Milford chronicle., 1885-07-03
IN THE CITY OF THE SUN.
Picturesque Scenes in the
Cashmere Capital.
What Life Was Like in the City that
an Earthquake Has Destroyed.

80 -~s+- va Ast-~A 1900 0~~NAN ~"
serinagar, or literally Surgia Magyar,
the City of the Sun, is the capital Of
the beautiful and romantic valley Of
Cashmere, India, one Of the most
charming spots in the whole earth. It
is some seven years ago that in my
wanderings visited this happy val
ley, 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 6f the Cash
mere Lake. Here I hired a boat COW
cred with mating, and so arranged
that the stern of the boat formed a
cooking kitchen, both for the crew
and passenger. My crew consisted Of
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-
cept the plump baby took their turn
at the oars and towing rope, and 1
managed to get along at the rate Of
two miles an hour.
1t was a clear morning, and beauti-
full beyond description was the piano.
ramic view as we wound along the
river in its circular course All
around the country was rich with YER
dure, Rising at a 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
ire Of this lovely scenery is the City
of the Sun, which was destroyed by
an earthquake last Sunday.
Serinagar is a considerable city Of
some 10000 inhabitants, of whom
10000 are Hlndus 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
ly one regrets that as the city had to
perish, 1t 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.
It 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 OF carriages
in the city Of Serinagar, and there
fore no conveyances rumble along its
narrow, dirty streets. It is a wis,
dispensation of Providence that
wheeled conveyances have not been in
troduced in the capital of Cashmere,
for 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 we'll known.
Cashmere shawls have a 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
mora The silver and gold work in
bracelets and necklaces is perhaps un-
equalled in the world, for it has a pc
culiar unfinished style of its own
which cannot be initiated. The cop
per work is very antique in its appear
ance. 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 of
the river Jhelum along the valley.
The women Of Cashmere are re-
for their beauty. They are
exceedingly fair for OrientaIs In for
mer years they were seized and sold as
slaves for the seraglios Of Eastern
And even in modern days
the Cashmere beauty has found place
in the affections of some Of midas
European rulers and warriors. Phys
lcally, the men are a very fine race
The chronological development Of both
sexes is good But still the Cash
neree is a hopeless individual. At FIRST
when you look at him you believe in
lim. His fine development of head
md chest win your respect But from
he day that one of their number ate
I've Of my loaves of bread, and anoth-
II purloined bottle Of preserved cur
ants, and another appropriated a
strap, lost confidence in the
ace. After very careful inquiry ]
anne to the conclusion that the OasL
neree comes very low down in the
Gale of humanity. He won't work if
ie can help it, and to beg he is never
Such is the race that in
abits one Of the fairest and most
provinces on earth.
The valley of Cashmere is about 100 s
niles long and averages twenty five I
niles in width, and the surrounding Z
fountains vary in height from 5000 t
0 $4,000 feet The valley itself is q
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