A walk in one of the valleys would be something of a pleasurable experience - but hard climbing on the way back - We would wander around looking for bird's nests and butterflies. The Golden Oreole would build its nest in the fork of a very slender branch; usually over a cliff or deep drop, making it a most hazardous climb - we usually left them alone. The Ribbon tailed Fly Catcher is a small bird with a very long tail - which creates a beautiful wave like pattern when in flight. This is not a study on Himalayan birds so I will only add that the varieties and numbers of birds are legion and several of them very colourful. This leads me on to Butterflies; these are delicately constructed and many have marvellously patterned wings. Insects of many sizes and colours would give us hours of pleasure in chasing after them and catching some to add to our collection. In these times of the twenties and thirties it was a fairly common and accepted pursuit for one to make collections of Birds eggs, butterflies, insects and even Plants. In 1934 I presented, to my local Museum in North London, five Cigar boxes of mounted Indian Butterflies. To-day ones attitude is in favour of the conservation of living things; and rightly so; Flora and Fauna, a precious heritage is becoming scarce. Walks in the forests and hills around Simla was a delightful pastime. At night, under a full moon the walk became quite romantic; the atmosphere very ethereal and the quiet -except for the lovely sound of a gentle breeze through the Pines and Deodars - most soul satisfying and peace making.

Darjeeling I visited just for one day and can only describe that what I saw was many beautiful Tea gardens, on the lower hills - from a car motoring up the winding road. Distant mountains covered in snow were breathtakingly beautiful. The air at seven thousand feet above sea level - most invigorating - I can't say much about the forests because I was not able to walk along any of the many mountain paths. I know that St Paul's School Chapel has (or had) a plain glass Altar Window that looks directly out to the distant Snow covered mountains. I know this because my Father went to the school, as a very young boy -travelling all the way from Rangoon, in Burma.

Shillong. 6,054 feet above sea level, in Assam, is situated in one of the wettest places on earth; Cherrapunji nearby has an average rainfall of 350 to 450 inches in the year! In 1943 I did a trip up to Shillong for a weekend break. From flat dusty plains, next to the Brahmaputra river, where there are acres and acres of rice fields flooded with several inches of water; one can actually catch fish sometimes, or so the native boys were doing along the road side that would lead north, where we were heading to turn right a few miles out of Gauhati on the Shillong road. Not far north of Gauhati is the now famous Kaziranga Reserve; here, in the long grass and jungle next to the Brahmaputra can be found: Elephant, Tiger, Rhinocerous, many types of Deer and other animals and birds, precious to this region. In the immediate area around Gauhati are flat plains; stretches of Paddy fields interspersed with low hills or hillocks, densely covered in vegetation; mostly bushes where dwell 'Barking deer' or the Muntjack. We would hear the deer calling in the mornings and evenings but never saw any. They are shy creatures and inhabit very dense cover. I remember once climbing up a very narrow ravine to reach the top of a hill where the 'Temple of a thousand virgins' was situated. The going was very tough but we did eventually clamber to the top of the hill - much to the surprise of the natives - where this Temple, in a small village is situated. The natives were very friendly but the temple contained no virgins. However, there were several children about and some of them were pretty little girls! The views from the village, looking west across the impressively wide and fast flowing Brahmaputra are quite breathtakingly beautiful. The river winds its way south through Pandu where a Ferry crosses over to Amingaon where a train to Calcutta and other parts can be boarded.

To continue my journey to Shillong we pass along the road going north to Nowgong, turning right shortly after leaving Gauhati. We then wind our way along a single, one way road which climbs through dense tropical jungle up to three thousand feet or so: here the landscape is surprisingly like undulating 'Downs' land, in some parts covered with Heather and Gorse. Eventually one reaches a coniferous belt of forest which leads one into the small hill town of Shillong, 6,154 feet above sea level. I wasn't here long enough to explore the area - we had to combine the trip with business - but what I did see was a beautiful area covered in Pine and Deodar and interspersed with Colonial type houses; even though it rained lightly most of the time of our week end break, it was a very enjoyable trip and the respite from the heat of the Plains made a nice change.

