Travels in the Mogul Empire (Bernier) 12: FIFTH LETTER TO THE SAME

12

Written from the Camp of the Army marching from Lahor to Kachemire, the sixth day of the March.
Monsieur,
I YESTERDAY crossed one of the great rivers of India, called the Tchenau. Its excellent water, with which the principal Omrahs are providing themselves, instead of the Ganges water that has hitherto supplied their wants, induces me to hope that the ascent of this river does not lead to the infernal regions, but that it may really conduct us to the kingdom of Kachemire, where they would make me believe we should be gladdened with the sight of ice and snow. Every day is found more insupportable than the preceding, and the further we advance the more does the heat increase. It is true that I crossed the bridge of boats at broad noonday, but I am not sure that my sufferings would have been less if I had remained stifling in my tent. My object was at least attained: I passed over this bridge quietly, while everybody else was resting and waiting to cross toward the close of the day, when the heat is less oppressive. Perhaps I owe my escape from some fatal accident to my prudence and foresight, for no passage of a river, since the army quitted Dehli, has been attended with such dreadful confusion. The entrance at one extremity of the bridge into the first boat and the going out from the last boat at the other extremity were rendered extremely difficult and dangerous on account of the loose moving sand which it was necessary to pass and which giving way under the feet of such crowds of animals was carried off by the current, and left considerable cavities, into which numbers of camels, oxen, and horses were thrown down, and trodden underfoot, while blows were dealt about without intermission. There are generally upon these occasions officers and troopers attached to Omrahs, who to clear the way for their masters and their baggage make an active use of their canes. My Navaab has lost one of his camels, with the iron oven it carried; so that I fear I shall be reduced to the necessity of eating the bazar bread. Farewell!