The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-09-09
POSTMEN OF THE WORLD.
RoW IKE MAILS ARE CARRIED IN
DIFFERENT LANDS.
Palm Leaf Letters in India-Cnmcl
Express NTessenEers-Buffa as
mmfI Carriers

traveller, IN = OdSSeCtS -UdQdSO6, 4 nave
never yet treaohed any point so isolated
as to be beyond the ministrations OF the
postoffice, but strangely varied have been
It's emissaries. had heard of a settler
in wholly uncivilized island, who,
while building himself boat, required
some tool which he had left at home, so
he selected smooth chip of wood and
thereon wrote a message, which he bade
one of the bystanders carry to his wife.
OF course the man on seeing her look at
the chin and then deliver to his care the
needfnl tool attributed the whole to
magic. :. Nevertheless, he had unoon-
sciously been letter-carrier of the most
primitive type.
Slightly in advance of this is the sys-
tenn OF writing with sharply.pointed
instrument on long strips of firm green
palm-lesfa substitute for paper-which
is in common use in Ceylon and on the
seacoast of Hindoostan, and wherever
the cocoa palm tiourishes-or still bet
ter, the broad-leaved taliput or Palmyra
palm. Whole books are thus inscribed,
but for letter.writing it is particularly
useful, and the missive is folded and tied
up with trail of natural string plucked
in the forest, and is slung from light
stick and SO carried to its destination.
In my travels in the Himalayas we
found truly useful friend in the native
postmaster at Kofghur, which was the
furthest limit of the great postal net
work. Thenceforward as we journeyed
in the wilds he forwarded all our letters
by very lightly -garbed special runner,
who carried them as English village
children carry sweet violets in the end
of cleft stick. Thus the letter was
perhaps carried for several days and was
at length delivered as clean as when it
started.
"The commonest type of Indian post
runner, or 'Tappal wallah, wears long
white coat, very tight trousers inclose
his lean legs, aud his headdress is
huge light blue turban. His er-bag
is slung on his sidc and it is necessary
that he should be good linguist and
be able to read great variety of strange
grabbed characters, for several of the
multitudinous languages of Hindoostan
are written in quite distinct characters,
all of which are alike incomprehensible
to our untutored eyes. The rural letter
carrier of Hindoostan carries long stick
with sharp iron point, which can be
used as weapon in case of need. This
stick is adorned with six little brass
bells, which serve to frighten away rep
tiles and dangerous animals and also to
give notice of the approach of the post.
The danger from wild beasts is, in some
districts, very real one, the 'tappap
runners through the forest districts in
the south of Ceylon havin g occasionally
had very narrow escapes from rogue
elephants and other wild beasts.
OF all varieties of Indian letter-car-
riers, clothed or unclothed, none are so
picturesque as the Camel express mes
sengers. The men wear serviceable
red uniform and large green turban en-
broidered with gold thread. From
their girdle hangs a curved sabre in
red Sheath. The camels are adorned.
with trappings of gay cloth and tassels,
ornamented with blue beads and cowrie
shells, and small brass bells round the
neck to give notice of their swift APP
proach. 1t is said that their rough and
rapid trotting, sometimes at the rate of
eighty miles day, is so trying to the
riders as to shorten their days. Two
heavy mail bags hang to right and left
on each side Of the camel, and the sad
die is so arranged that a passenger can
take seat behind the pOstman.
In no country of the world is the
postal organization more wonderful
than in Japan, the chief marvel being
that till about dozen years ago there
was no regular government institution
posts in the country.
In very strange contrast with this
nvf-r Ifr,ov a1 4
in the little island empire of Japan, is
the equally wonderful stagnation in the
vast empire of China, where, even to
this hour, there is no government insti-
tuition for the transmission of posts.
But as regards letters, a considerable
proportion OF the 400, 900, 900 Cinnamon
do occasionally exchange letters-those
who cannot write for them
selves hiring scribes to do so. These
letters are consigned to firms which have
houses in all the large towns, where let
ters are forwarded to distant ports, to
be there distributed by special agents,
who generally collect the postage from
the receiver
On the death of the Emperor Hen
Fung, intimation thereof was sent from
his country palace "a distance of 600 Ii,
whichis upward of 200 miles, in twenty
four hours, which is the highest speed
attainable in China But the placid
Celestials, to whom hurry appears form
Of vulgar impatience, and to whom tele-
graphs are an abomination, are content
that all ordinary communications should
be conveyed either by slow padding or
polling boats, or else by foot-runners,
whose high sounding title of "the thou
sand-mile horse" does not quicken their
pace beyond about twelve miles IN
twenty-four hours. They carry paper
lantern and paper umbrella, and their
letter-bag is secured on their backs by a
cloth knotted across the chest
But though the rise and fall of nations
in the outer world of barharians are
topics wholly without interest to these
millions, there are some subjects which
call forth enthusiasm and an eager de-
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