Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. TROUBLE IX SECURING COOLIES. We rose the next morning, but somewhat after the sun, and at once set to work to make arrangements (the expressive native term " bnndobitst" well describes this) for the transport of ourselves and effects over the 96 miles that lay between us and the Nepal capital Khatmandu, or at least that first portion of it traversed by a cart road. We began by trying to procure coolies who would march clear through at the Government stipulated rate of four and one quarter rupees, or about seven shillings each man; but this attempt failed, as only half a dozen coolies were available. We then, after much trouble and delay, managed to secure a bullock cart, the ordinary common conveyance of India on two wheels and drawn by a couple of bullocks. Upon this we loaded our luggageand in the evening sent it ahead by our Xepalese servant. For ourselves we planned to hire two ponies, as we had brought saddles, but no ponies were to be had. Then we thought of walking rather than be delayed another day. However, at the last moment, an ekka was procured for us, the driver of which bound himself by agreement (and confirmed the same according to native custom by taking an advance of two rupees) to carry us to Bechiakoh, forty miles distant, where the road-way terminates. I must explain to some of my readers that an ekka is a small two-wheeled, springless conveyance with a sort of bell-shaped top to screen its occupants from the sun, drawn by a single pony, fastened within a pair of bow-shaped shafts, resting on a high padded wood saddle bound on his back, the whole rig being dubbed by many a " Jingling Johnny." The vehicle can accomodate fairly one passenger, besides the driver who straddles the shafts, seated a-la-Turk, with a few bits of baggage sto...