nd some time after this, the Sikhs took their
place amongst the rest of Britain's Indian subjects.

But still there remains a strong body of the great Sikh sect of old.
The Kuks represent the most dangerous underground current of the popular
hatred. This new sect was founded about thirty years ago [written in
1879] by Balaka-Rama, and, at first, formed a bulk of people near Attok,
in the Punjab, on the east bank of the Indus, exactly on the spot where
the latter becomes navigable. Balaka-Rama had a double aim; to restore
the religion of the Sikhs to its pristine purity, and to organize a
secret political body, which must be ready for everything, at a moment's
notice. This brotherhood consists of sixty thousand members, who pledged
themselves never to reveal their secrets, and never to disobey any order
of their leaders. In Attok they are few, for the town is small. But we
were assured that the Kuks live everywhere in India. Their community
is so perfectly organized that it is impossible to find them out, or to
learn the names of their leaders.

In the course of the evening our Akali presented us with a little
crystal bottle, filled with water from the "Lake of Immortality." He
said that a drop of it would cure all diseases of the eye. There are
numbers of fresh springs at the bottom of this lake, and so its water is
wonderfully pure and transparent, in spite of hundreds of people daily
bathing in it. When, later on, we visited it, we had the opportunity to
verify the fact that the smallest stone at the bottom is seen perfectly
distinctly, all over the one hundred and fifty square yards of the lake.
Amrita-Saran is the most charming of all the sights of Northern India.
The reflection of the Golden Temple in its crystal waters makes a
picture that is simply feerique.

We had still seven weeks at our disposal. We were undecided between
exploring the Bombay Presidency, the North-West Provinces and the
Rajistan. Which were we to choose? Where were we to go? How best to
employ our time? Before such a variety of interesting places we became
irresolute. Hyderabad, which is said to transport the tourists into the
scenery of the Arabian Nights, seemed so attractive that we seriously
thought of turning our elephants back to the territory of the Nizam.
We grew fond of the idea of visiting this "City of the Lion," which was
built in 1589 by the magnificent Mohamed-Kuli-Kuth-Shah, who was so used
to luxuries of every kind as to gro