So quietly is it carried on, and so little show is made of the valuable cargoes in the village, that you rarely see crabs or lobsters in the few shops. However, at the inns they may be had during the season, which begins in March and ends in October, where they are served up in different dishes, one of which is termed a crab pie. A favourite meal for visitors is a "crab tea," which visitors partake of at a trifling cost.

On making inquiry as to the probable import annually of crustaceans, no printed statistics could be obtained, but it was said that the principal importers, Messrs. Scovell, bring in their own cutters an average of 120,000 crabs and crayfish and 85,000 lobsters. Another trader, Captain John Harnden, is said to import about one-third of these numbers respectively, so that there are imported during the season of seven months an annual average of 273,000 shell-fish of the crustacean kind, and sent from this port chiefly to London.

These enterprising conductors of the traffic and proprietors of the depôts at Hamble are well known in the trade as being among the oldest established and largest shell-fish merchants in England, the London market of lobsters, crabs, and crayfish being in greater part supplied by them. The trade has been carried on for more than a century along the south and western coasts of England and Ireland, and also in France and Norway. In each of these countries they have formed depôts, with extensive reservoirs, plant, gear, and other appliances for the purposes of their business, which employs many boats and some hundreds of fishermen. The fleet of fishing-smacks comprise twenty-two welled vessels, built expressly for the trade, and valued at above £40,000.

Why Hamble Creek was chosen as a marine deposit for crustaceans in preference to Southampton arose from the greater purity of its water, untainted by sewage, in preserving these delicate shell-fish alive. Two or three years ago an endeavour was made to turn the advantages of the port for its extension through a limited liability company. It was contemplated to combine the lobster and crab trades with oyster fisheries, which would occupy their fleet and staff from October to March, when they were unemployed, and thereby a large saving of labour and outlay would be effected. With this object it was proposed to unite with the Isle of Wight Oyster Fishery Company, who hold very extensive oyster ground, including two rivers, the Medina and the Newtown, which have been long celebrated for their fattening properties, together with the lakes. or breeding-ponds attached to each. A sufficient number of subscribers did not come forward to establish the united company, consequently the scheme fell to the ground.

Notwithstanding this failure to extend the operations of the Hamble shell-fish depôts, the business is carried on as of old, profitably, evidently supporting the community in comfort. In strolling through the lanes from the main road, with houses and shops at intervals, there is an air of prosperity about the place seldom seen in fishing

ports. One feature is really charming about the dwellings, even of the humblest, and that is the culture of flowers, the climate being favourable for the growth of bright exotics. This floral feature adds to the pleasantness of the village.

Viewing its picturesque surroundings, it would be well adapted for a watering-place but for the drawback that its shores are covered with mud, so that the inhabitants cannot say to bathers, "Come unto these yellow sands." At the same time it is recorded in the History of England that the Saxon invaders landed here in the fifth century, and effected the first settlement of the West Saxons. The remains of an ancient pier may be seen on the opposite bank, beside which the decayed hull of a vessel 130 feet long, supposed to have been a Danish war galley, was found imbedded in the mud. Some remains, also, of an ancient castle exist on a projecting point of land on the west shore, where now the 1st Hants Volunteer Artillery awaken this slumbercus locality by the echoes of their ordnance in target practice afloat.

On the county maps this water is named the River Hamble, but it is really a creek or inlet of the sea. Sailing up from its outlet into Southampton Water for three miles, it presents the aspect of a wide navigable river, and is spanned by a bridge at Bursledon, where formerly shipbuilding was carried on. Above that point for another three miles it narrows, until it ceases to be navigable at the head, where barges laden with coal float up by the flood tide to Botley, a market town, where a flour-mill grinds the corn of the district for exportation. The small stream that sets the mill going is all that represents a fresh-water river. Nevertheless, the sylvan scenery on the upper waters of Hamble Creek is unrivalled by any of the rivers in the south of England.

Be amongst the few.

S. M.

THERE are some who smile, but more that weep; There are some who wake, out more that sleep; There are many sow, but few that reap;

Then be amongst the few. There are some who work, but more that wait; There are some who love, but more that hate; There are many marry, few that mate;

Then be amongst the few

There are some who practise, more that preach; There are some who grasp, but more that reachThere is no prize if gained by each;

Then be amongst the few. There are some who save, but more that spend ; There are some who bid, but more that bend; Few honoured reach life's journey's end; Then be amongst the few.

