(When your predicament is visible from space, you know you have a big problem! Read more about this event here.)
As we followed the news, Biswajit Basu’s experience in sailing through those waters, gave us all a deeper connect with the Suez. Let’s travel back in time with him, and visit the Suez of bygone times. Despite the passage of many decades, it feels like some things - like busy ships lining up in a narrow canal and battling the treacherous North Africa winds - stay the same!
By Biswajit Basu:
*SUEZ CANAL, 1955*
My first passage was through a Canal was the Suez Canal in July 1955 on the Polish Ocean Lines Motor Ship Batory. After Karachi and Aden, we went through the Red Sea. I remember my favourite pastime was to lean out of our cabin porthole and try to make one end of a strand of wool touch the sea. As far as I can remember, I never succeeded as the wind would blow my strand of wool horizontal!
[Author note: That poor strand stood NO chance! 66 years later, we are watching the 220,940 GT Ever Given, longer at 400m than the roof height of the Empire State Building, get blown horizontal across the canal!]
Anyway, then we reached Port Suez at the entrance to the Suez Canal. We picked up our pilots and proceeded up-canal to Port Said at the northern end of the Canal. Port Said was our next stop with some waiting time at the Great Bitter Lake in between.
The Suez was historic. The canal was built for the Ottoman Turks (the Mamluk Dynasty had conquered Egypt) by French Engineers (de Lesseps). But, with the weakening of the Ottomans, the British bought their shares and became owners of the canal. However, when Nasser came to power, he nationalised the canal and the British and Israelis mounted a combined attack on Egypt. The British-Israeli combination won. However, this fight was still going on when we had to return from England in 1957. Since the Suez Canal had been closed down, we had to return to India via the Cape of Good Hope at the sothern tip of Africa retracing the path of Vasco da Gama 450 years before (Vasco reached Calicut on 19 May 1498). We returned on Steam Ship Circassia of the Anchor Line. This was a much more luxurious ship and must have cost Daddy a bomb because we had to also take the longer route round Africa.
[Author Note: You can read more about these ships in our earlier blog posts - My First Sea Voyage and The First Voyage Back Home.
Back to the young boy and his wool thread blown by recalcitrant winds...]
At Suez, the ship was invaded by hordes of traders who exhibited their wares on deck. They were wily and cunning and we were asked to beware and keep our cabins locked.
These traders (known as Gyppos, as they could rob you blind) brought all kinds of stuff. Right from trinkets, carpets, antiques (usually dishonestly peddled as pharonic stuff), leatherware (usually camel) etc. etc. etc. The decks were full of these little stalls put up by the Gyppos. (They were ubiquitous and came on board regularly also when I was sailing professionally on Scindia ships in the seventies). I think they will be there even today!
After the Great Bitter Lake, we entered the northern stretch of the Canal. In front of us was gleaming white beauty: the Steamship Himalaya of the Peninsular & Orient Lines.
The Himalaya was a fabled ship, 'the Greyhound of the Seas' is what she was called and was top class in luxury and speed (with fares to match, I am sure). She had left Bombay two days after us, had caught up with us at Suez and was destined to reach England 2-3 days before us. She did the India-UK run in 14 days as conpared to the Batory which did it in about 20 days! She was white and beautiful and led us like a queen!
I remember Port Said distinctly. Even more Gyppos boarded but Daddy had decided we had enough of sailing and took us to town for an outing. Port Said was a dirty town and I remember the ubiquitous flies. They were everywhere and could buzz you to death!
(Port Said leaflet, Orient Line, 1955; from Museums Victoria Collection)
I remember Ma bought two beanbag-like camel leather stools. They were with us for many years but I do not know where they went. Maybe we lost them in our shift to Delhi from Bangalore.
So, that was my first passage through the Canal (though I would go through again in the seventies). We would still have to sail through the stormy Bay of Biscay and Southampton was still a week away.
In fact, it was in 1976 in Port Said, on my way back to India from the Great Lakes, that I received the letter which informed me of Ma's heart attack and Daddy's accident and I decided to quit going abroad. (More about that trip is in this blog post Voyage of Misery)
The Suez Canal thus proved historic to me personally as well!
Postscript by Monisha Choudhury:
Ma also bought a tapestry of a lady in white gown with a matka of water and camels, which we had on our drawing room walls in R3 (Hauz Khas) till it was faded and falling apart. Even the two light brown and green bean bag with camels and Nefertiti on them were finally discarded in R3. They must have been bought at Aden or Port Said).
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