<;LOBE-TROTTERS 267 



first conceive, for the carriage might well have driven the 

 whole way. Amber is well worth seeing from the outside, 

 and offers the usual pretty and quaint coup d'ceil of masonry 

 tanks, broad flights of steps, and marble buildings. Inside 

 it is like most other ancient Indian palaces. 



At this time of year Jeypore is crowded with tourists 

 —Americans, colonists on their way home, and other 

 varieties of our brother globe-trotters. It is on the route of 

 Cook's tours, and Amber is one of the happy hunting- 

 grounds of the " personally conducted." The tourist agents 

 have an arrangement with the Maharaja to take their parties 

 on his elephants, which affords an additional and " great 

 attraction." 



Every one would have been horrified if we had left 

 Jeypore without seeing Amber ; but I have come to the 

 conclusion that I hate compulsory sight-seeing, and loathe 

 my fellow-sightseers. To me, the great charm of marching 

 and camping out, is that you unexpectedly light on an 

 ancient building or a lovely view without being dragged to 

 see them. There is no cicerone to jabber incorrect descrip- 

 tions in broken English, and no " 'Any" to mar the beauty 

 of the scene. And the Indian specimen of "'Airy" is quite 

 as objectionable as his cockney prototype. 



Think how exquisite the Taj would lie if one suddenly 

 came upon it alone in the jungle, instead of being hunted by 

 guides and plagued to buy photographs. Lord Melbourne 



