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 Book-l-lA-SuiLS.- 
 
 Author . 
 
 Title 
 
 Imprint. 
 
Descriptive 
 
 Illasti^ated 
 
 12 lianteiin Slides 
 
 WIU-IAM HJRAU 
 
 PHfLADELPHIA 
 1891 
 
A 
 
 Descriptive Reading 
 
 ON 
 
 CASHMERE 
 
 X^ ILLUSTRATED BY TWELVE LANTERN 
 
 il/ SLIDES 
 
 7 
 
 I— V- 
 
 JAN ^1,^S£2_/,, 
 
 / 
 
 WILLIAM H. RAU 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
 1891 
 
Cotyrighi, jSgi, by Wtiijam H. Rati. 
 
 4" 
 
 
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ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 1. Panorama of Cashmere from the Kiosk. 
 
 2. Maharajah's Summer Palace on the Jhelam. 
 
 3. Grand Avenue of Poplars. 
 
 4. Down the Jhelam from the Maharajah's City Palace. 
 
 5. Third Bridge across the Jhelam, 
 
 6. Apple Tree Canal and Hindu Temple from Chenar-Bagh. 
 
 7. Cashmere Musicians. 
 
 8. Black Glaciers in the Himalayas nearAmur-nath. 
 
 9. View from the Cave of Amur-nath. 
 
 10. Dead Pilgrim in the Road to Amur-nath. 
 
 11. Sacred Cave of Amur-nath. 
 
 12. Clouds lifting from the Snow-clad Peaks. 
 
CASHMERE. 
 
 "Who has not heard of the Vale of Cashmere, 
 With its roses, the brightest that earth ever gave. 
 Its temples, and grottos, and fountains as clear 
 As the love- lighted eyes that hang over their wave?" 
 
 With these words Feramorz begins his delightful 
 narrative of the adored Nourmahal, the Light of the 
 Harem. The "unequalled Valley" has ever been to the 
 poets and romancers of the East, as well as in our own 
 half of the world, the ideal of an terrestial paradise. 
 The striking contrast between the arid plains of Hindu- 
 stan, but a few miles beyond its circling barrier of 
 mountains, with the constant Spring and verdure of 
 the Happy Valley has contributed to give it fame. 
 Situated in the very midst of the desolate and barren 
 peaks of the Himalayas, it seems as though the sur- 
 rounding country had been denuded of its natural 
 ornaments in order that its lovely slopes and plains 
 might be made beautiful. 
 
 1. Panorama of Caslmiere from the Kiosk. — The 
 
 view of the valley, which lies spread at one's feet from 
 some commanding height, is rendered, therefore, 
 peculiarly charming by contrast with the circle of 
 bare and solitary summits which enclose it. Before 
 us is spread out a wide expanse of verdant plain, a 
 land of perpetual Spring, which has been aptly de- 
 scribed as "a veritable jewel in Nature's own setting 
 
 (5) 
 
O CASHMERE. 
 
 of frightful precipices, everlasting snows, vast gla- 
 ciers." These rugged features of the country, while 
 serving as a contrast to — 
 
 "Kashmir-bi-Nuzir — without an equal ; 
 Kashmir-Junat-puzir — equal to Paradise." 
 
 serve also as its natural protector, guarding it alike 
 from the fiery heat of the tropical plains to the south, 
 and from the ice and snow from the higher regions of 
 the Himalayas to the north. The Vale is an irregular 
 oval, about ninety miles long by twenty miles wide, 
 and is a comparatively level plain situated in that por- 
 tion of the Himalaya range which marks the north- 
 west boundary of Hindustan, at a height of 5,200 
 feet above the sea. The surrounding peaks which 
 overlook this remarkable region, vary in height from 
 8,000 to 15,000 feet on the southern side, and reach- 
 ing an altitude of 18,000 on the north, some of the 
 loftier summits being covered with perpetual snow. 
 To all appearances these mountains present an un- 
 broken wall, but there is one opening — that out of 
 which the river Jhelam flows, at the northwestern end 
 of the valley. There are a number of passes into 
 Cashmere, however, only four of which are open to the 
 general traveller. The lowest of these is 11,000 feet 
 above the level of the sea. Once within the valley 
 we find that it is divided into two nearly equal parts 
 by the Jhelam, upon which is situated, near its outlet, 
 the capitol city of the country, Srinagar. The plain, 
 as we have said, is comparatively level, but it is broken 
 in places by raised plateaus or kareewahs. In the back- 
 ground of the view before us is to be seen one of the 
 kareewah, divided in places by deep ravines, down 
 
