The City Of The Sun

Serinagar, or literally Surgia Nagar, the City of the Sun, is the capital of tho beautiful and romantic valley of Cashmere, one of the most charming spots in the whole earth. It is sorae seven yearg ago that jn my wanderings I visited this happy Talley. A lonely march of about 100 miles along tha banks of the Jhelum Kiver, the ancient Hydaspes, brought me to the smooth waters of the Cashmere Lake. Here I hired a boat covered with matting, and so arranged that the stern of the boat fornied a cooking kitchen, both for the crew and passenger. My crew consisted of a f ull-grown man, an undergrown boy, an old woman, two small children and a young mother and a pluuip baby. The whole party, except the plump "baby, took their turn at the oars and towing rope, and I managed to get along at the raie of two miles an hour. It wad a clear morning. and beautiful beyond deacription was the panoramic view as we wound along the river in its circular course. All around the country was rich with verdure. Rising at a distance were the snowy ranges of the Himalara Mountains, many of them as much as 13,000 feet above the sea level. To quote the words of the traveler, Vigne: "Softness mantling over the sublime, snugness generally elscwhere incompatible with extent, are the prevailing characteristics of the scenery of Cashmere." In the center of this lovely scenery is the City of the Sun, which was recently destroyed by an earthquake. Serinagar is a considerable city of some 150.000 inhabitants. of whom 20,000 are Hindus and the remainder Mohammedans. The houses are built entirely of wood, and are usually three stories high. The streots are narrow and dirty. The people were dirtier than the streets. No pen could possibly depict tho real sanitary condition of Serinagar, and consequently one regrets that, as the city had to perish, it dia not succumb to thepurifying elementof fire rather than the upheavings of an earthquake. The city of Serinagar is on an island in the midst of the Cashmere Lake. It logs. Some of the bridges are occupio3 with shops, like old Loudoii bridge, which are extremely quaint, although unsightly gtructures. There are no cabs or carts or carriages in the city of Serinagar, and therefore no conveyances rumble along its narrow, dirty streets. It is a wise dispensation of Providence tbt wheelod conveyances have not been introduced in the capital of Cashmero, for the people would be too lazy to get out of the way. The Cashmeree ncver walks or works if he can help it. In recent famines they preferred dying to either. And yet they are skilied workmen. The manufactories of Cashmere are well known. Cashmere shawls have a world-wide reputation, although the trade is not as prosperous as it used to be, A Cashmere shawl has been sold in Paris and London for L4,000. and even more. The silver and gold work in bracelets and necklaces is perhaps unequaled in the world, for it has a peculiar unftnished style of its own which can not be imitated. The copper work is very antique in its appearance. The painted and inlaid woodwork, erroneously called by Europeans papor-mache, is exceedingly beautiful. It is an intoresting fact that the well-known Cashmere shawl patterns, which finds expression in all art'cles of Cashmere manufacture, has its origin in the peculiar windings of tho river Jhelum along the valley. The women of Cashmere are renowned for their beauty. They are exceodingly fair for Orientáis. In forrner years tney were stüzcd and sold as slaves ior the seraglios of Eastern roonarohs. And even in modorn days the Cashmere beauty has fouud a ilace in the atleoKons of India Kuropean rulers and warriors. Physicallv the men are a very fine raoo, and the calves of the Cashmere coolio would give effect to the very best arrangement in knickerbockors. The phienological development of both sexos is good. Hut still the Cashmere is a hopeless individual. At first when you look at him you bolieve in him. His line developraent of head, chest and c;üf, win your respect. But from the day that one of tlioir number ate five of my loaves of bread, and anotherpurloined a bottle of preserved currants, and another appropriated a leathern strap, 1 lost conlidence in the race. Aftcr very oareWl inquiry I came to tho conclusión that tlie Cashmere oomes very low down in the scale of huraanity. He won't work if he can help it, and to beg he is neverasl.amod. Suoh is the race that inhabits one of the fairest and most productive provinco.s