Kipling's India . t bedsat night. At almost any station, he can obtain deli-cious tea and toast, or, by telegraphing ahead, a verygood and substantial meal. Scarcely thirty-three hours after leaving Bombay thetraveller comes to Umballa, and changes there for thebranch line to Kalka, for Kalka leads to Simla, the be-loved, the summer capital of India, and the most fash-ionable summer resort in the country. From Kalka, the little train creeps slowly upward,curving round and round the mountain for fifty-fivemiles. Below and almost constantly in sight lies thetonga road glistening white in the sun
Kipling's India . t bedsat night. At almost any station, he can obtain deli-cious tea and toast, or, by telegraphing ahead, a verygood and substantial meal. Scarcely thirty-three hours after leaving Bombay thetraveller comes to Umballa, and changes there for thebranch line to Kalka, for Kalka leads to Simla, the be-loved, the summer capital of India, and the most fash-ionable summer resort in the country. From Kalka, the little train creeps slowly upward,curving round and round the mountain for fifty-fivemiles. Below and almost constantly in sight lies thetonga road glistening white in the sunshine. Groups ofmen and drove after drove of camels climb slowly upthe steep path, while tongas dash past them at a furiouspace. Great cactus trees appear everywhere; then atlast the pines show dark and rich and green, speaking ofthe higher hills; and seven hours from the time of start-ing, the train arrives at Simla pahar, seven thousandfeet above the sea. Only the Viceroy and a few other privileged ones may [12]. Cijpyrii,lit by Underwood &: Uudefwood, N. ^ . SIMLA FROM THE KALKA ROAD Of this city of the hills the Kipling of other dayssaid, in the beginning of The Education of OtisYeere, a tale involving Mrs. Hauksbee and hercomplex philosopliy: Here begins the story whereevery right-minded story should Ijcgin, that is tosay, at Simla, where all tilings begin and many cometo an evil end. ANGLO-INDIA drive in carriages at Simla, but there is no lack of con-veyances. At the Simla station, a dozen rickshawjhampanis, a merry, bantering group of men, rush toward the train, each jhampani loud in praise of hisown rickshaw and equally loud in denunciation of therickshaws of his rivals. A ride in a Simla rickshaw isa thrilling experience. With tv/o of the strong, bare-legged jhampanis pushing and two pulling the over-grown perambulator, it fairly spins along the smooth,narrow path. The jhampanis, delighted into greaterrecklessness by the passengers gasps of fear and sur-prise, whirl h
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectkipling, bookyear1915
