THE RAINS 99 



All the afternoon the clouds had been gathering ; 

 they now formed a bank all along the eastern horizon, 

 a bank which reached high up, almost to the zenith. 

 The clouds were not, however, of the kind that 

 indicate rain, but those which spread themselves and 

 conceal the sky, as it were, like some vast, dark curtain. 

 The rise of the river had been followed by the appear- 

 ance of great flocks of water birds. Many scores of 

 these were now flying above the water and the sandy 

 beds that still remained ; they were circling round and 

 round and rising and descending in long sweeps and 

 curves. I sat and watched them. 



Some of my servants were seated on the terrace 

 beside me, looking on, as I was, at the birds and the 

 river. They were talking quietly among themselves. 

 Presently one of them addressed me. He asked me 

 to notice the dark curtain of cloud, and how prettily 

 the white wings of the water birds, as they flew and 

 circled, contrasted against it. The natives, like children, 

 have but little appreciation of scenery as we under- 

 stand it ; they do not see much, if any, beauty in 

 extended landscapes, nor do they at all admire even 

 the grandest mountain views ; but they are very 

 sensitive to what I may term the smaller beauties of 

 nature, more so, perhaps, than are the majority of 

 Europeans. 



I sat on the terrace till late in the evening. One of 

 the servants remained with me. As sunset approached, 

 the curtain of cloud lowered and faded away ; as 

 darkness came on, the stars shone out through the 

 clear atmosphere with surpassing splendour. We began 



