literature contains such a jewel; and I must say, also. that both the Messrs. Blackwood did me essential service by the consideration they displayed when I sent in my manuscript at unreasonable times, or altered proofs unmercifully at the last moment. Prince Bismarck said to Count Arnim that the business of the Prussian Foreign Office could not be carried on if every Embassy were to conduct itself in the way that of Paris did; and I am sure the business of Maga could not be carried on at all if all its contributors were to try its patience as I did.

I was much indebted also to an old friend-a genius loci and yet a man of European celebrity-who at the commencement of the appearance of my articles wrote to me in terms of the warmest encouragement. It may be that the favour with which the original articles appear to have been received may stand in the way of success now that they are reproduced in book-form; so I may mention that, though long passages have not been added to this reprint, yet very many short ones have; the interstices, so to speak, have been filled up; greater accuracy has been attained; and the whole work has been recast, and that into a form which, I venture to believe, will make it more acceptable to all readers; and I am led to hope that this may be so, among other reasons, by the fact that an American publishing house, G. P. Putman's Sons, New York, has already prepared stereotyped plates of my book, with a view to republication across the Atlantic.

I feel some regret at not having been able either to repress my outbreaks on the difficult subject of the policy which ought to be pursued in governing India,

or to enter into the question in a fuller and more satisfactory manner than I have done; but while that subject lay beyond the proper scope of this work, it was one which the incidents of my journey naturally led me incidentally to refer to. I shall now only express my profound conviction, that if India were more directly governed with an enlightened view to our own national interests than it is at present, it would be far better for the people of India; that it is the English in India, far more than the Bengal ryot, the educated native, or the Indian Prince, who have reason to complain of the British Raj; and that, under a superficial appearance of contentment and progress, there are gathering forces, mostly powerless for good, which may at any moment break forth with destructive fury, and are certain to do so whenever the energies of this country are more fully occupied elsewhere.

It may be fancied that some of my descriptions of what I encountered among the Himálaya are somewhat exaggerated, and especially, I understand, the achievements of the little pony which carried me over the great Shigri glacier. A lady writing to me on this subject remarks: "Had I not known you to be scrupulously truthful-in fact, fastidiously careful in the use of language, lest it might convey a shade of meaning beyond the thought, opinion, or fact, you wished to express-I might have regarded some of your descriptions as exaggerated; but I consider accuracy, both verbal (that is, in the use of words) and in the statement of facts, to be one of your strong points -barring and excepting in the making of promises with respect to letter-writing." So I have carefully

reconsidered everything which might appear to bear the marks of exaggeration, and, while finding almost nothing to alter on that ground, have thought it best to say nothing about one or two incidents which might really appear incredible. I have only to add on this subject, that the state of Himálayan paths differs somewhat from year to year, according to the amount of labour expended upon them, and the landslips which occur.

One word more, and I have done. Like many other men, I have written hundreds-I may say thousands -of more or less insignificant articles in newspapers and periodicals; but, like the vast majority of my fellow-labourers in that department of literature, I have sought to keep back my name rather than to thrust it obtrusively before the public in connection with productions which, however good or bad of their kind, had no individuality or importance sufficient to warrant their being connected with any particular author. That is the usual feeling of public writers in this country; but there is always some one insensible to it. A few months ago one of those candid friends who are the gentian and rhubarb of life, remarked to me: "What a stupid article that is on the CUTTLE-FISH which you have in ! I wonder you put your

name to it." Now the cuttle-fish is a denizen of the ocean with which I am well acquainted, from its toughness as an article of diet, it having been the habit of my Hong-Kong butler to give me a curry of it whenever he was displeased with me, adding, when he saw my frown, the dubious consolation: "Eh! No likey? I tinkee he makee you likey to-mollow (tomorrow) cully too muchee." But to write articles on

the cuttle-fish was, I knew, out of my line; and I was shocked at having my name pointed out to me, printed in full, at the bottom of such an article. At first I cherished the hope that this was the work of some practical humourist; but found on inquiry, that this alter ego, the cuttle-fish A. W., was a sad reality that he had published several articles of the same. kind, and had as much title as myself to the name he bears. I know how vain it is to hope that any pushing young Scotchman will consent to preach behind a screen if he has any opportunity of doing so in front of it; therefore I address no remonstrance or request to the ichthyologist himself. But, would not some Scotch University-say Aberdeen or Glasgowhave the goodness to make a distinction between us by conferring upon him the degree of D.D., LL.D., or whatever other high academical distinction his arduous researches into the character of the cuttle-fish may justify?

LONDON, July, 1875.