The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1888-06-29
miNposTAN LETrER.
cALeurrA, India. May 18th. lss

billiards. III Dakota and New York, and
shall confess II reluctantly admit India's
tropical cline Is not so very bad after al
even ifthc the thermometer does register
S7s Q a. m, 81 1 p. m, and So 10 p. m.
Consistency may be a jewel, yet do not
ealoy perpetual spring and have been long
Ing all the past winter for good old.f fash
ioned sleigh.ride In the fine bracing air,
which sends the sluggish blood bounding,
through the veins, the eyes grow bright
the cheeks fresh and rosy then one feels
II Il good to live. Here We simply exist
eight months out of twelve day after dag,
the same glarlng Eonotonous heal. the same
roasting, boiling, frying, (unless one con.
stantly sits under the punkah,) and then
comes the stewlng process, A. the damp
heat Is much more enervating aud un.
healthy than the dry heat. Nov and then,
from March until the mid lie ofJune.( when
the rainy season acts in,) the monotony Il
broken by north.wester, fierce gale Of
wind and dust, then thunderand tightening,
accompanied by perfect down pour Of
rain, the wind suddenly shifts about and
we have furious war of the elements
which always gives one an uncomfortable
dread of cyclones, hurricanes and ali man.
ner of dreadful possibilities vet we wei.
come the change, and r=vel in the cooling
draughts Of steam tossed air that & hurled
abou. 30 swiftly and suddenly as to almost
deprive one Of breath. Between the mos.
quitos and the prickly heat, one Is driven
nearly wild, many people look as though
they were having ineasles. ! assure you
II Is sirply rnaddening 10 slt still and en-
tertain callers when one !. suffering from
prickly.heat and longing for relief In the
bath tub. Indeed. think MOSQUITOES and
rocks are the only living creatures that
really enjoy life in Calcutta during this
season ol the year. The former attends
strictly TO business with unabaled zeal, all
the tanning, siapping, stamping and kick
Ing give one only temporary relief Naughty
ones confess they are tempted many times
10 break the third commandment. One il
compelled TO sleep under mosquito curtains
all the year hound, which Is anything but
refreshing. Many people who have night
punkah's have them arranged inside the
curtains. OF course you all know punlah
Is huge kind of fan. The top Is made of
light wood which varies com three 70
twelve feet In length from The lower side
hangs killing o, ruffies OF cloth. (any kind
or color one chooses, about eighteen inches
wide from the upper side OF this board, |
(which Is painted, papercd or decorated to
suit the taste OF the owners, )are stout cords |
TO the ceiling then stout cord
ID secured near each end of the board. term |
mating In one near the wall, where Il Il |
passed through hoe 10 the outside, where
! eoolle lcalIed a punkah.wallal pulls this |
cord, creating a most delightful breeze. |
India without the punkah during the hot |
season would be simply IntolerabIe. Night |
punkah's are not very desirable for delicate
people. Invariably the punkah-walIa goes
o sleep during the long, hot night, and |
xhen the Punkah stops one wakens TO find
aimself bathed In Precipitation shouts Of
'sono. tono." CpuIi, pull. )do not always have !
he desired effect. then one must get out of |
bed, dash water over the unconscious pun |
(Which, suspect, he really en-
Ioys,) or hurl shoe at him, or rouse him !
In as startling manner as possible. Then |
he pulls for dear life and one Is suddenly |
chilled, often with sad results.
We have been remarkably tortunate,ln be-
Ing able to do without night punkahs, as
our rooms are in the third fat of an inn
mense brick building fronting on the great
lnaidan, and II there Is any breeze, whatever,
We have the benefit of iha boon 10 be coy
cted in this climate. Summer and winter
the saucy rook pursues the same e,eheerful,
way,perching on your window
sill at early dawn and cawing In the most
manner,and when your "chota
hazrie," Qiitle breakfast. OF tea and toast,)
Is brought to you-unless you are very
watchful--yeu viii only hear the swift
whiz of Wings and, 10 your toast has van
ished. From your own veranda,or neigh
boring terrace, this audacious intruder tips
his head on one side and gives you most
comically knowing wink. No one Is per-
mitted to modest these glossy. black-coated,
grey necked, bright eyed birds,as they,and
the stnpid,ugIy kites, are the best scaven-
gers this dirty city possesses.
Calcutta has settled down toits usual hot
weather inertness. With the departure of
Lord and Lady Dufferin for Simla, In the
Himalaya mountains, the gaieties ceased
All who could do so.hed away TO the"Hills,"
Cat the different stations in the Himalays
are cailed,) or to England. Just now, and
for few weeks past, the Sikkim expedi-
tion has been attracting public attention.
Sikkim is the smallest and least important.
of the Himalayan states.but is now brought
before the publicity the recent action Of the
Raja,and the party in Tibet, which has In
cited him to defy the Indian Government.
The Raja of Sikkim is of the Tibetan race,
and the ties of blood have been kept up by
the fact that the Raja possesses land and
houses in the Tibetan valley, towhich he
has been in the habit OF making annual
visits. One can readily understand how
with the sympathy of a common religion
the Tibetan Lamas have been able to exert
a more profound influence over the Raja
than has the most skillful and successful of
English officials. Backed by the secret
sympathy Of the Raja, the Tlbetatans have
ecently been encroaching on Sikkim terri
tory, hence the dispatch ofthe present ex-
pedition, consisting Of 1900 troops and four
guns, who are to infiict chastisement on