,note3 for this online edition ,i have moved the ,table of ,contents to the beginning of the text and added three asterisks to mark breaks between sections4 ,i have also made the following spelling changes3 latitute to latitude and mountain ash berberis to mountain ash berberries ,,the ,,heart ,,of ,,nature ,,or ,,the ,,quest ,,for ,,natural ,,beauty ,,by ,,sir ,,francis ,,younghusband ,k4,c4,s4,i41 ,k4,c4,i4,e4 ,,president ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,geographical ,,society ,,author ,,of ,,the ,,heart ,,of ,a ,,continent ,,london ,,john ,,murray1 ,,albemarle ,,street #aiba ,,contents ,preface ix-x ,introduction xv-xxviii ,,part ,i ,chapter ,i4 ,the ,sikkim ,himalaya4 ,the sacred ,ganges--,a beneficent power--,beauty of the plains--,first sight of the ,himalaya #c-ab ,chapter ,,ii4 ,the ,teesta ,valley4 ,mystery of the forest--,the gorges --,sequestered glens #ac-ai ,chapter ,,iii4 ,the ,forest4 ,butterflies--,ferns--,orchids--,flower friends--,rhododendrons--,temperate vegetation--,primulas--,artic vegetation--,the range of vegetation #bj-cg ,chapter ,,iv4 ,the ,denizens of the ,forest4 ,butterflies--,moths--,birds --,reptiles--,mammals--,animal beauty--,primitive man--,higher races #ch-ed ,chapter ,v4 ,the ,sum ,impression4 ,two views of ,nature--,variety of life--,intensity of life--,the battle of life--,adaptation and selection --,purposiveness--,purposeful structures--,interdependence--,organisin g ,activity--,gradation--,care of offspring--the ,activity not mechanical but ,spiritual--,nature's end--a ,common aspiration #ee-he ,chapter ,,vi4 ,kinchinjunga4 ,the foothills--,darjiling--,a vision of the mountain--,full view--,mountain grandeur--,dawn on the mountain --,sunset on the mountain #hf-ii ,chapter ,,vii4 ,high ,solitudes4 ,kashmir--,barren mountains--,dazzling peaks--,purity of beauty #ajj-ajh ,chapter ,,viii4 ,the ,heavens4 ,desert sunsets--,tibetan sunsets--,the stars--,the whole universe our home--,a ,heavenly ,presence #aji-abj ,chapter ,,ix4 ,home ,beauty4 ,one's own country--,woman's beauty --,love and beauty--,their ,divine ,source--,wedding--,divine union --,the ,inmost ,heart of ,nature #aba-acd ,chapter ,x4 ,the ,nature of ,nature4 ,a spiritual background--,purpose in ,nature--,higher beings--,no confining plan--,immanent ,spirit --,collective personality--,england a ,person--,nature a ,person--,moved by an ideal--,the ideal in plants--,the ideal in animals--,the ideal in the world #ace-afj ,chapter ,,xi4 ,nature's ,ideal4 ,battling with physical ,nature--,battling with man--,in tune with ,nature--,at the heart of the ,universe is ,love--,divine fellowship is ,nature's ,ideal #afa-aga ,chapter ,,xii4 ,the ,heart of ,nature4 ,picturing the ,ideal--,the ,ideal ,man--,man and woman--,perfecting the ,ideal--,discipline necessary --,leadership--,nature's method--,our own responsibility--,the lovability of nature--,god at the ,heart of ,nature #agb-aib ,,part ,,ii ,natural ,beauty and ,geography ,presidential ,address to the ,royal ,geographical ,society #aie-baf ,an ,address to the ,union ,society of ,university ,college1 ,london #bag-bce ,,preface ,the value of ,knowledge and ,character is duly impressed upon us4 ,of the value of ,freedom we are told so much that we have come to regard it as an end in itself instead of only a means1 or necessary condition4 ,but ,beauty we are half-inclined to connect with the effeminate4 ,poetry1 ,music1 and ,literature are under suspicion with the average ,english schoolboy1 whose love of manliness he will share with nothing else4 ,yet love of ,beauty persists in spite of all discouragement1 and will not be suppressed4 ,natural ,beauty1 especially1 insists on a place in our affections1 derived originally from ,love1 and essentially and inseparably connected with it1 ,natural ,beauty acknowledges supremacy to ,love alone4 ,and it deserves our generous recognition1 for it is wholesome and refreshing for our souls4 ,the acute observation and telling description of ,natural ,beauty is at least as necessary for the enjoyment of life as the pursuit of ,natural ,science to which so much attention is paid4 ,for the concern of the former is the character1 and of the latter only the cause of natural phenomena2 and of the two1 character is the more important4 ,it is1 indeed1 high time that we ,englishmen were more awake than we are to the value of ,natural ,beauty4 ,for we are born lovers of ,nature1 and no more poetic race than ourselves exists4 ,our country at its best1 on an early summer day1 is the loveliest little home in all the world4 ,and we go out from this island home of ours to every land4 ,we have unrivalled opportunities1 therefore1 of seeing innumerable types of natural objects4 ,by observing ,nature in so many different aspects1 and by comparing our impressions with one another1 we ought to understand ,nature better than any other race4 ,and by entering more readily into communion with her we1 better than others1 should realise the ,beauty she possesses4 ,i am conscious of having myself made most inadequate use of the splendid opportunities my travels afforded me of seeing the ,beauty of ,nature4 ,so ,i am all the more anxious that those following after me should not1 by like omission1 commit the same sin against themselves and against our country4 ,we owe it to ourselves and to mankind to give full rein to our instinctive love of ,natural ,beauty1 and to train and refine every inclination and capacity we have for appreciating it till we are able to see all those finer glories of which we now discern only the first faint glow4 ,and if any other country excel us in appreciation1 then it behoves us to brace ourselves up to emulate and surpass that country1 and learn how to understand ,nature better and see more ,beauty4 ,for in love of ,natural ,beauty1 and in capacity for communicating that love1 ,england ought to be preeminent4 ,she above every other country should come nearest to the ,heart of ,nature4 ,f4 ,e4 ,y4 ,june1 #aiba4 ,,introduction ,town children let loose in a meadow dash with shouts of joy to pluck the nearest flowers4 ,they ravenously pick handfuls and armfuls as if they could never have enough4 ,they are exactly like animals in the desert rushing to water4 ,they are satisfying a great thirst in their souls--the thirst for ,beauty4 ,some of us remember1 too1 our first sight of snowy mountains in the ,alps or in the ,himalaya4 ,we recall how our spirits leaped to meet the mountains1 how we gasped in wonder and greedily feasted our eyes on the glorious spectacle4 ,in such cases as these there is something in the natural object that appeals to something in us4 ,something in us rushes out to meet the something in the natural object4 ,a responsive chord is struck4 ,a relationship is established4 ,we and the natural object come into harmony with one another4 ,we have recognised in the flower1 the mountain1 the landscape1 something that is the same as what is in ourselves4 ,we fall in love with the natural object4 ,a marriage takes place4 ,our soul is wedded to the soul of the natural object4 ,and at the very moment of wedding ,beauty is born4 ,it springs from ,love1 just as ,love itself originally sprang from the wedding of primitive man and woman4 ,in this process all will depend upon the mood4 ,if we are not in the mood for it1 we are unreceptive of ,nature's impressions1 and we are irresponsive4 ,we do not come into touch with ,nature4 ,consequently we see no ,beauty4 ,but if we are in a sensitive and receptive mood1 if our minds are not preoccupied1 and if our soul is open to the impressions which ,nature is ever raining on it1 then we respond to ,nature's appeal4 ,we feel ourselves in tune with her4 ,we come into communion with her1 and we see ,beauty4 ,if we are ourselves feeling sad and sorrowful when we look out on ,nature1 and there all should happen to be bright and gay1 we shall feel out of harmony with ,nature1 we shall not feel in touch with her1 and we shall not see ,beauty4 ,on the other hand1 when we are in a glad and overflowing mood we shall be extraordinarily responsive to ,nature's appeal1 and see ,beauty in a rugged1 leafless oak tree or a poor old woman at the corner of some mean street4 ,and if when we are in such a mood ,nature happens to be at her best and brightest1 as on some spring morning1 the ,beauty we shall then see will be overpowering1 and we shall scarcely be able to contain ourselves for ecstasy of joy4 ,we shall have discovered an identity between what is in ,nature and what is in us4 ,in looking on ,nature1 we shall have been introduced into a ,presence1 greater than ourselves but like ourselves1 which stirs in us this which we feel4 ,when we see ,beauty in ,nature we are discovering that ,nature is not merely a body1 but has or is a soul4 ,and the joy we feel is produced by the satisfaction our soul feels in coming into touch and harmony with this soul of ,nature4 ,our soul is recognising samenesses between what is in it and what is in the soul of ,nature1 and feels joy in the recognition4 ,and the instinct of fellowship with our kind impels us to communicate to others what we ourselves have felt4 ,we want to tell others what we have seen and what we have experienced4 ,we long1 too1 to share the joy which others also must have felt in contemplating ,nature4 ,we want especially to know and feel what those with far more sensitive souls than our own--the great poets1 painters1 and musicians--have felt4 ,so we communicate our feelings to others2 and we communicate with others1 either personally or through their books or pictures or music1 so that we may find out from them what more to look for1 and may know better how to look for it4 ,by so doing1 our souls become more sensitive to the impressions of ,nature1 and we are better able to express those impressions4 ,our power of vision increases4 ,our soul's eye acquires a keener insight and sees deeper into the soul of ,nature4 ,we are able to enter more into the spirit of ,nature1 and the spirit of ,nature is able to enter more into us4 ,we arrive at a completer understanding between ourselves and ,nature1 are more in harmony with her1 and consequently see more ,beauty4 ,we see1 indeed1 what ,nature really is4 ,we see the reality behind the appearance--the content within the outward form4 ,we are not for the moment concerned with the cause but with the character of ,nature4 ,we see the ,i behind the outward manifestation and representation4 ,and if we have sympathy and understanding enough and are able truly to enter into the soul of ,nature1 we shall see the real ,i behind the common everyday ,i--just as the few who intimately know some great man see the real man behind the man who appears in the public eye--the real ,beaconsfield or ,kitchener behind the ,beaconsfield or ,kitchener of the daily press4 ,and1 as we see more of this real ,i in ,nature and are better able to get in touch and harmony with her1 so shall we see greater ,beauty in ,nature4 ,if we have petty1 meagre souls we shall find little in common with the great soul of ,nature1 and consequently see only shallow ,beauty4 ,if we have great souls we shall have more in common and see more ,beauty4 ,but to arrive at a full understanding of the real ,nature we must observe her from every point of view and see her in all her aspects4 ,only so shall we be able to understand her real self and see her full ,beauty4 ,and her aspects and the points of view from which we may observe them change so incessantly that the greatest of us falters4 ,the more we see of ,nature1 the more we find there is to understand4 ,and the more we understand ,nature and commune with her1 the more ,beauty do we find there is to see4 ,so to arrive at a complete understanding of ,nature and see all her ,beauty is beyond the capacity of us finite men4 ,yet we are impelled to go on striving to see all we can4 ,and in the following pages an attempt is made to show how1 more ,beauty in ,nature may be discovered4 ,often in the ,himalaya ,i have watched an eagle circling overhead4 ,i have sat on the mountain-side and watched it sail majestically along in graceful curves and circles1 and with perfect ease and poise4 ,far above the earth it would range1 and seemingly without exertion glide easily over tracts that we poor men could only enter by prodigious effort4 ,captivated by its grace of motion1 and jealous of its freedom1 ,i would for hours watch it4 ,and this eagle ,i knew1 from the height and distance from which it would swoop down on its prey1 to be possessed of eyesight of unrivalled keenness in addition to its capacity for movement4 ,so this bird had opportunities such as no human being--not even an airman--has of seeing the earth and what is on it4 ,at will it could glide over the loftiest mountain ranges4 ,at will it could sail above the loveliest valleys4 ,at will it could perch upon any chosen point and observe things at close range4 ,in a single day this one eagle might have seen the finest natural scenery in the world--the highest mountain1 the most varied forest1 thickly populated plains and bare1 open plains1 peoples1 animals1 birds1 insects1 trees1 flowers1 all of the most varied description4 ,in one day1 and in the ordinary course of its customary circlings and sailings1 it might have seen what men come from the ends of the ,earth to view1 and are content if they see only a hundredth part of what the eagle sees every day4 ,from its mountain eerie in ,upper ,sikkim it might have seen the rose of dawn flushing the snowy summits of ,kinchinjunga1 and far away ,mount ,everest4 ,and soaring aloft1 the eagle might have looked out over the populous plains of ,india and seen1 like silver streaks1 the rivers flowing down from the ,himalaya to join in the far distance the mighty ,mother ,ganges4 ,then its eye might have ranged over the vast forest which clothes in dense green mantle the plain at the foot of the mountains from ,nepal to ,bhutan and ,assam1 and from the plain spreads up on the mountain-sides themselves and reaches to the very borders of eternal snow4 ,over this vast forest with its treasures of tree and plant1 animal and insect life1 tropical1 temperate1 and alpine1 the eagle might have soared2 and then1 passing over the ,himalayan watershed1 have looked down upon the treeless1 open1 undulating1 almost uninhabited plain of ,tibet1 and in the distance seen the great ,brahmaputra ,river1 which1 circling round ,bhutan1 cuts clean through the ,himalaya and1 turning westward1 also joins the ,ganges4 ,in the whole world no more wonderful natural scenery is to be found4 ,and the eagle with no unusual effort could see it all in a single day1 and see it with a distinctness of sight no man could equal4 ,but keen though its eyesight was and wide though its range1 the eagle in all that beautiful region would see not a single beauty4 ,neither in the sunrise1 nor in the snowy mountains1 nor in the luxuriant tropical forest1 nor in the flowers1 the birds1 the butterflies1 nor in the people and animals1 nor in the cataracts and precipices would it see any beauty whatever4 ,the mountain would be to it a mere outline1 the forests a patch of green1 the rivers streaks of white1 the animals just possible items of food4 ,the eagle would see much1 but it would see no beauty4 ,perhaps we shall understand why it is that the eagle with these unbounded opportunities sees no beauty if we consider the case of a little midge buzzing round a man's body4 ,the midge is roughly in about the same relation to the body of a man that the eagle is to the body of the ,earth4 ,the midge in its hoverings sees vast tracts of the human body2 sees the features--the nose1 the eye1 the mouth2 sees the trunk and the limbs and the head4 ,but even in the most beautiful of men it would see no beauty4 ,and it would see no beauty because it would have no soul to understand expression4 ,it might be hovering round the features of a man when the smile on his lips and the exaltation in his eyes were expressive of the highest ecstasy of soul1 but the midge would see no beauty in those features because it had not the soul to enter into the soul of the man and understand the expression on his face4 ,all the little shades and gradations and tones and lights in the features of the man would be quite meaningless to the midge because it would know nothing of the man's soul1 of which the features and the changes and variations in them were the outward manifestation4 ,the midge would know nothing of the reality of the man which lay hidden behind the appearance4 ,it is the same with the eagle in respect to natural features as it is with the midge in respect to the features of the man4 ,the eagle sees only the bare outward appearance of ,nature1 and sees no meaning in her features4 ,it has no soul to enter into the soul of ,nature and understand what the natural features are expressing4 ,the delicate lights and shades and changes on the face of ,nature have no meaning for it4 ,it sees the bare appearance4 ,it sees nothing of the reality behind the appearance4 ,it has no soul to wed to the soul of ,nature4 ,it therefore sees no beauty4 ,but now supposing that among all the midges that buzz about a man there happened to be an artist-midge with exceeding sensitiveness of soul1 one which was able to recognise a fundamental identity of life between it and the man1 one which was able to recognise samenesses of feelings and emotions and aspirations1 and by recognition of the samenesses between it and the man enter into the very life and soul of the man1 then that midge would be able to understand all the varying expressions on the face of the man1 and by understanding those expressions see their beauty4 ,we cannot expect an eagle in a similar way to have that sensitiveness of soul which would enable it to enter into the soul of ,nature1 understand ,nature1 and so see its ,beauty4 ,but what we cannot expect of the eagle we can expect of man4 ,we can expect an ,artist to appear who will be to the ,earth what the artist-midge was to the man4 ,man does to some extent enter into the soul of ,nature4 ,he has some understanding of ,nature4 ,he sees ,beauty2 and whenever he sees ,beauty in ,nature he is in touch with the soul of ,nature4 ,even ordinary men see some of the ,beauty of ,nature and have some feeling of kinship with her4 ,they have something in common between their soul and the soul of ,nature4 ,they have the sense of more in common between them and ,nature than a midge has between it and a man4 ,and in a delicately sensitive man such as an artist--painter1 poet1 or musician--this sense of kinship with ,nature is highly developed4 ,in regard to his relationship with ,nature he is like the finely sensitive and cultured artist-midge would be in regard to a man--the midge who1 through understanding the inner soul and character of the man1 was able to read the expression on his features and see their beauty4 ,what we ordinary men have to do1 and what we especially want those gifted with unusually sensitive souls to do1 is to bear in mind the difficulties which the midge has in understanding us and in seeing any beauty in us1 and the way in which it would have to train and cultivate its faculties before it could ever hope to understand the expression on our features--to bear this in mind1 and then to take ourselves in hand and develop the soul within us till it is fine enough and great enough to enter into the great soul of ,nature4 ,the sense of ,beauty we all possess in some slight degree is in itself a proof that behind the outward appearance of ,nature there is a spiritual reality--an ,i--just as behind the outward appearance of the man which the artist-midge sees there is the ,i of the man4 ,and by cultivating this sense--that is1 by training and developing our capacity to see deeper into the heart of ,nature1 see more significance and meaning in each shade and change of her features1 and read more understandingly what is going on deep within her soul--we shall enable ourselves to see a fuller and richer ,natural ,beauty4 ,so we look forward to the appearance among us of a great ,artist who1 born with an exceptionally sensitive soul1 will deliberately heighten and intensify this sensitiveness1 learn what others have experienced1 compare notes with them1 and train himself to detect the significance of every slightest indication which ,nature gives of the workings of the soul within her2 and then1 recognising the sameness between his own feelings and the feelings of ,nature1 will fall deeply in love with her1 give himself up utterly to her1 marry her1 and in their marriage give birth to ,beauty of surpassing richness and intensity4 ,what we await1 then1 is an ,artist with a soul worthy of being wedded to ,nature4 ,puny1 shallow artists will not be able to see much more of ,nature than a midge sees of a man4 ,what we want is a man with the physique1 the abounding health and spirits1 the fine intellect1 the poetic power and imagination1 the love of animals and his fellow-men1 the skill1 fitness1 and gay courage of a ,julian ,grenfell4 ,we want a man with the opportunities he had of mixing from childhood in ,london and in country houses with every grade and condition of men1 with statesmen1 soldiers1 men of art1 hunting men1 racing men1 schoolboys1 undergraduates1 literary men1 gamekeepers1 old family retainers--every kind and sort of human being4 ,we want a man of such qualifications combined with the qualifications of a ,darwin--with his love of natural history1 his power of close and accurate observation1 his genius for drawing right inferences from what he observed1 his wide knowledge of ,nature in her many manifestations1 his sympathetic touch with every plant and animal1 and his warm1 affectionate nature in all human intercourse4 ,we want1 in fact1 a ,naturalist-,artist--a combination of ,julian ,grenfell and ,darwin4 ,and this is no outrageously impossible1 but a very likely and fitting combination4 ,for ,julian ,grenfell wrote great poetry even in the trenches in ,flanders between the two battles of ,ypres4 ,and with his love of country life1 shooting1 fishing1 and hunting1 his inclination might very easily have been directed towards natural history4 ,if it had been and the opportunity had offered1 we might have had the very type of ,naturalist-,artist we are now awaiting4 ,he would have had the physical fitness and capacity to endure hardships which are required for travel in parts of the ,earth where the ,natural ,beauty is finest1 and he would have had1 too1 the sensitiveness of soul to receive impressions and the power of expressing himself so that others might share with him the impressions he had felt4 ,if after passing through the earlier stages of shooting and hunting birds and animals he had come to the more profitable stage of observing them1 and had devoted to the observation of their habits and ways of life the same skill and acumen which he had shown in hunting them1 he might1 with his innate and genuine love of animals1 very well have become a great naturalist as well as what he was--a great sportsman and a writer of great poetry4 ,it is for the advent of such ,naturalist-,artist that we wait4 ,but we have to prepare the way for him and do our share in helping to produce him4 ,and this will now be my endeavour1 for it so happens that ,i have been blessed with opportunities--some of my own making1 some provided for me--of seeing ,nature on a larger scale and under more varied aspects than falls to the lot of most men4 ,i am ashamed when ,i reflect how little use ,i have made of those opportunities--how little ,i was prepared and trained to make the most of them4 ,but this at least ,i can do3 ,i can point out to the coming ,artist those parts of the world where he is likely to see the ,beauty of ,nature most fully1 and in greatest variety4 ,with this end in view ,i shall begin with the ,sikkim ,himalaya1 over which the eagle flew1 because it contains within a small area a veritable compendium of ,nature4 ,rising directly out of the plains of ,india1 practically within the tropics1 these mountains rise far above the limits of perpetual snow4 ,their base is covered with luxuriant vegetation of a truly tropical character1 and this vegetation extends through all the ranges from tropical to temperate and arctic4 ,the animal1 bird1 and insect life does the same4 ,and here also are to be found representative men of every clime4 ,similarly does the natural scenery vary from plain to highest mountain4 ,there are roaring torrents and wide1 placid rivers4 ,the ,sikkim ,himalaya1 looking down on the plains of ,india on the one side and the steppes of ,tibet on the other1 is the most suitable place ,i know for a study of ,natural ,beauty4 ,but there are beauties in ,kashmir and in the great ,karakoram ,mountains behind ,kashmir which are not found in ,sikkim4 ,and there are beauties in the ,desert which are not found in either ,sikkim or ,kashmir4 ,so ,i must take the ,artist to these regions also4 ,and ,i choose ,sikkim and ,kashmir because these are easily accessible regions to which men with a thirst for ,beauty can return again and again1 till they are saturated with the atmosphere and have imbibed the true spirit of the region--till they have realised how much these natural features express sentiments which they1 too1 are wanting to express--their aspirations for the highest and purest1 their longing for repose1 their delight in warmth and affection1 or whatever their sentiment might be4 ,thousands of ,englishmen1 cultured ,indians1 and travellers from all over the world1 visit the ,himalaya every year--some for sport1 some for health1 some for social enjoyment4 ,amongst these may be our ,naturalist-,artist who year after year1 drawn to ,sikkim and ,kashmir by his love of ,natural ,beauty1 would learn to know ,nature in the wonderfully varied aspects under which she is to be seen in those favoured regions1 who would come into ever-deepening communion with her1 would yearly see more ,beauty in her1 and would communicate to us the enjoyment he had felt4 ,but ,natural ,beauty includes within its scope a great deal more than only natural scenery4 ,it includes the beauty of all natural objects--men and women as well as mountains1 animals1 and plants4 ,so these also the ,artist will have to keep within his purview4 ,and his love of ,nature1 and consequently his capacity for seeing ,natural ,beauty1 will be all the surer if he uses his head as well as his heart in forming his final conception of her--that is to say1 his final for the moment1 as no man ever has or can come to a literally final conception of ,nature4 ,so the ,artist will pause now and then to test his view of ,nature in the light of pure reason4 ,for he will be well enough aware that neither ,love nor ,beauty can be perfect unless it be irradiated with ,truth1 and the three he will ever strive to keep together4 ,,part ,i ,,the ,,heart ,,of ,,nature ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,sikkim ,,himalaya ,the ,sikkim ,himalaya is a region first brought prominently into notice by the writings of ,sir ,joseph ,hooker1 the great naturalist1 who visited it in #ahdh4 ,it lies immediately to the east of ,nepal1 and can now be reached by a railway which ascends the outer range to ,darjiling4 ,it is drained by the ,teesta ,river1 up the main valley of which a railway runs for a short distance4 ,the region is therefore easily accessible4 ,for the purposes of this book it may be taken to include the flat open forest and grass-covered tract known as the ,terai1 immediately at the base of the mountain4 ,this is only a few hundreds of feet above sea-level1 so that from there to the summit of the ,himalaya there is a rise of nearly #bh1jjj feet in about seventy miles4 ,the lower part is in the #bfth degree of latitude1 so that the heat is tropical4 ,and as the region comes within the sweep of the monsoon from the ,bay of ,bengal1 there is not only great heat in the plains and lower valleys1 but great moisture as well4 ,the mountain-sides are in consequence clothed with a luxuriant vegetation4 ,to enter this wonderful region the traveller has first to cross the ,ganges--the sacred river of the ,hindus4 ,great rivers have about them a fascination all their own4 ,they produce in us a sense of everlastingness and irresistibility4 ,the ,ganges1 more than a mile wide1 comes sweeping along in deep majestic flood from the far distance to the far distance1 on and on unendingly1 from all time to all time1 and in such depth and volume that nothing human can withstand it4 ,in the dry season1 when it is low and the sun is shining1 it is placid and benign with a bright and smiling countenance4 ,stately temples1 set amidst sacred groves and graceful palms1 lighten the banks4 ,on the broad steps of the bathing ghats are assembled crowds of pious worshippers in clothes of every brilliant hue4 ,the river has an aspect of kindliness and geniality and life-givingness4 ,its waters and rich silt have brought plenty to many a barren acre1 and the dwellers on its banks know well that it issues from the holy ,himalaya4 ,but the ,ganges is not always in this gracious mood1 and does not always wear this kindly aspect4 ,in the rainy season it is a thing of terror4 ,overhead black1 thundery clouds sweep on for days and weeks together towards the mountains4 ,there is not a glimpse of sun4 ,the rain descends as a deluge4 ,the river is still further swollen by the melting of the snow on the ,himalaya1 and now comes swirling along in dark and angry mood1 rising higher and higher in its banks1 eating into them1 and threatening to overtop them and carry death and destruction far and wide4 ,men no longer go down to meet it4 ,they shrink back from it4 ,they uneasily watch it till the fulness of its strength is spent and it has returned to its normal beneficent aspect4 ,no wonder such a river is regarded as sacred4 ,to the more primitive people it is literally a living person--and a person who may be propitiated1 a person who may do them harm if they annoy him1 and do them good if they make themselves agreeable to him and furnish him with what he wants4 ,to the cultured ,hindus it is an object of the deepest reverence4 ,if they can bathe in its waters their sins are washed away4 ,if after death their ashes can be cast on its broad bosom1 they will be secure of everlasting bliss4 ,from perhaps the earliest days of our race1 for some hundreds of thousands of years1 men may have lived upon its banks4 ,for it was in the forests beside great rivers1 in a warm and even climate1 that primitive men must have lived4 ,they would have launched their canoes upon its waters1 and used it as their only pathway of communication with one another4 ,and always they would have looked upon it with mingled awe and affection4 ,besides the sun it would have been the one great natural object which would attract their attention4 ,insensibly the sight of that ever-rolling flood must have deeply affected them4 ,they must have come to love it as they beheld it through the greater part of the year4 ,the sight of its destructive power may have made them recoil for a time in fear and awe4 ,but this would be forgotten as the flood subsided1 and the river was again smooth and smiling and passing peacefully along before them4 ,so men do not run away from it4 ,they gather to it4 ,they build great cities on its banks1 and come from great distances to see it4 ,they perform pilgrimages every year in thousands to the spot where it issues from the ,himalaya4 ,and they penetrate even to its source far back and high up in the mountains4 ,to the most enlightened1 also1 the ,ganges should be an object of reverence for its antiquity1 for its future1 and for its power4 ,from the surface of the ,bay of ,bengal the sun's rays have drawn particles of water into the atmosphere4 ,currents in the air have carried them for hundreds of miles over the sea and over the plains of ,bengal1 till the chill of the ,himalaya ,mountains has caused them to condense and fall in snow and rain4 ,but some have been carried farther4 ,they have been transported right over the ,himalaya at a height of at least #bj1jjj feet1 till they have finally fallen in ,tibet4 ,it is a striking fact that some of the water in the ,ganges is from rivers in ,tibet which have cut their way clean through the mighty range of the ,himalaya4 ,the ,arun ,river1 for example1 rises in ,tibet and cuts through the ,himalaya by a deep gorge in the region between ,mount ,everest and ,kinchinjunga4 ,these rivers are1 indeed1 much older than the mountains4 ,they were running their course before the ,himalaya were upheaved1 and they kept wearing out a channel for themselves as the mountains rose and slowly over-towered them4 ,reverence1 therefore1 is due to the ,ganges on account of its vast antiquity4 ,reverence also is due because it will flow on like now for hundreds of thousands and perhaps for millions of years to come4 ,round and round in never-ceasing cycle the water is drawn up from the ocean1 is carried along in the clouds1 descends upon the mountains1 and gathers in the ,ganges to flow once more into the sea4 ,the ,ganges may gradually change its course as it eats into first one bank and then the other4 ,but it will flow on and on and on for as far into the future as the human eye can ken4 ,and its power1 so terrifying to primitive man--even to us at times --will become more and more a power for good4 ,already great canals have been taken from its main stream and its tributaries1 and millions of acres have been irrigated by its water1 thus helping to bring to birth great crops of wheat and rice1 cotton1 sugar-cane1 and oil-seeds4 ,schemes for utilising the water-power in its fall through the mountains by converting it into electric power are in contemplation1 so that railways may be run by it and power for great industries be furnished4 ,once more1 too1 the course of the river may become a line of communication as sea-planes are used to fly from town to town and alight upon its surface4 ,so as we come to know the river in its deepest significance1 our impression of its everlastingness and its irresistible power remains4 ,but our sense of fear diminishes4 ,we feel that the river is ready to co-operate with us4 ,that it is capable of being taken in hand and led4 ,that its power is not essentially destructive but beneficent4 ,that there is in it almost inexhaustible capacity for helping plant and beast and man4 ,and that it is a friend and anxious to help us4 ,the ,hindus have been right all along in worshipping it4 ,their worship1 with tropical luxuriance1 may have developed to extravagant lengths4 ,but the instinct which promoted this worship was perfectly sound4 ,the river bears within its breast great life-giving properties1 and in worshipping the river the ,hindus were half-consciously expressing their sense of dependence on these life-giving properties1 and of affection and gratitude to the river for the benefits it conferred4 ,mere fear of its destructive character--fear alone--would not produce the desire for worship4 ,they did and do fear the river1 but behind the fear is a feeling that it can be propitiated1 that it can be induced to help man and does not want to thwart him4 ,and here they were perfectly right4 ,we are at last learning the way by which this may be done1 and now see clearly what the ,hindus only vaguely felt1 that the heart of the river is right enough--that once it is tamed and trained it can bring untold good to man4 ,this the ,artist will readily discern4 ,he will enter into the spirit of the river4 ,he will read its true character4 ,refusing to be terrorised by its more tremendous moods1 he will exult in its might1 and see in it a potent agency for good4 ,in these ways the river will make its appeal to him2 and responding to the appeal1 the ,artist will see great ,beauty in the river and describe that ,beauty to us4 99 99 99 ,beyond the river1 before we reach the mountain1 we have to pass over absolutely level cultivated plains1 without a single eminence in sight4 ,to most they would appear dull1 monotonous1 uninteresting4 ,there is no horizon to which the eye can wander and find satisfaction in remote distance4 ,there is no hill to which to raise our eyes and our souls with them4 ,the outlook is confined within the narrowest limits4 ,palm trees1 banyan trees1 houses1 walled gardens1 everywhere restrict it4 ,the fields are small1 the trees and houses numerous4 ,nothing distant is to be seen4 ,to the ,european the prospect is depressing4 ,but to the ,bengali it is his very life4 ,these densely inhabited plains are his home4 ,they have1 therefore1 all the attraction which familiar scenes in which men have grown up from childhood always have4 ,a ,bengali prefers them to high mountains4 ,he loves the sight of the brilliant emerald rice-fields1 of the tall feathery palms1 of the shady banyan trees1 of the flaming poinsettias1 the bright marigolds1 cannas and bougainvillea1 the many-coloured crotons and calladiums1 the sweet-scented jasmine1 oranges1 tuberoses1 and gardenia2 and the gaudy jays1 the swiftly darting parrots1 and the playful squirrels4 ,he loves1 too1 the bathing-pools1 and the patient oxen1 and the cool1 sequestered gardens4 ,and he loves these things for their very nearness4 ,his attention is not distracted to distant horizons and inaccessible heights4 ,all is close to the eye and easily visible4 ,his world may be small1 but it is all within reach4 ,he can know well each tree and flower1 each bird and animal4 ,it is not a wide and varied life4 ,but it is an intense and very vivid life2 and to the ,bengali1 on that account1 more preferable4 ,and if it is confined it is at least confined in the open air1 and in a climate of perpetual summer4 99 99 99 ,beyond this highly cultivated and thickly populated part1 and still in the plains1 we come to a wild jungle country which stretches up to the foothills1 and is swampy1 pestilential1 and swarming with every kind of biting insect4 ,it is a nasty country to travel through4 ,but it has its interests4 ,there grow here remarkable grasses1 with tall straight shoots gracefully bending over at the top from the weight of their feathery heads2 and so high are these gigantic grasses that they often reach above the head of a man on an elephant4 ,the areas covered by them are practically impenetrable to men on foot1 and there is a mysterious feel about this region1 for it is the haunt of rhinoceros1 tigers1 and boars4 ,in passing through it we have an uneasy feeling that almost anything may appear on the instant1 and that once we were on foot and away from the path we would be irretrievably lost--drowned in a sea of waving grass4 ,from this sea of grass rise patches of forest and single trees4 ,the most prevalent is the ,sal tree 7,shorea robusta71 a magnificent gregarious tree with a tall straight stem and thick glossy foliage4 ,but the most conspicuous in ,march and ,april is the ,dak tree 7,butea frondosa71 an ungainly tree1 but remarkable for its deep rich scarlet flowers1 like gigantic sweet-peas but of a thick velvety texture4 ,these flowers blossom before the leaves appear1 and when the tree is in full bloom it looks like a veritable flame in the forest4 ,another beautiful tree which is found in this lower part is the ,acacia catechu1 known in ,northern ,india as the ,khair tree1 and found all about the foothills of the ,himalaya4 ,not tall and stately1 but rather contorted and ample like the oak1 it has a graceful feathery foliage and a kindly inviting nature4 99 99 99 ,proceeding over these level plains1 which as we approach the mountains are covered with dense forest1 stagnant morasses1 and trim tea-gardens1 we one morning awake to find that over the horizon to the north hangs a long cloud-like strip1 white suffused with pink--level on its lower edge but with the upper edge irregular in outline4 ,no one who had not seen snow mountains before would suppose for a moment that that strip could be a line of mountain summits4 ,for there is not a trace of any connection with the earth4 ,between it and the earth is nothing but blue haze4 ,and it is so high above the horizon that it seems incredible that any such connection could exist4 ,yet no one who had seen snow mountains could doubt for an instant that that rose-flushed strip of white was the ,himalaya4 ,for it possesses two unmistakable characteristics which distinguish it from any cloud4 ,firstly1 the lower edge is absolutely straight and horizontal3 it is exactly parallel with the horizon4 ,secondly1 the upper edge is jagged1 and the outline of the jaggedness cuts clean and perfectly defined against the intense blue of the sky4 ,no one who knows mountains could doubt that this line was the ,himalaya1 yet every time we see it afresh we marvel more4 ,we know for certain that those sharp edges are the summits of mountains whose base is on this solid earth4 ,yet1 however sure we may be of that fact1 we do not cease to wonder4 ,and as we gaze upon that line of snowy summits no more--indeed1 less--intrinsically beautiful than many a cloud1 yet unspeakably more significant1 we are curiously elated4 ,something in us leaps to meet the mountains4 ,and we cannot keep our eyes away4 ,we seem lifted up1 and feel higher possibilities within ourselves and within the world than we had ever known before4 ,as we travel onward we strain to keep the mountains continually in sight1 for we cannot bear to leave them4 ,we feel better men for having seen them1 and for the remainder of our days we would keep them in continuing remembrance4 99 99 99 ,as we come closer under the mountains the base emerges from the haze and the line of snowy peaks disappears behind the nearer outer ranges4 ,then we come to these ranges themselves1 which rise with considerable abruptness out of the level plains with very little intermediate modulation of form1 and we find them densely clothed in forest--true1 rich1 luxuriant1 tropical forest with all the delights of glistening foliage1 graceful ferns and palms1 glorious orchids1 and brilliant butterflies4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,teesta ,,valley ,this great forest1 which extends for hundreds of miles along the slopes of the ,himalaya1 reaches up from the plains to the snows4 ,in the lower part it is a truly tropical forest1 and about a tropical forest there is something peculiarly mysterious4 ,a strange stillness is over all4 ,not1 indeed1 the absolute silence of the desert1 where literally not a sound is heard2 for here in the forest1 even during the hot noonday quiet1 there is always the purring of insect life4 ,but that stillness when not a leaf moves and no harsh noise is heard1 when an impressive hush is laid upon the scene and we seem to be in some mysterious ,presence dominating all about us and rousing our expectancy4 ,a kind of awe seizes us1 and with it also comes a keen exhilaration4 ,we can see at most for a hundred yards in any direction4 ,but we know that the forest extends like this for hundreds of miles4 ,and we realise that if we wandered off the track we might never find it again4 ,it is all very awe-inspiring1 and in some ways frightening4 ,still1 we are thrilled by the sight of such a profusion1 intensity1 and variety of life4 ,in this hot1 steamy atmosphere plants and trees grow in luxuriant abundance4 ,every inch of soil is occupied4 ,and these forests are not like woods in ,england1 which contain only three or four species--oaks1 beeches1 sycamores1 etc4 ,in these ,sikkim forests we seldom see two trees of the same kind standing next each other4 ,one tree may be more prevalent than others1 but there is always great variety in the forms and colours of the stems1 the branches1 the leaves1 the flowers1 the habit of growth4 ,there are trees of immense height with tall1 strong1 straight stems1 and there are shrubs like hydrangeas of every size and description4 ,there are climbers as huge as cables4 ,and there are gentle little plants hardly rising above the ground4 ,there is no end to the variety of plant life1 and we have an inner spring of delight as we come across treasure after treasure that hitherto we had only seen reared with infinite care in some expensive hot-house4 ,and what we see is only1 we feel1 a stray sample of what there is to be seen4 ,what may there not be in those forest depths which we dare not enter for fear of losing our way6 ,what other towering forest monarchs might we not come across if we plunged into the forest6 ,what other exquisite flowers1 what insects1 what birds1 what animals6 ,what wealth of insect life may there not be at the tops of the trees where the fierce sunshine hidden from us by their leaves is drawing out their flowers6 ,what may there not be going on in the ground beneath us6 ,we know1 that in these forests1 perhaps near enough to see us1 though their forms are hidden by their likeness to their leafy surroundings and the dappled sunlight1 are animals as various as elephants1 tigers1 leopards1 foxes1 squirrels1 and bats2 birds as various as hawks1 parrots1 and finches2 and insects from butterflies1 bees1 and wasps to crickets1 beetles1 and ants4 ,the forest1 we know1 in addition to all the wealth of tree and plant life1 is teeming with animal and insect life1 though of this we are able to see very little1 so carefully do animals conceal themselves4 ,in the night they emerge1 and in the morning and evening there is a deafening din of insect life4 ,but at noonday there is a soft and solemn hush1 and we are tense with curiosity to know all that is going on in those mysterious forest depths and up among the tree-tops1 so close but so impossible of access4 ,the great forest is the very epitome of life4 ,concentrated here in small compass is every form and variety of living thing1 from lowliest plant to forest monarch1 from simplest animalcule to elephant1 monkey1 and man4 ,there is life and abundant life all about us4 ,but it is not the noisy1 clamorous1 obtrusive life of the city4 ,it is a still1 intense life1 full of untold possibilities for good or harm4 ,and herein lies its mystery3 we see much1 but we feel that there is infinitely more behind4 ,of this life of the forest in all its richness1 intensity1 and variety we shall come to know more as we ascend the ,teesta ,valley till it reaches the snows1 and tropical plant and animal life changes first to temperate and then to arctic forms4 ,but first we must note some beauties of the valley itself4 99 99 99 ,the valley of the great ,teesta ,river1 the valleys of its tributaries1 the gorges through which the main river and its tributaries rush1 the cascades pouring in succession down the mountain-sides1 the sequestered glens and dells--all these have beauties which the terrific rain and the mists in which they are usually enveloped do not hide but augment4 ,the ,river ,teesta itself1 though only a minor contributor to the ,brahmaputra1 is nevertheless during the rainy season1 when it is fed both by the falling rain and by the melting snows and glaciers of the ,kinchinjunga region1 impressive in its might and energy4 ,with a force and tumult that nothing could withstand it comes swirling down the valley4 ,before its rushing impetuosity everything would be swept away4 ,for it is no little tossing torrent3 it possesses depth and weight and volume1 and sweeps majestically along in great waves and cataracts4 ,in comparison with the serene composure of the lofty summits here is life and force and activity to the full--and destructive activity at that1 to all appearance4 ,yet as1 from the safety of a bridge by which the genius of man has spanned it1 we look upon the turmoil1 a strange thrill comes through us4 ,there is such splendid energy in the river4 ,we are fascinated by the power it displays4 ,it is glorious to look upon4 ,alarming in a way it is4 ,but we know it can only act within