Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-17
First Part Seems Luxurious
and the Fares Are Cheap.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
SIGHTSEEING IN TICCA CHAIRS
AT NINETY NINE CENTS A DAY.
What the Waking Up Of the Inhabi-
tants Of Ahmedabad
Presents.
Written for The Evening Star.

|
In leaving Bombay to begin the tour OF
India one feels ones self to be the tiniest
Of midgets, with the universe to conquer;
| but travelling proves to be, in measure,
luxurious, the fares amazingly cheap and
| all the railway officials amiability itself.
| Taking the advice of our friends, we bought
tickets through to Delhi, getting them from
| Cooks agency, which is exceptionally good
in India, and our tickets. including third
| class fare for our servant, cost us about
| $26 each for the thousand miles, f1rst-class
| and with compartment to ourselves all
| the way. The trains, mail, corresponding
| to our express and mixed, to our local, are
| both very slow and make frequent stop
| pings, the motion is great and the noise at
| times almost appalling; but, on the other
| hand, one has compartment larger than
| the largest drawing ROOM on our western
| express trains, with a good-sZed dressing
| room off 1t, without paying anything extra.
| The berths, which are leather-covered
| lounges in the daytime, run lengthwise OF
| the train and can be pulled out about four
| inches when used as beds. There are, to be
| sure, one and sometimes two upper berths,
| but we found that If we got the two lower
| berths, which 1t was quite easy to do by
| speaking a day or two beforehand to the
| very obliging station master, who Will only
| urge you to come down to the station an
hour earlier on the day of your departure
| and secure the lower berths by having your
| berths made up at once, then no other
person had the hardthood to enter, through
| masses and piles Of all manner of luggage,
and climb to the upper berth.
The beds are without mattresses or COW
erings, so one must always be accompanied
by monster bundle containing mattresses,
pillows, sheets, pillow cases and blankets.
We had as usual thing in our very large
compartment two steamer TRUNKS, the bum
NJ had
lunch basket and a basket of soda water,
two dressing cases and a hatbox, and this
was no more than the usual number Of
things to be found in other carriages. AS
our train from Bombay for Ahmedabad
started at o'clock we went down at 1870,
had the two lower berths made up at once
and spent the remaining three-quarters OF
an hour after we got we'll settled, In watch
ing the natives gathered on the platform
bidding farewell to their friends. One OF
the f1rst-class compartments, very ele-
CANT one, had been engaged for a rajah,
youngish and good-looking person, who had
come down earlier than we did, apparently
to take possession, and was to be seen re-
Ginning full length on the velvet couch.
smoking, clad in silks of the brightest hues.
The station was a sight Of great interest to
US, filled with natives in all manner of cos
tunes, from the coolies, who, clad in cloth
and turban, fought over our luggage and
carried our enormous trunks on the top Of
their heads, to the rich natives in long
brocade. All talked at once in very loud
tones, which grew louder as the time for
starting approached, and the last quarter Of
an hour was like Bedlam let loose.
A Regular Bedlam.
The noise was indescribable! Every ma
tive among the hundreds shrieking and
bowling at every other native, at the top
of his voice.
We were amused at first. but toward the
end got very tired Of 1t.
They all seemed to be good natured and
only appeared to wish to make themselves
heard, which of course was quite an i'm
possibility. All the third-class people had
their white chuddar-a huge square Of
white muslin or wool stuff thrown graceful
ly about them and over their heads, and a
| dirty rag full of household goods in their
hands. and each one carries beautifully
| bright brass jar for drinking water and
washing purposes.
Sleep is Banished.
At every station. no matter at what time
| Of night, the shrieking began, the minute
| our train entered the station and lasted
! until we slowly left 1t. OF course sleep, I'M
| less one be an exceptionally good sleeper,
| Is quite out Of the question, except between
| stops. At every station native with large
| earthen jug of water walks the length Of
the train and is well patronized. especially
| of the third-class carriages, always damned
| together and packed in like sardnes, turn
| out to pour water over their hands and to
| deliberately rinse out their mouths after
| cleaning their teeth with a stick. At al
| most every hour Of the day large trays
borne on the heads Of the merchants and full
| of all sorts Of native food. usually covered
! over with flies. are carried. along the plat
| forms and well patroniZed by the dark trav-
| elers in the other compartments. The
| noisy entrance to Ahmedabad took place at
| an early hour Of the morning, and after
| breakfast in the station consisting of tough
| meat with very mealy nice boiled potatoes,
| tougher chicken and not over-fresh eggs
| we entered ticca-g which is a spring
less covered wagon, perfectly square ana
gaily painted, with shutters for windows
| and, with our heaps Of luggage slowed
away in another. sailed forth to find the
Dak-bungalow, as there was no hotel. We
found 1t after half hours drive through
the enchanting town. with It's painted and
beautifully carved houses. its Jain or Bud
dhist bird houses here and there, little
works of art in color and design, and all
for the birds; its palaces and temples-lace
work in stone or marble!-and it proved to
be a longish one-story building Of cement
with large dining room in the center,
bed room with two dressing rooms off either
side and two broad verandas along the
back and front We spent three or four
days there at the sum of one rupee-33 cents
"a day for rooms and the same amount for
O'Clock breakfast. the lunch and the din
HeF. III tne huge room at the other side of
the dining room abode a mysterious per-
| son. whom we never saw while we were
there although from the following CONVEX
| sation with Abdul. our bearer, We concluded
| he was an Englishman:
The Desire of Sahib.
Mem sahib like chota hazri (early break
| FAST o'clock?'
| Mem sahib says yes
| What hour then mem sahib wish break
| fast?"
| Mine o'clock"
Great establishment on the part of bearer.
| for chota hazri is brought at $50, when
breakfast Is at 8. but he says at once,
| yes, please, SIR" Then he stands thought
full, and finally says: Mem sahib wish
lunch at 1 o'clock? Better that for sahib
| Inglees," and he glances toward the oppo-
site room, 'he wish lunch half-past /,
yes?"
| I'VE say yes indifferently, and with a
touch Of his hands to his forehead. he says,
Eyes, please. sir" cheerfully, and goes on
| softly to seek his shoes and his friends
| That the "sahib" had white hair know,
for l once caught a glimpse of it, as he
was rapidly disappearing in the distance,
but such was our politeness that even our
| womans curiosity was curbed by it and
| we never even tried n get q Sipb4 ~ he