India Inklings: 1/11/1931
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Alma writes about a trip in southwest India that she took during Christmas vacation from the Women's Christian College in Madras/Chennai.
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INDIA INKLINGS
Vol II, No. 4.
11, Jan. 1931
Madras, India.
WEATHER: The very best of the year is now upon us, and better could not be desired. The maximum daily is about 85° and the minimum may be 65°-70°. The air is clear and fresh. May this long continue!
College Notes: college opened for the last term Jan 8, doing its best but undoubtedly hampered by the fact that one member of the Botany Department had extended her vacation by two days in order to continue her American type tour of Travancore and the Malabar coast. (Lazy thing! She had also taken an extra half day at the end of term without the excuse of being ill or disabled.)
The garden is so-so. Some of the newly-planted shrubs were so discouraged after the protracted monsoon that they refused to have anything more to do with this world, but the trees are doing well - even those which had their tops nipped by the predatory cows. On the Editor's return trip to Madras (date uncertain) she expects to sit under the shade of these trees.
The Editor has not yet been in Madras for 24 hours since her return from the Christmas holidays and most of that time has been spent in opening the mail which accumulated during the last 3 weeks. She takes this opportunity to thank all those who made her return so pleasant. This explains why she has not had time to scout around and find news.
This number is to be a Special Number devoted to Buses, Bungalows, and Bustling aBout in the Garden Spot of India.
There may be a map affixed if time permits and zeal continues. No insult to our subscribers is intended.
The party assembled in Madura Dec. 20 and spent 2 days with Mr. and Mrs. Nolting. Miss Coon and Miss Bain came from Madras, Miss Lyle from Nellore, and Miss Stokey came from Arrupukottai where she had spent 3 days at the home of Ruth Parker White, N.H.C. The Madras contingent arrived on the same train with the newly elected Cabinet minister of the Madras presidency who was returning to his home town and was being welcomed by 5 elephants, 2 camels, a temple bull and several hundred garlands which were hung on the man himself, the engine and any other available places.
In Madura the party visited the American College and the great temple. The Madura temple is notable for its size, 847x720 ft., and for its 9 gopurams (towers over the entrances). To the Editor it seemed dirty and sordid beyond words, but she was assured that it was relatively clean as its regular cleaning which occurs every 65 years had occurred within recent years. She prefers some of the smaller temples in which the carving is less grotesque, e.g. the Conjooveram temples.
The real trip began on leaving Madura on the night train for Trivandrum. This is the schedule which was carried out - yes, it was. From Madras back to Madras was about 1660 miles, 22 days without the Aruppukottai trip, 3 nights on the train, 2 in Madura, 2 in a private school in Tiruvalla and the rest in Traveller's Bungelows, generally known as T.B.s. Around Madras and in the north they are often called Dak Bungalows (Dak - Post) or D.B.s.
1 Trivandrum 1 night
2. Cape Comorin 2 nights (over Christmas)
3. Quilen 1 night; Tiffin at Changannur
4 Tiruvella 2 nights.
5 Kottayam 1 night
6 Peermade 3 nights.
7 Alleppey 1 night
8 Coshin 2 nights
9 Calicut 1 night
10 Tellicherry 1 night
11 Mercura 2 nights
In most of these places there are no hotels for Europeans and the only provision for traveller's is the T.B. which may be a municipal affair as in Tallicherry or under the PWD (Public Works Department) as in Travancore.
Vol II, No. 4.
11, Jan. 1931
Madras, India.
WEATHER: The very best of the year is now upon us, and better could not be desired. The maximum daily is about 85° and the minimum may be 65°-70°. The air is clear and fresh. May this long continue!
College Notes: college opened for the last term Jan 8, doing its best but undoubtedly hampered by the fact that one member of the Botany Department had extended her vacation by two days in order to continue her American type tour of Travancore and the Malabar coast. (Lazy thing! She had also taken an extra half day at the end of term without the excuse of being ill or disabled.)
The garden is so-so. Some of the newly-planted shrubs were so discouraged after the protracted monsoon that they refused to have anything more to do with this world, but the trees are doing well - even those which had their tops nipped by the predatory cows. On the Editor's return trip to Madras (date uncertain) she expects to sit under the shade of these trees.
The Editor has not yet been in Madras for 24 hours since her return from the Christmas holidays and most of that time has been spent in opening the mail which accumulated during the last 3 weeks. She takes this opportunity to thank all those who made her return so pleasant. This explains why she has not had time to scout around and find news.
This number is to be a Special Number devoted to Buses, Bungalows, and Bustling aBout in the Garden Spot of India.
There may be a map affixed if time permits and zeal continues. No insult to our subscribers is intended.
The party assembled in Madura Dec. 20 and spent 2 days with Mr. and Mrs. Nolting. Miss Coon and Miss Bain came from Madras, Miss Lyle from Nellore, and Miss Stokey came from Arrupukottai where she had spent 3 days at the home of Ruth Parker White, N.H.C. The Madras contingent arrived on the same train with the newly elected Cabinet minister of the Madras presidency who was returning to his home town and was being welcomed by 5 elephants, 2 camels, a temple bull and several hundred garlands which were hung on the man himself, the engine and any other available places.
