A Holiday in the Happy Valley with Pen and Pencil

A Holiday in the Happy Valley with Pen and Pencil

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Title: A Holiday in the Happy Valley with Pen and Pencil
Author: T. R. Swinburne
Release Date: April 2, 2004 [eBook #11873]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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A HOLIDAY IN THE HAPPY VALLEY WITH PEN AND PENCIL
BY
T. R. SWINBURNE
MAJOR (LATE) R.M.A.
WITH 24 COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS
1907

[ILLUSTRATION: THE JHELUM AT SRINAGAR]

"_Over the great windy waters, and over the clear crested summits, Unto the sea and the sky, and unto the perfecter earth, Come, let us go_!"

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK
TO
"JANE"

PREFACE
I observe that it is customary to begin a book by an Introduction, Preface, or Foreword. In the good old days of the eighteenth century this generally took the form of a burst of grovelling adoration aimed at some most noble or otherwise highly important person. This fulsome fawning on the great was later changed into propitiation of the British public, and unknown authors revelled in excuses for publishing their earlier efforts.
But now that every one has written a book, or is about to do so, I feel that my apologies are rather due to the public for not having rushed into print before. I have really spared it because I had nothing in particular to write about, and I confess I am somewhat doubtful as to whether I am even now justified in invoking the kind offices of a publisher with a view to bringing forth this literary mouse in due form!
No admiring (if partial) relatives have hung upon my lips as I read them my journal, imploring me with tears in their eyes to waste not an instant, but give to a longing world this literary treasure. I have no illusions as regards my literary powers, and I do not imagine that I shall depose the gifted author of _E?then_ from his pride of place.
I claim, however, the merit of truth. The journal was written day by day, and the sketches were all done on the spot; and if this account--bald and inadequate as I know it to be--of a very happy time spent in rambling among some of the finest scenery of this lovely earth, may induce any one to betake himself to Kashmir, he will achieve something worth living for, and I shall not have spilt ink in vain.

CONTENTS




CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTORY
II. THE VOYAGE OUT
III. KARACHI TO ABBOTABAD
IV. ABBOTABAD TO SRINAGAR
V. FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF SRINAGAR
VI. OUR FIRST CAMP
VII. BACK TO SRINAGAR
VIII. THE LOLAB
IX. SRINAGAR AGAIN
X. THE LIDAR VALLEY
XI. GANGABAL
XII. GULMARG
XIII. THE FLOOD
XIV. THE MACHIPURA
XV. DELHI AND AGRA
XVI. UDAIPUR

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
THE JHELUM AT SRINAGAR (Frontispiece)
A SOLUTION OF CONTINUITY
A SRINAGAR BYE-WAY--EARLY SPRING
ON THE JHELUM--EARLY SPRING
THE BUND SRINAGAR--EARLY SPRING
THE DAL
IN THE NISHAT BAGH
THE PIR PANJAL FROM ALSU--MORNING
ON THE DAL--SUNSET
NATIVE BOATS
PANDRETTAN
KOLAHOI
LIDARWAT
THE RAMPARTS OF KASHMIR
GANGABAL
HARAMOK
A TARN ABOVE TRONKOL
ON THE CIRCULAR ROAD, GULMARG
IN SRINAGAR--TWILIGHT
SRINAGAR FLOODED
HARI PARBAT--EVENING
NANGA PARBAT FROM KITARDAJI
MIXED BATHING (UDAIPUR)
UDAIPUR
MAP OF KASHMIR

A HOLIDAY IN THE HAPPY VALLEY




CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A journey to Kashmir now--in these days of cheap and rapid locomotion--is in nowise serious. It takes time, I grant you, but to any one with a few months to spare--and there are many in that happy position--there can be few pleasanter ways of spending a summer holiday.
It would be as well to start from England not later than the middle of March, as the Red Sea and the Sind Desert begin to warm up uncomfortably in spring. Srinagar would then be reached fairly early in April, and the visitor should arrange, if possible, to remain in the country until the middle of October. We had to leave just as the gorgeous autumn colouring was beginning to blaze in the woods, and the first duck were wheeling over the Wular Lake.
The climate of Kashmir is fairly similar to that of many parts of Southern Europe. There is a good deal of snow in the valley in winter. Spring is charming, the brilliant days only varied by frequent thunderstorms--which, however, are almost invariable in keeping their pyrotechnics till about five in the afternoon. July and August are hot and steamy in the valley, and it is necessary to seek one of the cool "Margs" which form ideal camping-grounds on all the lofty mountain slopes which surround the valley.
Gulmarg is the most frequented and amusing resort in summer of the English colony and contingent from the broiling plains of the Punjab. Here the happy fugitive from the sweltering heat of