CHAPTER II. 



Murree — Backsheesh and " Bahut achha Sahib" — Jibbing stage horses — 

 A dangerous road — Domel — A queer village — A spider-haunted 

 bungalow — Rampur en fete — Waiting for the Maharaja — Hindoo 

 and English peasant lads : a contrast — The Forty Thieves — 

 Baramula boatmen — Letters of (doubtful) recommendation — Cookery 

 under difficulties -A lively night — A scratch crew — Srinagar — 

 Married quarters — A race of amphibians — Bahar Shah — A big 

 "Liberty" room — A papier-mache grandfather. 



After much jolting and many changes of horses, we reached 

 Murree late in the afternoon. The situation is fine, and the 

 villas or bungalows are scattered on and around the summits 

 of the hills, which in parts are thickly wooded with huge 

 oaks and pines. What a blessing it was to see a fir tree 

 again ! As we sat round our hotel fire to-night, I quite 

 realised the feelings of a dusty perspiring memsahib, flying 

 from the hot season of the plains. 



There was a bad epidemic of cholera this summer in 

 Kashmir, principally at Srinagar (the capital), and along the 

 road we are now going ; and nearly three thousand natives 

 died. We now hear of a sudden outbreak having occurred 

 about a fortnight ago in this station, five English officers and 

 a lady dying in one day. Apparently it passed away as 