In Madura the party visited the American College and the great temple. The Madura temple is notable for its size, 847x720 ft., and for its 9 gopurams (towers over the entrances). To the Editor it seemed dirty and sordid beyond words, but she was assured that it was relatively clean as its regular cleaning which occurs every 65 years had occurred within recent years. She prefers some of the smaller temples in which the carving is less grotesque, e.g. the Conjooveram temples.
The real trip began on leaving Madura on the night train for Trivandrum. This is the schedule which was carried out - yes, it was. From Madras back to Madras was about 1660 miles, 22 days without the Aruppukottai trip, 3 nights on the train, 2 in Madura, 2 in a private school in Tiruvalla and the rest in Traveller's Bungelows, generally known as T.B.s. Around Madras and in the north they are often called Dak Bungalows (Dak - Post) or D.B.s.
1 Trivandrum 1 night
2. Cape Comorin 2 nights (over Christmas)
3. Quilen 1 night; Tiffin at Changannur
4 Tiruvella 2 nights.
5 Kottayam 1 night
6 Peermade 3 nights.
7 Alleppey 1 night
8 Coshin 2 nights
9 Calicut 1 night
10 Tellicherry 1 night
11 Mercura 2 nights
In most of these places there are no hotels for Europeans and the only provision for traveller's is the T.B. which may be a municipal affair as in Tallicherry or under the PWD (Public Works Department) as in Travancore.
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There are "first class T.B.s" in which there is a Butler in charge with a larger corps of servants than you are conscious of until the moment of tipping arrives; meals are served as ordered, rather if ordered, because the butler follows his own sweet will as to time and substance although he always asks for orders. There are also "second class Bungalows" in which there is only a servant or two and no meals are served. We confined our patronage to the first class T.B.s some of which were classier than others. Those which we patronized had from 2 to 6 rooms with varying amounts of furniture of varying degrees of comfort. We rated Kottayen highest for its general make-up and equipment; Tallichery best for location and competent butler; Quilon, Alleppey and Peermade for meals; Cochin had a beautiful location facing an inlet from the sea but its dishes were so bad that we used our own enamel-ware plates and cups in preference; Mercara had no mattresses on the beds and we carried only one resai (thin mattress) so we used one camp cot, and supplemented the wire springs on the two beds with newspapers, oilcloth wrapper for our bed-rolls, and all the odds and ends available as well as the one resai. We paid from Rs. 1 1/2 to Rs. 1/2 according to accommodation, per person for a night. (1 rupee is about 36 cents).
Saman (luggage): Travelling in India involves carrying a large amount of saman. For the 4 of us we had the following: 5 suitcases, 4 bed-rolls containing blankets, pillows, resais, towels, etc. (the Editor's was swollen somewhat by a plant press); 2 tiffin baskets, 2 folding cots with frames for mosquito nets; in all 13 pieces of saman not counting our canteens, cameras, cushions for the train or bus or boat, umbrellas and handbags. Murray's Guidebook says that Europeans should travel first-class with a servant. We travelled second-class and did our own fighting with coolies. We carried cots for fear we would not be able to get two rooms in every place and would need to double up. Miss Coon left the party at Alleppey and took one cot back with her; we needed the other cot in Tellicherry and Mercara and were very thankful to have it.
Languages: Tamil in Madura, Malayalam (pronounced mol-ly-ol' lum) in Travancore and Cochin State; Kenarese in Coorg and Mysore State. Tamil is sufficiently like Malayalam so that Miss Bain's Tamil helped us over difficult places. English is in very general use in South India and there is usually some one at hand who will interpret when it is necessary. The real difficulty is that most Indians will never own up that they do not understand and pretend that they do. We found many children in remote parts of Travancore to whom Europeans were a great novelty - so much so that they followed us as if we were a circus - but usually some of the older children could speak a little English. There are so many languages used in South India that English is used as a common language. Hindustani is almost useless in the south except with Muhammedans who speak Urdu. We did not see any Hindustani signs until on the train from Bangalore to Madras.
Vegetation. Cape Comorin is like Madras, more or less arid, but above Trivandram the "garden spot" begins: Millions and millions of coconut palms, millions of plantains, tapioca fields, paddy (rice) fields, pineapple plants growing along the tops of the mud walls which surround gardens or fields, sugar cane, pepper, tea and coffee, papayas, and Areca palms (which produce the nuts used with betel and chunam - lime). It is really tropical luxuriance and there seems to be an abundance of food. The Malayalis look sturdier and much better fed than the Tamils of the Madras region.
The characteristic aspect to the lowlands is given by the coconut palms and the paddy fields; the pepper is usually found at higher levels. We saw large quantities of it spread on mats or on hard mud platforms along the roadside drying before being packed in bags. We enjoyed the fragrance of it - a pleasant change from some odors which we encountered on our bus trips.
