Viceroy up Himalayas

Indians are sedentary and submissive, Britons kinetic and therefore dominant. Significant, last week, was an illustration of this contrast afforded when His Majesty's Viceroy of India, Frederick Lindley Wood, Baron Irwin, set out from Delhi to take what he described as "a short rest and vacation."

Speeding north by train and motor car to Dehra Dun, His Excellency began to "rest" by setting out from there on horseback into the jungle covered foothills of the Himalayas, mightiest of mountains.

Only four members of the Viceregal Staff accompanied Lord Irwin. When the jungle grew too dense for horseback riding, the Viceroy cast dignity to the Himalayan breezes, and began with gusto to scramble and to climb. Leaving the jungle behind, as they ascended, the party made a rocky climb of nearly 5,000 feet to the summit of Chaur Mountain, 11,966 feet above sea level. Then, continuing northward, they scrambled down some 7,000 feet into the jungle beyond. On the following day His Excellency walked 23 miles and climbed 4,000 feet to Phagu, where he was met by a motor car and whisked 14 miles to the comfortable Viceregal Lodge at Simla.

There a member of Lord Irwin's sinewy entourage told with a grin how the Viceroy had passed en route through the territory of the insignificant and torpid Rajah of Jubbal. Polite surprise that the Englishmen had ventured so far afield to hunt was the Potentate's first reaction. But when informed that they had left their sporting guns behind and were merely out for exercise, the Rajah of Jubbal became morose, evinced incredulity, and was clearly worried as to possible designs upon his little raj by a snooping Big White Viceroy.

As robust, hearty Viceroy Irwin prepared to return from Simla to his Capital at Delhi, despatches told that he had "benefited immensely" by his Himalayan tramp and scramble.