KYNNERSLEY LEWIS

OY far the largest native State in India is Hyder

nions. It is about the size of France, and three times larger than either Mysore or Gwalior, which are the next largest amongst the States feudatory to the British Government. It once extended from the Nerbudda to Trichinopoly, and from Masulipatam to Beejapore; but frequent cessions to the East India Company have reduced it to its present limits, which comprise an area of 25,337 square miles, with a population exceeding ten millions. The reigning family of the Nizams derives its authority from a chief named Asoph Jah (Nizam-ool-moolk), one of the leading commanders under Aurungzebe, and who, while nominally bearing allegiance to that sovereign, and administering the government of the Deccan as his viceroy, actually established himself there as an independent prince. The rulers of Hyderabad have always been faithful allies of the British Government in their wars with the French, the Mahrattas, and the Nabob of the Carnatic; and not the least striking instance of their loyalty was the steady support the then reigning prince gave in the time of the mutiny, when all around seemed dark and threatening, and when his very belief for the possibility of the existence of the English in India must have been terribly shaken. To the farseeing shrewdness and firm fidelity of Salar Jung this result was largely due. For an outline of his public career we are indebted to a paper in the Journal of the Indian Association."

Sir Salar Jung was born in 1829, and succeeded his uncle, Seraj-ool-moolk, as Minister, in the year 1853. His family name is Torab Ali, the name by which he is popularly known in England being merely a title conferred on him by the Nizam Nasir-ool-dowlah. The office of Minister of Hyderabad is no sinecure. Exalted though the position be, it carries with it many attendant evils, not the least of which arise from the jealousy of the nobles and courtiers who generally surround the Nizam. Though Sir Salar Jung had received his appointment as Minister with the approbation of the British Government, who since his accession to power gave him a steady support, and though for some years he had faithfully and creditably performed the duties of his office, yet the intrigues of his opponents were so far successful that in the year 1861, much to his own surprise and mortification, he was summarily dismissed by the late Nizam; and it was chiefly owing to the interposition of the Resident of Hyderabad he was reinstated in a post which no other person was found competent to occupy.

In order fully to appreciate the work achieved by Sir Salar Jung, it is necessary to bear in mind the state of the country when he was appointed. He succeeded his uncle as Minister just six days after that treaty had been concluded by which the fairest province in the Nizam's dominions had been made over to the British Government in

liquidation of the arrears of the pay of the contingent troops, and as security for their future regular payment. The exchequer was empty, the country in a thoroughly disorganised condition, infested by predatory bands which roamed through the length and breadth of the land in a way to necessitate repeated remonstrances on the part of the British Government. The revenue, or rather so much of it as was left, was not collected by officials of the Government, but farmed out to contractors, who ground down the unfortunate ryols, extracting from them as much as they could, though but a small proportion of the proceeds found their way to the treasury. There does not seem to have been even a pretension made to administer justice; those who were wronged and those who committed the wrong generally settled the matter between themselves, the stronger gaining the day. Hence it was that not only the nobles and jaghirdars, but even petty munsubdars and minor officials attached to the court, kept in their service bodies of men whose duties were simply to fight the battles of their masters. As to courts, there were practically none. The Kotwal, or the head of the police, who was responsible for the preservation of the peace, himself took cognisance of minor offences; the more serious ones, unless they had already been settled by the parties themselves, were brought before the Cazee, the head of the Mohammedan Church, who presided over the Fonjdaree Adalat, and was himself open to influences of bribery and corruption.

Such was the state of the country when Sir Salar Jung, then but a young man of twenty-five, was appointed Minister. What his services have been so far as the British Government is concerned is a matter of public notoriety. During the exciting times of the mutiny Hyderabad was almost in a state of ferment; seditious sermons were preached in many of the mosques, and the "faithful" urged to rise against the "infidel" English. swarming thousands of armed and turbulent men, who form so large a proportion of the population of Hyderabad, waited but for a word to break out in open rebellion; yet Sir Salar Jung, though young in years, was firm and faithful, and maintained towards the British Government a loyalty proof against every shock.

The

But the services of Sir Salar Jung in the regeneration of the country entrusted to his charge have been no less striking and successful. He infused order where nothing but chaos reigned before; he initiated reforms which were bitterly opposed to the religious prejudices and bigotry of those by whom he was surrounded; and, notwithstanding the unscrupulous hostility of his opponents, succeeded in leaving his mark in the history of Hyderabad, which will never be effaced. In former times the Dewan, or Minister, had the administration of the country entrusted to him in such a way that the whole responsibility rested on his own shoulders: he was himself the head of

every department, and was supposed personally to superintend its working. This, as will readily be believed, was practically impossible; hence the subordinate officials serving under him, especially those in the districts, had an amount of liberty given them which scarcely operated to the benefit of the country. And besides, there was another evil attached to this system of government. The Minister had the sole administration of government in his hands to the exclusion of other nobles in the State, who, of course, would not condescend to serve in any subordinate capacity, it being derogatory to their dignity. These naturally found vent for their superabundant energies in fighting against each other or raising dissensions against the State. Sir Salar Jung, therefore, very wisely elaborated a scheme by which not only was a good deal of work taken off his hands, but some of the leading nobles more associated with him in the government of the country.

