THEATRE ROYAL, NAVAL BRIGADE. By particular desire, will be performed this evening, Sept. 1st, the laughable farce of DEAF AS A POST. After which, a variety of comic songs and dancing, to be followed by the farce of THE SILENT WOMAN. Interludes of singing and dancing; to conclude with SLASHER AND Crasher. A finale by the company, singing, &c.-Seats to be taken at halfpast seven, performance to commence at eight. As we sat there enjoying the mirth and music of these honest fellows, I was surprised that the Russians, whose information was so good of the doings in camp, did not plump in amongst us two or three long-range shot; they had sent them as far before, and might now have caused us to substitute groans of pain for laughter and applause at come very respectable performances. A SCRAMBLE THROUGH THE HILLS TO CASHMERE. HAVING wound up everything, M, F- -, and myself made up our minds to start from Dugshai to Solun en route to Cashmere, at four o'clock on the 1st of May; but taking leave, settling coolies (luggage-carriers), winding up accounts, and more especially pledging friends, we did not get away "till bright and goodly shone the moon.' However, having no horses, being literally all on the same footing, away we jogged merrily over hill and dale, and accomplished the nine miles in about two hours and a-half; the calmness of the night, the moonlight bringing out in bold relief some prominent rock as we wound round its base, or leaving in the deepest shade some romantic glen, together with the deliciously cool breeze just sprung up, caused us to bless the accident of being detained so long. Half the baggage, with a string of fifty coolies, coming up-for Indian servants on entering upon a march never settle down to their work for two or three days-we philosophically went to sleep, leaving everything to come square of itself; and next morning had the satisfaction of seeing all the khyltas, or large baskets, in which baggage is carried on the hills, ranged lazily against the wall of the Dâk Bungalow, as travellers' resting-places are styled. A number of friends from Dugshai now arrived to see us fairly make a start. The usual old thing, a merry day till evening, when, the party breaking up, our work began, and out we sallied to count our train of attendants. I individually found myself saddled with eight-and-twenty baskets, exclusive of a share of the U. S. MAG., No. 340, MARCH, 1857. B B public stores, and M and F in the same proportion, although their tents, with several other items, had been sent out some days previously. However, we turned out each basket, packed everything afresh, portioned off the amount of baggage to be carried by each servant (a very necessary precaution where every pound of extra weight is of importance); and, after enduring a series of prayers and lamentations with calm imperturbability-for we had calculated on this before commencing operations, knowing the row likely to ensue-I effected the object in view, and succeeded in reducing the packages immensely, mine alone coming down from twenty-eight to eleven, a very considerable diminution; and, by this time being nearly deafened by the clamour of a hundred people talking for two hours, each on his own peculiar topic, deliberately retired issuing orders for a march next morning; and, on mustering at four o'clock next day, were attacked by an individual who informed us that he had been sent by the Tihseldar, or head man of the village, with the number of coolies indented for by us, but protesting that he was unable to move unless he received payment in advance, which of course was not to be thought of, and at once, by common consent, thrown out; he then insisted upon getting five annas, or sevenpence halfpenny, for each man, an absurd price, together with some exorbitant sum for himself and two friends, for looking after them. Here a little temporising was necessary; we discoursed him with sweet words at first, slightly objecting, then admitting that he was reasonable, and finally inducing him to bring along his flock to Subathoo, a distance of fourteen miles. He had been almost insolent, the recollection of which still lived in our memories, although at the time we had affected not to observe it; but on our property arriving we notified to him this fact, as also of our being aware that the price of labour was fixed by Lord William Hay-a rate, by the by, considerably too high; any coolie is procurable in the hills on either side of the high road to Simla for three annas per diem, whereas rates signed by his lordship are brought to the traveller in which four annas and a-half is stated as the sum required to be paid to each man, an immense increase when forty or fifty men are employed daily for any time. The turbulent scoundrel, who before bringing the things had had it all his own way, now saw that the ball was in our hands; we kept him in a state of anxiety for five hours, explained to him his knavery, which he acknowledged most abjectly, and