SUBTERRANEAN DWELLINGS. 



213 



the locality and the time of year, it being sometimes used and 

 sometimes neglected, sometimes inhabited for the sake of 

 warmth, and sometimes for that of coolness. 



In various parts of India there are some most remarkable 

 Subterranean Dwellings. They are more than mere dwellings, 

 and are, in fact, magnificent palaces, sunk so deeply in the 

 earth that very little more than their roofs appear aboveground. 

 When, however, a visitor descends the stairs that lead to the 

 interior of the palace, he finds it spacious, and with tiers of 

 chambers one below the other, very much like the wasp-nest 

 which has already been described. Nussur-ed-deen, the 

 second King of Oude, had several of these palaces, but very 

 seldom visited them, he having endeavoured to Europeanise 

 himself as much as possible, and to cast off his native customs. 



SUBTERRANEAN ANTS NEST. 



SUBTERRANEAN HOUSE OF KAMSCHATKA. 



He used occasionally to visit them, but it was only out of 

 etiquette, and he never really lived in them. 



However much he might have rejected the ancient customs, 

 it is evident that in this case, at least, he was punishing 

 himself in rejecting these summer dwellings, which are always 

 cool, and where, if one set of apartments is too warm, nothing 

 is easier than to descend to the next. 



This dwelling is made for the sake of coolness in summer. 

 Another subterranean dwelling is made for warmth in winter, 

 the non-conducting properties of the earth being in both cases 

 brought into play. This is the winter dwelling of the inha- 

 bitants of Kamschatka. 



During the summer-time the Kamschatdales live in compara- 



