The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1904-02-20

Y the main artery OF India.
: 8 1t runs without break
4 = 4 across the breadth OF the
go9 land from karachl to
EI...Ja,.
A cyclist who hnd ridden round the
world on his bicycle once described it
ms 1900 miles OF the finest cycling track
On earth.
II is made of kuniSar. a kind of stony
growth found on sandy ground and re-
sctnbling sandstone. When ground
tine and mixed with water. this yields
II mortur-like substance which gives
surface to the roXh as hard and
smooth as Il billiard table.
But once this surface is worn
through the kUcknr raverts to its
native sand. Hence the centre Of the
Grand Trunk road. which is always
kept in repair for light traffic, is like
asphalt, while Oh each side of this
track is a broad lune for heavy cOul-
try traffic. where the dry sand lies n
foot thick and the broad-wheeled OK
carts raise n pillar of dust as they
proceed and leave a trail like the wake
of ship behind them.
On each side of the main track is Il
row of trees, and OH each side of the
side track is yet another row. There
are thus four rows of trees in all to
shield the wnyfarers from the intOl;
cradle heat and glare of the vertical
sun.
Along this great highway the many
sided life Of India flows and eddics.
1t IL pe0pled almost entirely by the
natives in their dirty cotton clothing,
with bare brown legs showing be-
heath. 81 r,
The sahib keeps to his iron railroad
aud leaves the people Of the country
to their prehistoric slow moving rate
OF progress. Here and there the GRIM
son garments of the lower class women
and the different hued trousers Of the
Mohaminedan women In special. make
splash Of color amid the crowd Of
whlte-robed pilgrims.
There goes the graceful figure of
woman, straight as dart beneath her
brass fotah Of water. Better, however,
not to look at her face; very few of the
Indian peasant women have any beau
ty of feature, and the hard labor of
work in the fields under an Eastern
sun leaves them old and shriveled up
before their time.
Here comes native lady in burkn.
and you could not look upon her fea-
lures IL you would The burka il II
long, sllapeless garment Of unbleachel
calico, which completely envelops the
figure from the crown of the head to
the feet: it has lncework mask for
the face, through which only the eyes
are visible. 1t is astonishing how sell
dom this or any other native raiment
seems to get washed.
A herd of goats struggle INTENDED
down the highway. Farther along
some Immense cattle with branching
horns block the traffic. A fast trot
ting little bullock. of the hump backed
breed. harnessed to an ekka, bumps
merrily along the centre of the road.
A boy flying n kite cannons into the
passersby. Two professional singers.
surrounded by II small crowd of women
and children. stand under. n branching
pipal tree, opening and shutting their
mouths alternately as they give vent
to monotonOus chant.
A fakir stalks by, clothed only in
a loin cloth, with long matted hair
and his head and body, covered with
aahes. withered arm held straight
in front Of him. Look Mt those Pathnn
soldiers with their baggy white
reeches and huge black puggaris,
swaggering through the crowd with
the contempt of the warrior for the
country pumpkin. ~
Alon: the portion of the Grand
Trunk which lies between AlIahabad