finally, being weary of looking at him, paid him according to the rate authorized. The temperature of Subathoo is higher than Dugshai or Kussowlie, although only ten miles from either place; it (Subathoo) being only 4,200 feet above the level of the sea, whilst the other stations are above 5,000. The road from Solun to Subathoo is a very pretty one, abounding in small streams and fine trees; this continues for four or five miles, when it descends towards the river near Kukreehutty, the country around smiling with corn fields, and on the banks of the river numbers of hanging birds' nests; in these nests there are two apertures, an entrance hall and a dormitory, and the casings (of which there are four) are woven with great regularity. On reaching our encamping-ground at Kuniha, an unfortunate devil presented himself with his nose, upper lip, and arms cut off, a barbarous and bloody spectacle," and asked alms. It appeared that on suspicion only of his being a thief the Rajah of Kooloo (a district adjacent) had mutilated him in this way; no joke here being even suspected of appropriating another person's property. Kuniha is a village of about fifty houses; everything here in the shape of food is reasonable in price, fowls obtainable for two annas each, whereas at Simla or Dugshai the usual price is eight; people in a market town in England would stare at being offered threepence for a "good fat hen." As a break in the day's journey it is not a bad plan to breakfast half-way; so, all agreeing to this arrangement, down we sat in one of the poppy fields which abound here (the juice being collected and sent down the country for the manufacture of opium); and after breakfast, giving the servants an hour's leave, we breasted the long hill in front of us gallantly, a little throbbing about the neck, however, whispering that our condition was not exactly what it ought to be. On nearing the town of Urkee, and stopping to refresh at one of the rivulets, we came upon six women, some with one child, some two, reclining by the side of little wooden spouts, each leading at intervals from the streamlet. Under each spout a child was placed horizontally, the water descending in a gentle stream on the top of the young one's head. They (the children) were all sound asleep, and did not wake up during our stay, half an hour good; and on asking the ladies their object in subjecting their offspring to such an operation, we were told that, in addition to keeping them quiet, (a great desideratum,) it had a good effect upon the eyes and prevented disease. Natives in the hills certainly rarely suffer from bad eyes. I should not like to hazard an opinion as to how this cold water system would tell on English babies; not so well perhaps, on account of the little niggers having their heads shaved daily, a process European mothers might object to. Our Chuprassee having been sent on ahead with compliments to the Ranee of the district, who resides here, a guide met us at the entrance to Urkee and conducted us to a large garden, in which our tents were pitched, and shortly afterwards down came a servant of the lady's to inquire if we had everything we wanted, and in the course of conversation mentioned that his mistress was out of order, much in the same way as Lady Macbeth "Troubled with thick and coming fancies وو that a native physician attended her, but that she derived no benefit from his advice. In spite of the danger of interfering with another practitioner, we at once prescribed for the lady, promising her health in three days, or, in the language of the country, that her "liver would become cold," a comforting phrase in a warm climate; and the delighted servant hurried off to present the medicine and communicate the agreeable information to his mistress. I think they told us that she was a widow, although still young, and, being of the Rajpoot caste, could not marry again. The palace on the top of a hill has a very imposing appearance, which the interior, according to the description of the inhabitants, does not come up to at all; so we did not take advantage of an intimation, that, should we desire to see it, our curiosity might be gratified. The ascent is very steep, and the inducement to climb after a walk of twelve miles was not sufficient. Wild roses and bel-flower-the latter resembling jessamine in perfume-abound, and early in the morning some black partridges gave us notice of their being in the vicinity, but they were very wild and not to be got at. About every three or four miles there are nice little square tanks, with a stream of clear water from the low hills running through them. According to tradition the first of these tanks was built by a villager, who, falling asleep by the road-side, dreamt that in a certain place a large treasure was concealed. He dug up the spot, was successful, and in remembrance built a tank. His example has been followed by others, so that there is no difficulty in procuring water after a stiff pull up a hill. He (the first tank-maker) ought certainly to have a stone erected to him with an inscription, which might run something like Sybil Gray's in "Marmion" :— "Whilst here you eat your potted ham, All along the route the people were cutting corn, which, considering it was only the 7th of May, was rather early. However, it is a broad open plain from the commencement of the Rajah of Belaspoor's territory to Markund, a swampy collection of hovels, where there is a large tank, into which we plunged in spite of the objections of the Fakir, or devotee, who feeds the peacocks here in honour of a little ugly image clothed in tinsel, supposed to be the Deo, or deity, presiding over the village. He (the Fakir) does not know much about the Deo, but, like many another enthusiast, thinks there is no god like his god. The direct road is to Belaspoor, but, wishing to keep to the hills as much as possible, we struck off to the right, making for a place higher up the Sutlej called Duben, and, after a tremendously hot walk, reached the Ghât, where the river-here a turbulent mountain stream -reminds one of Southey's poem, "How does the water come down at Lodore ;" but, in spite of its hissing and boiling away at a desperate pace, the natives cross and recross on inflated cowskins, paddling away with their legs and a piece of stick: strange how they work up against the current, too. Everything in the shape of supplies is here procurable, although report had led us to believe that nothing could be had, the fact being that Europeans usually travel keeping the plains to Noorpoor, so that of this road little is known. Finding the advantage of pedestrian exercise, we refused the offer of the rajah of Sooket, who had forwarded horses for our use. One day's riding would have disgusted us with walking, and our daily stretch of twelve or fourteen miles was rapidly "making that brawn which was but veal before." So away we strode along the bed of a rocky stream, and after rambling through a pretty country reached the rajah's abode, a handsome double-storied slateroofed house surrounded by gardens, leaving which on the right we encamped under the shade of a large peepul tree, a mile or two farther on. The rajah was out on a shooting excursion, so we did not see him. He is rich for a hill man, his revenue being about £4,000 a year. Round Sooket there is an abundance of jungle grass, in which wild pigs are to be found; and a few miles on the road one comes upon an elaborately carved old Hindoo temple, with a fine tank in front full of fish, which are very tame from the natives feeding them. The valley on to Mundee bears some resemblance to the scenery on the Tavy, near Endsleigh, in Devonshire, a stream meandering through the centre, on which birds with every kind of plumage were darting after the insects, and the veritable cuckoo gave us sweet welcome as · we strolled. After following the sinuous course of the river for some miles, the town came in view perched upon a slip of rock, appearing to block the further flow. On the left-hand side at the entrance is a burial-ground, with ten large stones sculptured with Hindoo figures, denoting the number of rajahs who have sat upon the throne, and around these a multitude of smaller ones, memorials of soldiers, favourites, &c. The town is rather a large one, with a tank overgrown with weeds in front of the palace, and an immense number of small temples, each with a stone bull in front. The present rajah is a child; his father they told us had been poisoned; not at all unlikely-a petty rajah holding a most unenviable position, the chances are about ten to one he dies of foul play. The river Beas is here a deep and narrow stream, perhaps about one hundred and forty feet wide, and crossed by a ferry boat. Hawking is a sport much indulged in. A Shikari brought us a superb falcon to look at, with bells on his feet, one of the handsomest birds I have ever seen. On crossing the Beas there is a steep hill to pull up; it is long as well as steep, and would have touched up Scott's "Malcolm Græme" even— "Who up Ben Lomond's steep could press, And not a sob the toil confess." After surmounting this we left the salt mines and the road to Tera Shah Jehanpore to our left, and keeping more to the north, over a ridge of hills, reached a solitary house called " Jharoo," into which we crept to avoid a thunder and hail-storm which came swooping down with awful violence. The hail-stones were some of them as large as pigeons' eggs, and came through the dilapidated roof saturating everything, and finally driving us from the inside, whilst the servants were creeping about like monkeys, fearing they might be blown over the cliff, or khud, as it is termed. The first of these terrible visitors (for we had three) did not luckily last long, and the tents were pitched in a shady nook previous to the second one's descent; and next morning, in spite of mishaps, away we went in good humour; for, as Autolycus sings "A merry heart goes all the way, |