| caption: |
by train trolley up the line |
| text: |
(75) At two o'clock we arrived happily in Simaluguri. The rain had just stopped. Coolies of Mr Castles met us and led us to a trolly which stood on the narrow gauge rail track to Naginimara. We stowed away our little luggage, the main load had gone ahead with the servants last night, and we climbed into the strange vehicle. Behind us sat three coolies who set it in motion with a hand lever. As the track is virtually even in level we advanced rather quickly. We only had to chase the cows and goats of the rails by screaming and shouting. In banana and palm groves to the right and left stood the typical peasant houses of the plains, often almost in the water and surrounded by flooded fields. Because we knew that a train would come towards us, (it is a single track) we took every corner carefully. Finally it actually came puffing our way. We quickly took down our luggage and lifted the trolly off the rail to let the train pass. In the meantime it had become quite hot and a bright blue sky stretched above the tropical landscape. |