Twenty or thirty miles from Silchar is a place called Panchgram where I was stationed for a few months. Here we were surrounded by Tropical jungle inhabited by: Elephant, Pig, many types of Deer and of course Snakes galore and thousands of insects. Assam is famous for its Butterflies of all sizes and colours. Birds were much more difficult to see in the heavily forested areas but, there were some fields of Paddy where the 'Paddy' bird was evident! Egrets, Herons and Kingfishers were also observed; amongst many other types. A stroll, I should qualify this by saying a careful and sometimes hazardous walk could only be accomplished along animal tracks; however, the exercise was very rewarding. So many plants, trees and flowers were evident, including Orchids; which however, were usually growing on trees that were very difficult, or impossible to reach. Spiders, very large to small were seen and Lizards, some two feet or more long. Snakes of course were an every day sight and on one occasion we did see a large black Cobra; it raised its head as we approached and having seen enough it disappeared like lightning into the undergrowth. We would normally do a circular tour from our Camp coming out of the dense jungle down the hillside; we would arrive at a lake. This lake was quite beautiful, about half a mile long and four hundred yards across. Surrounded on all sides leaving a gap of about sixty yards from which an approach could be made, at the end of a rough road. I believe the Burma Oil Company used this area before the War and employed Elephants for the heavy work. Three of these Elephants, which had become wild, had to be rounded up because of the damage they had caused in the upper reaches of our Ammunition stores. The Assam natives who handle these animals are about the best in the world at their occupation. Assam, for lovers of Flora and Fauna could be a paradise. Some Plant hunters had visited various parts of the country in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: Kingdom Ward is one famous explorer of forests that immediately comes to mind. This large area is irrigated by the mighty Brahmaputra river and covers features from dusty plains, rice fields, tropical jungle and richly forested mountains. It has a great and various range of animals, birds, butterflies, insects and other species. The flora includes a bewildering range of trees and plants. The main season is warm, humid and very wet in the Monsoon: in the short dry season it is cooler and quite pleasant. The climate and physical structure of the land maintains a rich and varied form of life. Assam is famous for its Tea gardens in the cooler hilly areas. Pines, Deodar and Teak forests supply expensive wood while the vast Bamboo forests supply materials for building and several household items. Tropical fruits are in abundance, including the Pineapple and Mango. I have to mention that the country is in an Earthquake zone and we once were awakened, very early in the morning to the sound of a thunder like rumbling in the distance; the sound became louder and nearer when we experienced a rather frightening violent shaking of the ground under us. This, of course, persuaded us to immediately evacuate the bamboo and thatch structure that we were housed in! Now outside on the still trembling ground, the sound and shaking of the earth around us began to subside and fade into the distant hills. To conclude I must also add that on three occasions I was lucky enough to experience voyaging up and down a small part of the Brahmaputra river in boats belonging to the Bengal Steam Navigation Company. The trips were of from three to four days at a time and gave one a great feeling; adventure, in harmony with nature - I don't know really - but it was quite a new experience, and unforgetable.

Going further afield around Delhi Province, literally hundreds of types of birds can be observed, including, water birds. Mentioning water leads me on to the Jumna river. We used to visit several parts of this river, which is lovely in parts and treacherous in others. In some areas Crocodiles lurk, by the sandbanks, also Turtles in some numbers. However, the river and immediate banks are rich in bird life. A whole range of Ducks and Geese, Waders of several types and Snipe, Egrets, Cranes and the beautiful Black breasted Imperial Grouse comes down to the water in their hundreds, to drink. Incidentally, it is interesting to note that this species of bird can carry a supply of water in its chest feathers! We spent many happy times swimming in the lagoons - the main stream was too dangerous for larking about in - and lust enjoyed the sand and cycling along its environs, past fields of very green crops which included: Pulses, Peanuts, Linseed, Mustard and Wheat. The Staple diet of the natives in this part of India is bread or Chappati made from Maize or Wheat flour.

One of our favourite spots - which we travelled to by car - was Okhla, about twenty miles in a south easterly direction. Here the Jumna river was developed into Bunds (Dams) and Water works. It afforded a marvellous area for Picnics, either under Park like groves of trees or along the vast stretches of clean, fine silver sand and shallow rivulets to wade in - Crocodiles were said to lurk in some further reaches which we kept well away from - and generally muck around! There were also boats one could use, but only in safe areas. Fishing was popular; we had a Chaprasi (messenger) who regularly used to fish. He would enthusiastically describe his days outings to me. In the Winter this river is usually quite shallow but the narrow main stream is swift flowing. The Jumna travels east to eventually merge with the Ganges. This very large stretch of fertile land, far into eastern India is known as the Gangetic Plain. It is, naturally very densely populated. I have travelled through this area by rail, several times and have always found the trips to be a very pleasant experience - almost an adventure - observing the landscape and the types of natives to be seen along the one thousand or so miles.

