Connecticut western news., 1885-07-01
IN THE CITY OF THE SUN.
Picturesque Scenes in the
 Cashmere Capital.
What Life Was Like in the City that
 an Earthquake Has Destroyed.

Serinagar, or literally Surgia Nagar, 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 I 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 of the Cash mere Lake. Here hired boat coy- 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 plump baby. The whole party, ex- cept the plump baby, took their turn at the oars and towing rope, and l managed to get along at the rate of two miles an hour.
 It was a clear morning, and beauti- full beyond description was the pano- ramic view as we wound along the river in its circular course. All around the country was rich with yer dure. Rising at distance were the snowy ranges of the Himalaya Moun- tains, many of them as much as 13,000 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 considerable city of some 150,000 inhabitants, of whom
 10000 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 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 or carriages
 in the city of Serinagar, and there
 fore no conveyances rumble along its
 narrow, dirty streets. It is wise
 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 well known.
 Cashmere ShawlS have a worldwide
 reputation, although the trade Is not
 as prosperous as 1t 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-
 equalled in the world, for 1t has pc
 culiar unfinished style of its owr which cannot be initiated. The cop.
 per work is very antique in its appear ance. The painted and inlsid wood wood enormously called by European: papier mache, is also exceedingly beautiful. It is an interesting fact that the well known Cashmere shaw pattern, which finds expression in al ] articles of Cashmese manufacture, ha. its origin in the peculiar windings ol the river Jhelum along the valley.
 , The women of Cashmere are re } nowned for their beauty. They art . exceedingly fair for Orientals. In for
 mer years they were seized and sold al slaves for the seraglios of Easterr . monarchs. And even in modern day; the Cashmere beauty has found aplact in the affections of some of Indiat European rulers and warriors. Phys l ically, the men are very fine race ' The chronological development of botf l sexes is good. But still the Cash l meree is hopeless individual. At frs when you look at him you believe 1T him. His fine development of head } and chest win your respect. But iron ? the day that one of their number att five of my loaves of bread, and anoth CT purloined bottle of preserved cur [ rants, and another appropriated {
 leathern strap, lost confidence in thI
 race. After very careful inquiry
 came to the conclusion that the Cash meree comes very low down in tn, scale of humanity. He won't work il he can help it, and to beg he is neveI ashamed. Such is the race that in habits one of the falrest and most : productive provinces on earth.
 The valley of Cashmere is about 10t miles long and averages twenty -hv' miles in width, and the surrounding mountains vary in height from 8,00( to 15,000 feet. The valley itself fl : about 5000 feet above the level of tn, sea. It was formerly Mohammedar country indeed, all the natives ar, Moslems, but at the conquest of north