Saman (luggage): Travelling in India involves carrying a large amount of saman. For the 4 of us we had the following: 5 suitcases, 4 bed-rolls containing blankets, pillows, resais, towels, etc. (the Editor's was swollen somewhat by a plant press); 2 tiffin baskets, 2 folding cots with frames for mosquito nets; in all 13 pieces of saman not counting our canteens, cameras, cushions for the train or bus or boat, umbrellas and handbags. Murray's Guidebook says that Europeans should travel first-class with a servant. We travelled second-class and did our own fighting with coolies. We carried cots for fear we would not be able to get two rooms in every place and would need to double up. Miss Coon left the party at Alleppey and took one cot back with her; we needed the other cot in Tellicherry and Mercara and were very thankful to have it.
Languages: Tamil in Madura, Malayalam (pronounced mol-ly-ol' lum) in Travancore and Cochin State; Kenarese in Coorg and Mysore State. Tamil is sufficiently like Malayalam so that Miss Bain's Tamil helped us over difficult places. English is in very general use in South India and there is usually some one at hand who will interpret when it is necessary. The real difficulty is that most Indians will never own up that they do not understand and pretend that they do. We found many children in remote parts of Travancore to whom Europeans were a great novelty - so much so that they followed us as if we were a circus - but usually some of the older children could speak a little English. There are so many languages used in South India that English is used as a common language. Hindustani is almost useless in the south except with Muhammedans who speak Urdu. We did not see any Hindustani signs until on the train from Bangalore to Madras.
Vegetation. Cape Comorin is like Madras, more or less arid, but above Trivandram the "garden spot" begins: Millions and millions of coconut palms, millions of plantains, tapioca fields, paddy (rice) fields, pineapple plants growing along the tops of the mud walls which surround gardens or fields, sugar cane, pepper, tea and coffee, papayas, and Areca palms (which produce the nuts used with betel and chunam - lime). It is really tropical luxuriance and there seems to be an abundance of food. The Malayalis look sturdier and much better fed than the Tamils of the Madras region.
The characteristic aspect to the lowlands is given by the coconut palms and the paddy fields; the pepper is usually found at higher levels. We saw large quantities of it spread on mats or on hard mud platforms along the roadside drying before being packed in bags. We enjoyed the fragrance of it - a pleasant change from some odors which we encountered on our bus trips.
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There is much more to be said about the vegetation but the Editor can't think what it is. She is convinced that any climate which produces tropical luxuriance is not suitable to humans. She understands, as never before, why vines and climbers are so abundant in tropical regions; she felt like a clinging vine herself, and much preferred having someone else make all the exertion. The party moved too rapidly to do much collecting, and also did too much of its tripping through cultivated areas. When she did wander abroad to pick a few plants she collected a crowd of children who endeavored to assist. Some children asked why she picked so many queer things, but as they asked in Malayalam it was all lost on her, but Miss Bain explained in Tamil that she was a Pooh Professor, Pooh or Pu being Tamil for Flower. As she had taken the part of a Teddy Bear at the Staff Christmas play, she felt quite like a Pooh Professor.
Aminals. We saw numerous elephants, all work elephants; in fact we almost ran into one when we came around a curve in the road behind one. We had a feeling that the elephant would have stood it better than the car. We were assured that we might see wild elephants if we were up early enough when we went from Peermade to the Periyar Dam, but we made the trip about noon and the elephants were evidently resting at noon as is the custom in the tropics. We saw monkeys at various times - but who wants to see monkeys? We went to the zoo in Travandrum and saw a lion cub whose permanent age seems to be 10 days; we concluded that from accounts of some of our friends who had also visited the zoo.
Sports: The Editor indulged in bathing at Cape Comorin, on Christmas morning and the following morning. The water was fine but the sand was coarse and adhesive. All the swimmers - Mr. Wallace and the two Misses Wallace of Madura, Miss Lyle and the Editor - returned to their respective bungalows with 2 or 3 quarts of sand tucked away in the folds of their bathing suits, even if the bathing suits were of a modern style without folds. The surf was furious and rolled the Editor, no trifling object, around and around on the sand. Miss Lyle and the Editor also tried the water at Tellicherry and found it much gentler than at the Cape, also warmer.
The original plan of the trip included a trip by wallem from Kottayan to Ernakulum. The wallem is a curious kind of a boat with a curved lid fore and aft where a passenger can flatten out and sleep. We were discouraged from taking the trip by our Malayalam friends who assured us it was too slow and too uncomfortable, but we still regret it. Mr. Kuryan on whom we had depended to make the arrangements was so much against it that we gave it up regretfully and compromised by going out at Cochin on the lagoon in an open wallem in the full moon. But it was not a satisfactory substitute, as the oars squeaked so much that no one could feel romantic. Instead of the wallem trip we went from Kettayam to Alleppey by small steamer and from Alleppey to Cochin by a larger steamer. It did seem a bit incongruous to have the Indians urging the Americans to take speed and comfort instead of the picturesque and slow-moving wallam.
