CHAPTER VIII 



THE RESIDENCY AT SRINAGAR 



THE gates of the Residency close with a snap. Once 

 inside, Asia is left behind and I find myself in an 

 English garden. All around us rise the mountains, 

 stretching their snow-covered heads high up into the 

 heavens. I seem to be enjoying Italy. 



The British representative has a regular English 

 house as his residence. The post, at the moment of 

 writing, is filled by Sir Francis Younghusband, the 

 hero of Lhassa, who succeeded in conquering the 

 primeval frozen plains of Central Asia, as well as the 

 Dalai Lama. 



Suddenly I find myself face to face with the Lady 

 Sahib, the Resident's wife, who receives me in a 

 manner as gracious as it is dignified. Silently 

 Younghusband offers me his hand. He is a man of 

 few words, but he kindly conducts me to my 

 comfortable room, which smells refreshingly of clean 

 water. 



" We are obliged to put you up in the bachelor's 

 quarters," jokes Lady Younghusband later on, and 



