The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-08

| look for 1000 feet, and climb along the
sides of the mountains above valleys
which are lost in the plains of Bengal.
The railroad was built upon wagon road
which led up from Darjeeling, and you
can see as well as though you were in
carriage. There are villages here and
| there along the way and the trains stop
nC,x and then so that the passengers may
| pick flowers and ferns.
| In this railroad ride I came through the
| torrid and temperate zones and stepped
out into land of snow. Calcutta is in
| the tropics. We. rode over hot plains,
through patches of rice and bananas. into
a jungle of bamboos. banyans and other
| tropical foliage. The foothills are clad
| with such trees. and the first ranges,
reaching a mile and half above the
plain. have magnificent forests bedded in
| MOSES and ferns. The limbs of the trees
arc loaded with orchids. and here and
| there are tree ferns with trunks as thick
as a telegraph pole and almost as tall.
The fern leaves come out from the top
like those of a palm. AS you rise the
| color of the moss on the trees changes
from green to light gray; it hangs from
the branches in clusters not unlike the
moss of Georgia and Florida and the
green appears to be busted with silver.
Higher still there are hard woods much
like those of our American mountains;
| the roses bloom and there are tea planta-
| tons clothing the hills. Tea grows to
ar elevation of almost a mile. The trees
and hardy grains rise a mile higher and
it is not until three miles that the hardy
shrubs disappear. ! am told few flowers
are still found at almos. four miles above
the sea.
Tigers of the Foothills
AS we rode through the jungle looked
out for the tigers, which the trainmen tell
me are frequently seen. There are many
of them in the lowlands, and they hug
the base of the mountains. There Is
region here covered with bamboo cane
and grass which Is infested not only by
tigers, but also by Duffaioes, bears. deer
and wild hogs. The cane grows to a height
OF 40 feet and the grass is so high that
sitting on horseback you cannot reach the
tops of the stalks. The tigers are hunted
every where. but they are still so numer-
Gus that according to the government
records. 800 or 300 persons are killed by
them every year. The beasts do not u.s.
ually attack men, but If they once taste
human blood they are crazy for It there
after One tiger is known to have killed
80 of the natives within ~ months, and
another los In a space of three years. One
of the agents of the Indian forestry de-
partment tells me that about 1000 tigers
are killed every year and that the gov
eminent gives a reward for every beast
! destroyed
The tigers of India are magnificent but
are not equal to those of Manchuria They
are found In the mountains as high as
two miles, but even that elevation does
not cause the fur to grow so long as
the cold winters of north China and Mon
! goia. and the best skins come from the
, latter locality. The male tigers of the
, Himalayas weigh up to about 500 pounds
/, each, and the females to about 100 pounds
less. Many are caught here and shipped
to the geological gardens of the world &
great cities. some of them so fierce that
they will jump at you If you come near
their cages, wounding themselves against
the bars.
, DarjeeIing.
/ am well situated here in Darjeeling.
This is summer resort for the British
OF the Indian lowlands and 1t has ex-
! celent hotels. fine residences and numer.
, Gus furnished villas which are let out for
, the season. There are also hospitals and
sanitoriums. There are several stores
and the whole is little slice of England
at the heart of the Himalayas. The build
, ings are rooted with galvanized iron. but
, there are many pretty cottages and bun
galows. There are several churches, pub
| lie gardens and also military camT
situated outside the town. Among thu
finest homes in the place is that Of the
| lieutenant governor 81 Bengal who II
4 here about four months every year
One OF the sights of Darjeeling Is thu
< bazaar filled with traders and patronizet
L by the natives for miles around. Sunday
: is the market day. and at this time the
i town Is thronged with HIM layans. Trad.