96 THE FORESTS OF UPPER INDIA 



fully wooded with birch and other trees. These bridges 

 were constantly used in marching up the valley, to cross 

 from one side to the other. The torrent had cut a tunnel 

 for itself, through which its black and icy waters roared 

 in a fearful manner. The Bhotias showed great caution 

 in crossing, and generally sent the yaks on ahead. These 

 sagacious animals always by instinct discovered the strong 

 places to cross, and made steps for the rest to follow. 

 Sometimes only a very small arch of snow, a few feet 

 wide and perhaps not six inches thick, remained unmelted, 

 yet the whole caravan would cross in safety. The hills 

 on the north side of the valley were covered with forest, 

 and cut up into chasms by old landslips ; above were 

 steps and old moraine, with grassy slopes and juniper 

 bushes and Alpine roses. At dusk we searched the hill- 

 side with binoculars, and sighted some burrhel grazing, 

 also a big brown bear. The black bear is usually found 

 in Kumaon, and the brown in Kashmir ; but a few of the 

 latter exist in these valleys. 



At earliest dawn some of the Bhotias were to start with 

 their dogs and hunt the upper ranges, and drive the burrhel 

 down to us. We left camp about 7 a.m. and crossed on 

 snow to our places. The shikaris who managed the hank 

 chose our positions, and we waited patiently, concealed 

 among the juniper bushes. We could hear the hounds, 

 which were a cross of the Tibet dog and the pariah, giving 

 tongue above us a long way off. Presently a musk deer 

 came cautiously slinking along, and received his quietus. 

 A herd of burrhel ran along out of range, and turned up the 

 hUl again. They are brown like a moufion, white on the 

 belly, and about the size of a Leicester sheep. As usual 

 among the sheep tribe in the wild state, the wool on the 

 back is more like hair, or what is called ' kemp ' by wool- 

 sorters in reference to Scotch or Welsh mountain sheep, 



