The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-12

It seems the native guides have habit
of Ioaning good letters Of recommend
alton to each other. if you take the
letters offered. and look them up, re-
turning them to your man whenyou are
through with him that game is
blocked. The man calls me master;
Mr.. Moffatt rather thinks he should
call me Sahib, but has decided that if
the man is in the habit of saying mas
ter, perhaps that will do. though Sahib
IS more respectful ] have not fully
decided to employ him; I shall await
returns from certain Investigations Mr.
Moffat has set on foot But one thing
Mr.. Moffatt insists upon: that give
the man enough to DO, in case I en-
ploy him. Keep him busy. Mr.. Moffatt
says. if nothing else offers, have him
polish my shoes a dozen times a day.
They tell of an Englishman who once
employed a native servant in India,
and worked him to death. But the
native servant loved the Englishnna0
the native was dying, from overwork.
he said feebly: It am dyin0 and ]
have a wife and children; but in go
ing away, I have but one regret. that
beloved Sahib.' So, Mr.. MOffatt says,
keep him busy
From the windows of my room. this
morning. I had a good view of native
hired girl Below my windows is
pretty fair native residence. and the
hired girl was seated in the passa geWay
between the main building and kitchen.
evidently breakfast was in progress,
and there being a duh moment the
girl was resting. She was rather good
looking, barring her bare feet, and. as
she rested she chewed the betel nut
and spat a red juice around as a rail-
road brakeman off duty squirts tobacco
juice. AS the girl chewed and spat the
red juice about her. she lazily scratched
her feet. And the girl was rather
c14e 4
tract attention at a native Grand Ball.
They tell of a remarkable tree here;
the TALBOT palm. It is very useful
during a long life, one Of its points
of excellence being that it answers
very well as a tent. and it sheds rain
perfectly. But at fifty years. it be
gins to show signs of old age. A
a loud report, bursts, displaying
white FLYER twenty feet high. AS
soon as the flower withers, the palm
begins to die rapidly OF old age.
Everything is lazy in this country
| including the trees; all the trees of
| whatever variety. lean over in a lazy
way, as though looking for a prop of
some kind to rest against. The mos
quitoes and flies are also indolent: you
can kill them without an effort-it
is not necessary to strike them quickly.
There Is such rush of jays to
spend their money, that we cannot get
/ into the hotels in the mountain resorts;
we have telegraphed twice, and re-
/ ceived replies: Rooms all taken.' So
/ we are cOntenting ourselves in Colon
| DO, and find the rest agreeable, al
/ though we shall make a short journey
I into the mountains, to see the finest
mountain scenery in the world" We
sail for Calcutta next Tuesday. on the
/ p. and o. steamer "Samala," which will
/ be crowded as usual. The steamer will
make the run in five days, including
the torturOus trip up the river to the
| city. I have forgotten the name of
/ this river; if you want to know it, look
at the map.
If you must see the tropics, see
Honolulu. and quit at that; there is
| good deal of duplication after you
! pass Honolulu-yOu can easily imagine
the rest. If you are very adventure
! some, go on to Japan. But in the
name of all that is sensible, do not go
beyond Japan. s.
Sailing arrangen3 ents are not very
| favorable from Hong Kong, in case
you desire to visit India. You can
| take ship from Hong Kong for
/ Bombay. but not from Hong Kong to
Calcutta. Therefore you are compelled
4 to stop off at Calcutta. since India is
most interesting in the vicinity of Cal
| cutta. If you go to Bombay, you are
! compelled to double back if you visit
India. Colombo is a meeting place for
ships from Australia and China. It is
possible to ship from Colombo to Lon
| don direct, by taking one of the big
Australian ships. but in this way the
traveller from Hong Kong would miss
! India entirely. And after all, India is
the real mecca of all travellers.
E. w H