Evening star., 1903-07-18
QUAINT |SLAMABAD
Circled About With Snow
Topped Mountains.
A CUP OF NATIVE TEA
FLOATING ALONG THE RIVER UN
DER BLUE SKIES.
A Grove of High Chinars Round a
Garden of Scarlet
Lilies.
A CUP OF NATIVE TEA


We spent eight days at quaint lslamabad
but only on the last pne did the sun come
out so that We could have the view of the
complete circle of snow mountains around
us. On that day we Joined forces the colo
mel. his middle-aged sister and his boy of
fourteen. the three young men from the
houseboat who proved to be officers
leave, and ourselves, and having sum
moned the stately headman. who appeared
followed 10y his dirty servant carrying the
book of chitS. and having commanded
horses for the day for all except the sister.
who preferred dandy, donned our rid
ing clothes and topees and sailed forth.
jolly party. AT any town in kashmir one
can get very good little riding pony for
one rupee day, St cents, which includes Il
sais to run behind and carry the lunch. 1t
is a price fixed 10y the state, cannot
be cheated.
The mongoose climbed up on to my shoul
der when started. and he danced there
all the way to Atchibal. although l can
tered the greater part of the time. The road
was good, and along the riverside. through
groves Of willows. avenues of poplars, al
ways with the snow mountains In view.
Atchibal destination. was an old pleas
ure garden of Jehangir and his empress.
the beautiful Nourmahal 1t iS Il lovely
spot. with groves of enormous chinar trees.
three springs rushing. literally, from the
mountain side. and several small pleasure
houses made of exQuisitely carved wood
built In the center of IA made lake We all
sat on the roots of one of the big chinars
at lunch time and opened the different
lunch baskets: the mongoose was turned
loose and Immediately disappeared into a
fole IN the tree: and Abdul. whom had
brought with US, was sent off to consult
with the headman as to the possibility of
tea. He returned IN a short time. saving
that there was only native tea to be had
Nit !, ,l,.,t
moment a portly person appeared accompa-
MED by a servant carrying two large books,
and after touching his forehead and SAYING
salaam. informed us that he was the stew
ard of the Oak Bungalow. which was not
yet open to visitors. but that he could pro-
vide US with tea and fresh vegeta bles If we
wished. We demanded tea at once and il
was forthcoming In about hour. Our
bearer had been cautioned as to the clean
llness of the cook pots. which are all of
copper lined with tin and must be refined
once In two weeks to be Saf fe. and he him
self brought the cook pot for US to inspect
copper, but with kelai uinl over the prettily
etched outside as well the inside The
buHalo milk. which was all we could get
tasted little strong. we fancied; the sugar
which had evidently been broken off a
large lump, and a very dirty lump at that
mad to be scraped well before being used
and there was very little taste of tea about
the decoctfon. but we We're glad of some
thing hot. and had to put on the best face
as the steward his two servants Abdul and
at distance. every sails We're watching si-
lently to see how we took 1t. They were
evidently pleased with the result for thev
disappeared soon after, and in n short time
came back carrying chinar leaves on one
OF which was bunch of freshly cut as
raragus, on another some crisp water cress
ana on a thlrd. or rather two put together.
q small head of cauliflower. OF course nice
We're scattered about and after with diff
Guilty persuading the mongoose to come out
Oh me chlnar where he had discovered
MOST attractive hole. we gathered our pos
sessions together and We're about to mount
our ponies when the two large-siZed books
We're produced and we had to spend a few
moments looking over the signatures
among I them we discovered two signed
Baden Powell" in both of which the old
steward was complimented on the unfailing
supply OF fresh vegetables provided by him
Tor the Oak Bungalow.
A Disappointing Run.
We took roundabout route home. stop
ping at the ruins of Martand. dating from
thfee hundred and something A. d. but
Were disappointed, az so greatly have they
peen damaged by earthquakes and effaced
by the Mohamedans. who allow no figure
or man in their temples that they look
IKE any ruin that might be seen in Eu-
rope, not at all like the east We all cap
tered across the plateau on one end of
Whlch lie the ruins, and had a most won
derful view over the great fat valley with
the Thelum river looking silvely in the dis
tance, though knew that III was tba
same disgustingly dirty swift little rive
on which we had spent already five or six
days. We We're complaining to Major /
as we rode slowly down hill of the vast
number of tips necessary to be given after
a stay in an Indian hotel and saving thar
we thought in reality they mounted rIp to
as much. If not more than in a hotel in Ell
rope lie SAID he thought 1t very foolish
to give to all the servants assembled AT
ones departure; that he never bv any
chance gave anything except to the Bhees-
Tie ana sweeper, who have such very small
pay He said he had been witness to a
very funny scene once at Agra where a
young 1rishman, fellow officer on leav-
ing the hotel after a stay of perhaps ten |
days, found almost every servant of the !
place gathered about the door with the |
hope OF a tip He came briskly forth and !
got into the ghari, saying as he did so. |
An. l see! All the servants! Now l Won |
der if they are all here. No do not seem |
to see the dhobt twaShmanp. nor do | be- |
hold the under gardener All was in Hin |
1ustanee. of course. and he said this |
last a man vanished in search of the two |
servants mentioned. AS they came up the
you are; now you all here Very nice, |
Well. salaam! And he drove off without
give a single piece having a sad and Won
ierlng multitude. who drowned their dis
in loud chatter. One pties |
he poor things. but they are such inveter- /
ate beggars and thieves that we cannot
lelp feeling that one such experience will
lot hurt them.
Not Afraid of Bees.
On the way back through the dirty little
own we noticed in small places tiny holes
n the mud walls and bees coming in and
'ut, and were told that the hives. large
mud ones. were placed inside the houses for
he warmth. and that the small holes were
made solely that the busy bee might be
lble to continue to Improve the shining
lOur' In both winter and summer. We all
lined together on the big houseboat that
evening, even the tiny mOngoose being in
'ited, as the three officers kept their dogs
IN their cook boat. and, after dinner went |
Up on the roof. where we found easy chairs
md drinks, and for those who wished them
cigarettes. We all left Islamabad for Sri
luggar. The next morning the big house
'oat swung off front. and, ugly as 1t and
Ill the other boats are, it was a pictur-
sque sight, for in the bow squatted a
vhite-clad figure steering with heart |
haped paddle, and in the stern another, |
While at one side were twelve tall men,
ach with a long pole, and. as they poled |
he boat along, the head man sang and in |
rather shrill but minor tone "Al-l-l-l-ll-
III" and the others, all thirteen of them,
a note lower in the scale, ALI