Rolling Down to Rio

I've never sailed the Amazon
I've never reached Brazil;
But the Don and Magdalena,
They can go there when they will!
Yes, weekly from Southampton,
Great steamers, white and gold,
Go rolling down to Rio
(Roll down - roll down to Rio!)
And I'd like to roll to Rio
Some day before I'm old!

I've never seen a Jaguar,
Not yet an Armadill
O dilloing in his armour,
And I s'pose I never will.
Unless I go to Rio
Those wonders to behold
Roll down - roll down to Rio!
Roll really down to Rio!
Oh, I'd love to roll to Rio
Some day before I'm old!

Roll down - roll down to Rio! - A magnificent poem by Rudyard Kipling published in 1902 in his book "Just So Stories". The DON and the MAGDALENA were two of Royal Mail beautiful mail steamers gracing the Atlantic ocean from 18939 to 1971. I was lucky to have been able to admire the final four Royal Mail liners in Lisbon and Funchal and I have missed them ever since ANDES left Lisbon on her final cruise in 1971. ARLANZA of 1960 was the final passenger liner built for the company. She traded on her intended London to Buennos Aires route only for about eight years. The shipping revolution and early globalization killed her...

Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia