212 MELTON AND HOMESPUN 



and lightning], and I understand it is usually so on these 

 higher levels. Next day arrived at next camp at i p.m. 



Gangotri, leri State, 



Garhwal, N.P., 

 May 2gth, igo6. 



Back in the pilgrim route, so may have an opportunity 

 of sending this in to a P.O. We are in splendid health. 

 Have heard no news of outside world since leaving 

 Missowi. A week last Saturday we marched in here 

 from Inugla. This is the Hindus' sacred source of the 

 Ganges, although the river really rises at Ganmukh, 

 eighteen miles higher up in the mountains. There being 

 no path there, however, the pilgrims can proceed no 

 farther along the river. 



We spent the greater part of the day arranging our 

 stores, and only then walked several days up the gorge 

 en route to Ganmukh, taking ten days' supplies. The 

 way was very bad, and we were treated to a bitterly 



cold downpour of rain and snow. N very poorly 



with mountain sickness. I shot some chukar, or hill 

 partridge. The snow must have driven the baral down, 

 as just before sunset one evening a little lot of four, 

 including two rams, were seen on a slope close to the 

 tent, or rather they appeared to be close to camp, but 

 in reality were far out of range. We started to stalk 

 them, and it was a race against dusk up the mountain 



side. Being a little ahead of N , I took the shot, 



but was so pumped that I could scarcely stand, and missed 

 one of the rams twice, but rolled him over the third 

 shot, running. I then turned my attention to the second 

 ram, and hit him slightly, but he managed to make his 