certain strictly defined bounds4 ,a foot beyond those bounds it is powerless4 ,and while it is already confined by ,nature within these limits1 we know the day will come when it will be completely within the control of man and its very power available for our own purposes4 ,so in the end it is with no sense of terror that we watch the raging river in its headlong course4 ,rather do we enjoy the sight of such exultant energy1 which will one day be at man's disposal4 ,we rejoice with the river in a feeling of power1 and herein lies its ,beauty for us4 99 99 99 ,as we look at the tremendous gorges through which the river clears its way we again are filled with awe and wonder4 ,straight facing us is a clean1 sheer cliff of hardest1 sternest rock4 ,it cannot be actually perpendicular1 but to all appearance it is4 ,and the mere sight of it strengthens our souls4 ,here is granite solidity1 and yet no mere stolid obstinacy4 ,for these cliffs have risen--so the geologists tell us --through their own internal energy to their present proud position4 ,they have1 indeed1 had to give place to the river to this extent that they have had to acknowledge his previous right of way and to leave a passage for him in their upward effort4 ,the river is careful to exact that much toll from them year by year4 ,but having paid that toll1 they have risen by a process of steady1 long persistence1 and have maintained themselves in their exalted position by sheer firmness and tenacity of character4 ,and as1 dripping with warm moisture and carrying with them in any available crevice graceful ferns and trees1 they rise above us high up into the clouds1 and form the buttresses of those snowy peaks of which we catch occasional glimpses1 we are impressed not only with the height of the aspiration those peaks embody1 but with the strength and persistency of purpose which was necessary to carry the aspiration into effect4 ,overpowered1 indeed1 we feel at times--shut in and overshadowed by what seems so infinitely greater than ourselves4 ,the roaring river fills the centre of the gorge4 ,the precipitous cliffs rise sheer on either hand4 ,we seem for the moment too minute to cope with such titanic conditions4 ,but sometimes by circumventing the cliffs and after a long tedious detour appearing high above them1 sometimes by blasting a passage across their very face1 we have proved ourselves able to overcome them4 ,they no longer affright us4 ,and as we return down the valley after a journey to its upmost limit1 it is with nothing but sheer delight that we look upon these cliffs4 ,they simply impress us with the strength that must go along with elevation of purpose if that purpose is to be achieved4 ,unbuttressed by these staunch cliffs the mountains could never have reached their present height4 ,we glory1 then1 with the cliffs in their solidity and strength as they proudly face the world4 ,and we recognise that in this firmness and consistency of purpose lies their especial ,beauty4 99 99 99 ,in contrast with the swirling river and hard1 rugged cliffs we1 quite close to them1 and hidden away in a modest tributary of a tributary in the quiet forest depths1 will happen upon some deep sequestered pool which imbues us with a sense of the delicacy and reserve of ,nature4 ,we here see her in a peculiarly tender aspect4 ,the pool is still and clear4 ,the lulling murmurs of a waterfall show whence it draws its being4 ,a gentle rivulet carries the overbrim away4 ,it is bounded by rocks and boulders green with exquisite ferns and mosses4 ,overhanging it are weeping palms with long straight leaves4 ,trees1 with erect stems as tall as ,nelson's ,column1 strain upward to the light4 ,butterflies in numbers flutter noiselessly about4 ,the air is absolutely still and of a feel like satin4 ,clouds of intangible softness and clean and white as snow float around1 appear1 dissolve1 and reappear4 ,through the parting in the overhanging trees the intense blue sky is seen in glimpses4 ,the sun here and there pierces through the arching foliage1 and the greens of the foliage glisten brighter still4 ,the whole atmosphere of the spot is one of reticence and reserve4 ,yet quiet though it be and restful though it be1 there is no sense of stagnation4 ,the pool1 though deep and still1 is vividly alive4 ,its waters are continually being renewed4 ,and the forest1 though not a leaf moves1 is1 we know1 straining with all the energy of life for food and light1 for air and moisture4 ,so by this jewel of a pool in its verdant setting we have a sense of an activity which is gentle and refined4 ,the glen's is a shy and intimate ,beauty1 especially congenial to us after the forceful ,beauty of the river and the bold1 proud ,beauty of the cliffs4 ,but it is no insipid ,beauty3 in its very quietness and confidence is strength4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,forest ,the ,teesta ,valley in its lowest part is only #gjj feet above sea-level4 ,it is deep and confined and saturated with perpetual moisture4 ,hardly a breath of wind stirs1 and all plant life is forced as in a hothouse4 ,the trees do not1 indeed1 grow as high as the ,big ,trees of ,california or the eucalyptus in ,australia1 but some of these in the ,teesta ,valley are #bjj feet in height with buttressed trunks between #dj and #ej feet in girth1 and give the same impression of stateliness and calm composure4 ,with incredible effort and incessant struggle they have attained their present proud position1 and the traveller most willingly accords them the tribute that is their due4 ,grand tropical oaks nearly #ej feet in girth also occur1 screw-pines #ej feet in height with immense crowns of grassy leaves #d feet long1 palms of many kinds1 rattan-canes1 bamboos1 plantains1 and tall grasses such as only grow in dense1 hot jungles4 ,gigantic climbers tackle the loftiest trees4 ,one allied to the gourd bears immense yellowish-white pendulous blossoms2 another bears curious pitcher-shaped flowers4 ,vines1 peppers1 and pothos interlace with the palms and plantains in impenetrable jungle4 ,orchids clothe the trees4 ,everywhere and always we hear the whirr and hum of insect life1 sometimes soft and soothing1 sometimes harsh and strident4 ,and floating about wherever we look are butterflies innumerable1 many dull and unpretentious1 but some of a brilliancy of colour that makes us gasp with pleasure4 ,we may be pouring with perspiration1 pestered by flies and mosquitoes1 and in constant dread of leeches4 ,but we forget all such annoyances in the joy of these wonders of the tropics1 whether they be trees or orchids1 ferns or butterflies4 ,and to see one of these gorgeous insects alight in front of us1 slowly raise and lower his wings and turn himself about almost as if he were showing himself off for our especial pleasure1 compensates us for every worry his fellows in the insect world may cause us4 ,as might be expected1 in the steamy1 dripping atmosphere ferns are a predominating feature in the vegetation4 ,not less than two hundred different kinds are found4 ,the most noticeable are the tree ferns1 of which alone there are eight species4 ,their average height is about #bj feet1 but plants of #dj and #ej feet are not uncommon4 ,and with their tall trunks and crown of immense graceful fronds they form a striking feature in the forest1 and in the moister valleys where they attain their full luxuriance they may be seen in extensive groves as well as in little groups4 ,four kinds of maidenhair1 always light and graceful and attractive1 are found2 and of ferns common to ,europe1 ,osmunda regalis1 the ,royal fern of ,europe1 and the ,european moonwort and alder's-tongue ferns4 ,then there is a fern which attains to gigantic proportions1 especially in the cool forests1 where its massive fronds grow to more than #e yards in length and #c in breadth1 with a spread over all1 measuring from tip to tip of opposite fronds1 of #h yards4 ,one handsome climbing fern clothes the trunks of tall trees2 another which climbs on grasses and the smaller shrubs is common2 and another forms almost impenetrable thickets #ae or #bj feet high4 ,of the kinds which grow on rocks and trees the most delicately beautiful are the filmy ferns1 of which there are eight kinds4 ,the ,irish filmy is the largest1 covering the face of large rocks under dense shade1 its fronds growing to over a foot in length4 ,many polypodiums and aspleniums grow gracefully on the rocks and trees during the rainy season4 ,one especially elegant polypodium growing on the ground has fronds about #f or #g feet long1 and sometimes as much as #bj feet1 and of proportionate width4 ,another conspicuous fern is the bird's-nest fern with its large1 massive fronds growing under shade on rocks and stems of trees4 ,unless we are fern experts it is impossible for us to identify each among so many species4 ,but1 at any rate1 we gather an impression of elegance and grace1 often of airy lightness1 and of wonderful variety of size and form4 99 99 99 ,from the ferns we look to the rest of the forest1 and after the first bewilderment at the profusion and variety of vegetation we try to fasten on to a few individuals or types which we can identify as having seen elsewhere in some other part of ,india or in some palm-house in ,england4 ,we are in the still1 steamy atmosphere of a hot-house1 and we are conscious that all round us1 growing in luxuriant abundance1 are rare and beautiful plants of which a single specimen would be treasured and treated with every fostering care in ,england4 ,but we sigh to be able to recognise these treasures and make contact between home and this exceptionally favoured region--favoured1 that is to say1 as regards plant life4 ,from among the giant trees1 the bamboos1 the palms1 the climbers1 the shrubs1 the flowers1 the orchids1 we look out anxiously for friends--or at least for acquaintances whom we hope may develop into friends as we meet them again and again on our journeys through the forest4 ,of the flowers1 the orchids are naturally the first to attract us4 ,they shine out as real gems in the greenery around them4 ,the eye jumps to them at once4 ,here seems to be something as nearly perfect in colour1 form1 and texture as it could possibly be4 ,if the orchid is white it is of the purest whiteness1 and shines chaste and unsullied amidst its dull surroundings4 ,if it is purple1 or pale yellow1 or golden-yellow1 or rose1 or violet1 or white1 the colour has always a depth and purity which is deeply satisfying4 ,and it seems to be because the waxy texture of these orchids is such a perfect medium for the display of colour that orchids are so exceptionally beautiful4 ,the texture is of the very consistency best adapted for revealing the beauty of colour4 ,and when we pluck a spray of these choice treasures from the forest branch and hold it in the sunlight1 we feel we are seeing colour almost in perfection4 ,the colour and texture are beautiful enough in themselves4 ,but an added attraction in these orchids is their form--the curvature of their sepals and petals1 and the wonderful little pitchers and cups and lips and tongues which an orchid exhibits4 ,and the form is no mere geometrical pattern of lines and curves4 ,it is obviously an ingenious contrivance devised for some special purpose4 ,that purpose we now know to be the attraction of insects1 who in sucking the orchid's honey will unconsciously carry on their wings or backs the flower's pollen to fertilise another orchid4 ,though whether the insect in the long centuries by probing at the orchid has forced it to adapt itself to it1 or whether the flower has forced the insect to adapt itself to the flower1 or whether--as seems most likely--a process of mutual adaptation has been going on century by century1 and the flower and insect have been gradually adapting themselves to one another1 is still a matter of discussion among naturalists4 ,we cannot gather an orchid of any kind without marvelling at its intricate construction4 ,and when we are looking at the orchid in its natural surroundings in the forest itself and see the enormous numbers and the immense variety1 in size and form and habits1 of the insects around the orchid1 and think how the orchid has to select its own particular species of insect and cater for that1 and the insect among all the flowers has to select the particular species of orchid2 and how the insect1 whether butterfly or bee or moth or gnat or ant1 or any other of the numerous kinds of insect1 and the orchid have to adapt themselves to each other--we see how marvellous the mutual adaptation of flower to insect and insect to flower must have been4 ,we see how the particular species of orchid must have chosen the particular species of bee1 and the particular species of bee that particular species of orchid1 and the bee and orchid set themselves to adapt themselves to one another1 the orchid using all the devices of colour1 scent1 sweetness of honey1 to attract the insect1 and gradually shaping itself so that the insect can better reach the honey1 and the insect lengthening its proboscis and otherwise adapting itself so that it can better secure what it wants4 ,and we see how perfectly--how nearly perfectly--the flower is designed for its purpose4 ,but what is perhaps most remarkable of all about an orchid is that this marvel of colour and form and of texture of fabric unfolds itself from within a most ungainly1 unsightly1 unlikely-looking tuber4 ,from shapeless1 colourless tubers1 which attach themselves to trunks and branches of trees and cling on to rocks1 there emerge these peerless aristocrats of the flower-world1 finished1 polished1 immaculate1 and reigning supreme through sheer distinction and excellence at every point--and also because theirs is clearly no ephemeral convolvulus-like beauty which will fade and vanish away in a twinkling1 but is a beauty intensely matured1 strong and deep and firm4 99 99 99 ,of the #dej species of orchids found in the ,sikkim ,forest1 many are very rare4 ,but fortunately the rarest are not the most beautiful in colour and form4 ,some very beautiful orchids are also very common4 ,the most common are the dendrobiums1 of which there are about forty species4 ,the finest and best known is the ,dendrobium nobile4 ,it grows in the lower hills and valleys up to #e1jjj feet1 and also in the plains4 ,the flowers vary both in size and shade of colour2 but in ,sikkim the sepals and petals are always purple1 shading off into white at the base4 ,the tip has a central blotch of very deep purple surrounded by a broad margin of pale yellow or white4 ,this orchid is now very common in ,english hot-houses1 so here is one point of contact with the tropical forest4 ,the ,d4 densiflorum is equally common and grows in much the same region4 ,it flowers in a dense cluster on a stalk somewhat after the fashion of a hyacinth4 ,the sepals and petals of this beautiful species are of a pale yellow1 while the lip is of a rich orange4 ,one of the most charming of the ,sikkim dendrobiums has the smell of violets1 and the sepals and petals are white-tipped with violet1 the stem being sometimes #b #a_/b feet long4 ,another noteworthy dendrobium is the ,d4 pierardi1 whose prevailing colour is a beautiful rose or pale purple4 ,after the dendrobiums the coelogyne are the most worth noting4 ,the ,coelogyne cristata is common at elevations of from #e1jjj to #h1jjj feet1 and flowers during ,march and ,april4 ,it has numerous large flowers1 which are pure white throughout1 with the exception of the lamellae of the lip1 which are yellow4 ,it may be seen in flower in ,march in the orchid-house at ,kew4 ,in the forest it grows in such profusion as to make the trunk of a dead tree look as if it were covered with snow4 ,the ,c4 humilis is known as the ,himalayan crocus4 ,it grows like a crocus from a pseudo-bulb at elevations from #g1jjj to #h1ejj feet1 and flowers during ,february and ,march4 ,the flowers are white and from #b to #b #a_/b inches in diameter4 ,the lip is speckled with purple towards the edge4 ,not so common but larger and handsomer than the dendrobiums are the cymbidiums1 of which there are sixteen different species1 usually with long grassy leaves and many-flowered drooping racemes with large handsome flowers4 ,a very sweet-scented species is the ,cymbidium eburneum1 which is common between elevations of #a1jjj to #c1jjj feet1 and flowers during ,march and ,april4 ,the prevailing colour of the flowers is an ivory white1 but the ridge on the lip is a brilliant yellow4 ,this also may be seen at ,kew in ,march4 ,these are some of the commonest orchids and all now grow in ,england1 so that we can begin to get a footing in the forest and not feel that it is so completely strange to us4 ,and as we ascend higher we shall find many more friends among the flowers4 ,and to guide us among the trees and flowers we fortunately have ,sir ,joseph ,hooker1 who in his ,himalayan ,journals has described this botanist's paradise in loving detail1 so we cannot do better than follow him4 ,amid the many plants he mentions we can only select a few1 but these few will at least help to give us some conception of the whole and show the range of variation as we ascend4 ,as we proceed higher up the valley to an altitude of about #d1jjj feet1 ,european trees and plants begin to be intermingled with the tropical vegetation4 ,hornbeams appear1 and birch1 willow1 alder1 and walnut grow side by side with wild plantains1 palms1 and gigantic bamboos4 ,brambles1 speedwells1 forget-me-nots1 and nettles grow mixed with figs1 balsams1 peppers1 and huge climbing vines4 ,the wild ,english strawberry is found on the ground1 while above tropical orchids like the dendrobiums cover the trunks of the oaks4 ,the bracken and the club-moss of our ,british moors grow associated with tree-ferns4 ,and ,english grow alongside ,himalayan mosses4 ,the valley itself continues of the same character--deep with its steep sides clothed in forest and the path scrambling over spurs1 making wide detours up side valleys1 or scraping along the sides of cliffs which stand perpendicularly over the raging river below4 ,only here and there are clearings in the forest where ,lepchas or ,nepalese have built themselves a few wooden houses and roughly cultivated the land4 ,otherwise we are under the same green mantle of forest which extends everywhere over the mountains2 and though we are now piercing straight through the main axis of the ,himalaya1 we seldom catch even a glimpse of the snowy heights which must be so near4 ,but the vegetation is distinctly changing in character as we ascend--the most tropical trees and plants gradually disappearing1 and more and more flowers of the temperate zone coming into evidence4 ,and as we pierce farther into the mountains the climate becomes sensibly drier and the forest lighter4 ,there is still a heavy enough rainfall to satisfy any ordinary plant or human being4 ,but there is not the same deluge that descends upon the outer ridges4 ,so the forest is not so dense4 ,frequently in its place social grasses clothe the mountain-sides2 and yellow violets1 primulas1 anemones1 delphiniums1 currants1 and saxifrages remind us of regions more akin to our own4 ,now1 too1 we have reached the habitat of the rhododendrons1 which are so peculiarly a glory of ,sikkim1 and it is worth while to pause and take special note of them4 ,out of the thirty species which are found in ,sikkim1 all the most beautiful have been introduced --chiefly by ,sir ,joseph ,hooker--into ,england1 and are grown in many parks and gardens as well as at ,kew4 ,so ,english people can form some idea of what the flowering trees of the ,sikkim ,forest are like4 ,but they must multiply by many times the few specimens they see in an ,english park or hot-house1 and must realise that as cowslips are in a grassy meadow1 so are these rhododendron trees in the ,sikkim ,forest4 ,red1 mauve1 white1 or yellow1 they grow as great flowers among the green giants of the forest and brighten it with colour4 ,the separate blossoms of a rhododendron tree cannot compare in beauty with the individual orchid4 ,there is in them neither the deep richness of colour nor wonder of form nor sense of deeply matured excellence4 ,the claim of the rhododendron to favour is rather in the collective quantity and mass of flowers so that by sheer weight of numbers it can produce its effect of colour4 ,in some of the upper valleys the mountain slopes are clothed in a deep green mantle glowing with bells of scarlet1 white1 or yellow4 ,perhaps the most splendid of these rhododendrons is ,rhododendron grande or argenteum1 which grows to a height of from #cj to #dj feet1 and has waxy bell-shaped flowers of a yellowish-white suffused with pink1 #b to #c inches long and about the same across4 ,the scarlet ,r4 arboreum1 so general in the ,himalaya1 is common in ,sikkim and furnishes brilliant patches of colour in the forest4 ,and a magnificent species is ,r4 ,auchlandii or ,griffithianum1 which has large white flowers tinged with pink1 of a firm fleshy texture and with a mouth #e inches across4 ,it has been called the queen of all flowering shrubs4 ,it grows well in ,cornwall1 and among the hybrids from it is the famous ,pink ,pearl4 ,r4 ,falconeri1 a white-flowered species1 is eminently characteristic of the genus in habit1 place of growth and locality1 never occurring below #aj1jjj feet4 ,in foliage it is incomparably the finest4 ,it throws out one or two trunks clean and smooth1 #cj feet or so high1 the branches terminated by immense leaves1 deep green above edged with yellow and ruby red-brown below4 ,the creamy white flowers are shaded with lilac and are slightly scented4 ,they are produced in tightly-packed clusters #i to #ae inches across and twenty or more in numbers4 ,a peculiar 7in that it is of all the species the only one that is epiphytal7 but much the largest flowered species is the ,r4 ,dalhousiae4 ,it grows1 like the orchids1 among ferns and moss upon the trunks of1 large trees1 especially oaks and magnolias1 and attains a height of #f to #h feet4 ,the flowers are three to seven in a head1 and are #c #a_/b to #e inches long and as much across the mouth1 white with an occasional tinge of rose and very fragrant4 ,in size1 colour1 and fragrance of the blossoms this is the noblest of the genus4 ,it grows out-of-doors in ,cornwall and in the greenhouse in other parts of ,england as a scraggy bush #aj to #ab feet high4 ,r4 barbatum is a tree from #dj to #fj feet high1 producing flowers of a rich scarlet or blood-colour1 and sometimes puce or rich pink4 ,it is one of the most beautiful of the ,himalayan rhododendrons1 and is now very common in ,england1 growing freely out-of-doors4 ,another truly superb plant is ,r4 ,maddeni1 with very handsome pure white flowers #c #a_/b to #d inches long and as much across the mouth4 ,this is now a special favourite in ,england4 ,it grows in large bushes in the open in ,cornwall and is very sweet-scented4 ,r4 virgatum is a beautiful delicately white-flowered shrub4 ,and ,r4 campylo-carpum displays masses of exquisite pale yellow bells of rarest delicacy4 ,besides rhododendrons1 ash1 walnut1 and maple become more abundant as we ascend1 and at #i1jjj feet larch appears1 and there are woods of a spruce resembling the ,norwegian spruce in general appearance4 ,among the plants are wood-sorrel1 bramble1 nut1 spiraea1 and various other ,south ,european and ,north ,american genera4 ,the climate is no longer stifling and the leeches have disappeared4 ,we miss many beauties of the tropical forest4 ,but1 with the vegetation more and more resembling what we are accustomed to in ,europe1 we are feeling more at home4 ,the path winds through cool and pleasant woods1 following the varying contour of the mountain-sides4 ,we are no longer oppressed by the strangeness of the life around us4 ,at almost every turn we come across something new yet not wholly unfamiliar4 ,and standing out especially in our memory of this region will be the sight of a gigantic lily rearing itself ten feet high in the forest1 and as pure in its perfect whiteness as if it had been grown in a garden4 ,it is the ,lilium giganteum1 and it has fourteen flowers on a single stalk and each #d #a_/b inches long and the same across4 ,we still love most of all the white violets we have as children picked in an ,english wood1 and even this great white lily will never supplant them in our affections4 ,but the sight of that glorious plant rising proudly from amidst the greenery of its forest setting will be for us more than any picture4 ,and its being wild has the same fascination for us that a flower that is wild1 and not garden grown1 has for a child4 ,in a florist's shop we may see lilies even more beautiful than this1 but the enjoyment we get from seeing the florist's production bears no comparison whatever with the enjoyment we get from seeing this lily in a distant ,himalayan forest where not so many white men ever go4 ,we often have experiences which perceptibly age us4 ,but this is one of those experiences which most certainly make us younger4 ,we are once again children finding flowers in a wood4 ,as we proceed upward the valley opens out1 the mountains recede and are less steep4 ,they are also less wooded1 their slopes become more covered with grass1 and the river1 no longer a raging torrent1 now meanders in a broad bed4 ,the great peaks are somewhere close by1 but we do not see the highest1 and for the ,himalaya the scenery is somewhat tame4 ,but the number of herbaceous plants is great4 ,a complete record of them would include most of the common genera of ,europe and ,north ,america4 ,among them are purple1 yellow1 pink1 and white primulas1 golden potentillas1 gentians of deepest azure1 delicate anemones1 speedwells1 fritillaries1 oxalis1 balsams1 and ranunculus4 ,one special treasure of this part is a great red rose 7,rosa macrophylla71 one of the most beautiful of ,himalayan plants whose single blossoms are as large as the palm of the hand4 ,with these plants from the temperate zone are mixed the far outliers of the tropical genera--orchids1 begonias1 and others--whose ascent to these high regions has been favoured by the great summer heat and moisture4 ,we are now in the region of the primulas for which 7besides its orchids and rhododendrons7 ,sikkim is famous4 ,sikkim may indeed be called the headquarters of the ,indian primroses1 and many species are found there which appear to occur nowhere else4 ,there are from thirty to forty species1 the majority growing at altitudes from #ab1jjj to #ae1jjj feet1 two or three only being found below #aj1jjj feet1 and two or three as high as #af1jjj to #ag1jjj feet4 ,the best known is the ,primula sikkimensis1 which grows well in ,england and resembles a gigantic cowslip4 ,it thrills us to see it growing in golden masses in the high valleys in wet boggy places--though the precise colour may be better described as lemon-yellow rather than gold4 ,the prevailing colour of the primulas is purple1 but white1 yellow1 blue1 and pink are also found4 ,the ,p4 denticulata has purple to bright sapphire blue flowers1 and great stretches of country are almost blue with the lovely heads of this primrose4 ,miles of country can be seen literally covered with ,p4 obtusifolia1 which has purple flowers and a strong metallic smell4 ,p4 ,kingii is a lovely plant with flowers of such a dark claret colour that they are almost black4 ,and perhaps the most striking primula is ,p4 ,elwesiana1 with large solitary deflexed purple flowers4 ,poppies also are a feature of the ,sikkim vegetation4 ,near the huts the people cultivate a majestic species near ,menconopsis simplicifolia1 but it grows in dense clusters #b or #c feet high4 ,the flowers vary in diameter from #e to #g inches1 and are an intensely vivid blue on opening1 though they change before fading into purple4 ,m4 simplicifolia itself is also found at altitudes from #ab1jjj to #ae1jjj feet--a clear light blue species of special beauty1 growing as a single flower on a single stem1 and now to be seen at both ,edinburgh and ,kew4 ,another beautiful poppy is the ,m4 nepalensis1 which grows in the central dampest regions of ,sikkim at elevations of #aj1jjj to #aa1jjj feet and resembles a miniature hollyhock1 the flowers being of a pale golden or sulphur-yellow1 #b or #c inches in diameter and several on a stalk4 ,as ,tangu is approached the valley expands into broad grassy flats1 and here at about #ac1jjj feet the vegetation rapidly diminishes in stature and abundance1 and the change in species is very great4 ,larch1 maple1 cherry1 and spiraea disappear1 leaving willows1 juniper1 stunted birch1 silver fir1 mountain ash berberries1 currant1 honeysuckle1 azalea1 and many rhododendrons4 ,the turfy ground is covered with gentians1 potentillas1 geraniums1 and purple and yellow meconopsis1 delphiniums1 orchids1 saxifrage1 campanulas1 ranunculus1 anemones1 primulas 7including the magnificent ,primula ,sikkimensis71 and three or four species of ferns4 ,the country being now so much more open1 the valley bottom and the mountain-sides glow with purples and yellows of various shades4 ,not even here1 nor indeed anywhere in the ,himalaya1 do we see that mass and glow of colour we find in ,california1 where wide sheets of meadow-land are ablaze with the purple of the lupins and the gold of the ,californian poppy4 ,but for the number of varieties of plants these upper valleys of the ,teesta ,river can scarcely be excelled4 ,as we ascend the mountain-sides above ,tangu we find them covered with plants of numerous different kinds1 and even at about #ad1jjj feet ,hooker gathered over two hundred plants4 ,but now we are nearing the limit of plant life4 ,at #ag1jjj feet the vegetation has ceased to be alpine and has become arctic1 and the plants nearest the snow-line are minute primulas1 saxifrages1 gentians1 grasses1 sedges1 some tufted wormwood1 and a dwarf rhododendron1 the most alpine of wooded plants4 ,at the summit of the ,donkia ,pass ,hooker found one flowering plant1 the ,arenaria rupifragia4 ,the fescue 7,festuca ovina71 a little fern 7,woodsia71 and a saussurea ascend very near the summit4 ,a pink-coloured woolly saussurea and ,delphinium glaciale are two of the most lofty plants1 and are commonly found from #ag1ejj feet to #ah1jjj feet4 ,besides some barren mosses several lichens grow on the top1 as ,cladonia vermicularis1 the yellow ,lecidea geographica and the orange ,l4 miniata4 ,at #ah1cjj feet ,hooker found on one stone only a fine ,scottish lichen1 a species of gyrophora1 the tripe de roche of ,arctic voyagers and the food of the ,canadian hunters4 ,it is also abundant in the ,scotch ,alps4 ,on the summit of ,bhomtso1 #ah1eij feet1 the only plants were the lichens ,lecidea miniata 7or ,parmalia miniata7 mentioned above1 and borrera4 ,the first-named minute lichen is the most arctic1 antarctic1 alpine1 and universally diffused in the world1 and often occurs so abundantly as to colour the rocks an orange red4 99 99 99 ,the entire range of plant life1 from the truly tropical to the hardiest arctic1 is now complete4 ,as we look back from the limit of perpetual snow we see the whole great procession in a glance4 ,we have come across no ,african1 nor ,south ,american1 nor ,australian plants1 so we have not seen anything like the whole of plant life4 ,but the range from the tropic to the arctic has been complete and continuous4 ,in no other region could we in so short a space as a hundred miles--the distance from ,bath to ,london--see the entire range so fully represented4 ,and actually seeing how vast is the range and variety of plant life is a very different thing from knowing that it exists2 seeing the flowers in the flesh is altogether different from only reading descriptions of them2 and seeing them in masses and in their natural surroundings affects us quite differently from seeing only a few in a garden or in a hot-house4 ,here on the spot we feel close in touch with ,nature's own heart4 ,we see ,nature's productions springing up fresh and new straight from the very fountain source4 ,we have the joy of being able to stretch out a hand and pick a flower direct from its own surroundings1 and to fondle it1 examine it all round1 admire its colour1 form1 and texture1 compare its beauty with the beauty of other flowers and settle wherein its special beauty lies4 ,we shall never be able to give to even the most exquisite orchid or the most perfect lily the same affection that we give to the primroses and violets of our native land4 ,but we may be sure that our ,naturalist-,artist1 when he gathers together in his mind the impressions which have been made upon him by his passage through the tropical forests to the alpine uplands and thence to the limit of perpetual snow1 will find that his sense of the variety of beauty to be found in trees and leaves1 in ferns and flowers1 has immeasurably expanded4 ,he will have acquired a firmer grasp of plant life as a whole4 ,he will have a truer measure of the beauty in it4 ,and irresistibly1 but most willingly1 he will have been more closely drawn to ,nature's heart4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,denizens ,,of ,,the ,,forest ,so far we have paid attention almost exclusively to the plant life4 ,but all through ,sikkim the insect life presses itself just as insistently on our notice4 ,in the tropical portion it is unbelievably abundant and varied4 ,it swarms about us and is ever present4 ,and much of it is as beautiful as the flowers4 ,for sheer attractiveness the butterflies are as compelling as the orchids4 ,mosquitoes1 gnats1 flies1 leeches1 every torment there is4 ,but we forgive everything for the chance of being able to see alive and in the full glory of their colouring these brilliant gems of the insect world which we can in places view in hundreds and thousands at a time--and in extraordinary variety1 for in this little country more than six hundred species are found--about ten times as many as are met with in ,england4 ,moreover1 there is no season when they are wholly absent1 for in the hot valleys they may be seen all the year round1 though naturally there are more in the summer than in the winter4 ,if it were not for other attractions we would like to concentrate our attention on these beautiful creatures alone4 ,for they fascinate us by the daring of their colours1 by their bold designs1 by the way in which they blend the colours with one another1 and by the extreme delicacy and chasteness of both colour and design4 ,we are reluctant to take the life of a single one of the thousands we see1 but yet we are itching1 too1 to lay hold of one after another as it sails into sight displaying some fresh beauty4 ,we want to handle it as we would a flower1 turn it about and examine it from every point of view till not a shade or aspect of its beauty has escaped us4 ,in the presence of these brilliant butterflies we are children once more4 ,we want to have them in our hands and feel that they are in our possession4 ,it is tantalising merely to view them from a distance4 ,we want to enjoy their beauty to the full4 ,these butterflies of ,sikkim are such complete strangers to us we do not even know their names4 ,from the ,gazetteer1 however1 we learn that the most beautiful of them are the papilios1 of which alone there are no less than forty-two species4 ,and three of these--namely1 the ,teinophalus imperialis 7which occurs on ,tiger ,hill above ,darjiling7 and two ornithopteras1 or bird-butterflies--are among the most splendid of all butterflies4 ,the former is green on the upper side with yellow spots on the hind-wing1 and the long tails are tipped with yellow4 ,the two bird-butterflies are common in the low valleys from ,may to ,october4 ,they are truly magnificent insects1 measuring from #f to #h inches across4 ,their fore-wings are wholly of a velvety black and the hind-wing golden yellow scolloped with black4 ,of the well-known green species of papilio1 with longish tails and blue or green spots on the hindwing1 there are four species1 of which one is ,european4 ,some have semi-transparent wings of a lace-like pattern1 with long slender tails to the hind-wings1 and are of a very elegant shape4 ,a most gorgeously-coloured butterfly is the ,thaumantis diores1 black with large spots 7which cover a great part of both fore and hind wings7 of a brilliant metallic1 changeable blue4 ,it measures #d #c_/d inches across the outspread wings4 ,it avoids the direct sunlight and dodges about among the scrub growing under the deep shade of tall trees in the hottest and moistest valleys4 ,one of the most lovely butterflies in the world is the ,stichophthalma camadeva1 which is one of the largest of the ,sikkim butterflies1 being from #e to #f #a_/b inches in expanse4 ,it is more soberly coloured on the upper side than the last-named1 being chiefly white and brown1 but the underside is more beautiful1 having a row of five red ocelli with black irides on each wing and other pretty markings4 ,the lyccenides1 or blues1 are represented by no less than #aed species1 several of them of surpassing beauty4 ,many are marked with changeable metallic hues on the upper side of the fore-wing3 some violet1 some with green1 and some with golden bronze4 ,the most lovely of all is the ,ilerea brahma1 of which the colouring of the upper side of the male is unique4 ,then there is the curious leaf-butterfly1 which has a marvellous resemblance to a dead leaf with its wings folded over the back and showing the underside only1 the leaf-stalk veins being excellently mimicked4 ,but when flying about its upper side1 which is a deep violet-blue with a conspicuous yellowish bar across the fore-wing1 is exposed1 and the butterfly is then most beautiful4 ,i have seen many of these lovely butterflies flying about in the ,teesta ,valley1 glistening in the dappled light of the forest1 and then settle on a branch2 and unless ,i had actually seen them alight1 ,i should never have known them from leaves4 99 99 99 ,the moths1 though naturally not as beautiful as the butterflies1 are far more numerous1 there being something like two thousand species4 ,several of them are the largest of the insect race4 ,and one of them1 the famous atlas moth1 is sometimes nearly a foot across4 ,next in size come several species of the genus ,actias1 of which selene is the most common4 ,it is of a pale green colour with a pinkish2 spot1 and has long slender tails4 ,it measures about #h inches across the fore-wings1 and nearly as much from shoulder to the tip of the tail4 99 99 99 ,other insects numerously represented in ,sikkim are beetles1 bugs1 grasshoppers1 praying insects1 walking-stick insects1 dragon-flies1 ants1 lantern-flies1 cicadae1 etc4 99 99 99 ,plant life and insect life are abundant enough1 but of birds there seem to be comparatively few4 ,as we travel through the forest we do not notice many of them1 and we do not hear many4 ,we do not everywhere find great flocks of birds as we see swarms of insects4 ,and we do not find the forest resounding with the songs of birds as it does with the hum and crackle of insects4 ,in this respect we are disappointed4 ,but the birds of ,sikkim1 if few in number1 are great in variety4 ,birds feed on fruits1 berries1 seeds1 insects1 grubs1 caterpillars1 small animals1 and even little birds4 ,some birds like a still1 hot1 damp climate4 ,other birds like a cold1 dry climate4 ,some birds like the shade and quiet and protection of the forest4 ,others like the open and the sunshine4 ,some birds find their food in the water1 others on the land4 ,and the ,sikkim ,himalaya1 from the plains to the mountains1 provides such a rich variety of plant and insect life1 such a variety of climate and of country1 and so plentiful a supply of water1 that birds of the widest difference of requirements can here be provided with their needs4 ,consequently birds of numerous different species make ,sikkim their habitat1 either permanently or for certain seasons of the year4 ,and ,gammie1 who has specially studied the natural history of ,sikkim1 says in the ,sikkim ,gazetteer that in no part of the world of an equal area are birds more profusely represented in species4 ,the birds may not be so numerous as in other parts1 but they are more varied4 ,between five and six hundred species are represented1 varying from the great vulture known as the lammergeyer1 which is #i #a_/b feet across the outstretched wing1 down to the tiny flower-pecker1 barely exceeding #c inches from the end of its beak to the tip of its tail4 ,of the birds found in the forest itself1 the honey-suckers or sun-birds are perhaps the most beautiful4 ,there are no gorgeous birds of paradise1 and even resplendent parrots are not very numerous4 ,but these little sun-birds glitter like jewels among the leafy foliage1 and the lustrous metallic hues of different shades with which they are richly coloured on the head and long tail-feathers change and flash in the sunlight with every slightest movement4 ,not all so brilliant in colour but very delightful to watch are the fly-catchers4 ,of these there are no less than twenty-six species1 the most remarkable being the fairy blue-chat1 which is brilliantly marked with different shades of glistening blue1 and another which is strikingly coloured in almost uniform verditer blue4 ,in the very lowest valleys is found the beautiful paradise fly-catcher1 with a long-pointed black crest1 the rest of the plumage white with black shafts and the tail #ad inches in length4 ,the quickness and agility this lovely bird displays as it darts and twists and turns in the pursuit of butterflies in their uneven dodging flight is one of the marvels of forest life4 ,game-birds are not abundant1 but four species of pheasant are found1 of which the largest and handsomest is the moonal1 bronze-green glossed with gold and with a tail of cinnamon red4 ,sportsmen in the ,himalaya are familiar with the sight of this radiantly-coloured bird swishing down the mountain-side with apparently the speed and almost the brilliancy of a flash of lightning4 ,not so handsome as the moonal1 being small and greyish in colour on the back1 is the blood-pheasant1 remarkable for its blood-red streaks on the breast and its blood-red under-tail-coverts4 ,bulbuls are largely represented and may be seen in large flocks among the scrub--delightful1 homely little birds with bright and cheery ways which specially attract us4 ,not very common1 but to be found in the lower part of the valley1 is the beautiful fairy bluebird1 a large bird #aj inches in length with a glistening cobalt-blue upper part and velvet black beneath4 ,the ,european cuckoo may be heard all day long in the season from about #c1ejj feet upwards4 ,and about a dozen other cuckoos visit ,sikkim1 of which by far the prettiest is the emerald cuckoo1 a small bird not much more than #f inches long1 of a brilliant emerald green with golden sheen1 and below white barred with shining green4 ,kingfishers are not numerous1 as fish are scarce4 ,but there are four species1 of which the prettiest is a lovely little creature about #e inches long1 coloured with rufous1 white1 and different shades of blue and violet4 ,these are only a few of the most striking birds2 but to give an idea of the variety of other birds which may be found in ,sikkim1 many of which are hardly less beautiful than those above described1 we may learn from ,gammie that among the birds of prey there are eleven eagles2 the peregrine falcon1 a little pigmy falcon1 and five other falcons2 a big brown wood-owl1 #b feet in length1 a pigmy owlet measuring only #f inches1 and nine other owls2 and six kites2--among the game-birds1 besides pheasants1 three quails1 two hill-partridges1 a jungle-fowl1 woodcock1 a snow-cock1 and a snow-partridge2--among other classes of birds1 nine or ten species of pigeons and doves2 the ,european raven and a jungle crow2 one jay and several magpies2 two hornbills1 one of which is #d feet in length2 the common and the ,nepal swallow2 about thirty species of finches1 among them being three bullfinches and eight rose-finches2 three or four larks2 numerous and varied tits2 wagtails2 five species of parrots2 eight or nine species of wren2 thrushes of a dozen species2 ten species of robin2 and1 lastly1 many species of waders such as florekin1 cranes1 plovers1 snipe1 sandpipers1 coots1 water-hen1 storks1 heron1 cormorants1 terns1 divers1 and ducks4 99 99 99 ,reptiles are not commonly accounted among the beauties of ,nature2 but they must not be lost sight of in reviewing the life of the forest4 ,the largest is the python1 whose usual length is #ab feet1 though individuals of #af to #bj feet are not very rare4 ,a very beautiful snake found in the cool forests is green with a broad black band on each side of the hinder half of the body and tail1 the green scales being margined with black4 ,another snake of the same length is a handsome green whip-snake1 graceful in its movements1 but ferocious and aggressive in its habits1 although quite harmless4 ,the ordinary cobra is not uncommon4 ,the giant cobra is also found in the lower valleys1 and grows to a length of #ab or #ac feet4 ,four species of pit vipers are found4 ,the krait occurs1 but is not common4 ,altogether there are nine species of venomous snakes and thirty species of non-venomous snakes found in ,sikkim4 ,of lizards there are ten species4 ,one is popularly known as the chameleon on account of its rather showy colours1 but does not really belong to that family4 ,and a beautiful grass-snake1 which1 as it is limbless1 is often mistaken for a tree-snake1 is also of the lizard genus4 ,of frogs and toads there are about sixteen species4 ,among them are several prettily-coloured tree-frogs4 ,several of the species are recognised by their call4 99 99 99 ,of mammals about eighty-one species are found4 ,they include three monkeys1 eight of the cat tribe1 two civet cats1 one tree cat1 two mongooses1 two of the dog tribe1 five pole-cats and weasels1 one ferret-badger1 three otters1 one cat-bear1 two bears1 one tree-shrew1 one mole1 six shrews1 two water-shrews1 twelve bats1 four squirrels1 two marmots1 eight rats and mice1 one vole1 one porcupine1 four deer1 two forest-goats1 one goat1 one sheep1 and one ant-eater4 ,the common monkey of ,india1 the ,bengal monkey1 is found in large companies at low elevations4 ,the ,himalayan monkey is abundant from #c1jjj to #f1jjj feet2 and the ,himalayan langur frequents the zone from #g1jjj to #ab1jjj feet4 ,the tiger inhabits the ,terai at the foot of the mountains1 but is only an occasional visitor to ,sikkim proper4 ,but the leopard and the clouded leopard are permanent residents and fairly common4 ,this last is of a most beautiful mottled colouring4 ,another leopard is the snow-leopard1 which inhabits high altitudes only4 ,the marbled-cat is a miniature edition of the clouded leopard1 and the leopard-cat of the common leopard4 ,the large ,indian civet-cat is not uncommon1 but the spotted tiger-civet1 a very beautiful and active creature1 is rare4 ,the jackal is not uncommon1 and there is at least one species of wild-dog4 ,these dogs hunt in packs and kill wild-pig1 deer1 goats1 etc4 ,a very peculiar and interesting animal is the cat-bear1 which has the head and arms of a minute bear and the tail of a cat4 ,the brown bear occurs at high altitudes1 and the ,himalayan black bear is common lower down4 ,the black hill squirrel is a large handsome animal of the lower forests1 and a very handsome flying squirrel inhabits the forests between #e1jjj and #aj1jjj feet4 ,the great ,sikkim stag is not found in ,sikkim proper1 but inhabits the ,chumbi ,valley4 ,the sambhar stag is abundant4 ,the commonest of the deer tribe is the khakar1 or barking deer4 ,it is1 says ,hodgson1 unmatched for flexibility and power of creeping through tangled underwood4 ,the musk deer remains at high elevations4 ,in addition to the above1 elephants come up from the forests in the plains1 and in these plain forests are found 7besides tigers and boars7 rhinoceros1 bison1 and buffalo4 99 99 99 ,this has been a long enumeration of the animal life1 in its many branches1 which is found in the forest4 ,the mere cataloguing of it is sufficient to show the extent and variety of insect1 bird1 reptile1 and mammal life which the forest contains4 ,but it is with the beauty of this animal life1 rather than with its extent and variety1 that we are concerned4 ,and if the ,artist is to see its full beauty1 he must see it with the eyes of the naturalist and sportsman--men whose eyes are trained to observe in minutest detail the form and colour and character of each animal1 bird1 or insect1 and who know something of the life each has to lead1 and the conditions in which it is placed4 ,more sportsmen than naturalists1 and more naturalists than artists1 observe these and other animals in their natural surroundings4 ,but1 nowadays1 at least photographers and cinematographers are going into the wilds to portray them4 ,and perhaps naturalist-artists will arise who1 every bit as keen as sportsmen now are to get to close quarters with game animals1 will want to get into positions from which they will be able carefully to observe animals of all kinds and take note of every characteristic4 ,these artists will have to be fully as alert as the sportsmen1 and be able on the instant1 and from a fleeting glimpse1 to note the lines and shades and character of the animal4 ,but1 if they do this1 they will1 in all probability1 bring back more lasting and deeper impressions of the animals than the sportsman with all his keen observation ever receives--and they will enjoy a greater pleasure4 ,an artist1 who from observing an animal in its own haunts1 and from the sketches and notes he made there1 could paint a picture of it in its own surroundings1 would assuredly derive more pleasure from his enterprise than the sportsman who simply brought back the animal's head4 ,in addition he would have enabled others to share his enjoyment with him4 ,there is a great field here for the painter2 and many would welcome a change from the same old cows and sheep tamely grazing in a meadow1 which is all that artists usually present to us of animal life4 ,among the most conspicuous animals met with are the elephant1 the bison1 the buffalo1 and the rhinoceros4 ,and it would be hard to discover beauty in any of these4 ,as we see the rhinoceros1 for example1 in the ,zoological ,gardens nothing could be more ugly4 ,yet we should not despair of finding beauty even in a rhinoceros if we could study him in his natural surroundings and understand all the circumstances of his life4 ,if we observed him and his habits and habitat with the knowledge of the naturalist and the keenness of the sportsman1 we might find that in his form and colour he does in his own peculiar fashion fitly express the purpose of his being4 ,and whatever adequately expresses a definite purpose is beautiful4 ,where a dainty antelope would be altogether out of place1 the ponderous rhinoceros may be completely in his element4 ,where a tender-skinned horse would be driven mad by insects1 the thick-skinned beast passes the time untroubled4 ,in a drawing-room a daintily-dressed lady is a vision of loveliness4 ,in a ploughed field she would look ridiculous4 ,in a drawing-room a peasant would look uncouth4 ,in a field1 as ,millet has shown us1 he possesses a beauty1 dignified and touching4 ,it is not impossible1 therefore1 that an artist who had the opportunity of entering into the life of a rhinoceros1 as ,millet had of entering into the life of a peasant1 might discover beauty even in that monstrosity4 ,this1 however1 ,i allow is an extreme case4 ,in a less extreme case beauty has already been discovered4 ,the bison does not at first sight strike us as a beautiful animal4 ,yet ,mr4 ,stebbing1 the naturalist-sportsman1 says that1 as he caught sight of one after a long stalk1 and watched it with palpitating heart1 he was fascinated by the grand sight--#ah hands of coal-black beauty shining like satin in the light filtering through the branches of the trees4 ,when we move on from the bison to the stag the beauty is evident enough4 ,a stag carries himself right royally1 and has a rugged1 majestic beauty all his own4 ,there are few more beautiful sights in the animal world than that of a lordly stag standing tense with preparedness to turn swiftly1 and1 on the instant1 bound away in any direction4 ,not majestic like the great deer1 but of a more airy grace and daintiness1 are the smaller deer and antelope4 ,the lightness of their tread1 their suppleness of movement1 and their spring and litheness1 fill us with delight4 99 99 99 ,we now come to the crown of the animal kingdom--man4 ,and in the ,sikkim ,himalaya are to be found men of all the stages of civilisation from the most primitive to the most advanced4 ,inhabiting the forests at the foot of the mountains are certain jungle peoples of extreme interest simply by reason of their primitiveness4 ,they represent the very early stages of man1 and in observing them in their own haunts1 we shall understand something of the immensity and the delicacy of man's task in gaining his ascendancy in the animal world and acquiring a greater mastery over his surroundings4 ,in these forests teeming with animal life of all kinds man had to hold his own against dangerous and stronger animals1 and to supply himself with food in the face of many rivals4 ,he had to be as alert as the sharpest-witted and as cunning as the most crafty1 and to have physical fitness and endurance to stand the strain of incessant rivalry4 ,this is what these jungle people have4 ,their alertness1 their capacity to glide through the forest almost as stealthily as an animal1 their keenness of sight1 their acute sense of hearing1 their knowledge of jungle lore and of the habits of animals1 and their ability to stand long and hard physical strain1 are the envy of us civilised men when we find ourselves among them4 ,particularly is this shown when tracking4 ,they will note the slightest indication of the passage of the animal they are after--the faintest footprint1 a stone overturned and showing the moisture on its under surface1 a broken twig1 a bitten leaf1 the bark rubbed--and they will be able to judge from the exact appearance of these signs how long it is since the animal made them4 ,they will1 too1 detect sounds which we civilised men would certainly never hear1 and from a note of alarm in these sounds1 or from excitement among birds1 infer the presence of a dangerous animal4 ,when seen outside the forests these jungle men look wild and unkempt1 but seen in their natural surroundings and compared there with the white man1 they have a ,beauty which is wanting in the white man4 ,in these surroundings they have a dignity and composure and assurance which the ,european lacks4 ,they are on their own ground1 and there they are beautiful4 ,and these primitive men are worthy of being painted by the very greatest of painters1 and of having their praises sung by the very first of poets4 ,for it is they and their like who1 with only such weapons as the forest affords and their own ingenuity devised1 won the way through for us civilised men1 won the battle against the fierce and much more powerful beasts around them1 and by great daring and through sheer skill1 courage1 and endurance led the way to the light4 ,it was a marvellous feat4 ,for all the privileges and immunities which we men of to-day enjoy we have to thank these primitive forest men1 and our gratitude could never be too great4 ,they are deserving of the closest attention and the warmest appreciation4 ,not many of these really primitive peoples are nowadays left in the jungles4 ,but the tea-gardens have attracted a primitive people1 the ,santals1 who are typical of the true ,dravidian stock of ,india--a jolly1 cheerful1 easy-going1 and1 on the whole1 law-abiding1 truthful1 and honest people who love a roaming life1 with plenty of hunting and fishing4 ,the ,lepchas of ,sikkim have risen above the first primitive stage4 ,they clothe themselves well and dwell in well-built houses4 ,they do not possess for us the same essential interest as belongs to truly primitive people4 ,but on account of their intimate knowledge of the forest and its denizens1 and by reason also of their being a remarkably simple1 gentle1 and likeable people1 they have an unusual attraction for travellers4 ,hooker1 who was one of the first to live among them1 and ,claude ,white1 who lived among them for many years1 both write of them in affectionate terms4 ,they are child-like and engaging1 good-humoured1 cheery and amiable1 free and unrestrained4 ,they have1 too1 a reputation for honesty and truthfulness4 ,more vigorous1 capable1 and virile than the ,lepchas are the ,nepalese1 who1 migrating from ,nepal1 are found in great numbers in this region4 ,they are more given to agriculture than the ,lepchas1 and are thrifty1 industrious1 and resourceful4 ,though excitable and aggressive1 they are also law-abiding4 ,less numerous but prominent inhabitants of this region are the ,bhutias1 who consist of four classes2 ,bhutias1 who are a mixed race of ,tibetans and ,lepchas2 ,sherpa ,bhutias1 who come from the east of ,nepal1 the word sher merely meaning east2 the ,drukpa or ,dharma ,bhutias1 whose home is ,bhutan2 and the ,tibetan ,bhutias from ,tibet4 ,they are strong1 sturdy men1 merry and cheerful4 ,these ,lepchas1 ,nepalese1 and ,bhutias are all of ,mongolian origin1 and therefore have the distinctively ,mongolian appearance4 ,but besides these1 in ,darjiling and on the tea-gardens are to be found ,bengali clerks1 ,marwari merchants from ,rajputana1 ,punjabi traders1 ,hindustani mechanics1 and ,chinese carpenters4 ,and in addition to all these are ,british ,government officials1 tea-planters1 and a continual stream of visitors from all parts of ,europe and ,america1 who come to ,darjiling to view the snowy range4 ,so that in this small region may be found representatives of every grade of civilisation and a great variety of types4 ,and what an amount of ,beauty--as distinct from mere prettiness--there is to discover in even the rough local people may be seen from the pictures of the ,russian painter ,verestchagin1 engravings from which are given in his autobiographical sketches entitled ,vassili ,verestchagin4 ,this great painter evidently succeeded in getting inside the wild peoples he loved2 and his pictures reveal to us beauties we might without them never have known4 ,in these people's gait1 their attitudes1 their grouping1 as well as in their features1 he was able to discern the hardihood1 the patience1 the impetuosity1 the gentleness of their character1 and portray it for us4 ,putting aside the obvious differences between us and them1 we are able to detect our fundamental identity of nature1 have a fellow-feeling with them1 recognise sameness between us and so see their beauty4 ,,chapter ,v ,,the ,,sum ,,impression ,the ,artist has now to stand back and view the forest as a whole4 ,and he must test his view in the light of reason--bring ,truth to bear upon ,beauty4 ,the forest with its multitudinous and varied life1 ranging from simplest to most cultured man1 is an epitome of ,nature so far as she is manifested on this planet4 ,and he will from this epitome try to get a view of the real character of ,nature4 ,as he takes stock of the impressions which have been made upon him1 he will have to form a conclusion of absolutely fundamental importance for the enjoyment of ,natural ,beauty4 ,men's hearts instinctively go out to ,nature1 and in consequence they see ,beauty in her4 ,as children they love flowers and love animals4 ,and the most primitive races have the same feeling though they are just as callous in their treatment of animals as children are in their treatment of one another4 ,in the more cultured races this instinctive love of ,nature and appreciation of ,natural ,beauty has enormously developed4 ,but if men ever came to hold the idea--as so many since the doctrine of the survival of the fittest has come into prominence are inclined to do--that ,nature is at heart cold and hard1 and recks nothing of human joys and sorrows1 then love of ,nature would fade away from men's hearts4 ,being out of sympathy and repelled from entering into deep communion with her1 men would never again see ,beauty in her4 ,the enjoyment of ,natural ,beauty would pass from them for ever4 ,so the ,artist will try to get at the true ,heart of ,nature4 ,if the ,naturalist part of him tells him that at bottom ,nature is merciless and unrelenting1 utterly regardless of the things of most worth in life2 that ,nature is indeed red in tooth and claw2 that all she cares for--all she selects as the fittest to survive--are the merely strongest1 the most pushing and aggressive1 the individuals who will simply trample down their neighbours in order that they themselves may survive2 or if1 again1 the ,naturalist convinces him that all he has seen in the forest has come about by pure chance2 that it is by a mere fluke that we find orchids and not mushrooms1 men and not monkeys1 at the head of plant and animal life2 and that ,nature herself is wholly indifferent as to which of the two establishes its preeminence--then he will feel the chill upon his soul1 he will shrivel up within himself1 the very fountain-spring of ,beauty will be frozen up1 and never again will he see ,beauty in any single one of ,nature's manifestations4 ,but if1 on the other hand1 the ,naturalist is able to convince the ,artist that in spite of the very evident struggle for existence ,nature does not care twopence whether the fittest survive or not so long as what is best in the end prevails2 that far from things coming about by mere chance ,nature has a distinct end in view1 and that end the accomplishment of what he himself most prizes1 then the heart of the ,artist will warm to the heart of ,nature with a fervour it had never known before2 his heart will throb with her heart1 and every beauty he has seen in plain or mountain1 in flower1 bird1 or man1 will be a hundredfold increased4 ,which of these two views of ,nature1 so far as ,nature can be judged from what we see of her on this planet1 is correct1 he has now to determine4 ,the profound mystery which everywhere prevails in the forest and which exerts such a compelling spell upon us he will want to probe to the bottom4 ,he will not be content with the outward prettiness of butterfly and orchid1 or with the mere profusion and variety of life1 or with the colossal size of animals and trees4 ,he will want to burrow down and get at the very root and mainspring of this forest life4 ,he will want to reach the very ,heart of ,nature here manifested in such manifold variety4 ,he will want to arrive at the inner significance of all this variety of life4 ,then only will he understand ,nature and be able to decide whether ,nature is cruel and therefore to be feared1 or kind and gracious and therefore to be loved4 99 99 99 ,now1 when we go into the forest and look into it in detail1 the profusion is even greater than we expected4 ,in this damp tropical region where there is ample heat and moisture1 plant life comes springing out of the earth with a prolificness which seems inexhaustible4 ,and when plant life is abundant1 animal and insect life is abundant also4 ,so profuse1 indeed1 is the output of living things that it seems simply wasteful4 ,a single tree may produce thousands of flowers4 ,each flower may have dozens of seeds4 ,the tree may go on flowering for a hundred or two hundred years4 ,so a single tree may produce millions of seeds1 each capable of growing into a forest giant like its parent4 ,with insect life the same profusion of life is evident4 ,a single moth or butterfly lays thousands of eggs4 ,mosquitoes1 flies1 gnats1 midges1 leeches swarm in myriads upon myriads4 ,the abundance and superabundance of life is the first outstanding --though it will prove not the most important--impression made upon us by a contemplation of the forest as a whole4 99 99 99 ,scarcely less striking than the abundance is the variety4 ,life does not spring up from the earth in forms as alike one another as two peas4 ,each individual plant or animal1 however small1 however simple1 has its own distinctive characteristics1 ,there is variety and variation everywhere4 ,variety in form1 variety in colour1 variety in size1 variety in character and habit4 ,in size there is the difference between the huge terminalia towering up #bjj feet high and the tiny little potentilla2 between the atlas moth #ab inches in spread and the hardly discernible midges2 between the elephant1 massive enough to trample its way through the densest forest1 and the humble little mouse peeping out of its hole in the ground4 ,in colour the difference ranges from the light blue of the forget-me-not to the deep blue of the gentian2 from the delicate pink of the dianthus to the deep crimson of the rhododendron2 from the brilliant hues of the orchids to the dull browns and greens of inconspicuous tree flowers2 from the vivid light greens1 yellows1 and reds of the young leaves of these tropical forests to the greyer green of their maturity2 from the smiting reds and blues of the most gaudy butterflies1 beetles1 and dragon-flies to the modest browns of night-flying moths2 from the gorgeous colours of the parrots to the familiar black of crows2 from the yellow-striped tiger to the earth-coloured hare2 from the dark-skinned aborigine to the yellow-skinned ,mongolian and the fair ,european4 ,similarly do plants and animals vary in form3 from the straight pines and palms to the spreading1 umbrageous oaks and laurels2 from upstanding lilies to parasitical orchids2 from monstrous spiky beetles to symmetrical dragon-flies2 from ungainly rhinoceros to graceful antelope2 from short1 sturdy ,bhutias to tall1 slim ,hindustanis4 ,likewise in character individuals are as different as the strong1 firm tree standing open-faced1 four-square to all the world and the creeping1 insinuating parasite2 as the intelligent1 industrious ant and the clumsy1 plodding beetle2 as the plucky boar and the timid hare2 as the rough forest tribesman and the cultured ,bengali4 ,lastly1 there is variety among not only the different species of plants1 animals1 insects1 etc41 but also the individuals of the same species4 ,we ourselves know the differences there are between one man and another1 and as far as that goes between ourselves on one day and ourselves on the next4 ,each plant--and still more each animal--has its own unique individuality4 ,every cavalry officer1 every shepherd1 every dog-owner1 every pigeon-fancier knows that each horse1 sheep1 dog1 pigeon has its own individuality and is distinctly different from all others of its kind4 ,and so does every gardener know that each rose1 each tulip1 each pansy is different from all other roses1 tulips1 and pansies4 ,it is the same in the forest4 ,hardly two trees or plants of the same species develop their young leaves1 open their flowers1 ripen their seeds1 and drop their leaves at the same time4 ,apart from the size of the flower and leaf there are differences in colour1 shape1 and marking4 ,each in appearance and in habit has an individuality of its own4 ,such is the variety in the abundant life of the forest that no two individuals1 no two blades of grass1 or no two leaves are in every detail precisely alike4 ,and this is the second outstanding impression we receive4 99 99 99 ,the abundance and variety of life are evident enough4 ,not so evident but equally noteworthy is the intensity4 ,in the still forest one of the giant trees looks utterly impassive and immobile4 ,it stands there calm and unmoved4 ,not a leaf stirs4 ,yet the whole and every minutest part of it is instinct with intensest life4 ,it is made up of countless microscopic cells in unceasing activity4 ,highly sensitive and mobile cells form the root-tips and insinuate their way into every crevice in search of food for the tree1 rejecting what is unpalatable and forwarding what is useful for building up and sustaining the monarch4 ,other cells take in necessary food from the air4 ,others build up the trunk and its protective bark4 ,others1 and most important of all1 go to make up the flowers of the tree and the organs of reproduction which enable the tree to propagate its kind4 ,all this activity of the separate cells and combinations of cells is taking place4 ,and in addition there is that activity of them all in their togetherness1 that activity which keeps the cells together1 and which if relaxed for a moment would mean that the cells would all collapse as the grains of dust in an eddying dust-devil at a street corner collapse once the gust of wind which stirred them and keeps them together drops away4 ,what must be the intensity of life required to develop the tree from the seed and to rear that giant straight up from the level soil #bjj feet into the air and maintain it there two hundred years1 we can only imagine2 for to outward appearance the tree is quite impassive4 ,it does not move a muscle of its face to reveal the intensity of life within4 ,the tree is characteristic of every living thing4 ,every plant and every animal1 however seemingly sluggish1 is working to fulfil its life1 to nourish itself1 to reproduce its kind4 99 99 99 ,now1 the amount of air and sunshine for plants may be practically unlimited1 but air and sunshine are not all that plants require4 ,they want soil and moisture as well4 ,and the standing-room for plants is strictly limited4 ,the forest stretches away up to the snows2 but there it stops4 ,necessarily1 therefore1 there must be the keenest and most incessant struggle among the plants for standing-room4 ,only a comparatively few can be accommodated4 ,the rest cannot survive4 ,and as the number of plants which can survive is thus limited1 the number of animals is limited also1 for animals are dependent on plants4 ,plants1 therefore1 in spite of their eminently pacific appearance are engaged in a fierce struggle with one another for standing-room4 ,and animals are likewise engaged in a struggle among themselves for the plants4 ,there is competition among the roots of the different individual plants for the food and water of the soil4 ,and there is competition among the leaves for the sunlight4 ,each plant is pushing its roots downwards and spreading outward for more food and to root itself more firmly4 ,each is straining upward to receive more sunlight4 ,each is struggling with its fellows for room and means to develop its life4 ,competitors in hundreds and thousands are forced to withdraw and succumb4 ,and even when a forest giant has defeated all competitors and reached its full maturity it has still to maintain the struggle and hold its own continually against other individuals whose roots are reaching out below and whose branches are spreading out above2 against climbers who would smother it2 and against parasites who would suck its very life-blood4 ,the battle1 moreover1 is often not so much between one species and another species as between individuals of the same species4 ,and it is a war which continues through life4 ,the struggle for existence among the plants and trees is keen beyond imagination4 ,and the struggle among the insects1 birds and beasts1 and man for the plants and products of the trees is no less severe4 ,so now our impression is that of an abundant1 varied and intense life in which the individuals are perpetually struggling with one another for bare existence4 99 99 99 ,under these stringent and stressful conditions does each living being come into the world4 ,he has to battle his way through--or succumb4 ,plants as well as men1 and men as well as plants4 ,so1 as we look into the structure of animals and plants1 we are not surprised to find that in order to cope with their surroundings they have developed organs which are specially adapted to enable them to secure the needful food1 to hold their own against the competition of their neighbours1 to meet the exigencies of their surroundings1 and to pursue their own life to the full extent of its possibilities4 ,even plants are like sentient beings in this respect4 ,the sensitive tips of their roots are organs admirably adapted for feeling their way through the soil and selecting from its constituents what will best nourish the plant4 ,the leaves opening out to the air and sunshine are other organs adapted for gathering in nourishment4 ,and thorns and poisonous juices are means adapted to fend off destructive neighbours4 ,the eyes and ears in animals are other instances of organs which enable them to see what will serve them as food1 or to hear what may be possible enemies1 and to make use of what will help them to the proper fulfilment of their life4 ,we see each individual plant and animal striving to the best of his ability to adjust himself to the conditions in which he finds himself1 trying to adapt himself to his surroundings--to his physical surroundings1 such as the climate and soil1 and to his social surroundings1 consisting of his plant and animal neighbours and rivals4 ,we shall probably notice1 too1 that he seems to be driven by some inner impulse 7which in its turn is a responding to the impress of the totality of the individual's surroundings7 to strive to do something more than merely adapt himself to his surroundings4 ,he is urged on to rise superior to them4 ,so the course of the individual's life is continually being affected by surroundings which compel him to adapt himself to them on pain of extinction if he fails4 ,on the other hand1 he is himself1 in his own small way1 affecting his surroundings and causing them to adapt themselves to him4 ,even the humblest plant takes from the surrounding soil and air what it needs as food and changes it in the process of assimilation1 so that the surroundings are1 to a slight extent at least1 changed by the activity of the plant4 ,and we already have noticed how a plant's insect surroundings have to adapt themselves to the plant4 ,there is reciprocal action1 therefore--the surroundings forcing the individual to adapt himself to them1 and the individual causing the surroundings to adapt themselves to him4 ,here we have reached the point where1 besides the struggle for existence among the individuals of an abundant1 varied1 and intense life1 there is adaptation among the individuals to their surroundings and of their surroundings to the individuals4 99 99 99 ,we have now to note how with the adaptation goes selection4 ,set amid these physical and organic surroundings1 some helpful1 some harmful1 the individual has to spend his life in selecting and rejecting what will further or hinder his natural development4 ,he has to reject much1 for there is much that will harm him4 ,he has to select a little--for that little is vitally necessary for his upbuilding and maintenance4 ,from among the elements of the soil he has to choose those particular elements that he needs4 ,thus a plant selects through its roots from the elements of the soil1 and through its leaves from the elements of the air1 those elements and in those quantities that it needs for nourishment and growth4 ,but it has also1 by means of thorns or poison juices or other device1 to protect itself from being itself selected by some animal for that animal's own nourishment and growth4 ,so the individual is constantly selecting1 and is as constantly on the guard against being selected4 ,the principle of selection among the abundant and varied life is in continual operation4 ,and unless he selects wisely he will not survive2 for he will either have insufficient to live on or else have what is harmful to his life4 ,nor will he survive unless he is able to fend off those who would select him for their own maintenance4 ,there is selection everywhere--selection by the individual and selection of the individual by surrounding neighbours and circumstances4 99 99 99 ,thus far we have only recapitulated what most men are familiar with since ,darwin commenced preaching the doctrine of ,evolution by ,natural ,selection sixty years ago4 ,but the ,naturalist-,artist of the future will probably not be content with the conclusion to which so many jump that all that ,nature teaches or expects of individuals --plants1 beasts1 or men--is that they should adapt themselves to their surroundings and fit themselves to survive2 that all ,nature has at heart is adaptability of individuals to their surroundings and their fitness to survive4 ,the lowly amoeba can perform these unenterprising functions more fitly than himself4 ,and the ,artist would never be satisfied with so mean and meagre an ambition as merely to adapt himself to his surroundings and fit himself to survive4 ,if he saw evidence of no higher expectation than that in the workings of ,nature1 his heart would certainly not cleave to her heart4 ,and there being estrangement and coolness between his heart and hers1 he would see no ,beauty in ,nature and his pursuit of ,natural ,beauty might here end4 ,but an instinct within him tells him that this cannot be the last word as to ,nature's character and methods4 ,he himself is constantly risking his life with no thought of trying to survive1 and he sees his neighbours doing the same4 ,and his inclination is to go a good deal farther than tamely adapting himself to his surroundings4 ,he wants and strives to rise superior to them--and he finds his neighbours likewise striving4 ,so with this instinct goading him on he is driven to probe deeper still into the mystery of the forest life4 99 99 99 ,of selection and adaptation we have seen evidence throughout the whole forest life4 ,now1 where there is selection and where there is adaptation there must be purposiveness4 ,selection implies the power of choice1 and we have seen how plants as well as animals deliberately and effectively exercise this power of choice4 ,and adaptation implies adjustment to an end1 and we have seen how wonderfully plants no less than animals adapt themselves to certain ends4 ,and where individuals have the power of choice and exercise that power2 and where they have the power of adapting themselves to certain ends and exercise that power1 there obviously is purposiveness4 ,purposiveness runs like a streak through every activity4 ,it permeates the whole forest life4 ,it is observable in plants no less than in animals4 ,naturalists1 indeed1 regard trees and plants as truly sentient beings4 ,and the means plants employ to compass the end they have in view1 are truly wonderful4 ,still more remarkable is the fact that hardly two attain their object by exactly the same means4 ,the tropical forest is full of climbing plants bent upon reaching the sunlight4 ,but some climb by coiling round the trunk of a tree like a snake1 some swarm up it by holding on with claws1 some ascend by means of adhering aerial roots1 and some reach what they want by pushing through a tangle of branches spreading out arms and hauling themselves up4 ,and when plants have attained maturity and flowered1 the flowers employ numberless ways of attracting insects for the purpose of fertilisation4 ,in a still1 tropical forest1 such as that of ,lower ,sikkim1 there is no hope of the pollen being carried from one flower to another by air-currents4 ,the flowers have therefore to devise a means for the transport of the pollen4 ,efforts are made to induce winged creatures--insects in most cases1 but sometimes birds--to render assistance4 ,colours for day-flying insects and scent for night-flying insects are accordingly employed as means to this end4 ,brilliant colours attract butterflies and bees by day4 ,strong scent --sometimes pleasant to our taste1 sometimes the reverse--attracts moths and other insects by night4 ,and the flowers which depend on their scents and not on colour are usually white or dull brown or green4 ,and this scent is not exhaled when it is not needed1 but only when the insects which the flowers wish to attract are about4 ,orchids especially seem to know what they want4 ,their aerial roots wander about in search of what they want and seem to smell their way4 ,they use discrimination in utilising their knowledge4 ,they choose4 ,and each individual seems to choose in its own way4 ,from among many means of achieving the same end they make a definite choice1 and different plants make different choices--they use different means4 ,plants1 therefore1 quite evidently employ means to an end4 ,they have an end in view--sometimes their own maintenance1 sometimes the perpetuation of their kind1 sometimes something else--and they employ means to achieve that end4 ,they are1 that is to say1 purposive in their nature4 99 99 99 ,evidence of purposiveness is also furnished by the wonderful organs of adaptation1 root-tips1 leaves1 eyes1 lungs1 etc4 ,it is extremely improbable that they came into being--or even started to come into being--by mere chance alone4 ,the odds are countless millions to one against the atoms1 molecules1 and cells--myriads in number--of any one of these organs of adaptation having by mere chance grouped themselves in such a way as to form an effective eye1 or lung1 or leaf4 ,it is1 literally speaking1 infinitely improbable that the organs of adaptation we see in a forest1 in plant and animal1 should have come into existence through chance alone4 ,the organs of adaptation are distinctly and definitely purposive structures--not purposed1 perhaps1 but certainly purposeful4 ,in its struggle with its surroundings and with competitors the individual has been compelled to bring into being organs to fulfil a purpose4 ,it is not the case that the organ was first created and then a use found for it1 or use made of it4 ,what actually happens is that first there is a vague but insistent reaching out towards an end1 towards the fulfilment of some inner want or need--the need for food or to propagate1 or whatever it may be--and that to achieve that end1 or fulfil that need1 the individual is driven to create a special organisation--as an ,air ,ministry was created during the ,war to fulfil the new need for fighting in the air--and so a new organ is produced3 an essentially purposive structure such as the eye or the lung1 though unpurposed before the need arose4 ,the organs we see1 therefore1 are outward and visible signs of the existence within of a definite striving towards an end--that is1 of a purpose4 ,the forest shows an abundant1 varied1 and intense life in which individuals are for ever battling with one another4 ,but all is not happening by chance4 ,everywhere we see signs of purposiveness4 ,purposiveness--the striving towards an end--stands out as a dominating feature in forest life4 ,selections and adaptations are made1 but they are made with some purpose in view4 ,purpose governs the adaptations and selections4 ,what that purpose is we shall try and discover as we get to know still more of ,nature4 99 99 99 ,so far we have been observing individuals as separate individuals4 ,now we must look at them gathered together as a whole4 ,and the first point we note is that though each individual has his own unique individuality1 whether he be plant or man1 all are kept together as a single whole4 ,we have seen the individuals battling with one another1 competing with one another1 struggling against one another4 ,but that is only one side of the picture4 ,just as remarkable as the way in which they have to resist one another is the way in which they depend on one another4 ,their interdependence is1 therefore1 the point we have now to note4 ,since ,darwin drew our attention to the struggle for existence and survival of the fittest1 the perpetual strife in ,nature has been clear enough4 ,but hard1 selfish1 cruel1 brutal though the struggle frequently is1 though the strong will often trample mercilessly on the weak and let the unfit go to the wall without any consideration whatever2 yet the very strongest and fittest individual could not survive for a moment by itself alone4 ,and what is just as remarkable as the struggle between individuals is their dependence upon one another4 ,all plants depend upon the natural elements--the soil1 water1 air1 and light4 ,animals depend on plants4 ,and many animals depend upon other animals4 ,a forest tree in its maturity is covered with blossoms1 some conspicuous1 others inconspicuous to sight1 but very conspicuous to smell4 ,these blossoms1 either by sight or scent1 attract butterflies1 bees1 moths1 and other insects to sip their nectar1 and in so doing carry away the pollen of the flowers1 and unwittingly pass it on to another flower and fertilise it4 ,the insect thus enables the tree to procreate its species4 ,but the butterfly1 after sipping the nectar of the flower of the tree1 deposits its eggs on the under surface of the leaves1 and the leaves give nourishment to the caterpillars into which these eggs develop4 ,besides this1 the flowers1 having been fertilised by the insects1 develop into fruits or berries containing seeds2 and these fruits1 berries1 and seeds form food for monkeys1 birds1 bats1 and rodents4 ,in quarrelling for these many are dropped and form food for mice and others below4 ,birds1 finding food so near1 pair1 build their nests1 and bring up their young in its branches4 ,and in addition to the birds which are attracted by the berries1 fruits1 and seeds1 other birds which are attracted by the caterpillars come there and build their nests4 ,without the flowers the bees would be starved2 without the bees or other insects the flowers would not be fertilised and the tree would not perpetuate itself499 99 ,i take this illustration from ,rodway's ,in the ,guiana ,forest4 ,it applies equally to any tropical forest4 ,the lives of all individuals1 whether plants1 beasts1 or men1 are thus curiously interwoven with and interdependent on one another4 ,they are also dependent upon the chemical elements in the soil and air4 ,and even then the dependence does not cease1 for they depend1 too1 upon the light and heat from the ,sun4 ,and the ,sun itself1 and this ,earth as well1 are subtly connected with the whole ,stellar ,universe4 ,it is only within limits that any individual can be regarded as a distinct and separate entity4 ,it has its own unique individuality1 it is true4 ,but it is also connected with all the rest of the forest and with all the rest of the ,earth1 of the ,solar ,system1 and of the ,universe4 ,each individual is to some extent dependent upon all other individuals4 ,all influence and are influenced by all the rest4 ,there is mutual influence everywhere4 ,and all are connected in a whole--the whole influencing each individual and each individual influencing the whole4 ,so besides the resistance of individuals to one another1 there is attraction4 ,besides conflict there is co-operation4 ,besides independence there is interdependence4 ,the life of the forest thus forms a whole4 ,individuals have their due allowance of freedom4 ,but they are kept together in a whole4 ,running through the individuals in their ensemble1 binding them together1 in spite of the tether they are allowed1 must therefore be some kind of ,organising ,activity4 ,we cannot look into that marvellous forest life without seeing that at the back of it1 working all the way through it1 controlling1 guiding1 inspiring every movement1 is some dominating ,activity1 which1 while allowing individuals freedom for experimenting by the process of trial and error1 yet keeps them all bound together as a whole4 ,and when we note the evidence of purposiveness everywhere so abundant1 we cannot resist the conclusion that this ,activity also gives direction4 ,it is not necessary to suppose that this ,activity emanates from any thing or person outside ,nature4 ,it may perfectly well exercise its control and guidance from within--just as the activity which is ,i controls1 consciously or unconsciously1 directly or indirectly1 the movements and actions of every particle of which my body is made up4 ,but what we cannot but assume is that throughout this prolific and marvellously varied forest life1 through every tiny plant and every forest giant1 through every leaf and petal1 through each little insect and every bird and butterfly1 through the wild beasts of the jungle1 the wary forest folk1 and the most cultured men--through each and all and the whole in its collectedness there runs some kind of unifying ,activity1 holding the whole together1 ordering all1 dominating all1 directing all--just as the orchid-spirit holds together and directs the activities of each particle which goes to make up the orchid2 or the eagle-spirit directs the activities of each particle which goes to make up the eagle4 ,suffusing the whole1 embracing the whole1 permeating each single member of the whole1 there must be an organising and directing ,activity1 or we should not see the order and purposiveness we do4 ,we shall now see that this ,organising ,activity gives not only direction1 but an upward direction to the whole which it controls4 99 99 99 ,we have already noted that among individuals the variety is such that no two are exactly alike4 ,each individual1 however nearly alike1 varies in some slight degree from every other4 ,and new variations are constantly being created4 ,now we have to note that besides variation there is gradation4 ,there is a scale of being4 ,and individuals are graded on that scale4 ,one is higher than another4 ,as there are gradations in height from the plains to the outlying spurs of the ,himalaya1 and from these again to the higher ridges1 and from these on to the great mountains1 and finally to ,kinchinjunga and ,mount ,everest2 and as there are gradations in size from tiny plants to the giant trees2 so there are gradations in worth and value from the simple lichen or moss to the highly complex orchid2 from the microscopic animalculae of a stagnant pond to monkeys and men2 from simple primitive men to the highly cultured ,bengali2 and from the simple ,bengali villager to the poet ,rabindranath ,tagore4 ,everywhere there is scale1 gradation1 grade4 ,the differences between individuals is not on the level but on ascending stages4 ,even in very primitive communities1 where all men are equal to the extent that there are no formal chiefs1 one or two men always stand out pre-eminently above the rest1 above the younger1 the less skilful1 the less experienced4 ,there is variation everywhere1 and wherever there is variation there is gradation4 ,living beings are no more exactly equal than they are exactly alike4 ,either in proficiency1 or in speed1 or in strength1 or in cunning1 or in alertness1 or in general worth1 one is superior to the other4 ,we determine which is the faster horse by pitting one against the other in a race4 ,we find out which is the superior boxer by making the two men fight each other4 ,we find out which is the cleverest boy by testing him at an examination4 ,we expect to determine which is the ablest political leader by making him submit himself to a ,general ,election4 ,we decide which is the most beautiful rose or orchid by putting the various flowers before a committee of judges4 ,it is seldom possible to say with strict accuracy which one individual is superior to the other1 and to arrange the various individuals in their truly right place in the scale4 ,but quite evidently we do recognise the scale and recognise that theoretically it is possible to grade each individual on it1 even though our practical methods may be somewhat rough-and-ready4 ,this fact that gradation1 as well as variation1 exists is one of the great facts we have to note4 ,for it indicates that the ,organising ,activity which keeps the individuals together is not keeping them together on a uniform dead level like the ocean1 but is propelling them upward like the mountain4 ,the significance of this fact has not hitherto been adequately noted4 ,we are for ever speaking of equality when there is no equality4 ,we have never noted with sufficient attention that everywhere there are grades and degrees4 ,but it is a fact which a contemplation of the forest indelibly impresses on us4 ,and it is a most welcome and inspiring fact1 for it gives us a vision of higher things and promotes a zealous emulation among us4 99 99 99 ,and the ,organising ,activity is not only upward-reaching1 but forward-looking4 ,it looks to the future4 ,we have remarked how the individuals strive and compete with one another in order to get food and air and light with which to nourish and maintain themselves4 ,but self-maintenance is not their only object4 ,they seek to propagate themselves--to perpetuate their kind4 ,they even make provision for their offspring4 ,they go further still and sacrifice themselves that their offspring may flourish4 ,here again selfishness is not the last word4 ,even plants will make provision for their offspring1 and in the last resort will sacrifice themselves that their offspring may survive4 ,a plant will fight with its neighbours for the means wherewith to build itself up4 ,but it will also provide for more than mere maintenance4 ,it will build up organs for the purpose of propagating itself4 ,even ferns have their organs for producing seeds4 ,and many a plant will make a supreme effort to produce offspring rather than die without having perpetuated its kind4 ,and plants--and of course more markedly animals and men--do not stop with merely reproducing their kind4 ,besides devoting their energies to propagation1 they will deliberately make special provision for their offspring2 they will supply it with albumen and starch4 ,and many insects are not only indefatigable1 but highly intelligent1 in providing food for their young even before the young are hatched out4 ,they do not lay their eggs on any plant at random1 but will wander for miles to find a plant on which their young can feed1 and they then lay their eggs on that plant4 ,individual plants1 insects1 animals1 or men may be frightfully selfish in their hard struggle for existence1 but the one thing in regard to which no individual is selfish is in regard to its offspring4 ,primitive man1 utterly callous about the sufferings of animals and of his own fellow-men and even of his wife1 is tenderly careful of his child while it remains a child--and this is a very significant trait in his character4 ,however indifferent the individual may be to the sufferings of those about him1 he will make any sacrifice for his offspring4 ,there is some instinct within plants and animals alike which impels them to sacrifice themselves that their kind may continue4 ,so that ,activity which is at the source of all life1 and is keeping living things together in an interconnected whole1 not only forces them upward in the scale of being1 but is also driving them to look forward into the future1 to provide for the future--and1 indeed1 to make the future better than the present4 99 99 99 ,this seems to be the way--judging by what we see in the forest--the ,activity works4 ,things have ,i not come to be as they are by the slap-dash1 irresponsible1 unregulated methods of mere chance4 ,we cannot fail to see that chance does play some part4 ,one seed from a tree may fall into a rivulet and be swept away to the sea1 while another may be borne by a gust of wind1 or by a bird1 on to rich soil where competitors are few1 and be able to grow up into a monarch of the forest1 to live for a hundred years1 and to give birth to thousands like itself4 ,this is true4 ,but chance will not produce the advancement and progress which is observable4 ,chance will not produce a single one of those organs of adaptation we see in myriads in the forest4 ,and chance would not have made the barren earth of a hundred million years ago bring forth the plant1 animal1 and