226 GAME-DRIVING IN CASHMERE. 



of one instance in Scotland where a tree was actually im- 

 proved by being scorched. It was an apple-tree, raised from 

 Canadian seed, in a clergyman's garden in Forfarshire. For 

 years after it had attained a considerable size, it never 

 showed a sign of bearing fruit, until a pile of dry weeds and 

 garden refuse lying below it having been casually set fire to, 

 scorched it so much that the owner thought it was dead. 

 The following year, to his surprise, it again burst into leaf, 

 and for the first time yielded a heavy crop of splendid fruit. 

 However, the foregoing remarks are intended more as sug- 

 gestions than dogmatic assertions, for time alone can prove 

 their validity or their futility. 



As the stags had now almost ceased their bellowing in the 

 forests, and were consequently very difficult to find, I took 

 to driving some of the densely wooded gorges for bears and 

 musk-deer ; and driving is, in my humble opinion, not to be 

 compared with what our American cousins call " still-hunt- 

 ing " in close country, or to stalking your game on more open 

 ground. The Cashmerees generally drive a gorge upwards, 

 the ridges on each side being guarded by men posted as 

 stops at short intervals along them, whilst at first, only a few 

 beaters advance slowly and quietly from below, giving an 

 occasional tap with their sticks against a tree. The line is 

 augmented by the flankers as it reaches their respective 

 posts, until all hands arrive at the head of the gorge, along 

 which the guns are posted under suitable cover. During 

 the few times this plan was tried, a good many hinds and 

 calves were driven out, but only one good stag was seen, and 

 that broke back through the beaters. Several black bears 

 and musk-deer were also beaten out : one of the former I 

 shot. As I was unable to secure another horned beast to 

 furnish a new ear for the mutilated ^ head, I was reluctantly 

 forced to sacrifice a good hind for this purpose, as well as to 

 provide venison for our camp larder. 



By this time I was getting near the end of the tether of 

 my leave, and was in daily expectation of the Cashmere 



