A SHIKARI AXD HIS WORK. 33 



of- fact tone that he has dropped one of our spoons in 

 the river. As we have only two, this means taking it 

 in turns for our soup, and our dinner to-night is quite 

 a feast — mutton-broth, teal, wild-duck, Irish-stew, and a 

 sweet omelette. 



At eight I go to lied, not before Santan has appeared 

 again. This time it is a tumbler. He seems to think it 

 so much a matter of course that things should fall over- 

 board, that I feel it would be ungenerous to reproach him. 

 My forbearance is rewarded by finding it is " only one of 

 tlie Raja's," and not from our precious luncheon basket. 



Monday, October 17. — Arrived at Srinagar about 5 a.m. 



After breakfast, Alan went to see Colonel Prideaux, the 



Resident, to whom the Viceroy had given us a letter of 



introduction. He found Colonel Prideaux was leaving 



that day on his way south to join the Maharaja, but 



was introduced to Colonel Chamberlain, the Military 



Secretary, who very kindly recommended a first-rate 



Kashmiri shikari (hunter), Rahman by name. The head 



shikari has the entire organization and management <>f a 



party when marching in the hills. Upon him depends 



one's comfort in camp as well as all prospect of sport. 



He is a combination of major-domo and courier, and, in 



addition, commandant of the twenty-five or thirty coolies 



who carry the baggage. It is therefore of the greatesl 



importance to obtain a really good man. 



i) 



