22 START FOR CHINESE TURKISTAN. 



land must procure it from Pekin ; but at length 

 I received it, and was at liberty to proceed. 

 I had arranged with Captain Bower of the T7th 

 Bengal Cavalry to accompany me, for which he 

 procured a year's leave from June 1889. 



This business completed, I employed my spare 

 days trying for markhor (Capra megaceros) on 

 my way in to Kashmir on the Pir Panjal range, 

 but saw none worth a shot. I got, however, 

 three tahr (Hemitragus jemlaicus) and a couple 

 of bears. The former I was very glad to have, 

 requiring a specimen to complete my Indian 

 collection. 



On May Qth I got to Srinagar and began 

 making preparations for a start. My great idea 

 was to get to the Pamirs without going to 

 Yarkand, as I feared the Chinese authorities 

 would hinder me as much as they could from 

 going anywhere off the main road, and deter- 

 mined therefore, if possible, to leave the Yar- 

 kand road at Aktagh and take a course north- 

 west through Raskum to Sarikol. As this route 

 had never been explored by an Englishman, 

 I thought it would suit Bower well, he having 

 been granted leave on the understanding that 

 he should do some mapping. 



