460 RESPECTING KIT, ETC. 



To any old Himalayan sportsman who may have perused 

 it, most of its contents will doubtless have proved stale. 

 Still, I trust that it will have served to while away a few 

 leisure hours by recalling to his mind some of the scenes 

 and incidents of his own experiences. 



To such as consider competition in scoring a big bag more 

 than the beauties of nature, combined with real wild sport, 

 my sentiments have perhaps been rather freely expressed. 

 But in giving vent to them I feel sure I only echo the voice 

 of the majority ; for it behoves every one who has the 

 interests of sport truly at heart, to strive as far as possible 

 to discourage cruel, useless, and indiscriminate destruction of 

 game at all seasons in a country where there are no strictly 

 enforced laws for its protection. 



One object at any rate will have been attained, if the 

 unvarnished sketches of wild Himalayan life and sport I 

 have endeavoured to portray may, in conjunction with other 

 works on the same subject, offer an incitement for young 

 hands going to India to spend some of their spare time there 

 profitably for both mind and body, in visiting these grand 

 and inexhaustible hunting-grounds. But those who hope to 

 be successful in Himalayan sport must be prepared to under- 

 go a good deal of trouble, toil, and frequent disappointment, 

 and to have a fair stock of those cardinal virtues in all manly 

 sports namely, patience, endurance, and perseverance. For 

 no one ought to start with the idea that game will always be 

 found wherever it is sought after, be the ground ever so good. 



By the inexperienced in rough mountain work, it may 

 perhaps be expected that I should offer a few suggestions re- 

 specting the kit which ought to be taken on a hunting-trip to 

 the Himalayas. Well, to those I say, take nothing from your 

 own country beyond the requirements of an ordinary traveller, 

 except your battery, a double 500-bore Express rifle, and a 

 12-bore gun, 1 will, I think, be ample ; its ammunition ; a good 



1 A Lancaster's " Colindian " would perhaps be the best. 



