"goa!'^ 265 



the stern is a pure-white disc bordered distinctly witli a 

 yellowish-brown mark. The tail is dark brown, and very 

 short. The horns, which in a full-grown buck are 11 or 

 12 inches long, are more curved than those of the Indian 

 gazelle ; they are closely annulated to within about 2 inches 

 of their tips, where they turn slightly upwards, and some- 

 times inwards, and from being planted rather forward, and 

 springing well upward in their curve, they give the beauti- 

 fully formed little head a most jaunty appearance. The 

 doe almost exactly resembles the buck, except that she 

 carries no horns. In this respect she differs from the 

 female Indian gazelle, which has small horns. I do not 

 think the goa's sense of smell is quite so acute as that of 

 other Tibetan game-animals, but this is compensated for by 

 its wonderfully keen sight. The nature and height of the 

 ground it frequents I have already described. 



On the day we left Hanle, as w^e were trudging along in 

 advance of our baggage-yaks, we got our first sight of a 

 buck goa as he beat a hasty retreat over some distant 

 rising ground. 



The following morning we were both afoot very early, 

 each taking a separate line of country ; whilst our traps 

 were to follow direct to our next camping-place, in the 

 vicinity of which the Major's guide said there was a chance 

 of finding Oves Ammon. 



Phoebus was just waking up as I topped the brow of a 

 rise and carefully looked over, when I noticed that the light 

 of his countenance was shed on two small objects that 

 stood on the face of an opposite slope. They did not look 

 much like stones, though they were just as motionless. 

 Pointing them out to a Tartar who was following me, he 

 merely ejaculated " Goa ! " and instantly squatted. On 

 taking a spy at them through the glass, they turned out to 

 be two fine bucks ; but the sharp-eyed little creatures, not- 

 withstanding the distance we were from them, had already 

 detected our heads — for they could have seen nothing more 



