An Impression 



mountain was also at rest, white and frozen, with 

 a full moon rising over its lower ridge and a 

 star like a watch-fire just appearing above the 

 snow. 



All was hushed ! The same peace overspread 

 creation. The mountain, outlined clearly, ever 

 more clearly, against the rose and green back- 

 ground, spoke of peace ! 



Close by ! Again grass, nothing but grass, 

 meets the eye on a dead-flat plain. More seas of 

 grass, with the tiny birds that live and build their 

 funny little delicately woven nests in it. Nests 

 on three stalks, that ought to fall down, but 

 don't ! All twittering and chattering, preparatory 

 to going to sleep. The quail that have been 

 kicked up all day on the march are finishing 

 their incessant plaintive whistle. The sand- 

 grouse are flighting to the water with their 

 peculiar hoarse, croaking note, and a few herds 

 of oryx and zebra and Grant are grazing, happily 

 unconscious of the near proximity of human 

 beings, although a solitary ostrich or two further 

 off have their heads up, as if not quite satisfied 

 with everything ! 



One takes the scene all in at a glance. One 

 thinks of the sky or of one of the objects of the 

 earth, and thence follows one's sequence of 

 thoughts. Details, as they seem, give rise to 

 different thoughts sport, shooting, fishing, the 

 heat, the snow, India, the Himalayas, things and 



