Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 2.djvu/267

 The Governor-General and his party quitted Landowr, and returned to Rajpūr, on their march to Simla, up the valley of the Deyra Doon.

In the evening I rode out to see Ben Oge and Bhadráj: at the foot of Ben Oge is a boys' school; a number of little fellows were out at play. There is also a girls' school at Mussoorī. Here English children can receive some education in a fine climate.

20th.—Rainy; thermometer in the verandah at noon, 56°; at 3 o'clock 54°.

21st.—The Hills covered and hidden by deep clouds; thunder and lightning, with some rain. Thermometer, 8 46°; evening fine, heavy rain at night.

23rd.—Captain E. S has an estate in the Hills, called Cloud End,—a beautiful mountain, of about sixty acres, covered with oak trees: on this spot he had long wished to build a house, and had prepared the plan, but his duties as an engineer prevented his being long enough at a time in the Hills to accomplish the object. I offered to superintend the work during his absence, if he would mark out the foundation: a morning's ride brought us to his estate, situated between a hill, called "the Park," and Ben Oge, with Bhadráj to the west; the situation is beautiful,—the hills magnificent and well-wooded. Having fixed on the spot for the house,—the drawing-room windows to face a noble view of the Snowy Ranges,—the next thing was to mark a pathway to be cut into the Khud, a descent of two miles, for the mules to bring up water.

The plan of the house was then marked out, and a site was selected for my hill-tent, commanding a view of the Himalaya: this little tent was made to order at Fathīgarh,—it is twelve feet square, the walls four feet high, and has two doors. A stone wall is to be built around it, a chimney at one end, and a glass door at the other; a thatch will be placed over it, and this will be my habitation when I go to Cloud End, or when I make excursions into the Hills; my kitchen will be an old oak tree. The Hills are so steep, a single pole tent of the usual size can be pitched in very few places. Under an old oak, on a rock covered