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

immensely beyond human conception. And
still, they are not the most beautiful
The finest of the worlds mountains in
point of form and symmetry are Full
yama. in eastern Japan; Mount Cook, in
northern New Zealand Mount Moyon, the
chief volcano of southern Luzon, and our
own Mount Tacoma on the shores of
Puget sound. AS to glaciers, those of the
Himalayas are greater than the ice rivers
OF the Alps. They surpass in size the
glaciers OF New Zealand and, / doubt
rot. those of Alaska as we'll There are
glaciers here which are from 80 to co
miles long, and one in particular which
is 80 miles in length and f1anked on
either side by giant peaks, each more
than five miles in height. These glaciers
are mountains of ice, often as ragged and
rugged as the snow-capped peaks hang
| ing over them.
| The Himalayas might be called the
| father of India. They protect the coun-
try. and 1t Is largely due to them that
it is able to support one-fifth of the nu-
man race. They extend like mighty
wall across Hindustan shutting 1t out
| from the rest of Asia. This wall is in
tensely cold, and against it come the
warm winds loaded with the moisture of
/ the Indian ocean. AS they strike 1t the
moisture condenses and falls down In
| foods, watering the great plains below.
There is no place on the globe which has
such a rainfall as parts of the Himalaya
mountains Here at Darjeeling 1t is more
| than 800 inches a year, and there are
| other regions where there are 90 feet OF
rain every Il months.
| These winds keep the greater part of
| the mountains enveloped in clouds, and
| this adds to the beauties of the scenery.
The Himalayas have a thousand clouds
| where the Alps have one, and as you ride
/ through them you see clouds OF all kinds
and shapes chasing each other over the
hills. They crawl UP the sides of the val
leys, they climb to your feet and wrap
| themselves around you. For ten minutes
| the mist is so thick that you can hardly
see the ears of the horse you are riding
| Then all at once you burst out into the
open cloud has gone by and 1t floats
up toward the SHOWS.
In my ride to Tiger Hill I had clouds
above and below me. and l could see the
ghostly masses OF vapor resting In the
hollows as though taking a siesta. As the
sun came I'D 1t tinged them with fire
spotting the mountains with gold. At The
same time there were opalescent clouds
at my right and my left. and clouds
overhead above which, at the breaks
the snowy peaks could be seen.
In coming here from Calcutta | rod'
most of the way through the clouds Tn
sun was at It's hottest when we passed gu
of the plains of the Gauges and CAM
to the foot of the moutains. The way VI
was all lights and shadows. Now TIN
sun shone, and now the rain came dow
in torrents We soon had clouds abov
and below us, and farther up often los
sight of the engine in the vapor which en-
veloped the train.
shall never forget that railroad. |
makes one think of the toys of his boy
| hood The track is two-foot marrow
gauge, the engine is about ten feet Il
length and the cars are pigmies in com
! parison with our American coaches.
The way up is series of corkscrey
curves. zigzags and US. The train goe
about like a snake and the cars are s
small that they look like the links OF
chain, the ends of which now and the
seem to touch. There are dozen horse
shoe curves every mile and you max
figure SIS several times In your drunke
climb up the hill. AS you rise you ca
see the road cutting terraces on tn
mountains below. You shoot under hi
| and come out into loop, and then eros
your own track by a bridge overhea.
Tie system is frequently used. an
there are double VS. which elevate 70
= from one level to another.
= The cars do not make more than 81
y miles an hour. They are open and 20
!. can see out on all Sides You skirt prec
Ipices covered with green. down which 70