KASHMIR. 237 



beyond that it has characteristics which give it a 

 distinct place among the most pleasing regions of the 

 earth. I said to the Maharajah, or ruling Prince of 

 Kashmir, that the most beautiful countries I had 

 seen were England, Italy, Japan, and Kashmir ; and 

 though he did not seem to like the remark much, 

 probably from a fear that the beauty of the land 

 he governed might make it too much an object of 

 desire, yet there was no exaggeration in it. Here, at 

 a height of nearly 6000 feet, in a temperate climate, 

 with abundance of moisture, and yet protected by 

 lofty mountains from the fierce continuous rains of 

 the Indian south-west monsoon, we have the most 

 splendid amphitheatre in the world. A fiat oval 

 valley about sixty miles long, and from forty in 

 breadth, is surrounded by magnificent mountains, 

 which, during the greater part of the year, are covered 

 more than half-way down with snow, and present 

 vast upland beds of pure white snow. This valley 

 has fine lakes, is intersected with water-courses, and 

 its land is covered with brilliant vegetation, includ- 

 ing gigantic trees of the richest foliage. And out of 

 this great central valley there rise innumerable, long, 

 picturesque mountain - valleys, such as that of the 

 Sind river, which I have just described ; while above 

 these there are great pine- forests, green slopes of grass, 

 glaciers, and snow. Nothing could express the general 

 effect better than Moore's famous lines on sainted 

 Lebanon 



