The Interior
Was Richly Decorated With Gilding And Mirrors, &C., But Was Little
Worthy Of Remark In Comparison With The Richness Of The Exterior
Effect.
Presenting a "bukshish" to the expectant padres who guarded
the sacred book, we left them to their devotions, and betook ourselves
once more to our bungalow.
OCTOBER 23. - Travelling all night, we reached Jullunder at six
A.M., and, after breakfast, again started for Loodianah, where we
dined. We here again crossed the Sutlej, but, the water being low,
boat navigation was dispensed with, and a shaky bridge, and about
two miles of sandy river-bed, completed the passage.
At Loodianah we were stormed by a host of merchants, with pushmeena
and other soft matters, who were rather disappointed at finding we
had come from the birth-place of such like manufactures. Some of the
local shawls, however, or "Rampore chudders," were beautifully fine
and delicate, and seemed worthy of inspection.
OCTOBER 24. - Reached Umballa at eight A.M., and started again
shortly after. Our horses to-day were most miserable caricatures,
and it was with difficulty we managed to progress at all. The last
stage was accomplished at a walk; and what with this and the delay
caused by a couple of sandy river-beds, we only reached Kurnaul at
ten P.M. The miserable condition of the horses was accounted for
by the enormously high price of grain and the absence of grass,
in consequence of the want of rain. The general topic, in fact,
is now the failure of the rains, and consequent apprehensions of a
famine throughout the land.
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