THE CHAMBER OF HOR&ORS 7 



all close together ; forming an excellent roof for an 

 out-door conservatory, and requiring no artificial 

 shade whatever. Nothing grew here, originally, 

 but rank weeds and jungly grass; but little by 

 little, it has developed into a charming sort of 

 wilderness, with irregular beds of stove plants, 

 round the base of the trees ; and small round ones 

 dotted about, with curly paths in between. Orchids, 

 tied by the necks to bits of old mango wood, and 

 ferns in baskets, are hanging from the branches. 

 Every part of it is extremely irregular, with not an 

 atom of design. " Through many devious paths I 

 tread," when I come here. 



The first time the Burra Sahib and the Ancient 

 were invited to look at and admire it, as a finished 

 whole, they named it " The Chamber of Horrors ! " 

 I had fastened some very large orchids to two 

 mango stumps planted upright in the ground; 

 across the tops of these was laid another, and from 

 the middle of that depended a fern in a basket. 

 Below were groups of white crinum lilies and 

 maiden hair (adiantum lunulatum). I hoped they 

 would say this at any rate looked picturesque, but 

 they declared it was just like a " Bhootia's Grave," 



