174 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



to the south in a wood of birch-trees, where the ravine 

 began to close in. Below the birches, the Gorge narrowed 

 still further into a channel just wide enough to permit 

 of the exit of the stream which fiowed from the snow 

 above, past the western side of the grassy slope. Here 

 the sides were of almost perpendicular rock, and the 

 river went down to the main nala, in a series of cataracts, 

 which must have rendered it very difficult for even a 

 goat to use that road for coming up. 



We had not been studying the rocks for long, when 

 we became aware of eight markhor, all males, quietly 

 making their way up amongst the rocks on the opposite 

 side. They went slowly, stopping occasionally to butt 

 at each other and play about, and we watched them 

 for certainly over an hour. They were amongst rocks, 

 from which they must have seen us had we attempted a 

 stalk, and we determined to wait till evening, so I had 

 my breakfast, and employed myself as usual, writing and 

 reading and playing chess, till near 3 p.m., w^hen our 

 attention was attracted by a herd of ibex which had 

 appeared in the interval on the grassy slope and were 

 grazing about there. There were five good males — 

 one especially fine — three small males and two females 

 in the herd, but we could see no way of getting near 

 them, owing to their position, and the unfavourable wind, 

 so we gave it up after a time in despair, and went back, 

 about half an hour's walk, to where there was a small 

 stream. 



After breakfast we had sent back the coolie to this 

 place, with instructions to have the camp pitched there. 

 There was practically no level ground, but the pathway 



