Page:Travel Pictures The Record of a European Tour.pdf/11

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CHAPTER I

BOMBAY TO MARSDILLES

We left Bombay at 11.45 on April I6th, I904. On reaching the Ballard Pier, wc were taken for medical examination to the Port-Doctor, who received us very politely, fclt our pulse, and gave each of us a pass. Thakur Umrao Singh, Dr. Ramlal, Abdulghafur Khan and Onkar, who formed my party, were allowed to come with me to the Dooks; the rest remained outside. Though I was going on a pleasure trip, I felt greatly the separation from my people, whom I was leaving. Just as we rcached the Docks one of the steam-launches left without us, but I was glad of this mishap, as it afforded me an opportunity of bidding them a long farewell. At last we took our scats in a launch which put out to sea, and the little group who had come with me from my Capital, Jhalrapatan, dwindled to the merest speck.

When we reached the S.S. "Egypt a ladder was thrown from the steamer to the launch, and we all boarded her easily. Dr. Ramlal too, though naturally very nervous, did not find any difficulty in transferring himself to the great ship.

On leaving Bombay, we found ourselves in the waters of

the Arabian Sea. t is a continuation of the Indian Ocean, which is bounded on the North by Beluchistan and Arabia and on the South by an imaginary line which passes through 30° of South latitude. The colpur of the water where the steamer had been Iying was muddy; after steaming for two or three hours it turned to green, and next day, when we were in the open sea, it changed again to deep blue.

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