Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1910-01-13
CRUISE AROUND
THE WORLD.
Interesting Letters From Hon.George
J. laBar and Wife.
On Board the Steamer "Cleveland," +"
Thursday, Nov 20, 1909.

DEAR FRIENDS
We shall, in our poor way, try to tell
you our story at Bombay. At seven
A. NJ, on the 18th, we are entering the
harbor at Bombay, a most delightful
and beautiful sight, the city showing
up not far away in a semi-circle, with
its large buildings and domes, present
ing a fine sight. A very large tender
met us at once although we were
several hours ahead of time but they
had been notified by wireless of our
approach, We Immediately proceeded
TO land aud were met at the wharf by
carriages and driven at once some dis
tance to the Tai Mahal Hotel, where we
made ourselves at home. After par
taking of lunch we strolled about the
city until three p M, when we took
carriages and drove about the city TAX
ing in the sights-and such sights we
cannot properly describe them in order
to convey proper conception of what
we saw. All sorts of costumes and no
costumes at all any old thing wrap
ped about the body ; some wore long
shirt or skirt and again some an Euro
pean short coat, or overcoat on top of
that some with a dirty rag tied
around the middle, sitting or squatting
all over the sidewalk or streets-fiat
down in the dirt, nothing between
them and mother earth but their pants
if they had not forgotten to put them
on. No chairs in their houses, no
stoves or furniture-nothing, just dirt.
Of course we are speaking of those visi-
BILE to US, the poorer class. The better
class are behind high walls and we do
not see them as we drive around. We
noticed some very fine buildings, but
more huts.
The 14th happened to be their New
year. We saw genuine race. There
must have been near one hundred
teams of oxen, hitched to two-wheeled
carts, with from two to ten people in
each one, and all going as hard as the
oxen could be made to run, with the
help of the whip. Such screaming and
yelling. 1t was some time before we
could find out what it all was about,
but we found out at last that it was an
oxen race, with 1000 Rupees as a prize
to the winner. Well, all things came
to an end at six o'clock, when we re-
turned to the hotel and took dinner.
Got into our carriages again and was
driven to the r. r. Station to take the
train to Agra, over 800 miles Inland.
At eight p. m. we were seated in as
comfortable sleeping cars it has ever
been our lot to be in, about two hun
dred of us In two trains-that had been
equipped for our especial use. The
section we occupied had never been
used before and none like it had ever
been on the road.
Well, daylight came only too soon
and the Yankees were soon up to see
what was to be seen. AS soon as the
native servants saw the moon they
were on hand with coffee, tea and
cakes. About eight o'clock we were
called for breakfast, in the dining car,
and good one it was.
Now we are seeing the interior of In
dia; fine looking country, good crops,
lots of people but no houses now and
then q village of mud huts, straw and
cane huts-in fact almost anything
they could crawl into. Ifthey did not
have hut they lie down anywhere
without covering over or under them,
yet the country seems to have an
abundance of everything-greatd drovee
of cattle, goats and sheep; no hogs
and we only saw three or four dogs.
About four o'clock we were going
over mountain and through jungle
where they, the natives say, are plenty
of tigers, leopards and snakes and
other wild animals, but we saw none
but monkeys sporting in the trees
All through the hill district, the fol.
lowing is very appropriate
The poor benighted Hindu,
Does the best he kin-do
BE sticks to his caste,
To the very lasU
And for clothing,
He makes his Skin-do.
And who shall say that he is not as
we'll off as his better dressed and bet
ter housed brother and perhaps would
not change places with him. All days
come to an end, 80 we partake of q
good sleeper and retire for the night
At about eight a, M, we find ourselves
at Agra, about the centre of India. We
are told to go to tent, a short distance
of, and get our breakfast. We did sc
and found tent about one hundred
or more feet long, high and wide