OLD TAHR BUCKS. 387 



to go, and we commenced climbing down this precipice. In 

 several places we had to let one another down by ropes, and 

 we did not reach the foot of the precipice until 2 or 3 P.M. 

 Here we found a little firewood, enough to cook our breakfast. 

 We then went about four miles farther down the glacier and 

 bivouacked among some rocks at the side. Next morning we 

 went about four miles farther down to where the river issues 

 from the glacier, and we then left the river to our left and 

 ascended the Poonch range. This range we crossed at an 

 elevation of 15,000 feet, descended about 1000 feet the other 

 side, and bivouacked in the open. To-day's march was about 

 twelve miles. Next morning we descended in about eight 

 miles to Amlagarh, where we joined the Joshimutt-Badrinath 

 road, and in the evening went up six miles to Badrinath. 

 From Niti to Badrinath by this route is about fifty miles ; 

 by Joshimutt route about sixty-five miles. Two of the Bhoo- 

 tiahs with me arrived at Badrinath with frost-bitten feet, and 

 I had to leave them at the Joshimutt dispensary, but they 

 recovered in about a month." 



But let us now proceed to our shikar-ground. 



Some nine miles up the valley of the Doulee from Joshi- 

 mutt, we crossed the river by a narrow wooden bridge below 

 the village of Tapoobun, and ascended the opposite heights, 

 with a view to having a day or two among the tahr. After 

 a long and stiff climb we reached our ground towards even- 

 ing, and having selected a spot for our camp, proceeded to 

 watch some steep green slopes, to which Puddoo expected 

 the tahr would be likely to descend, from the craggy verdure- 

 less heights above, for their evening feed. We had not long 

 to wait before we descried a herd of tehrny (female tahr) on 

 their way down. They descended so rapidly that in the dis- 

 tance they looked like a lot of yellowish-brown balls hopping 

 and rolling down over the crags, until all but two, that re- 

 mained behind on the rocks, were hidden from view in an 

 intervening grassy hollow. Presently four shaggy old bucks 



