Oxford Democrat., 1909-10-05
"The Finest View IN the WorId. /"

zine fIne8t view IN the WORLD
(From the diary Of "Trip Around the World
of former resident OF Oxford County,
Having in mind possible sight of Mt
Everest, our small party of American
left the dusty, unwbolesome city OF Cal
cutta by train at four o'clock Of an Au
gust afternoon for Darjeeling, the prin
cipal health sanatorium Of Bengal. It Il
a twenty-four hours journey through
native farming country, one small settle
ment after another, by ferry and noun
tain railroad, through real India Jungle
Perhaps no journey of equal exten,
offers in climate and typography more
diversity than this trip to Darjeeling.
Just at dusk we leave our train for q
half honr's ride on ferry across the
Ganges from Damukdia to Sara Chat
Supper is served on the steamers deck,
the wind blowing so hard meanwhile
that hats and other light articles 20
sailing about the deck.
Our supper is barely finished when we
reach the landing where we change to
our sleeping car and prepare for the in.
evitable discomfort of night on an
Oriental sleeper" These cars, with
accommodations for but eight persons in
their two compartments, have only in
the way of furnishing four leather
couches with four swinging leather
shelves above the couches, and bear
little resemblance to our own railway
palaces, but in their freedom from dust
and cinders they have one disting guish-
ing feature in their favor. Probably the
fact that the rainy season had just clos.
ed accounted in measure in this in
stance for the absence of dust
On our arrival at Silliguri early the
next morning we change again to the
small open cars of the Darjeeling Hima-
layan Railroad, which has gauge of
but two feet, and is considered an ex-
ample of great engineering skill. 1t
does not tunnel the mountain at any
place, being built entirely on the surface
The cars are so low that one can step
directly from the ground to them They
are in fact only small covered platforms,
Zone end only enclosed), containing six
very comfortable upholstered armchairs
fastened in two rows to each platform.
Canvas curtains are attached to the sides
of the cars to be used in case of rain.
We travelled through the Jungle for
some miles before beginning the ascent.
The distance is fifty miles, and we were
eight hours making the journey, which
involves ascending 5000 feet, as we were
obliged to 60 1000 feet above Darjeeling
and then descend to the little town.
They were eight hours of exciting and
delightful travel. One can easily imag-
inc ones self on toy railroad, putting
and absurdly about until all
thought Of the tiny cars is lost in the
beauty of the scenery. At one time we
were on the edge of precipice 1000 feet
high, and always travelling through a
of luxuriant vegetation. At a
height of 5000 feet were many beautiful
tree ferns and we see numerous large tea
plantations. Darjeeling is, by the way,
the most important tea growing district
in India.
These tea plantations, attractive as
they are, with the symmetrical, low
growing shrubs. do not always suggest
all that is cheerful even to the tea-lover,
for it is in them that the greatest NOR
sality from snake-bite occurs. The venom
Dus kreit, small brown snake about
the size of an ordinary walking stick,
lies under the shrubs and among the
rocks, making easy victims of the poor
native tea-pickers. The kreit, because
IF its small size, is more dreaded by the
natives than the cobra. 1t is more venom
ous as well, its poison proving fatal in
two hours, where the venom of the
cobra kills in four hours.
From the height of 5000 feet We have a
view of the "Plains OF In-
iia" stretching away toward the south.
This Himalayan railroad, winding as
il does around the mountain, forming at
times perfect loop, enabling one to see
all the passengers in the other cars, is an
exception to others in India in the mat
ter of cinders, and passengers have many
painful reminders of the fact.
We reach Darjeeling in the afternoon,
md have time for visit to the bazaars
md to see little of the town from the |
1antage point of jinrickisha. We leave |
our "rickshas" and climb to the top of
Observatory Hill, very lovely hill,
where partial view of the Kinchinjinga |
nay be obtained about four o'clock |
every pleasant afternoon. We see only a
small part of the snow capped noun
aims, there are twelve in all, most of
hem over 10000 feet high, the lowest |
being $1,000 fee), but enough to stir
our imsginations and conjure up the
scene awaiting us when on
The morrow we may see the entire range, |
md as we ardently hope, Mt. Everest.
We retired early, having made ar
for start the next morning
before daylight. No encouragement was
given us that We would see the great
even If the weather was fair,
rs seldom has it been seen at this time
Of year, still it was worth the effort, and
We were sstir at two O'Clock A. NJ, only
10 fiud to our dismay that a smart
shower was in progress. Shortly after,
however, the rain ceased, and our brief
gave place to highest
as little rain was the one
thing needed to clear the atmosphere
and give us ideal weather for our trip.
After "chota- -hajie" IA light breakfast
nf tea and toast), we wrapped ourselves
in all available blankets, although al
ready dressed in our warmest clothing,
and took our places, 10y the light of
single lantern) in the 'dandies." Mark
Twain in Following the Equator" calls
these dandies, because of their shape,
'open coffins" The glimpses we caught
in the uncertain lantern light of the
coolies who were to carry US, and eight
Of these dandies placed on the hotel
grounds for our occupancy, made us
,nxiously hope that there was "nothing
in name" in this instance at least, as
We were carried off in the darkness up
the steep winding roads each on the
shoulders of six Thibetan coolies to
Tiger Hill.
This hill, which was seven miles from
our hotel, was reached according to our
plans just at sunrise. 1t is claimed that
from Tiger Hill is to be seen "The Finest
View in the World" and it would seem
that earth could hold nothing more
beautiful. While we stood
spellbound by the grandeur of the scene
as the rising sun lighted up with silver
and gold and rainbow tints, one after an-
other of the snowy peaks of the Kinchin-
iuga, with the sea of billowy clouds
floating between us and them, our guide
suddenly shouted "There is Mt. Ever
est" and sure enough, hundred and
twenty-five miles in the distance the
highest mountain in the world lifted its
hoary head above the clouds for the
space Of fifteen minutes, no longer.
Oh! The wonder of it all To think
we had travelled 80 many miles for
brief quarter of an hours sight of that
majestic mountain! Someone asked,
"Are you satisfed?' What a meaningless
word! There was elation, an uplifting of
soul, which no language can express.
C. B. A.