Overland Route To India Before Opening Of The Suez Canal, 1851 Map.
A rare 1851 map showing the overland route to India before the opening of the Suez Canal. Besides the two historic cartographic images, inset illustrations depict the Post Office of London, Bombay, Madras, Aden, Gibraltar, and a mail camel convoy crossing the desert. The Suez Canal was opened in 1869, it was a huge godsend relief to those who travelled to the East.
Especially travelling to India, where the British ruled the subcontinent until 1947. Preceding that, sailing to India was a long, tedious, and often perilous journey. People sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, a voyage that took around 6 months. Ships would stop on the islands of Madeira and St Helena to take in provisions and fresh water.
But there were the adventurous who trekked overland, from Vienna to Basra (Iraq) on the Persian Gulf, then boarded a ship for India. Many also sailed through the Red Sea, either sailing around Spain or travelling across Alexandria, Egypt. From Egypt, they crossed the desert by camel to the Red Sea port of Suez, then continued by ship to the east. This was what the overland route to India was all about before the opening of the Suez Canal.
Also see David Rumsey Map Collection.
Did you know – the first modern rounding of the Cape of Good Hope was in 1487 by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias, ten years later Vasco Da Gama would sail around the cape again to reach Calicut (Kozhikode).
From the collection – 1964 M. Suriyamoorthy Charcoal Art Abstract (#13)., Esplanade & Madras Christian College, Old Photo 1877., Esplanade & Hornby Roads Bombay, 10 Old Postcards., Flying Boat/Seaplane Service In British India, Old Print 1948.
