CASHMERE SHIKAREES. 95 



quent experience taught me what a mistake I had made in 

 doing so, as those worthy of the name seldom come there 

 to seek employment, but remain at their homes, which are 

 generally near the hunting-grounds, until sent for. But as 

 the country and its language were then new to us, we were 

 obliged to at once engage men as guides and interpreters. 



And now a word regarding Cashmere shikarees in general, 

 for I have no doubt most of them are no better at present 

 than they were then. With few exceptions, even the best 

 of them are an avaricious grasping set of men, who are never 

 contented, in fact, the more you give them the more they 

 want. But the arch-scoundrels are the fellows that pester 

 the new arrival at Srinuggur with numerous testimonials 

 they may have received from tourists or others who have 

 managed to slay a few black bears under their guidance, 

 which animals any ordinary villager might have shown 

 them where to find. These pseudo-shikarees are usually 

 " made up " in sporting costume, wearing puttees (woollen 

 bandages) round their legs, poolas (straw sandals) on their 

 feet, and belts covered with leathern pouches, hunting- 

 knives, &c., round their waists. They are, or were, as a 

 rule, the most unmitigated impostors in Cashmere, generally 

 giving themselves all sorts of fine airs, and expecting the 

 most exorbitant wages, besides food and presents of cash. 

 In addition to this, they frequently use their employer's 

 name for obtaining anything they require from the villagers, 

 for which they usually forget to pay. The real good men, 

 of whom there are comparatively few, are only to be got by 

 making arrangements with them beforehand, either by mes- 

 senger or letter. As such men are, of course, in great 

 request, obtaining their services is not always easy. Should 

 the sportsman, however, fail to get a well-known good 

 shikaree, it is better for him to proceed to his ground with- 

 out one of any sort, and trust to picking up a non-profes- 

 sional hand at some village in its vicinity, than to engage 

 one of the aforesaid impostors, who, in any case, would get 



