Douglas Island news., 1910-08-24
AROUND THE WORLD
Dr.. Simpsons Story of His Visits to the Countries of the
 Old World
(continued from last week.

ullSS. ITdiu IuuS lOE lAO LuiASS olOhB the right bank of the river through a rich flat country which is all cultivated, rice being the most common crop. After the rice is taken off dhall is planted. This is kind of bean which the natives like very much and which is very nourishing. There are no fences and there are many trees mangoes, sago and other palms, ban vans, pipals, acacias and many others. The natives live in little villages few miles apart. An isolated house is rare. They are not very rich. All are bare footed and bare legged, men and women. They live principally on rice, dhalls and such vegetables as they raise. The Hindoos will not eat meat, i. e., beef or pork; the Mohammedans will not eat pork. They are not strong people. They use old.fashioned wooden ploughs, pulled by bnfaloes or Indian bullocks. Their carts are also wooden and drawn by bullocks. They sleep on the floor on mating, rarely using any covering. Houses are adobe with thatched roofs, thatch being made of nearest and most convenient ma terial, rice straws, palm leaves or bark. The irrigation system in India is won der, and in few years famine will be impossible as the whole country will be under irrigation. The ignorance and superstition of the natives have de- layed it.
 At Damudkia we left the train and crossed the river on the ferry It is several miles to Sara Chat, the station on the other side of the river. The line now changes from five.foot to a metre guage. We run 200 miles farther to SGIigura at the foot of the Himalayas. There are jungles on either side in which are found numerous lions, tigers, elephants, eopards and many other wild animals. From SiIligura to Dar- juling is 5I miles and the train makes an ascent of 1000 feet in that time. Track again changes from metre to a 2foot guage. One l0.ton engine pulls the train. The baggage is all put on another train and comes behind.
 It is the most interesting and pictur- esque bit of railway ever saw. There are loops and double loops, switchbacks and Ieverses. Along the way are many tea gardens. The plants are about three feet apart; they would grow to quite a height if left alone, but are kept down to the size of rose bush. Leaves grow as large or larger than a rose leaf, but are plucked or picked be. fore they are fully unfolded, dried by artificial heat and rolled. In the Dar- juling district there are about 200 gar dens which produce about 12,O00,0OO pounds cf tea yearly.
 Darjuling is up in the air. From the hotel eleven mountains can be seen, each over 10000 feet high. Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, can be seen from Tiger hill, short distance from Darjuling-that is, if it is clear weather. When was there it was murky and the view was unsatisfactory. It was clear enough in town and took many good pictures, but there were clouds above us obscur- ing mountain peaks. Of course you see a lot. You can look right into Thibet and you can look almost straight down into dark valley about 5000 feet deep. One day when looked down 1 saw the clouds far below me and the air was so blue that felt as if 1 were looking down into the sky. There is a very interesting lamisary there set on a cliff. It had brass prayer wheel large enough to run a five stamp mill. There was another on the top of Observatory hill, but the hill men attacked it one night and de- stroyed it. The English would not al- low them to rebuild as it had been a hotbed of treason and a fomenting place for rebellion among the natives. They have now a pole with streamers like a Maypole and lot of prayers tied to it. bought little prayer mill that Mrs. Erie told me to get and some times pray for hours with it. In the lamisary they ground off several years of my hereafter on the big wheel (for a trifing paymentl.
 Darjuling is a summer resort, as it is cool there when you are cooked on the TnI;on v,IojDe nLo a.,E ,,;,LE ,yoo