TO I.ADAK. 117 



arriving to see them, having crossed the lower end of 

 this chasm, canter off up the opposite hill-side. The 

 shikarries urged me to fire, so putting up sights, hopeless 

 myself, I sent two or three bullets very close to them 

 that was all. 



It was no use to remain up now, so I decided to return 

 to camp, a long and difficult step. We saw coolies down 

 below with the things, descended to them, and found the 

 long ahsent messenger from Sirinuggur there. 



He had letters, newspapers, and the bullet mould for 

 me. This somewhat allayed the unpleasant reflections 

 I was a prey to, and broke in upon my brooding over my 

 mishap ; and, on Subhan expressing an intention to 

 move camp onwards in the morning, I suggested that he 

 and Mooktoo should instead try and get at these ibex. 

 They did not appear half inclined for the job, I thought. 

 And no wonder, considering the amount of work we had 

 done. 



All the camp was out in evident expectation of our 

 success, hoping for meat. Long faces, when the result 

 was known. My mishap did not prevent my eating my 

 dinner ; but it was interrupted oft-times by melancholy 

 ejaculations, and sighs, and groans. I had confessed all 

 to the sympathising Abdoolah, and told him my heart was 

 pained at losing such fine ibex. My Hindostani was not 

 equal to the requisite idiomatic phraseology, I suppose ; 

 for, on my shortly retiring to my tent, he followed me, 

 and put his head into my tent. On enquiring what he 

 wanted, "he had come," he said, "to offer to rub my 

 stomach to relieve the pain I complained of." I know 

 I said ' heart,' and not 'stomach/ But this circumstance 

 operated beneficially, and I retired to bed thoroughly 

 knocked up, but mentally serene. 



26th June. I was disturbed at an early hour by a 



