ff in Afghanistan. The group of islands forming the
settlement are extremely beautiful, but it is tropical beauty, and one
pays the penalty for the luxuriant vegetation in the climate, which is
very much like a Turkish bath, hot and damp. While going through the
prisons, I came across some of the sepoys of the 29th Punjab Infantry
who deserted during the advance on the Peiwar Kotal. I was told that
they were behaving well, and might in time be allowed some remission
of their sentences.

A voyage of thirty-six hours brought us to Rangoon, where we had the
pleasure of meeting and being entertained by our old friends, Mr.
Bernard,[2] the Chief Commissioner of Burma, and his wife.

In 1882 Thyetmyo and Tonghu were the two frontier stations of Burma,
and I had been asked to consider the question of the defence of the
proposed railway termini at these places. I accordingly visited them
both, and as I thought I foresaw that the lines of railway could not
end as then contemplated, I recommended that the absolutely necessary
works only should be attempted, and that these should be as
inexpensive as possible. Ere many years had passed, the line, as I
anticipated, was completed to Mandalay.

The defences of Rangoon had also to be arranged for. An examination
of the approaches, however, satisfied me that no elaborate system of
fortification was necessary, and that Rangoon's best security lay in
her winding, dangerous river; so I gave it as my opinion that, with
two small batteries at Monkey Point and King's Point, and a couple of
torpedo-boats, Rangoon would be reasonably safe against attack.

Before leaving Burma I received letters from H.R.H. the Duke of
Cambridge and Mr. Childers, in which were repeated the offer of the
Quartermaster-Generalship at the Horse Guards. But I had by this
time begun to like my new work, and had no desire to leave Madras; I
therefore definitely declined the appointment.

From Burma we returned to Ootacamund, via Calcutta, where we spent a
few days with Lord and Lady Ripon and Sir Donald and Lady Stewart.

Life at 'Ooty' was very pleasant; such peace and repose I had never
before experienced; I thoroughly enjoyed the rest after the turmoil of
the preceding years, and I quite recovered my health, which had been
somewhat shattered. Unlike other hill-stations, Ootacamund rests on an
undulating tableland, 7,400 feet above the sea, with plenty of room in
the neighbourhood for riding, driving, and hunt