In and around Delhi are to be found Butterflies and Insects of many types. The flowers in our garden would attract, for instance the large black 'Monal', with a wing span of about three inches and a colourful pattern on the lower wings. There were three kinds - all quite beautiful - and their wings resembled a very delicate black velvet. Travelling further afield from the town, in any direction for fifty miles or more the landscape was similar in appearance. Large green fields of various crops; watered by means of channels fed from a system of village wells. Sugar Cane fields were abundant and were a haven for resting animals and birds such as Partridge - in particular - Pigs and Deer of the Chinkara type. The very handsome Black Buck Antelope was found usually browsing in open country. The Blue Rock pigeon was seen in large flights and would feed in the fields. We would sometimes - during the Sugar Cane harvest - watch the village folk at work on extracting the juice from the Cane; with the help of an Ox or even a Camel to drive the 'Crusher' wheels in a circular movement, the juice dropped into a large vessel which rested on a fire made from cane husks; the syrup would slowly thicken and be moulded into cakes weighing about ten pounds. This product was called 'Gur' and was brown in colour, with the consistency of a hard Fudge and tasting very sweet, naturally! The bulk of the cane harvest would be loaded onto Bullock carts and driven to the local Sugar factory.

The non-cultivated landscape is miles and miles of scrub land. Here and there a hill, or even a range of low hills, to the west. In some parts there are Jheels (shallow stretches of water) where dwell the many types of Ducks, Geese and Wildfowl. In the early mornings and late evenings, Deer and other animals would come to these stretches of water to drink. Sometimes a village would be situated close to a jheel and this would be used as the village pond for washing clothes or bathing. All villages I came across always had a Well to supply water for drinking and cooking, also to supply the field crops . The Well would be a meeting place for the women to have a communal chat while waiting to fill their water carrying vessels. There was nearly always a large tree nearby to afford shade, and if it happened to be a Peepul tree perhaps a small Temple (in the case of Hindu villages) would serve the religious pilgrims from the community. A veil of blue smoke could be seen in the evenings when the fires of dried cow dung were lit for the purpose of preparing the evening meal. This hazy atmosphere along with the incense like smell at dusk is an abiding memory of the Indian village scene, once experienced, never forgotten.

Peacock, this magnificent bird is too well known for me to describe; it is not generally known though that the bird's natural habitat is the verdant fields around the Province of Delhi. It will usually roost in the trees near the villages and along Canal banks. The Peacock is revered by the Hindu community and is woven into their folklore and legen

To sum up the Flora and Fauna in the Delhi Province; the landscape, while dry and rocky has its own particular beauty because there is lots of it and the space is open and the horizons distant. The feeling one gets when surrounded by it is of complete freedom and peace. Of course the beauty is enhanced by the vast fields of crops in the winter months; it is most pleasant and never to be forgotten. The animals, birds and Fauna in general is -or was in the 'thirties'- abundant and various. In short Delhi was a most congenial and comfortable place to live in.

Rewar State Central India. I once visited the State for five days. This being an Independent State I was there by invitation. A friend who had been Manager of the State Railway had been asked by the Raja of Rewar to come for a Shoot. This was around the Christmas period in 1946. A party of five of use travelled by train from Jubbulpore to Satna where we were met by a State sevant who took us, over some rough country roads, to a Bungalow. Our transport was a lovely old Chevrolet Tourer. Most of the bird life we saw were Duck of several kinds including, the lovely Pin Tail duck, Widgeon, Teal, Cotton Teal, Shell duck, Gadwall and Shovellers. Wild Boar and Black Buck were also seen and Blue Rock Pigeon were a common sight. This State was quite well known for its Tiger but sadly we declined the invitation to accompany the Rajas party as we had not brought any rifle with us - ammunition was very difficult to get so soon after the war. I think I am right in saying that the first 'White' tiger to be in the UK were a present from the Raja of Rewar. The Landscape in the parts we visited was rather flat with some cultivation, the areas otherwise were large with little stunted scrub and rock; roads were rough. As we concentrated largely on stalking and wild-fowling we didn't have much time to study flora closely. Apart from our 'Bag' of game, which of course was appreciated back in Jubbulpore at the Christmas holiday celebrations; the usual dry Indian Plains scene of scrub and stunted trees, in flat open country was the lasting impression I took away with me.

In the twenties, thirties and forties Reserve forests and jungles did not exist as such - to my knowledge - some areas were under Government control and Plots were rented by licence. The Animal Reserve is a comparatively recent thing. Some of the Reserves I have been to, or lived close to are: Manas, Lribagh, Palamau, Kanha, Kaziranga and Keoladeo.

