436 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



found hard-working, and capable of long marches over 

 any country, but that is about all that can be said in his 

 favour. 



The newcomer will be told, as I was, that he will 

 require a number of permanent coolies. These men are 

 generally nominated by the shikari, and are usually his 

 friends or relations. They are supposed to carry a load 

 on the march, and then to be available for bringing 

 water, cutting wood, washing clothes and vessels, etc. 

 From my experience, they are a fraud as to these 

 matters. The load each carries gets less and less, till, as 

 in the case of my men coming down from the Borzil, it 

 practically disappears. The wood and water for my 

 camp were always brought by the temporary coolies I 

 employed. My permanent coolies I found useful in 

 carrying my letters, etc., from or to the post, and it was 

 also convenient to have one man like the tiffin coolie, to 

 arrange the tent the same way every day. But there is 

 no necessity for the number of men the employment of 

 whom the shikari is sure to recommend. If I were 

 going again to Baltistan, or to some of the nalas com- 

 municating with the valley of Kashmir, I should engage 

 about four permanent coolies, one to act as tiffin coolie, 

 who would arrange my tent and wash clothes when 

 necessary ; one to assist the cook in the kitchen ; and 

 two to carry the post and perform any other miscel- 

 laneous duties that might be required. If I were going 

 to Ladak, I should not take any permanent coolies from 

 Kashmir at all, unless I found it convenient, on account 

 of having engaged a Kashmiri cook, to give him a 

 countryman as an assistant in the kitchen. At Leh I 