human life we see on it to-day4 ,the ,activity does not work on the haphazard methods of pure chance4 ,nor1 on the other hand1 are its operations conducted in the rigid1 mechanical method of a machine4 ,nor1 again1 can the result we see be due to the working of blind physical and chemical processes alone4 ,there is a great deal too much variety and spontaneity and originality about4 ,we could not possibly look upon the forest as a machine--even of the most complicated kind4 ,a machine goes grinding round and round1 producing things of exactly the same pattern4 ,whereas no two things exactly alike are ever turned out in the forest4 ,and blind physical and chemical processes could by themselves--by themselves alone--never produce the novelties1 the entirely new and unique things1 and things higher and higher in the scale of being1 which we see in the forest4 ,only a man impervious to the teaching of common sense could suppose that the care which plant1 beast1 and man alike show for their offspring could be the result of bare physical and chemical processes without the inclusion with these processes of any other agency whatsoever4 ,nor1 on the other hand1 do we see any signs of the forest being the result of a preconceived plan gradually being worked out--as a bridge is gradually built up according to the previously thought out plan of the engineer4 ,the carrying out of a plan means that in course of time the plan will be completed1 and that each stage is a step towards its completion4 ,but in the forest life there is no sign of any beginning of an approach towards the completion of a plan4 ,there is no tendency to a closing in4 ,there is a reaching upward1 it is true4 ,but there is also a splaying outward4 ,one line leads up to man4 ,but others splay out to insects1 birds1 and elephants4 ,another noticeable fact is that nowhere is perfection reached4 ,if a plan were being worked we should expect to see the lower stages --like the foundations of the bridge--well and truly laid1 incapable of improvement4 ,but no living being--neither the lowliest nor the highest--is itself as a whole or in any one particular absolutely perfect4 ,there is room for improvement everywhere4 ,most wonderful things we see4 ,but not perfection4 ,the eye is a wonderful thing4 ,but an oculist would point out defects in even the best4 ,and if it be argued that there has not been sufficient time yet to work out a plan1 the reply is that there has been infinite time4 ,time is infinite4 ,if the ,activity were merely working out a plan1 the plan would have been completed ages ago4 ,so the ,organising ,activity which we see must be working at the back of things1 keeping all the separate individuals together in a connected whole1 not only preserves the strictest order among them1 but grants them freedom1 stimulates emulation among them1 inspires them to reach upward and to look into and provide for the future4 ,such an ,activity is no mere mechanical activity4 ,it is a purposive ,activity4 ,it is an essentially spiritual ,activity4 ,spirit is not the casual flash flaming up from the working of blind physical and chemical forces4 ,spirit dominates these blind forces4 ,spirit is a true determining factor in the whole process4 ,spirit is at the root and source and permeates the whole4 ,this ,spiritual ,activity is what in ordinary language we speak of as the ,spirit of ,nature1 and emanates from the ,heart of ,nature4 99 99 99 ,when1 therefore1 our ,artist sums up his impressions of ,nature as epitomised in the life of the forest2 when he has been able to feel that he has1 as it were1 got inside the skin of ,nature1 entered into her ,spirit and really understood her--as the artist-midge we have referred to would enter into the nature of a man and try and understand him--he will probably find that ,nature works in very much the same way as he himself works1 and is of much the same character as himself4 ,the ,artist will observe that ,nature neither works by mere chance1 tossing up at each turning whether she shall go to the right or to the left1 and quite indifferent as to which way she takes2 nor in the set and rigid manner of a machine2 nor yet1 again1 in the cut-and-dried fashion which the execution of a previously conceived plan implies4 ,order everywhere the ,artist will have observed4 ,but order need not mean woodenness and machinery4 ,order is simply the absolutely essential prerequisite of any ,freedom4 ,and it is ,freedom that the ,artist everywhere observes4 ,nature is not closed in by the designed overarch of an eventually-to-be-completed plan4 ,the zenith and horizon are always open4 ,there is always order1 but there is scope illimitable for ,nature's workings4 ,so the sum impression the ,artist will probably receive is that ,nature is in her essential character an ,artist like himself--that she creates and goes on creating1 just as he creates and goes on creating4 ,a painter who is a true artist and not a mere copyist paints out of his head1 as the saying goes1 pictures which are true creations --something new and unique1 though founded on and related to the pre-existing4 ,and there is no limit to the pictures he might paint out of his head4 ,he is not tied down in advance by any preconceived plan4 ,according as he is roused and stirred by the complex life around him1 he could--if he were physically able--go on for ever painting picture after picture1 each a new creation4 ,in the same way a poet could go on writing poems4 ,the poet does not turn out poems like a machine turns out pins1 each like the other4 ,he is not tied down to what he writes4 ,he writes out of his own heart what he likes4 ,and he does not and could not turn out two poems exactly the same4 ,nor does he write according to plan as the bridge-builder works according to the plan of the engineer4 ,he works as he goes4 ,he works by spontaneous creativeness4 ,he is utterly original--a true creator4 ,and even so will our ,artist hold that ,nature works4 ,the letters of ,nature's alphabet which the ,artist sees in the forest are not in the places they are either through mere chance or according to a definitely prepared plan4 ,the letters form words1 the words form lines1 and the lines form poems4 ,the ,artist reads the words and understands the meaning of the poems1 and so understands the character of the ,poet--the ,poet whose name is ,nature4 ,but the ,artist knows that the words and lines and poems he sees in the forest are there as spontaneous creations from the mind of ,nature as poems arise in his own mind4 ,and he knows that ,nature could go on--and must go on--creating these poems1 painting these pictures1 for ever and ever4 ,nature will1 indeed1 work to an end as an ,artist works to an end4 ,nature has purposiveness as an ,artist has purposiveness4 ,but that end is something which ,nature1 like the ,artist1 is always revising1 re-creating1 improving1 perfecting4 ,an ,artist has the general end of creating ,beauty1 but he is always striving to enrich and intensify it1 to create it in greater and greater perfection4 ,and even so does ,nature work4 99 99 99 ,as the ,artist puts himself in touch with the ,heart of ,nature1 the dominant impression he receives is of ,nature ever straining after higher1 perfection1 ever striving to achieve a greater excellence1 and create beings with higher and higher1 modes of life4 ,he sees her straining upward in the mountain1 in the trees1 in the climbers on the trees1 in every blade of grass4 ,he sees the whole of life1 straining to achieve higher and higher forms1 more perfect flowers1 more intelligent animals1 more spiritual men4 ,he sees the life of the seas stretching up out of the seas on to the land4 ,he sees the life of the land striving to reach the highest points on the land4 ,and he sees it also soaring up into the air and making itself at home there1 too4 ,everywhere he sees evidence of aspiration and upward effort4 ,but he notes also that with this upward effort there goes a downward pull4 ,the mountain strives upward1 but it is drawn down by the forces of gravitation4 ,the eagle soars up in the sky1 but has to come down to earth to rest and feed4 ,the poet aspires to heaven1 but has to stop on earth and earn his daily bread4 ,nature1 like himself1 the ,artist finds1 is engaged in a constant struggle between an impulse to excentration and the necessity for concentration4 ,she wants to fly off to the zenith and to the horizon1 but is continually being drawn into the centre4 ,she wants to let herself go1 but has to keep herself in4 ,and all this is to the good4 ,for the necessity for concentration only serves to strengthen and refine her aspiration4 ,and the net result is higher and higher perfection4 ,she cannot rise any higher in a mountain1 so she rises in a higher form in a tree4 ,she cannot rise any higher in a tree1 so she rises in higher form in an orchid4 ,she cannot rise any higher in an orchid1 so she rises in higher form in a man4 ,she cannot rise any higher in man as an intelligent animal1 so she rises in higher form in man as a spiritual being1 capable of spiritual appreciation and of spiritual communion with her4 ,the gravitation to a centre--the necessity for concentration--does not suppress and crush the aspiration of ,nature2 it only serves to compel the aspiration to refine and perfect itself4 ,in this spirit of aspiration checked by concentration the ,artist will surely find what is after his own heart4 ,he will recognise that what is going on in ,nature is the same as what goes on in his own heart4 ,he and ,nature have a common aspiration4 ,as he aspires but has to concentrate1 so does ,nature aspire but has to concentrate4 ,as he works1 so does ,nature work4 ,what he aims at1 that also does ,nature aim at4 ,and when the ,naturalist within him convinces him that1 so far as forest life reveals it1 this is ,nature's manner and this is ,nature's end1 then his heart goes out to the ,heart of ,nature1 his heart and her heart become one2 and from that community of heart ,beauty unending springs4 ,he will without reserve or hesitation be able to throw his whole heart into the enjoyment of ,natural ,beauty in a way that would have been utterly impossible if he had had to come to the conclusion that ,nature cared only for the brutally fittest1 wholly irrespective of their worth1 or that ,nature was at the mercy of chance and had no wish1 intention1 or power to make good prevail over ill4 ,and with his instinctive love of ,natural ,beauty thus confirmed and strengthened by this testing of his instinct against what cool reasoning on the facts revealed by observation in the forest had to say about it1 he can with lightened heart search still further into ,nature1 and see her in higher1 wider1 deeper aspects than the forest alone can disclose4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,kinchinjunga ,aspiration is the root sentiment at the ,heart of ,nature as she manifests herself in the forest--aspiration upward checked by concentration upon the inmost centre4 ,and the very emblem of the aspiration of ,nature kept in hand and under control is to be found in that proud pinnacle of the ,sikkim ,himalaya1 ,kinchinjunga1 as it is seen from ,darjiling rising from amidst the rich tropical forests which clothe its base4 ,to ,darjiling1 therefore1 we should be wise to go4 ,to reach it we must ascend the slopes of the outer ranges which rise abruptly from the plains4 ,a giant forest now replaces the stunted and bushy timber of the ,terai proper and clothes the steep mountain-sides with dense1 deep-green1 dripping vegetation4 ,the trees are of great height1 and are sheathed and festooned with climbing plants of many kinds4 ,bauhinias and robinias1 like huge cables1 join tree to tree4 ,peppers1 vines1 and convolvulus twine themselves round the trunks and branches1 and hang in graceful pendants from the boughs4 ,and the trees1 besides being hung with climbers1 are also decked with orchids and with foliaceous lichens and mosses4 ,the wild banana with its crown of glistening leaves is everywhere conspicuous4 ,bamboos shoot up through the undergrowth to a hundred feet or more in height4 ,the fallen trees are richly clothed with ferns typical of the hottest and dampest climates4 ,and dendrobiums and other orchids fasten on the branches4 99 99 99 ,at ,kurseong there is another striking change1 for the vegetation now becomes more characteristic of the temperate zone4 ,the spring here vividly recalls the spring in ,england4 ,oaks of a noble species and magnificent foliage are flowering and the birch bursting into leaf4 ,the violet1 strawberry1 maple1 geranium1 and bramble appear1 and mosses and lichens carpet the banks and roadsides4 ,but the species of these plants differ from their ,european prototypes1 and are accompanied at this elevation 7and for #b1jjj feet higher up7 with tree ferns forty feet in height1 bananas1 palms1 figs1 pepper1 numbers of epiphytal orchids1 and similar genuine tropical genera4 ,from ,kurseong we ascend through a magnificent forest of chestnut1 walnut1 oaks1 and laurels4 ,hooker1 when he subsequently visited the ,khasia ,hills in ,assam1 said that though the subtropical scenery on the outer ,himalaya was on a much more gigantic scale1 it was not comparable in beauty and luxuriance with the really tropical vegetation induced by the hot1 damp1 and insular climate of those perennially humid ,khasia ,hills4 ,the forest of gigantic trees on the ,himalaya1 many of them deciduous1 appear from a distance as masses of dark grey foliage1 clothing mountains #aj1jjj feet high4 ,whereas in the ,khasia ,hills the individual trees are smaller1 more varied in kind1 of a brilliant green1 and contrast with grey limestone and red sandstone rocks4 ,still1 even of the forest between ,kurseong and ,darjiling1 ,hooker says that it is difficult to conceive a grander mass of vegetation--the straight shafts of the timber trees shooting aloft1 some naked and clean with grey1 pale1 or brown bark2 others literally clothed for yards with a continuous garment of epiphytes 7air-plants71 one mass of blossoms1 especially the white orchids1 coelogynes1 which1 bloom in a profuse manner1 whitening their trunks like snow4 ,more bulky trunks bear masses of interlacing climbers--vines1 hydrangea1 and peppers4 ,and often the supporting tree has long ago decayed away and their climbers now enclose a hollow4 ,perpetual moisture nourishes this dripping forest1 and pendulous mosses and lichens are met with in profusion4 ,for this forest life1 however1 we cannot at present spare the attention that is its due1 for we want above all things to see the mountains on the far side of this outer ridge4 ,tropical forests may be seen in many other parts of the world4 ,but only here on all the ,earth can we see mountains on so magnificent a scale4 ,so we do not pause1 but cross the ridge and come to the slopes and spurs which face northward1 away from the plains and towards the main range of the ,himalaya4 ,here is situated ,darjiling1 which ought to be set apart as a sacred place of pilgrimage for all the world4 ,directly facing the snowy range and set in the midst of a vast forest of oaks and laurels1 rhododendrons1 magnolias1 and camellias1 the branches and trunks of which are festooned with vines and smilax and covered with ferns and orchids1 and at the base of which grow violets1 lobelias1 and geraniums1 with berberries1 brambles1 and hydrangeas--it is adapted as few other places are for the contemplation of ,nature's ,beauty in its most splendid aspects4 ,its only disadvantage is that it is so continually shrouded in mist4 ,the range on which it stands being the first range against which the moisture-laden currents from the ,bay of ,bengal strike1 the rainfall is very heavy and amounts to #adj or #afj inches in the year4 ,and even when rain is not actually falling there is much cloud hanging about the mountains4 ,so the traveller cannot count upon seeing the snows4 ,there is no certainty that as he tops the ridge or turns the corner he will see ,kinchinjunga in the full blaze of its glory4 ,he cannot be as sure of seeing it as he is of seeing a picture on entering a gallery4 ,during the month of ,november alone is there a reasonable surety4 ,all the rest of the year he must take his chance and possess his soul in patience till the mountain is graciously pleased to reveal herself4 ,perhaps because of the uncertainty of seeing ,kinchinjunga the view when it is seen is all the more impressive4 ,the traveller waits for hours and days1 even for only a glimpse4 ,one minute's sight of the mountains would satisfy him4 ,but still the clouds eddy about in fleecy billows wholly obscuring the mountains4 ,six thousand feet below may now and then be seen the silver streak of the ,rangit ,river and forest-clad mountains beyond4 ,around him are dripping forests1 each leaf glistening with freshest greenness1 long mosses hanging from the boughs1 and the most delicate ferns and noblest orchids growing on the stems and branches4 ,all is very beautiful1 but it is the mountain he wants to see2 and still the cloud-waves collect and disperse1 throw out tender streamers and feelers1 disappear and collect again1 but always keep a veil between him and the mountain4 ,then of a sudden there is a rent in the veil4 ,without an inkling of when it is to happen or what is to be revealed1 those mists of infinite softness part asunder for a space4 ,the traveller is told to look4 ,he raises his eyes but sees nothing4 ,he throws back his head to look higher4 ,then indeed he sees1 and as he sees he gasps4 ,for a moment the current of his being comes to a standstill4 ,then it rushes back in one thrill of joy4 ,much he will have heard about ,kinchinjunga beforehand4 ,much he will remember of it if he has seen it before4 ,but neither the expectation nor the memory ever comes up to the reality4 ,from that time1 henceforth and for ever1 his whole life is lifted to a higher plane4 ,through the rent in the fleecy veil he sees clear and clean against the intense blue sky the snowy summit of ,kinchinjunga1 the culminating peak of lesser heights converging upward to it and all ethereal as spirit1 white and pure in the sunshine1 yet suffused with the delicatest hues of blue and mauve and pink4 ,it is a vision of colour and warmth and light--a heaven of beauty1 love1 and truth4 ,but what really thrills us is the thought that1 incredibly high though it is1 yet that heaven is part of earth1 and may conceivably be attained by man4 ,it is nearly double the height of ,mont ,blanc and more than six times the height of ,ben ,nevis1 but still it is rooted in earth and part of our own home4 ,this is what causes the stir within us4 ,hardly less striking than its height is its purity and serenity4 ,the subtle tints of colour and the brilliant sunlight dispel any coldness we might feel1 while the purity is still maintained4 ,and the serenity is accentuated by the ceaseless movements of the eddying clouds through which the vision is seen4 ,there is about ,kinchinjunga the calm and repose of stupendous upward effort successfully achieved4 ,a sense of solemn elevation comes upon us as we view the mountain4 ,we are uplifted4 ,the entire scale of being is raised4 ,our outlook on life seems all at once to have been heightened4 ,and not only is there this sense of elevation3 we seem purified also4 ,meanness1 pettiness1 paltriness seem to shrink away abashed at the sight of that radiant purity4 ,the mountain has made appeal to1 and called forth from us all that is most pure and most noble within us1 and aroused our highest aspirations4 ,our heart1 therefore1 goes out lovingly to it4 ,we long to see it again and again4 ,we long to be always in a mood worthy of it4 ,and we long to have that fineness of soul which would enable us to appreciate it still more fully4 ,glowing in the heart of the mountain is the pure flame of undaunted aspiration1 and it sets something aglow in our hearts also which burns there unquenchably for the rest of our days4 ,we see attainment of the ,i highest in the physical domain1 and it stirs us to achieve the highest in the spiritual4 ,between ourselves and the mountain is the kinship of common effort towards high ends4 ,and it is because of this kinship that we are able to see such lofty ,beauty in the mountain4 ,for only a few minutes are we granted this heavenly vision4 ,then the veil is drawn again4 ,but in those few minutes we have received an impression which has gone right down into the depths of our soul and will last there for a lifetime4 99 99 99 ,on other occasions the mountain is not so reserved1 but reveals itself for whole days in all its glory4 ,the central range of the ,himalaya will be arrayed before us in its full majesty from one horizon to the other without a cloud to hide a single detail4 ,we see the lesser ranges rolling up1 wave after wave1 in higher and higher effort towards the culminating line of peaks4 ,and along this central line itself all the lesser heights we see converging on the supreme peak of ,kinchinjunga4 ,the scene1 too1 will be dazzling in the glorious sunshine and suffused with that purply-blue translucent atmosphere which gives to the whole a fairy-like1 ethereal aspect4 ,and on this occasion we have no hurried glimpse of the mountain4 ,we have ample time to contemplate it1 looking at it1 turning away from it to rest our souls from so deep an emotion1 looking at it again1 time after time1 till we have entered into its spirit and its spirit has entered into us4 ,and always our eyes insensibly revert to the culminating-point--the summit of ,kinchinjunga itself4 ,we note all the rich forest foreground1 the deep valley beneath us1 the verdure-covered subsidiary ranges1 and the strong buttresses of the higher peaks4 ,but our eyes do not linger there4 ,they unconsciously raise themselves beyond them to the summit ridge4 ,nor do we look long on the distant peaks on either hand4 ,they are over #bd1jjj feet in height4 ,but they are not the highest4 ,so our eyes pass over peaks of every remarkable form--abrupt1 rugged1 and enticing1 and we seek the highest peak of all4 ,and ,kinchinjunga is a worthy mountain-monarch4 ,it is not a needle-point--a sudden upstart which might easily be upset4 ,kinchinjunga is grand and massive and of ample gesture1 broad and stable and yet also culminating in a clear and definite point4 ,there is no mistaking her superiority both in massiveness and height to every peak around her4 ,and thick-mantled in deep and everlasting snow though the whole long range of mountains is1 the spectacle of all this snow brings no chill upon us4 ,for we are in latitudes more southern still than ,italy and ,greece--farther south than ,cairo4 ,the entire scene is bathed in warm and brilliant sunshine4 ,the snows are glittering white1 but with a white that does not strike cold upon us1 for it is tinted in the tenderest way with the most delicate hues of blue and pink4 ,they are1 indeed1 in the strictest sense not white at all1 but a mingling of the very faintest essence of the rose1 the violet1 and the forget-me-not4 ,and we view the distant mountains through an atmospheric veil which has the strange property of revealing instead of hiding the real nature of the object before which it stands4 ,it does not conceal the mountains4 ,it reveals them in their real nature--the spiritual4 ,each country has an atmosphere of its own4 ,there is a blue of the ,alps1 a blue of ,italy1 a blue of ,greece1 and a blue of ,kashmir4 ,the blue of the ,sikkim ,himalaya1 perhaps on account of the excessive amount of moisture in the air1 has a special quality of its own4 ,it seems to me to have more colour in it--a fuller colour1 a bluer blue1 a purpler purple than the atmosphere of these other countries4 ,from this cause and from the greater brilliance of the sun there is a more satisfying warmth even in the snows4 ,so besides beauty in the form of the mountains there is this exquisite loveliness of colour4 ,in the immediate foreground are greens1 fresh and shining and of every tint4 ,and these shade away into deep purples and violets of the supporting ranges1 and these again into those most delicate hues of the snows which vary according to the time of day1 from decided rose-pink in the early morning and evening to1 perhaps1 faintest blue or violet in the full day4 ,and over all and as a background is a sky of the intensest blue4 ,what these colours are it is impossible to describe in words1 for even the violet1 the rose1 and the forget-me-not have not the delicacy which these colours in the atmosphere possess4 ,and assuredly no painter could do them justice1 simply because paints and canvas are mediums far too coarse in which to reproduce the impression which such brilliance of light acting on a medium so fine as the thin air produces4 ,the great ,russian painter ,verestchagin once visited ,darjiling1 and took his seat to paint the scene4 ,he looked and looked1 but did not paint4 ,his wife kept handing him the brush and paints4 ,but time after time he said3 ,not now1 not now2 it is all too splendid4 ,night came and the picture never was painted4 ,and it never could be painted1 though great artists most assuredly could at least point out to us in their pictures the subtler glories which are to be seen1 and which we expect them to indicate to us4 99 99 99 ,so the view of the snows from ,darjiling1 grand and almost overpowering though it is1 has warmth in it too4 ,the main impression is one of magnitude and amplitude1 of vastness and immensity1 and withal of serene composure4 ,the first view of the mountain seen through a rent in the clouds was perhaps more uplifting1 though this view excites a sense of elevation also1 for the eye is continually being drawn to the highest point4 ,but in this full view the impression of breadth and bigness of scale is combined with the impression of height4 ,the dimensions of life in every direction seem to be enlarged4 ,we seem to be able to look at things from a broader1 bigger point of view1 as well as a higher4 ,we ourselves and the world at large are all on a larger scale than we had hitherto suspected4 ,and while on a broader scale1 we feel that things are always working upward and converging towards some lofty but distinct1 defined summit4 ,this also do we feel1 as we look upon the view1 that with all the bigness and massiveness and loftiness there is the very finest tenderness as well--such delicacy as we had never before imagined4 ,and to anyone who really knows them the littleness of man in comparison with these mighty mountains is not the impression made upon him4 ,he is not overawed and overcome by them4 ,his soul goes out most lovingly to them because they have aroused in him all the greatness in his soul1 and purified it--even if only for a time--of all its dross and despicableness4 ,and he loves them for that4 ,he does not go cringing along1 feeling himself a worm in comparison with them4 ,there is warm kinship between him and them4 ,he knows what is in their soul4 ,and they have aroused in his soul exactly what he rejoices in having aroused there1 and which but for them might have remained for ever unsurmised4 ,so he revels in their ,beauty4 99 99 99 ,another aspect in which we may see ,kinchinjunga is in its aspect at dawn4 ,it will be still night--a starlit night4 ,the phantom snowy range and the fairy forms of the mountains will be bathed in that delicate yellow light the stars give forth4 ,the far valley depths will be hidden in the sombrest purple4 ,overhead the sky will be glittering with brilliant gems set in a field of limpid sapphire4 ,the hush of night will be over all--the hush which heralds some great and splendid pageant4 ,then1 almost before we have realised it1 the eastward-facing scarps of the highest peaks are struck with rays of mingled rose and gold1 and gleam like heavenly realms set high above the still night-enveloped world below4 ,farther and farther along the line1 deep and deeper down it1 the flush extends4 ,the sapphire of the sky slowly lightens in its hue4 ,the pale yellow of the starlight becomes merged in the gold of dawn4 ,white billowy mists of most delicate softness imperceptibly form themselves in the valley depths and float up the mountain-sides4 ,the deep hum of insect life1 the chirping of the birds1 the sounds of men1 begin to break the hush of night4 ,the snows become a delicate pink1 the valleys are flooded with purple light1 the sky becomes intensest blue1 and the sun at last itself appears above the mountains1 and the ardent life of day vibrates once more4 ,in the full glare of day the mountains are not seen at their very best4 ,the best time of all to see them is in the evening4 ,if we go out a little from ,darjiling into the forest to some secluded spur we can enjoy an evening of rare felicity4 ,on the edge of the spur the forest is more open4 ,the ground is covered with grass and flowers and plants with many-coloured leaves4 ,rich orchids and tender ferns and pendant mosses clothe the trees4 ,graceful vines and creepers festoon themselves from bough to bough4 ,the air is fragrant with the scent of flowers4 ,bright butterflies flutter noiselessly about4 ,the soft purr of forest life drones around4 ,rays from the setting sun slant across the scene4 ,the leaves in their freshest green and of every shade glitter like emeralds in the brilliant light4 ,through the trunks of the stately trees and under their overarching boughs we look out towards the snowy mountains4 ,we look over the brink of the spur1 down into the deeps of the valleys richly filled with tropical vegetation1 their eastward-facing sides now of purplest purple1 their westward-facing slopes radiant in the evening sunshine1 with the full richness of their foliage shown up by the dazzling light4 ,far below we see the silver streak of some foaming river1 and then as we raise our eyes we mark ridge rising behind ridge1 higher and higher and each of a deeper shade of purple than the one in front4 ,the lower are still clothed in forest1 but the green has been merged in the deep purple of the atmosphere4 ,the higher are bare rock till the snow appears4 ,but just across them floats a long level wisp of fleecy cloud1 and apparently the limits of earth have been reached and sky has begun4 ,we would rest content with that4 ,but our eyes are drawn higher still4 ,and high above the cloud1 and rendered inconceivably higher by its presence1 emerges the snowy summit of ,kinchinjunga1 serene and calm and flushed with the rose of the setting sun4 ,as a background is a sky of the clearest1 bluest blue4 ,these are the chief elements of the scene1 but all is in process of incessant yet imperceptible change4 ,the sunshine slowly softens1 the purples deepen1 the flush on the mountains reddens4 ,the air becomes as soft as velvet4 ,not a leaf now stirs4 ,a holy peace steals over the mountains and settles in the valleys4 ,the snow mountains no longer look cold1 hard1 and austere4 ,their purity remains as true as ever4 ,and they still possess their uplifting power4 ,but they now speak of serenity and calm--not1 indeed1 of the unsatisfying ease of the slothful1 but of the earned repose of high attainment4 ,great peace is about them--deep1 strong1 satisfying peace4 ,the sun finally sets4 ,night has settled in the valleys4 ,the lights of ,darjiling sparkle in the darkness4 ,but long afterwards a glow still remains on ,kinchinjunga4 ,lastly that also fades away4 ,and now night spreads her veil on every part4 ,but here night brings with it no sense of gloom and darkness1 much less death4 ,far otherwise1 for now it seems as if we were only beginning our intenser and still wider life4 ,the fret of ordinary life is soothed away in the serene ending of the day4 ,the quietness1 profound and meaningful1 yet further calms our spirit4 ,every condition is now favourable for the life of that inmost soul of us1 which is too sensitive often to emerge into the glare and rubs of daylight life1 but which in this holy peace1 in the presence of the heavenly mountains1 and with the stars above to guide it1 can reach out to its fullest extent and indulge its highest aspirations4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,high ,,solitudes ,from these scenes of tropical luxuriance and teeming life ,i would transport the ,artist to a region of austerest beauty1 far at the back of the ,himalaya1 where only one white man as yet has penetrated3 where no life at all exists--no tree1 no simplest plant1 no humblest animalcula2 where1 save for some rugged precipice too steep for snow to lie1 and save also for the intense azure of the sky1 all is radiant whiteness4 ,a region far distant from any haunt of man1 where reigns a mountain which acknowledges supremacy to ,mount ,everest alone4 ,a region of completest solitude1 where the solemn silence is unbroken by the twitter of a single bird or the drone of the smallest insect1 and is disturbed only by the occasional thunder of an avalanche or the grinding crunch of the glacier as a reminder of the titanic forces which are perpetually though invisibly at work4 ,freezing this region is and full of danger4 ,and there is no short cut to it and no easy means of transport4 ,only men in the prime of health can reach there and return4 ,and it is only men whose faculties are at their finest who are fit to stand the austerity of its cold1 stern beauty4 ,it lies at the dividing line between ,india and ,central ,asia where the waters which flow to ,india are parted from the waters which flow to ,central ,asia1 and where the ,indian and ,chinese ,empires touch one another4 ,it may be approached from two directions--from ,turkistan or from ,kashmir and the ,karakoram ,pass4 ,the ,artist had better approach it by ,kashmir1 for he will see there certain beauties which even ,sikkim does not possess1 and this will make him further realise the variety of beauty this earth displays4 ,kashmir is altogether different from ,sikkim4 ,in ,sikkim the valleys are deep1 steep1 and narrow1 and markedly inclined1 so that the rivers run strong and there is no room or level for lakes4 ,in ,kashmir the main valley is from twenty to thirty miles broad and ninety miles long4 ,over a large portion it is nearly dead level4 ,so the river is even and placid4 ,and there are tranquil lakes and duck-haunted marshes4 ,the climate is different1 too4 ,it is the climate of ,north ,italy4 ,consequently there are no tropical forests1 and the mountain-sides are covered with trees of the temperate zone--the stately deodar cedars1 spruce fir1 maples1 walnut1 sycamore1 and birch2 while in the valley itself grow poplars1 willows1 mulberries1 and most beautiful of all1 and a speciality of ,kashmir1 the magnificent chenar tree--akin to the plane tree of ,europe1 but larger1 fuller1 and richer in its foliage4 ,in ,kashmir there is also far more variety of colour than there is in ,sikkim4 ,and in the spring1 with the willows and poplars in freshest green2 the almond1 pear1 apple1 apricot1 and peach trees in full blossom1 white and pink2 the fields emerald with young wheat1 blue with linseed1 or yellow with mustard2 and the village-borders purple with iris2 or in the autumn when the chenars1 the poplars1 and apricots are turning to every tint of red and yellow and purple1 ,kashmir is in a glow of colour4 ,and the famous ,valley is all the more beautiful because it is ringed round with a circle of snowy mountains of at least ,alpine magnitude1 with a glimpse here and there1 such as that of ,nanga ,parbat1 of much more stupendous peaks beyond2 and because the sky is so blue1 the atmosphere so delicate in its hues1 and the sunshine so general throughout the year4 ,in this favoured land there is many a variety of beauty1 but all is of the easy1 pleasant kind4 ,all the colours are soft and soothing4 ,it is a land to dream of1 a gentle and indulgent land of soft repose1 and calm content1 and quiet relaxation2 a dreamy1 peaceful land where life glides smoothly forward1 and all makes for enjoyment and idleness and holiday4 ,from the pleasant ,vale of ,kashmir the ,artist would have to make his way up the ,sind ,valley--a valley1 typical of those beautiful tributaries which add so much to the whole charm of ,kashmir4 ,these are comparatively narrow1 and the mountain-sides are steep1 but the valleys are not so narrow nor the sides so steep as the valleys of ,sikkim1 nor are the forests anything like so dense4 ,the scenery is1 indeed1 much more ,swiss in appearance with open pine forests1 picturesque hamlets1 grassy pasture-lands1 flowery meadows1 and clear1 rushing rivers2 and with the rocky crests or snow-capped summits of the engirdling mountains always in the background4 ,but when we emerge from this delightful valley of the ,sind ,river and cross the ,zoji-la ,pass1 we come upon a very different style of country--bare1 dreary1 desolate1 monotonous1 uninteresting4 ,the forest has all disappeared1 for the rainfall is here slight4 ,the moisture-laden clouds have precipitated themselves upon the seaward-facing slopes of the mountains we have already passed through4 ,and because of this lack of rainfall the valleys are not cut out deep1 but are high and broad4 ,it is a delightful experience to pass from this brown1 depressing landscape to the rich beauties of the ,sind ,valley and ,kashmir4 ,but to make the journey the other way round1 and to pass into the gloomy region after being spoilt by the luxuries of ,kashmir1 is sadly disheartening at first4 ,the experience has1 however1 its advantages1 for it makes us throw off all ideas of soft ease we may have harboured in ,kashmir1 and reminds us that we have to prepare ourselves to face beauties of a far sterner kind4 ,so we insensibly alter our whole attitude of mind1 and as we plod our way through the mountains we summon up from within ourselves all the austerer stuff of which we are made4 ,we cross some easy passes of #ac1jjj feet or so in height4 ,we cross the ,river ,indus4 ,we reach ,leh4 ,we cross a #ag1jjj feet pass and then a glacier pass of #ah1jjj feet1 and then the watershed of ,india and ,central ,asia by the ,karakoram ,pass1 nearly #ai1jjj feet in height4 ,we are six hundred miles from the plains of ,india now1 and in about as desolate a region as the world contains4 ,then1 bearing westward1 we make for the ,aghil ,pass4 ,we have now got right in behind the ,himalaya1 and as we reach the top of the ,aghil ,pass we look towards the ,himalaya from the ,central ,asian side1 on what is known as the ,karakoram ,range1 and here at last is the remote1 secluded glacier region which has been the object of our search4 ,its glory bursts upon us as we top the last rise to the ,aghil ,pass4 ,across the deep valley is arrayed in bold and jagged outline a series of pinnacles of ice glistening in the brilliant sunshine1 showing up in clearest definition against the intense blue sky1 and rising abruptly and incredibly high above the rock-bound ,oprang ,river4 ,they are the mighty peaks which group around ,k#b--the noblest cluster in the whole ,himalaya4 ,there are here no inviting grassy slopes and no enticing forests4 ,the mountain-sides are all hard rock and rugged precipices4 ,and the summits are of ice or with edges sharp and keen direct from ,nature's workshop4 ,but the sight1 though it awes us1 does not depress us or deter us4 ,we are keyed up by high anticipation when we arrive on the threshold of this secluded region1 and a fierce joy seizes us as we first set eyes on these mountains4 ,we know we have before us one of the great sights of the world--something unique and apart1 something the like of which we shall never see again4 ,and awed as we are by the mountains' unsurpassed magnificence1 we do not bow down in any abject way before them4 ,we are not impressed by our littleness in comparison4 ,they have1 indeed1 shown us that the world is something greater than we knew4 ,but they have shown us also that we too are something greater than we knew4 ,the peaks in their dazzling altitude have set an exacting standard for us4 ,they have incited us to rise to that standard4 ,their call is great1 but a thrill runs through us as we feel ourselves responding to the challenge1 collecting ourselves together and gathering up every stiffest bit of ourselves to rise to their high standard4 ,we feel nerved and steeled2 and in high exhilaration we plunge down into the valley to join issue with the mountains4 ,arrived on the ,oprang ,river we can turn either to the left or the right4 ,if we turn to the left we get right in under a knot of stupendous peaks4 ,towering high and solitary above the rocky wall which bounds the valley on the south is a peak which may be ,k#b1 #bh1bej feet in height1 which must be somewhere in the neighbourhood4 ,but the investigations of the ,duke of the ,abruzzi throw a doubt as to whether this can be ,k#b itself4 ,if it is not1 it must be some unfixed and unnamed peak4 ,at any rate it is a magnificent1 upstanding peak rising proud and steep-sided high and clear above its neighbours4 ,then beyond it1 farther up the ,oprang ,valley1 we catch glimpses of that wondrous company of ,gusherbrum ,peaks--four of them over #bf1jjj feet in height1 with rich glaciers flowing from them4 ,but if we turn to the right on descending from the ,aghil ,pass1 and if we turn again in the direction of the ,mustagh ,pass1 we come to an icy realm which has about it1 above every other region1 the impress of both extreme remoteness and loftiest seclusion4 ,as we ascend right up the glacier--either the one coming down from the ,mustagh ,pass or the one to the east running parallel with the general line of the ,karakoram ,range--we feel not only far away from but also high above the rest of the world4 ,and we seem to have risen to an altogether purer region4 ,especially if we sleep in the open1 without any tent1 with the mountains always before us1 with the stars twinkling brightly above us1 do we have this sense of having ascended to a loftier and serener world4 ,at the heads of these glaciers there is little else but snow and ice4 ,the moraines have almost disappeared--or1 rather1 have hardly yet come into being4 ,and the mountains are so deeply clothed in ice and snow1 it is only when they are extremely steep that rock appears4 ,the glacier-filled valley below and the mountain above are therefore almost purely white4 ,the atmosphere1 too1 is marvellously clear1 so that by day the mountains and glaciers glitter brightly in the sunshine1 and at night the stars shine out with diamond brilliance4 ,the effect on a moonlight night is that of fairyland4 ,we see the mountains as clearly as we would by the daylight of many regions1 but the light is now all silver1 and the mountains not solid and substantial but ethereal as in a vision4 ,the pureness of the beauty is unspotted4 ,it is the direct opposite of the voluptuous beauty of ,kashmir4 ,no one would come here for repose and holiday4 ,but we like to have been there once4 ,we like to have attained even once in a lifetime to a world so refined and pure4 ,cold it may be--and dangerous4 ,but we soon forget the cold4 ,and the dangers only string us up to meet them1 so that we are in a peculiarly alert1 observant mood4 ,and we have a secret joy in watching ,nature in her most threatening aspects and in measuring ourselves against her4 ,white it may be1 but not colourless4 ,for the whiteness of the snow is most exquisitely tinged with blue4 ,the lakelets on the glacier are of deepest blue4 ,they are encircled by miniature cliffs of ice of transparent green4 ,the blue-ness of the sky is of a depth only seen in the highest regions4 ,and the snowy summits of the mountains are tinged at sunset and dawn with finest flush of rose and primrose4 ,so with all the whiteness there is1 too1 the most delicate colouring4 ,standing thus on the glacier and looking up to the snowy peaks all round us1 we think how1 wholly unobserved by men1 they have reared themselves to these high altitudes and there remain century by century unseen by any human being4 ,from deep within the interior of the earth they have arisen4 ,and they are only touched by the whitest snowflakes4 ,they are only touched by snowflakes fashioned from the moisture which the sun's rays have raised off the surface of the ,indian ,ocean1 and which the monsoon winds have transported in invisible currents1 high above the plains of ,india1 till they are gently precipitated on these far-distant heights4 ,blessed are the pure in heart1 we are told1 for they shall see ,god4 ,and blessed are they who are able to ascend to a region like this1 for here they cannot but be pure in heart1 and cannot help seeing ,god4 ,for the time being at least1 they have to be pure4 ,in the spotless purity of that region they cannot harbour any thought that is sordid or unclean4 ,and they pray that ever after they may maintain what they have reached4 ,for they know that if they could maintain it they would see beauties which in the murky state of common life it is impossible to perceive4 ,in the white purity which this high region exacts they are forced to pierce through the superficial and unimportant and they catch sight of the real4 ,they are in a remote and lofty solitude1 and in touch with the naked elementals of which the world has built itself4 ,but they do not feel alone4 ,they feel themselves in a great ,presence1 and in a ,presence with which they are most intimately in touch4 ,and it is no dread ,presence1 but one which they delight to feel4 ,holiness is its essence1 and their souls are purged and purified4 ,they are suffused with it2 it enters deeply into them1 and translates them swiftly upward4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,heavens ,the remote glacier region gives us a sense of purity1 and gives us1 too1 a vision of colour in its finest delicacy4 ,but for depth1 extent1 and brilliancy of colour we must look to sunsets--and sunsets in those high desert regions where the outlook is widest and the atmosphere clearest4 ,in deserts everywhere marvellous sunsets may be seen1 for the comparative absence of moisture in the atmosphere and the presence of invisible particles of dust gives these sunsets an especial brilliancy4 ,in the middle of the day a desert in its uniform brownness is dreary and monotonous to a degree4 ,but at dawn and sunset when the sun's rays slant across the scene the desert glows with colour of every shade and hue and in ever-changing combination4 ,in the ,gobi ,desert of ,central ,asia1 in the ,egyptian ,desert1 in the ,arabian ,desert1 in ,arizona1 ,i have seen sunsets that thrill one with delight4 ,but nowhere have ,i seen more glorious sunsets than in the highlands of ,tibet4 ,and what makes them there so remarkable is that the plains themselves are #ae1jjj feet above sea-level1 so that the atmosphere is exceptionally clear4 ,great distances are therefore combined with unusual clearness4 ,the country is open enough and the air clear enough for us to see far distances4 ,and extent is a prime essential in the glory of a sunset4 ,it is difficult to make those who have never been outside ,europe understand what sunsets can be4 ,in ,england1 as ,turner has shown1 there are sunsets to be seen containing in abundance many such elements of beauty as varied and varying and great extent of colour4 ,but the atmosphere here is so thick that the colours appear as if thrown on to a solid background4 ,so the sunsets look opaque4 ,on the continent of ,europe the atmosphere is clearer and the opaqueness less pronounced4 ,the colouring is in consequence more vivid4 ,but--except in high ,alpine regions--the clearness does not approach the clearness of ,tibet4 ,and neither in ,england nor on the ,continent do we get the great distances of desert sunsets4 ,and great distances increase immeasurably that feeling of infinity which is the chief glory in a sunset4 ,the clearness of the atmosphere is