ISO THE FORESTS OF UPPER INDIA 



var5H[ng success, but never a day like the first one described, 

 and having got some good heads and also brought to bag 

 several good burrhel, which were excellent for mutton, we 

 turned again for the passes towards Milam. During this 

 march, which was all over country of the same barren 

 character — wide valleys and ridges, all of rocky shingle, 

 with grass growing only in the lower valleys — we scarcely 

 met any natives, nor any traders, as they keep to the 

 regular routes, and only one encampment of Hunias of 

 the shepherd class, with flocks of sheep and shawl goats. 

 These beautiful animals, of which I purchased a couple, 

 have long silky white hair of the finest quality falling 

 from their backs. The pashm is used for making the soft 

 Rampur chaddars. 



These people were very civil, and supplied us with butter 

 and milk. Our Bhotia guides steered more by direction 

 than by knowledge of the paths, of which there were none 

 very marked, only sheep tracks leading in every direction. 

 The natives accounted for game being scarce by supposing 

 that a pack of wild dogs had lately been hunting the 

 country. This is a common story told by shikaris in 

 India, but except on one occasion, in the Central Provinces, 

 I have never, in ten years spent mostly in jungles, come 

 across them. Whether the wild dogs, which certainly 

 occur in the Himalayan forests, come across into Tibet to 

 hunt the Ovis Ammon is a question difficult to determine, 

 but it is quite possible. 



On one of our marches we were told that it would be 

 hard to find water. A Hunia from a shepherd camp, 

 who gave us some fresh milk, was good enough to volun- 

 teer to show us where there was water, and rode on ahead 

 on his rough pony. We followed him for hours up a 

 winding valley till night came on, hoping to be soon able 

 to come to camp ; but where he expected to find water 



