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The names over the gateways, “Rose Villa,” “Waterloo Ferrace,” “Ivy Ledge,” etc.. hava a thorcughty Koglish look, But now the shutters are closed, the gates usiled up, acd straw ja twisted sround the tender vines that in summer clambsr over porch and doorways, It would be hard to real- jaa, were it not for the signs over the closed and degorted shop, tbat within lees than sixty daye tais place will be the homa e€ five or six thousand Evropsane, with bank and billiards, aveembly room snd theater, and poseibly a daily newspaper, in full operation.
Bat the most fashionable resort for Ku, repeans among the Himalayas is at Simis, where tha goversment of India, seoking retuge fram the heat of Calcutta, is located for half the year. This pisce is called the
- Bill Versatlles,” and is made up of cot-
tages and huogalows, built like Mussoorie slong a narrow mountsin ridge, sand up sad dewn tha stecp sides of an Alpine peak. I: is connected by telegraph with the rest of the world, and during “the acseon” is gay with balls, picnies and pri- vate thestricals. The baggage of the Viceroy and suite filig a whole railway tvaln, and is conveyed from the nearest station on elephania, camels, pack horses and coolies to this pleasant retreat smong the meuntaing.
The enow is fast melting In the warm suy, as waclimb ap towards Laudour. The air is exhiliarating, but sorarified at this eleva- tion of 8,000 feet, as te make active exorcise rather fatiguing, At lest we reach the highest point, on which is located a pretty frottage, now ¢leserted, and taking possea- sign of the porch we cnujoy af our ease one of the grandest sights of mountain ssenory inthe world, In front, and extending to the right and left until lost in the dim dis- tance ara snow-covered peaks from 20,000 ta 29,000 fest in height. Beicg draped in spotless white from basa te summit the bright eun is reflected in dazzling brillian- cy. The storm of yesterday has clesred the atmosphere, and the outlines are distinctly marked against the blue sky. The view of tha Rocky Mountains from the pisins ot Denver is grand—perhans the finest on the American continent, But here the meun- tains ries to double tho keight of vcither Pike’s Pezk or Mont Blanc. Covered with eternal {c3 and snow these lofty mountains seem radiantly brilliant, or frowningly gloomy, as the sun appears, or is hid by a