CASHMERE. 7 
 
 which the torrents of the mountains beyond flow to 
 add their volume to the waters of the Jhelam. The 
 general aspect of the country, as we see, is that of one 
 vast orchard, abounding in pomegranates, apples and 
 pears, while in most places it is richly cultivated for 
 the smaller vegetable products of the soil. 
 
 2. Maharajah's Suminer Palace on the Jhelam. 
 
 — The natural approach to Srinagar, the chief city of 
 the valley, is by its great thoroughfare, the River 
 Jhelam, which flows from the south-east to the north- 
 west close to the northern boundaryof the plain. The 
 city lies on each side of the river, extending for a 
 distance of nearly three miles. To the north and 
 almost encircling the city is the Dal, or city lake, 
 which is connected with the Jhelam by various canals. 
 This circumstance, coupled with the further fact that 
 Srinagar has practically no streets as we understand 
 the term, has given to the city the name of the Venice 
 of the East — a designation aptly applied. We find 
 here a race of boatmen who know no other homes 
 than their floating doongahs and shikaras, and these 
 vehicles are the universal means of conveyance, not 
 only from point to point in the city but to the various 
 villages and towns with which the floor of the valley 
 is dotted. 
 
 As we float gently down the placid stream our 
 attention is attracted to a large square building, on the 
 right — the summer palace of the Maharajah. There 
 . is little about it to suggest that it is the abode of 
 royalty, except its generous proportions. The ruler of 
 Jummoo and Cashmere occasionally comes here, and 
 it sometimes happens that distinguished visitors are 
 
8 CASHMERE. 
 
 entertained here, for the Maharajah carries out to the 
 letter all that even the strict laws of Oriental hospital- 
 ity could demand. Farther on, the commanding hill 
 known as the Takt-i-Suliman, or the seat of Suliman, 
 overlooks the city. From the river we can just dis- 
 cern the outline of a temple, the history of which 
 carries us back to 200 years before the Christian Era. 
 It had its origin with a Buddhist prince, passed after- 
 wards into the hands of the Moslem conquerors, and 
 now the sacred emblem of Siva shows that it is again 
 used in a place of Hindu worship. The building is in 
 a remarkable state of preservation, notwithstanding 
 its hoary antiquity and is one of the few remains of 
 a rival worship, which were left standing by the fierce 
 fanaticismof the followers of Mohammed. 
 
 3. Grand Aveiuie of Poplars. — We have said that 
 there are no streets in Srinagar, that the river and 
 canals are its thoroughfares and that boats are its 
 vehicles. While this is a fact there is one noteworthy 
 exception, a noble avenue of poplars, which leads 
 from the river just below the point we have just 
 passed. Poplars are very common in the valley, but 
 no where in the world can there be found so many 
 stately specimens as are assembled here. This avenue 
 has been called the " Rotten Row" of Srinagar. 
 Here may be seen the wealth and beauty of Cash- 
 mere — a race, as is well known, famous throughout 
 the world for its physical perfection. And no better 
 opportunity could be had for seeing the people at 
 their best than at their national game of" coghan" or 
 polo, which is played on the parade ground, near the 
 termination of the Avenue of Poplars. The iniita- 
 
CASHMERE. 9 
 
 tion of this exciting game which we have seen in 
 England and the United States, bears but a light re- 
 semblance to the original. All classes of society in 
 Cashmere and the adjacent province of Baltistan en- 
 gage in it as if 'twas the one object of life, the chil- 
 dren playing it in fact until they are old enough and 
 acquire sufficient skill to take part in the wild scram- 
 ble on horseback. The game is a very ancient one, 
 having been known in Constantinople in the 12th cen- 
 tury, and it was brought to Europe and America, 
 being borrowed from these people in the fastnesses of 
 the Himalayas. 
 