Before his time it was customary to farm out the revenue to contractors. Now it is entirely collected by State officials, with the result that on the one hand there has been an accession of revenue to the Government, and on the other hand the ryots have been relieved from the extortion and oppression which they were subjected to in the time of the contractors. Before Sir Salar Jung's ministry there was no regular settlement of the land. By an arbitrary method a certain sum was assessed, which the ryot was compelled to pay. Within the last fifteen years, however, the work of settlement on soundly constituted principles has been carried out in the Nizam's dominions.

The various officers who now administer justice in the land are, so far as their judicial functions are concerned, subordinate to a High Court constituted in Hyderabad, and which hears appeals from the whole of the Nizam's dominions. Sir Salar Jung, soon after his appointment, gradually introduced civil and criminal courts, both in the city of Hyderabad and in the districts. Latterly he appointed a good many men from the NorthWestern Provinces of India to offices in the judicial department, a matter for which he has been blamed by his opponents, but which could not have been avoided by him, wishing as he did to carry out a thorough reform of the courts. The best of these judges had difficulty in getting their decrees carried out by the native officials, and there is now risk of the reforms not proving permanent.

Another department in which the reforms carried out have been very striking is the military. In former times the troops in the service of the State were not paid by the Government itself, but by Jemadars, or commanders, who contracted with the Government to keep up a certain number of infantry or cavalry, as the case may be, and in return received large Jaghires, or grants of land. The result was the Jemadars amassed large fortunes, and starved the men for whom these Jaghires were given them. Sir Salar Jung sequestrated most of these Jaghires, and undertook on behalf of the Government the payment of the troops. At present the army of the Nizam may be said to consist of about ten thousand regulars and twenty

five thousand irregulars. The regular, or the "Reformed" troops, as they are called, are officered by Europeans and Eurasians, and I believe, at a review held some years ago, Lord Napier of Magdala made some very complimentary remarks as to the state of discipline he found them in. The irregular troops are some of them officered by Europeans and the rest by natives, but they are quiet and orderly as compared to what they were in former times, when their lawlessness and turbulence knew no bounds.

Besides the reforms carried out in the departments above referred to, Sir Salar Jung initiated many movements for the improvement of the country. Among these may be mentioned the constitution of the engineering, educational, and medical departments. At present over the length and breadth of the land European and Eurasian engineers and surveyors are scattered, busy making bridges and roads, and cutting and repairing canals, tanks, and wells. Schools have been introduced into all the cities and the principal villages. Numerous scholarships have been founded by the Government for the encouragement of education, and a few years ago Sir Salar Jung sent two young men to England to acquire a practical knowledge of mining and geology so as to utilise their services in opening out the resources of the country. Numerous hospitals and dispensaries have been opened in various parts of the country, and a school under the superintendence of the Residency Surgeon is established for giving medical instruction.

When Sir Salar Jung recently paid a visit to England there were few who knew the high merits of the illustrious stranger. Now that he is deceased, let the memory be honoured of one who was a true friend of England, as well as a great benefactor of his own country. Let us hope that the good work inaugurated by him may be carried on by men as upright and as patriotic as Sir Salar Jung.

The Veiled laterfall.

Glencrifisdale.

IN front of falling waters I reclined,

Which down a chasm tore their thundrous way; Birches before them rose, with emerald spray Screening the silvery foam which shone behind. With every fitful wafting of the wind

The leafy veil was lifted, to display The crystal splendour in its white arrayThe changing drops in changeless form confined. Thus earth's fair dreams and fancies intervene,

And veil Heaven's glory from our mortal eye, Dimming things hoped for by things felt and seen : O for God's breath-the Spirit from on high— To flash upon us, through the sundered screen, The living waters of Eternity!

