The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-06-25
IN THE CITY OF THE SUN.
Picturesque Scenes in the
Cashmere Capital.
What Life Was like in the City that
an Earthquake Has Destroyed.

Cashmere, India, one Of the most
charming spots in the whole earth. 1t
IS some seven years ago that in my
wanderings l visited this happy val
ey, says a writer in the New York
Sun. A lonely march of about 100
miles along the banks of the Jhelum
River, the ancient Hydaspes, brought
me to the smooth waters Of the Cash
mere Lake. Here | hired a boat cov-
cred with mating, and so arranged
that the stern of the boat formed
cooking kitchen, both for the crew
and passenger. My crew consisted of
a full-grown man, an under-grown
boy, and an old woman. two small
children, and a young mother and a
plump baby. The whole party, ex-
eept the plump baby, took their turn
at the oars and towing rope, and l
managed to get along at the rate of
.wo miles an hour.
1t was clear morning, and beauti-
full beyond description was the pano-
ramic view as we wound along the
civer in its circular course. All
around the country was rich with YER
lure. Rising at distance were the
snowy ranges of the Himalaya Noun
tains, many of them AS much as $4,000
feet above the sea level. In the CEN
tire Of this lovely scenery is the City
Of the Sun, which Was destroyed by
an earthquake last Sunday.
Serinagar is considerable city of
some 10000 inhabitants, of whom
20,0J0 are Hindus and the remainder
Mohammedans. The houses are built
entirely of wood, and are usually about
three stories high. The streets are
narrow and dirty. The people were
dirtier than the streets. No pen
could possible depict the real sanitary
condition of Serinagar, and consequent
Iy one regrets that as the city had to
perish, it did not succumb to the puri-
flying element of fire rather than the
upheavings Of an earthquake.
The city Of Serinagar is on an island
in the midst of the Cashmere Lake
1t has seven bridges, all made of
wooden logs. Some Of the bridges
are occupied with shops, like old Lon
don Bridge, which are extremely
quaint, although unsightly structures.
There are no cabs or carts or carriages
in the city of Serinagar, and there
fore no conyeyances rumble along its
narrow, dirty streets. 1t is a wise
dispensation of Providence that
wheeled conveyances have not been in
troduced in the capital of Cashmere,
fer the people would be too lazy to
get out Of the way. The Cashmeree
never walks or works if he can help
it. In recent famines they have pre-.
ferred dying to either. And yet they
are skillful workmen. The manufac-
tories of Cashmere are well known.
Cashmere shawls have worldwide
reputation, although the trade is not
as prosperous as it used to be. A
! Cashmere shawl has been sold in Paris
and London for $4,000, and even
more. The silver and gold work in
bracelets and necklaces is perhaps un-
euualled in the world, for it has pc
culiar unfinished style Of its own
which cannot be initiated. The cop
per work is very antique in its appear.
ancp. The painted and inlaid wood,
wood enormously called by Europeans
papier mache, is also exceedingly
beautiful. 1t is an interesting fact
that the well known Cashmere shawl
pattern, which finds expression in all
articles of Cashmese manufacture, has
its origin in the peculiar windings ol
the river Jhelum along the valley.
The women of Cashmere are re-
nowned for their beauty. They are
exceedingly fair for Orientals. In for
mer years they were seized and sold as
slaves for the seraglios of Eastern
monarchs. And even in modern days
the Cashmere beauty has found place
in the affections of some of 1ndia's
European rulers and warriors. Phys
ically, the men are very fine race
The chronological development OF botf
sexes is good. But still the Cash
meree is hopeless individual. AT first
when you look at him you believe IN
him. His fine development of head
and chest win your respect But from
the day that one of their number ate
five of my loaves of bread, and anoth
er purloined bottle of preserved cur
j rants, dllu
leathern strap, l lost confidence in th'
race. After very careful inquiry
came to the conclusion that the Cash
meree comes very low down in th'
scale of humanity. He won't work il
he can help it, and to beg he is neve
ashamed. Such is the race that in
habits one of the flirest AMI most
productive provinces on earth.
The valley of Cashmere is about lOl
miles long and averages twenty -iiv'
miles in width, and the surrounding
mountains vary in height from SOU,
to $4,000 feet. The valley itself i
about 5000 feet above the level OF tn
sea. 1t was formerly Mohammedal
country indeed, all the natives ar
Moslems, but at the conquest OF north
ern India the British sold the provinc
/ Of Cashmere to one of tbs. sikh princes