important in this respect also1 that it produces the effect upon the colours of the sunset that they seem more like the colours we see in precious stones than the colours a painter throws on a canvas4 ,there is no milkiness or murkiness in them4 ,the sky is so clear that we see a colour as we see the red in a ruby4 ,we see deep into the colour4 ,the colour comes right out of the sky and has not the appearance of being merely plastered on the surface4 ,and the variety of the colours and the rapidity with which they change and merge and mingle into one another is another wonder of these desert sunsets4 ,it would be wholly impossible to paint a picture of them which would adequately express the impression they give1 for the main impression is derived from light1 and the colours are therefore far more glowing than they could ever be reproduced on canvas4 ,nor can the changing effects be reproduced on a stationary medium4 ,the nearest approach to the glory of a ,tibet sunset which ,i have seen is a picture in pastel by ,simon de ,bussy a sunset in the ,alps4 ,but all pictures--even ,turner's2--can only draw attention to the glory and show us what to look for4 ,they cannot reproduce the impression in full4 ,the medium through which the artist has to work--the paints and the canvas--are inadequate for his needs4 ,if we try to describe the impression in words we are no better off4 ,we can1 indeed1 compare the sunset colours with the colours of flowers and precious stones4 ,but here also we miss the light which is the very foundation of the sunset beauties4 ,and we have neither the changefulness nor the vast extent of the sunset colouring4 ,to get the least idea of the variety of colours mixing1 merging1 and intermingling with one another we must go to the opal1 though even there there is not the intensity of colour1 and of course not the change nor extent4 ,from an orange--especially a blood orange--we get a notion of the combined reds and yellows of the sunsets1 though the reds may range deeper than orange into the reds of the ruby or the cardinal flower1 and lighter into the pinks of the rose or the carnation2 and the yellows range from the gold of the eseholtzia to the delicate hue of the primrose4 ,and for the translucency of their yellower effects we must bring in the amber4 ,often there is a green which can only be matched by jade or emerald4 ,and sometimes there is an effect with which only the amethyst can be compared4 ,then there are mauves and purples for which the precious stones have no parallel1 and of which heliotrope1 the harebell1 and the violet give us the best idea4 ,and the blues range from the deep blue of the sapphire and the gentian to the light blue of the turquoise and the forget-me-not4 ,in these stones and flowers we get something near the actual colour1 but the depth1 the clearness1 the luminosity1 and the vast extent are all wanting1 and these are all essential features of the sunset's glories4 ,so we must imagine all these colours glowing with light and never still--perpetually changing from one to the other and shading off from one into the other1 one colour emerging1 rising to the dominant position1 and then disappearing to give place to another1 and effecting these changes imperceptibly yet rapidly also1 for if we take our eyes away for even a few minutes we find that the aspect has altogether altered4 ,from my camp in ,tibet for weeks together ,i could be sure of witnessing every evening one of these glorious sunsets4 ,for while the mighty monsoon clouds used to roll up on to the line of ,himalayan peaks and pile themselves up there1 billow upon billow1 in magnificent array1 dark and fearful in the general mass1 but clear-edged and silver-tipped along the summits1 yet beyond that line1 in ,tibet1 the sky was nearly always clear and blue of the bluest4 ,with nothing whatever to impede my view--no trees1 nor houses1 nor fences1 nor obstacles of any kind--,i could look out far over these open plains to distant hills2 beyond them1 again1 to ,mount ,everest a hundred miles away2 beyond it1 again1 to still more distant mountains2 and1 finally1 behind them into the setting sun4 ,and these far hills and snowy mountains1 seen as they were across an absolutely open plain1 seemed not to impede the view but only to heighten the impression of great distance4 ,the eye would be led on from feature to feature1 each receding farther into the distance till it seemed only a step from the farthest snowy mountain into the glowing sun itself4 ,every evening1 whenever ,i could1 ,i used to walk out alone into the open plain to feast my soul on the splendid scene4 ,in the stern glacier region round ,k#b had had to brace myself up and to summon up all that was toughest within me in order to cope with the terribly exacting conditions in which ,i found myself4 ,in the presence of these calm but fervent sunsets there was a different feeling4 ,i had a sense of expansion1 a longing to let myself go4 ,and ,i would feel myself craving to let myself go out all ,i could into these glowing depths of light and colour1 and trying to open myself out to their beauty1 that as much as possible of it should flow into me and glorify my whole being4 ,i had the feeling that in those sunsets there was any length for my soul to go out to--that there was infinite room there for the soul's expansion4 ,there was inexhaustible glory for the soul to absorb1 and the soul was thirsting for it and could never have enough4 ,evening after evening came to me1 too--quite unconsciously1 and as it were inevitably--,shelley's words 7slightly altered73 ,be thou1 spirit bright1 ,my spirit6 ,be thou me1 most glorious one6 ,be through my lips to unawakened earth ,the trumpet of a prophecy4 ,it was not that there was any particular message that ,i had to give4 ,but there was aroused in me just this simple1 insistent longing to let others know what glory there was in the world1 and to be able to communicate to them something of the joy ,i was then feeling in beholding it4 ,i was highly privileged in having this opportunity of witnessing a ,tibetan sunset's splendours4 ,i was yearning for others to share my enjoyment with me4 ,the white radiance of the glacier region instils into us a sense of purity1 and without the purity of heart which that stern region exacts we cannot see the sunset's glory in all its fulness4 ,but now in these ,tibetan sunsets we have not purity alone1 but warmth and richness as well4 ,they give an impression of infinity of glory4 ,we catch alight from their consuming glory1 and our hearts flame up in correspondence with them4 ,the fervent glow in the ,heart of ,nature kindles a like glow in our own hearts2 and we are enraptured by the ,beauty4 ,on our misty island we are apt to connect sunsets with coming darkness and a black end of things4 ,and in gazing on them we are prone to have a sense of sadness mingled with our joy4 ,they seem to mean for us a passage from light to darkness1 and from life to death4 ,but in the deserts we have no such feeling4 ,as day imperceptibly fades away it is not black darkness that succeeds1 but a light that enables us to see farther1 a mellower light that enables us to see the ,universe at large4 ,from this earthly life we are transported to a higher1 intenser1 ampler life among the stars4 ,and it is in the desert that we best live among the stars4 ,in ,europe we look up into the sky between trees and houses2 and among the clouds and through a murky atmosphere we see a few stars4 ,even when we have a clear sky we seldom get a chance of seeing the whole expanse of the heavens all the way round4 ,and even if we get this rare chance of a clear sky and a wide horizon we do not live with the stars in the open the night through and night after night4 ,in the ,gobi ,desert ,i had this precious opportunity4 ,and ,i had it when my whole being was tuned up to highest pitch4 ,i was not in the limp state of one who steps out into his garden and looks up casually to the stars4 ,i was tense with high enterprise4 ,i was passing through unknown country on a journey across the ,chinese ,empire from ,peking to ,india4 ,i was keen and alive in every faculty1 in a state of high exhilaration1 and both observant and receptive4 ,it was a rare chance1 and much ,i wish now ,i had made more of it4 ,my party in crossing the ,gobi ,desert consisted only of a ,chinese guide1 a ,chinese servant1 and a ,mongol camel-man4 ,as ,i had no ,european companion ,i was driven in upon myself4 ,i had to explore a route never before traversed by ,europeans1 and the distance to be covered across the open steppes of ,mongolia and over the ,gobi ,desert to the first town in ,turkestan was twelve hundred miles4 ,beyond that was the whole length of ,turkestan and the six-hundred-mile breadth of the ,himalaya to be crossed before ,i should reach ,india4 ,so ,i had a big task before me1 and was stirring with the sense of high adventure and vast distances to overcome4 ,to enable my eight camels to feed by daylight1 ,i used to start at five o'clock in the afternoon and march till one or two in the morning4 ,sometimes in order to reach water we had to march all through the night and well into the following day4 ,frequently there were terrific sandstorms1 but there were seldom any clouds4 ,so the atmosphere was clear4 ,in the distance were sometimes hills4 ,but for the most part all round the desert was absolutely open4 ,i could see for what seemed an indefinite distance in any direction4 ,the conditions were ideal for observing the stars4 ,seated on my camel1 or trudging along apart from my little caravan1 ,i would watch the sun set in always varying splendour4 ,no two sunsets were anything like the same4 ,each through the ascendancy of some one shade of colour1 or through an unusual combination of colour1 had a special beauty of its own4 ,i would watch each ripening to the climax and then shade away into the beauty of the night4 ,and when the day was over the night would reveal that higher1 wider life which daylight only served to hide4 ,the sunset glow would fade away4 ,star after star would spring into sight till the whole vault of heaven was glistening with diamond points of light4 ,above me and all round me stars were shining out of the deep sapphire sky with a brilliance only surpassed by the stars in the high ,himalayan solitudes ,i have already described4 ,and a great stillness would be over all--a silence even completer than the silence among the mountains1 for there it was often broken by creaking of the ice1 whereas here in the desert it was so profound that1 when at the end of many weeks ,i arrived at a patch of grass and trees1 the twittering of the birds and the whirr of insects sounded like the roar of a ,london street4 ,in this unbroken stillness and with the eye free to rove all round with nothing in any direction to stay its vision1 and being as ,i was many weeks' distance from any settled human habitation1 ,i often had the feeling of being more connected with the starry firmament than with this ,earth4 ,in a curious way the bodily and the material seemed to exist no longer1 and ,i would be in spirit among the stars4 ,they served to guide us over the desert and ,i gradually became familiar with them4 ,and ,i used to feel as much a part of the ,stellar ,world as of this ,earth4 ,i lost all sense of being confined to ,earth and took my place in the ,universe at large4 ,my home was the whole great ,cosmos before me4 ,the ,cosmos1 and not the ,earth1 was the whole to which ,i belonged4 ,and in that unbroken quiet and amid this bright company of heaven my spirit seemed to become intenser and more daring4 ,right high up in the zenith1 to infinite height1 it would soar unfettered4 ,and right round to any distance in any direction it would pierce its way4 ,the height and distance of the highest and farthest stars ,i knew had been measured4 ,i knew that the resulting number of miles is something so immense as to be altogether beyond human conception4 ,i knew also that the number of stars1 besides those few thousands which ,i saw1 had to be numbered in hundreds of millions4 ,all this was astonishing1 and the knowledge of it filled me with wonder at the immensity of the ,starry ,universe4 ,but it was not the mere magnitude of this world that impressed me4 ,what stirred me was the ,presence1 subtly felt1 of some mighty all-pervading ,influence which ordered the courses of the heavenly hosts and permeated every particle4 ,we cannot watch the sun go down day after day1 and after it has set see the stars appear1 rise to the meridian and disappear below the opposite horizon in regular procession1 without being impressed by the order which prevails4 ,we feel that the whole is kept together in punctual fashion1 and is not mere chaos and chance4 ,the presence of some ,power upholding1 sustaining1 and directing the whole is deeply impressed upon us4 ,and in this ,presence so steadfast1 so calm1 so constant1 we feel soothed and steadied4 ,the frets and pains of ordinary life are stilled4 ,deep peace and satisfaction fill our souls4 ,sandstorms so terrific that we cannot stand before them or see a thing a foot or two distant come whirling across the desert1 and all for the time seems turmoil and confusion and nothing is visible4 ,but behind all we know the stars still pursue their mighty way4 ,at the back of everything we realise there is a ,power constant and dependable in whom we can absolutely put our trust4 ,this is the impression--the impression of steadfastness1 constancy1 and reliability--which a nightly contemplation of the stars makes upon us4 ,at the foundation of things is something dependable1 something in which we can repose our faith4 ,and so the sense of calm and confidence we feel4 ,and in the desert we have no feeling that the stars pursue their course in cold indifference to us--that the ,power which sustains them works its soulless way unregardful of the frettings of us little men4 ,not thus are we who watch the desert stars impressed4 ,quite otherwise4 ,for nowhere do we feel the ,influence nearer1 more intimate or more beneficent4 ,we seem in the very midst of the great ,presence4 ,we are immersed in it4 ,it is pervading us on every side4 ,we do not expect it to alter the whole course of ,nature for our private good4 ,but we feel confident that the course of ,nature is for good--that ,nature is a beneficent and no callous ,power1 and has good at heart4 ,because the foundations are so sure and good we can each pursue our way in confidence4 ,this is the impression we get4 ,and the ,power which guides the stars upon their heavenly way1 and which1 in guiding them1 guides us across the desert1 does not reside1 we feel1 in lonely grandeur in the empty places of the heavens1 but in the stars themselves--in their very constitution--in each individually and in all in their togetherness4 ,it burns in each star and shines forth from it1 and yet holds the whole together as we see it every night in that circling vault around us4 ,the ,activity does not appear to us to emanate from some ,invisible ,being dwelling wholly apart and isolated from the stars and this ,earth1 and sending forth invisible spiritual rays1 as the ,sun stands apart from the ,earth but sends out rays of sunlight to it4 ,it seems rather to dwell in the very heart and centre of each star1 and the stars seem spiritual rather than material beings4 ,so this ,power1 as we experience it in the desert1 does not impress us as being awful and remote1 gloomy and inexorable1 enforcing unbending law and exacting terrible penalties4 ,our impression of it is that1 though it preserves order with unfailing regularity1 it is yet near and kindly1 radiating with light and warmth4 ,we not only feel it to be something steadfast1 something on which we can rely and in which we may have confidence2 we also feel warmed and kindled by it4 ,so what we get from a nightly contemplation of the stars is a sense of happy companionship with ,nature4 ,the ,heart of ,nature as here revealed is both dependable and kindly4 ,nature is our friend4 ,and in her certain friendship the balm of peace falls softly on us4 ,our hearts blend tenderly with the ,heart of ,nature2 and in their union we see ,beauty of the gentlest and most reassuring kind4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,home ,,beauty ,the ,artist in his quest for ,natural ,beauty will have pursued it in the remotest and wildest parts of the ,earth1 where he can see ,nature in her primeval and most elemental simplicity4 ,he will have seen her in many and most varied aspects--the grandest1 the wildest1 and the most luxuriant4 ,and from these numerous and so different manifestations of ,nature he will have been enabled more fully to understand her meaning and comprehend her soul4 ,moreover1 this contemplation of ,nature will have evoked from within himself much that he had never suspected he possessed1 and thereby his own soul also he will have learned to understand4 ,and from this completer comprehension of his own soul and hers will have emerged a fuller community of heart between him and ,nature4 ,he will have come to worship her with a still more ardent devotion1 and through the intensity of his love discovered richer and richer ,beauty in her4 ,but even yet he has not seen ,natural ,beauty where it can be found in its highest perfection4 ,only when there can be the most intimate possible relationship between him and the natural object he is contemplating can ,beauty at its finest be seen4 ,and this closest correspondence of all between him and ,nature will only be when he is in the natural surroundings with which he has been familiar from childhood1 and which have affected him in his most impressionable years4 ,the ,artist will have seen ,nature as she manifests herself in the teeming life of a tropical forest and the most varied races of men2 in the highest mountains and the widest deserts2 in the glory of sunsets and the calm of stars4 ,but it is in none of these that he will see deepest into the true ,heart of ,nature and understand her best4 ,it is amid scenery which he has loved since boyhood1 in the hearts of his own countrymen in their own country1 that he will see deepest into ,nature4 ,and deepest of all will he see when from among his countrywomen he has united himself to the one of his own deliberate choice1 and in this union realised in its fulness1 strength1 and intensity that ,creative ,love which springs from ,nature's very heart1 and is the ultimate fount and source of all ,natural ,beauty4 ,we like to go out over all the ,earth and see the wonders of it4 ,and we learn to love the great mountains and rich forests and unfenced steppes and veldts and prairies4 ,and we get to love also the various peoples among whom we have to work and travel4 ,but in his heart of hearts each man likes to get back to the scenes of his childhood4 ,the plainsman likes to get back again from the mountains to his level plains where the scene is closer and more intimate4 ,the mountaineer likes to retire again from the plains into the mountains4 ,the dweller on the veldt likes to get out of the forest on to the great open spaces once more4 ,the inhabitant of the forest likes to get back there again from the plains4 ,and the ,englishman1 though he loves the ,alps and the ,himalaya1 is touched by nothing so deeply as by a ,devonshire lane with its banks of primroses and violets4 ,and he may have the greatest affection for peoples of other races among whom he may have had to work1 yet it is his own countrymen that he will always really love4 ,so the ,artist comes back to home surroundings and his own people4 ,and he will return with his sense of beauty quickened and refined by this wide and varied experience of ,nature4 ,his sensibility to the beauties of ,nature will now be of rarest delicacy1 and his capacity for fine discrimination and his feeling for distinction and excellence sure and keen4 ,he will have been toned and tuned up to the highest pitch in his wrestling with ,nature1 and will have been purged and purified in the white region of the highest mountains4 ,and in this high-strung state he will now see that creation and manifestation of ,nature which of all natural objects will best declare her meaning1 bring him into closer touch with her very ,heart1 and stir in him the deepest emotions4 ,between him and this object there will be possible the closest community of soul4 ,here then he will see ,natural ,beauty at its very finest4 ,the natural object in which he will see this consummation of ,beauty will be the woman who will be to him a kindred spirit1 and whom he will first admire and then love4 ,it was through the love of man and woman for each other in the far-off ages when love first came into the hearts of men that ,natural ,beauty also first dawned upon them4 ,it is through that love that ,natural ,beauty has been continually growing in fulness and splendour4 ,and it will be through that same love of man and woman for each other that the ,artist will see ,natural ,beauty reach its highest perfection4 ,for in this love man first learned to enter into the soul of another1 to recognise samenesses between himself and another1 and to live in communion with another4 ,and so in time he came to recognise samenesses between what was in his heart and what was in the ,heart of ,nature1 to enter into communion with ,nature1 and through the wedding of himself with ,nature see the ,beauty in her4 ,he was able in some slight degree to be towards ,nature what we see the midge buzzing round a man must be if that midge is to see the beauty of man4 ,just as the midge1 if it is to see the beauty in man1 must be able to recognise samenesses between its life and the life of man1 so man to see ,beauty in ,nature had to recognise identity of life between him and ,nature as he was first inspired to see it through the love of man and woman for each other4 ,and now the ,artist with his wide experience of ,nature and united with his own countrywoman in his own country will recognise a still closer identity between himself and ,nature1 and so see an even fuller ,beauty in her4 ,assuming the man and woman1 both by their upbringing and by outward circumstances1 to have been able to develop the best capacities within them and to be meeting now under conditions most favourable for their union1 we shall see how perfect is the ,beauty which may be revealed4 ,the man will be in the prime of his manhood1 and the woman in the prime of her womanhood4 ,the man manly and radiating manhood1 the woman womanly and radiating womanhood3 their manhood and womanhood welling up within them1 each eager to answer the call of the other4 ,hers will be no light and shallow beauty insipid as milk and water1 but will be sweet as the violet1 delicate as the primrose1 pure as the lily1 yet with all the sweetness1 delicacy and purity1 radiant as the sunrise4 ,and they will be no pale and puny lovers1 soft and mild as doves1 and content to lead a dull and trivial life4 ,they will be high of spirit1 graceful1 swift1 and supple as the greyhound2 and as keenly intent on living a full and varied life with every moment of it worth while as ever the greyhound is in pursuing its object4 ,they will be capable of intense and passionate emotion1 yet with all their eager impulsiveness they will have wills strong to keep themselves in hand1 and to maintain their direction true through all the mazy intricacies of life and love4 ,in the bringing together of such a pair ,natural ,beauty will play a vitally important part4 ,of all objects that ,nature has produced--of all the offspring of the ,earth--such a man and woman are the most beautiful4 ,and we may assume that as they are drawn to each other they will put forth the very best of themselves and give out the utmost beauty that is in them4 ,moreover1 they will be more beautiful to each other than they are to anybody else4 ,unconsciously they will reveal to each other what they can reveal to none other but themselves4 ,insensibly the windows of their souls will be opened to each other4 ,the lovelight in their eyes--the lovelight which can only be shown to each other--will discover to them hidden depths of beauty they had never gathered they possessed4 ,and this beauty will be something more than mere prettiness or handsomeness of face4 ,the man will see the beauty of the woman --and she his--not only in the face and features1 but in the presence1 bearing1 and carriage1 in the gestures1 movements1 and behaviour4 ,behind the outward aspect he will see the inward spirit1 the real self1 the true nature1 the radiant personality4 ,and the beauty that he sees will fill him with a passionate yearning1 both to give and to possess4 ,he will want both to give the utmost and best of himself1 and also to possess what so satisfies all the cravings of the soul4 ,and whether it be to give or to possess that he most wants he will be unable to distinguish4 ,but1 in the craving to give and possess1 the highest stimulus will be afforded him to exert every faculty to its limit4 ,the effort will give zest1 and with zest will come added powers of vision1 so that he will be able to see both her and his inmost and utmost capabilities4 ,and though the force of outward circumstances may prevent both her and him from ever completely fulfilling those latent possibilities1 what they see of themselves and of each other in those divine moments may nevertheless be a perfectly true vision of their real and fundamental nature4 ,love is not so blind as is supposed4 ,love is capable of seeing clearer and deeper than any other faculty4 ,what the ,artist now sees with the eyes of ,love will be the ground upon which he will have to form his judgment in the most critical decision of his life4 ,for the moment will now have come when he will have to decide whether of all others he will give himself to her1 and whether he can presume to ask of her that she will give herself to him--and each to the other for all the rest of their lives4 ,it is a momentous decision to have to make4 ,with his highly developed power of vision he will have divined her true nature4 ,but he will have now to exercise his judgment on it--whether it will satisfy the needs of his whole being and whether his whole being is sufficient to satisfy her needs4 ,each has to be sure that his peculiar nature satisfies--and satisfies fully--his or her own peculiar needs1 and that his peculiar nature satisfies the other's needs4 ,a wrong decision here is fatal4 ,the responsibility is fearful4 ,all will depend upon his keenness of vision1 his capacity for discrimination1 and his soundness of judgment4 ,the decision may be arrived at swiftly and consciously1 or it may be come to unconsciously1 gradually1 and imperceptibly4 ,but shorter or longer the time1 consciously or unconsciously the method1 it will have in the end to be made in a perfectly definite fashion--yes or no--and from that decision there can be no going back4 ,and on that clear decision will hang the future welfare not only of the one who makes it1 but of both4 ,each1 therefore1 has to decide for the welfare of both4 ,this is the real ,day of ,judgment4 ,and each is his own judge4 ,now all his and her past life and inborn nature is being put to the test in a fierce ordeal--and the fiery ordeal of love is more searching even than the ordeal of war4 ,every smallest blot and blemish1 every slightest impurity is shown up in startling clearness4 ,every flaw at once betrays itself4 ,what will not bear a strain immediately breaks down4 ,there is not an imperfection which is not glaringly displayed4 ,the other may not see it1 but he himself will--and upon him is the responsibility4 ,no wonder that both the one and the other hesitate to commit themselves finally and irrevocably6 ,can he with all his blots and blemishes1 his failings and weaknesses1 offer to give himself to the other8 ,is he worthy to receive all that he would expect to receive in return8 ,is he justified in asking that the whole being and the most sacred thing in life should be given over utterly to him8 ,it seems astounding that any man should ever have the impudence to answer such questions in the affirmative4 ,doubtless he would not have had such effrontery but for two considerations4 ,in the first place he knows that1 imperfect as he may be--downright sinful as he may often have been--he is not bad at bottom4 ,at heart1 he knows for certain he has capacities for improvement which would come at once into being if only they had the opportunity for development4 ,and he knows that the other could make those opportunities--could provide the stimulus which would awaken in him and bring to fruit many a hidden capability of good4 ,every faculty in him he now feels being quickened to an activity never known before4 ,blemishes he feels being purged away in the cleansing fires of pure love4 ,he feels that with the other he will be1 as he has never been before1 his whole and his true self4 ,and this is the first consideration which gives him confidence4 ,the second is that he feels himself now to a very special degree in direct and intimate touch with the central ,heart of ,nature4 ,something from what he feels by instinct is the ,divine ,source of ,life and ,love comes springing up within him1 penetrating him through and through1 supporting and upholding him and urging him forward4 ,he feels that he directly springs from that ,source1 and that it will ever sustain him as long as he is true to his own real self1 and works for those high ends towards which he feels himself impelled4 ,with strong faith1 then1 he makes his decision--with strong faith in himself1 for he knows himself to be inspired by the same great ,spirit which animates the whole world of which he is himself a part4 ,and having in this faith made his decision1 he girds himself for the poignant battle of love4 ,and as in war so in love men--and women--rise to altogether unexpected heights of courage1 endurance1 and devotion4 ,war is a fine spur to excellence4 ,but love is an even finer4 ,every faculty is quickened and refined4 ,every high quality brought into fullest exercise4 ,daring and caution1 utter disregard of self and selfishness in the extreme1 are alike required4 ,for the two will never achieve full wedded union until they have fought their way through many an interposing obstacle4 ,adroitness1 and that rare quality1 social courage1 will be needed in dealing with ever-recurring1 complicated1 painful1 and nerve-straining situations4 ,even in their attitude towards one another as they gradually come together the finest address will be required4 ,for each has necessarily to be comparing himself and comparing the object of his love with others2 and each feels that he is being similarly compared4 ,there can be no final assurance till the union is completed4 ,a single ill-judged word or action may ruin all4 ,at any moment another may be preferred--or at least one of the two may find the other inadequate or deficient4 ,all this will afford the highest stimulus to emulation4 ,each will strive to excel in what the other approves and appreciates--or at any rate to excel in what is his own particular line4 ,he will be incited to show himself at his best and to be his best4 ,but before the bliss of completest union is attained anguish and rapture in exquisite extremes will be experienced4 ,for the soul of each will be exposed in all its quivering sensitiveness1 and any but the most delicate touch will be a torture to it4 ,fortitude of the firmest will be required to bear the wounds which must necessarily come from this exposure4 ,each1 too1 will have to bear the pain of the suffering they must inevitably be causing to some few others--and those others among their very dearest4 ,as the intimacy of union becomes closer and closer the call for bodily union will become more and more insistent4 ,in the first instance--and this is a point which is specially worth noting--the desire was entirely for spiritual union1 for union of the spirits of each4 ,what each admired and loved in the other was his or her capacity for love4 ,he realised what a wonderful love the other could give4 ,and he yearned with all his heart to have that love directed towards himself4 ,it was a purely spiritual union that his heart was set on4 ,the thought of bodily union did not enter his head4 ,but the need for bodily touch as a means of expressing human feeling is inherent in human nature1 and becomes more and more urgent as the feeling becomes warmer4 ,friends have to shake hands with each other and pat each other on the back in order to show the warmth of their feeling for one another4 ,women affectionately embrace one another4 ,parents and children1 brothers and sisters1 kiss one another4 ,it is impossible adequately to express affection without bodily touch4 ,and in the case of lovers1 as the love deepens so also deepens the compelling need to express this love in bodily union of the closest possible4 ,and so the supreme moment arrives when each gives himself wholly1 utterly1 and for ever to the other--body1 soul1 and spirit--and they twain are one4 ,and the remarkable result ensues that each in giving himself to the other has become more completely and truly himself than he has ever been before4 ,he strives to become more and more closely wedded with the other4 ,he yearns to give himself more completely and longs that there was more of himself to give4 ,and he gives himself as completely as he can4 ,yet he has never before been so fully himself4 ,the closeness and intimacy of the union1 and all that he has received1 has enabled him to bring forth and give utterance to what had lain deep and dormant within him--all his fondest hopes1 his dearest dreams1 his highest aspirations4 ,each is more himself in the other4 ,he is1 indeed1 not himself without the other4 ,each has won possession of the other4 ,each has with joy and gladness given himself to the other4 ,each belongs to the other4 ,each is all the world to the other--a treasure without price4 ,he is ever after in her as her own being4 ,and she is in him as his own being4 ,apart from each other they are never again themselves4 ,they are absorbed in mutual joy in one another4 ,the intensity of delight is more than they can bear4 ,it brims up and overflows and goes bursting out to all the world4 ,by being able to be their whole selves they have become more closely in touch with the deepest ,heart of ,nature and nearest the ,divine4 ,in that hushed and sacred moment when the ecstasy of life and love is at its highest they have never felt stronger1 purer1 lighter1 nearer the ,divine4 ,they have reached deep down to the most elemental part of their nature4 ,and they have soared up highest to the most ,divine4 ,but ,divine and elemental1 spiritual and bodily1 seem one4 ,there seems to be nothing bodily which is not spiritual4 ,and nothing elemental which is not ,divine4 ,it is not often that they will attain these culminating heights of spiritual exaltation4 ,nor will they be able long to remain there4 ,the lark1 the eagle1 the airman1 have all to come to earth again4 ,and they spend most of their lives on the earth4 ,but the lovers will have known what it is to soar4 ,they will have found their wings4 ,they will have seen heaven once1 and breathed its air4 ,and all nature1 all human relationships1 will be for ever after transfigured in heaven's light4 ,the state of being to which these twain have now arrived is the highest and best in life4 ,this spiritual union of man and woman--this union of their souls which their bodily union has made possible in completeness--is that which of all else has most value4 ,the friendship of men for men and women for women is high up in the scale of being4 ,but it is not at the supreme summit4 ,the holy union of man and woman is higher still1 because it is a relation of the whole being of each to the other1 and because it brings both into direct and closest contact with the ,primal ,source of ,things1 and on the line which points them highest4 ,the relationship satisfies the whole needs of the selves of each and satisfies the urgency of the ,heart of ,nature4 99 99 99 ,so now our ,artist will have experienced true spirituality in its highest degree2 and having experienced also the most elemental in his nature1 he will perforce have come in touch with ,nature along her whole range4 ,and his soul being at the finest pitch of sensitiveness1 he will be able to appreciate ,natural ,beauty as never before4 ,and nothing less than natural beauties1 and nothing less than these beauties at their best1 will in his exalted mood be satisfying to him4 ,he will be driven irresistibly into the open air and the warm sunshine1 and to the bosom of ,mother-,earth4 ,and there in the blue of heaven and in dreamy clouds2 in the wide sea1 or in tranquil lakes2 in ethereal mountains or in verdant woodlands2 in the loveliness of flowers1 and in the music of the birds1 he will find that which his spirit seeks--that to which his spirit wants to give response4 ,only there in the open1 in the midst of ,nature1 will he find horizons wide enough1 heights high enough1 beauties rich enough1 for his soul's needs4 ,the flowers as he looks into them will disclose glories of colour1 texture1 form1 and fragrance he never yet had seen4 ,the comely forms of trees1 their varying greenery1 and the dancing sunlight on the leaves1 will fill him with an intensity of delight that heretofore he had never known4 ,and as once more he goes among his fellow-men he will see them in a newer and a truer light4 ,his contact with them will be easier2 his friendships deeper2 his certainty of affection surer2 and his capacity for entering into every joy and sorrow immeasurably enlarged4 ,through his love1 our ideal ,artist will have been enabled to reach deeper into the ,heart of ,nature than he had ever reached before1 and to feel more intimately at one with her4 ,and being thus in warmest touch with her1 ,natural ,beauty1 strong1 deep1 and delicate as only finest love can disclose1 will be revealed to him4 ,enjoyment of ,natural ,beauty in its perfection is the prize he will have won4 ,,chapter ,x ,,the ,,nature ,,of ,,nature ,the ,artist is now in a position to take stock of ,nature as a whole1 of her nature1 methods1 and manner of working1 of the motives which actuate her--of what1 in short1 she really is at heart4 ,and having thus reviewed her1 he will have to determine whether his wider and deeper knowledge of ,nature confirms or detracts from the impression of her which he had gained from a contemplation of the forest's innumerable life4 ,upon this decision will depend his final attitude towards her4 ,and upon his attitude towards her depends his capacity for enjoying ,natural ,beauty4 ,for if he has any doubt in his mind as to the goodness of ,nature or any hesitation about giving himself out to her1 there is little prospect of his seeing ,beauty in her4 ,he will remain cold and unresponsive to her calls and enjoyment of ,natural ,beauty will not be for him4 ,and each of us--each for himself--just as much as the ,artist will have to make up his mind on this fundamental question4 ,if we are to get the full enjoyment we should expect out of ,natural ,beauty we must have a clear and firm conception in our minds of what ,nature really is1 what is her essential character1 whether at heart she is cold and callous or warm and loving4 ,so far as we were justified in drawing conclusions regarding the character of ,nature as a whole from what we saw of her manifestations in the life of the forest1 we came to the conclusion that she was not so hard and repellent as she assuredly would be to us if her guiding principle of action were the survival of the fittest4 ,we inferred1 rather1 from our observations of her in the forest that she was actuated by an aspiration towards what we ourselves hold to be of most worth and value4 ,we were therefore not disillusioned by closer familiarity with her1 but more closely drawn towards her1 and therefore prepared to see more ,beauty in her4 ,now we have to review ,nature as a whole--that is1 in the ,starry ,world as well as on this ,earth--and see if the same conclusions hold good1 and if we are therefore justified in loving ,nature1 or if we should view her with suspicion and distrust1 hold ourselves aloof from her1 and cultivate a stoic courage in face of a ,power whose character we must cordially dislike4 ,there are men who hold that the appearance of life and love on this ,earth is a mere flash in the pan and comes about by pure chance4 ,they believe that life will be extinguished in a twinkling as we collide with some other star1 or will simply flicker out again as the ,sun's heat dies down and the ,earth becomes cold4 ,if this view be correct1 then that impression of the reliability and kindliness of ,nature which we formed when contemplating the stars in the desert would be a false impression2 our feelings of friendship with ,nature would at once freeze up and our vision of ,beauty vanish like a wraith4 ,fortunately ,truth and ,knowledge do not deal so cruel a blow at ,beauty4 ,far from it3 they take her side4 ,there are no grounds for supposing that either chance or mechanism produces spirit1 or that from merely physical and chemical combinations spirit can emerge4 ,spirit is no casual by-product of mechanical or chemical processes4 ,spirit is the governing factor regulating and controlling the physical movements--controlling them1 indeed1 with such orderliness that we may be apt from this very orderliness to regard the whole as a machine and fail to see that all is directed towards high spiritual ends4 ,if we are to appeal to reason1 it is much more reasonable to assume that spirit always existed1 and that the conditions for the emergence of life were brought about on purpose1 than to assume that spirit is a mere excretion1 like perspiration1 of chemical processes4 ,certainly the former assumptions more clearly fit the facts of the case4 ,for these facts are1 firstly1 that we spiritual selves exist1 next that we have ideas of goodness and a determination to achieve it1 next that plant as well as animal life on this ,earth is purposive1 then that the stars1 numbering anything from a hundred to a thousand million1 each of them a sun and many of them presumably with planets1 are made of the same materials as this ,earth1 the plants1 animals1 and ourselves are composed of2 that these materials have the same properties2 that the same fundamental laws of gravitation1 heat1 motion1 chemical and electrical action prevail there as here2 and lastly that they are all connected with the ,earth by some medium or continuum of energies1 which enables vibrations1 of which the most obvious are the vibrations of light1 to reach the ,earth from them4 ,these facts point towards the conclusion that the whole ,universe1 as well as ourselves and the animals and plants on this ,earth1 is actuated by spirit4 ,goodness we have seen to be working itself out on the ,earth2 and there is nothing we see in the world of stars that prevents us from concluding that in the ,universe as well as on the ,earth what should be is the ground of what is4 ,something higher than life1 or life in some higher form than we know1 may indeed have been brought into being among the stars4 ,life has appeared in an extraordinary variety of forms on this ,earth1 and it would necessarily appear in other forms elsewhere4 ,and it is not difficult to imagine more perfect forms in which it might have developed4 ,we men are the most highly developed beings on this planet4 ,but our eyes and ears and other organs of sense take cognisance of only a few of the vibrations raining in upon our bodies from the outside world4 ,there is a vast range of vibrations of the medium in which we are immersed of which our bodily organs take no cognisance whatever4 ,if we had better developed organs we would be in much more intimate touch with the world about us1 and be aware of influences and existences we are blind to now4 ,beings with these superior faculties may very possibly have come into existence among the stars4 ,nor is there anything unreasonable in the assumption that from the inhabitants of these stars in their ensemble issue influences which directly affect conditions on this ,earth2 that in the all in its togetherness is ,purpose2 and that it was due to the working of this ,purpose that conditions were produced on the ,earth which made the emergence of life possible4 ,to some it may seem that it was only by chance that the atoms and molecules happened to come together in such a particular way that from the combination the emergence of life was possible4 ,to men of such restricted vision it would seem equally a matter of chance that a heavenly song resulted when a dozen choirboys came together1 opened their mouths and made a noise4 ,but men of wider vision would have seen that this song was no matter of chance1 but was the result of the working out of a purpose2 that the choirboys were brought together for a purpose2 and that that purpose was resident in each of a large number of people scattered about a parish1 but who1 though scattered1 were all animated by the same purpose of maintaining a choir to sing hymns4 ,so it is not unreasonable to suppose that when the particles came together under conditions that life resulted1 they had been brought together in those conditions to fulfil a purpose resident in each of a number of beings and groups of beings scattered about the ,universe1 but who1 though scattered1 were nevertheless animated by the same purpose4 ,anyhow1 this seems a more reasonable assumption than the assumption that the particles came together by pure chance4 ,beings with these superior faculties may very possibly have emerged among the stars4 ,it would seem not at all improbable1 therefore1 that in some unrecognised way conditions on this ,earth may be influenced in their general outlines by what is taking place in the ,universe at large1 in the same way as conditions in a village in ,india are affected by public opinion in ,england as epitomised in the decisions of the ,cabinet4 ,the remote ,indian village is unaware that men in ,england have decided to grant responsible government to ,india in due course4 ,and even if the villagers were told of this they would not realise the significance of the decision and how it would affect the fortunes of their village for good or ill during the next century or two4 ,conditions on this ,earth may be similarly being affected by decisions made in other parts of the ,universe--decisions the significance of which we would be as totally unable to recognise as the ,indian villagers are to recognise the significance of the steps towards self-government which have just been made4 ,the ,universe is so interconnected1 and there is so much interaction between the parts and the whole1 that the ,earth may be more affected than we think by what goes on in the ,universe at large4 ,if there are higher levels of being among the stars1 it may well be that the successive rises to higher levels on this ,earth--from inorganic to organic1 from organic to mental1 and from the mental to the spiritual--have come about through this interaction between the parts and the whole4 ,conditions on this ,earth may be more affected than we are aware of by the ,universe in its ensemble1 and by the actions of higher beings in other ,earths4 ,in this very matter of ,beauty1 for example1 it may quite possibly be the case that our intimation of ,beauty has been received through the influence upon the most sensitive among us of beings in other parts of the ,universe4 ,we may be as unaware of the existence of those beings or of their having feelings towards us as the ,indian villager is of the existence of the ,cabinet in ,london or of the ,cabinet's feelings towards him4 ,but these stellar beings may