RICHARD WILTO

THE

THE last of the great Essex woodlands, like the New Forest in Hampshire, has more than a local interest for Englishmen. The part which our forests played at an early period as natural defences against the invader, and the effect they had on what is called in modern times the "settlements of the English," have a vivid interest for the student of history, especially_as they are pictured in the pages of the late Dr. Guest and John Henry Green. The Essex woodlands have in this way had their share in the history of south-eastern England. Epping Forest and its environs are also richer than might be thought in incidents and personal associations which have enriched our national life and literature. Nor is it generally known that the East Londoner's forest has an indigenous vegetation of a kind which gives it a unique place among our surviving aboriginal woodlands. A few notes. upon both of these aspects, and upon the present revived and extended condition of the Forest, may be acceptable. The story of the encroachments in more recent times, and the ultimate rescue by the Corporation of London, is now a familiar one, and we need not refer to it, except as a happy illustration of the greater value assigned in our days to rural recreation in connection with City life. The visit of the Queen gave a kind of formal and gracious consummation to the successful struggle, and to-day the preservation of Epping Forest helps to freshen the air of even those City toilers who have never yet reached its outskirts.

Epping Forest as a woodland enjoys, as we have hinted, a rare and indeed unique distinction among our ancient sylvan relics. It is our only surviving hornbeam forest. Since the gradual destruction of the great Weald of Sussex, Surrey, and Kent-the ancient forest of Anderida, where the tree still lingers as scrub and underwoodEssex has become the only home of the wild hornbeam. It is the reigning tree in Epping Forest. Seen en masse, the strangeness of the foliage, although unfelt by familiar Londoners, arrests at once the visitor from the north or the midlands, from the oak glades of Sherwood and the remnants of the Forest of Dean or of Needwood, where the wild hornbeam is unknown. The present month (August) is usually the time. in which Epping Forest best shows its distinctive hornbeam character. Let the visitor ascend some "coign of 'vantage," such as the beautiful wooded dome of Staple's Hill, near Loughton, or the fine headland known as Loughton Camp, about a mile distant, and see the forest of pollards for himself. The familiar fruit of the hornbeam may now be seen hanging in a series of green bells strung together in a long and graceful tassel. Tourists unanimously admit it to be one of the prettiest woodland sights of the autumn season near London.

A glance at the trees of Epping Forest naturally leads to a glance at the soil which sustains them,

QUEEN ELIZABETH'S LODGE AS RESTORED.

and similar elevations. Here the furze and purple ling tell of patches of warmer and sandier soil, and are alive with the gay sun-loving bees and butterflies. At High Beech Hill, the highest point in the Forest, the famous beeches are found rooted for the most part in the Bagshot (Hampstead) sand. Still as a whole it must be admitted

In

The ancient gravelly shore stretches from Chingford to Walthamstow and Stratford. At a depth of from fifteen to thirty feet are found the stone tools and weapons fashioned by the early hunter and fisher folk who encamped upon this ancient shore when the forest behind them was the home of the hairy elephant, rhinoceros, and herds of bison. The bones of these animals, with chipped implements, are found at Walthamstow and Ilford, as well as on the opposite Clapton shore. the interior of the Forest more recent memorials of an unknown people are found, and these, unlike the former, have the advantage of being always accessible. They are two earthworks, or fortified camps, all overgrown with trees and ferns. Ambresbury Banks, the better known of the two, has recently been excavated by the Essex Field Club, who have given an interesting account of the work in their "Proceedings." It is more generally known as "Boadicea's Camp," and under this name it is certainly one of the most cherished and popular sights of the Forest. Tradition and county history associate the spot with the unfortunate patriotic queen of the Iceni and her fatal conflict with the Roman army under Suetonius, as told in the pages of Tacitus, but antiquarians are

some pieces of rude pottery, of British and RomanoBritish make, which give no clue of a personal character. The structure of the camps of the period was, however, well shown. The ditch, instead of being flat at the bottom, so that they could be perambulated like the British camp at Cisbury, Coburn, and Seaford, was pointed, resembling in this respect the so-called "Cæsar's Camp near Folkestone. Visitors will find the rampart, enclosing nine acres, well worth tracing. The camp lies on the Epping road, about a mile and a half from Theydon Bois railway station.

The second camp is a recent discovery, a fact which speaks well for the revived interest in Epping Forest and the trophies which may reward the enthusiastic investigator. The Loughton Camp, as it is called, discovered by Mr. B. H. Cowper some ten years since, occupies a position on a commanding headland. It affords a view far away over South Essex and over the Thames into Kent, as it probably did before Caint became converted by the Romans into Cantium. It is curious that both these thickly-wooded sites are proved to have lain formerly in the champaign. So does the condition of the Forest change.

On either side of the Forest we shall find a