Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-03-19

IL Is long way from Honolulu to
the Assem- Valley and Dooars, India,
but In these days of the cable and tele
graph, news of disaster in far.away
lands Is sent In such incredibly shor.
the immense distances intervening be-
tween the reader and the sufferer. To
| some, the great Indian earthquake
| which occurred on June ~, 1897. is
| still fresh In the memory, and, to those
who may have forgotten the event
this brief article will appeal to their
sympathetic nature. especially so since
the awful visitation which laid San
| Francisco In ruins.
In 1896. the British annexed Assam
from Burmah, which Is now one of the
most prosperous valleys Of the Indian
Empire. Huge steamers ply between
Dibrughur and the Sundrebunds, the
extreme points of call on the Brah.
| maputra, now counted as one of the
great navigable rivers Of the world
Like its western sister. the Sutlej. this
river has its source near Manasarawar,
one OF the sacred lakes of Thibet.
which. flowing eastward through that
little.known land for nearly 1000 miles
is joined by several large streams
from China as 1t sweeps round the
Himalayas. In Thibet, II is known as
Tsan.pu, but on entering Assam 1t
goes under the appellation OF the
Dihang. Shortly after its advent in
the Assam Valley. the Brahmaputra
which Is also an eastern stream, joins
1t, causing its title OF Dihang to be
changed to that Of the Brahmaputra.
At Goalundo II is joined by the Gauges
| the sacred river of the Hindus, then
later by the Surma from Cachar. This
tremendous body of water. now known
as the Meghna, rushes onward to the
Bay of Bengal, and, splitting up into
innumerable channels, forms the Sun.
derbunds and the great Gangetic delta
which stretches from Chittagong to
Calcutta. ..
| There are many beautiful points of
interest along this route. especially at
Gauhati, where the hills rise abruptly
on either side of the stream. which IL
divided by small and rocky island
among whose foliage can be seen the
white pinnacles of temple. During
the passage up the river, large freight
steamers, each escorting from two to
four immense fats laden with tea,
jute, rice and other products peculiar
to this fertile valley, are frequently
passed. At dusk, when the vessel
comes to an anchor of one OF the
CHATS, the sweet tones Of a nearby
temple peal forth, to be taken up by
and mingled with those from temples
on the other side of the river, which
bear our thoughts back to the vision
Of a peaceful scene-an old homested
an UNCOVERED church. the CHEEKY
voices OF children at play. the lowing
of kline, and the hundred and one re
membranes so dear to the absent one
Gauhati Is as far as we proceeded
by steamer, so after bidding adieu tt
our friends who are on their way tc
Dibrughur In Northern Assam, a room
Is engaged at the Oak bungalow (rest
housed and arrangements are made fol
the tonga drive TO Shillong, the hill
sanatorium Of the province.
What a ride. The chariot races o.
ancient Rome were nothing as com
pared to this mode of travel AS the
tonga sweeps round the many curve.
at full speed, with yawning chasmi
on one side and frowning cliffs above
we involuntarily held our breath! ex
pecting every moment that the ponies
would stumble or that wheel woult
slip it's axle, when all would be pre-
cipitated into one of the heavily tim
bered canyons, which looked so peace
full and refreshing after the glare ant
heat OF the plains.
ShillOng was reached just before
shutdown. As the tonga rounded the
last curve, the familiar notes OF
bugle from the Gurkha lines echoed
and re-echoed through the hills, as |
to welcome the tired and fever.strickel
sahibs who had come to this swee
little haven to recoup and enjoy thu
hospitality for which India is 80 noted
Shillong Is situated among thu
Khasia hills, and only some fort.
miles from Cherra Poonjee, where tn
Lgreatest rainfall in the world is reg
istered. 1t seems hardly credible tina
at this latter place AZ many as 600 I
700 inches per annum should be res
istered but such Is the case, however
Dr.. Hooker, the eminent botanis
alone registered as many as $50 inche
from June to November, while tn
greatest fall in one year totalled tn
remarkable figure OF sos inches,
which 1865 inches fell In singl
month. As one would naturally infe
little or no vegetation is to be foun
: on this rain.swept plateau, but takin
It as a whole, Cherra Poonjee Is NJ
an unhealthy locality, being free frol
the mist so common to other Him
= layan sanitoria with one'ffth the RAJ.
Z fall. Shillong, on the other hand,
a beautiful spot, whose pretty bung
n lows and government buildings su