FOUK THOUSAND MILES THROUGH INDIA 

 BY EAIL IN MIDSUMMER 



When I decided to make a tour around the world by 

 way of India, during midsummer, 1 knew beforehand 

 that 1 would have no use in that part of the world for 

 an overcoat or blankets. 1 was very well aware of the 

 fact that that part of India which 1 expected to see had 

 an unenviable reputation as a summer resort. Informa- 

 tion from different sources concerning the climate of 

 certain countries is about as reliable as hunting and 

 fishing stories. In order to ascertain about what I 

 had to expect in the waj of heat at that time of the 

 year, I interviewed sea captains and people who had 

 lived in India. The opinions expressed were so widely 

 at variance that I remained in doubt concerning the 

 real climatic conditions that I would have to encounter 

 in that part of my itinerary aroimd the world. A trav- 

 eling companion from San "Francisco to Auckland, a 

 missionary, who had lived several years in the northern 

 part of India, gave me the most discouraging account. 

 He said that where he formerly resided the burning 

 sun during summer heated the stones to such a degree 

 that a simple touch with the hand would result in 

 a burn sufficient to blister the skin. An officer 

 of the Indian Medical Service gave me the consoling 

 information that when he was on duty at Calcutta he 

 had to spend several hours each day in a cool bath dur- 

 ing the summer months to counteract the intensity of 

 the heat. Sea captains were only familiar with the 

 climate on the coasts of India; they knew nothing 

 about the summer climate of the great plains which 

 I expected to cross. Their opinions on the coast cli- 

 mate were not unanimous. They could be formulated 

 about as follows : Very hot. hot, quite hot, not so bad 



