Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-04
Summer fin India

us of the advent of 'fgenuine spring weather" :" 1 of bright skies, peeping spears of green grass, and the bursting into bloom of the crocus I and wild violet. For that goodly land on the other side of the world, we have to-day an al l most homesick longing, for we know that very lovely it is now, with it's trees in their fresh and beautiful array, it's daily brighten ing gardens and its genial skies. Contrast l such land with that in which we now dwell The hour is early only 7 o'clock, but the out CT doors are all carefully closed to shut out the heated air, and the windows are shaded. Draw the curtains aside and look out. The grass in the yard is burned brown. The limestone road passing ill front of the ''com- pound' is painful to look upon in the daz- zhng light, and you cast your eyes with a sense of relief up to the beautiful tamarind trees with their wealth of exquisite foliage. Now puff of wind sets not only the leaves quivering, but puts in motion cloud of fine white dust, and sends it in spiteful gusts against the window-panes. Your eyes are blinded, for it rushes in through every crevice, and you are glad to turn your gaze inward We rise with the dawn at this season of the year! We drove out yesterday morning soon after the sun appeared above the horizon, but it's heat was even then so fierce that we re
 
 the doors of the box-lilze conveyance on the sunny side. Carriages passed us bearing pale-faced ladies, and little children with cheeks pitifully blanched by the cruel heat. Sitting on the broad verandas of some of the
 bungalows were family parties gathered about small tables, refreshing themselves with toast and tea with which the day in India invaria- bly, begins, the real breakfast being served at later hOur when outdoor duties are at an end.
 On the roads were long lines of men and women on their way to market, bearing on their heads baskets filled with golden melons or the luscious mango a fruit much esteemed by foreigners as well as by the natives of the country. Others were carrying huge baskets filled with large, coarse cucumber. Under some great mango trees by the highway was straw hut, within which were several porous jars filled with water. Beside them sat
 Brahmin ready to serve thirsty wayfarers- this is favorite method of laying up store of merit.
 By or 10 o'clock the great heat at this
 season drives within doors all Europeans not compelled by stress of circumstances to re-
 main abroad. When the mercury stands as
 now, at 117' in the shade and 1710 in the sun,
 even the natives of the country dread expo
 sure to its power, and the streets are almost
 deserted at midday. The few travellers ven
 turing abroad have their faces muffied to shut
 out the scorching wind, just as in northern
 attitudes like means is employed as a pro
 lection against the piercing cold. For
 Europeans life within doors is made compar-
 atively comfortable by closing all the outer
 doors after the early morning, and keeping
 in motion a kind of large fan suspended
 from the ceiling. There are also other de-
 vices for reducing the heat. Such care is
 necessary, not for comfort merely, but even
 for the preservation of life, and no more
 savors of luxury than the introduction of
 cto nd frrofo and iyfn
 dwellings in the bitter cold of a northern
 winter.
 A stranger would probably be surprised to find at this season so large number of the houses occupied by both foreigners and na- tives in process of repair, and would perhaps fancy that storm had swept over the place. doing immense damage; and to the prudent it may be- would come thoughts of the injury to household furnishings, should rain descend 1 while the dwellings are partially denuded of their coverings. A yearly repairing of the thatch of bungalows is as inevitable here as a 1 spring house-cleaning at home, for this cov- ering, which furnishes so welcome a protec- tion from the heat, is unfortunately food much relished by our unsuitable enemy, the l terInite or white ant, necessitating annual re- pairs. The tiles with which many of the bungalows are covered well as the larger proportion of native houses, are broken ill various ways or thrown down by the mis- 1
 
 must therefore be relaid.
 No fear of rain, for climate is not like yours, capTicious and unreliable All this hustle of preparation is in anticipation of the bursting of the monsoon, as we style the open ing of the rainy season, and this is ''due" here the latter end of June. Not half an inch of rain has fallen here within the last five months; indeed, have not had a rainy day since the close of the rains in September last. Our winter rains quite failed, and there is in consequence, not only here but in many parts of northern India, a scarcity of water, l and in some places an actual water famine. l Situated as we are between two great rivers, 1 the Ganges and the Jumna, we suffer less l than many others. At this season many of | the natives bathe twice in the day, and in | the morning, but more especially in the eve i ming, troops of people may be seen on their l way to the rivers. Of course a scarcity of l water means scanty food supply. A column | in the daily paper always scanned with inter | est is that embracing the ''crop and weather l reports" Here the fluctuations in the market 1 are noted, a matter of momentous import in l 8 country so densely populated as India, the i changes in the temperature are recorded, and l the condition of the community as to health l is reported.
 The diseases rife at this season are levers | of various types; smallpox happily abating, 1 and cholera, our dreaded and unsuitable enc 1 my. Calcutta has suffered greatly from the | ravages of cholera during the present season; | and the doctors aver that similar visitation | may be expected next February Smallpox, l too, has been steadily increasing in violence l during the last two years in this same city. | Cholera is present here though not in such | yhastly proportions in sister city. 1
 The heat, with its terrible power, has al ready begun it's work of destruction. This there was borne to the grave one who few days ago was in health. In the midst of his labors he was smitten with the neat fingered few days in delirium, then l passed out of life. In this land it is especial V true that ''in the midst of life we are in l ieath" Recently a prominent physician ] was removed from us in 8 manner so sudden IS to startle the entire community. He dined l one evening with a friend, was i'll the follow ! ng morning, beyond all earthly aid before l he sun went down, closed his eyes in death ,n Friday morning, and on the evening of ] hat day WAS carried to the grave.
 At this season those Europeans whose em- I oloyments and whose means will permit such sn indulgence flee to the mountains; and de- iphtf1I it certainly is to exchange this stihing ] leat and pestilence-laden air for cool and 1 leaIth-giving breeZes In this heat even ami 1 nals suffer much, and valuable horses and logs are sometimes sent to the hills to remain 1 turing the heated term. In one of our dailies l
 recently saw this advertisement: ''Valua- ,le horses and other animals needing hill l linate during the hot season can be accom- nodated on a farm near Naini Tal."
 For those who must remain on the plains turing this excessive heat, the use of ice is ,reat relief. We are no longer dependent Ipon America for our ice supply, as in many f our large cities ice factories have been es- thus bringing the luxury within he reach of persons of very modest incomes. lany of the natives have learned to esteem he use of ice grateful addition to their com ort. In an advertisement of one of our great ! having factories at Allahabad, and Agra, we find this addressed 0 high caste natives: ''We invite inspec- ion of any of our factories by our native riends, so that they may see for themselves hat the ice is manufactured with all due re- ard to caste, and that nothing is done to of end the most prejudiced.'
 Recently fire in Bombay destroyed large e factory, and had the bread supply been uddenly cut off there would not have been 8 reater outcry than was raised at the pros ect of an ice famine Poona, Madras, Ala abad and other cities were asked by telegram | 9 send assistance to the sufferers, and romptly responded to the call.
 This is the season of duststorms, very un- leasant visitations in themselves considered, : ut most beneficial in their results as they ' urify the atmosphere. This too IS the sea.
 aJr wa /