Religions. Even Murray's Guidebook devotes a section to religion in Travancore. Travancore is noted as being the most Christianized of any part of India. According to the tradition the first converts were made by St. Thomas, and in any case there was a strong Christian colony there in the 4th and 5th centuries, most of the converts being from the higher castes of the Hindus. The Christian population is about 25% of the total in Travancore and Coshin and has high standing. At the present time the Roman Catholics and Salvation Army have strong missions and many converts, but the old Christian community are known as Syrian Christians. There are several groups of Syrian Christians; the Orthodox church (commonly known as Jacobites), the Mar Thoma Church (a reformed S.C. church) and the Anglicans. The Orthodox and Mar Thoma churches are similar to the Orthodox Greek Church. The Mar Thomas are
Aminals. We saw numerous elephants, all work elephants; in fact we almost ran into one when we came around a curve in the road behind one. We had a feeling that the elephant would have stood it better than the car. We were assured that we might see wild elephants if we were up early enough when we went from Peermade to the Periyar Dam, but we made the trip about noon and the elephants were evidently resting at noon as is the custom in the tropics. We saw monkeys at various times - but who wants to see monkeys? We went to the zoo in Travandrum and saw a lion cub whose permanent age seems to be 10 days; we concluded that from accounts of some of our friends who had also visited the zoo.
Sports: The Editor indulged in bathing at Cape Comorin, on Christmas morning and the following morning. The water was fine but the sand was coarse and adhesive. All the swimmers - Mr. Wallace and the two Misses Wallace of Madura, Miss Lyle and the Editor - returned to their respective bungalows with 2 or 3 quarts of sand tucked away in the folds of their bathing suits, even if the bathing suits were of a modern style without folds. The surf was furious and rolled the Editor, no trifling object, around and around on the sand. Miss Lyle and the Editor also tried the water at Tellicherry and found it much gentler than at the Cape, also warmer.
The original plan of the trip included a trip by wallem from Kottayan to Ernakulum. The wallem is a curious kind of a boat with a curved lid fore and aft where a passenger can flatten out and sleep. We were discouraged from taking the trip by our Malayalam friends who assured us it was too slow and too uncomfortable, but we still regret it. Mr. Kuryan on whom we had depended to make the arrangements was so much against it that we gave it up regretfully and compromised by going out at Cochin on the lagoon in an open wallem in the full moon. But it was not a satisfactory substitute, as the oars squeaked so much that no one could feel romantic. Instead of the wallem trip we went from Kettayam to Alleppey by small steamer and from Alleppey to Cochin by a larger steamer. It did seem a bit incongruous to have the Indians urging the Americans to take speed and comfort instead of the picturesque and slow-moving wallam.
Religions. Even Murray's Guidebook devotes a section to religion in Travancore. Travancore is noted as being the most Christianized of any part of India. According to the tradition the first converts were made by St. Thomas, and in any case there was a strong Christian colony there in the 4th and 5th centuries, most of the converts being from the higher castes of the Hindus. The Christian population is about 25% of the total in Travancore and Coshin and has high standing. At the present time the Roman Catholics and Salvation Army have strong missions and many converts, but the old Christian community are known as Syrian Christians. There are several groups of Syrian Christians; the Orthodox church (commonly known as Jacobites), the Mar Thoma Church (a reformed S.C. church) and the Anglicans. The Orthodox and Mar Thoma churches are similar to the Orthodox Greek Church. The Mar Thomas are
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- what is it the Mar Thomas are? We cannot remember what we meant to say.
N.B. This is an off day with the editorial intellect; the college is off. This is not the effect of Pangel which was mentioned above, but of inoculation for cholera. A child of one of the servants died of cholera two days ago so the college physician, Dr. Nonahan, a sister of Miss MacDougall, decreed that everybody should be inoculated, and the performance occurred yesterday afternoon between 3:30 and 5:30 - 196 people, servants, staff and students. To-day we all are nursing lame arms; every left arm in college is sore and most people feel wee-waw or worse.
The stronghold of the Mar Thoma sect is Tiruvalla; we were presented to the Metropolitan, the Senior Bishop, an old man who looked the part and was dressed in a magenta robe with a sort of blue bonnet with a long tail. The color seems to be reserved for the high officers among the clergy, as the ministers dress in white. All Syrian Christian women wear white, a special costume quite different from the Tamil sari. White is the prevailing color in Travancore, but the Hindu women often wear colored blouses under white saris, even colored velvet. We did not see any bright colored costumes on our trip except around Peermade where there are Tamils and they outdid the Madras Tamils. They used more yellow than the Madras Tamils.
The Jacobites are strongest in Kottayam. We visited an old church with a Nestorian cross in front of it and a small cross in the church which is said to be one of the seven crosses brought by St. Thomas to India. The Jacobites use the Old Style calendar and have Christmas about 2 weeks after the other Christians. Travancore uses a calendar of its own and all the public buildings have two dates - the date according to the Christian era and according to the Malayalam era which began about 950 A.D. with the reign of a particularly illustrious king. The year does not begin at the same time and there is a special calendar. We wanted to attend a Syrian Christian service but Mrs. Zachariah, a charming S.C. elderly lady who called on us at Tiruvalla advised us not to do so. They were having a special service which would probably last 3 hours, and as there are no seats and the congregation stands all the time she thought it would be too much for us. Then we planned to go in Kottayam, but we had to cut short our visit there because the T.B.s were reserved for the Lindsay Commission as State Guests. The Lindsay Commission is making a study of Christian colleges in India.
In Cochin we saw our first Jews. Murray says that Cochin is noted for the black Jews, white Jews and Cochin Leg (Elephantiasis). We thought that goats ought to be included. The Black Jews go back to the 4th and 5th century, but the White Jews (who were as pale as any of us) date from the 15th and 16th centuries.
