Up we climb still.

small patches of level towering above rock

Mountains on every side, with here and there ground on the sides of the huge hills; rock

"Ossa on Pelion piled"-

whilst far, far below meanders a river, shining like a silver thread. An icy breeze blew from the snowy range, which appeared clear as if cut with a knife, no misty clouds hanging about to obscure the view, and glad enough we were to reach the shelter of Photocool, where there is a house something similar to the "Jharoo" one, with this advantage, that the "Photocool" shed had one door, whilst the other one had four door-ways and no door, and would answer admirably for a man fond of plenty of air: the chinks in the roof were quite sufficient for us after the doors were shut. A fine-looking native coming from the contrary direction stopped at this place for the night. He was very communicative respecting the road to Chumba, Kishtawur Pass, &c., had good horses, and appeared well equipped in every way. However, it rained in the night, and he got a terrible stomach-ache, and came to me in the morning completely doubled up, and with a dreadfully wry face. We physicked him with brandy and laudanum, for which he was very grateful. Certainly, civility was of service to him, as, if he had not made himself agreeable over night, he would most assuredly have had to travel some twenty miles with a dry colic for a companion.

There were plenty of pheasants to be seen here, as also some "carca," or barking deer, but we had no time to spare for them, and no beaters or dogs to make the birds rise out of the thick underwood; so tramped down hill through fir woods to the bungalow at Hurreebagh, really a comfortable place, where the acting Thanadar, or head man, a dissolute-looking Sikh, instead of giving us every assistance in his power, kept throwing difficulties in the way, talking in an offhand manner to the servants. At last, wearied at finding that all his conversation was a series of objections, from perfect apathy we all three started into life, overwhelmed him with a torrent of abuse, and dismissed him summarily from the premises, at the same time summoning all men who had anything to sell to come from the village; the would-be swell's authority was thus entirely annulled, and during our stay he never was permitted to approach within three hundred yards of us. This was a better plan than soundly mauling him (although he richly deserved something of the kind,) as that proceeding would have given him an opportunity of complaining. We reported him in hopes that he would be turned out, and his successor, warned by his fate, might be more attentive. Numbers of travellers neglect pulling up useless heads of villages, looking at it purely in the selfish light of its being no satisfaction to themselves, never reflecting on the unfortunates who may come after them.

On the road to Byjnath, a village just like the pictures of Bengal scenery one sees in scrap-books, a flock of four hundred sheep and goats passed us, the property of Tartars proceeding through Kooloo and Thibet; the men and women of the escort with small eyes and

rough features, their bodies swaddled up in large pieces of coarse cloth; each sheep or goat furnished with a pair of saddle-bags filled with rice. A large ram led the troop, the remainder following in perfect order, being regularly under control of their owners, and answering like dogs to a whistle.

The change of temperature here is very great, and mosquitoes starting up at a tremendous pace, whereas last evening they would have been frozen up. It grew warmer and warmer as we passed Bhurwana, where the Company's garden, laid out for the growth of tea, has a thriving appearance: it has not been planted more than a year, and promises to turn out very well. Every one appeared to be flocking towards Kangra, more especially women, and, on passing Negrota, we found there was to be a fair held, which accounted for the assemblage of the fair sex. Leaving the fort of Kangra on the left, and making the best of our way through the bazaar, we pitched our tents in front of a large building, originally belonging to Lene Singh, close to a dirty tank surrounded by trees and infested with monkeys, who have become so bold from the inhabitants never molesting them, that they enter the houses and walk off with anything that tickles their fancy. However, they did not find us inclined to put up with their impudence, and their vagaries were soon brought to a close by a severe pelting with stones, when they moved off apparently much disgusted.