be exerting their influence all the same4 ,and it may be because of this influence that we men are able to see ,beauty which escapes the eye of the eagle4 ,because of our higher receptiveness and responsiveness we may be able to receive and respond to spiritual calls from the ,heart of ,nature4 ,and thus it may have been that we men learned to see ,beauty1 and now learn to see it more and more4 ,there may be parts of the ,universe where people live their lives in a blaze of ,beauty1 and are as anxious to impart to us their enjoyment of it as certain ,freedom-loving ,englishmen are to instil ideas of ,freedom into the villagers of ,india4 ,these1 at any rate1 are among the possibilities of existence4 ,it would be the veriest chance if on this little speck of an ,earth the highest beings of all had come to birth4 ,it may be so1 of course4 ,but the probabilities seem to be enormously great against it4 ,it seems far more probable that among the myriads of stars some higher beings than ourselves have come into existence1 and that conditions on this ,earth are affected by the influence which they exert4 ,we are under no compulsion whatever to believe that we men are completely at the mercy of blind forces or that chance rules supreme in ,nature4 ,we have firm ground for holding that it is spirit which is supreme1 and that every smallest part and the whole together are animated by ,purpose4 ,so when we view ,nature in the tropical forests and in barren deserts1 in mountains and in plains1 in meadows and in woodlands1 in seas and in stars1 in animals and in men1 we do not see ,nature as a confused jumble with all her innumerable parts come together in haphazard fashion as the grains of sand shovelled into a heap--a chance aggregate of unrelated particles in which it is a mere toss-up which is next to which and how they are arranged4 ,nature is evidently not a chance collection of unrelated particles4 ,we came to that conclusion when studying the forest1 and a study of the stars shows nothing to weaken that conclusion4 ,nature is animated by ,purpose4 ,yet because ,nature is animated by ,purpose1 we need not regard her as a machine1 a piece of mechanism which has been designed and put together1 wound up and set going by some outside mechanician1 and regard ourselves as cogs on the wheels1 watching all the other wheels go round and through the maze of machinery catching sight of the mechanician standing by and watching his handiwork4 ,a cog on the wheel as it revolved would be rigidly confined in its operations3 it would have no choice as to what means it should employ to carry out its end4 ,yet even plants have the power of choice1 as we have seen1 and use different means to achieve the same end4 ,they also spend their entire lives in selecting and rejecting--in selecting and assimilating what will nourish their growth and enable them to propagate their kind1 and in rejecting what would be useless or harmful4 ,these are something more than mechanical operations2 and if ,nature were a machine1 not even plants1 much less animals and men1 could have been produced4 ,the operations of ,nature1 though orderly1 are not mechanical only1 and we cannot regard ,nature as a machine4 ,and if ,nature is purposive1 she is at work at something more than the completion of a prearranged plan4 ,we do not picture ,nature as a structure1 as a ,cathedral1 for example1 designed by some super-architect1 in process of construction4 ,in a ,cathedral each stone is perfectly and finally shaped and placed in a position in which it must ever after remain1 and the whole shows signs of gradual completion as it is being built1 and when it is built remains as it is4 ,the architect has made ,i and carried out his plan1 and there is an end of the matter4 ,it is not thus that we view ,nature1 for everywhere we see signs of perfectibility in the component parts and in the whole together4 ,only if the ,cathedral had in it the power to be continually making its foundations deeper1 to be ever towering higher1 and to be perpetually shaping itself into sublimer form1 should we look on ,nature as a ,cathedral4 ,but in that case the mind of the architect would have to dwell in each stone and in all together1 and the ,cathedral would be something more than a structure in the ordinary use of the word4 ,nature is not a chance collection of particles1 nor is she a mere machine1 nor some kind of structure like a ,cathedral in course of construction4 ,but she is a ,power of some kind1 and what we have to determine is the kind of ,power she is4 ,now we have seen that running through the life of the forest1 controlling and directing the whole1 is an ,organising ,activity4 ,and our observation of the stars leads us to think that this same ,organising ,activity runs through them also4 ,there is quite evidently an ,activity at work keeping the whole together--the particles which go to form great suns1 the particles which go to form a flower1 and the particles which go to form a man2 and all in their togetherness4 ,only we would not look upon this ,activity as working anywhere outside ,nature3 we would look for it within her4 ,we would not regard it as emanating from some kind of spiritual central sun situated among the stars midway between us and the farthest star we see--as irradiating from some sort of centrally-situated spiritual power-house4 ,as we look up into the starry heavens we cannot imagine the ,activity as residing in the empty space between the stars or between the stars and the ,earth on which we stand4 ,it seems absurd to picture its dwelling-place there4 ,equally absurd does it seem to regard the ,activity as emanating from some spiritual sun situated far beyond the confines of the stars1 and from there emitting spiritual rays upon ,nature1 including us men4 ,as we look out upon ,nature we see that the ,activity which animates her does not issue from any outside source1 but is actually in her4 ,we do not need to look for the seat of that animating ,activity in the empty spaces of the starry heavens or anywhere beyond them4 ,we look for it in the stars themselves1 in our own star1 in the ,earth1 in every particle of which the stars and ,sun and ,earth are composed1 in every plant and animal1 and in every human heart1 and in the whole together4 ,there it is--and especially in the human heart--that the soul of ,nature resides4 ,there is its dwelling-place4 ,to each of us it is nearer than father is to son4 ,it is as near as ,i am to each one of the myriad particles which in their togetherness go to make up the body and soul which is me4 ,the spirit of ,nature is resident in no remoteness of cold and empty space4 ,it is deep within us and all around us4 ,it permeates everything and everybody1 everywhere and always4 ,and if we wish to be unmistakably aware of its presence1 we have only to look within ourselves1 and whenever we are conscious of a higher perfection which something within1 responding to the influences impinging insistently on us1 is urging us to achieve2 whenever we have a vision of something more perfect1 more lovely1 more lovable1 and feel ourselves urged on to reach after that greater perfection--we are in those moments directly and unmistakably experiencing the ,divine ,spirit of ,nature4 ,whenever we feel the ,spirit within us showing us greater perfectibility and prompting us to make ourselves and others more perfect than we have been we are1 in that moment1 being directly influenced by the ,spirit of ,nature itself4 ,we are receiving inspiration direct from the genius of ,nature1 the driving ,spirit which is continually urging her on1 and the directing ,spirit which guides her to an end4 ,we are in touch with the true ,heart of ,nature4 ,so as we take a comprehensive view of ,nature both in her outward bodily form and her inner spiritual reality1 and find her to be an interconnected whole in which all the parts are interrelated with one another1 one body and one mind1 self-contained and self-conscious1 and driven by a self-organising1 self-governing1 self-directing ,activity--we should regard her as nothing less than a ,personal ,being4 ,in ordinary language we speak of ,nature as a ,person1 and when we so speak we should not regard ourselves as speaking figuratively3 we should mean quite literally and as a fact that she is a ,person4 ,and we should look upon that ,personal ,being1 in which we are ourselves included1 as in process of realising an ideal hidden within her--an ideal which in its turn is ever perfecting itself4 99 99 99 ,what is meant by ,nature being a ,person1 and a ,person actuated by a hidden ideal1 and being in process of realising that ideal1 and what is meant by an ideal perfecting itself1 may be best explained with the help of an illustration4 ,first it will be necessary to explain how we can regard ,nature as a ,person1 or at least as nothing less than a ,person--though possibly more4 ,it is contended by many authorities that we cannot regard any collective being1 such as a college or a regiment--and ,nature is a collective being--as a true person4 ,but their arguments are unconvincing4 ,they allow that ,i am a person because ,i possess rationality and self-consciousness4 ,but ,i am a system or organisation of innumerable beings--electrons1 groupings of electrons1 groups of groupings in rising complexity4 ,i--the body and soul which makes up me--am nothing but a collective being myself4 ,and if we take the case of ,england as an example of a collective being1 we shall see that ,england has as much right to be considered a personal being as any single ,englishman1 composed as he is of innumerable separate beings4 ,perhaps to one who is representing ,england among strange peoples the personality of ,england is more apparent than to those who are constantly living in ,england itself4 ,to the foreign people among whom this representative is living ,england is a very real person4 ,what she thinks about them1 what she does1 what her intentions are1 what is her character and disposition1 are matters of high interest2 for upon ,england's good or ill will towards them may perhaps depend to a large extent their own future4 ,viewed from a distance like that1 ,england quite obviously does possess a character of her own4 ,she appears to some people large-hearted and generous2 to others aggressive and domineering2 to most solid1 sensible1 reasonable1 steadfast1 and steady4 ,and to all she has a character quite distinctive and her own--quite different from the character of ,france or of ,russia4 ,and ,england with equal obviousness thinks4 ,she forms her own opinions of other nations1 of their character1 intentions1 activities1 and feelings4 ,she thinks over her own line of action in regard to them4 ,she takes decisions4 ,and she acts4 ,she is for a long time suspicious of ,russia1 and takes measures to defend herself against any possible hostile ,russian action4 ,she later comes to the conclusion that there is no fundamental difference between her and ,russia1 so she takes steps to compose the superficial differences4 ,later still1 when both she and ,russia are being attacked by a common enemy1 she deliberately places herself on terms of closest friendship with ,russia1 and both gives her help and receives help from her4 ,at the same time1 having come to the conclusion that ,germany is threatening her very life1 she makes war on ,germany1 and prosecutes that war with courage1 endurance1 steadfastness and intelligence1 and with a determination to win at any cost4 ,england has deep feeling1 too4 ,she had a feeling of high exaltation on the day she determined to fight for her life and freedom4 ,she had a feeling of sadness and anxiety as things went against her at ,mons1 ,ypres1 ,gallipoli1 ,kut4 ,she was wild with joy when the war was victoriously concluded4 ,and she was proud of herself as she thought how among the sister nations of the ,empire of which she was the centre1 and among the allied nations1 she had played a great and noble part4 ,now when a body1 like ,england1 can thus think for itself1 form its own decisions1 take action1 establish friendships1 fight enemies1 and feel deeply1 surely that body must possess personality4 ,in ordinary language ,england is always spoken of as a person4 ,and ordinary language speaks with perfect accuracy in this respect4 ,in her relations with individual ,englishmen ,england also shows her personality4 ,the representative abroad feels very vividly how she expects him to act in certain ways--ways in accordance with her character and her settled line of action4 ,and she conveys these expectations to him not only in formal official instructions from her ,government3 the most important of those expectations are conveyed in a far more subtle and intimate but most unmistakable way4 ,the ,english ,government did not write officially to ,nelson at ,trafalgar that ,england expected every man to do his duty4 ,but ,nelson1 standing there for ,england1 knew very well that this was what ,england was expecting of him and of those serving under him4 ,a representative would find it very hard to locate the exact dwelling-place of the heart and soul and mind of ,england1 whether in ,parliament1 or in the ,press1 or in the ,universities1 or in factories1 or in the villages4 ,but that there is an ,england expecting him to behave himself in accordance with her traditions and character1 and to act on certain general but quite definite lines1 and who will admire and reward him if he acts faithfully to her expectations1 and condemn and in extreme cases punish him if he is unfaithful1 he has not the shadow of a doubt4 ,nor does he doubt that this ,england1 besides expecting a certain general line of conduct1 will and can constrain him to act in accordance with her settled determination--that she has authority and has power to give effect to her will4 ,and the official governmental representatives are not the only representatives of ,england4 ,every ,englishman is a representative of ,england4 ,how representative he is he will experience as he finds himself among strange peoples outside his own country4 ,he will find then that he has certain traits and traditions and characteristics which clearly distinguish him from the people among whom he is travelling4 ,and unofficial though he may be1 he will yet feel ,england expecting him to behave as an ,englishman4 ,and though he may not be so vividly aware of it when he is at home1 he is still a representative of ,england when he is in ,england itself4 ,in everyday life he is being expected and constrained by ,england to act in certain ways4 ,nor is it all a one-sided affair--,england expecting so much of him and he having no say or control over what ,england does4 ,on the contrary1 the relationship is mutual4 ,he goes to the making and shaping of ,england just as much as she goes to the making and shaping of him4 ,he expects certain behaviour of her as she expects such of him4 ,and if he has gained the confidence of his fellow-countrymen and has energy and determination1 he may do much to affect her destiny4 ,england is therefore1 so it seems1 a person just as much as a single ,englishman is a person4 ,englishmen1 in fact1 only attain their full personality in an ,england which has personality4 99 99 99 ,now ,nature1 ,i suggest1 in spite of what has been said against the view1 is a ,person in exactly the same way as ,england is a person4 ,nature is a collective being made up of component beings--self-active electrons1 self-active atoms1 self-active suns and planets1 self-active cells1 plants1 animals1 men1 and groups and nations of men--as ,england is made up of the land of ,england and all that springs therefrom1 including the ,englishmen themselves4 ,nature thinks and feels and strives as ,england thinks and feels and strives4 ,and ,nature cares for her children as ,england looks after her sons4 ,it is often said1 indeed1 that ,nature is hard and cruel4 ,but it is only through the unfailing regularity and reliability of her fundamental laws--of her constitution--that freedom and progress are possible4 ,if we could not depend upon perfect law we could make no advance whatever4 ,we should all be abroad and uncertain4 ,yet in spite of her unbending rigidity over fundamentals1 she does also show mercy and pity4 ,a child toddling along downhill unregardful of the force of gravitation falls on its face and screams with pain4 ,but ,nature1 represented by the mother1 rushes up1 seizes the little thing in her arms1 presses it lovingly to her bosom1 rock it and coaxes it and covers it with kisses4 ,so if ,nature can think and feel and strive and show mercy and loving-kindness1 she is entitled to the dignity of personality4 ,and when we stand back and regard ,nature as a whole1 we shall look upon her as a ,person and nothing less4 99 99 99 ,we have now to understand what is meant by saying that ,nature is a ,person actuated by a hidden ideal and being in process of realising that ideal4 ,when travelling across the ,gobi ,desert ,i found a yellow rose--a dwarf1 simple1 single rose4 ,it is known to botanists as ,rosa persica1 and is believed to be the original of all roses4 ,i found it on the extreme outlying spurs of the ,altai ,mountains4 ,now1 a seed of the rose1 partly under the influence of its surroundings 7soil1 moisture1 air1 sunshine7 but chiefly by virtue of something which it contains within itself1 something inherent in its very nature1 will grow up into a rose-bush and give forth roses4 ,the seed develops into a rose1 not because some outside super-gardener takes hold of each one of the million million ultra-microscopic particles of which it is made up and puts it carefully into its appointed place1 as a builder might put the stones of a building into their exact places according to the plans of an architect2 but because each of those minutest ultimate particles has that within it which prompts it to act of its own accord in response to the call of the whole4 ,each of these electrons is in incessant and terrific motion1 moving at the rate of something like #ahj1jjj miles a second1 so placing it in position would be a difficult matter4 ,besides which1 each electron is not a tiny bit of matter as we ordinarily conceive matter--something which we can touch and handle4 ,it is a mere centre or nucleus of energy4 ,any placing of it in position by a super-gardener is therefore out of the question4 ,each of those little particles moves and acts of itself in accordance with its own inner promptings1 and in response to the influence of those other myriads of particles and groups of particles about it4 ,and that system of these groups of particles which is enclosed within the rondure of the seed must have within it the ideal of the rose to be4 ,each particle will act on its own initiative1 but all will act under the mutual influence of one another1 and in their togetherness will make up the rose-spirit1 being informed by the ideal of the rose which in its turn will suffuse the whole4 ,and this rose-spirit--this rose-disposition--as it gives itself play1 so controls and directs their movements that eventually the full-blown rose comes into being4 ,what happens is1 we may imagine1 much the same as what happened in the case of ,australia4 ,a handful of settlers from the mother-country formed the germ-seed from which the ,australia of to-day has grown up4 ,there was no external despot ordering each individual ,australian to do this1 that1 and the other--to come this way and go that1 and to stop in one place this year and in another place the next4 ,each ,australian acting on his own initiative1 and all in their togetherness1 created the ,australian spirit1 which again reacting upon each ,australian induced him to act in accordance with that spirit4 ,and so in time ,australia1 assimilating individuals from outside and absorbing them into its texture1 and imbuing them with the ,australian spirit1 grew up into manhood in the ,great ,war and astonished the world by its strong individuality1 its character1 intelligence1 determination1 and good comradeship4 ,in the same way these particles of the rose-seed1 each acting of itself1 in their collectivity formed the rose-spirit4 ,and each was in turn imbued by the rose-spirit4 ,they had in them unconsciously the ideal of the rose-bush with its roots1 stem1 branches1 leaves1 flowers1 fruit1 seed4 ,in all their activities they were actuated by this ideal4 ,it was always constraining them in the given direction4 ,by reason of the working of it in the particles they could by no possibility arrange themselves into a may tree or a lilac bush4 ,there was an inner core of activity which persisted through all the countless changes of the process1 which permeated the whole and which kept it directed to the particular end it had all the time in view4 ,that activity had1 in fact1 a well-defined disposition1 and that disposition was defined by the ideal of the rose1 and was to form a rose-bush bearing roses4 ,that the rose-seed developed into the rose was due1 therefore1 not to the operation of any outside agent1 but was due to the operation of the rose-spirit that it had within it1 and which was persistently driving it to bring into actual being that ideal of the rose which was the essence of its spirit4 ,the ideal of the rose was the motive-power of the whole process4 ,where the rose-spirit derived from we shall later on enquire4 ,here we must note a point of the utmost importance4 ,the seed of this ,rosa persica is imbued with the spirit of ,rosa persica4 ,it has this ideal working within it4 ,but it is not confined within the rigid limits of that ideal4 ,it has that ideal1 but something beyond also --something in the direction of that ideal1 but stretching on ahead to an illimitable distance4 ,the rose-seed developed riot only into the rose-flower1 but through the flowers into numerous rose-seeds4 ,and from the original ,rosa persica seeds have sprung roses of scores of varieties4 ,roses of every variety of form1 colour1 habit1 texture are constantly appearing4 ,by purposeful mating1 and supplying favourable conditions of soil1 temperature1 etc41 almost any kind of variety can be produced4 ,so we have not only yellow roses of every shade from gold and cream to lemon1 but also white and red and pink roses of every hue4 ,we have single roses and roses as full as small cabbages4 ,and we have dwarf roses and roses climbing #ej or #fj feet in height4 ,from all this it is evident that within the original seed of ,rosa persica was a rose-spirit which refused to be confined within the limits of ,rosa persica only1 but stretched out far beyond as well4 ,the rose-spirit had latent in it1 and was unconsciously stretching out to1 all the beauties which roses have since attained to1 and beyond that again to all the beauties that are yet to come4 ,the horizon of the rose-spirit was never confined by a single plan--the plan of the ,rosa persica--as the builder is confined by the plan of the architect1 beyond which he cannot go4 ,the rose-spirit could reach out along the line of roses to an unlimited extent4 ,it could produce nothing but roses2 it could not produce laburnums4 ,but it could produce roses of unlimited variety1 provided favourable conditions were available4 ,but the ,rosa persica was itself the outcome of a long line of development from a far-away primordial plant-germ4 ,from that original plant-germ have sprung all the ferns and grasses1 the shrubs and trees and flowers1 of the present day4 ,so in that plant-germ must have resided the plant-spirit with an ideal of all this variety of plant-life actuating it--unconsciously1 of course1 but most effectively for all that4 ,the particles of that original germ in their individual activities and in their mutual influence upon one another were in their togetherness actuated by a plant-spirit which had in mind--so to speak--not only the reproduction of a plant precisely similar to the original plant1 but one with the possibilities of development and of reproducing others with possibilities of still further development4 ,all that plant life has so far attained and all that it will attain to in future--perhaps also all that it might have attained to--must have been present in the plant-spirit of that original plant-germ4 ,and it is through the working out--the realising--of this ideal which actuated that plant-spirit1 and through the response which this spirit made to the stimulus of its surroundings that all the wonderful development of plant life has taken place4 ,the plant-spirit had to keep within the lines of plant life2 it could not stray beyond it to develop lions and tigers4 ,but within the lines of plant life it could stretch out to illimitable distances4 ,all that was wanted was the stimulus of favourable conditions1 and from its surroundings it could select1 reject1 assimilate1 all that would further its end4 99 99 99 ,in the ,gobi ,desert ,i also saw the wild horse--,equus ,prjevalskyi --supposed to be the original horse4 ,and as the rose springs from the seed1 so the horse develops from the ovum4 ,and by virtue of the horse-spirit1 the horse-ideal1 by which all the innumerable particles of that ovum is actuated1 it develops into a horse1 and not into a donkey or a cow4 ,but the ovum of the original ,equus ,prjevalskyi must have had in it the ideal of something more than the ,equus ,prjevalskyi1 for from the original stock has sprung the great variety of horses we see to-day--race-horses1 cart-horses1 hunters1 polo ponies1 ,shetland ponies1 etc4 ,and these are still varying4 ,and the ,equus ,prjevalskyi was itself the outcome of a long line of development4 ,like all other animals1 including man1 it must have sprung from an original animal-germ4 ,and the particles of that original animal-germ must have had in them the animal-spirit actuated by the ideal of all the animals of the present day1 including man1 and ready to develop as soon as favourable conditions provided the necessary stimulus to which the germ was ready to respond4 ,and both the original plant-germ and the original animal-germ sprang from an original plant-animal germ4 ,and this1 again1 from the ,earth itself4 ,so that the ,earth must always have had hidden in it the ideal of all plant and animal and human life--and not only the ideal of what it has reached at present1 but of all it will become1 and1 it is important to note1 of all it might become in future4 ,it is the working of this ideal in the ,earth1 from the time five hundred million years or so ago when it budded off from the ,sun as a fiery mist1 that it has1 under the influence of the light and heat of the ,sun1 and possibly also under the influences from the ,stellar ,universe as well1 produced what we see to-day4 ,the ,earth-,spirit was inspired by this ideal1 and in the ideal was this capacity for improving itself4 ,and through the working of this ideal1 and under the influence of the rest of the world1 the ,earth has developed from a flaming sphere into a molten ball1 into a globe of barren land and sea1 and so on into the verdure-covered and animal- and man-inhabited ,earth of the present age4 ,the ,earth1 like the rose-seed1 contained within it a core of ,activity which permeated every particle and constrained it with its fellow-particles to direct itself towards the ideal--a core of ,activity which was animated by the ideal1 while the ideal on its part had an innate faculty of perfecting itself4 ,but the ,earth is itself only a minute mite even of the ,solar ,system4 ,and the ,sun is only one of perhaps a thousand million other stars1 some so distant that light travelling at the rate of #ahf1jjj miles a second must have started from them before the birth of ,christ to reach us to-day4 ,nevertheless the ,earth is composed of the same ultimate particles of matter that even the most distant stars are made of4 ,the ,earth1 the ,sun and stars1 are composed of electrons which are all alike4 ,doubtless there are individual differences between electrons as there are between men1 but in a general way they are as much alike as all men appear alike to an eagle4 ,and of these electrons the whole ,universe is made as well as the ,earth4 ,the same laws of motion1 of gravitation1 and of electro-magnetic and chemical attraction1 obtain there as here4 ,the scale of the ,stellar ,world is immensely larger than the scale we are accustomed to on this ,earth4 ,but the same fundamental laws everywhere prevail1 and the ,earth and stars are composed of the same material4 ,so it must have been from the ,heart of ,nature as a whole that the ,earth-,spirit must have derived the ideal which actuated it4 ,deep in the ,heart of ,nature must have resided the ideal of the state of the ,earth as it is to-day4 ,in the great world as a whole1 as in the rose-seed1 must have been operating an ideal at least of what is on the ,earth to-day1 and of what this ,earth will become and of what it might become2 and possibly also of greater things which have already been realised1 or will be realised and might be realised in the planets of other suns than our ,sun4 ,there must ever have been working throughout the ,universe an ,activity constraining the ultimate particles in a given direction4 ,there must have been an ,organising ,activity1 collecting the diffused particles together1 grouping them into concentrated organisms and achieving loftier and loftier modes of being4 ,each of those inconceivably numerous and incredibly minute particles which make up the stars and the ,earth and all on it--each one acted of itself4 ,but each acted of itself under the influence of its fellows--that is1 of every other particle2 that is1 of the whole4 ,each acted in response to its surroundings1 but its surroundings were nothing short of the whole of ,nature outside itself4 ,together they formed the ,spirit of ,nature with the ideal as its essence4 ,and ,nature in her turn acted on the particles--as ,englishmen form the spirit of ,england and the spirit of ,england acts back upon individual ,englishmen4 ,it was the working of this ,spirit1 with its self-improving ideal1 that has produced ,nature as we see her to-day4 ,the distant ideal furnished the motive-power by which the whole is driven forward4 ,and this ideal was itself built up by the unceasing interaction of the whole upon the parts and the parts upon the whole4 ,what was in the parts responded to the stimulus of what was in the whole1 and the whole was affected by the activity of the parts4 ,what was immanent responded to what was transcendent4 ,and the transcendence was affected by the immanence4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,nature',s ,,ideal ,if we have been right so far1 we have arrived at the position that ,nature is a ,personal ,being in process of realising an ideal operating within herself4 ,we have now to satisfy ourselves as to the character of that ideal4 ,what is the full ideal working in the whole of ,nature we cannot possibly know4 ,we can only know so much of it as can be detected with our imperfect faculties on this minute atom of the ,universe on which we dwell4 ,we cannot be sure we have even discerned the highest levels of the ideal4 ,for there may be higher beings than ourselves on the planets of the stars1 and among those higher beings higher qualities than any we know of1 or can conceive1 may have emerged4 ,love is the highest quality we know4 ,but love in any true sense of the word--love as a self-conscious activity--has only emerged with man1 and man has only appeared within the last half-million of the ,earth's four or five hundred million years of existence as the ,earth4 ,we cannot1 therefore1 presume to say what is the ideal in its highest development for the whole of ,nature4 ,but from our experience here we can see what that ideal is up to 7what for us is7 a very high level1 and we can make out what is apparently its fundamental characteristic4 ,i obtained my best conception of it on the evening ,i left ,lhasa at the conclusion of my ,mission to ,tibet in #aijd1 when ,i had an experience of such value for determining ,nature's ideal1 and1 for me at any rate1 so convincingly corroborative of the conclusions which others who have had similar experiences have drawn from them as to ,nature's ideal1 that ,i hope ,i may be excused for relating in some detail the circumstances in which it came to me4 ,these circumstances1 though not the experience itself1 were somewhat exceptional4 ,i was at that particular moment at the highest pitch of existence--that is to say1 of my own existence4 ,i had had an unusually wide experience of the wild countries of that most interesting and varied of the continents--,asia1 and for that reason had been specially selected for the charge of a ,mission to ,tibet4 ,however ill-qualified ,i might be for other tasks1 for this particular business of establishing neighbourly relations with a very secluded and seclusive ,asiatic people1 difficult of approach both on account of their natural disposition and of the mighty mountain barrier which stood between them and the rest of the world1 ,i was esteemed to have peculiar qualifications4 ,my comrades were also men selected for their special qualifications--one for his knowledge of the ,tibetans1 another for his knowledge of the ,chinese1 another for his knowledge of geology1 and so on4 ,the troops engaged were selected for their experience in frontier warfare1 and each man had had to pass a medical test4 ,we were at the top of our physical fitness and ripe in experience4 ,besides ,british officers and a few ,british troops1 there were among the soldiers ,sikhs1 ,pathans1 ,gurkhas1 a few ,bengalis1 a few ,rajputs and ,dogras2 and among the followers were ,bhutias and ,lepchas from ,sikkim1 ,baltis from ,kashmir1 ,bhutanese from ,bhutan4 ,there were thus ,christians1 ,mohammedans1 ,hindus1 and ,buddhists3 men from an island in the ,atlantic1 and men from the remotest valleys of the ,himalaya4 ,and our destination had been a sacred city hidden two hundred miles behind the loftiest range of mountains in the world4 ,on our way we had had to battle with the elements of ,nature in very nearly their extremest forms and in every variety4 ,we started in the sweltering heat of the plains of ,india in the hottest season4 ,we passed the lower outer ranges of the ,himalaya in the midst of torrential rain1 like the heaviest thunder-shower in ,england1 continuing all day long and day after day with scarcely a break1 and penetrating through a waterproof coat as if it were paper4 ,following this we had to cross the main axis of the ,himalaya in ,january1 to pass the winter at an altitude of #ae1jjj feet above sea-level1 and face blizzards which cut through heavy fur coats and left us as if we were standing before it in our bare bones4 ,we had also had to battle with the ,tibetans--not only in actual fighting1 but in diplomacy as well4 ,i had deliberately risked my life in order to effect a settlement by persuasion and without resort to arms4 ,officers and men at my request had done the same4 ,subsequently we had both attacked and been attacked4 ,five hundred of us had for two months to face the attacks of eight thousand ,tibetans4 ,later1 again1 we had had a long1 tough1 diplomatic contest with the ,tibetans4 ,besides battling with the elements and with the ,tibetans1 ,i had also had to battle with my own people--as is always and inevitably the case on such occasions4 ,military and political considerations had to contend against each other4 ,this local question between ,india and ,tibet was part of the general international question of the relations of ,european nations1 ,russia1 ,france1 ,germany1 ,italy1 ,america1 with ,china1 for ,tibet was under the suzerainty of ,china4 ,local considerations had therefore to contend with international considerations4 ,then from the local point of view the permanent settlement of this particular question was desirable1 whereas those responsible for the international situation would not object to a temporary arrangement of this single question as long as the whole general situation could be favourably secured4 ,the ,tibetan question was part of the whole question of our relations with ,russia4 ,our relations with ,russia were connected with our relations with ,france4 ,we were coming to an arrangement with ,france as regards ,egypt and ,morocco4 ,if we did anything in ,tibet which vexed ,russia she might be troublesome as regards ,egypt1 and make it difficult to come to an arrangement with ,france and to bring off the ,anglo-,french ,entente4 ,of all these international considerations ,i was kept aware by ,government even in the heart of ,tibet4 ,but my position required that ,i should stand up for the political as against the military1 the local as against the international1 and the permanent settlement as against the temporary arrangement4 ,it was my duty vigorously to battle for this--as it was equally the duty of the military and those responsible for international affairs to battle for their own point of view4 ,and of course ,i had to submit1 after contesting my standpoint1 to the decision of those in authority2 though ,i had to contend for the particular1 it was the general which had to prevail4 ,in the end a settlement was reached1 and in this remote city we had received congratulations from many different people in many different lands4 ,the troops1 my staff1 and all about me were filled with delight at the success of our enterprise4 ,even the ,tibetans themselves seemed pleased at the settlement2 at any rate1 they asked to be taken under our protection4 ,on the morning we left ,lhasa the ,lama ,regent1 who in the absence of the ,dalai ,lama had conducted negotiations with us1 paid us a farewell visit and gave us the impression of genuine goodwill towards us4 ,we and the ,tibetans had contended strongly against one another4 ,but it seemed that a way had been found by which good relations between us could be maintained4 ,we had discovered that fundamentally we were perfectly well-disposed towards each other1 and means had been found for composing our differences4 ,throughout the ,mission we had kept before us the supreme importance of securing this goodwill eventually4 ,the ,tibetan frontier runs with the ,indian frontier for a thousand miles1 and it would have been the height of folly to have stirred up in the ,tibetans a lasting animosity4 ,far more important1 then1 than securing the actual treaty we regarded securing the permanent goodwill2 and when ,i felt that through the exertion of my ,staff and the good behaviour of the troops as well as through my own efforts the goodwill of the ,tibetans really had been secured1 my satisfaction was profound4 ,it was after enduring all these hardships1 after running all these risks1 and after battling in all these controversies1 that this deep satisfaction came upon me4 ,for though at times ,i felt1 as every leader feels in like circumstances1 that success must have been due to everyone else besides myself--to the backing and firm direction ,i had received from ,government1 to the sound advice and help of my ,staff1 to the bravery and endurance of the troops1 without all or any one of which aids success would have been unattainable--yet ,i could not help also feeling that ,i had often on my own responsibility to make decisions and run risks1 and to give advice to ,government2 and that if ,i had erred in my decisions or in the advice ,i gave or in taking the risks1 success most assuredly would not have been achieved1 however much support ,i received from elsewhere4 ,i had1 therefore1 that satisfaction a man naturally feels when his special qualifications and training and the experience he has gained during the best part of his life have proved of acknowledged good to his country4 ,and this was the frame of mind in which ,i rode out of ,lhasa on our march homeward4 ,these were the circumstances in which ,i had the experience ,i now venture to describe4 ,after arrival in camp ,i went off into the mountains alone4 ,it was a heavenly evening4 ,the sun was flooding the mountain slopes with slanting light4 ,calm and deep peace lay over the valley below me--the valley in which ,lhasa lay4 ,i seemed in tune with all the world and all the world seemed in tune with me4 ,my experiences in many lands--in dear distant ,england2 in ,india and ,china2 in the forests of ,manchuria1 ,kashmir1 and ,sikkim2 in the desert of ,gobi and the ,south ,african veldt2 in the ,himalaya mountains2 and on many an ocean voyage2 and experiences with such varied peoples as the ,chinese and ,boers1 ,tibetans and ,mahrattas1 ,rajputs and ,kirghiz--seemed all summed up in that moment4 ,and yet here on the quiet mountain-side1 filled as ,i was with the memories of many experiences that ,i had had in the high mountain solitudes and in the deserts of the world away from men1 ,i seemed in touch with the wide ,universe beyond this ,earth as well4 ,after the high tension of the last fifteen months1 ,i was free to let my soul relax4 ,so ,i let it open itself out without restraint4 ,and in its sensitive state it was receptive of the finest impressions and quickly responsive to every call4 ,i seemed to be truly in harmony with the ,heart of ,nature4 ,my vision seemed absolutely clear4 ,i felt ,i was seeing deep into the true heart of things4 ,with my soul's eye ,i seemed to see what was really in men's hearts1 in the heart of mankind as a whole and in the ,heart of ,nature as a whole4 ,and my experience was this--and ,i try to describe it as accurately as ,i can4 ,i had a curious sense of being literally in love with the world4 ,there is no other way in which ,i can express what ,i then felt4 ,i felt as if ,i could hardly contain myself for the love which was bursting within me4 ,it seemed to me as if the world itself were nothing but love4 ,we have all felt on some great occasion an ardent glow of patriotism4 ,this was patriotism extended to the whole ,universe4 ,the country for which ,i was feeling this overwhelming intensity of love was the entire ,universe4 ,at the back and foundation of things ,i was certain was love--and not merely placid benevolence1 but active1 fervent1 devoted love and nothing less4 ,the whole world seemed in a blaze of love1 and men's hearts were burning to be in touch with one another4 ,it was a remarkable experience ,i had on that evening4 ,and it was not merely a passing roseate flush due to my being in high spirits1 such as a man feels who has had a good breakfast or has heard that his investments have paid a big dividend4 ,i am not sure that ,i was at the moment in what are usually called high spirits4 ,what ,i felt was more of the nature of a deep inner soul-satisfaction4 ,and what ,i saw amounted to this--that evil is the superficial1 goodness the fundamental characteristic of the world2 affection and not animosity the root disposition of men towards one another4 ,men are inherently good not inherently wicked1 though they have an uphill fight of it to find scope and room for their goodness to declare itself1 and though they are placed in hard conditions and want every help they can to bring their goodness out4 ,fundamentally men are consuming with affection for one another and only longing for opportunity to exert that affection4 ,they want to behave straightly1 honourably1 and in a neighbourly fashion towards one another1 and are only too thankful when means and conditions can be found which will let them indulge this inborn feeling of fellowship4 ,wickedness1 of course1 exists4 ,but wickedness is not the essential characteristic of men4 ,it is due to ignorance1 immaturity1 and neglect1 like the naughtinesses of children4 ,it springs from the conditions in which men find themselves1 and not from any radical inclination within themselves4 ,with maturity and reasonable conditions the innate goodness which is the essential characteristic will assert itself4 ,this is what came to me with burning conviction4 ,and it arose from no ephemeral sense of exhilaration1 nor has it since evaporated away4 ,it has remained with me for fifteen years1 and so ,i suppose will last for the rest of my life4 ,of course in a sense there has been disillusionment1 both as to myself and as to the world4 ,as one comes into the dull round of everyday life the glow fades away and all seems grey and colourless4 ,nevertheless1 the conviction remains that the glow was the real1 and that the grey is the superficial4 ,the glow was at the heart and is what some day will be--or1 anyhow1 might be4 ,an additional ground ,i have for believing it to be true is that on that mountain-side near ,lhasa ,i had a specially favourable opportunity of looking at the world from1 as it were1 a proper focal distance4 ,and it is only from a proper focal distance that we can see what things really are4 ,if we put ourselves right up against a picture in the ,national ,gallery we cannot possibly see its beauty--see what the picture really is4 ,no man is a hero to his own valet4 ,and that is not because a man is not a hero1 but because the valet is too close to see the real man4 ,cecil ,rhodes at close quarters was peevish1 irritable1 and like a big spoilt child4 ,now at a distance we know him1 with all his faults1 to have been a great-souled man4 ,social reformers near at hand are often intolerable bores and religious fanatics frequently a pestilential nuisance4 ,we have to get well away from a man to see him as he really is4 ,and so it is with mankind as a whole4 ,so ,i become more and more certain that my vision was true4 ,and the experience of the ,great ,war strengthens my conviction4 ,as we recede from it1 what will stand out1 we may be sure1 are not the crimes and cruelties that have been committed and the suffering that has been caused1 but the astounding heroism which was displayed1 the self-sacrifice1 the devotion and love of country that were shown--heroism and devotion such as have never before in the world's history been approached1 and which was manifested by common everyday men and women in every branch of life and in every country4 99 99 99 ,the conclusion ,i reach from this experience is that ,i was1 at the moment ,i had it1 intimately in touch with the true ,heart of ,nature4 ,in my exceptionally receptive mood ,i was directly experiencing the genius of ,nature in the very act of inspiring and vitalising the whole4 ,i was seeing the ,divinity in the ,heart streaming like light and heat through every part of ,nature1 and with the dominating forcefulness of love lifting each to its own high level4 ,and my experience was no unique experience4 ,it was an experience the like of which has come to many men and many women in every land in all ages4 ,it may not be common2 but it is not unusual4 ,and in all cases it gives the same certainty of conviction that the ,heart of ,nature is good1 that men are not the sport of chance1 but that ,divine ,love is a real1 an effectively determining and the dominant factor in the processes of ,nature1 and ,divine fellowship the essence of the ideal which is working throughout ,nature and compelling all things unto itself4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,heart ,,of ,,nature ,that ,nature is a ,personal ,being--or at least nothing less than a ,personal ,being--that she is actuated by an ideal1 and that her ideal1 so far as we are able to judge1 is an ideal of ,divine ,fellowship1 is the conclusion at which we have now arrived4 ,but we shall understand ,nature better1 and so see her ,beauty more fully1 if we can understand how she works out this ideal in detail4 ,and we shall best understand how she works it out if we examine what goes on within our own selves and see how we work out the ideal with which we believe ,nature herself has inspired us4 ,for it is in ourselves that the dominating spirit of ,nature is most clearly manifested to us4 ,and being ourselves the instruments and agents of ,nature1 and informed through