Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-06-06

many friends here would read All account Oi
her journey with the greatest pleasure. anc
10 whom She cannot possibly write person
ally Miss T. started from Springfield Sep
: tember |. and from New York September
%. 1855. This letter describes the trip from
Bombay to NowgUng:
NOwGuNG, ASSAM. INDIA,
March 20, 1856.
DEAR -: About . o'clock on the
morning of November 5, 1855, We left the
steamship Asia" and hurrying out of the
hot sun into the custom house, hade adieu tC
a part of OR company, and after assuring
the officers that We had neither tobacco.
cigars nor whisky i'll our trunks, drove Oh
through the hot, dusty streets of Bombay
To the Victoria hotel. After nearly six
weeks of steamer life and SeasickneSS the
quiet OF our hotel was appreciated A. never
before. Th0sgh it was 80 warm that sleep
was almost impossible. II WAS refreshing to
have plenty of room to move about; that
too on something stable; and Ia hear no
sound. no smell no OdOr of machinery.
The hotels of India are only one ur two
stories high. but the rooms are large in pro
portion 10 the heat, ceilings twenty-five to
thirty feet high. In the spacious
dining room. with its immense
table and punkah swinging over il,
with servants all in white and moving about
so noiselessly in their bare feet we rested
and ate our first curry and rice with the
most delicious tropical fruits.
After two o'clock titiin tteal. We drove to
the Towers of Silence" and the governors
residence on Malebar Hill. The Towers
are not towers in our sense of the term,
but simply high building on high hill,
where the ParSeeS place the bodies Of their
dead. In about ten minutes the vulturrS
have left nothing but the bones. These
they burn inside the towers and preserve
the ashes. The governors residence, with
acres Of beautifully laid out grounds slUping
down TO the sea, is tropical palace. Can
| your Imagination picture it?
| We drove home by another route,
| I'm sure that never spent 81 much time in
any other city where | saw So little poverty
and wretchedneSs. The clean streets the
neat buildings. the parks with their strange
trees plants and flowers. and especially the
groves of palm trees, and sunset on the sea,
| all had a charming appearance to the tired
travellers. 1t was the day of the great feast.
and though there were fireworks at night,
the quiet of our rooms were more inviting
than anything offered in the heat and dust
uf a crowded street.
After an almost Sleepless night Miss Van
Meter and started at six n. m. for the Ele
plant Caves One who has not travelled in
the east can have little idea of native Gus
toms and especially Of native noise
If you want anything there
are forty men on hand. but each wants the
l.Nfl, 20 Il hn and oil Hyur,t tl.A
bucksheeSh. All talk at once and loud as
they can. Miss V. and encountered this
difficulty on the morning in question, but
we were very decided in our actions and
wasted 10 words, simply because We could
not talk.
We took little sail boat manned by
seven natives. There was a good breeze
and the sea was quite rough, and We went
rolling about rather rapidly. However, we
had no fear. The city was different from
any other We had seen; the many large
steamers at anchor. the smaller ones and
native boats gliding about, the islands in
the distance the birds, and the very sky,
,Il had a strange and interesting appear
snce.
In about two hours we reached the island
Of the caves, seven miles distant from Bonn
bay, in a straight line. We had to climb
about two hundred steps Ia reach the top
Of the hill Here We spent between two
and three hours exploring the caves, gath
tring flowers and shells, and seeing and
hearing all that was open TO these senses.
Read a good cyclOpedia or Bayard Taylor
for description Of these caves. The island
is beautiful. and in a good state of preSer
vatiOn. The work OF the ancient inhabi-
tants far surpassed our expectations, and is
r,ft 20, NJ
on the island the bOatmen had been cooking
their curry and rice; II was ready 10 eat
Just as we started back. There was no
wind, it was nearly noon. and as
they could not row and eat at once,
they ate. and no one rode or rOwed. For
three-quarters of an hour we were at the
mercy OF the elements, and could not see
that We made any progress at all, while
those men sat about an immense bowl As !
happy a. children, Stutfing their yellow
mess into their mouths. When they had
done. with cOntented grunt they washed
their hands in the Arabian sea, took to the
oars and laid out their strength in way
that made their bodies shine. We suffered
very much from the heat in spite of our
large umbrellas. fans and cork hats. with
wet cloths upon our heads; and were glad
when We reached the city and found our
carriage waiting for Us. We jumped into
it, paid the head man of the crew.
and were rapidly driven away from the
bowling mob. The remainder OF the after
noon was given to business and to packing
our trunks to be sent on Ia Calcutta. We
took the evening train for Agra. This is
the only railroad connection between Bonn
bay and Calcutta, and As we wanted to 60
10 Agra it suited us TO have no other. But, |
l., F,I..
pen, yes, Il pen! and not very clean, |
either; about seven by tive feet; four Of our
party, with considerable baggage for the |
railroad furnishes no bedding whatever), |
the heat intense. the cinders flying about |
like flakes in a snow storm; but more than |
all these native woman with a sick child |
and large bundle containing decayed |
fish. We had no objection To the woman |
and child, if they had been clean, but |
the OdOr was almost more than we could |
endure.
For a while we made the most of our
Sitution, but sleep was impossible and after
several hours, think the funniest remark
that ever was made could scarcely have
brought smile to our faces. So the dreary
night wore no by far the worst of the five
spent in crossing India. The next morning
four detected and very untidy women
changed cars at Anendabad. Having over
an hour to wait gave us time TO refresh
ourselves inwardly and outwardly. and to
explore the town a little. 1t is II
pretty place noted for its temples.
When we started again we secured much
more comfortable quarters reserved to our
selves and were in a humOr to enjoy the
day.
In spite of the fact that there are almost
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