TO LADAK. Ill 



utmost, they turned aside and disappeared. On again 

 crossing a remarkable place of semicircular form, where 

 the earth appeared to have parted from the mountain, 

 and slipped sheer down into the river, so that an ex- 

 tensive indent of semicircular form remained, its surface 

 loose and smooth, with a harder gravelly ridge forming a- 

 ledge, from which it descended sheer to the river. The 

 mountains were of bare rock, rearing sharp peaks of every 

 form high into the heavens. In the further angle, how- 

 ever, of this crescent of desolation, was a knoll covered 

 with gnarled dwarf birch trees and rough underwood. 

 To this we directed our course, and, when gained, it was 

 as nice a spot as could be desired for a hunter's watch 

 stand. 



In the course of the day several ibex were seen cross- 

 ing the slope, having been alarmed by the fall of some 

 pieces of rock which, detached from above, came rat- 

 tling down near them. We watched them anxiously, 

 hoping they might come our way. But no : they chose 

 the crags. A bear and two ' wee ' cubs also came seeking 

 more secure quarters, and evidently bound for our trees ; 

 but, winding us some five hundred yards distant, the 

 anxious dam turned about, after several long sniffs, and 

 went off in a different direction. 



But one ibex, a buck, remained on the slope where he 

 employed himself, I believe, in licking salt, of which the 

 shikarries tell me there is much in the earth, and which 

 attracts the ibex to this remarkable spot in numbers. 

 After watching his movements for a long time, and it 

 appearing pretty sure that he meant to remain there some 

 time, Subhan and I started on the forlorn hope of stalk- 

 ing him ; a feat of great difficulty, as, though the wind 

 was in our favour, the quantity of stones and detritus we 

 had to pass over to get to him there being in fact no 



