FIRST SIGNS OF OVIS POLL 71 



for coming to a patch of green turf, a sign of 

 water, they made for it. The yak-drivers, how- 

 ever, recommended a camp farther on ; so they 

 had to be content with the promise of better 

 things to come, and we soon reached the spot, 

 where there was grass, water, and fuel. 



During the night snow fell to the depth of 

 three inches, but the warm sun quickly melted it ; 

 so, dismissing our yak-drivers with a small present 

 of cotton-stuff, we started down the valley, which 

 soon showed signs of cultivation. Here and 

 there were little hamlets of mud-huts, and fields 

 of wheat and barley, as yet quite green. 



On that day's march we saw the first signs of 

 the animals of which we were in search Ovis 

 poll horns amongst a heap of others, ibex and 

 burrel : they were beside a mazar or shrine by 

 the roadside, not very large ones, but it showed 

 we were approaching their habitat. The villagers 

 told us that in the winter they were to be seen 

 now and again on the hills between us and 

 Taghdumbash. 



I tried the river that evening, but without suc- 

 cess. Bower, who had taken his gun to a small 

 bog near, had better luck, getting a couple of 

 snipe and several blue pigeons. We had a try 



