________________________ A voyage to the East was spectacular, taking in pearl after pearl in an exotic string of destinations between Europe and the Orient. The Henderson steamers catered for the budget-conscious traveller and the first-class Bibby Line for the wealthy. The major ports of departure were Liverpool and Glasgow and the best months to travel were between April and September. Let us imagine what the journey might have been like for a passenger aboard the Bibby Line: ‘We boarded at Liverpool and set sail for Rangoon. We left England behind and travelled southwards toward the Bay of Biscay. Our first port-of-call was Gibraltar, followed by Malta and then Port-Said, more than 2,000 miles from London. There we moored and visited the city of Cairo with its famous Kahn El-Khalili bazaar. Here was the Orient we had longed for: the cries of shopkeepers in enchanting tongues, the hammering of carpenters and cobblers, the exotic fragrance of spices, the smoke and the teas. Later, we mounted the electric tram along the Pyramid Road to Gizah. We climbed the first stone of the Great Pyramids and had tea at the Mena House. On board the vessel once more, we crossed the Suez Canal in 14 hours and entered the Red Sea, where we beheld the Port of Sudan and the fabled slave trading port of Suakin, built on an island of coral. We crossed the Arabian Sea and arrived in Bombay. As we approached, we could make out the monumental Gateway to India upon the shores, a fi ne welcome for travellers to the subcontinent. From Bombay, we headed southwards once more. The journey became unbearably hot down in the cabins. We all had to move with our mattresses out on deck to avoid the stifling heat below. We curved around the southernmost tip of India and then the paradise island of Ceylon came into view. What a sight! We drew into the port of Colombo, the great meeting place of all those travelling to and from Asia and Australia. Leaving Ceylon behind again, we embarked upon the final leg of our journey. The games of skittles, ten-pin bowling, deck tennis and quoits were in their final rounds. Just one more concert and a fancy-dress ball to entertain us now. We steamed pass Madras and Calcutta. Rangoon was the next port-of-call. We had travelled more than 8,000 miles across the high seas.’ (From THE STRAND TREASURY, an e-book from famoushotels.org. It can be ordered under BOOKS)