208 THE HUNTINa GROUNDS 



delightful place of residence in Hindostan, It 

 possesses a handsome church, well-established club, 

 two first-rate hotels, several handsome shops, which 

 are chiefly kept by Parsees, a well-stocked bazaar, 

 and many hundred excellent houses and bungalows, 

 some of which are perfect mansions. The canton- 

 ment occupies a great extent of ground, as, the 

 country being extremely undulating, most of the 

 houses are picturesquely situated on slight emi- 

 nences, and surrounded with large gardens, which 

 are generally extremely well kept up. Apples, 

 pears, quinces, peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, 

 currants, and most European vegetables, thrive 

 well ; whilst fuchsias, honeysuckles, woodbine, jessa- 

 mine, clematis, passion - flowers, and geraniums 

 grow in the wildest luxuriance, and require little 

 care. In the centre of the cantonment is a beauti- 

 ful artificial lake, round which is the drive or pro- 

 menade, the ''Rotten Row" of Ooty, where in the 

 afternoon may be seen several hundred Anglo- 

 Indians, either on horseback or in vehicles of every 

 description, from the stylish barouche to the hum- 

 ble " bullock-garree," listening to the band or driv- 

 ing about to gain an appetite for dinner. 



The Neilgherries being considered among the 

 healthiest spots in Southern India, have been con- 

 stituted a sanitarium; and here may be seen 

 invalid officers from all parts of the Madras and 

 Bombay Presidencies, who have obtained leave of 

 absence from their regiments, for periods varying 



