A SPORTING OLD REPROBATE 



the latter, which, together with the chakoor, are also to 

 be found. 



There is no big game in the district except the ibex, 

 a wild goat of Asia Minor, which I have described in a 

 previous chapter. 



While stationed at Shikarpur, I spent some pleasant 

 days with Ali Murad, the chief of Khairpur, who, though over 

 seventy years of age then, was an exceedingly good sports- 

 man and magnificent shot. He had excellent reserves 

 well stocked with wild hogs and hog deer. 



These were driven out by a multitude of beaters past 

 the guns, and, by the chief and his followers, fired at indis- 

 criminately, no quarter being given to the pigs. However, 

 except the chief himself, who rarely missed a shot, the 

 shooting of his entourage was exceedingly, not to say 

 dangerously, wild, their bullets being heard whistling in 

 all directions but the right one. 



We also had a day out -with Ali Murad's falcons, which 

 we followed on horseback. They were wonderfully trained 

 birds, and it was a very pretty sight to see their flight after 

 hare and partridge, and to watch the curious manner in 

 which they were lured back, but, on the whole, the sport 

 was not one that appealed to me. 



The ancient chieftain was a ruler of the old-fashioned 

 autocratic type, and the hero of numerous interesting 

 adventures, which, unfortunately, it would not be diplo- 

 matic to repeat. He was much pleased at a photo I took 

 of him. 



One of the most curious things I noticed while at 

 Shikarpur was the manner in which fishing is done on the 

 Indus. The fisherman lies on his stomach extended on a 

 large earthen " chatty," and thus drifts down the stream, 

 holding a conical-shaped net in front of him. Then as 

 the fish are secured, they are slipped into the chatty, 

 which when full he guides to the shore. The " ' il 

 fish is the pullah, which is very bony, but nmkes t . a 



etiting. 



I 



109 



