Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-17
A Form Of 7Transportation
Not to BelCdhmended.
MANY DISCOMFORTS
EITHER RICKSHAw OR A DANDY
BETTER EVERY WAY.
Beautiful and Romantic Scenery, but
Travellers Teo Tired to Enjoy
It in Passing.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
DALHOUSIE. India.

we Itdu II1oO as modes OF conveyance
since our arrival in India almost everything
on wheels. besides the sturdy little hill
ponies. and last but not by no means least.
the elephant, but we had never yet been
able to prove the comfort or discomfort OF
the common native cart-the ekka-for.
whenever we had expressed to any Of our
friends the wish to do So we had iuvari-
ably been told that no lady could stand the
discomfort OF It, and also that 1t would
hardly be the thing for woman to be seen
in one. In spite Of this, however, we de-
termined that If fate "threw one in our
way" we would seize the opportunity to
try 1t, and now we felt at last our chance
bad come, for on the lonely two days drive
from Pathankot to Dalhousie there would
be none to criticise and no one to be put to
shame by our daring; so-we ordered, be-
sides the four ekkas necessary for our lug
gage, an extra one, the best to be found in
the dirty little town, to carry our two
selves. We considered 1t rather pictur-
esQue little wagon, an almost triangular
box hung On two very clumsy and shaky
wheels, the top part Of the box a stiff net
and four gatly painted supports for the
roof, over which was hung brilliant calico
covering. The luggage Is allowed to slide
down the incline of the triangle from the
front and the greater yart of the weight
Is thus shifted to the back To complete
the whole loose net full of grass for the
horse Is always hung underneath. AS we
were to have twenty-eight mile drive in
our clumsy carriage. which must neces-
sartly be jolly there are no springs, we
decided to strain every nerve to make our
selves comfortable. We had had a thin
feather mattress made before leaving Lon
don, which had added greatly to the COM
fort or the possesSor when compelled to
sleep on the very hard seats of the trains
or the rope beds of the dak bungalows, and
hn nat fire tt,.
of the triangular box and tied high I'D to
the pole supports at the back. Over this we
lald all or our rugs one on top of the other;
then bit of the net was loosed just back
OF the drivers seat, so that we could put
our feet down into the box curtain was
hung between the native driver and our
selves and at last all was ready. We one
on either side of the cart stepped on the
hubs of the wheels and .clinging frantical-
ly to the painted poles leaped up on the
mattress, coming down in a kneeling posi-
ton face to face, and. the absurdity of our
position striking US suddenly, we both burst
out laughing, and laughed weakly till there
were tears in our eyes.
Getting Ready.
AT last we summoned up all our energy
and began to wriggle' around in order to
get ourselves into position. our backs
against the part of the mattress and
rugs arranged for, them. and finally. amid
groans of painful laughter, succeeded in
fitting ourselves into our places shoulder to
shoulder. our legs bent squarely at the
Knee and fitting neatly into the shallow
part OF the ekka box. 1t seems impossible
Dut IS true, that We were. when finally set
tied. deliciOuSly cOmfOrt able, and for at
least two hours remained soo but alas, onr
bent knees began to go to Sleep" where
upon we at once stopped the ekka and got
out for a walk
1t is easy to say got out" and 1t was
such difficult thing to do for we must
first slowly and with excruciating agony to
our sleeping legs withdraw them from the
box of the cart until our knees were level
with our chins: then double over SIDEWAYS
always getting in each others way then
clinging fearfully to the supports, wrig-
Cling ourselves around until we were face
to face. and, finally. standing on the hub of
the wheel. leap off backward.
A Last Move.
We decided. after long consultation. as
we had seven more hours of the drive. all
of it being uphill, we must get into a posi-
ton comfortable enough to last at least
four hours. rs getting out and in was not
only difficult and perilous matter. but one
requiring time: SO after a mile walk along
a lovely road, which wound round and
round and in among the hills we again
mounted our high seat. and this time tried
hanging our feet out over the wheels.
That position proved worse than the first
Then we sat with knees up to our chins
and arms clasped about Them then kneeled
for bit: but finally amidst much silent
laughter from us both, took to our old DO
Sit1ons, and certainly were for an hour or
two deliciously comfortable for our mat
tress and rugs prevented us from feeling
the Jolting OF the cart and made soft seat
and back: However; at the end Of our
twenty-eight-mile drive, we decided that
considering all the difficulties of getting In
and out. we'll as countless other things
1T would be better to send our gaily painted
people did, make the other twenty-fiys
miles of the journey in either 'rickshaw
or a dandy
A Rodeside Beauty.
The drive from Pathankot to Dalhousie
is the most beautiful one imaginable-a
road cut in the mountain side, which is
dripping with water and clothed with lovely
ferns: every few yards a stream rushing
down over a paved bed in the road; some
times through forests Of spruce, pine and
chodar. and again along a hillside covered
with oaks. but always. after the first three
or four hours. with a wonderful view over
masses of great mountains and through !
narrow gaps to the plains far beyond.
Our first lunch place was at tiny VII
lage where in a mud hut, spotlessly clean, !
we found a little table spread with tea |
things. cake. biscuit and soda water A
snowily clad native came in at once and in
quired in English. "The Mem Sahibs having
tea?""and soon after. brought us in two
steaming cups, which even to us, to whom
tea is more of a medicine than a pleas
nrable drink: tasted and smelled delicious.
The inevitable book OF, e.. remarks" was then |
brought In, and 1t SEEMED that the little
house was famous for its tea as the book
was vas, full Of criticisms IKE the following:
better" Two cups Of .Bohea that couldn't
be beat" and. finally, Vt. A. t.
Our second lunching place was a most
enchanting spot. where from the cliff above
the road gushed tout the clearest possible
stream Of water the ocliff itself being a
mass of maidenhair fern and dainty little
green plants. and from the other side a |
precipice fell straight down thousand feet
or more. III II
A ViAageoof Mud.
We were not far from little mud village
and as one OF the 'rickshaw wallahs told
us that mangoes from Bombay could some-
times be found there, one Of US went back
with him and Succeeded in getting four
fairly sound-looking specimens. which we
ate with a relish and found good.
OF the two modes of getting to DaIhousie
from Doneira. the village where one must
spend the first night, we chose the rick