FROM Melbourne to England.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4308, 21 October 1882, Page 1

FROM Melbourne to England.

fContinued from last week.) The Canal—the monument of M. Letsep's genius—is an immense ditch about 90 miles long and 100, feet across. In places it runs through large bitter lakes, one of which is 14 miles across. The banks of the Canal are of bare sand, although hardy shrubs Lave been planted to strengthen its sides. A number of large dredges are employed to scour the bottom. At our second stopping place we had to wait till about a, dozen large steamers had passed us. At noon on ihe loth we passed the summer palace and harem of the Khedire (at Ismailia), and the building ereced for the. reception of the Empress Eugenic when she came io open the ctnal in 1869. We also pasied' Kantara, through which runs' the ancient 1 road to the Holy Land. As we neared Port Said we saw long rows of flamingoes standing in shallow" lafces, and a' j^reat crowd of old fishing b,oats. We dropped anchor at 8 on Sunday, morning' (lsth). Large coal barges came alongside*, and we - were glad to get ashore-,to escape the clouds of coal dust, although the English Consul's instructions were that all pas* sengers should remain afloat owing to the crisis. Howerer, we risked it, and I wai really glad to tread on Egyptian soil, and to see all that was to be seen. Ihe town has an ancient and sqalid appearauce, and comprises a strauge mixture of Eastern nationalities. We saw only one Englishman. We visited Arab town (the abode of filth and poverty), the Mahommedan mosque (mounted with a small minuet from which the priest daily addresses bis orisons to the rUing sun; the Arabian * infant school, the fruit market, the Greek church, the artificial gardens, and tbe various consulates. .But all that we saw only made us gad that we were under British rule, for the city i» horribly immoral and irreligious. We left at 2 p.m., and were soon sailing on tbe tideiesi Mediterranean, admiring its beautiful iudigo blue waters, and rejoicing that we had passed safely through the Canal. On the 18th we coasted the islabd of Crete, which we had not expected to ace. It i« about 120 miles lonfc, and the bills appeared rery barren on the side we saw. -The- views" we had on July 20th' were simply enchanting. Soon as 4ay dawned we- saw Mount Etna, ou the island of Sicily, with a column of smoke iuuing from its enormous crater. It is something similar k> Bangitoto, only far loftierThen we »w Calabria, on the Italian coast, very disOnctly. At the itraita of Mewina (through .wjiidfwe passed) we saw <*o one side the twn of Messina, extending for a great distance, pdprt* senting a appearance with v* stately buildio^ its churches, forts, iiguthouses, marieila Ac.; aad ou t M, e other Reggio and .ctffce.r smaller tdwna, remarkh b|y pi*tures%«B»W» A« »bundant vegetation in* *««*•**^ . Aidl Later on we passe? «««**. * «*** island in the Lipari k?** *T ?* summit of which a small column °M* OKa ascended, and atthe foot of which >7**'* good sized town. We reached Naplea at 10.30 on the ni>.ht of the 20th. Thecitj, built on the hills surrounding a' semicircular bay, presented quite a fairy like appearance. The street lamps looked like great ringsl of light; and the vari. colored lights of tbe harbor added to tlie picturesqueiiess of, the scen^e. Iv one of