The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-06
THE WEALTH OF GOLCONDA


and Its Present Deserted Condition.
Nearly every one has heard OF the wealth Of
eolconda, but how many Americans know
where Golconda 10 and what the wealth OF tho
place was2 II tho map OF Southern India be
consulted II will be seen that the territory OF
the NIsam occupies a very fair share OF Madras
Presidency. and that tho principal city 10
Hyderabad. This city 10 n walled native town.
with no white people living within It's bounda-
riss. The British population. including British
troops, are quartered about ten miles from
Hyderabad. They live in q city called
esounderabad, by far the largest military
station in the south OF India. No British
soldier 10 permitted TO visit the native
city without o special pass from the British
political resident, who obtains it from the
Nizam's Secretary, and this custom Is strictly
adhered 70 to Insure tho safety of the visitor.
d. Having applied for our pass ten days before,
which 10 the regulation time allowance given to
move the official machinery. and having
patiently waited the full time, we found
ourselves one fine morning armed with n
wonderful native document stating in tho
Hindu tongue that wo were to be allowed
20 visit the fort Of Golconda, and that we
were not to be molested In any way by tho
subjects Of his Htghness the NizaCa. Our party
consisted Of three other British officers and my
self. and w hired two tongas for the occasion.
A tonga is q native conveyance of the hooded
variety on two wheels. drawn by two wretched
little ponies. who regard any food except grass
a. . very rare luxury. Two Of us occu-
pied each vehicle. the driver sitting In front with
the tifin lunoheon) baske cts, and we sat with our
backs 70 the horses, which Is the regulation
method, aud must be adhered to II you wish to
get ahead at all. New methods will not stand
Introduction into . country whore all manual
labor 10 done with the simplest tools, out of date
In Europe o thousand years ago.
The temperature 10 ut e7' Fahrenheit and
not q cloud to DO seen. The ponies trot In
q peculiar fashion Of their own, which looks as
II they were about to fall over their front feet.
but changed their minds at the last available
second. They can. however. continue these
movements for about thirty good miles o day
without falling once.
We reached the nearest bridge of Hyderabad
about noon. There Is q narrow river just out
aide, and one crosses q bridge to reach the gate.
This bridge is crowded with native vehicles Of
all descriptions, and Arab stations with gaudy
trappings, ridden by native merchants and
soldiers; and, a. one looks down the river and
sees another bridge In tho distance, ones
thoughts turn to London Bridge and the
Thsmes. with Blackfriars' Bridge in the dis
tance. Our gharry-wallah (coachman) shouts
loudly to make way for tho Sahib. clubbing
tho ponies vigorously, and We are doing very
we'll until We get blocked with q large camel.
ridden by Q native soldier, the feet of tho beast
coming down like huge street poundera
The river at present Is very shallow. and II Is
very amusing to see the elephants dlsporting
themselves In the pools and being rubbed with
o brick by their drivers. this being the method
of cleaning the beast. Other pools are seized
upon by the washerwomen. and one shudders
for one's own best shirts as one sees the clothes
being banged on o huge rock with mighty
bangs. Washingboards and patent wringing
machines will probably reach here in another
thousand years or more-surely this is o great
field for the invincible commercial traveller.
Our coachman ia at last successful in bis eff
forts at forcing q passage. and We drive through
the mighty gates, studded with huge iron
spikes, aud guarded by sentries armed with old
snider rines. The walls are very high and
thick and surround the whole city. the popula-
ton Of which 10 100000. The streets are very
narrow. but we are not troubled by many vehi-
cles, the mode of progression being mostly on
horseback or by means of covered sedan chairs.
Each street 10 densely packed with shops or
stalls, the proprietors. sitting on the door with
their knees up to their chins, bargaining with
secs q woman covered with q white garment,
put on apparently like u candle extinguisher
tain let in for eye pieces. Every one is. Of course.
barefooted, and crippled begears abound. as in
soinsss ss the SILVER sa! III w hhs H y she f hs,l rs slo Ssn
a bout the he size Of og Tie last sS.9 JOINT td't one's f fGens
marked with Hindu characters and called
".Dube." Stall after stall is passed. ana occa-
sionally q Mohammedan temple OF square build.
thoroughfares the driver points out two large
iron-bound gates and q courtyard. beyond.
seldom lives In the city itself. The drainage is
All on the surface, the people are not particu-
mns. iba BE nasr IL i ioo! IN ha the s sna the temperature
We push onward. Darling through o side
gate, we again reach the open country and
breathe more freely. and as we see the overs of
Golconda Fort, about q mile away. rising from
the dusty. heated plain, our conversation leads
TO . dissertation by our scientific member upon
the method Of keeping water bottles cool
Dy wrapping them In wet woollen socks"
sentry, who is dressed IN Khaki sEpS Clothes he am and Siae
,puttles." his foot covering being his natural
skin; blacked By nature. After a certain amount
guard from q chronic siesta. This official seizes
his sword, turns our passes upside down, looks
though It 10 perfectly evident he cannot read a
single word of the document
The fort Itself has been entirely uninhabited
for years.. 1t is built upon the top Of an i'm
msnss hidi; the sides Of which are occupied by
Having passed the outer wall, the whole place
Is 9ne1 70 ne: AND tov We Are Are p%er6eectly alone in a
S heaps o Of cd iron SoT Shells h steps s8 ean 1ns5e ba We p pas
AZ occasional displaced cannon. The shells are
the size or large cocoanuts. and the cannon balls,
o foot in diameter. consist OF solid granite. The
sides OF the streets are merely the remains Of
the Of the old stone houses, and the
road to the top Of the hill winds in u corkscrev
fashion. gradually mounting upward and helped
out by stone steps. Here and there we meet a
diEre9sing sidepath, which leads to some tank
or well hftesn or twenty yards in diameter. and
half full of Shiny water and crawling things.
Half way MP we pass o native hermit in his
hole In the rock, who follows US for aims.
We reached the top In about a quarter Of an
hour, and easily scaled the roof of the only re-
naming building. which is a square stone fort
Tess. entirely devoid Of architectural EN- bellish-
ment. The view from this point Is well worth
the climb. The surrounding country can be
seen, spreading out on every side. fiat, dusty,
and hot, for fully twenty or twenty five miles.
Hyderabad city Is almost hidden by trees.
The wall around tho base OF the hill Is moro
than four miles In, circumference, and entirely
surrounds the whole fort, beinx armed ut sew
0rAl prominent points with ancient cannon. The
garrison necessary to, guard such an extent of
Pamparts must have been counted In the thou
eAnds. The side of the enclosure toward HYDRA
bad city 10 filled with the ruins of the dwelling
houses. several of them still retaining the stone
lattice work Of the Eenana windows; but not u
roof remAins. The other side of the hill would
seem to have been used as pasture ground tor