Evening star., 1903-07-25
SR|NNUGUR:'S ! CAYETY
A Six Course Breakfast Under
Chinar Trees.
THE BOATMEN'S LESSON
MEETING WITH A YOUNG PRINCE
AND HIS GoVERNESS.
Maharajah's Palace Not Painted to
Please an American Wo-
mans Taste.
The BOATMEN'S LESSON
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
On our second arrival at Srinnugur we
found that small place the gayest Of the
gay; the river lined as far up as the hrst
bridge with gayly painted and decorated
houseboats and dungas, with flowers at
every window; the bund alive with men In
fiannels or shooting costumes and ladies'
in the gayest of silks and muslins; sh1karas
with crimson, blue or green awnings SKIM
ming about from boat to boat, carrying
their mem sahibs to make calls, the calling
hours being between II and >; the crew OF
eight clad in liverieS of different colorS,
dark blue or white, with red turbans and
sashes yellow with green or crimson with
white, the heart-shaped paddles painted to
match the turbans. 1t was a pretty sight,
the flash of the eight brilliant paddles, and
a fascinating sound, as the word OF COM
mand to Change stookes being intoned by
the head man was responded to by the
crew in chorus. a note lower in the scale.
Bicycles, kashmir ponies and the three Dig
landaus OF the place were buSlly Sklmmlng,
cantering and numbering about the town,
and all was gayety. AS our boat was pass
ing Munshi Bagh, the usual place Tor
camps, we We're hailed from the shore by
Colonel F., an old friend, and urged to
stop to breakfast with them in their camp
which we gladly did, om.5ing to join the
rest of our boat party later on by the post
office stairs They hau five large tents
one for sleeping, another for sitting and
dining room one cook tent. another for the
servants and the fifth for stores. The dell
cious breakfast of five or six courses, eaten
under the shade Of a huge chinar tree, In
place of the tent, was as jolly as possible,
for each of US brought out our bargains
and each party either envied or made fun
of the purchase of the others. One posses
sion of our friends we much desired, and
that was dandy designed by Colonel F.,
in which one Of hts own chairs could be
uhed, so saving the space and weight of the
usual heavy machine, as we'll as being
much more comfortable, and they much
envied US our "gubbahs." the curtains of
native embroidery, which we had got at
Islamabad. AS the F.s were to start off
for the Sind valley the following day we
bade them goodbye with regret, and set
sail-that is to say, were poled up the river
to the post office stairs and moored be-
tween the big house boat of the three Off
GERS and the picturesque dunga of Colonel
B. On sending for our mail we found that
we were already a1lOat in Srinuggur So
ciety, for among our letters were two invi-
tations to the resldency, as well as sundry
others to tea and dinner from the hospita-
BILE residents of the place, and we were just
heard ourselves hailed from the bank above
and discovered our new friends. Colonel
and Mrs. Re, who wished to know If
they might come down to the dunga We
the genus well bred in it's best sense,
as well as being delightful in their cor
dlalty and very pleasant to look at. They
wished to know our adventures, admired
our curiOS and said they had come down to
carry us off for weeks visit.
Under the Apple Tree.
We consented gladly to spend few days
with them and they were about to go when
to our great pleasure Colonel B. and the
three officers put in an appearance and we
could see that they made a very pleasant
impression upon the r. -E.'s. That even
ing at seven we started up the post office
stairs, followed by six of the boatmen with
portmanteaus, boxes and dressing cases
on their heads, and betook ourselves, across
the green common through the fioWering
apple trees, and up to the picturesque house
of our friends. which has huge chinar
tree in fruit, fruit trees galore back of 1t,
and the lovliest rose gardens at one side.
The inha abitants OF the other two boats
had grumbled greatly on hearing of our
intended defalcaton and had decided that
in place of hanging around the giddy
bund, they would go up the canal to the
gate leading into the Dal Lake and If 1t
proved to be open. on into the lake, where
they would hunt about for good place
for the three boats and await US impa-
tiently.
We had great trouble with our head boat
man, Ahdu. during the journey down and
back and had threatened several times to
complain at headquarters II our orders
were not more promptly obeyed. The other
boats had also had great annoyance and
one of the officers had actually picked up
two of his boatmen and thrown them over
board, with the best possible effect. Things
got worse and worse until Ahdu absolutely
refused to carry our luggage, small as 1t
was to the R.-E.'s home, which we were
told was the proper thing for our boatmen
to do. We said at once that our commands
oh ho W would
leave the dunga for good and Ahdu then
answered instantly that 1t would be better
for US to leave and was the best possible
time for us to change our boat as we had
our friends house as headquarters. Col.
Re, when he heard of the affair, was
dreadfully angry and insisted on going
down, late as 1t was to give Ahdu beat
ing, but we begged him not to, at which ne
said that the boatman had been uncivtl
and disobedient to several other ladies and
that he needed lesson and should have
one.
A Choice of Punishment.
The lesson was a severe one, fear, for
the next day Col Re- went to see the
maharajah, informed him of the whole af
fair, and told US when he reached home
that we could have our choice of punish
ment, either to have their license taken
away, which we at once decided against as
that meant practically starvation. or to
given a good flogging. We thought that
If punishment really must be inflicted a
beating would be the most harmless, SO a
beating it was and, l fear. a hard one. AS
we had the choice of many dungas. as soon
as it was known that we were going to
leave Ahdu's boat we had no trouble in
having our things transferred to another
tho next day. The only difficulty we found
was in getting a dunga without babies. for
as a usual thing the boatmen. who have no
other home, summer or winter. take their
wives and families with them. and the
babies are a sad nuisance, crying and
whining at all hours of the night and day.
We did at last find one, however, wherein
the crew consisted Of four men, three wo-
men and no babies. our things were trans
ferred from one boat to another and we
settled down for a rest Of day or two
with the R.-E.s.
Little Prince Charming.
We had Just come in from church on
Sunday, when Col. r. e. came to our door
and called out, Come out, If you please.
1 have dear little prince to show you;"
and on going down stairs We found the lit
tie heir to the throne, Hari Singh, whom
we addressed as Man Sahib (Mr Prince, a
f