Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-07-16


ton:
PAMURU, INDIA, April Both, IA
DEAR UNcLE:-Here We are where
we we're one year ago. 1t does not
seem so distant from Ohio as it did
then. The hottest weather is COM
ing over the country, and We are now
travelling to the sea coast in order
to escape the severe heat The Eng
lish have built something like civil
lied houses in the different villages
at distances of from fifteen to twen-
ty miles apart. These are for the
benefit of officers of the army, for
European officials and for travellers.
They are a great blessing, and we
always aim to reach one of them in
travelling. You will understand
this when 1 tell you it is too hot to
travel by day, and that person can
scarcely endure to stop in the little,
confined, unclean native huts.
We spent yesterday in one of these
bungalows sixteen miles back. 1t
was very sultry, and l hung my
thermometer in the coolest room of
the decaying building. At five in
the afternoon it soOd at sc Fahr.
To-day it is not SO warm, as it is yet
morning, and we are nearer the sea.
But / want to tell you how the
country looked this morning as we
moved on our way at dawn. l had
been dull and stupid from lack of
sleep and was listlessly riding along.
I was caring more to get to the end
of our journey.than any thing else.
All this while the darkness was
growing less, objects were becoming
more distinct and, presently, the
clouds became gentle chrome col
or and the blue could be seen. My
thoughts ran faster, feelings came up
fresh, and l compared and contrast
ed India with Ohio. Our horses are
the same. The government road on
which we travel looks like the high
WAYS in the counties of Seneca or
Putnam, in August, but lie across
the level country with much deep
er dust. Trees line the road, here
and there, and sweet voiced birds
are singing notes as they sing yon-
derIt is past harvest and the chOl-
nm stubble resembles corn field in
March when the stumps of stalks
stand in rows over the fields; and
the rice and rawgy fields make one
think of wheat stubble; While the
castor-oil bean fields resemble some
land overgrown with thistles. The
straw stacks are just like the long
hay or wheat tricks" of Holmes,
and these India ryots "draw in" and
''top OUT their stacks in the same
way as American farmers. At a
distance, the Arabica Acacia, the
tree from which Gum Arabic is OBJ
tanned, locks like cherry tree and
awakens an old taste for the juicy
fruit we have not seen for two years.
The Margosa tree might be taken
for low wide branching, thickly
leafed chestnut, at blossom time;
and the Palmyra and coaco-nut trees,
standing a mile or more away, seem
to he tall hickories with all the
branches except the very top ones,
trimmed of.
But this is all there is to remind
me of my native land. All else is
most unlike. Down by the road
side is no fence, no hedge. There
are no rails, and little paths separ-
ate the fields, making the traveller
feel that he is on some road through
a great, uninhabited country. 1t
does not look right to an American,
and the feeling is increased by the
total absence of any house, barn, or
shed. And then, in front of the
horses goes an unusual vehicle. The
bare limbs of six men move ut trOt
through the dust and, with its poles
resting upon pads upon SIX naked
shoulders, palinquin is bourne
along with an occasional swing.
Mrs. Uhl is in the box and there is
no need of whip Or reins or lines for
her human steed. 1t is our Indian
railroad with a torch glaring out for
a headlight, and the chorus Of six
men continually saying 'hO ho,he he
instead of the rush of the locomo-
tive. They are going at q miles an
hour.
And all these things Danish the
idea of Ohio A couple hundred
years ago the people had stone
wheels to their carts; we meet diff
ferent things now, although here and
there cart may be seen on its
wheels of rock. There go some OK
en- with draylike carts to their
heels. The wheels re nearly seven
feet in diameter and very thick, and
the plan of the wheels and frame
came from the English. They move
slowly along ploughing the dust,
moving from side to side on the ak
les through the ruts, jolting and jost-
ling heavily and rolling off about
one and one half miles per hour.
these are the wagons, carriages and
express carts of this country.
Through the wild date trees or
the holIyhocklike Portia trees alon G |
the roadside, can be seen heap of
rice or castor-oil beans. Near these