30 KASHMIR 



at 5 each morning, and rode and walked up and 

 down mountains all day, getting into camp 

 between 8 and 9 at night. 



On the third day I was " on the go " for sixteen 

 solid hours and rode thirty-two miles. It was not 

 wise to work so hard, but I had set my heart on 

 shooting a barasingha, which is the giant stag of 

 Kashmir. But there is really not much game left. 

 The country has been shot out, and no sensible 

 man will select Kashmir merely to shoot in. On 

 Tuesday I rode into Srinagar, very done up, to 

 attend a garden-party kindly given by the Mahara- 

 jah in my honour at a villa in beautiful gardens 

 with countless fountains. There was a band and 

 all the officials attended, and we had a gigantic 

 banquet of sweets. The Maharajah was greatly 

 upset when I told him I had not seen any game, 

 and insisted on my going shooting again on 

 Tuesday next. A great show for the morrow 

 (Wednesday) in the shape of a cricket match. 



The great cricket event of the year is over. I 

 attended the match, and to my surprise found 

 myself sitting next to Kapurthala's Spanish wife, 

 who looked very sweet and very lovely. He was 

 in great form. He had been up in the mountains 

 for ten days and had not fired a shot. We groused 

 together. 



The cricket was truly wonderful, and the 

 Maharajah of Kashmir was duly credited with 

 fifty runs. His side made 330 runs ! 



Now for the expedition. I had to leave at 6 in 

 the State motor and drive twenty-five miles. Then 

 I got on a horse and began a laborious and, as 

 it turned out, a dangerous climb towards the top 



