298 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. XIX. 
spreading plains of India. Heavy masses of clouds were 
hanging over the plains far below the level of the lake, 
and the little vessels were actually sailing about at an 
elevation higher than the clouds ! 
On the 28th of July I left Nainee Tal and took the 
road for the plains. Mr. Batten accompanied me down 
the hill as far as a little garden which we had agreed to 
visit, where we found breakfast awaiting us. The 
scenery here is so wild and striking as to baffle all 
attempts at description. Behind us were mountains of 
all heights rent and broken up into every variety of 
form, while before us lay the plains of India stretching 
away as far as the eye could reach without a mountain 
or a hill to obstruct the view. 
Mr. Batten now left me and returned to his home 
amongst the mountains, while I pursued my homeward 
journey. I visited the well-known cities of Delhi and 
Agra on my route, and arrived at Calcutta on the 29th 
of August, when I took up my quarters with Dr. Fal- 
coner, in the botanic garden, until the mail-steamer was 
ready to receive her passengers for England. 
On the 5th of September I had the pleasure of seeing 
the Victoria regia flower for the first time in India. 
It was growing luxuriantly in one of the ponds in the 
botanic garden, and, no doubt, will soon be a great 
ornament to Indian gardens. It will soon reign as the 
queen of flowers in every land, and, like our beloved 
sovereign whose name it bears, the sun will never set on 
its dominions. 
