Letters, Announcements, i^c. 461 



engaged some more of these worthies ; but as they only 

 managed to carry two cases down the mountain in a day^ and 

 further distinguished themselves by dropping a case some 

 eight or ten feet, I applied to Mr. Higgins at the Simla post- 

 office, who despatched some of the men employed by him to 

 my assistance. These were sturdy fellows from Nahun, who 

 come to Simla during the season and earn a living as carriers. 

 I was assured by the Babu, and can quite believe it, that they 

 often carry on their backs three maunds ( = 340 lbs.), and this 

 on a hill-road. Anyhow, they soon managed the portage of 

 the cases, sixteen of them working in a gang (eight for carry- 

 ing and eight for a relay), and they would sometimes convey 

 as many as six in a morning down the steep descent from 

 Mr. Hume's house to the Bullock-train office. Thence the 

 boxes were despatched along the narrow road on the side of 

 the mountains which connect Simla with Kalka, and so on to 

 Umballa along a flatter and more level road, this portion 

 of the journey occupying about two and a half days. 



"These details may seem trivial, but I think that some 

 interest attaches to the despatch of the collection and its 

 departure from the home which it adorned so long ; and 

 I trust that my few notes will have given some idea of 

 the energy and prowess which Mr. Hume displayed in the 

 formation and management of such a museum. Before my 

 arrival he had been obliged to destroy a number of specimens 

 which had been eaten by Bermestes , and he believes that at 

 least 20,000 skins were lost in this way. As I said before, 

 however, the principal series, amongst which are the types, 

 appears to be nearly intact, and the losses are nearly con- 

 fined to the Ceylonese birds and to Mr. Chiirs Oude collection; 

 but a large number of skins of Turdidse and Sylviidae also 

 perished. 



'^ Besides the collections made by Mr. Hume himself in the 

 North-west Provinces, Scinde, and other parts of India, there 

 are the immense series procured by Mr. Davison in Tenas- 

 serim and the Malay Peninsula, as well as in Southern India^ 

 the Andamans, and the Nicobars ; a splendid series of skins 

 collected in Munipur by Mr. Hume himself; and large selec- 



SER. V. VOL. III. 2 k 



