Just before I left the locality the old priest of the temple showed me the 

 horns of a goral {Urofragns galeanus), and told me that this animal was to be 

 found on a high peak some five miles away. I could not leave without 

 making an effort to secure a specimen, so decided to postpone my departure 

 and visit the peak in question. I was successful in my hunt. Taking a 

 native with me to carry my shot-gun, in case some small animal presented 

 itself, I went up the ravine, and after a hard climb reached the summit of the 

 peak, where, perched at an altitude of about 4000 ft. we found a quaint 

 Buddhist temple. The top of the peak was conical in shape, and covered 

 with cypress and other conifers. A long and steep flight of stone steps led 

 up to the temple. The priests told me that there were several gorals living 

 on the peak free from persecution ; they themselves as Buddhists, not being 

 allowed to take life. However, they had no objection to my killing these 

 animals, which habitually fed upon the little patches of wheat and maize 

 kept by the priests half-way down the mountain slope. 



In a scramble through the woods round the sides of the peak we soon 

 put up a handsome goral, which bounded up the steep slope with wonderful 

 agility, and made its escape round the top of the peak. Its tracks after 

 rounding the peak vanished over the edge of a precipitous peak, which fell 

 away almost perpendicularly for hundreds of feet. Carefully I climbed down 

 making use of the little cypress trees that sprang from the cracks in the rocks. 

 When about half way down I heard something scrambling above and to the 

 left of my position. I looked up and once more caught sight of the goral 

 climbing towards the top of the precipice. Balancing myself with one foot 

 on a ledge, the other on the trunk of cypress, empty space beneath me, I 

 took a rapid aim, and fired just as he gained the top of the cliff. I missed, 

 but the animal passed within twenty yards of my bearer, who was lying 

 exhausted from the severity of the climb and chase. He heard my shot, and 

 looking up saw the goral. He let drive with a dose of buckshot, killing the 

 animal on the spot. 



The goral, of which there are many species, is a goat-like animal that 



inhabits, in China, the highest and rockiest mountain-ranges of the central 



and western provinces. It is a daring climber, bounding up precipitous 



cliffs that a man would hesitate to attempt. The present species differs 



but little from the Yang-tzu form. In appearance this goral is something 



between a goat and an antelope. It has thick heavy legs, with large hoofs, 



a slight crest down the neck, and small, sharply sloping, and very pointed 



horns. It is of a dark-grey colour, with cream-coloured legs, and a creamy 



patch on the throat. 



90 



