CH. XXVIII SKIN-CURING AND SKULL-CLEANING 485 



despatched from Pobrang on the 6th of September ; 

 the fourth I took in myself when I reached Srinagar on 

 the 17th of October, and the last consisted of the bear- 

 skin and stag's head brought in from Traal on the iith 

 of November. With each instructions were sent to the 

 skinman indicating what was to be done ; some of the 

 skins were to be cured ; a couple of ibex heads and the 

 markhor head set up, and all the skulls carefully cleaned. 

 As far as I could judge by the appearance when I 

 reached Srinagar, the curing of the skins and the cleaning 

 of the skulls had been well done. Of course it was im- 

 possible to say then how the work would last, or whether 

 salt had been used in working the skins or not. But as 

 far as it was possible at the time to tell, the skins were 

 in fairly good order, and the heads reasonably clean. 

 The setting up with glass eyes was, however, a failure, and 

 I was very sorry I had ordered it to be done. This kind 

 of work cannot be carried out properly in Srinagar, and 

 valuable trophies should, I think, be sent home to England. 

 I had eventually to get Mr. Rowland Ward to remodel 

 the heads that had been done in Srmagar. All those, illus- 

 trations of which appear in this book, were done by him. 

 I had given the skinman from time to time advances 

 in part payment of the work he was doing, and had 

 more than once told him to let me know what his charges 

 were. This he never would do, saying that he would 

 submit a single account when all the work was done. In 

 the meantime he kept on importuning for money. When, 

 however, I found that the sum I had advanced came to 

 Rs. 1 3 1.8.0 I thought it was time to stop; so I told 

 him I would pay no more till he finished the work, and 