Starting with Keoladeo; I have written an article about area. Here I will give a very short description, This reserve is in the State of Bharatpur, near Agra. I have not seen this area since 1930 so my vision is not very detailed. Apart from the extraordinary reserve the general scene is scrub jungle, some large stretches of water containing Crocodile, fish and birds; the adjoining land is of sand and grasses. One must not forget the Fort and the Palace at Deeg which is most notable.

Kanha. This, I be1ieve, was the jungle from which Kipling's Jungle book got its inspiration. Whether he actually visited the Kanha jungles I do not know. I was, in the early part of 1947 about visit a Plot in Kanha for the purpose of shooting Tiger; however, I was recalled to Simla and missed the opportunity which greatly regret. Having experienced several shoots in the Jubbulpore region my friend and shooting companion, 'Jumbo' Pettengell had applied for, and received a licence to shoot in Kanha Government controlled jungle. As I say I was recalled to Simla and missed the visit to Kanha. In these magnificent jungles (now a Tiger Reserve) are to be found some of the richest fauna in India. The animals include the Barasingha which were becoming very rare. This is one of the larger deer with horns having twelve (Bara) points. Tiger, of course, Chital deer, Dard, Hyena, Gaur ( a very large wild cattle ), Black Buck Antilope and Pig. Various birds are also seen, including the Crested Serpent Eagle. This area in Central India was rich in wildlife. The general landscape is of scrub dotted with well spaced out hills covered in Sal trees amongst several other types of bushes and grasses of a large variety, which makes it a veritable haven for animal feed and habitat; there are also several jheels and ponds where they can go for a drink and a wallow.

The Hazaribag and Palamau reserves are very near to Ranchi which is at an elevation of about three thousand feet and can become very cold in the winter. Don't I know it; I spent some weeks, under Canvas in this area. The hill tribes around about are a handsome people - even into advanced age - and take a pride in their daily appearance, no matter how poor they might be. In the hilly area and down to the Plains the landscape is quite beautiful, with dense vegetation which includes Sal forests and masses of Bamboo in some parts. I have motored through some of this region and though not seeing much of the fauna, I am told that Samba, Pig, Nilgai (the Blue Bull) Chital deer and some Leopard and tiger are to be found in the forests. In the Palamau reserve I believe are to be found monkeys and langurs, tiger, leopard, jungle cat, elephant, gaur, samba and deer; Wolves have even been seen here. The bird life is also rich with peafowl, black and swamp partridge and the white necked stork. I was not in the Ranchi area for long and didn't really get to study the flora and fauna as closely as I would have liked.

The last area I must mention is within the region of the Manas river. This is now one of the most prized areas for the conservation of animals in India. It was while I was in a Convoy, making our way to Imphal from Calcutta that, after leaving Cooch Behar we encamped, for the night near a swift flowing stream. On walking down to the stream early the next morning to bath in the crystal clear water, which I was told was part of the Manas river, the scene which unfolded is etched on my memory forever. The vision was the magnificent , vast mountain of Kanchanjunga -I have described in more detail in another article - looking north west this snow capped wall of beauty was, I believe, about one hundred miles or more from the stream. In this reserve of Manas are to be found some quite rare flora and fauna, I was informed by a local Big Game hunter. Mr Gibbs who had been a manager of the Bengal Assam Railway invited us to his house. He also gave us a short tour of the Lower Dours forest of which he was a honorary member and conducted shoots for the Maharaja of Cooch Behar, from time to time. What a privilege it was to be in his company. The forest was rich in Sal, Ebony, and Teak. In the Manas region, we were told, are found: the Capped Langur, Elephant, Wild Buffalo, Rhinocerous, swamp deer and samba also hog deer, pig and tiger. Flights of Great Pied Hornbills cross the forest into Bhutan to feed. On the shores of the Manas river covered with rounded multicoloured pebbles, one can see the white capped Red Start, Mergansers, ruddy duck, egrets and many other birds. Butterflies of course are numerous and wild flowers are abundant. My visit to this wonderful area of rivers, grassland, forest and plain was transitory but what a glorious place it would be to visit for a long period of exploration.