 4. Down the Jlielani from tlie Maharajah's City 
 Palace. — There is nothing monotonous in the ride 
 through the city proper, as this glimpse from the Sher 
 Garhi (the city fort and palace) will indicate. At one 
 time the river was embanked, between certain defined 
 limits, by huge blocks of lime-stone, but of these there 
 remain at present little but the ruins. As at Venice, 
 great flights of steps lead up from the water's edge at 
 different points. There are no regular lines of build- 
 ings, each house being independent of every other as 
 to style as well as position, a fact which contributes 
 greatly to the picturesque. Many of the domes ot 
 the Hindu temples are entirely covered with gold> 
 which glitters in the sun-light rendering them visible 
 for very long distances. Such an one is in the view 
 before us. At our feet is a characteristic group of 
 the native boats. There, for instance, is the doongah, 
 one of the larger craft available for journeys. It is 50 
 or 60 feet in length, and from 6 to 8 feet wide. Half 
 of its length is covered by awnings of matting sup- 
 
lO CASHMERE. 
 
 ported by a wooden frame-work. Curtains of matting 
 at the sides and end afford complete privacy and the 
 apartment thus obtained being large enough for a bed 
 or other furniture, the traveller can make himself very 
 comfortable — at least, as much so as in any tent or in 
 some of the native houses which he may be called 
 upon to use. The after part of the boat is occupied by 
 the crew, who with their wives and families make it 
 their home all the year round. Both men and women 
 take a share in the work of navigation, moving down 
 stream by the aid of the current and by heart-shaped 
 paddles. When the course is up-stream, the boat is 
 drawn by the whole family harnessed together to a 
 long tow-line. 
 
 5. Third Bridge Across the Jhelain. — The two 
 
 portions of the city of Srinagar, on either side of the 
 Jhelam, are connected by seven quaint bridges, very 
 old. They are formed of the trunks of the Himalaya 
 cedar, or deodar, driven into the bed of the stream 
 and supported with stones to form the foundations for 
 the piers. The latter are built up of alternate layers 
 of deodar, each successive layer projecting beyond 
 the other so as to lessen the span. The upper timbers 
 forming the road are sometimes covered with earth, 
 and one of the bridges has upon its deck a row of 
 shops, suggesting the old London bridge. The struc- 
 ture spanning the stream, in the view before us, is the 
 Fati Kadal, or the third bridge, while on the right 
 bank — the prominent building in sight — is the Shah 
 Hamadan Musjid, one of the most celebrated and 
 most elajDorate mosques in the country. Like most 
 others of its kind it is built of wood, the invaluable 
 
CASHMERE. II 
 
 deodar; bells hang at various points from the project- 
 ing roof, and, unlike the greater number of mosques, 
 a golden ball surmounts the whole instead of the cres- 
 cent. It is a shrine of great sacredness, and is claimed 
 to have been founded on the site of an earlier Hindu 
 temple, by a descendant of the prophet who was trans- 
 ported through the air to Cashmere from Samarkand. 
 A curious feature of this and other buildings of Srin- 
 agar is the growth of vegetation upon the house-tops. 
 This is referred to by the poet, who tells us that "the 
 fair city on the Lake, whose houses, roofed with flow- 
 ers appeared at a distance like one vast and variegated 
 parterre" could not tempt Lalla Rookli from the sad 
 thoughts from which she entered the Happy Valley. 
 Behind the mosque, on an isolated hill about 300 feet 
 high, frowns the Harri Parbat, a fortress built by the 
 great Akbar, in 1590, to over-awe his recently con- 
 quered city. It is no longer formidable, however, and 
 though occupied by a small garrison, is in a half- 
 ruined condition. 
 
