FIRST SIGHT OF NYAN 179 



enced Englishman sheds his rupees while he is gaining 

 experience ! The premier scoundrel is always the English- 

 speaking servant he brings up with him from the plains ; 

 his able assistant is the " head shikari," than whom no more 

 scientific swindler exists on the earth. AVhen they two 

 fall out, their " master " comes by his own. These experi- 

 enced "entlemen, however, are too wise to cut their throats 

 in that fashion. They scrupulously observe the secret pact 

 between themselves, and loot the common enemy. 



We crossed the Tsaka-la (15,500 feet), and camped 

 at Dong - king or De-chang, as marked on the route 

 map. The traveller should note another mistake here in 

 this useful map. The Tsaka-la is not, as marked, on the 

 Indus side of this camping-place, Dong-liing ; it is on the 

 Shushal side. The distance between these two places is 

 about twenty-two miles. The Dong-king camp is about 

 14,500 feet above sea level, so that in reality the height 

 of the Tsaka-la is only about 1000 feet above the level 

 of the valley — a slight rise only, very typical of Tibetan 

 passes with five figures attached to them on the maps. 

 Nevertheless, the sun was all there, especially in the close 

 places where the winds could not find free play. Just 

 after topping the pass we disturbed a flock of seven nyan. 

 They ran down, in the direction of camp, along the hill- 

 side, and stopped behind another hill ; I tried for them in 

 the evening, but they had moved. I saw on the hillside 

 numerous tracks, certainly not a day old, of large rams. 

 I had viewed my game at last, and felt that I was really 

 among them. Old Tashi had kept his word. 



I began my regular Ovis ammon hunt on the 9th July. 

 Myself and the boy, with another man to carry lunch, 

 started at 5 a.m., went back to the foot of the pass, and 

 turned up to the ridge where we had seen the nyan. We 

 found them on the plain on the other side of the range, 



