MARKHOR AND SHARPU SHOOTING 191 



mountain-chain before descending to the valley 

 proper of Kashmir; the Tragbal Pass, 11,800 feet 

 high, but here no snow. From its top we looked 

 down into the great valley which we had left on the 

 1 3th day of May, extending as far as the eye could 

 see, a splendid view ; and then descended through 

 thick forest to Bandipur. 



During the previous three months we had passed 

 through the temperature of every season of the year. 

 The first week, up to the Zogi La Pass, was the deli- 

 cious climate of early autumn, crisp and clear; on 

 the Zogi La, winter in all its severity; in our ibex 

 nullah the weather was that of November at night 

 and of September in the day ; coming down into the 

 Shigar Valley, and again into Astore, we revelled 

 in the fragrance of May and June. Now, suddenly, 

 we found ourselves in summer not the fearful 

 summer of Calcutta, but the balmy delicious sum- 

 mer of the North Shore or the Maine woods at 

 home. My camp was in a field shaded by a monster 

 chenar tree ; the trees about were laden with fruit, 

 the whole surrounding country bright with the thou- 

 sands of varieties of wild flowers for which Kashmir 

 is famous, and their scent filled the air ; brilliantly 

 colored birds sang continually, and all the space 

 between the hills and the broad valley below was 

 a prosperous picture of thatched bungalows sur- 



