38 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



oftener the better, as the old man said), cover extraordinary distances and 

 without dropping out of the running at an early age as folks seem to fancy. 

 Mr. John Harvey, formerly assistant inspector of schools, Lahore 

 Circle, who has had abundant opportunity for observation, writes that 

 these people are not short lived and that they are known to have per- 

 formed " most extraordinary feats of endurance, such as bearing palan- 

 quins and doolies, in carrying bangi loads and in long distance running 

 when laying a palki dak, i. <?._, arranging for a succession of bearers for 

 an urgent palanquin journey." He says : 



I know that Kahars live to be old men, for it is from their own lips that 

 I have heard of feats of long distance running, as sarbarais and proved them 

 to be true. I could give you several instances of incredible endurance. 



The following story from Mr. Harvey illustrates the wonderful 

 endurance of the Kahar : 



LONG DISTANCE RUNNING (Dialogue) 



Scene— Amritsar, N. India. Circ. 1875. Time, 5 p.m. 



Dramatis Persona? 



J. Harvey Asst. Inspt. Schools, Lahore Circle. 



Maghi Ram. Doolie chaudhri, Amritsar. 



Gangu Son of above. 



J. H. "Ah, chaudhri ji! It is necessary that I should have a doolie to 

 start for Sialkot at 8 this evening." 



M. R. " Very good, nourisher of the poor, here is the Order book : please 

 write the order and pay the money Rs 30, at the rate of 4^ annas per bearer 

 for six bearers, 1 sarbarai (forerunner) and 1 misalchi (torchbearer) for each 

 of eleven stages, with Rs 5 for the doolie and the balance for oil." 



J. H. "There, count the money — is it all right?" 



M. R. "Quite correct, noble presence — Take the Rs 20, and be off with 

 you. The doolie will be here at 7:30, Sahib. Salaam." 



J. H. "Stay, chaudhri — That Gangu is your son, I think; now will he 

 go the whole distance to Sialkot (64 miles) before morning, laying my doolie 

 dak and paying the bearers?" 



M. R. " O yes, noble presence, why not ? That is nothing for a boy of 

 his age (20 years). But kahars (doolie-bearer caste) are no longer in condi- 

 tion since the railways came in, though their time was always surer." 



J. H. " Nonsense. But it is interesting to know that Gangu will do his 

 64 miles in 9 hours, if he really does do so. How shall I prove it?" 



M. R. " Why, nourisher of the poor, Gangu will pay his respects to you, 

 in duty bound, when you arrive in Sialkot, for he must return to me at once 

 with your assurance that all went well on the journey." 



J. H. " Well, I know this is said to be the usual procedure, but is it not 

 a trying piece of work for a young man, especially if he has to do it often?" 



M. R. "Great king, the oftener the better; for it is much more trying if 

 undergone only occasionally, though we kahars are in a manner born to the 

 work. Unburdened, we could go on forever, but burdened — well, fifty miles is 

 nothing out of the way for a man in practise. Some of your own bearers will 

 not change for three, four, five or more stages on the way to Sialkot. It will 

 all depend on what men are obtainable on short notice. [This was subse- 

 quently verified by J. H. who found one man of his bearers toiling under the 

 doolie into Sialkot who started under it from Amritsar and who proved that 



