60 



THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



mountains, everywhere crowned with a continuous 

 ridge of dome-like summits, and at intervals by 

 strange fantastic peaks of every shape, seemed to 

 rise like a mighty w^all of alabaster from out of 

 that sea of forest ; and the unearthly contrast of 

 the dark foreground, with the dazzling white 

 masses of snow, and the deep blue azure sky, was 

 heightened by the flood of light of declining day, 

 gilding all the western faces with the most inde- 

 scribable brilliant colours. These shades, like 

 dissolving views, changed imperceptibly from gold 

 to orange, ruby, purple, and blue, which latter 

 shade gradually paled to a death-like whiteness, as 

 the last rays of the sun disappeared, when all soon 

 became obscured by rising mists. The evening 

 was very chilly, so I wrapped myself up in my 

 buffalo blanket and slept until about eleven, when 

 the increased vociferations of the bearers awoke me, 

 and I knew that we were near the end of the 

 journey. I drew aside the palanquin doors, and 

 found we had arrived in Dehra, and were passing 

 along a lane with green hedges on each side, 

 which recalled to mind similar scenes in the " auld 



