154 THE FORESTS OF UPPER INDIA 



was any water in these ravines ; for until one got to a main 

 artery in a particularly central nullah there would be not a 

 sign of a stream. There are many places in India near the 

 Ganges and Jumna where such ravine-ground exists ; but 

 there in the rains every nullah has its little torrent, and 

 the process of cutting into the soft soil is going on under 

 one's eyes. In Tibet there is no rain to speak of, and 

 snow faUs in winter not too heavily. When these deep 

 ravines were cut out, and how many thousand years it 

 took, is a mystery. The cutting was done, certainly, by 

 water and not by ice, its action being perfectly distinct. 

 Here there are no marks of recent glaciation. 



We started from our camp at about 6 a.m., giving our 

 yak men orders to take the baggage and tents to a particu- 

 lar camping ground, which they said they all knew well, 

 where was a good stream of water — a march of about 

 fifteen miles. Smyth and I separated with our shikaris 

 to hunt the ground, hoping to find nyang or burrhel, each 

 taking a different direction and agreeing to make a circuit, 

 finishing at our camp. Kunkoo, and a man to lead my 

 pony and carry lunch and second rifle, came with me. 

 We tramped all day for miles, seeing several herds, and 

 shooting one burrhel and missing several others.* As- 

 cending ridges and going down into wide open valleys 

 and crossing the dry beds of rivers, towards evening we 

 came into the true ravine country, and our labours com- 



* I ascertained afterwards that the barrels of my rifle, from being 

 seldom emptied at night or cleaned, were leaded. This and the 

 difficulty of judging distances lost me several fine heads. The 

 difficulty with muzzle-loading rifles was not being able to discharge 

 the barrels for fear of disturbing game near our camps. When barrels 

 become leaded and foul they shoot most inaccurately. The high 

 elevation and dry climate of Tibet also have the effect of making the 

 bullet shoot high, which must be taken into account. I learnt these 

 lessons by sad experience. 