In Oaliant and Tallicherry there were many Mohammedans, Moplahs, who are said to be very fanatical. After we had to shorten our Kottayam visit we decided to visit Tallicherry which Murray says has one of the most fascinating bazaars streets in Malabar. We had made very few purchases in Travancore and thought we would indulge ourselves in Tallicherry, but we were doomed to disappointment. Before we left Calicut, Jan. 6th we found that the bazaars were closed because of the death in London of Mohammed Ali, and so we feared that same would be the case in Tallicherry. It was. Our afternoon was quite wasted except for the beautiful scenery. Tallicherry has a beautiful location on a rocky coast. We are constantly being amazed at how frequently all the bazaars close and how little provocation it takes to make them close.
This section started on the subject of religions but it seems to have wandered freely into other topics.
N.B. This is an off day with the editorial intellect; the college is off. This is not the effect of Pangel which was mentioned above, but of inoculation for cholera. A child of one of the servants died of cholera two days ago so the college physician, Dr. Nonahan, a sister of Miss MacDougall, decreed that everybody should be inoculated, and the performance occurred yesterday afternoon between 3:30 and 5:30 - 196 people, servants, staff and students. To-day we all are nursing lame arms; every left arm in college is sore and most people feel wee-waw or worse.
The stronghold of the Mar Thoma sect is Tiruvalla; we were presented to the Metropolitan, the Senior Bishop, an old man who looked the part and was dressed in a magenta robe with a sort of blue bonnet with a long tail. The color seems to be reserved for the high officers among the clergy, as the ministers dress in white. All Syrian Christian women wear white, a special costume quite different from the Tamil sari. White is the prevailing color in Travancore, but the Hindu women often wear colored blouses under white saris, even colored velvet. We did not see any bright colored costumes on our trip except around Peermade where there are Tamils and they outdid the Madras Tamils. They used more yellow than the Madras Tamils.
The Jacobites are strongest in Kottayam. We visited an old church with a Nestorian cross in front of it and a small cross in the church which is said to be one of the seven crosses brought by St. Thomas to India. The Jacobites use the Old Style calendar and have Christmas about 2 weeks after the other Christians. Travancore uses a calendar of its own and all the public buildings have two dates - the date according to the Christian era and according to the Malayalam era which began about 950 A.D. with the reign of a particularly illustrious king. The year does not begin at the same time and there is a special calendar. We wanted to attend a Syrian Christian service but Mrs. Zachariah, a charming S.C. elderly lady who called on us at Tiruvalla advised us not to do so. They were having a special service which would probably last 3 hours, and as there are no seats and the congregation stands all the time she thought it would be too much for us. Then we planned to go in Kottayam, but we had to cut short our visit there because the T.B.s were reserved for the Lindsay Commission as State Guests. The Lindsay Commission is making a study of Christian colleges in India.
In Cochin we saw our first Jews. Murray says that Cochin is noted for the black Jews, white Jews and Cochin Leg (Elephantiasis). We thought that goats ought to be included. The Black Jews go back to the 4th and 5th century, but the White Jews (who were as pale as any of us) date from the 15th and 16th centuries.
In Oaliant and Tallicherry there were many Mohammedans, Moplahs, who are said to be very fanatical. After we had to shorten our Kottayam visit we decided to visit Tallicherry which Murray says has one of the most fascinating bazaars streets in Malabar. We had made very few purchases in Travancore and thought we would indulge ourselves in Tallicherry, but we were doomed to disappointment. Before we left Calicut, Jan. 6th we found that the bazaars were closed because of the death in London of Mohammed Ali, and so we feared that same would be the case in Tallicherry. It was. Our afternoon was quite wasted except for the beautiful scenery. Tallicherry has a beautiful location on a rocky coast. We are constantly being amazed at how frequently all the bazaars close and how little provocation it takes to make them close.
This section started on the subject of religions but it seems to have wandered freely into other topics.
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Social Notes: While in Travancore we were entertained frequently and abundantly. We began our festive life with a tea at the Y.W.C.A. hostel in Trivandrum as the guests of Miss Sosa Mathew, a former W.C.C. student. She had assembled three other old students, one of whom, Aley Chandi, was in Botany last year. Two of them provided us with cars to see the town and attend to various errands. Aley Chandi escorted us through the Maharajah's College for Women - a very good institution with good equipment. We had dinner with Dr. Iype who began at the W.C.C. but finished in Chicago, took her M.D. at Michigan and was interne in the Women's Hospital in Philadelphia. Dr. Iype sent us a large supply of oranges and a fruit cake to take with us to Cape Comorin; Aley Chandi provided us with fried Jak fruit and an Indian confection to take with us.
At Cape Comorin, where we spent Christmas Day we were entertained at dinner by the Wallace family, the young lady Wallaces providing appropriate decorations. We had asked the family to have tea with us and share the Christmas cake with which we were provided by Mrs. John, but only Mr. Wallace and Jill came. After tea we all went for a ride to an old Dutch fort 5 miles from Cape Comorin, which is a beautiful spot on the coast. Forts are very common in India - it is a poor place which has not a fort within hailing distance. The American newspapers may give the impression that India is a wild and dangerous place. To judge from the number of forts which we saw on our trip, it must have been much wilder and more dangerous in the past. North India, too, is thick with old forts.
