PREFACE. 



THE subject of Himalayan travel and sport is now so 

 old a story, that an attempt to create further interest 

 in it is an almost hopeless undertaking, especially for 

 one who has been more accustomed to handling the 

 mountain-staff than the pen. But, old though it be, the 

 field it embraces is so vast, that it may still afford 

 scope for variety even should it lack originality ; and 

 such the author would fain trust may be the case in 

 this instance. The following pages, however, are in 

 nowise embellished with a vein of romance, which, 

 whilst perhaps rendering a narrative of this kind more 

 attractive to the general reader, is apt to give a fanci- 

 ful and overdrawn picture of the reality. Nor has 

 their writer any pretension to being either an erudite 

 traveller, or a mighty hunter to whom hairbreadth 

 escapes and thrilling adventures have been common 

 occurrences. Consequently he is well aware that he 



