Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-30
SUMMER IN INDIA.
A Temperature of liz Degrees i'm the
Shade.

n VI LIZ DeSFeeS tAe
Shade.
Alahabahad Correspondence New York Evangelist
The hour is early only z o'clock, but the
outer 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 lime
stone road passing in front of the compound" is
painful to look upon in the dazzling 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 quiyering but puts in motion a
cloud OF fine white dust and sends 1t In spiteful
gusts against the window panes. Your eyes are
blinded, Tor 1t PUSHES 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
alter the sun appeared above the horizon. but
It's heat was even then so fierce that we recOil
from Its touch and carefully closed the doors of
the Oox-llke conveyance on the sunny side. Car
r1ages passed Us bearing pale-faced ladies and
little children with cheeks pitifully banched by
the cruel heat Sitting on the broad verandas
OF some OF the bungalows were family parties
gathered about small tables, refreshing them
selves with toast and tea, with which the day in
India Invariably 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 for
eigners as we'll as by the natives of the country.
Others were carrying huge baskets filed with a
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 fayOrite
method of laying up store of merit.
BY y or 10 o'clock the great heat at this season
drives within doors all Europeans not compelled
Oy stress OF circumstances to remain abroad.
When the mercury stands as now, at 11To in the
shade and 171o in the sum- even the natives of
the country dread exposure to its power, and
the streets are almost deserted at midday. The
few travellers venturing abroad have their faces
muffied to shut out the sCOrching wind Just as In
northern ATTITUDES a like means is employed as
protection against the piercing cold. For
Europeans life within doors Is made compare
lively comfortable by closing all the outer doors
after the early morning, and keeping in motion
kind of q large tan suspended from the ceiling.
There are also other devices for reducing the
heat. Such care is necessary, not for comfort
merely, but even for the preservation of lie,
and no more sayOrs Of luxury than the intro
ductiOn OF stoves and CRATES and furnaces into
your dwellings in the bitter cold Of northern
winter.
A stranger would probably be surprised to
lind at this season so large number of the
houses occupied by both foreigners and natives
III process of repair, and would perhaps fancy
that storm had swept over the place. doing
immense damage; and to the prudent it my be-
would come thoughts of the injury to household
furnishings. should rain descend while the dwell
ings are partially denuded of their coverings. A
yearly repairing of the thatch of bungalows is
as inevitable here as spring house cleaning at
home, for this covering, which furnishes SO
welcome protection from the heat, is unfortu-
nately food much relished by our Unsuitable enemy
the termlte or white ant, necessitatng annual
repairs. The tiles with which many of the bung-
allows are covered, as well as the larger proper
ton OF native houses, are broken in various
ways or thrown down by the mischievous
monkey or the ubiquitous crow, and must there
fore be relaid.
No fear of rain, for our climate Is not like
yours capricous and unreliable. All this hustle
of preparation is In anticipation of the bursting
OF the monsoon, as we style the opening 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 we
have not had 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, q
scarcity of water. and in some places an actual
water-famine. Situated as we are between two
great rivers. the Ganges and the Jumna, we
suffer less than many Others.
AT this season those Europeans whose en-
pigments and whose means will permit such
an indulgence. flee to the mountains; and de-
Hghtful it certainly is to exchange this sitting
heat and pestilence-laden air for cool and
health-giying breeZes. In this heat even ami
mails suffer much. and valuable horses and dogs
are sometimes sent to the hills to remain dur
ing the heated term. In one of our dailies re-
Gently saw this advertisement: ''Valuabe horses
and other animals needing hill climate during
the hot season can be accommodated on farm
near Naini Tall
For those who must remain on the plains dur
ing this excessive heat the use OF ice Is a great
relief We are no longer dependent upon Amer
lea for our ice supply, as in many OF our large
cities ice factories have been established. thus
bringing the luxury within the reach OF persons
OF very modest incomes. Many of the natives
have learned to esteem the use of ice grateful
addition to their comfort. In an advertisement
OF one OF our great companies having factories
at Allahabad, Lucknow and Agra we find this
addressed TO high-caste natives: I'VE invite in
spection Of any of our factories by our native
friends, so that they may see for themselves that
the Ice is manufactured with all due regard to
caste. and that nothing is done to offend the
most prejudced.'
Recently fire In Bombay destroyed large
Ice factory. and had the bread supply been sud
denly cut off there would not have been greater
cutlery than was raised at the prospect of an ice
famine Poona. Madras. Allahabad and other
cities were asked by telegram to send assistance
to the sufferers, and promptly responded to the