The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-08-14

80 mans life" says Sir Robert
Baden-PowelI in his charm
ing book, Indian Memories"
when his whole being cries out for a
steady spell of doing nothing in par
ticular, at least, nothing that matters.
Nowhere is this so acutely felt as in
India" And at no time. one might
add as toward the middle of an In
dian hot weather, says a. L. Wright in
Country Life. But though India in the
plains may, at times, become well-nigh
intolerable India in the hills provides
q solace such as may be enjoyed in
few other countries in the world
There is something particularly fas-
einating about the Himalayas. Maybe
1t is their immensely or their vast ST.
lences; but probably it is their infinite
variety that makes the greatest appeal.
For there is always some new aspect
to be discovered, some new interest;
and no man can hope to live long
enough to be able to say he knows
them thoroughly, nor is it possible to
see so much of them that they begin to
grow stale. No wonder that men who
have first visited them as subalterns
go back year after year, reyisiting old
haunts or discovering new, and that
some have found them so attractive
that even on retirement they have set
tied down in some peaceful valley to
spend their declining years.
In Zines of peace the army officer in
India is usually fortunate enough to
be able to get away from his regiment
and the plains for at least a part of
the hot weather. and with a month or
more at his disposal, the hills provide
him with an endless choice as to how
he should spend his leave.
Anything You May Wish Is There.
OF few places in the world can 1t be
50 truly said as of the Himalayas that
they cater for every taste. Do you
want months sheer idleness? Under
what more attractive circumstances
can it be obtained than on the Jhelum
river, floating leisurely along in
Kashmiri doonga, or houseboat? A
perfect climate. gorgeous scenery and
everything complete for thorough lazi-
ness; what could be more ideal? And
should mere loafing become monoto-
nous, it can always be varied with
little gentle disappearing, or short
trips may be made into the noun
tains, which come down on either side,
offering tempting fields for exploration.
But the average healthy young man
will probably require something mere
strenuous. Mountaineering? One has
only TO read of the exploits of the Bull
iock-Worlzmans TO realize that the
Hlmalayas provide sufficient tests of
skill even for the most experienced
climber. Big game shooting? Given
sufficient time, there are places beyond
kashmir, such as Chilas, Astore, Balls
tan and Ladakb, which are veritable
sportsmen's paradises. With luck the
bag may include both black and brown
bear, thar, ibex, burhel, gural, the or
binary leopard: maybe the snow
leopard, and possibly the wild sheep,
the Owls ammon. A shooting trip of
this nature is. however, rather a long
and serious undertaking, but even with
two months leave or less there are
many places where excellent sport can
be obtained. There is, of course, the
country in the immediate vicinity of
Kashmir, but, as may be imagined, this
has been much harried and shot over,
and other places equally accessible,
though less frequented, are preferable
where sport Is the main object. For
instance, quite good shooting country
can be reached both In Chamba state
and in Kulu within a months leave,
while little more time Is required to
get to the upper reaches of the Sutlej,
where the Bashahr state borders on
Tibet.
Small game shooting, being closed
till the middle of September, is rarely
enjoyed by the visitor to the hills UNI
less he specially takes his leave right
at the end of the hot weather. The
FTimalayas, however. abound in small
game. - Probably nowhere in the
world are pheasants found in greater
variety, but, though in abundance,
their shooting is often apt to prove
| disappointing, usually owing to the
vastness Of the forests they inhabit,