i6 4 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



of idiocy" and "depraved sense of humor" seemed 

 to predominate. 



I will not weary the reader with too long an ac- 

 count of the further proceedings attendant upon 

 this historic meeting, contenting myself with stating 

 that, the Rajah having heaped upon his guest in- 

 numerable gifts, including valuable Kashmir shawls, 

 cups, plates, and pipes made of the stone of the coun- 

 try, sheep, chickens, fruit, nuts, sweetmeats, and 

 countless other things, and Wheeler having searched 

 his tent for an appropriate return present (the in- 

 terpreter had confidentially informed him that he, 

 being the greater potentate, must give the greater 

 present), and having turned over to the Rajah every 

 article, of no matter what description, which could 

 possibly be spared from his outfit, the whole multi- 

 tude sat down to feast ; and not until two days later 

 did the ceremonies connected with that memorable 

 conference come to an end. 



But though we left the Bara Maharajah Sahib, 

 whose steps were turned towards the ibex grounds 

 whence we had just come, and though the Rajah 

 went home and the Baltis returned to their various 

 villages, the matter of the meeting did not end there. 

 Its results were farther-reaching than even we or 

 the shikaris had ever expected. For during his en- 

 tire six-months' journey through Baltistan, in every 



