HUNTING IN CHINESE TARTARY. 151 



ing the central hill sanatoriums of Simla and Almorah, and 

 he, like his predecessors, was stopped by the jealous govern- 

 ment and inhabitants. Previous to entering Chinese Tartary 

 from British India, the traveller has to cross certain passes 

 in the great snowy range, some of them varying in height 

 from sixteen to eighteen thousand feet above the level of the 

 sea. The Barinda, one of the best known and most frequented 

 of these passes, is variously estimated at from seventeen to 

 eighteen thousand feet. The months of June, July, and Au- 

 gust, are generally considered the best months for crossing. 



The scenery in and around these passes is of the most sub- 

 lime description. As I should assuredly fail, however, in 

 describing it, I must content myself with a narration of some 

 personal adventures which befel me in an attempt to carry 

 into effect a long-cherished determination to make the ac- 

 quaintance of the Seeta Bhaloo, (White Bear,) and the Burul, 

 (Wild Sheep,) found only in these regions. By the route I 

 took, seventeen marches brought me to the snow. Here our 

 "roughing," commenced, the Peharrees, or hill men, of our 

 side of the snow, having a most religious horror of the great 

 snowy range. The air there they say is charged with " bis," 

 (poison,) and this is the only way they can in their original 

 way account for the painful and distressing effects which the 

 rarefied air in those elevations produces on the human frame. 

 The first intimation we have that we are far above the alti- 

 tude of comfort, is a dull heavy pain on the shoulders, as if 

 you were carrying a load above your capacity ; then a very 

 painful sensation on the forehead, as if it had been bandaged 

 unpleasantly tight, accompanied by a burning sensation of 

 the eyes and nose, followed by an involuntary bleeding of the 

 latter. This last symptom of the effect of high rarefication, 

 is, to an Englishman, at least it was to us, always a great 

 relief. It operates differently upon the natives ; they become 

 more alarmed and helpless, and, unless hurried through the 

 passes very expeditiously, invariably perish. On my first trip, 



