A Journey to Katmandu (the Capital of Napaul), with the Camp of Jung Bahadoor: Including a Sketch of the Nepaulese Ambassador at Home — John Shaqi
A Journey to Katmandu (the Capital of Napaul), with the Camp of Jung Bahadoor: Including a Sketch of the Nepaulese Ambassador at HomeOliphant, Laurence
History
A Journey to Katmandu (the Capital of Napaul), with the Camp of Jung Bahadoor: Including a Sketch of the Nepaulese Ambassador at Home
Oliphant, Laurence
Nepal -- Description and travel
The crops most generally reared are, sugar-cane, poppies, rare (a species
of pulse), wheat, often with a delicate border of blue-flowered flax,
tobacco, mustard, peas, and sometimes vetches. The large rose-gardens
for which Ghazipore is celebrated lay to the right. I regretted that our
way did not lead us through them, but we had evidence of their existence
in some delicious otto of roses, which is easily procured here.
The road by which we were now travelling was what is called in India a
cutcher-road, which means unmetalled. It is a pity that Government
should spend so much in macadamizing roads, when cutcher-roads answer
just as well for all the wants of native traffic. The rocks here are of
limestone formation, and consequently, as there is not much traffic on
any road in India, if the trees were cut down, roads on a limestone
formation would always keep themselves in repair, provided the side
drains were properly kept open. The bridges are all good, and, if the
line of road was well bridged throughout, the country conveyances could
always make their way along it with perfect ease. If the money now spent
in macadamizing were spent in making the necessary bridges, the resources
of the country would be much more fully opened out than they are at
present; a garre-waller, or cart-man, can always appreciate a bridge,
never a macadamized road. At present the bridges on this road are all
wooden, and liable to be carried away by the first heavy flood.
The whole way to the frontier of Nepaul we travelled along a
cutcher-road, accompanied by a train of at least a hundred hackerys,
without the slightest inconvenience; and until the style of cart at
present used by the natives becomes wonderfully improved, this road may
well be used, except of course during the rains.
A few days' march brought us to the banks of the Gograh, a large river
rising in the western Terai, and measuring, at the point where we
crossed, at least half a mile in breadth. As we came upon the cliff
overlooking the river, the scene was novel and amusing. As 5000 persons
had to reach the opposite bank, and no preparations had been made for
their transit, the confusion may be easily imagined. The good-humour of
the hillmen, however, was imperturbable, and, though there was plenty of
loud talking, the remarks made were usually of a facetious nature.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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