 6. Apple Tree Canal and Hindu Temple from 
 Clienar Bag-li. — The Dal, or city lake, and the Jhelam 
 are connected by several canals, but none are so 
 famous as this Apple Tree canal, as we see it from the 
 Isle of Chenar, in the Lake. Flowing peacefully be- 
 tween rows of beautiful trees, exquisite gardens as- 
 cending on either side, this silver pathway presents an 
 ideal of Oriental beauty and splendor. Leading from 
 the city palace of the Maharajah, on the Jhelam, 
 through the centre of the city, it terminates at the 
 city gate of the Dal, close to the famous Char Chenar. 
 This was one of several gardens and islands con- 
 
1 2 CASHMERE. 
 
 structed by the Delhi Emperors. The Char Chenar, 
 or as it is also known, Rupa L.ank (or Silver Island), 
 is a about an acre in extent, and it is ornamented by 
 a single chenar, or plane tree, at each corner. It is 
 said to have been planned by the beautiful Nourmahal, 
 wife of the Shah Jehangir. And not far away is the 
 wonderful garden of Shalimar, that Imperial palace 
 which was "the best loved abode" of the Mogul 
 princes, the glories of which are so vividly described 
 in the great poetical work already quoted. 
 
 7. Cashmere Musicians. — Reference has already 
 been made to one class of the inhabitants of the 
 valley — the boatmen. And while we look at this 
 group of Cashmere musicians it is interesting to re- 
 call the fact that in spite of the natural mountain bar- 
 riers which protect it, the Happy Valley has been a 
 constant temptation to forefgn invaders. Its history 
 is a record of successive conquests and changes of 
 rulers and of religion ; and at the present day, while 
 under the rule of a Hindu monarch, the mass of the 
 people are followers of Mohammed. With respect to 
 the natives of Cashmere, and their characteristic phy- 
 sical beauty, it should be added that they have been 
 likened to "beautiful ancient statues not yet cleansed 
 of the earth to which they had lain hurried forages." 
 They appear to have no idea as to the utility of water 
 for personal application; and another personal peculi- 
 arity is that they excel in the Eastern art of lying — 
 two points in which they are lamentably out of keep- 
 ing with their poetic surroundings. It is hardly worth 
 our while therefore to seek to make closer acquaint- 
 ance with the inhabitants of this Indian paradise, for 
 
CASHMERE. 1 3 
 
 the experience could not fail to be disappointing. 
 This does not matter greatly, however, for the mar- 
 vellous beauty of our surrounding is such that our 
 time can be fully and profitably occupied in a study 
 of the country. 
 
 8. Black Glaciers in tlie Hiuialayas near Aniiu*- 
 natli. — Th\is far but little has been said of the moun- 
 tains which surround the Happy Valley, the mighty 
 ridge of the Himalayas whose stupendous masses and 
 towering summits suggested to the Hindu mythology 
 the idea that they formed the support for the roof of 
 the world. They are, it must be remembered, the 
 greatest mountain range in the world, both as to ex- 
 tent and elevation. The mountains extend along the 
 northern boundary of Hindustan, a distance of from 
 1200 to 1500 miles, and cover a territory 150 miles 
 wide. When it is stated that the mean height of these 
 passes through the Himalayas is over 17,000 feet, the 
 wonderful character of the Cashmere Vale will • be 
 better appreciated, its level being but litte over 5,000 
 feet. The northern wall of this valley is broken by 
 several small and narrow valleys or gorges, the most 
 famous being those of the Scind and the Liddar, The 
 latter is one of the most wild and picturesque in the 
 region, and is a little to the north of Eastof Srinagar. 
 At its upper end it is connected by a narrow pass with 
 the Scind Valley, and with the great Zoji or Dras 
 Pass, which at an elevation of 11,300 feet, leads into 
 the lofty plateaus of Dras. We are now close to the 
 limits of the eternal snow, and these wonderful black 
 glaciers in the Liddar Valley, flowing down from 
 summits of 17,000 to 18,000 feet, give an idea of the 
 unutterable desolation of the view. 
 
14 CASHMERE. 
 
 9. View from the Cave of Aiuiir-iiath. — We have 
 chosen this narrow and difificult pass for our excur- 
 sion in the mountains in order to visit one of the most 
 sacred of the Hindu shrines in all India — the Cave of 
 Amur-nath, the place where the immortal Siva is wor- 
 shiped. We are standing now upon a narrow ledge 
 of rock, at an elevation of 16,000 feet above the sea. 
 At our right the precipitous wall of rock rises to the 
 dizzy heights of the surrounding summits — from 4,000 
 to 7,000 feet above us, while below is a narrow defile 
 leading westward toward the Scind and Zoji Pass. 
 There is a glacier, here, in every hollow of the ridge 
 and in every corner where the ice can take a foothold. 
 The glaciers, however, do not extend very low, the 
 lowest in this immediate region being 10,500 feet 
 above the sea. In certain seasons of the year it is 
 possible to reach Amur-nath from the Scind, but the 
 pass is often rendered inaccessible by snow and hence 
 the thousands of pilgrims who annually come here, 
 travel by way of the Liddar. 
 