and through with her spirit1 we ought to be able to understand how she works if only we look carefully enough into the working of our own inner selves4 ,what we find is that under the inspiration of the genius of ,nature we are perpetually projecting in front of us a pattern or standard of what we think we ought to be1 or should like to be1 and of what we think our country and the world ought to be4 ,we set up an ideal4 ,it is generally very vague4 ,but there is always at the back of our minds an idea of something more perfect4 ,and this idea we bring out from time to time from its seclusion and set up before us as an end to aim at4 ,sometimes we deliberately try to draw the outlines of this ideal more definitely4 ,each of us will picture a slightly different ideal to the rest4 ,the ideal men will differ just as much as actual men1 and the ideal countries as much as actual countries4 ,no two will be exactly alike4 ,and each of us will probably make his ideal man very different from himself--perhaps the exact opposite1 for each will be peculiarly conscious of his own imperfections and shortcomings4 ,but if the ideal man which each sets up differs in small particulars from what others set up1 the general outline of all will probably be very much the same1 as men in general are much the same when compared with other animals4 ,all will be based on the idea of fellowship4 ,so aided by examples chosen from among our friends1 we may here attempt to build up an ideal type of man4 ,for the effort will help us to realise better both what ,nature is aiming at and how she works4 ,formerly we might have drawn this ideal man upright1 straight1 rigid1 unbending4 ,more recently we might have drawn him as a super-man1 the fittest-to-survive kind of man1 all muscular will1 intent only on bending every other will to his and crashing relentlessly on through life like a bison in the forest4 ,but nowadays we want a man with the same reliability as the upright type1 but with grace and suppleness in place of rigidity2 and with the same strength as the super-man1 but with gentleness and consideration in proportion to the strength4 ,we do not want a man of wood2 and what we do want is not so much a super-man as a gentle-man--a man of courtesy and grace as well as strength4 ,the stiff and stilted type of a bygone age will have melted under the warmth of deepening fellowship and become flowing and fluid4 ,the man of this type will not only be full of consideration for others1 but will naturally1 out of a full and overflowing heart and of his own generous prompting1 eagerly enter into the lives and pursuits1 the hopes and fears1 the joys and sorrows of those with whom he is connected4 ,and with all this wide general kindliness he will be something more than merely amiable and good-natured1 and will have capacity for intense devotion for particular men and women4 ,he will necessarily have fine tact and address1 adroitness and skill in handling difficult and delicate situations1 and the sensitiveness to appreciate the most hidden feelings of others4 ,wit and distinction he will have1 too1 with ability to discern the real nature of people and events1 and to distinguish the best from the good1 and the good from the indifferent and bad4 ,he will also possess that peculiar sweetness of disposition which is only found when behind it is the surest strength4 ,and with all his gentleness1 tenderness1 and capacity for sympathy he will have the grit and spirit to hold his own1 to battle for his rights1 and to fight for those conditions which are absolutely necessary for his full development4 ,he will1 in addition1 have the initiative to think out and strike out his own line and to make his own mark4 ,he will be a man of the world in the sense of being accustomed to meet and mix with men in many different walks of life and of many different nationalities4 ,and he will be a man of the home in the sense of being devoted to his own family circle4 ,he will be at home in the town and at home in the country2 adapted to the varied society1 interests1 and pursuits which town life can afford1 but devoted also to the country1 to the open air and elemental nature and animals and plants4 ,a fixed principle and firm determination with him will be to do his duty--to do his social duty1 to do the right thing at whatever temporary cost to himself4 ,the right thing for him will be that which produces most good4 ,and he will deem that the most good which best promotes human fellowship1 warms it with love1 colours it with beauty1 enlightens it with truth1 and sweetens it with grace4 ,finally1 and culminatingly1 he will have that spirituality and fine sensitiveness of soul which will put him in touch with the true ,heart of ,nature and make him eagerly responsive to the subtlest promptings which spring therefrom2 so he will be possessed of a profound conviction1 rooted in the very depths of his being1 that in doing the right thing1 or in other words pursuing righteousness1 he is carrying out the will and intention of that ,divine ,being whom we here call ,nature but whom we might also call ,god4 ,this1 or something like it1 is the ideal of a man which most of us would form under the impress and impetus of the indwelling genius of ,nature4 ,but this ideal can only be reached by an individual when his country also has reached it4 ,he will be driven1 therefore1 to make his country behave and act up to this ideal4 ,and his country cannot so act till the general society of nations conducts itself on the same general lines4 ,his country1 therefore1 will be driven to make the general society of nations behave in accordance with the principles of high fellowship4 99 99 99 ,we have made for ourselves the ideal of a man4 ,it remains to show that the finest pitch of all is only reached in the union of man and woman4 ,the man is not complete without the woman1 nor the woman without the man4 ,it is in their union1 therefore1 that the ideal in its greatest perfection will be seen4 ,the flower which results from the working of the ideal in the ,heart of ,nature1 as the flower of the rose results from the working of the rose-ideal in the heart of the rose-seed1 we see in the love of man and woman at the supreme moment of their union4 ,this is the very holiest thing in ,nature4 ,it is then that both the man and the woman are to the fullest extent themselves1 both to be and to express all that is in them to be4 ,they love then to their extreme capacity to love4 ,they are gentle then to the utmost limit of tenderness4 ,and they are strong then to the farthest stretch of their strength4 ,and while they thus reach the very acme of ,nature's ideal so far as we men can discern it1 they1 at the same time and in so doing1 touch the very foundations of ,nature as well4 ,mathematicians have discovered that there is no such thing as a perfectly straight line1 and that curvature is a fundamental property of the physical world4 ,so also is it in the spiritual world4 ,as we reach the topmost height of the ideal we find that it has curved round1 and that we are at that moment at the very base and foundation4 ,what is attracting us forward in the farthest distance in front is the very thing that is urging us forward from behind4 ,pinnacle and foundation1 source and end1 meet4 ,the love which attracted the man and woman together and which they keep striving to attain in higher and higher degree1 is the same as the creative impulse which comes surging up from the very ,heart of ,nature4 ,direct and without ever a break it has come out of the remotest past and deepest deeps4 ,few seem aware of this1 and yet it is an obvious fact--and a fact which vastly increases our sense of intimacy with ,nature4 ,it was due to the same impulse which has brought the man and woman together that they themselves were brought into being4 ,their parents had been attracted by the same vision of love and impelled by the same impulse4 ,their parents' parents had been similarly attracted and impelled1 and so on back and back through the whole long line of ancestry1 through half a million years to primitive men1 back beyond them again through the long animal ancestry for scores of millions of years to the beginning of life4 ,even then there is no break4 ,direct from the very ,fountain ,source of ,things this creative impulse has come bursting up into their hearts4 ,at the moment of union they are straight along the direct line of the whole world-development1 so far as this planet is concerned4 ,the elemental in the natural impulse is the most ultimately elemental1 for it derives itself straight from the pure ,origin of ,things4 ,as they reach after the most ,divine they are impelled by the most elemental4 ,what1 in fact1 happens is that the elemental is inspired through and through with the ,divine4 ,the union of man and woman is the flower of ,nature4 ,but1 like the rose1 it bears within it the seed from which some still more beautiful flower may result4 ,no pair1 however sublime their union1 suppose that it is the best that could by any possibility at any time exist4 ,an absolutely perfect union depends upon an absolutely perfect pair in absolutely perfect surroundings4 ,and no one supposes that he himself is perfect or that the world around him is perfect4 ,so there is in the pair a consciousness of imperfection1 a vision of perfection1 and a desperate yearning to be more perfect and to make the world more perfect4 ,deep and strong as the creative impulse itself is the impulse to improvement4 ,it is due to this impulse that the mother reaches over her child with such loving care1 strives to shield it from all harm1 social as well as physical1 and to give it a better chance than she herself enjoyed4 ,it is due to this same impulse that the man works to leave his profession1 his business1 his science1 his art1 his country1 better than he found it4 ,it is due to this impulse also that men as a whole are driven to improve the whole ,earth1 to improve plants1 flowers1 trees1 animals1 men1 and make the world a better place for their successors than it has ever been for them4 ,the pair--even the most splendid pair that has ever wedded --have deep within them this perhaps unrecognised impulse to improvement4 ,they know that the rose can only bring forth roses1 and that they can only bring forth men3 they know that they cannot bring forth angels4 ,but they know also that the rose1 when wisely mated and its offspring provided with favourable surroundings of soil and air and sunshine1 can give rise to blooms incomparably more perfect than itself4 ,and they know that they themselves1 if they have wisely mated1 if they carefully tend their offspring and provide them with healthy1 sunny1 physical and social surroundings1 can give rise1 in generations to come1 to unions of men and women incomparably more perfect than their own--as much more perfect as their union is than the unions of primitive men--richer in colour1 more graceful in form1 sweeter in fragrance1 and of an altogether finer texture4 99 99 99 ,this1 then1 is the ideal in its completeness which we set up before us4 ,but we have no sooner set it up than we find that the presence of this ideal within us makes us restless1 unsatisfied1 discontented1 till we have set to work to bring things up to it2 and that when we do start improving them we are forthwith involved in endless strife4 ,improvement means effort4 ,it does not come by itself4 ,it is only effected by strong1 persistent1 determined effort4 ,it was no easy matter for the particles in the rose-seed to battle their way through the hard seed-case1 strike down into the soil1 send up shoots into the air1 stand steadfastly to their ideal of the rose1 and produce a seed capable of bringing forth a still more perfect flower4 ,and it is no easy matter for us to burst through our own shells1 strike our roots far down into the soil of common humanity and common animality1 and there firmly rooted strike up skyward1 stand faithfully to our ideal1 and produce something which will have capacity for still further improvement4 ,immense and sustained effort is required of us for this to be accomplished4 ,each man finds he has to battle with himself to make way for all the best in himself to come to the front4 ,each has to battle with the circumstances in which he is placed in order to find scope for the exercise of the best in himself4 ,each has to break his way through1 as that wonder of ,nature1 poor primitive man1 had to battle his way through the impediments of the tropical forests and the brute beasts by which he was surrounded4 ,and just as primitive man was not the animal provided with the thickest hide like the rhinoceros1 nor with sharpest claws like the lion1 nor with the fiercest temper like the tiger1 but was of all his fellows the one with the most sensitive nature1 so are those nearest the ideal the most delicately sensitive of mankind4 ,the ideal is never approached1 much less attained1 except by men and women of the most highly-strung natures--natures peculiarly susceptible to pain4 ,and with this extra susceptibility to pain they have to expose to the risk of wounds and bruises the most sensitive parts of their natures4 ,suffering is therefore inevitably their lot4 ,it is the invariable attendant of progress however beneficent4 ,excruciating pain each expects to have to endure--as every expectant mother and every soldier anticipates on the physical plane4 ,we find1 too1 that in working out our ideal we are not only required to endure pain1 but to submit to the sternest discipline4 ,first1 we need self-discipline4 ,each individual finds that he is required to exercise his faculties to the full1 make the utmost of himself1 attain to the highest of which he is capable1 and be ready for any sacrifice4 ,so he must train his faculties to the highest4 ,he is required also to work in concert with his fellows4 ,the stern obligation is therefore upon him to forgo his own private advantage in order that the common end may be achieved4 ,this obligation he has readily to acknowledge and submit to4 ,he has also to acknowledge what he owes to ,nature1 what is his duty to ,nature4 ,and that duty he has to perform and her authority he has to admit4 ,he can retain his freedom and initiative and enterprise4 ,but he has to obey the laws of ,nature1 acknowledge her authority1 submit to her discipline4 ,no soldiers were more full of independence and initiative than the ,australians1 but no troops at the end of the ,war realised better than they did that success can only be achieved through strictest discipline as well as freedom and initiative4 ,the lover also knows that only through the sternest discipline and constraint upon himself is his object attained4 ,thus there is an imperative necessity upon a man to be orderly in his behaviour1 loyal1 faithful1 dutiful1 and obedient to the ideal within him4 ,any failure in loyalty and obedience is a sin against ,nature and a sin against himself4 ,the call of honour and of humanity is upon him1 and that call he has to obey without hesitation4 ,equally are men expected to be ready to exercise authority1 to maintain discipline and preserve order4 ,the exercise of authority is no less an obligation and duty upon men than obedience to it4 ,and the one has to be practised just as much as the other4 ,or1 rather1 the exercise of authority has to be practised more1 for it is more difficult and more valuable4 ,and the proper exercise of authority1 maintenance of discipline1 and preservation of order1 is a duty men owe ultimately to ,nature herself4 ,for it is from ,nature that they finally derive their authority and to ,nature that they are ultimately responsible4 ,whether as captain of the eleven or as head of the house at school1 as manager of an office or a business1 as policeman or foreman1 as corporal or ,commander-in-,chief1 as administrator or ,prime ,minister1 whether as nurse1 parent1 or schoolmistress1 a man or woman is in his position of authority directly or indirectly on the appointment or choice of those over whom he has to exercise authority4 ,he is there to exercise authority for their benefit4 ,they have placed him--as the public place the policeman--in authority for that purpose4 ,and they have a right to expect that he will exercise his authority with decision1 maintain discipline with firmness1 and preserve order with even-handed justice4 ,for only then can they themselves know where they are1 get on with their own duties and affairs1 and fulfil the law of their being4 ,ultimately those in authority are chosen by1 and are responsible to1 those over whom they exercise authority4 ,and those who choose them expect and require them to exercise authority authoritatively4 ,each in his own particular sphere1 in that particular place and for the time being1 has to exercise his authority with strictness4 ,otherwise the rest cannot fulfil their own duties4 ,the policeman has to exercise his authority even over a ,prince1 as otherwise there might be chaos in the streets and no one would be able to get about his business with surety4 ,the whole people have chosen each for his particular position of authority1 and for their benefit expect him to exercise it strictly4 ,the people1 again1 spring from ,nature as a whole4 ,they are the representatives of ,nature4 ,those in authority are therefore1 in their particular province1 for that particular purpose1 and for the time being the representatives of ,nature4 ,they are accountable to ,nature1 and ,nature expects them as her representatives to exercise authority with wisdom and discretion1 but on the same basic principles of absolute fairness and perfect orderliness that she herself in her elemental aspects exercises her authority4 ,besides obeying authority and exercising authority1 men have also to practise leadership4 ,merely to give and obey orders is nothing like sufficient4 ,in most things a man follows some leader1 but in each man there is one thing--his own particular line--in which he can lead4 ,in that line he is expected to qualify himself for leadership1 and be prepared to take the risks of high adventure4 ,for it is only through leadership1 through someone venturing out beyond the ruck and getting his fellows to follow him1 that any progress is made4 ,mere obedience to authority and exercise of authority never initiate any new departure4 ,these only provide the conditions for progress4 ,in addition to these the divine gift of leadership is required4 ,leadership is therefore the supremely important quality which men require4 ,but men cannot intelligently act in concert and alertly2 cannot willingly submit themselves to a rigid discipline2 cannot exercise authority with confidence and weight2 and cannot lead so that others may follow1 unless all are animated by the same idea4 ,and they are not likely to sacrifice their lives for that idea unless they are convinced of its value4 ,only for the most precious things in life do men willingly give up their lives4 ,and before they submit to unquestioning discipline and sacrifice themselves for an ideal they need a clear understanding of that ideal and a just appreciation of its value4 ,so they think out the ideal with greater precision and make sure that what they are aiming at is nothing short of the highest4 ,now the ideal of fellowship enriched with beauty and elevated to the ,divine is one which all can understand and of which all can see the value4 ,because it is the highest it is satisfying to the deepest needs and cravings of their nature1 and is therefore of a value beyond all reckoning4 ,assured of that1 they summon up all the courage and fortitude that is theirs1 all their spirit and mettle1 to endure unflinchingly the pain that must be theirs4 ,and in spite of the effort1 the long1 strict training1 the rigid discipline1 the hardship and suffering they have to undergo1 they joyfully play their part because they are assured in their hearts that what they are living for and would readily die for is supremely worth while4 ,deep in their hearts is that divine joy of battle that fighters for the highest always feel4 ,and they fight with power and conviction because they know that their ideal has come into their hearts straight from ,nature herself1 and experience has shown that what ,nature has in mind she does in the end achieve3 she not only has the will and intention but the power to carry into effect what she determines4 99 99 99 ,this is how we formulate the ideal to ourselves in ever-developing completeness2 and this is how with pain and effort but with over-compensating joy we carry it into effect4 ,and these experiences of ours in the formulation and working out of our ideal give us the clue to the manner in which ,nature on her part works out her ideal4 ,we are the representations and representatives of the whole1 and we may assume that the whole works in much the same way as we ourselves work4 ,if this be so we may expect to find that ,nature will work as an artist works1 that is1 out of his own inner consciousness1 spontaneously generating and continually creating new and original forms approaching 7through a process of trial and error experimentation7 more and more closely to that ideal of perfection which he has always1 though often unconsciously1 before him4 ,and this is how we actually do find ,nature working4 ,we find her reaching after perfection of form1 now in one direction1 now in another2 first in plants1 next in animals1 then in insects1 then in birds1 then in apes1 then in men1 here in one type and there in another1 never reaching complete perfection anywhere1 any more than the greatest artist ever does in any particular1 but still reaching perfection in a higher and higher degree1 and making the state of the whole of a richer and intenser perfection4 ,we have1 therefore1 ample evidence that ,nature is actuated by an intention to enrich perfection and is continually working towards it4 ,so we have confidence that ,nature1 hard and exacting though she be1 is only exacting in order that the ,highest may be attained4 ,we know that ,nature is aiming at the ,highest and nothing short of the ,highest4 ,and all the spirit of daring and adventure in us leaps to the call she makes4 ,and we respond to the call with all the greater alacrity because we feel that the attainment of that ,highest is dependent to a large degree upon ourselves4 ,we have a sense of real responsibility in the matter4 ,and for this reason--that though ,nature lays down the great constitutional laws within which man1 her completest representative1 must work2 and though ,nature as a whole formulates the main outlines of her ideal2 yet man within that constitution can make his own laws1 and within its main outlines may refine and perfect the ideal4 ,nature may be working out her ideal on other stars through the agency of other kinds of beings more perfect than ourselves2 and while the ideal in its main outlines may be the same there as the ideal which is working itself out on this planet1 it may there have assumed a higher form and be more nearly attained4 ,but on this planet the more definite formulation of the ideal and the measures for its attainment are in the hands of men4 ,we can perfect the ideal for ourselves1 and make laws and establish customs to ensure its attainment4 ,we are not the slaves of a despotic ruler1 or pawns in the hand of an external player4 ,within the limits of ,nature's constitution1 the laws we obey are laws of our own making2 the authority we obey is the authority which we ourselves have set up2 and both authority and laws we can change in accordance with the growing requirements of the ideal which we ourselves are perfecting4 ,we go forward1 therefore1 with inextinguishable faith in the value of what we are battling for1 and in the worthwhileness of all our efforts and endurances4 ,and though the ideal1 with which ,nature has inspired us makes us restless and discontented1 provokes us to increasing effort1 causes us endless pain and suffering1 and exacts from us the sacrifice even of our lives1 we nevertheless love to have the ideal1 and love ,nature for implanting it in us4 99 99 99 ,and now that we have seen what is the nature of ,nature1 what is the end she has before her1 and how she works to accomplish her end1 we feel that we have gone a long way towards knowing and understanding her4 ,we have had a vision of the hidden ,divinity by which she is inspired4 ,and this mysterious ,power we have not found reigning remote in the empty spaces of the heavens4 ,we have found it dwelling in every minutest particle of which this ,earth and all the world is built1 and of which we ourselves also are made--dwelling in the earth1 and in the air1 and in the stars2 and in every living thing1 in beast and bird and insect1 in flower1 plant1 and man--and dwelling in them all in their togetherness4 ,we have found it to be both immanent and transcendent4 ,it only exists--and can only exist--in these its single self-active representations4 ,but in relation to each of them it is transcendent4 ,each star and flower1 each beast and man1 is its partial representation4 ,but the whole together is that ,power which while it transcends is yet resident in1 and inspires1 each single part which goes to its making4 ,in the inmost heart of ,nature1 as the ground and source of ,nature1 yet permeating ,nature to the uttermost confines1 and reigning supreme over the whole1 we find ,god2 actuating the heart of ,god we find an ideal2 and actuating the heart of the ideal we find an imperative urge towards perfection1 an inborn necessity to perfect itself for ever--just as inside the rough exterior of ,abraham ,lincoln was the real ,abraham ,lincoln1 at his heart was an ideal1 and at the heart of the ideal an inner impulse towards perfection2 or as within the exterior ,france is the real ,france1 in the heart of ,france an ideal1 and in the heart of the ideal the determination to perfect itself4 ,this view of ,nature is very different from that view of her which would regard the world as having been originally created by1 and now being governed by1 an always and already perfect ,being1 living as apart from it as the ,sun is from the ,earth1 and being as distinct and separate from it as a father is from his son4 ,and the difference in view must make a profound difference in our attitude to ,nature1 and therefore in our capacity for seeing and enjoying ,natural ,beauty4 ,we may admire and worship but we can scarcely love1 in any true sense of the word1 a ,being dwelling distant and aloof from us1 and with whom1 from the mere fact of his being perfect1 it is most difficult for us to be on terms of homely intimacy and affection4 ,but for a ,being who1 like our country1 is one of whom we ourselves form part1 we can have not only admiration and reverence but deep affection4 ,we can and do love our country1 for we form part of her1 and have a voice and share in making and shaping her4 ,we know that she cares for us1 will look after us in misfortune1 and will honour and love us if we serve her well and show her loyalty and devotion4 ,and we can and do love ,nature for precisely the same reasons4 ,we feel ourselves part of her1 and in intimate touch with her all round and always4 ,and we have that which is so satisfying to us--the feeling that there is reciprocity of love between us and her4 ,so our love is active1 and it vehemently impels us to get to know her better and better1 to get ourselves in ever closer touch with her1 to discover the utmost fulness of her ,beauty1 and to communicate to others all that we have come to know and all the ,beauty we have seen1 so that others may share in our enjoyment and come to love ,nature more even than we love her ourselves--love ,nature in all her aspects1 love physical ,nature in the mountains1 seas and deserts1 the clouds1 sunsets and stars1 love plant ,nature and animal ,nature and human ,nature2 and1 above all1 love ,divine ,nature as best revealed in supreme men in their supreme moments4 ,in some of her aspects ,nature may be stern and exacting4 ,but she is never sheerly hard4 ,she is compounded of mercy and compassion as well as of rigid orderliness4 ,and her essential character is ,love--and ,love of no impassive and insipid kind1 but of a power and activity beyond all human conception4 ,the importance and significance of this conclusion1 if we accept it1 is that we definitely abandon the repellent conception of ,nature as governed by chance1 or as cold and mechanical1 or as guided solely by the principle of the survival of the fittest1 and we accept instead the humaner and diviner view that ,nature is actuated by ,love2 and1 accepting that more winning conception1 we can enter unreservedly into the ,spirit of ,nature and see her ,beauty4 ,unless we had been assured in our minds1 without any possibility of doubt whatever1 that we could love ,nature1 we could never really have enjoyed her ,beauty4 99 99 99 ,so ,nature is not something static1 fixed1 and immovable1 determined once and for all like a rock is1 at least to outward appearance4 ,nature is a ,person1 and a ,person is a process4 ,nature flows4 ,nature is always moving on4 ,as our thoughts are all connected with one another and passing into one another2 as all events are connected with one another and are continually passing from one into another1 and form one great all-inclusive event which is in continual process of happening2 so is ,nature always in process of passing from one state into another state1 while the whole forms one great event for ever happening4 ,and actuating the whole process1 determining the whole great event1 is an inner core of ,activity which endures through all the changes4 ,it is the ,i of ,nature1 which informs1 directs1 controls the whole from centre to utmost extremity through all space and all time4 ,it is the ,soul and ,spirit1 the ,genius of ,nature4 ,it is what we should mean when we speak of ,god4 ,actuated by this spirit1 whose essential character is ,love1 the process glides smoothly1 unbrokenly1 and wellnigh imperceptibly forward4 ,as we lift our eyes and look out upon ,nature in its present actually existing state1 what we see in that instant is the whole achievement of the past1 and it contains within it here and now the promise of all the future4 ,all the past is in the present1 and in it also is the potency of the future4 ,the achievement fills us with admiration4 ,the promise thrills us with hope4 ,to that ,spirit which has achieved this result1 which actuates the process and ourselves with it1 which determines the great event1 which ensures the uniformity and law and order which are the foundations of our freedom1 and the essential condition of all progress1 our hearts are drawn out and yearningly stretch themselves out in a love boundless as the process itself4 ,the more we find ourselves drawn to ,nature and in harmony and love with her1 the more ,beauty do we see4 ,in closest reciprocity ,love of ,nature inspires ,natural ,beauty and ,natural ,beauty promotes ,love of ,nature4 ,and it is from the ,heart of ,nature that both ,love and ,beauty spring4 ,both also remain permanent and everlasting through all the changing processes of ,nature--permanent but ever increasing in depth and height and volume4 ,the promise of all the ,love and ,beauty of to-day was hidden in the womb of the past4 ,in the womb of to-day is contained the promise of a ,love and ,beauty still more glorious4 ,and ours it is to bring them into being4 ,,part ,,ii ,,natural ,,beauty ,,and ,,geography ,,presidential ,,address ,,to ,,the ,,royal ,,geographical ,,society1 ,,delivered ,,at ,,the ,,anniversary ,,meeting1 ,,may #ca1 #aibj ,,natural ,,beauty ,,and ,,geographical ,,science ,i have something to say which to old-fashioned geographers may appear very revolutionary1 and which you may hesitate to accept straight away4 ,but it has come to me as the result of much and varied geographical work in the field2 of listening to many lectures before this ,society2 and of composing this ,address and five lectures for you1 firstly1 as far back as #ahhh1 on my journey across ,central ,asia from ,peking to ,india2 secondly1 on my journey to ,hunza and the ,pamirs2 thirdly1 on ,chitral2 fourthly1 on my mission to ,tibet2 and fifthly1 on the ,himalaya4 ,and ,i expect when you come to think over what ,i have now to say you will find that1 after all1 my conclusions are not anything desperately revolutionary but something quite obvious and natural4 ,what ,i want to lay before you for your very earnest consideration is this--that we should take a profounder and broader view of ,geography1 of its fundamental conception1 and of its scope and aim1 than we have hitherto taken2 and should regard the ,earth as ,mother-,earth1 and the ,beauty of her features as within the purview of ,geography4 ,i will state my case as clearly and briefly as ,i can4 ,geography is a science4 ,science is learning1 knowing1 understanding4 ,the object of geographical learning1 knowing1 understanding is the ,earth4 ,we must first1 then1 have a true conception of what the ,earth really is4 ,and next we must be certain in our minds as to what is most worth knowing about it4 ,to begin with our conception of the ,earth4 ,at the dawn of ,geography it was believed to be a flat disc4 ,later it was discovered to be a sphere4 ,then it was found to be not a hard solid sphere like a billiard-ball1 but to be hard only on the surface1 and within to be quick with fervent heat4 ,now it is coming to be regarded as spirit as well as body--as in its essential nature spiritual rather than material4 ,when we get as far back as science is able to take us we find that the ultimate particles of which the ,earth is made up are not minute specks of some substance or material1 but are simply centres of radiant energy4 ,even with a microscope of infinite power we should never be able to see one1 like we see a grain of pollen or a grain of sand4 ,and if we had fingers of infinite delicacy1 we should never be able to take one up between the forefinger and thumb and feel it4 ,these ultimate particles are invisible and intangible4 ,nothing could be less substantial4 ,and we find further that1 inconceivably minute as they are1 they act of themselves under the mutual influence of one another4 ,the electrons are not like shot which have been heaped together by some outside agency1 and which roll about the floor if someone outside gives them a push1 but which will otherwise remain immobile4 ,they congregate together of their own inner prompting4 ,they are like a swarm of midges or bees in which each individual acts on its own impulsion1 and1 in the case of bees1 all together form themselves into a definite organisation with a collective spirit of its own4 ,the ,earth is indeed influenced by its parent the ,sun1 and acts in accordance with the same laws and is swayed by the same impulses as govern the whole ,universe1 of which it is a minute though highly important mite4 ,but the point is that the ,earth is not something like a lump of clay which a potter takes in his hands and moulds into a ball4 ,the ,earth moulds itself from activities that it contains within itself4 ,running through the whole mighty swarm of electrons we call the ,earth is a tendency to order1 organisation1 and system4 ,the myriad millions of ultimate particles in their all-togetherness and from their interaction upon one another become possessed of an imperative urge towards excellence4 ,the electrons group themselves into atoms2 the atoms clump themselves together into molecules2 the molecules combine into chemical compounds1 and these into organisms of ever-increasing size and complexity4 ,so in the process of the ages there came into being1 from out of the very ,earth itself1 first1 lowly forms of plants and animals1 then higher and higher forms exhibiting higher and higher qualities1 till the flowers of the field1 the animals1 and man himself came into existence4 ,and now we reach the point ,i wish to make4 ,if this account of the ,earth which physicists and biologists give us be true1 then we geographers should take a less material and a more spiritual view of the ,earth than we have done1 and should1 like primitive people all the world over1 regard her as ,mother-,earth1 and recognise our intimate connection with her4 ,primitive peoples everywhere regard the ,earth as alive and as their ,mother4 ,and so intensely do they feel this liveness that many will not run the plough through the soil from dislike of lacerating the bosom of ,mother-,earth4 ,they see plants and trees spring up out of her1 and these plants and trees providing them with fruits and seeds1 leaves and roots1 upon which to live4 ,and they quite naturally look upon her as their ,mother4 ,and we men of the more advanced races have still more cause to consider her as our ,mother1 for we now know that not only the plants and trees but we ourselves sprang from her--as indeed we are nourished by her daily1 eating her plants or the animals which feed on her plants4 ,and as we judge of a lily1 not by its origin1 the ugly bulb1 but by the climax1 the exquisite flower2 so we should not judge of the ,earth by its origin1 the fiery mist1 but by its issue--ardent human fellowship4 ,and if we thus judge her we shall find her a mother worthy of our affection4 ,so the first point ,i have to put before you is that we geographers should regard the object of our science not as a magnified billiard-ball1 but as a living being--as ,mother-,earth4 ,not as hard1 unimpressionable1 dull1 and inert1 but as live1 supple1 sensitive1 and active--active with an intensity of activity past all conceivability4 ,yet with no chaotic activity1 but with activity having coherence and direction1 and that direction towards excellence4 99 99 99 ,now as to what we ought to know about the ,earth4 ,while ,geology concerns itself with its anatomy1 ,geography1 by long convention1 restricts its concern to the ,earth's outward aspect4 ,accordingly1 it is in the face and features of ,mother-,earth that we geographers are mainly interested4 ,we must know something of the general principles of geology1 as painters have to know something of the anatomy of the human or animal body4 ,but our special business as geographers is with the outward expression4 ,and my second point is that the characteristic of the face and features of the ,earth most worth learning about1 knowing1 and understanding is their ,beauty2 and that knowledge of their ,beauty may be legitimately included within the scope of geographical science4 ,it may be argued1 indeed1 that science is concerned with quantity --with what can be measured--and that ,natural ,beauty is quality which is something that eludes measurement4 ,but geographical science1 at least1 should refuse to be confined within any such arbitrary limits and should take cognisance of quality as well as quantity4 ,this is my contention4 ,i am not maintaining that the actual enjoyment of the ,natural ,beauty of the ,earth should be regarded as within the scope of geographical science1 though this ,society as a social body might well participate in such enjoyment4 ,enjoyment is feeling1 whereas science is knowing2 and feeling and knowing are distinct faculties4 ,we can easily see the distinction4 ,we may be travelling to ,plymouth to embark for ,south ,africa on some absorbing enterprise1 and be so engrossed with thoughts of the adventure before us as to be unable to enjoy the famed ,west ,country through which the train is passing1 though all the time we were quite aware in our minds of its beauty4 ,we are not actually enjoying the beauty1 though we know quite well that it is there4 ,on another occasion we may be returning after long absence in countries of far different character2 our minds may be free from any disturbing thoughts2 and we may be in a mood to enjoy to the full every beauty we see4 ,england will then seem to us a veritable garden1 the greenness of everything1 the trimness of the hedges1 the sheets of purple hyacinths1 and some still remaining primroses1 will startle us with joy1 though we have long been aware of their beauty4 ,this time we both know and enjoy the ,natural ,beauty4 ,we see from this instance the distinction between knowing ,natural ,beauty and enjoying it4 ,i am not claiming more than that knowing ,natural ,beauty--being aware of it--is part of ,geography4 ,but ,i am claiming liberty to extend our knowing up to the extreme limit when it merges into feeling4 ,what we have now to consider is the value of this ,natural ,beauty4 ,a region may be flat or mountainous1 dry or wet1 barren or fertile1 useful or useless for either political or commercial purposes4 ,but it is not its flatness or ruggedness1 or its utility or inutility for political or commercial purposes1 that we may find in the end is the most noteworthy characteristic1 but its beauty--its own particular beauty4 ,the conventional gold or oil prospector1 or railway engineer1 or seeker for sites for rubber or coffee plantation1 or pasture-lands for sheep and cattle1 may not bother his head about the beauty of the forests1 the rivers1 the prairies1 and the mountains he is exploring4 ,he is much too absorbed in the practical business of life to be distracted by anything so fanciful--as he thinks4 ,yet even he does see the beauty1 and long afterwards he finds it is that which has stuck most firmly in his mind4 ,and when he has unthinkingly destroyed it1 future generations lament his action and take measures to preserve what remains4 ,advertisements1 also1 show us daily that nearly all countries--and it seems more especially new countries like ,canada and ,new ,zealand--regard ,natural ,beauty as one of their most valuable assets4 ,and the reason why the ,natural ,beauty of the ,earth is deemed so valuable a characteristic of its features is not hard to understand when we come to reflect4 ,it is because ,beauty is a quality which appeals to the universal in man--appeals to all men for all time1 and appeals to them in an increasing degree4 ,it is something which all men can admire and enjoy4 ,and the more they enjoy it the more they want to get others to share in their enjoyment4 ,also the more ,natural ,beauty they see1 the more1 apparently1 there is to see4 ,poets in their poems1 and painters in their pictures1 are continually pointing out to us less keen-sighted individuals new beauties in the features of the ,earth4 ,the mineral wealth of the ,earth has its limits2 even the productivity1 though perennially renewed1 is not unbounded4 ,but the ,natural ,beauty is inexhaustible4 ,and it is not only inexhaustible3 it positively increases and multiplies the more we see of it and the more of us see it4 ,so it has good claim to be considered the most valuable characteristic of the ,earth4 ,and if ,beauty should prove to be its most valuable characteristic1 it follows that knowledge of it is the knowledge about the ,earth which is most worth having4 ,it will certainly be the case that knowledge of other characteristics may be of more value to particular men for a special purpose for the time being4 ,if an engineer has to build a railway1 knowledge of the exact height above sea-level of various points and of the general configuration of the ground is of more value than knowledge of its beauty4 ,but for the engineer himself1 when he is not thinking of his railway1 and for mankind in general1 knowledge of the beauty may be the more valuable kind of knowledge4 ,for years ,i was employed in exploring the region where three ,empires meet1 where the ,himalaya1 the ,hindu ,kush1 and mountains which form the ,roof of the ,world converge4 ,i had to report on the extent to which it afforded a barrier against the advance of ,russia towards ,india1 and wherein it would lie the most appropriate boundary between ,india and ,russia1 between ,india and ,china1 and between ,russia and ,china4 ,what ,i learned of that region as a barrier against invasion was of more value to the ,viceroy and ,commander-in-,chief in ,india and the political and military authorities in ,england in the discharge of their official duties than what ,i learned of its beauties4 ,but this utility of the region as a military barrier is not the characteristic which has most value to men in general4 ,what to them has most value is its beauty--the awful beauty of its terrific gorges and stupendous heights4 ,and it is knowledge of this beauty which is most worth having1 and which has most geographical value4 ,besides exploring the far region beyond ,kashmir ,i was also employed for years in exercising a general supervision over the entire administration of ,kashmir itself4 ,reports from experts used to come to me containing every description of geographical knowledge4 ,surveyors would send in maps for general purposes1 for the construction of roads and railways1 for the delimitation of village boundaries1 and for registering the ownership of individual fields4 ,geologists would report on the crustal relief 7as the features of ,mother-,earth are inelegantly termed74 ,forestry1 agricultural1 and botanical experts would report on the productivity of the soil1 on the plants and trees which are or might be grown1 and on their present and possible distribution4 ,mineralogists would report on the minerals1 their distribution and the possibility of commercially exploiting them4 ,every aspect of geographical science was presented to me4 ,and each particular kind of knowledge for its own particular purpose was highly valuable4 ,but the point ,i would wish to make is that my geographical knowledge of ,kashmir would have been incomplete--and ,i would have been wanting in knowledge of its most valuable characteristic--if ,i had had no knowledge of its beauty4 ,i might have had the most precise knowledge about the form and structure of the crustal relief of this portion of the ,earth1 of the productivity of the soil1 of the distribution of its population1 and of animals and plants1 and about the effect of the crustal forms on the animals and plants1 and of the animals and plants upon the crustal forms and of all upon man1 and of man upon them all2 but if ,i had had no knowledge of the beauty of these crustal forms and of the influence which their beauty has upon man1 ,i should not have known what was most worth knowing about ,kashmir4 ,my geographical knowledge of that country would have been wanting in its most important particular4 ,these illustrations will1 ,i hope1 make clear what ,i mean when ,i urge that ,beauty may be the most valuable characteristic of the ,earth's features1 and that the scope of ,geography should certainly be extended to include a knowledge of it4 ,and there should be less hesitation in accepting the latter half of this conclusion when we note that ,natural ,beauty affects the movements of man1 and that man is having an increasing effect upon ,natural ,beauty--spoiling it in too many cases1 improving it in many others1 but certainly having an effect upon it4 ,there is thus a quite definite relation between man and ,natural ,beauty1 and it should therefore be within the scope of ,geography to take note of this relationship4 ,to an increasing degree man now moves about in search of new ,natural ,beauty or to enjoy it where it has been already found4 ,from all over the world men flock to ,switzerland1 drawn there by its beauty4 ,here at home they go to the ,thames ,valley1 or ,dartmoor1 or the coast of ,cornwall1 or ,north ,wales1 or the ,highlands1 simply to enjoy the ,natural ,beauty4 ,and railway companies and the ,governments of ,canada1 ,australia1 and ,new ,zealand think it worth while to spend large sums of money in publishing pictures of the beauty of the countries in which they are interested in order to attract holiday-makers or home-seekers to them4 ,and here1 as in other cases1 man now is not content to be an impassive spectator and to be entirely