On the journey by bus from Guilon to Tiravalla we stopped for tiffin with an old student, Mrs. Simonds, who was visiting her family. Such a bountiful tiffin, all Indian food, served to us seated on the floor, a most excellent meal. Mrs. Simonds's family live in a small village near Chengannur where Europeans rarely go. We furnished plenty of entertainment to the village. The children came in droves and climbed up to look in the windows, and even older people were looking out at us on all sides. Mrs. Simonds wanted to send them away, but we thought it unnecessary to spoil so good a show when it required no effort on our parts. Being a Teddy Bear is something of a strain as the bath-towel costume is not really suitable to the tropics, but in Changennur our ordinary clothing was enough of a circus.
In Tiruvella we received calls from two of our present students, two of the shyest who rarely produce more than one sentence an hour. Mrs. Zachariah, whose grandson is in Miss Bain's school, and who has many connections with Madras, called on us. We were occupying rooms in the Nicholson School during their holiday vacation, and the Principal, Mr. Kuravilla, called and took us through the school. Miss Oommen, of our staff, and her sister who is one of our students, called on Sunday and took us to their home in Kozencherry, a village 7 miles away. We had tea and were intruduced to many Travancore foods: tapioca root, which we ate dipped in curds flavored with chilis, onions, and other things: yams, bananas cooked in three ways, and some Indian confections.
When we arrived in Kottayam we found various messengers awaiting us. We were taken immediately to the Kuriyans who live 4-5 miles out in the country, and I discovered that I knew three of the family. I had met Aley Kuriyan in Ann Arbor before I came to India; I had met another sister in Madras Mrs. Chandi when I spoke at Presidency College last year; and I discovered that Mary George Kuriyan, one of my 3rd year students, was a sister-in-law. They gave us an excellent tea and sent us back to the T.B. in a small wallem.
Mary Chendi and Leela Sigomini, two of my students, took us sight-seeing and invited us to meals at their homes, but we had to refuse because we had cut our Kottayam visit short. There is much more to be said about the trip, but it will have to wait indefinitely.
At Cape Comorin, where we spent Christmas Day we were entertained at dinner by the Wallace family, the young lady Wallaces providing appropriate decorations. We had asked the family to have tea with us and share the Christmas cake with which we were provided by Mrs. John, but only Mr. Wallace and Jill came. After tea we all went for a ride to an old Dutch fort 5 miles from Cape Comorin, which is a beautiful spot on the coast. Forts are very common in India - it is a poor place which has not a fort within hailing distance. The American newspapers may give the impression that India is a wild and dangerous place. To judge from the number of forts which we saw on our trip, it must have been much wilder and more dangerous in the past. North India, too, is thick with old forts.
On the journey by bus from Guilon to Tiravalla we stopped for tiffin with an old student, Mrs. Simonds, who was visiting her family. Such a bountiful tiffin, all Indian food, served to us seated on the floor, a most excellent meal. Mrs. Simonds's family live in a small village near Chengannur where Europeans rarely go. We furnished plenty of entertainment to the village. The children came in droves and climbed up to look in the windows, and even older people were looking out at us on all sides. Mrs. Simonds wanted to send them away, but we thought it unnecessary to spoil so good a show when it required no effort on our parts. Being a Teddy Bear is something of a strain as the bath-towel costume is not really suitable to the tropics, but in Changennur our ordinary clothing was enough of a circus.
In Tiruvella we received calls from two of our present students, two of the shyest who rarely produce more than one sentence an hour. Mrs. Zachariah, whose grandson is in Miss Bain's school, and who has many connections with Madras, called on us. We were occupying rooms in the Nicholson School during their holiday vacation, and the Principal, Mr. Kuravilla, called and took us through the school. Miss Oommen, of our staff, and her sister who is one of our students, called on Sunday and took us to their home in Kozencherry, a village 7 miles away. We had tea and were intruduced to many Travancore foods: tapioca root, which we ate dipped in curds flavored with chilis, onions, and other things: yams, bananas cooked in three ways, and some Indian confections.
When we arrived in Kottayam we found various messengers awaiting us. We were taken immediately to the Kuriyans who live 4-5 miles out in the country, and I discovered that I knew three of the family. I had met Aley Kuriyan in Ann Arbor before I came to India; I had met another sister in Madras Mrs. Chandi when I spoke at Presidency College last year; and I discovered that Mary George Kuriyan, one of my 3rd year students, was a sister-in-law. They gave us an excellent tea and sent us back to the T.B. in a small wallem.
Mary Chendi and Leela Sigomini, two of my students, took us sight-seeing and invited us to meals at their homes, but we had to refuse because we had cut our Kottayam visit short. There is much more to be said about the trip, but it will have to wait indefinitely.
1931-01-11: tour stops---images---audio---transcript---~NOTES~---links---site navigation
1.
INDIA INKLINGS
Vol II, No. 4.
As you can see, this is one of several editions of India Inklings. At the moment (summer 2026) this is the only edition that I have uploaded to this website. When I get a few more done, I'll give the India Inklings a Tour of their own.
