ii6 DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



officers in charge of the scattered outposts of the Mihtary 

 Pohce. A soHtary hfe they lead, but a most interesting one 

 if the officer happens to be keen on shikar and natural 

 history, or geography, ethnography, or, in fact, any one of 

 the 'ologies. 



The bungalow was to be our headquarters for the next 

 ten days and fishing was to be our chief sporting occupation. 

 This river is a fine one for mahseer, that most sporting of 

 Indian fish, which is angled for to some extent on much the 

 same lines as the salmon at home. The mahseer has a 

 superficial resemblance to the latter fish though of thicker 

 build and with larger scales and a more carp-like appearance. 

 This place was a well-known fishing spot to the frontier 

 officers though not as good as others higher up. Still twenty- 

 to thirty-pounders had been taken. 



We spent the afternoon settling down, the river, of 

 course, owing to the unexpected rain, being unfishable and 

 this state of things lasted for the next two days. We tried, 

 of course, but it was useless. On the second day, the water 

 still being unpromising, I went twenty miles up-stream to 

 explore. The forests up here were practically unworked 

 for timber, only bamboos and canes being cut in them and 

 rafted down-stream. The pernicious jhuming system was 

 in force. A beautifully cheap existence these nomadic tribes 

 lived. Their houses are built of bamboos on bamboo piles 

 bound together with creepers and canes. Their household 

 utensils are chiefly made from bamboos and other property 

 consists of a dug-out and a goat or two. Of garments I was 

 going to say they had none. This is untrue. Still, they 

 were so scanty as to be a negligible factor in the year's 

 expenditure — a shilling or two covering a year's wardrobe. 

 All but the goat and clothes was obtained from the forest 

 for nothing. What a lot of money one could save by living 

 a nomadic existence of this kind for a year or two ! 



The jungles up here are extraordinarily dense and thick, 

 and with a total absence of roads over the hills save for 

 narrow footpaths or animal runs. Shooting is accordingly a 

 most arduous pastime, the results obtained after extremely 

 severe work being very small, I often discussed the question 

 with the Mihtary Pohce officers of these parts and they were 

 all of opinion that game was plentiful enough but very hard 

 to get. 



The fauna of this great tract is of extraordinary interest, 