controlled by his surroundings4 ,he does not allow the crustal relief to have the upper hand in the matter4 ,he will not admit that all he has to do is to adapt himself to his surroundings4 ,that servile view of our position in the ,universe is fast departing4 ,we are determined to have the ascendancy4 ,and much as we admire the ,beauty of the ,earth we set about improving it4 ,we fail disastrously at times1 ,i allow4 ,but sometimes unconsciously1 and sometimes deliberately1 we succeed4 ,we have in places made the ,earth more beautiful than it was before we came1 and we have certainly shown the possibility of this being done4 ,from what ,i have seen in uninhabited countries ,i can realise what the river-valleys of ,england must have been like before the arrival of man--beautiful1 certainly2 but not so beautiful as now4 ,they must have been an unrelieved mass of forest and marsh4 ,now the marshes are drained and turned into golden meadows4 ,the woods are cleared in part and well-kept parks take their place1 with trees specially selected1 pruned1 and trim1 and made to stand out well by themselves so that their umbrageous forms may be properly seen4 ,gardens are laid out1 the famous lawns of ,england are created1 and flowering and variegated shrubs from many lands are planted round them4 ,and homes are built--the simple homes of the poor and the stately homes of the rich--which in the setting of trees and lawns and gardens add unquestionably to the natural beauty of the land4 ,st4 ,james's ,park1 with its lake1 its well-tended trees1 its daisy-covered lawns1 its flowerbeds1 its may and lilac1 laburnum and horse-chestnut1 and with the towers of ,westminster ,abbey and the ,houses of ,parliament rising behind it1 is certainly more beautiful than the same piece of land was two thousand years ago in its natural condition4 ,what has been done in this respect in ,england is only typical of what is done in every country and of what has been done for ages past4 ,the ,moghul emperors1 by the planting of gardens on the borders of the ,dal ,lake in ,kashmir1 added greatly to its beauty4 ,and the ,japanese are famous for the choice of beautiful surroundings for their temples and for the addition which they themselves1 by the erection of graceful temples and by properly cared-for trees and gardens1 make to the natural beauty of the place4 ,so man is both affected by the ,beauty of the ,earth's features and himself affects that ,beauty4 ,and this relationship between man and the ,natural ,beauty of the ,earth is one of which ,geography should take as much cognisance as it does of the relationship between man and the productivity of the ,earth4 ,but ,natural ,beauty is manifested in an innumerable variety of forms4 ,the whole ,beauty is never manifested in any one particular feature or region1 but each has its unique aspect4 ,each feature has its own peculiar beauty different from the beauty of any other feature4 ,and what men naturally do1 and what ,i would suggest geographers should deliberately do1 is to compare the beauty of one region with the beauty of another1 so that we may realise the beauty of each with a greater intensity and clearness4 ,we can compare the beauty of ,kashmir with the beauty of ,switzerland and ,california4 ,and the comparison will enable us to see more clearly and to appreciate the distinctive elements which make up the peculiar beauty of each of those countries4 ,it has been frequently noticed that people who have always lived in the same place are unable to see its full beauty4 ,the inhabitants of the ,gilgit frontier1 when ,i first went among them1 had never left their mountains1 and were altogether ignorant of the special grandeur of their beauty4 ,they thought all the world was just the same4 ,but men who have seen many varieties of ,natural ,beauty and have taken pains to compare the varieties with one another become trained to see more ,beauty in each feature4 ,fresh discoveries of ,beauty are thus made1 and our knowledge of the ,beauty of the ,earth is thereby increased4 99 99 99 ,what ,i hope1 then1 is that this ,society should definitely recognise that learning to see the ,beauty in natural features and comparing the peculiar beauties of the different features with one another is within the scope of ,geography1 and will indeed become its chief function4 ,i should like to see the tradition established and well known and recognised that we encourage the search for ,natural ,beauty1 and look upon the discovery of a new region which possesses special beauty1 and the discovery of a new beauty in a region already well known1 as among the most important geographical discoveries to be made4 ,in this matter ,i trust our ,society will take the lead4 ,englishmen are born lovers of ,natural ,beauty and born travellers4 ,the search for ,natural ,beauty ought1 therefore1 to be a congenial task for this ,society4 ,as ,i have tried to make clear1 we cannot really know and understand the ,earth--which is the aim of ,geography --until we have seen its beauties and compared the varying beauties of the different features with one another and seen how they affect man and man affects them4 ,we are constituted as a ,society for the purpose of diffusing geographical knowledge1 and ,i trust that in future we shall regard knowledge of the ,beauty of the ,earth as the most important form of geographical knowledge that we can diffuse4 ,when ,i was ,writing out the lecture which ,i was invited to give before the ,society on ,the ,geographical ,results of the ,tibet ,mission ,i could not resist devoting special attention to the natural beauty of ,tibet4 ,but as ,i read the manuscript through ,i feared that this attention to ,beauty would be regarded by our ,society as a lapse from the narrow path of pure ,geography1 and that ,i should be frowned upon in consequence and not regarded as a serious geographer4 ,i ought1 ,i feared1 to have devoted more attention to survey matters1 to the exact trend of the mountains1 and the source and course of the rivers4 ,but looking back now ,i see that my natural instinct was a right one--that a knowledge of the beauties of ,tibet was not only one geographical result of the ,mission1 but the chief geographical result2 and that1 in fact1 ,i ought to have paid not less but more attention1 both in ,tibet to noting its beauties in all their multitudinous variety1 and in writing my lecture to expressing with point and precision what ,i had seen1 so that you might share it with me1 and learn what is the most valuable characteristic of ,tibet4 ,when the new tradition is established1 and travellers become aware that we regard knowledge of ,natural ,beauty as within the scope of our activities1 the error into which ,i fell will be avoided4 ,we shall think travellers barbaric if they continue to concern themselves with all else about the face of the ,earth except its ,beauty4 ,we shall no longer tolerate a geographer who will learn everything about the utility of a region for military1 political1 and commercial purposes1 but who will take no trouble to see the beauty it contains4 ,we shall expect a much higher standard of him4 ,we shall expect him to cultivate the power of the eye till he has a true eye for country--a seeing eye2 an eye that can see into the very heart and1 through all the thronging details1 single out the one essential quality2 an eye which can not only observe but can make discoveries4 ,we shall require him to have the capacity for discriminating the essential from the unessential1 for bringing that essential into proper relief and placing upon it the due emphasis4 ,when he thus has true vision and can really see a country1 and when he has acquired the capacity for expressing either in words or in painting what lie has seen1 so that he can communicate it to us1 then he will have reached the standard which this ,society should demand4 ,and this is nothing less than saying that we expect of him that he should have in him something of the poet and the painter4 ,careless snap-shotting in the field and idle turning on of lantern slides at our meetings will no longer satisfy us4 ,a traveller if he is going to photograph must spend the hours which a real artist would devote to discovering the essential beauty of a scene1 and to composing his picture before he dreams of exposing his plate4 ,but we want more than photographs3 we want pictures to give that important element in ,natural ,beauty--the colour4 ,and we want pictures painted in words as well as on canvas4 ,not shallow rhapsodising of the journalese and guide-book type1 but true expression in which each noun exactly fits the object1 each epithet is truly applicable1 and each phrase is rightly turned1 and in which the emphasis is placed on the precisely right point1 and the whole composed so as distinctly to bring out that point4 ,then in time we shall gather together the most valuable knowledge about the ,earth4 ,and when a stranger from a far land comes to us to know about any particular country1 we shall be able to provide him with something worth having4 ,when an ,australian comes to ,england and wishes to know its essential characteristics1 we shall do something more than hand him over maps and treatises on the orography and hydrography1 the distribution of rainfall1 of plants and animals1 and the population4 ,we shall regard ourselves as having omitted to point out to him the essential characteristic of the land from which ,englishmen have sprung and in which they dwell if we have not shown him the beauty of its natural features4 ,we shall give him the maps as aids to finding his way about1 and we shall give him the treatises4 ,but we shall tell him that these are only aids for special purposes1 and that if he is really to understand ,england he must know its beauty in its many aspects4 ,he will then have the geographical knowledge of chief value about ,england4 99 99 99 ,a project in which the ,society is now interested affords an excellent opportunity of applying the principles ,i have been trying to persuade you to adopt4 ,the most prominent feature of this ,earth1 and the feature of most geographical interest1 is the great range of the ,himalaya ,mountains4 ,in this range the supreme summit is ,mount ,everest1 the highest point on the ,earth1 #bi1jjb feet above sea-level4 ,attempts have been made to ascend the second highest mountain1 ,k#b1 #bh1bgh feet1 notably by the ,duke of the ,abruzzi4 ,colonel ,hon4 ,charles ,bruce1 ,major ,rawling1 and others have had in mind the idea of ascending ,mount ,everest itself4 ,and for more than a year past both the ,alpine ,club and this ,society have been definitely entertaining the idea of helping forward the achievement of this object4 ,we hope within the next few years to hear of a human being standing on the pinnacle of the ,earth4 ,if ,i am asked1 ,what is the use of climbing this highest mountain8 ,i reply1 ,no use at all3 no more use than kicking a football about1 or dancing1 or playing on the piano1 or writing a poem1 or painting a picture4 ,the geologist predicts to a certainty that no gold will be found on the summit1 and if gold did exist there no one would be able to work it4 ,climbing ,mount ,everest will not put a pound into anyone's pocket4 ,it will take a good many pounds out of people's pockets4 ,it will also entail the expenditure of much time and necessitate the most careful forethought and planning on the part of those who are organising the expedition4 ,and it will mean that those who carry it out will have to keep themselves at the very highest pitch of physical fitness1 mental alertness1 and moral courage and endurance4 ,they will have to be prepared to undergo the severest hardships and run considerable risks4 ,and all this1 ,i say1 without the prospect of making a single penny4 ,so there will be no use in climbing ,mount ,everest4 ,if the ascent is made at all it will be made for the sheer love of the thing1 from pure enjoyment--the enjoyment a man gets from pitting himself against a big obstacle4 ,but if there is no use1 there is unquestionably good in climbing ,mount ,everest4 ,the accomplishment of such a feat will elevate the human spirit4 ,it will give men--and especially us geographers--a feeling that we really are getting the upper hand on the ,earth1 that we are acquiring a true mastery of our surroundings4 ,as long as we impotently creep about at the foot of these mighty mountains and gaze on their summits without attempting to ascend them1 we entertain towards them a too excessive feeling of awe4 ,we are almost afraid of them4 ,we have a secret fear that they1 the material1 are dominating us1 the spiritual4 ,but as soon as we have stood on their summit we feel that we dominate them--that we1 the spiritual1 have ascendancy over them1 the material4 ,and if man stands on ,earth's highest summit he will have an increased pride and confidence in himself in his struggle for ascendancy over matter4 ,this is the incalculable good which the ascent of ,mount ,everest will confer4 ,we who have lived among the peoples of the ,himalaya are better able than most to appreciate how great this good is4 ,we have seen how tame and meagre is their spirit in comparison with the spirit of1 for example1 the ,swiss1 or ,french1 or ,italian inhabitants of the ,alps2 and in comparison with what men's spirit ought to be4 ,they have many admirable qualities1 but they are fearful and unenterprising4 ,contact with them brings home to us what a spirit of daring and high adventure means to a people4 ,and we are impressed with the necessity of taking every step possible to create1 sustain1 and strengthen this spirit in a people and in the human race generally4 ,the ascent of ,mount ,everest1 we believe1 will be a big step in that direction4 ,the actual climbing of this mountain this ,society will leave in the hands of the ,alpine ,club1 who have special experience in mountain climbing4 ,but the reconnaissance and mapping of the mountain and its neighbourhood will fitly remain with us4 ,and here we reach the point where the principles ,i have been offering for your consideration might be applied4 ,were it not that the size of the first party will have to be limited on account of transport and supply difficulties1 ,i should greatly like to have a poet or a painter1 or anyhow a climber like ,mr4 ,freshfield with a poetic soul1 a member of it4 ,for ,i say quite deliberately and mean quite literally that the geography of ,mount ,everest and its vicinity will not be complete until it has been painted by some great painter and described by some great poet4 ,making the most accurate map of it will not be completing our knowledge of it4 ,the map-maker only prepares the way--in some cases for the soldier or the politician or the engineer --in this case for the geologist1 the naturalist1 and above all for the painter and poet4 ,until we have a picture and a poem--in prose or verse--of ,mount ,everest we shall not really know it2 our ,geography will be incomplete1 and1 indeed1 will lack its chief essential4 ,the ,duke of the ,abruzzi1 in his expedition to the second highest mountain in the world1 took with him the finest mountain photographer there is--,signor ,vittorio ,sella--and he brought back superb photographs1 for he is a true artist with a natural feeling for high mountains4 ,but ,i have seen the very mountains that he photographed1 and when ,i look at these photographs--the best that man can produce--,i almost weep to think how little of the real character of great mountains they communicate to us4 ,the sight of the photographs wrings me with disappointment that it was a photographer and not a painter who went there4 ,here in ,europe are artists by the score painting year after year the same old ,european scenes4 ,and there in the ,himalaya is the grandest scenery in the world1 and not a painter from ,europe ever goes there--except just one1 the great ,russian ,verestchagin1 whose pictures1 alas6 are now buried somewhere in ,russia4 ,the ,indian ,services might do something1 and they have indeed produced one great painter of ,himalayan scenery1 ,colonel ,tanner4 ,but the ,services are limited1 and it is to ,europe that we must mainly look4 ,on the first expedition to ,mount ,everest it may be only possible to send a photographer4 ,but this will be a pioneering expedition to open the way1 at least1 for the painter4 ,and then we may have ,mount ,everest pictured in all her varied and ever-varying moods1 as ,i have1 from a distance1 seen her for three most treasured months4 ,now serene and majestic2 now in a tumult of fury4 ,now rooted solid on earth2 now hung high in the azure4 ,now hard and material2 now ethereal as spirit4 ,now stern and austere--cold1 and white1 and grey2 now warm and radiant and of every most delicate hue4 ,now in one aspect1 now in its precisely opposite1 but always sublime and compelling2 always pure and unspotted2 and always pointing us starward4 ,these are the pictures--either by painter or by poet--that we want4 ,and they can only be painted by one who has himself gone in among the mountains1 confronted them squarely1 braced himself against them1 faced and overcome them--realised their greatness1 realised also that great as they are he is greater still4 ,and this that we want of the greatest natural feature of the ,earth is only typical of what this ,society should require in regard to all ,earth's other features in order to make our ,geography complete4 ,as men have pictured the loveliness of ,england1 the fairness of ,france1 the brilliance of ,greece1 so we want them to picture the spaciousness of ,arabia1 the luxuriance of ,brazil1 and the sublimity of the ,himalaya4 ,for not till that has been done will our ,geography be complete4 ,but when that has been accomplished and the quest for ,beauty is being pushed to the remotest lands and ,earth's farthest corners1 even the ,british schoolboy will love his ,geography1 and our science will have won its final triumph4 ,at nothing less1 then1 than the heart of the boy should our ,society deign to aim4 ,,an ,,address ,,to ,,the ,,union ,,society ,,of ,,the ,,university ,,college1 ,,london1 ,,delivered ,,on ,,march #ag1 #aiba4 ,you have been good enough to leave to me the choice of subject on which to address you this evening1 and ,i have chosen the subject ,natural ,beauty and ,geography because ,i have the honour to hold at present the position of ,president of the ,royal ,geographical ,society1 and am therefore supposed to know something about ,geography1 and because a love of ,natural ,beauty is one of the great passions of my life4 ,i believe the two are inseparably connected with one another1 and1 briefly1 the view ,i want to put before you is this--4that a description of the ,natural ,beauty of the ,earth should be included in ,geography4 ,by ,geography we mean a description of the ,earth4 ,and we cannot adequately describe the ,earth until we have observed it in all its aspects and really know and understand it4 ,and we cannot really understand the ,earth until we have entered into her spirit and feel ourselves in harmony with it4 ,but when our spirit is in harmony with the spirit of the ,earth we1 in that instant1 see the ,beauty of the ,earth4 ,when we are seeing ,beauty in the ,earth we are understanding the ,earth4 ,in describing the ,beauty of the ,earth we shall be describing something that we really know about it--something of the real nature of the ,earth4 ,for this reason ,i maintain that ,geography should be taken to include a description of the ,natural ,beauty of the ,earth's features4 ,the description of the ,earth is not full and complete1 and is lacking in its most important particular1 when it excludes a description of ,natural ,beauty1 and only includes scientific details about the size and shape of the earth2 its configuration2 the composition of the crust2 the depth1 area1 and volume of the ocean2 the temperature1 degree of moisture and pressure of the atmosphere2 the height of the mountains2 the length1 breadth1 volume1 course1 and catchment area of its rivers2 the mineral and vegetable products of various regions2 the political areas into which it is divided2 the relation of the political and commercial activities of the population to the physical character of the features and to the climate4 ,i1 of course1 acknowledge the importance of all this geographical knowledge4 ,to the historian and the statesman it is essential that he should know the part which a certain mountain range or river or desert has played in human history4 ,a soldier must know with extreme accuracy the configuration of the country over which his army is operating4 ,an engineer must know the exact level and contour of a region over which he has to lay a railway or construct a canal4 ,a merchant must know whether a country produces cotton1 tea1 and sugar2 or wheat1 wool1 and meat4 ,for all these and others1 each for his own particular purpose1 we want the kind of information ,i have described above--that is1 what usually goes under the name of ,geography4 ,but the point ,i wish now to urge is that we shall not have plucked the very flower of geographical knowledge until in addition to all this we have a knowledge of the ,beauty of the ,earth4 ,perhaps you will understand me better if ,i illustrate my point4 ,when a dressmaker has to make a dress for a lady she has to measure her with the minutest accuracy4 ,she must gain a knowledge1 by careful measurement1 of the exact shape and size of the lady's body1 its true contour1 and the length and breadth of the limbs--just as an engineer must have accurate knowledge of the ,earth's surface4 ,and to the dressmaker as a dressmaker knowledge of the lady's beauty has no value whatever4 ,the lady may have the beauty of form of a ,venus1 but if the dressmaker has only knowledge of that beauty and has not exact measurements she will never be able to make the dress4 ,but for humanity at large--and1 as far as that goes1 for the dressmaker herself when she is free of her dressmaking--knowledge of the lady's beauty is the knowledge that really matters4 ,whether she is twenty-six inches round the waist or only twenty-five matters comparatively little4 ,now the ,earth ,i regard as a lady--as dear ,mother-,earth4 ,a real living being--live enough1 at any rate1 to give birth to mankind1 to microscopic animalculae first and through them to man4 ,and no one can look at the features of ,mother-,earth without recognising her ,beauty4 ,it is there staring us in the face4 ,so ,i cannot conceive why we geographers should confine ourselves to the dressmaker attitude of mind and describe every other characteristic of the ,earth except her ,beauty4 ,i should have thought that it was the very first thing with which we should have concerned ourselves--that the first duty of those who profess and call themselves geographers should have been to describe the beauty of their ,mother-,earth4 ,say a visitor from ,mars arrived upon the ,earth1 he would no doubt report on his return that the mountains here were so many thousands of feet high and the seas so many thousands of feet deep1 and the area of the land and sea so many thousand square miles2 that the productivity of the land in one quarter had had the effect of attracting a large part of the population to that quarter1 and the aridity or cold of another portion had had the effect of preventing human settlement there2 and that mountains1 seas1 or deserts confining certain groups of human beings tightly within given areas had had the effect of compacting them into highly organised political bodies4 ,all this and much more geographical knowledge the ,martian would bring back to ,mars4 ,but his fellow-,martians would tell him that this was all very interesting1 but that what they really wanted to know was what the ,earth was like4 ,they would ask him if he had not some lantern slides of the ,earth1 some photographs1 something which would convey to them an impression of the real character of the ,earth4 ,and then at last he would be driven to describe her ,beauty4 ,in the best words he could find he would express the impression which the ,earth had made upon him4 ,if he were a painter and if the ,martians possess paint1 he would paint pictures to express the feelings which a contemplation of the ,earth had aroused in him4 ,that is1 he would show them the ,beauty of the ,earth in her various aspects4 ,perhaps he might not be able to see as much ,beauty in her as we her children see4 ,we may be too partial and see beauties that a stranger may not perceive4 ,on the other hand1 he might see beauties that we through being so accustomed to them have never recognised--as men living always within sight of some superb mountain scarcely appreciate its grandeur4 ,anyhow1 he would describe to the ,martians whatever he had seen of the ,beauty of the ,earth1 and then at last they would feel that they were really able to know and understand her4 ,to descend from these celestial spheres and to examine what actually happens among ourselves when we venture into an unknown portion of this globe and seek to know what is there1 a chief ingredient in the lure which draws men on to fill up the blank spaces in the map is undoubtedly a love of ,natural ,beauty2 and its ,natural ,beauty is certainly what above everything else regarding that region remains in their memories after it has been explored4 ,it is not only love of ,natural ,beauty that draws men on4 ,love of adventure has much to do with it also4 ,men feel a fearful joy in pitting themselves against stern natural obstacles and being compelled to exert all their physical energy and endurance1 and all their wit and nerve and courage1 in order to overcome them4 ,the stiffer the obstacle1 the more insistent do they feel the call to measure themselves against it4 ,they thrill to the expectation of having their full capacities and faculties drawn out4 ,by some curious natural instinct they seem driven to put themselves into positions where they are forced to exert themselves to the full stretch of their capabilities4 ,this same instinct tells them that they will be never so happy as when they are making the very utmost of themselves and exercising their whole being at its highest pitch4 ,anticipation of their joy in adventure is therefore no small part of the lure which draws men into the unknown4 ,and with it also is ambition to make a name and achieve fame4 ,some1 too1 are drawn on by the hope of wealth through finding gold1 diamonds1 and so on4 ,but from what ,i have seen of gold and diamond prospectors on the spot in the act of prospecting1 ,i should say it was quite as much love of adventure as covetousness of wealth that drew them into unknown parts4 ,for experience shows them only too often that it is not the prospector but the company promoter and financier who make the money even when the prospector finds the gold or diamonds4 ,yet prospectors go forward as cheerfully as ever4 ,they are fascinated by the life of adventure4 ,all this is true4 ,men delight in sheer adventure and in testing and sharpening themselves against formidable natural obstacles4 ,yet we shall find that love of ,natural ,beauty has an even greater share than love of adventure in enticing them to the unknown4 ,men picture to themselves beauties of the most wonderful kind which they expect to see--enchanting islands1 mysterious forests1 majestic rivers1 heavenly mountains1 delightful lakes4 ,instinct tells them that they will have the joy which comes from exerting their capacities to the full4 ,but somewhere in the back of their being is1 also this expectation of seeing wonders of ,natural ,beauty1 and of seeing more of this ,beauty from the very fact that they will be seeing it as a prize truly won and when their faculties are all tuned up to a fine pitch of appreciation4 ,and when they return from the unknown1 when the adventure is over1 when they are again relaxed1 it will be the ,natural ,beauty which they have seen that will remain in their memories long after they have forgotten their exertion1 long after they have expended any wealth they may have found1 long after they have recorded the exact measurements of the various features of the region4 ,curiosity to see the ,natural ,beauty of an unknown region is a principal ingredient in the lure that draws men to it4 ,and ,natural ,beauty is what1 above everything else in regard to the unknown region1 stands out in men's memories on their return4 ,this at any rate is my own experience1 and we are perhaps on safer ground when we speak of what we have ourselves experienced than when we speak of what we imagine must be the experiences of others4 ,though in this case ,i have good reason to believe that my own experiences are very similar to the experiences of others1 and may therefore be taken as typical4 ,almost my earliest recollections are of a ,somersetshire village set in a lovely valley1 fringed with woods and surrounded by hills4 ,up the hills on the side of the valley on which ,i lived ,i used constantly to go4 ,but over the hills on the far side of the river ,i was never taken4 ,so ,i used to picture to myself wonderful woods and rivers1 and castles and great cities1 and ,i longed to go there4 ,the lure of ,natural ,beauty was beginning to make itself felt4 ,as ,i grew to boyhood ,i was fortunate enough to be taken to ,north ,wales1 ,devonshire and ,cornwall1 and later on to ,switzerland and the ,south of ,france1 and everywhere ,i saw much ,natural ,beauty4 ,but1 still1 that only made me want to see more4 ,in all these cases1 however1 ,i only went where ,i was taken4 ,i did not go where ,i chose or with an object of my own4 ,it was not till ,i was in ,india and had the first leave from my regiment that ,i could go where ,i liked4 ,now1 where ,i liked was to the ,himalaya4 ,and if ,i look back now and enquire of myself what made me choose the ,himalaya1 ,i can say most clearly that it was because ,i had in my mind a vision of long snowy ranges1 and dazzling peaks1 and frowning precipices1 and rushing torrents1 and endless forests4 ,i thought how glorious it would be to be able to wander about at will and see all the magnificent scenery1 to feast on the ,natural ,beauty1 and when ,i came back to be able to tell others of the wonders ,i had seen4 ,so ,i made my first short trip in the ,himalaya4 ,but this only served to arouse my curiosity still more4 ,i had seen some great mountains4 ,but they were none of them more than #bj1jjj feet in height4 ,i wanted to see still higher mountains4 ,i heard1 too1 that up the valley of the ,sutlej were some fearful gorges through which the river forced its way4 ,i wanted to see them too1 and see a great river in the very act of forcing its way through the mighty ,himalaya4 ,above all1 ,i wanted to see what lay on the other side of the ,himalaya4 ,i wanted to get into ,tibet4 ,that for the time being proved impossible1 and my thoughts wandered off to the far eastern part of ,asia4 ,i had read a book called ,on the ,amur1 by ,atkinson4 ,not altogether a very veracious book1 but a fascinating book for all that4 ,in it were alluring pictures of the broad1 placid river4 ,rich forests came down to the water's edge4 ,and on its surface were depicted delightful rafts and canoes4 ,to glide down such a river1 to camp on its banks and plunge into the forests which clothed them1 seemed a joy second only to the joy of scrambling about the ,himalaya4 ,so with ,mr4 ,h4 ,e4 ,m4 ,james--now ,sir ,evan ,james--,i went to ,manchuria1 not1 indeed1 to reach the ,amur itself1 but to discover the source of its great tributary the ,sungari1 and to follow it down through the forests and over the plains for several hundred miles4 ,now1 what ,i want to impress upon you is that in all these cases it was the ,natural ,beauty which was the attraction--it was the picture ,i made to myself of what these countries would be like that drew me on4 ,and ,i am sure it is with others as it was with me4 ,natural ,beauty is at bottom what incites the traveller4 ,and1 whether ,i had to go where ,i was taken or could go where ,i chose1 it was the ,natural ,beauty that stuck in my memory4 ,and when ,i returned it was of the ,natural ,beauty that ,i wished to tell my friends4 ,and this1 again1 is the experience of others also4 ,to this day1 though ,i have never since seen them1 ,i remember the beauties of ,cader ,idris and ,dolgelly1 ,snowdon and ,carnarvon1 in ,north ,wales1 and of the rugged cliffs and long ,atlantic waves on the ,cornish coast4 ,the ,dart1 here rippling over boulders and between rocky banks1 here in deep1 clear salmon pools1 here merging into a long inlet of the sea and everywhere framed in wooded hill-sides1 ,i have often again seen4 ,but even if ,i had not1 its beauty would never have departed from my memory4 ,and it is the same with the first view of the ,alps from the ,jura1 the view of ,lake ,geneva1 of the ,jungfrau1 of the ,pyrenees from ,pau1 and of the valley of the ,loire4 ,i have never seen those parts of ,switzerland and of ,france since then1 but their beauty remains with me to this day4 ,and it is of their beauty that ,i have ever afterwards been naturally inclined to speak4 ,when ,i talk about the ,loire ,i do not tell my friends that it rises in a certain place1 is so many miles long1 at certain parts has a certain width1 depth1 and volume1 and eventually flows into a certain sea4 ,what ,i naturally speak about is its beauty1 the rich valley through which it flows1 the graceful bridges by which it is spanned1 the picturesque old towns and romantic castles on the banks4 ,and this is the common habit of mankind4 ,our friends may bore us--and we may bore our friends --with interminable accounts of the discomfort and inconveniences and the petty little incidents of travel4 ,but when they and we have got through that and settle down to describe the country itself1 it is of its beauty that we speak4 ,natural ,beauty is what attracts us to a country4 ,its ,natural ,beauty is the fact about it which remains most persistently in our memory4 ,and it is about its ,natural ,beauty that we are most inclined to speak4 ,lastly1 when we are in distant countries it is of the ,natural ,beauty that we chiefly think4 ,when our thoughts go back to the home country it is not on its exact measurements and configuration that they dwell1 but on its beauty4 ,from all of which considerations ,i conclude that any description of the ,earth which excludes a description of its ,natural ,beauty is incomplete4 ,geography must include a description of ,natural ,beauty4 ,and personally ,i would go so far as to say that the description of ,natural ,beauty is the most important part of ,geography4 ,here ,i must answer an objection which may be raised--namely1 that ,natural ,beauty is the concern of ,aesthetics1 not of ,geography4 ,an objector may freely acknowledge the value and importance of recognising and describing the ,natural ,beauty of a country1 but may contend that this is beyond the province of ,geography4 ,it should be left to poets and painters1 he might say1 and geographers should confine themselves to the more prosaic business of exact measurement1 of accurate delineation1 of reasoning regarding the relation of the facts to one another1 and of explaining the facts4 ,to such an objector ,i would reply that ,geography is an art as well as a science4 ,and in parenthesis ,i may say that ,i doubt whether any science can be complete which has not art behind it4 ,we shall never be able fully to know and understand the ,earth or to describe what we see if we use our intellectual and reasoning powers alone4 ,if we are to attain to a complete knowledge of the ,earth1 and if we are to describe what we learn about it in an adequate manner so that others may participate in our knowledge1 then we must use our hearts as well as our heads4 ,we must be artists as well as meticulous classifiers1 cataloguers1 and reasoners4 ,the ,earth is a living being1 a throbbing1 palpitating1 living being--live enough to have given birth to the remote ancestors of mankind1 and live enough1 so some biologists consider1 to be continually to this day generating the lowliest forms of organisms4 ,to know and understand a living being1 particularly when that living being happens to be his own ,mother1 man must use his heart as well as his head4 ,with his head alone the geographer may do a vast amount of most useful and necessary work which will help us to understand the ,earth4 ,he may collect and classify facts about her and record measurements1 and reason about these facts and measurements1 but if he is to get the deepest vision of the ,earth and learn the profoundest truth about her he must exercise his finest spiritual senses as well4 ,and when he brings those faculties of the soul into play1 it will be the ,beauty on the face of ,mother-,earth that he will see and that will disclose to him her real nature4 ,and therefore ,i hold that if it be the function of ,geography to know the ,earth and to describe the ,earth1 then the objection that the description of its ,natural ,beauty is outside the scope of ,geography is not a valid objection4 ,the picture and the poem are as legitimate a part of ,geography as the map4 ,some years ago in lecturing to the ,royal ,geographical ,society ,i said that the ,society ought to have given ,wordsworth the ,gold ,medal4 ,i meant that the poet by his vision had taught us more about the ,lake ,district than any ordinary geographer had been able to see4 ,with his finer sensibility he had been able to see deeper4 ,he had been able to reveal to us truths about the district which no mere ordnance surveyor was able to disclose4 ,he was a true discoverer--a geographical discoverer--a geographer of the highest type4 ,he had helped us really to know and understand the district4 ,be it noted1 too1 that he did not1 as some would think1 put into the lakes and hills and valleys something from within himself which was not really in those natural features4 ,the particular beauty that he saw there was there waiting to be revealed4 ,the natural features aroused emotions in his sensitive soul1 and his soul being aroused saw the beauty in them4 ,if the district had been of billiard-table flatness1 with no lakes1 no hills1 no valleys1 then even he1 with all his poetic feeling and imagination1 could not have put into the district what it did not possess4 ,the beauty that he saw was really there1 only it required a poetic soul to discover and reveal it4 ,the spirit of the poet put itself in touch with the spirit of the district and elicited from the district what was already in it4 ,the spirit of ,wordsworth and the spirit of the district acted and reacted upon one another and came into harmony with one another4 ,and as he had the capacity for communicating to others what he himself had seen1 we are now able to see in the ,lakeland beauties which our forefathers had scarcely known4 ,this is why ,i suggest to you that ,natural ,beauty should be considered as a legitimate part of ,geography4 ,and if you will look about you1 you will note that ,natural ,beauty is having an increasing effect upon the movements of men4 ,there is a very definite relationship between the ,beauty of the ,earth and her human inhabitants4 ,the ,poet ,laureate builds his house on the top of ,boar's ,hill not because the soil is specially productive up there so that he may be able to grow food1 for the soil is rather poor2 not because water is easily available1 for it is very difficult to get1 as he found when his house took fire2 not because of the climate1 for the climate is just as good a hundred feet lower down2 not because it is easily accessible to ,oxford1 for a big climb up the hill is entailed every time he returns from that city--not for any of these reasons did he build his house there1 but because of the view which he obtains from that spot4 ,it was ,natural ,beauty which drew1 the ,poet ,laureate to ,boar's ,hill1 as it was ,natural ,beauty which drew ,tennyson to ,blackdown to build ,aldworth with a view all over the ,surrey hills and the ,sussex ,downs4 ,it is this same spell of ,natural ,beauty1 too1 which is drawing people all over ,england to build their houses on the most beautiful spots4 ,our great country-seats--the pride of ,england--are usually placed where the natural scenery is finest4 ,humbler dwellings whenever the owner has the opportunity of making a choice are for a similar reason built wherever a beautiful view1 however limited1 may be obtained4 ,whole towns even are built on spots where the surroundings are most beautiful1 or1 at any rate1 if for some other reason they were located where they are they tend to spread in the direction of most beauty4 ,dartmouth was originally built where it is because that site made an excellent port4 ,but the new town has spread all over the cliffs at the entrance of the harbour wherever a beautiful view may be found4 ,it is the same with ,torquay4 ,people originally went there on account of the warm1 soft air4 ,but though they can get much the same air in any part of the ,torquay area1 where they like to build their houses is where they can get the finest views4 ,on the ,continent a similar tendency may be observed4 ,nice1 ,cannes1 ,monte ,carlo1 ,biarritz1 ,montreux1 ,vevey1 were no doubt originally located where they are for other reasons than only the facilities they afford for observing ,natural ,beauty1 but that they have grown to what they are is undoubtedly due to ,natural ,beauty1 and ,natural ,beauty has given the direction in which they have expanded4 ,it is not by chance that villas and terraces and hotels have been built just on those particular points from which the most beautiful views may be seen4 ,and how great is the influence of ,natural ,beauty upon the movements of men may be gathered from the amount of money railway companies and hotels spend in advertising the charms of the particular localities which they serve4 ,railway-carriages are full of photographs and tourist agencies of pictures of different points in the neighbourhood of the railway or hotel4 ,and we may be certain that business companies would not go to the expense of setting up these photographs and pictures if they did not think that people were influenced by them and would be tempted to travel to the scenes they depict4 ,the development of char-a-banc tours is another indication of the attraction--and the increasing attraction--of ,natural ,beauty4 ,since the ,war1 especially1 there has been a remarkable tendency of people of every rank in life to rush off whenever they can get a holiday to the most beautiful parts of these islands--to the moors of ,yorkshire and ,devonshire1 to the ,wye1 the ,dart1 and the ,severn1 to the mountains of ,wales1 ,westmoreland1 and ,scotland--to wherever ,natural ,beauty may be found4 ,it is a noteworthy and most refreshing feature in our national life4 ,every summer1 too1 both here and on the ,continent1 people make their way to the most beautiful parts of ,europe--to ,switzerland or the ,pyrenees1 the ,vosges or the ,rhine4 ,and in the ,dominions and ,america whenever they get their holidays they likewise trek away to mountain1 lake1 or river1 wherever ,nature may be enjoyed at her best4 ,men may1 to carry on the ordinary business of life1 be compelled to live in cities and places which are chosen for other reasons than their facilities for observing ,natural ,beauty4 ,but whenever they can get away from their ordinary duties the tendency of men--and a tendency increasing in strength--is to fly away to the moors and sea-coast and river-sides and wherever else they can see the beauties of the ,earth4 ,then1 again1 men are increasingly sensitive about preserving ,natural ,beauty wherever it is best4 ,it is quite true that men by the building of industrial towns and the erection of hideous factories1 mining plant1 gasometers1 and so on terribly destroy ,natural ,beauty4 ,but they are at least becoming conscious of their sins in this respect and of what they have lost thereby4 ,they are therefore the more anxious to preserve what remains4 ,and whenever there is an attempt to build on ,box ,hill1 or erect an electric power-station on ,dartmoor1 a howl of execration is raised4 ,and this howl means that men do value ,natural ,beauty and mean to preserve it4 ,young countries also realise its value4 ,in ,california the ,yosemite ,valley is preserved for ever for human enjoyment4 ,and in ,canada1 ,australia1 and ,south ,africa national parks are protected against the encroachments of industrial enterprises4 ,men not only preserve spots of ,natural ,beauty2 they also seek to improve them4 ,the nobleman of ancient lineage and the new millionaire alike strive to add to the beauty of their estates4 ,the hours they love best are the hours they can devote to opening up vistas1 planting beautiful trees or flowering shrubs from distant lands1 building up rockeries1 forming artificial lakes1 laying out lawns1 and stocking their gardens with the choicest flowers4 ,the effect of ,natural ,beauty upon man and of man upon ,natural ,beauty is immense4 ,geographers take note of the effect which the ,alps by reason of their height and ruggedness1 or the ,rhine by reason of its length1 breadth1 and depth1 have upon the activities of men--upon their history1 politics1 and economic life4 ,my contention is that equally should geographers note the effect which these same natural features of the ,earth by reason of their beauty have upon men's activities and movements4 ,and when ,natural ,beauty is fully recognised as within the province of ,geography1 we shall be taught to pay to it the attention it deserves--taught to look for it1 taught how to observe it1 taught how to describe it1 taught where are the regions of special beauty and wherein their beauty lies1 and lastly taught where in an ordinary district ,beauty may be found1 for even in the flattest1 dreariest region some beauty at some time of day or at some season may be discovered4 ,we shall1 in short1 be taught to cultivate the sense for ,natural ,beauty1 and how to put in fitting words a description of the beauty we see4 ,our geography textbooks1 besides all the mathematical1 physical1 political1 and commercial geography they contain1 will tell us something of the ,natural ,beauty of the countries they set themselves to describe4 ,and geographers when they set themselves to describe a new region will not think it necessary to confine themselves within the old limits1 but will do what the ordinary man instinctively does--describe its beauties4 ,our methods of describing countries will thus radically change4 ,a few years ago ,colonel ,tanner of the ,survey of ,india read to the ,royal ,geographical ,society a paper entitled ,our ,present ,knowledge of the ,himalaya4 ,in that paper he gave an account of the height of the peaks1 the trend of the mountain ranges1 the course of the rivers1 and a deal of other very valuable geographical information4 ,but in only one single line did he make any remark about the natural beauty of that wonderful region4 ,yet this omission was not due to any lack of appreciation by ,colonel ,tanner of ,himalayan beauty1 for he himself had painted the finest pictures of the ,himalaya which have yet been produced4 ,he made no mention of it because he thought that to describe the natural beauty of the ,himalaya was to stray beyond the bounds of ,geography4 ,such a grievous misconception of the true scope of ,geography will1 ,i trust1 be removed in future4 ,and when it no longer exists ,geography will require for its pursuit the exercise of the finest faculties of the soul as well as the strictest qualities of the intellect4 ,it will call forth capacity for the closest and most accurate observation and the highest powers of description4 ,to us adventure-loving and ,nature-loving ,englishmen it should of all subjects be the most popular4