2,
This India Inklings is about a trip in southwestern India that Alma took during the 1930-31 Christmas vacation. Here's the itinerary that she gave, with the preliminary stops, with updated names that I have added, except for Mercura, which I haven't figured out.
Before:
The itinerary in the Inklings
The itinerary goes up the west coast of India, with a detour inland for Peermade. Here's a map from Google, showing a starting point in Madras/Chennai on the east coast, heading southwest to a stop in Aruppukkottai, then on to Kannyakumari / Cape Comorin at the tip of India, and a few of the stops up to Tellicherry / Thalassery, which somehow came out as Kannur. There were too many stops to include them all in the map, but you get the idea, I hope.
INDIA INKLINGS
Vol II, No. 4.
As you can see, this is one of several editions of India Inklings. At the moment (summer 2026) this is the only edition that I have uploaded to this website. When I get a few more done, I'll give the India Inklings a Tour of their own.
2,
This India Inklings is about a trip in southwestern India that Alma took during the 1930-31 Christmas vacation. Here's the itinerary that she gave, with the preliminary stops, with updated names that I have added, except for Mercura, which I haven't figured out.
Before:
- a. Aruppukkottai, Tamil Nadu, India
- b. Madurai
The itinerary in the Inklings
- 1 Trivandrum 1 night Thiruvananthapuram also known as Trivandrum. Tamil Nadu state, not Kerala.
- 2. Cape Comorin 2 nights (over Christmas) now known Kanniyakumari THE SOUTHERN TIP OF INDIA
- 3. Quilen 1 night; Tiffin at Changannur (Chengannur, in the Alappuza district) Quilen is Quilon, now Kollam
- 4 Tiruvella 2 nights. Thiruvalla, also spelled Tiruvalla
- 5 Kottayam 1 night same name!
- 6 Peermade 3 nights. a.k.a. Peerumedu
- 7 Alleppey 1 night Alappuzha
- 8 Coshin 2 nights Kochi
- 9 Calicut 1 night Kozhikode
- 10 Tellicherry 1 night Thalassery
- 11 Mercura 2 nights I couldn't figure this out.
The itinerary goes up the west coast of India, with a detour inland for Peermade. Here's a map from Google, showing a starting point in Madras/Chennai on the east coast, heading southwest to a stop in Aruppukkottai, then on to Kannyakumari / Cape Comorin at the tip of India, and a few of the stops up to Tellicherry / Thalassery, which somehow came out as Kannur. There were too many stops to include them all in the map, but you get the idea, I hope.
2.
Some vocabulary:
WCC is Women's Christian College in Madras, where Alma was teaching.
For Tiffin, Wikipedia says:
Tiffin is an Indian English word for a type of meal. It refers to a light breakfast or a light tea-time meal at about 3 p.m., consistin of typical tea-time foods. In certain parts of India, it can also refer to the midday luncheon or, in some regions of the Indian subcontinent, a between-meal snack. When used in place of the word "lunch", however, it does not necessarily mean a light meal.
3.
Some of the newly-planted shrubs were so discouraged after the protracted monsoon that they refused to have anything more to do with this world, but the trees are doing well - even those which had their tops nipped by the predatory cows. On the Editor's return trip to Madras (date uncertain) she expects to sit under the shade of these trees.
It took me a while to figure out that the return trip that Alma was talking about was the idea / hope of her next trip to India, which turned out to be in 1936. Probably still too early for her to sit under the trees. Maybe she sat under them during her 1956-1957 trip with Glady.
4.
The party assembled in Madura Dec. 20 and spent 2 days with Mr. and Mrs. Nolting. Miss Coon and Miss Bain came from Madras, Miss Lyle from Nellore, and Miss Stokey came from Arrupukottai where she had spent 3 days at the home of Ruth Parker White, N.H.C.
Miss Coon is Edith Coon. Miss Bain's name is familiar. I know nothing about the other people (except for Miss Stokey, of course).
5.
Saman (luggage): Travelling in India involves carrying a large amount of saman. For the 4 of us we had the following: 5 suitcases, 4 bed-rolls containing blankets, pillows, resais, towels, etc. (the Editor's was swollen somewhat by a plant press); 2 tiffin baskets, 2 folding cots with frames for mosquito nets; in all 13 pieces of saman not counting our canteens, cameras, cushions for the train or bus or boat, umbrellas and handbags.
I love the detail of the plant press.
AG says she took Aunt Alma's bedroll (without the plant press) to overnight camp with her. AG notes that sleeping bags had not yet been invented. I googled and learned that they had indeed already been invented, but in Norway, so they weren't available here. In the 1930s (says google AI) the Egyptian sarcophagus-style "mummy" bag was invented. AG said she remembered them being called mummy bags.
AG also said that Aunt Alma had three folding cots that were used at Fernbank, and she wondered if Aunt Alma's canteen came from her (AG's) father's Spanish-American war days, though I think that's unlikely.
6.
There is much more to be said about the vegetation but the Editor can't think what it is. She is convinced that any climate which produces tropical luxuriance is not suitable to humans. She understands, as never before, why vines and climbers are so abundant in tropical regions; she felt like a clinging vine herself, and much preferred having someone else make all the exertion.
