OLD TAHR BUCKS. 289 



of June, there would be plenty of time for a turn over the 

 Himalayan haunts of the burrell, to which I alluded when 

 describing this wild sheep, known as napoo in Tibet, and 

 also for a chance at the tahr. 



Here I need say little about the middle Himalayan ranges 

 through which I travelled for about a fortnight. 



At one of our halting-places I found Puddoo, a Bhotia of 

 Niti, my shikaree and guide on a former visit to the upper 

 ranges of Gurhwal, who had come clown to meet me. 



The Bhotias of Kumao'n and Gurhwal are a half-Tibetan, 

 half-Himalayan people, inhabiting the highest villages on the 

 upper ranges of those provinces. They are more pastoral 

 than agricultural in their habits, and their manners and 

 customs are more Tartar than Hindoo, although they profess 

 to be of the latter persuasion. They occupy their villages 

 for a few months only during the summer, migrating to 

 the middle ranges in winter, during which they lead a 

 nomadic life. 



We crossed the river Doulee by a narrow wooden bridge 

 below the village of Tapoobun, and ascended the opposite 

 heights, with a view to having a day or two among the tahr. 

 After a long and stiff climb we reached our ground towards 

 evening, and having selected a spot for our camp, proceeded 

 to watch some steep green slopes, to which Puddoo expected 

 the tahr would be likely to descend, from the craggy ver- 

 clureless heights above, for their evening feed. We had not 

 long to wait before we descried a herd of tehrny (female 

 tahr) on their way down. They descended so rapidly that 

 in the distance they looked like a lot of yellowish-brown 

 balls hopping and rolling clown over the crags, until all but 

 two, that remained behind on the rocks, were hidden from 

 view in an intervening grassy hollow. Presently four shaggy 

 old bucks followed them, performing the most eccentric gam- 

 bols in their descent. These were soon joined by three 

 other old fellows coming from a different direction. At 

 last there were none left in sight but the two tehrny, which 



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