154 RIFLE AXD SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS. 



On arriving at Kliewra, we learnt that Mr. Douglas, 

 the Assistant Commissioner, to whom we had a letter of 

 introduction, was at the dak bungalow, and found him, 

 with Mrs. Douglas, just starting for our halting-place — 

 Saidan Shah. It seems that they have a house there, the 

 only one in the place, and they very kindly invited us to 

 stay with them. This is lucky, as the road is bad, and 

 it is doubtful if our baggage will arrive till late at night. 



The superintendent of the Salt District now met us, 

 and we all went on a trolley along the tramway leading 

 to the mine. The line runs through a deep cutting for 

 about half a mile, and then suddenly enters a tunnel in 

 the mountain side. 



The mine is cpiite unlike any 1 have seen. Nothing is 

 on a small scale. No little shafts or passages to creep 

 along bent double, but suite after suite of colossal halls 

 a hundred and fifty feet in height. Everything is salt ; 

 steps, walls, doorways and floors : not the white opaque 

 table salt we are accustomed to, but a transparentdooking 

 rock, exactly like pink sugar-candy. You can see lights 

 through it, from the workers in other passages, and as we 

 entered each cave, fire balls and Bengal lights were let off 

 to show it up. There are several little lakes embedded 

 in these crystalline vaults, which under the glare of this 

 red and green fire, reminded one strongly of the trans- 

 formation scene in a Christmas pantomime. The simile is 