 10. Dead Pilgrini on the Road to Aniiir-iiath. — 
 
 This illustration of the courage and perservance which 
 is given to the weakest and poorest specimens of man- 
 kind by religious zeal and fanaticism, was found on 
 the road to this sacred shrine of Siva. Like many 
 others of his faith he suffered the roughness and dan- 
 gers of a journey into the "Abode of Snow," in order 
 that he might share the reward promised to the faith- 
 ful who offer their orisons at this Mecca of the Hin- 
 dus. He was overtaken by a sudden blast of air from 
 the icy heights above, and being but scantily clothed 
 succumbed to the piercing cold. The subject is a 
 
CASHMERE. ^5 
 
 melancholy one, but the loss of this victim was prob- 
 ably not mourned by his nearest relatives and friends, 
 for his death in the performance of so pious an act as 
 a pilgrimage to Amur-nath, has, according to their 
 belief, insured for him a happy future. 
 
 11. Sacred Cave of Aniur-natli.— The sacred cave 
 itself is, as we have already shown, at a desolate and 
 weird' spot, in one of the wildest of the mountain re- 
 cessses. It is of gypsum, about 150 feet square and 
 about 30 feet high, and is filled with stalactites and 
 icicles. Siva, one of the Hindu divinities, is supposed 
 to reside in the cave, under the form of one of the 
 numerous blocks of ice which fill the crevices of the 
 rocks. The annual worship of Siva at this all but in- 
 accessbile shrine, is said to have had its origin in the 
 example of the divinities who were under the special 
 protection of the Lord Siva. Thousands of pilgrims 
 of every caste and rank, from every portion of Hin- 
 dustan visit Amur-nath annually to take part in the 
 great ceremony on the 24th of July— the frequent 
 fatalities from exposure or from avalanches in no way 
 checking the enthusiasm of the devotees. The cere- 
 mony that takes place upon their arrival is thus de- 
 scribed : "When the pilgrims arrive at the mouth of 
 the cave they commence shouting, clapping their 
 hands, and calling upon Siva. 'Show yourself to us,' 
 is the universal and simultaneous exclamation and 
 prayer of prostrate thousands. The cave is much 
 frequented by rock pigeons, which, affrighted at the 
 noise, rush out tumultuously, and are the answer to 
 the prayer. In the body of one or other of these re- 
 sides the person of their divinity ; and Siva, the 
 
l6 CASHMERE, 
 
 Destroyer and All-powerful, is considered to be pre- 
 sent and incarnate, as the harmless dove." The Fakirs 
 and Brahmins, who attend the deity, are repaid for 
 the desolate character of their abode and of their life, 
 by the generosity of the pilgrims who consider that 
 proper maintenance is a first duty. 
 
 12. Clouds Lifting- from the Snow-Clad Peaks. — 
 
 With one more view in this incomparable valley, in 
 the mountains near the sacred cave, our visit to Kash- 
 mir must end. We have here in this single vista, the 
 tree-clad mountains and the bare peaks rising to an 
 altitude of over 23,000 feet, capped with their every 
 present crests of snow. The great cloud masses which 
 had filled the narrow gorge before us have gradually 
 risen, until they are now rolling away from the peaks, 
 revealing to us their rugged outlines. No sign of 
 human life mars the somber majesty of the prospect, 
 and we cannot help but feel that surroundings, such 
 as these are, fit places for the abodes of the gods. The 
 mighty hills stand 
 
 "Ranged in white ranks against the blue--untrod, 
 Infinite, wonderful — whose uplands vast. 
 And lifted universe of crest and crag, 
 Shoulder and shelf, green slope and icy horn, 
 Riven ravine, and splindered precipice 
 Led climbing thought higher and higher, until 
 It seemed to stand in Heaven and speak with gods." 
 

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