Sporting Trips of a Subaltern 



from Mussoorie here sinks down to the largest of 

 the torrents that go to form the Ganges, this par- 

 ticular one being called the Bairgrathi. Looking 

 down stream we could just see Tehri, the rajah's 

 capital, on its banks. Behind Tehri was another 

 valley, narrow and precipitous, running into the 

 hills; this was the line of the Billung, another 

 large tributary. Across the valley the mountains 

 rose again, higher and more sterile, with black- 

 looking precipices; these completely hid the 

 snows from our position. For some unaccountable 

 reason, I was promptly seized with a desire to 

 explore these inhospitable - looking solitudes on 

 the first opportunity. 



From here we returned to Mussoorie; we 

 estimated the distance at nearly thirty miles, and 

 we started with a climb of about 3000 feet. We 

 had had ponies sent out to meet us on the path ; 

 I mention the distance, as we were much struck 

 by the endurance of a G-urwali. We started late, 

 about 11 o'clock, I think, and had a big load of 

 pheasants I forget how many, but three or four 

 brace at least ; these we wanted to get in in time 

 to have some cooked for dinner. We gave them 

 to the man, and told him to run to the first hamlet 

 on the road, hand them to another man, who was 

 to run on to the next, and so on, each man on 

 the completion of his journey to wait on the path 

 till we rode up and paid him. There were three 



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