After the Suez Canal opened in 1869, ships bound for the Orient no longer had to round the Cape of Good Hope. The distance between East and West was vastly reduced, and there were many refueling stations along the new route.
一八六九年蘇彞士運河啟用，航向東方的船隻不必再繞道好望角；東西距離因此大減，且有許多中繼站可以加煤。