370 A HIGH VILLAGE. 



our game. On our way we passed through the village of 

 Kiwar, situated at an elevation of 13,400 feet. Although at 

 such a high altitude, it is a fairly large, well-to-do village, 

 and several kinds of grain are raised there (chiefly buckwheat 

 and barley) entirely by irrigation, for the climate of Spiti is 

 extremely dry and almost rainless. As the village lies on 

 the south side of the mountains, it is tolerably warm. 



After a careful scrutiny of the ground with the glass, I 

 discerned a flock of about fifteen napoo nearly a mile off. As 

 none of them appeared to be old rams, and we were not very 

 far from where we intended to pass the night, I remained 

 watching them, in the hope that bigger fellows might show 

 themselves as evening drew on. However, as no others put 

 in an appearance, and the sun was getting low, I commenced 

 a stalk after those in sight, with a view to supplying our 

 empty camp-larder with good venison. "We got within easy 

 range of them rather unexpectedly, as they had fed quickly 

 down towards us whilst hidden from view during our stalk, 

 when the excited behaviour of my two men, on suddenly see- 

 ing the beasts so near us, was very ludicrous. Whilst one of 

 them snatched my cap off, the other seized me under the arms 

 and tried to lift my head over the top of some rocks, behind 

 the cover of which we had been stealing towards the animals, 

 he being under the impression that I could not see them. 

 After shaking one fellow off at the risk of the burrell detect- 

 ing us, and recovering my cap from the other, I was able to 

 shoot, and took down two right and left with the old Whit- 

 worth, much to the delight of my excited companions. After 

 securing the beasts, and dragging them to a convenient spot 

 for leaving them until next morning, we made the best of our 

 way to the place we intended passing the night, under the lee 

 of a rock. The cold was bitter lying out at night, as there 

 was keen frost and a high wind. 



We were afoot early next morning over fresh ground, and 

 soon descried a lar^e flock with two fine rams in it. But our 



