Page:Views in India, chiefly among the Himalaya Mountains.djvu/20

x country. They have proved faithful and able soldiers, their resolute defence of the places entrusted to them proving the best pledges for their future good conduct. Many, even where resistance was most hopeless, regretted having been induced to surrender, a strict sense of duty inspiring the belief that they ought to have died at their posts rather than have yielded. The Asiatic notion of honour is exactly similar to that of the European mercenaries of the middle ages. The troops make no scruple of changing masters after the performance of any stipulated service; but while receiving pay, "eating the salt," of their employers, consider themselves bound to perish in the cause which they have espoused.

The present series of views belong to the scenery which occurs in that portion of the Himalayan regions lying between the rivers Sutlej and Kelee, having for its boundary on the north and north-east the snowy chain of the Himalaya, and, to the south and south-west, the plains of Hindostan. Within this tract of country are comprised the provinces of Sirmoor, Gurwall, and Kumaoon, besides several other inferior states, the whole of which are either annexed to the British possessions, or have become allies or tributaries to that government. With the exception of the copious information to be found in Mr. Frazer's able volume, and the animated descriptions given of flying tours through the hills, by Major Archer and Captains Skinner and Mundy, there are only brief notices extant respecting this exceedingly interesting region. The journals, note-books, and diaries, kept by the numerous Anglo-Indian travellers flocking to the hills, have not in many instances found their way to Europe, and it therefore may be confidently expected that the vast quantity of new and highly-authenticated matter, relative to the Himalaya, which has been placed at the disposal of the Editor, will render the present work extremely acceptable to the general reader.