2 HIMALAYAN SCENERY AND SPORT. 



layan " cognomen, that I was at a loss to find a new name 

 for such an oft-told tale. To quote Solomon, "There is no 

 new thing under the sun," so I selected as a title an old and 

 but little-known designation for the Himalayas " Hindu- 

 Koh"; and an ancient name would, I thought, suit well 

 with a somewhat threadbare topic. Moreover, as every 

 high peak of this mountain-chain is to Hindoos an object of 

 more or less veneration, this term, 1 which signifies " Hindoo 

 mountain," is, I think, quite as apposite, though perhaps not 

 so pretty as Himaldya derived, it is said, from two Sanskrit 

 words, hima and ayala, " abode of snow." 



It is now generally accepted as a well-established fact, that 

 these great northern bulwarks of Hindustan, and their vicin- 

 ity, contain hunting-grounds which may be classed among the 

 best that are known. For grandeur of scenery, the Himalayas 

 stand unrivalled. Dame Xature has, indeed, been more lavish 

 of her charms here than in any other part of the universe. 

 That these are not exaggerated assertions, the many interest- 

 ing records that have already been written on the well-worn 

 though inexhaustible subjects of Himalayan travel and sport 

 bear ample testimony, and render the following humble at- 

 tempt to describe some of my own unscientific wanderings 

 and experiences quite unnecessary for this purpose. 



When out after large game on the mountains, the sports- 

 man is, as a rule, constrained to content himself with his own 

 society and that of his native guides, if he has any idea of 

 being successful. Moreover, from the very nature of the 

 ground, it would be next to impossible for two men to hunt 

 together over the same tract of country, without materially 

 interfering and spoiling each other's sport ; indeed, it is con- 

 sidered a point of etiquette among Himalayan sportsmen to 

 avoid intruding on ground on which anybody else has already 



1 Koh being the Persian for " mountain," this name probably originated with 

 the more western Asiatics. The range was known to ancient European geo- 

 graphers as Emodos and I/natis. 



