KOtXJH NOTES OF TRAVEL AND SfoRT. 115 



May 30th: — Up ridge to point over Shaltar. Saw a tent there. 

 1 had expected to tind Slialtar unoccupied, and have a few days 

 round it ; so went down my boundary. No sign of the markhor seen 

 yesterday; worked towards home, but low down, carefully exploring 

 ground; saw nothing all day, but in the evening came on them just a 

 quarter of a mile below my tent I There were 53 markhor there (the 

 three herds packed), only eight males and only two of those worth shoot- 

 ing! Leaving the fussy shikari, I made a fair stalk alone, but had 

 to cross a ledge of rock about 200 yards from them, and full in view, 

 when a female gave the alarm. I ran forward as they made up the cliff; 

 they came across my front, working up the steep sheer cliff. When 

 they were opposite, about 180 yards off, I fired and hit the biggest 

 one; he stood on the rock motionless, and as I did not feel sure of his 

 being sufficiently hit, 1 fired the left barrrel, and down he tumbled. 

 The two bullet holes formed a figure of eight in the skin of his 

 shoulder. I had rested the rifle on my hat when firing, so there 

 can be little doubt that those two barrels shoot together, and are a 

 credit to Holland and Holland. His horns^ were only 24 inches, 

 but massive. 



May dlst. — Having now got ten markhor (measuring 46, 43|, 40, 

 38£, 34, 28, 25, 24, 22£, and 18 inches), and the weather being very 

 hot, I mean to take it easy and loaf back to Kashmir. I shall per- 

 haps pick up some ibex on the way in Derrell or Loyen Harda. If 

 not, I do not much care, as I shall come this side again, and spend a 

 winter over the passes, and try for some specially big heads up 

 beyond Grilgit or in Chilas. 



June 8th, — Started up nullah, for one last day at the ibex. Found 

 nest and three eggs of the White-browed Bunting (Emberiza cia) ; 

 nest on ground beside a tuft of grass. Shot male — somewhat greyer 

 on head than are European specimens. 1 fancy a transitional form 

 to the Eastern E. Stracheyi. B. cia is common in these parts. 

 (Jailed on Mrs. (Jhukor, but she had deserted her nest, so I took it, 

 12 eggs, quite fresh. 



June 9th. — Up to glaciers early. Climbed from 10,800 up to 

 14,000 feet along front of the ibex cliff. Ibex not within reach yet. 

 I must sleep on cliff and make a two-days' climb. Saw a lovely 

 bird, of which I noted the description at the time, and find it is 

 Accentor immaculatus, the Maronne-backed Accentor. Jerdon says 

 it has hitherto been only sent from Nepal and Darjeeling. It was 

 at 13,000 feet in Dutchkufc, where I saw it only once. Also saw a 



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