vi PREFACE. 



tent of country than that described by some 

 more recent travellers, and, having frequently 

 left the main caravan routes, have crossed passes 

 and hunted over mountains which do not come 

 in the way of an ordinary journey, I hope these 

 descriptions of scenery and sport may still prove 

 acceptable ; and that my offering these pages 

 somewhat late in the day will be excused : and 

 I trust that the book may not be voted " a day 

 behind the fair." 



My thanks are due to the editor of ' Land 

 and Water' for kindly returning my diary, 

 thus enabling me to reproduce what appeared 

 there in narrative form. 



As regards the sport obtained. I was fairly 

 successful, bringing back various specimens of 

 the big game of Central Asia, comprising Ovis 

 poll, red -deer of Turkistan, wild camel, jeran 

 antelope, and, in addition to these, some of the 

 game-birds of the country : also from Kashmir, 

 markhor, ibex, burrel, &c. 



The mapping was done by my companion, 

 Captain Bower of the Indian Intelligence De- 

 partment, who has since distinguished himself 

 further in that line. 



C. S. CUMBERLAND. 



