Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-12
TERRORS OF A FLOOD
Second Stories Only Are
Habitable.
AYAH POPULATIONS
SERVANT GIRL QUESTION ON THE
BANKS OF THE JHELUM.
Combinations Where Faults Seem to
Outnumber Work-a-Day
Virtues.
AYAH regulations

Written for The Evening Star.
We are in the midst Of flood. The river
Jhelum has risen thirty feet in the last ten
days. and the new canal. built for such an
emergency. has been flooded and destroyed.
On our side Of the river the bund (river
walk) is four feet higher than the surround
Ing country. and our house, which is an old
one. consequently Is the whole Of a story
below the level Of the bund. The opposite
side Of the river. which is all open country.
Is flooded. SO that only a very narrow strip
o. the bank and the double row of poplars
are out OF the water. So far the river has
not overfiowed the bund. but we have fully
expected 1t to do so. and have every night
had all our movable belongings carried to
the second floor. We have prepared for a
two days isolation In the midst of the
waters by getting a small charcoal stove
with the charcoal and provisions to last US
for that length of time. and have been
greatly interested, not to say very much
excited. as to the number OF inches the
water has increased from hour to hour 1t
Is apparently equally dangerous to the
bufd. whether the rain continues or
whether the sun shines. for in the latter
case the snow on the mountains melting,
Will be as bad. If not worse. than the rains
There Is tremendous excitement of course,
among the natives. and the screaming and
long. Little sheds have been put I'D with
mat roofs all along the bund, which is
about mile and half in length for the
use of the night watchmen. who can be
seen during the day lying swathed In dirty
chuddars, snoozing peacefully, a lantern
and hOokah by their Sides The whole
place swarms with tiny frogs and smells
OF them. too. poor little beasts. for 1t Is
impossible to keep from treading on Them
they are so numerous. The cheerful voice
of the breadman Is no longer heard In the
land. at least not In his usual plaintlve
cry of Hula barkat! Hula barkatr"
which the munshi tells US means Here's
blessing! Here's blessng!" 1t may be
that among the countless Shrill cries to be
heard from morning till night his can be
numbered, but we much prefer his usual
note and miss 1t greatly The jewel and
affected by the excitement of 1t all, and,
although their shops six feet under
water. they have cheerfully moved their
wares to the top floor of the rickety old
houses. and every day sally forth into he
floods and appear at our doors or windows
with their meek cry, Jewel merchant,
Hu1Oor,' or "Old silver and brass, Huzoor,"
and alas! our rupees slip rapidly away.
The native part of the town, the old quar-
ter, Is said to be six eight feet under
water, but 1t is impossible to see for our
selves, the river Is too high to allow of
the passage of a shikara under the bridges,
and If 1t were not, 1t would be unsafe on
account of the very unstable condition of
the bridges themselves.
Mail in Peril.
How the mail tonga gets out of the town
I do not know, but through 1t all we have
missed only one Indian mail and that on
account of a broken bridge between Rawal
Pindi and Baramoula, the beginning of the