88 SALT-LICKS. 



did lay hold of it, I waited, thinking the beast would be 

 certain to stand and gaze back. But he had no intention 

 of stopping, so I lost my chance. Nota bene always have 

 your rifle in your own hands on likely ground when you 

 can, for many an easy chance is thus lost by letting it be 

 carried for you. We did not follow far, for even had the 

 tahr been our wounded one, there was now no blood on his 

 track. On our way back we saw a herd in the distance, 

 but the shadows were already deepening around, rendering 

 a long stalk impracticable. 



We now commenced retracing our steps homewards. 

 For several days our route lay along the valley of the 

 Kallee. The roaring river surging along between steep 

 forest-clad or rocky acclivities made the scenery wild and 

 grand, but one's appreciation of its charms was consider- 

 ably marred by the concentrated heat at that season in this 

 low-lying narrow valley, and by the inclemency of the 

 weather. A halt was made at a place said to be famous 

 for jurrow and kakur. Had I then known that near this 

 place there was a famous salt-lick close to the river, I 

 might, had I cared to take advantage of it, have spared 

 myself the trouble of perspiring over the baked hillsides of 

 these low warm regions in quest of game. 



These salt-licks, or Jcar as they are termed by the 

 natives, which may be described as places where the 

 ground is strongly impregnated with some sort of saline or 

 alkaline matter, are here and there met with all over the 

 mountains. In such spots large cavities may often be seen 

 where the earth has been scooped out of the hillside by the 

 animals partaking of the kar. In wild unfrequented parts 

 where game abounds, I am told that animals can at times 

 be actually slaughtered by watching these licks. 



One day we came across an encampment of Tibetan Lamas 1 

 in their black blanket-tents. They were returning to their 



1 The sacerdotal class of Tibetan Buddhists are called Lamas, many of whom 

 are engaged as much in their temporal as in their monastic pursuits. 