I always had the impression from my family that Aunt Alma was happy as a clam at high tide when she was in India. It's fun to learn that she didn't like the tropical heat.
7.
Then we planned to go in Kottayam, but we had to cut short our visit there because the T.B.s were reserved for the Lindsay Commission as State Guests. The Lindsay Commission is making a study of Christian colleges in India.
Google AI says:
Initiated by the International Missionary Council, the 1931 Lindsay Commission (chaired by Oxford's Dr. A.D. Lindsay) evaluated Protestant Christian colleges in India. It concluded that these institutions had lost their Christian distinctiveness by becoming overly focused on rote exams, secular curricula, and remote university systems.
8.
I had met Aley Kuriyan in Ann Arbor before I came to India
It's not surprising that Alma had visited the University of Michigan. I just hope that maybe someday I'll find out when she went there.
Some vocabulary:
WCC is Women's Christian College in Madras, where Alma was teaching.
For Tiffin, Wikipedia says:
Tiffin is an Indian English word for a type of meal. It refers to a light breakfast or a light tea-time meal at about 3 p.m., consistin of typical tea-time foods. In certain parts of India, it can also refer to the midday luncheon or, in some regions of the Indian subcontinent, a between-meal snack. When used in place of the word "lunch", however, it does not necessarily mean a light meal.
3.
Some of the newly-planted shrubs were so discouraged after the protracted monsoon that they refused to have anything more to do with this world, but the trees are doing well - even those which had their tops nipped by the predatory cows. On the Editor's return trip to Madras (date uncertain) she expects to sit under the shade of these trees.
It took me a while to figure out that the return trip that Alma was talking about was the idea / hope of her next trip to India, which turned out to be in 1936. Probably still too early for her to sit under the trees. Maybe she sat under them during her 1956-1957 trip with Glady.
4.
The party assembled in Madura Dec. 20 and spent 2 days with Mr. and Mrs. Nolting. Miss Coon and Miss Bain came from Madras, Miss Lyle from Nellore, and Miss Stokey came from Arrupukottai where she had spent 3 days at the home of Ruth Parker White, N.H.C.
Miss Coon is Edith Coon. Miss Bain's name is familiar. I know nothing about the other people (except for Miss Stokey, of course).
5.
Saman (luggage): Travelling in India involves carrying a large amount of saman. For the 4 of us we had the following: 5 suitcases, 4 bed-rolls containing blankets, pillows, resais, towels, etc. (the Editor's was swollen somewhat by a plant press); 2 tiffin baskets, 2 folding cots with frames for mosquito nets; in all 13 pieces of saman not counting our canteens, cameras, cushions for the train or bus or boat, umbrellas and handbags.
I love the detail of the plant press.
AG says she took Aunt Alma's bedroll (without the plant press) to overnight camp with her. AG notes that sleeping bags had not yet been invented. I googled and learned that they had indeed already been invented, but in Norway, so they weren't available here. In the 1930s (says google AI) the Egyptian sarcophagus-style "mummy" bag was invented. AG said she remembered them being called mummy bags.
AG also said that Aunt Alma had three folding cots that were used at Fernbank, and she wondered if Aunt Alma's canteen came from her (AG's) father's Spanish-American war days, though I think that's unlikely.
6.
There is much more to be said about the vegetation but the Editor can't think what it is. She is convinced that any climate which produces tropical luxuriance is not suitable to humans. She understands, as never before, why vines and climbers are so abundant in tropical regions; she felt like a clinging vine herself, and much preferred having someone else make all the exertion.
I always had the impression from my family that Aunt Alma was happy as a clam at high tide when she was in India. It's fun to learn that she didn't like the tropical heat.
7.
Then we planned to go in Kottayam, but we had to cut short our visit there because the T.B.s were reserved for the Lindsay Commission as State Guests. The Lindsay Commission is making a study of Christian colleges in India.
Google AI says:
Initiated by the International Missionary Council, the 1931 Lindsay Commission (chaired by Oxford's Dr. A.D. Lindsay) evaluated Protestant Christian colleges in India. It concluded that these institutions had lost their Christian distinctiveness by becoming overly focused on rote exams, secular curricula, and remote university systems.
8.
I had met Aley Kuriyan in Ann Arbor before I came to India
It's not surprising that Alma had visited the University of Michigan. I just hope that maybe someday I'll find out when she went there.
1931-01-11: tour stops---images---audio---transcript---notes---~LINKS~---site navigation
DOCUMENT LISTS FOR PEOPLE:
- ALMA: DOCUMENTS ----- Outgoing
- NON-FAMILY: INDIA FOLKS ETCETERA ----- Edith Coon, Eleanor McDougall
OTHER DOCUMENT LISTS:
- DOCUMENTS SORTED BY WHERE THEY WERE WRITTEN ----- India
- DOCUMENTS SORTED BY SOURCE ----- Barbara
- AUDIO READINGS OF THE DOCUMENTS: 1930-1939
OTHER RELATED DOCUMENTS/PAGES:
1931-01-11: tour stops---images---audio---transcript---notes---links---~SITE NAVIGATION~-
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