Some one having mentioned that there was a bungalow on the top of the adjacent hill, which had formerly been made use of as a public office or kutcherry, but was now empty, we moved in, and enjoyed the superb view towards Noorpoor and Dhumsala, stretching to the magnificent range of snowy hills, whence in the evening descends a cool breeze to gladden the hearts of the dwellers in the fort. The view is in some respects similar to that obtained from the Arc d'Etoile, in Paris. The town (that is, the one towards Bhagsoo or Dhumsala -for there are two towns) is large; the other and smaller one lies under the fort so much valued by Runjeet Singh, which fort at a distance does not give one the idea of a very strong place, but on getting nearer one perceives that it is surrounded by ravines and perfectly impregnable by escalade, which was once tried by Soochet Singh (brother of Gholaub, the present ruler of Cashmere), who failed most signally. However, it is commanded on every side by heights, and a couple of guns judiciously laid down would make it a most uncomfortable residence for the party within; in fact, so unpleasant did the prospect appear to the "killadar," or commandant, when, after the Punjaub campaign, a force advanced to reduce it, that, though he made a great display of valour as long as no artillery appeared, and positively refused to surrender, yet the moment a solitary gun was placed in a sandbag battery (after having with immense difficulty been brought to the spot at the rate of a mile a day), down came his colours, and he yielded (prudent man) without standing a discharge. The natives attach great importance to this stronghold, believing that whoever possess it will exercise unlimited control over the surrounding country. It is garrisoned by a wing of the 71st

Native Infantry-about four hundred men-who prize the air and water highly. Another reason, too, is, that the Rajpootni ladies in the district have the reputation of being very fascinating, leading the Sepoys astray, and forsaking their lawful lords at every opportunity. We had not an opportunity of seeing the sirens ourselves, but report ascribes to them considerable personal attractions.

The river yields very fine fish of two kinds, "marsya" and "kalabaus." All the fishermen were collected and furnished with two large drag-nets, each man, in addition, having a small circular drag-net hung round with leaden plummets. After placing the drag-nets at the beginning of a deep pool, and moving them slowly towards the end, the fish, becoming alarmed, rose to the surface, when the fishermen cast their small nets as each one rose, and generally succeeded in capturing the finer fish. In the course of an hour or so, above a couple of maunds weight (160 lbs.) were secured. The scenery is here very bold-perpendicular cliffs like Dover; then the fort completely isolated, standing out in strong relief against the snowy mountains, seeming at twenty miles' distance to overtop everything. The more one looks at this place, the more does one become impressed with the idea of its inaccessibility in the days of bows and arrows. "The castle's towers would laugh a

siege to scorn" in former days.

Having walked up to the top once, we considered that quite enough, so rode up to dinner on mules, and relished amazingly the cool claret and beer cup, ice being abundantly furnished daily from the snowy range; and early next morning started for Noorpoor, where the head-quarters of the regiment were. Passing the village of Shahpore (an unpleasant place) an immense snake about eight feet long paid us a visit, and we, not liking his society, received him with a charge of shot; thence on to Kotcla, where there are ruins of what must once have been a very large fortress. Legend ascribes its erection to Akbar the Great, the most powerful of all the Mohammedan rulers, in 1560; but its remains might even bear out the opinion that it was in existence before that period. It has a covered way leading to the river, for the supply of the garrison with water, still entire, which is now tenanted by legions of monkeys. When we reached Noorpoor every one manifested surprise at our ever having got to the place at all in such a hot sun, and, seated in a cool house, we certainly were rather astonished ourselves, the thermometer inside standing 86, in the verandah 99, and outside 130 deg.; the last a very pretty temperature in which to walk four or five miles at the rate of rather more than three miles an hour. They say Noorpoor has some few hot days: this was one of them. Every brick in the old place being thoroughly heated, made it resemble a bakehouse. It originally belonged to Bir Singh, but if that gentleman could get a look at it now, he would scarcely recognise, in the fair-sized rooms, the little pigeon-holes which once constituted his residence. The regiment quartered here have gone to work and ripped away the ceilings and partitions with right good will. The defences consist of a single wall, with towers at about a hundred feet apart, and no ditch. It does not look as if it ever had been a strong place, although it is the commencement of a

line of forts through the hills. Under the walls are barracks for the Sepoys, and in the centre a large tank. This station, although the head-quarters of a regiment, is, I should say, far inferior to Kangra as a residence.

