Mr. Moorchoft's Letter on the P'lrik Sheep ofLadakh, 8^c. 55 



Sind ; of which I obtained a female of great beauty. It is an animal, which, 

 excepting its ears, resembles more an antelope, in the beauty of its eye, 

 and the vivacity of its movements, than the sluggish animal with which it 

 is classed ; though unquestionably of the same family with the ass. 



I bought above a hundred sheep and eight asses to carry provisions, for 

 a party of sixteen persons, for two months, to proceed to SkayjUng, with 

 a view of shooting some Kiangs. I traversed a pass in which the snow 

 reached to my horse's hips, lost one valuable servant by the cold, and 

 reached the Kiang country, after eighteen days march, when I received an 

 express, directing me to return immediately, to meet a deputation of persons 

 from the Chinese authorities of Yarkund, arrived at Lek. As I was on 

 horseback on my return, within an hour after the receipt of the advice, I 

 gained no other advantage by the journey than an opportunity of making 

 out a part of the old commercial line, between Nejibdbdd and Khoten, 

 frequented in the reign of Shah Jehan, and closed by the Chinese, subse- 

 quently to their acquisition of the state of Kashgar, by the expulsion of the 

 Musleman Khaja, whose heir, Jehdngir Khaja, is now in attendance at the 

 Court of Omar Khan, the sovereign of F'tngbara. I ought to add, per- 

 haps as another result of my researches, the tracing of the line of the 

 army of tlie Solcpos, or Calmucks, when they invaded Ladakh, in the reign 

 of Alemgir Aurengzeb ; and farther, some geographical facts, and the disco- 

 very of a nondescript variety of Grouse, and Partridge. Not more than a 

 dozen Kiangs came within view, and all were out of shot. A native of 

 that district was directed to lie in wait, and a suitable remuneration was 

 offered for the skin, head, and organs of voice, for dissection. The man 

 has completed his task, and I shall have these matters, as soon as the pass 

 of Changlung will admit of being traversed. The Kiang appeared to me 

 to be about fourteen hands high, of a round muscular form, with remark- 

 ably clean hmbs. I would have given my reasons for thinking its domesti- 

 cation, for the use of the small farmer, and of the poor in Britain, desirable ; 

 but the recital would lead to too much of detail at present. 



