h is one of the summer residences of
the viceroy, has a very beautiful park, where there are several samples
of the remarkable banyan or sacred fig-tree. From the branches of the
tree certain shoots grow downward, and when they reach the ground they
strike root and grow into new trunks, so that one and the same tree
finally covers a vast space of ground, and looks like a pillared hall.
In the park at Barrackpoor may be seen one of these trees, large enough
to cover one thousand men. On the west side of the river, directly
opposite, lies the old city of Serampoor, which formerly belonged to
Denmark, but was taken by the English in the beginning of this century,
and now has only a few inscriptions and documents which remind us of the
Danish period.

[Illustration: BANYAN TREE.]

In the river, midway between these cities, a gigantic government barge
was anchored. On this occasion it was covered with canvas, and served as
a dining room where a tiffin, or lunch, for four hundred persons was
served. Our steamers anchored, and we sat down at the sumptuous tables.
A band of forty pieces from a Sepoy regiment garrisoned at Barrackpoor
struck up an English march, the champagne bottles popped, and all was
life and joy. After lunch we witnessed six different boat races, all
between Englishmen, and, the prizes having been awarded, the whole
company walked on foot about a mile through a fine park to the railway
station, whence a special train carried the excursionists back to
Calcutta.

After a summer of eight months in the Bengal lowlands with a constant
temperature of 90 deg. to 100 deg. Fahrenheit in the shade, fresh breezes and
cool air become luxuries more keenly enjoyed than those who live in a
more temperate climate can conceive. To benefit by both I made a short
journey in October, 1882, to the celebrated Himalaya mountains, among
which the city of Darjieling is situated. The train on the Bengal
railroad carried us about three hundred miles in a northerly direction
through a level lowland teeming with gardens, palm groves and rice
fields, to Siligori, at the foot of the mountains, where we arrived in
the morning at sunrise. Having enjoyed a good breakfast and a bottle of
Norwegian export beer at the railway eating house, we were transferred
to a train on the Darjieling & Himalaya railroad to be carried up seven
thousand feet high in a distance of forty-two miles.

This mountain railroad is so different from all other rail