Summary
June 14th.—A sort of night-demon, unknown, fed on my flesh last night. When I awoke the sun was just flushing up the hill-tops, with an unwholesome red. The jampans were ready. A very hasty and unsatisfactory breakfast of tea and bad biscuit was disposed of, and we set out once more on our journey. I forgot to mention that Lord William Hay, who is Deputy-Commissioner of the Hill States, and who resides at Simla, sent down one of his chuprassees to meet Captain Alison yesterday, and that the sight of this gentleman's chuprass, or badge, which is engraved with many fine flourishes of honour, has a great effect on dâk bungalow kitmutgars and jampanees. The latter are fine muscular young fellows, and seem joyous and light-hearted.
On leaving Kunker I was carried down a very steep hill-side, into a deep valley, at the bottom of which flowed a clear mountain stream. There were a few houses at the end of the path, which served as a sort of bazaar and market for the hills around. The river is crossed by a handsome light iron suspension bridge, at the entrance to which there is a dowdy little mosque, and, as we passed, the priests were sounding horns, tinkling bells, and summoning their faithful to worship. On ascending the other side of the valley, the scenery becomes most uninviting and uninteresting.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- My Diary in India, in the Year 1858–9 , pp. 93 - 109Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1860