country. I could grow it, make it, and sell it
for one shilling a bottle! Ah! you may laugh;
but I tell you this is the fact. I am a
proprietor of vineyards, and do not speak at
random like a schoolboy, or an enthusiast.
The natives of the country would soon learn
that art—for an art it is—of wine-making;
and as for the soil, it is superb. Yes! Grow
wine, which would do your soldiers good.
Generous wine, instead of that blood-drying,
brain-consuming, soul-destroying arrack—
your horrible grogs, and your bile-making
beers."

"But we have no roads, Baron."

"True! But is there a scarcity of labour
in India? Are pickaxes, shovels, spades, saws
and gunpowder to blast rocks, so expensive
that a government cannot procure them?
Roads! My good sir, only a few years ago
there was no road over the Splügen! The
time was when you had no road from Calcutta
to Benares. You have no roads! Well, make
them. The wine and the tea that you grow,
will more than pay for them, as well as
remunerate the growers."

'' The tea? " asked Mr. West.

"Yes, the tea, I said! " returned the Baron.
"You have discovered that you can grow tea
in the lower range of these mountains, and
you do grow it, in small quantities; now,
why not, having made the experiment, grow
it in large quantities? I would say to Mr.
Chinaman, ' I thank you very much; but I
do not want any more of your tea. You are
insolent, overbearing, and insulting in your
dealings with me, and now you may drink
your own tea, and I will drink my own tea;
and, if you like, you may stir yours with
your own pigtail. We will bring China into
our own dominions, for God has given to this
climate and to this soil the same properties
as your soil and climate possess.' I do not
say it, as you know, with any sort of intention
to offend; but the result of my experience
leads me to believe that the government
of this country is, in all matters (save
annexation), as slow as the government of
the Dutch was in by-gone days. There is a
listlessness and a languor about its
movements; a want of everything in the shape of
society and enterprise, and seemingly such an
earnest desire to discourage the efforts of
those who would, in reality, develop the
resources of India, that I am astonished any
man unconnected with the services should
persevere in the attempt to make a living in
the Eastern British domains."

"I quite agree with you," said Mr. West,
"especially as regards that portion of your
remarks which relates to the obstacles thrown
in the way of enterprising Englishmen. I
have been a member of the Civil Service for
nearly ten years, and have always been
impressed with the idea that the policy of the
government in respect to settlers in India,
was and is a very erroneous policy."

The conversation here was brought
abruptly to a close by the approach of one of
the guides, who, in a very confidential manner,
imparted to us that there was a kakur (a
barking deer) grazing on a crag not far from
the encampment. So, we seized our guns,
went in pursuit, and were fortunate enough
to kill the animal. His bark resembles
exactly that of a Skye-terrier, when very
much excited. On our return to the encampment
we encountered a huge bear, and
succeeded in killing, and carrying him to the
door of our tent, where the natives skinned
and deprived him of his fat, which they
boiled down and used in the lamps, instead
of oil. And very brightly did it burn; but
the aroma was not a peculiarly pleasant one.
I am afraid to say how much grease was
taken from this enormous bear; but I know
that I am speaking within bounds when I
assert it was in excess of two gallons and
a half.

We dined at dusk, and then, as usual,
betook ourselves to whist, but so cold did it
become shortly after dark, that we were
forced to put on our great-coats,
notwithstanding there was an enormous wood-fire
in the front and at the back of our tent.
These fires had been lighted to serve another
purpose beyond that of giving warmth,—
namely, to scare away the leopards which
abounded in that locality. It was a very
picturesque scene; the white tents standing
out in relief from the dark wood, lighted up by
the fires; and here and there groups of
coolies wrapped up in blankets, and sitting
as closely as possible to the blaze.

At daylight, on the following morning our
march was recommenced. We had a distance
of ten miles to travel before we could reach
the next halting-place, named Kanah Tall.
During this march we did not go out of our
way for game; but only took such as chanced
to cross our path. All we bagged was ghooral,
which we did not stop to look at even, and
two brace of partridges of very peculiar
plumage. They were remarkably handsome
birds, with a red mark round the eye, and
down each side of the neck, olive-coloured
feathers on their backs, and their wings and
breasts covered with white and red spots.
We could not fail to admire the beauty of
the flowers which flourished in this locality.
The ground on either side of the narrow and
wild road was literally covered with violets,
dog-roses, and a lily of the valley, and other
little decorations of the earth, of which I know
not the name. Throughout the whole march
the scene was truly fairy-like. Kanah Tall
was only five thousand feet above the level
of the sea, and therefore very much warmer
than our last halting- place. Of this we were
by no means sorry, not only for our own
sakes, but for the sakes of our personal
servants, who had never before travelled out
of the plains. Here, at Kanah Tall, we found
the English holly growing. Botanists may
tell me what they please, about this holly of