p. 6 | Relief From the Heat of India's Plains

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 11, 1915

Relief From the Heat of India's Plains

By MRS. MYRTLE LEECH

(Concluded)

MRS. MYRTLE LEECH

It was a pretty little boat, nicely furnished, the sitting room cozy with its rugs, couches, chairs, and settee. It seemed a pity to disturb the room, but we found it necessary to use it for a bedroom. We got nicely settled and had good hot baths before the Sabbath, and were very comfortable. We spent the evening out on the terrace, enjoying the glorious night and the beauty of the water.

After laying in our supplies for our mountain trip, we started down the river. While the men pulled and poled us along, we spent most of the time on the terrace reading and talking and enjoying the peace and quiet. The next Friday morning found us in camp at the head of the beautiful Sind River, an ideal place to spend the Sabbath, with its great, spreading maple trees.

Here we made all arrangements for our trip up to the snow line, engaging ponies, and getting together the things we should need. Sunday morning, bright and early, we were off. O, such a morning! It doesn't seem to me there ever could have been a more perfect. All nature seemed at her best as our horses galloped up the valley. The road led through fields of waving grain, then through great groves of maple and walnut, and now and then we would come upon pretty little villages nestled in the valley.

Soon we left the valley, and our road grew more narrow and rugged. All day we met great flocks of sheep and goats, with the shepherds and their families, coming down from the mountains, as the snow was beginning to fall. What a picturesque sight these people made, with their camels, yaks; donkeys, cows, sheep, and goats! It made us think of Bible times.

We made camp that night in a little grove near a stream. Oh, it was cold! We were glad to hover over the fire. We slept well, and were up and off the next morning while the frost was still on the ground. My little pony pricked up her ears, and away we went. Such a fine gallop as we had! She was a good little riding pony, very sure-footed, and I grew quite fond of her. How I wished I could bring her home with me, for a good saddle pony would be such a help in my work here, as I could go right across field and through wood, and save much time.

Well, I just can't describe the road, one must see it to appreciate it. It is so wild and rugged, just a bridle path cut out of the mountain, following the blue Sind River. I never saw water so blue, save in the washtub at home when mother was bluing the clothes. And those pines and firs! I felt just as one does when he has found some long-lost friend. Part of the way our path led through a cañon, with the river hundreds of feet below us and the solid walls of rock rising high on both sides, so we had to look straight up to see the sky. Then when we met big flocks of goats, our ponies would go so close to the edge to let them by that it made me dizzy to look down so far; but, my pony being so sure-footed, there was really no danger, though sometimes I was afraid I'd go over her head, or slide off behind. That evening about four o'clock we reached the summit, and camped within three miles of perpetual snow. It was very cold, but there was plenty of wood, and we made big fires and heated stones to put to our feet. Brother Pettit cut a lot of fir boughs for our beds, and we were very cozy.

The next morning we started out for the snows. We rode our ponies as far as we could, then left them and went on foot. It was a long, hard climb, but we were well repaid for the trip. We gathered a lot of Alpine flowers and mosses on our way up. We girls went to and around the glaciers, but did not try to go on them, as it was a hard climb, and dangerous. Roy and Brother Pettit went onto the glaciers, while we worked our way back with the help of the boys. It was very steep and hard going down; and when we had gone about halfway, a thunderstorm came on, and how we wished the men were with us! It grew very dark, and soon began to snow and hail. Then, as a climax, just up the valley a big avalanche came roaring and thundering down. We were well out of its path, and a grander and more awful sight I never saw. I wouldn't have missed it for anything. Soon we were down the steepest part, and how we did race down that mountain side, for it was getting dark, and we were frightened, and the hail cut our faces and hands. First one of us would slip and fall, and then another, for the snow made the rocks very slippery. Sister Pettit slipped into the creek and got both feet wet. The road seemed long, and we were glad when we came to our ponies. It didn't take us long to gallop from there to camp. The men came about half an hour later; and how tired and hungry and cold we all were! Sukhi had a good, hot dinner ready for us, and we ate by the light of the camp fire.

The next morning we pulled camp and started down the mountain again. We should have enjoyed staying a day longer, but our time was limited, and there were other places we wished to visit. At sunrise Sister Pettit and I went up on the hill to take a last look at the big eagles. They had taken their baths, and some were circling around over our heads, while others were on the rocks sunning themselves. I know we went within ten feet of one, but it did not seem at all afraid. We reached the house boat Thursday, a little after noon, and early Friday were again on our way down the river to the Wulur Lakes. As we were traveling downstream, our progress was quite fast, and by two o'clock we had reached the first lake. We camped here over Sabbath and Sunday. It was a pretty little body of water, clear as crystal, and though very deep, still we could see the bottom. I cannot tell you of the many delightful boat rides we had in our rowboat, and of the little side trips we took. Monday we went down to the big lake, and, after spending as much time as we could spare, we hastened back to Srinagar for the Sabbath.

It was with a great deal of regret that we turned our backs on Kashmir and started home. If only we could have had two more weeks there, it would have been fine, but our work demanded our immediate return. Oh, I haven't told you how we feasted on apples, pears, plums, and figs! We had apple sauce for breakfast, and apple pie or apple dumplings for dinner every day; and how we enjoyed them! They were so cheap, too; such great big apples for two annas a dozen (two annas are about four cents); how I wish we could get them down here!

We had a very pleasant trip back, although it rained for two days and nights, and we all got a good soaking. We enjoyed every bit of it, though. We spent Sabbath at Murree, on the divide, and how it hailed! We reached Rawalpindi at four o'clock on Sunday, and went for a drive over the city. It is one of the prettiest and best-kept of the cities I have seen in India. We boarded the train that night and went as far as Delhi together. Here Brother and Sister Pettit left us for Bombay, while we came home. On the way back the train was crowded with soldiers. We reached home at four o'clock Wednesday afternoon, a three days' and three nights' run on the train. Our whole trip took us over three thousand miles, yet traveling is so cheap in India that it was not an expensive one.

The girls and workers were all so glad to have us home again. They had the house cleaned, and everything nice, and flowers everywhere, even on the gate-post—and garlands over it. The girls hardly left me for a few days. They would come and throw their arms around me and beg me not to leave them again. We have been very busy since our return. Roy has been in camp, and will be most of the cool season, so I'm alone with the girls. He is working the outlying villages, and sends in every few days for the mail and supplies.

Love to all of you. Write often to your friend and cousin away out in India.