The people here told us that the direct road to Chumba, passing by the new little station of Dalhousie, was seven marches, but that there was a cross road through the jungle and over the steeps by which we could reach it in three; so, despatching our string of coolies at 9 a.m., started at 3 p.m. ourselves, and, taking advantage of the moonlight night, slid merrily down, crossing a small stream called the Chukki about thirty times-breaking in upon the almost dead silence that prevailed with lusty halloos-reaching Tagiera, a small village, in time to find one of the servants rolling about screaming that he had been stung by a scorpion. We tied ligatures above the wound, and kept it wetted with salt and water, impressing upon the patient the certainty of his recovery the following morning. Like many a better-educated man, he relied upon the word of his physician, and quietly dozed off, declaring next morning that he was quite well. The fact is, he was never bitten by anything more than a venomous fly, and was desirous of being doctored. If he had complained of fever in the slightest degree (a miracle that he did not), he would immediately have received a large dose of jalap, a medicine powerful amongst natives for obvious reasons. Baron Hugel remarks that the Hindosstanees are generally averse to placing themselves under the hands of European surgeons. This may be the case where amputation is requisite, they having the greatest dislike to parting with their limbs; but as for taking physic of any kind, they delight in it, whoever may be the Esculapius proffering it.

(To be continued.)

AUSTRIAN SOLDIERS AND STATESMEN IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.

AFTER the end of the long and arduous wars with Turkey came those with the French republic and the first French empire-wars much more obstinate and deadly than any previously carried on; and in order to give this phenomenon its proper characteristic, we must relate it to what we have previously said of the science of race, as the simplest and most pervading key to all the accidents of history.

We must remember that the hereditary tendency of the Slaavic races to absolute government arises from an excessive submission to authority— causes which materially differ from those of this form of government in the Celtic races; for in the latter case military government seems to spring from an habitual tendency to revolt, or, to use a Gallicism, to recalcitration. Thus extremes touch; the Slaavic tendency to absolutism being positive, the Celtic negative. As regards liberty, the Slaav always falls short of it; the vivacity and impetuosity of the Celt makes him run far beyond it. Hence in our own day M. Guizot's

doleful tale of "Mécomptes" and "Espérances deçues." Those Guizots, Montalemberts, and Villemains, respectable by their spotless probity, and illustrious by their erudition and attainments, seem to expect that France, like a Saxon nation, will stop short at a given point, and not carry out a principle to its utmost consequences. Between this brilliant coterie and France, there appears to us to exist a wide and impassable gulf. The whole of the history of France is an illustration of that extremism which does nothing by halves. Need we point out the prostration before the grandeur of Louis XIV., the ultrasybaritism of the age of his great-grandson, the extension of the sensationalism of Locke to the atheism of Holbach, the revolution itself, with those "orgies of crime" from which M. Guizot turns away his eyes in disgust?-all concur to explain and agree with the spectacle which France now presents. Throughout her poorer populations a widespread smouldering socialism, abounding in disciples of Rousseau and Babœuf, who, true to the principle of levelling all privilege, would not even make an exception in favour of property; and, on the other hand, the vast majority of the people in the provinces, who, preferring solid experience to a fallacious logic and philanthropic plausibilities, see in a military monarchy a more simple barrier to the democratic extremism of the nation, than in the complicated and delicate machinery of an English system. Their diseases are not our diseases, and therefore their remedies should not be our remedies. To quit metaphor; with the Saxon temperament, the governing few are controlled by the many within the limits of the classes possessing property and intelligence; with the Celtic, the many must be restrained by the governing few. How much more thoroughly French, and how much more philosophic than that of one of those professed philosophers, is the speech of the Emperor of the French on the opening of the Chambers the other day: -"French society expects the government to restrain the spirit of speculation, &c." We have long ceased to be prophets as to the futurity of France, where nothing seems fixed and stable but the demand for novelty. If anything, however, appears likely to give stability to the present order of things, it would appear to be that the foreign policy of the Emperor of the French is conducted on principles wholly opposed to those of his late uncle, and, therefore, the government can the more easily put the drag-chain on any national extravagance.

The revolutionary war of France was a signal illustration of the extremism which overshoots its aim. When the defence of the frontier had been secured, they wanted the Rhine, and when they had gotten the Rhine, they wanted the best part of Europe. The empire fell, as liberty had fallen, by the extremism we have above indicated. Austria was the first to bear the brunt of these terrible wars by the loss of the Netherlands, and also to wind up the destiny of the first Napoleon, by the coalition which led to Leipsic. With the details of those celebrated campaigns, and with the characters of the Emperor Francis, the heroic and popular Archduke Charles, all are familiar who have perused Jomini, Alison, Thiers, and other popular writers; we therefore confine ourselves to matters not yet fully embodied in the great current of history.

In the very first years of the nineteenth century, we find the cele