Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-19
The Journey From Calcutta
and It's Bothers.
C0URTESIES RECEIVED
SHOPPING HAS IT'S FUNNY SIDE
ALSO,
Storekeepers Only Expect one-Third Of
the Price They Ask
at First.

Written for The Evening STAR
The journey from Calcutta to Darjeeling.
which is 5000 feet up in the Himalayas.
and the most beautiful spot in India. In
fact, we would say in the world. is rather
a disagreeable one, from the fact OF having
to change ears three times on the way,
which, with the usual large amount of lug
gage that one takes, is a bothersome per-
Torrance.
We left hot. damp Calcutta at 49, and
for several hours the line lay along the
plains. through groves Of plantains and
past notwithstanding clumps OF jungle.
for jungle means only forest in reality; but
at O'Clock we came to halt, and were
informed by an English stationmaster that
this was Damookdea. the station at which
we took the ferry across the Gangas.
ferry across the Ganges sounded to us as
odd and fully as comprehensive as ferry
across the river Styx. and I should say
that the embarkation must be very similar,
for from train to ferry was veritable
pandemonfum, bowling and shrieking from
countless figures, either naked or entirely
swathed In white, waving Of torches. bel
lowing Of horns. and noises and sights Of
every description of weirdness. All this
was after we had succeeded in descending
the very high ladder placed before the door
Of our compartment, and. as followed by
night coolies, carrying our luggage on their
heads. and four others. with long. flaming
torches. each and every one of them shout
ing, either to some one far in front or very
far behind us, we made our way along the
road to the dock. and so on to a large,
dOuble-decked and apparently very modern
boat. Our things were dumped down on
the lower deck, and the ayah, wrapped in
a dark red wool chudda. only her glittering
nose ring to be seen. made to sit at one
side of them. the bearer at the other, shiv
ering as usual in the night air, although
his dark blue coat was thick and he had
shoes. or rather. sandals, which concealed
his gorgeous gold toe rings in their cav
ernous depths. We went at once to the
upper deck, which was closed in with sail
for dinner At my right I found very
clever and interesting young German cav
airy officer. who spoke English without
sign of accent, and who had. it seemed.
seen us several times at Delhi at the dur
bar, and then by chance come down to Cal
cutta the day we did, and now was bound
also for Darjeeling. At the end of the table
was Mr.. Claude White. the resident at Six
kim. The rest Of the diners were officers
on their way to Darjeeling or cantonments
or tea planters going home after holiday.
Every one in India speaks to every one else
when travelling. so the twenty minutes
crossing of the Gauges was very pleasant
and jolly. The landing was a repetition Of
the almost terrifying sounds and sights of
the place of embarkation, for crowds Of
the white chuddad coolies came swiftly
deck. and each one seemed to be calling at
the top Of his lungs to the last one Of the
throng.
~-r Kind and Gallant.
Our cavalry officer aided us most kindly
in getting coolies, for our luggage. and we
were fortunate enough to have a compart-
.ment all to ourselves; SO we were settled
in no time, and then stood on the steps
and watched the rest Of the people skurry-
ing by. and talked in the torchlight until
10, when, with stiff German bow, our
friend bade US goodnight and betook him
self to his compartment, and the train
started.
Usually the lines in India are very rough
and consequently the motion very disagree
able, but between Sara Chat the landing,
and Siligurt, the last change, there is al
most no motion and very few stoppings, SO
that the. night was quite endurable. At
o clock the next morning we were getting
ready to get out for breakfast at Siliguri
when the train stopped, and our polite cav
a1ryman came to our door to offer his as
sistance. The breakfast Of fish, chops tea
and marmalade proved a very jolly meal;
each officer had his dog beside him MUNICH
Ing bones and snarling at the possible at
tention of the next officers dog. and there
were occasional dog fights, when the re-
.spective masters had to kick their respec-
tive dogs apart. Every one in native fash
ion howled at everyone else and laughed at
nothing. The line from Siliguri is only two
feet wide and the carriages tiny, some open
with arm chair seats and the rest like
those on an ordinary train. That journey
of four hours in, through and around the
mountains is most interesting and wonder
ful, through thick woods Of teak MIN and
pepul trees. along the edge Of Jungle
which is said to be full Of tigers, SO that
no one dares keep cattle anywhere near It,
vii md n1N
extreme edge OF steep cliffs. then later on
through tea plantations, the tea bearing a
low, stubby bush. half Of the leaves brown
The Native Types.
The natives at the different stations were
of quite a different type from those of the
plains, and seemed to us like our American
Indians. At each stopping. and there were
four. I think, all the train turned out, the
dogs were unearthed, and for FIVE or ten
minutes there was jolly hum Of both In
termingled with the snarls Of the rival
dogs. One could get fairly good. but very
weak, tea at each station, but II one had q
prejudice to the milk OF the goat, the tea
was not SO palatable as the usual cup
Everyone In the train knew everyone else
apparently. and all were interested in us.
the only strangers. The very charming
daughter Of tea planter came into our
compartment and pointed out to US the
bungalows Of different friends of her father
as we went Dy. Inc houses looked as COM
Portable as possible. and long, low buuga-
lows, with trees and, as far as we could
see. lawns around them. AS we went I'D
the mountains the vegetation seemed to be-
come even more tropical. and we skirted
woods In which were huge tree-ferns ard
trees with orchids on them. At one place
we saw several leafless trees covered en-
tirely with large. bright, scarlet tropical
looking flowers; the cotton-seed was said
to be the name OF the tree, though no one
seemed to be entirely sure about 1t. Here
and there we came out into the open and
got views down thousands Of feet and on
to the plain of Calcutta. It is a remark
able journey in every way. At one station
g number Of our newly made friends came
hastily to the door of our tiny compart-
mept and dragged us out to look at the
curiosity Of the mountains. Bhutan wo-
man 120 years old and said to be worth
10000 rupees all of which she has made
by begging. She was an ugly, hat-faced
old bag, with a necklace of large, red wood
beads, and hanging from 1t silver box set
with turquoises, in which was her horo-
scope. How l would like to read that horo-
scope done many years agoI
Vigorous, but Not Vain.
She was a mass Of patches and rags and
horribly dirty, but as vigorous as possible,