doliers, the soft evening light along the Lido, as your gondola takes you to the Armenian convent? And who has not admired the wealth of art created by Titian, Paul Veronese and Canaletto ? The Byzantine style of Venice reminds one of its close connexion with the Orient, when once for a short time its "winged lion" flew over Constantinople, and when for centuries it was the bulwark of Europe against the Turks. What strikes the traveller in Italy beyond all other lands is the individuality of its cities: Each has its own character, its art, its architecture, giving it the air of a small republic, as indeed most of these cities were in the Middle Ages. Hence Rome, Naples and Florence, Milan, Bologna and Perugia, Venice and Verona, Genoa and Pisa are each a creation of human genius, distinctly marked off by many centuries of independent life. In some respects the mediaeval cities of Germany partake of this character, but are far inferior in beauty to classic Italy; whereas our Anglo-Saxon cities, alike in Great Britain and her daughter nations, pay homage to no grace except utility. I think it is the intense contrast between the restless utilitarian life of Britain and America and the aesthetic life of Italy which draws so many of us there. It supplies a cushion for the overwrought brain and a delightful interlude amid the ceaseless grinding of the wheels of life.

We sailed from Venice by the Gwalior for Bombay, and had a good voyage to Alexandria. We made the acquaintance on board ship of that great engineer, Sir John Fowler, who had done so much for Egypt. We spent a very pleasant week in Cairo, meeting our leading officials, such as Sir Drummond Wolff-then on a special embassage-and the great water engineer, Sir Colin Scott Moncrieff, who repaired the barrage of the Nile and thereby added greatly to the cultivated area of Lower Egypt, just as the great dam at Assouan, made by Sir John Aird, which I visited in 1901, will add to the cultivation of Upper Egypt. We climbed the Great Pyramid and visited the chief remains of antiquity around Cairo. We rejoined our steamer at Suez, meeting some interesting AngloIndians, with whom I had much converse on our charming sail across the Indian Ocean. I know of no more delightful climatic effect than a sail across the Indian Ocean in the period between the monsoons. It is almost always calm and equable; the portholes are kept open and the air is delicious. Even the Red Sea is equable from December to May, though after that it becomes very hot, and in the autumn months is almost dangerous. I read

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little on my way out but Indian literature, such as the Life of Lord Lawrence, who may truly be called the saviour of India. But for his daring genius in arming the Sikhs and sending them to Delhi to fight the mutineers it is very doubtful if the British Raj could have been maintained. I read Mr. Digby's book on the poverty of India, which has recently been followed up by an even more terrible indictment (considerably overstated, I hope); also the remarkable articles by Seymour Keay which had appeared in the Nineteenth Century on "The Spoliation of India." He was also a fellow passenger. My object was to hear all that could be said on Indian problems from every point of view; and when we reached Bombay towards the end of the month I at once placed myself alongside all the leaders of opinion, both native and European, both official and non-official. I met some very interesting people at Government House, such as Henry Gladstone, just returned from Hawarden, from whom I gathered that his father had espoused the cause of Irish Home Rule; also that remarkable man, General Phayre, somewhat of the style of General Gordon. I had long and interesting conferences with the Hon. M. Telang, native judge and member of the Legislative Council, with my old friend Dadabhai Naoroji, and Sir Wm. Wedderburn, with whom I afterwards worked for several years in Parliament, and a truer friend of the Indian ryot I never knew. I also met the heads of the various Christian missions and had a most interesting conference with a number of leading Indian gentlemen connected with the Congress movement. * A marvellous change had come over Bombay since I was there before. It was then an old fort surrounded by a moat and rampart now it was a spacious and beautiful city with fine environs and noble public buildings, the work of Sir Bartle Frere and his successors. It had also become a great manufacturing centre. The two or three cotton mills of 1863 had grown to about seventy, and now I suppose they have nearly doubled again; and I doubt if anywhere in Lancashire except Oldham is more cotton spun and worked up than in Bombay! Indeed, in the sense of a great centre of trade and energy of all kinds Bombay is the true capital of India. In situation it far surpasses Calcutta and Madras. The scenery of the fine harbour is like that of a great Highland loch, and not much inferior to the bay of Naples.

We received much kindness in Bombay. Lord Reay was then governor, but in poor health, and his lady did the honours of Government House with much grace. We planned a trip through