62 A COLLECTING TRIP 
Dear Pa: 
I received your cablegram this morning, together 
with many letters, all of which I was glad to read. 
We are having such a trip! Up to the present the 
weather has been cool and comfortable. It is rather a 
damp heat here, but as we are off on Tuesday for 
Darjeerling we do not mind it. This plaee is beau- 
tiful—a large country place really—surrounded with 
beautifully kept up lawns and lovely flowers, es- 
pecially jassemine, growing everywhere in profusion. 
I intend to bring home seeds of some of the Indian 
flowers, in hopes they will grow. Mr. Palmer’s house 
is very large and filled with beautiful carved teak 
-wood furniture and really old brass things, gods and 
other ornaments, ete. You would go simply wild 
over two brass Thibetan dogs he has; they formerly 
guarded the entrance to an old temple; I do not 
know how he ever came to possess them. The floors 
are all inlaid marble (except the bedrooms) and are 
kept as clean and as bright. He has a large retinue 
of servants, three or four men sometimes waiting on 
the table. The food is most exeellent; we had some 
curry today that surpassed anything I had ever had; 
I could not help thinking how Mr. Gay would have 
enjoyed it. Yesterday we drove out to the Country 
Club and watched some very good races. We had 
tea there and I was very much delighted with it 
all. Fortunately I had all my jewelry on, for the 
people here do dress up so and wear their best clothes 
on every occasion. I have bought some fine Kash- 
mire shawls and Mrs. Palmer is going to take me out 
shopping tomorrow. My American Express cheques 
come in very handy, but I have not yet begun to use 
