TRACES OF BARHAL NUMEROUS 311 



reached the camping-place at the bottom at 11 a.m., and, 

 having had breakfast, started again. Travelling down 

 stream, I found many barhal horns along the path and at 

 all camping - places. One skull had a pair 25 inches 

 long and 12 in girth at the base ; the ram must have been 

 a magnificent beast. He must have come to grief during 

 the last breaking up of the snow, as the skull, which was 

 very heavy, looked fresh. At one camp there were six 

 pairs of horns collected in a heap. This valley is so close 

 and confined that it must be unusually sheltered during 

 the cold months and bad weather, and probably for this 

 reason barhal frequent it in large numbers. It would be 

 a good shooting ground in spring, before the animals had 

 dispersed, or in autumn, after they had congregated here. 

 At this season they are widely scattered, as grass can be 

 had everywhere, and the old rams are away high up about 

 the snow-line. Going farther down, I saw a dozen ewes, 

 with lambs, running up a ridge, and shortly after saw two 

 more run from the bed of the stream ; they had, no doubt, 

 been tempted down by the fresh green grass at the water's 

 edge. I declined to shoot any of these females, though the 

 men were importunate for meat, of which they had had none 

 for several days ; and, in fact, I myself had been living on 

 tinned beef for a long time. Were it not for the lambs 

 frisking up the steeps after their mothers, I am sure the 

 si"ht of the fresh meat would have been too much for my 

 scruples. 



The coolies were on ahead, and I was some paces behind, 

 when they turned an angle in the valley, and came plump 

 on another llock grazing by the stream. There was shout- 

 ing and excitement, of course. I got a rifle and ran at 

 full speed to a large rock near the stream, which offered a 

 good rest. The barhal were meantime rushing up the 

 slope on the right with great clatter and dust. I did not 



