quarantine, on arrival in England, being done away with (unless some special cause arise on the voyage home to render precaution necessary), the direct route is greatly to be preferred; and the ease and comfort which it offers as contrasted with the annoyances of continental travelling needs no comment.
On reaching Southampton, the steamer goes into dock; the whole of the luggage is forthwith conveyed to the dock warehouse, and the examination commences with that of the first person on the list.
Passengers are not required to attend in person when their luggage is examined. Those who desire to leave Southampton by train immediately upon arrival, or who do not wish to subject themselves to the annoyance of being kept in the docks waiting their turn, are recommended to deposit their keys (including name and address) with Mr. Hill's clerk,[12]giving him, at the same time, a list of the packages, distinguishing such as contain articles subject to duty. For want of proper arrangement on the part of the passenger, we have known three hours pass in the examination of one gentleman's baggage, with upwards of eighty of his fellow-travellers anxiously waiting for their turn. This arises, in the first place, from the large quantity of luggage which many bring; and, in the second, from the want of system in packing, distinguishing that which is immediately requisite from that which is unnecessary.
As passengers will be required to keep pace with the mails in either route, unless they arrange for a fortnight's stay in Egypt, the system of having a larger quantity of luggage than is actually necessary cannot be too much deprecated.
The traveller is also apt to mix "duty goods" with personal luggage, in anticipation of their escaping notice. This is a "forlorn hope," and leads invariably to the most rigid scrutiny of every package, thereby causing great delay. If the goods be such as trinkets, Bombay work-boxes, Dacca or Cuttack silver, China or India filligree packed in cotton, a still greater commotion arises at the custom-house, and we are not quite sure whether the circumstance does not render the articles liable to seizure and confiscation, under the quarantine laws.
The better plan by far, whether the traveller attend the examination of his luggage or not, is to separate all goods liable to duty, and put them in a case or trunk, with an inventory of its contents, and the value of each article separately stated,[13]and then leave them in charge of Mr. Hill, with instructions to forward them without delay. They can, of course, be examined at once; but we think it unfair to subject others to the inconvenience and loss of time that must consequently ensue. If the plan here recommended be followed, we venture to submit that it would be satisfactory to all parties.
A general tariff of East India fabrics will be found in the Appendix; but it is not generally known that all British manufactures that have been exported, and purchased out of Great Britain, are subject to a duty if re-imported. Being private property, however, they are generally released on petition to the Board of Customs, the petition being accompanied by a solemn declaration made by the owner before a magistrate, that the claim set forth in the petition is true. The reason assigned for this law is, that it protects and promotes English manufacture, by preventing a return of goods to the country that have once been exported for sale.