CAMPS IN THE UPPER FORESTS 47 



provisions — tinned soups, tea, sugar, rice, and jam — with 

 sundry spices and condiments for making curry. Flour 

 and ghee were procured at the villages. There was a 

 Mussulman bheesty, or water-carrier, with his goatskin 

 masak, who assisted in the hohachi khana, or kitchen. 

 Sirdar Khan could with a few copper degchis, or round 

 vessels, and on a fire of sticks between two stones, turn 

 out a quite excellent repast ; and his chapatis, or thin 

 cakes, were like crisp bubbles of thin pastry. 



There was a little flock of sheep and goats who marched 

 with the camp, to supply occasional mutton and fresh 

 milk for the tea, which was the universal beverage. 

 There was one old she-goat which led the flock : she would 

 wait watching, when the tent was struck, for the signal 

 to march, when, bleating to call the flock, she would start 

 away along the path quite gaily, followed by the rest. 

 There were some big, tall, shaggy he-goats, which carried 

 each a pair of bags made like a saddle of strong goat's 

 hair, containing some stores, such as rice. The two hill 

 ponies were led by their syces, one a ' Bokhara ' called 

 Jacob, a beautiful black, about fourteen hands, with 

 long wavy tail and mane combed out, his silky coat shining 

 like a mirror. The other was a gunt or Tibet pony, dun 

 coloured, sturdy and strong, with shaggy coat and feet 

 like iron, never requiring shoeing. They were ridden at 

 times, and were always willing and sure-footed, and could 

 go over rocks and precipitous ascents anywhere that a 

 man could climb. They picked their way across the 

 bridges, where two round tree poles formed the path 

 across a deep ravine, or swam a rapid-flowing river where 

 no bridge was possible. 



Then there was the Forest daftar or survey-staff, con- 

 sisting of a native surveyor, Damoodur by name, and an 

 assistant, who acted also as munshis. They kept the 