Burma is too well known for me to give much detail that hasn't, several times, been written about. The War with Japan ended - in Rangoon - two days before I landed on these southern shores, made beautiful by a somewhat mysterious distant sight of the majestic Schwedagon Pagoda, vibrating a golden light in the morning sun. I saw a town partly destroyed and there was a strong rancid odour of rotting rice and goodness knows what else pervading the hot humid air; at least down by the Docks - as an aftermath of battle - all was not quite in order. I was able to see some of the country in the South. We pushed up to Pegu for a spell and visited the 'Reclining Buddah', a huge plaster figure, painted white which is an important religious pilgrimage centre for the Burmans. We didn't have much time to study the flora and fauna very closely but I gained fleeting impressions of the land which had been rich in cultivation; there were some crops of tobacco and rice. The Burmeese are famous for their cigars and cheroots. Monkeys and various types of birds appeared when we were able to walk across country. There were stretches of shallow water and plenty of Leeches. Several country craft were seen on the river and festoons of floating logs of Teak making their slow passage down to the Saw Mills near Rangoon. I was told that these teak logs were felled and left to dry in the jungle for at least two years before they could be floated down river. Elephants are employed extensively for transporting the logs down to the river bank where the logs are then pushed down the banks or purpose built shoots to end up in the water. Only a few animals were on view so soon after the fighting in this particular area had ceased. Some months later things were returning to normal; or as normal as it could get. From villages near the Pegu and Piaji areas I managed to barter with the local natives; some even Chinese, for domestic fowl. I managed to work up a small Chicken Run - which helped to supplement our poor diet - of twenty or so birds, also including some Duck and a pair of Geese. These birds were transported with us when we moved to a camp site next to the Kokaine lakes in Rangoon. Here the birds had the freedom of the lovely lakeside and when the time was right some chicken was added to our diet! This was quite a morale booster. Being next to the lakes gave us a chance of catching the occasional fish. This was an idyllic place for a Camp site but like all good things it came to an end. We had to fold our tents when the Unit was disbanded. A few of us were despatched to British North Borneo.

Tribal women grinding corn

I must also mention the pleasure we got from underwater swimming amongst the coral. Not only were there numerous schools of brilliantly coloured fish to be seen, but some of the underwater plant life was sometimes quite weird and also wonderful. Swimming was a daily pleasure and we often witnessed some of the local fishermen expertly casting their nets by hand to form a circular umbrella which would cover the fish. They were then scooped up with a twist of the arms after diving into the water. This method I might add needs lots of expertise. These native fisher folk were a quiet peace loving type and I am told are absolute in their mastery of the sea around the islands. They apparently need no compass to find their way around. The skills they possess have been passed down by their fore fathers. They are able to navigate by observing the direction of the sun and stars.

Leaving Labuan was a wrench: I travelled by sea - via Singapore - back to India, landing on the south east coast at Madras. In this part of the world there are also men who live by the sea and its harvest of fish. To our amazement we observed some of these sons of the seas, many hours before we arrived at Madras, floating on what looked like flimsy rafts with sail to give momentum. How they ever got back home I'll never know! However, it's truly amazing how intrepid these fishermen are and the hazardous existence they can put up with. I don't imagine they are really recompensed for the very hard life they endure. Never the less they seem to rise above the day to day hardships of their life, and always smile and waive a greeting when encountered.

The physical features of the land going north from Madras span a very wide range. From the beautiful expansive beaches of the south east coast with picturesque stretches of cultivated fields and palm trees. Then the Deccan; here the earth is dark and produces acres and acres of very good quality Cotton. Travelling by train I missed a lot of the scene over night but the next morning revealed the wide-open plains; around the Bhopal area the countryside was green and undulating; most beautiful. This being October the winter crop in the plains around the Delhi region were not yet quite visible. The long twelve hundred miles journey had many things of interest to reveal to a first time traveller to this part of the country. Apart from the birds which included Storks, Cranes, Duck there were many others such as Kites, Hawks and Pigeons. One hopes that the beauty is conserved.

I had seen, as dawn was breaking
and I staggered to my rest.
Tara Devi softly shaking.
From the Cart road to the crest
I had seen the spur of Jakko
heave and quiver, swell and sink,
Was it earthquake or tobacco,
day or dawn, or night of drink? … Kipling.

Or sits on a low block of silver litchen - spotted stone that stands high above the foot hills, looking out between the tall trunks of the Pine trees at what he once described as one of the loveliest views in all India, if not in all the world. From here, on a clear day, it really does seem as though one can see forever and ever. To the right the foot hills fall away to merge into wide, golden vastness of the Plains, while ahead and below, embedded among pine trees, lies the little cantonment town of Dagshai and on the left the rising ridges of the hills backed by the long, long line of the high Himalayas, spanning the horizon with shimmering snow peaks that stand out like a jagged finger of white satin against the limitless blue distance.

Col. Kaye … (M.M.Kaye's father)