BIG GAME SHOOTING OF KASHMIR. 335 
Horns of 39” in length were, it is understood, measured in Almorah 
Kumaon—these must be taken as very exceptional. 
With modern rifles, it is easy enough to knock out a yak, In former times a 
solid bullet of pure lead from a °500 express driven by 5} drams of powder was 
proved to be sufficient. 
The story o1 one or two stalks may be of interest. The month was 
June with a blazing sun on the stalker’s back ; the elevation over 17,000 ft.; 
the locality, the northern side of the Chang-lung Burma pass. A cold wind had 
set downwards, so the approach was of necessity from below. 
The stony ground was very much broken up, but for this there would have 
been no chance of success. After crawling upwards and peering over a rock, 
the herd of seven were found to be about 100 yards away. They had moved down- 
wards and were almost on the same level. As a few minutes would have taken * 
them to a lower level and given them the wind, the shot had to be taken at once. 
How it happened, cannot be told, as the herd had bunched up but the first 
bullet wounded a cow, the next shot did for a bull. 
There remained the cow which went slowly after the herd, and the toil of 
following was perhaps a just retribution. The shooting was erratic, the 
wretched cow took five or six bullets before it finally fell, and all the 
use it represents is a chowry made from the tail. A sixteen hand bull is a 
heavy beast to turn over when being skinned, evening was coming on, the 
tents were far away, hence on the following day areturn had to be made. After 
all this work the skin had to be abandoned for want of transport. 
The country on the far side of the Chang-lung Burma is sterile. Formerly the 
route to Yarkand was over this pass, it is marked out by the bones of 
dead transport animals. Now the Yarkand route passes over the Khardong 
and Sasseer passes, thence across the Shyok to the Karakoram. 
Near the Kepsang-la there were, and may be now, a few Yak. Ina valley 
several were seen grazing under some snow. The stalk appeared to be very 
easy, the approach was made but a stone was displaced by a Tartar which 
rolled down the hill. The Yak grouped together, stared upwards and then 
fled,and as it was any odds against killing one they went on their way unmolested. 
High up the Gogra ravine during mid-summer a few yaks come to graze. 
Whether the Frontier is beyond or whether Ladak includes the ridges above 
Gogra is uncertain. Anyhow the horns could not be brought into Leh, 
It was up the Gogra that a small herd of two bulls and a few cows were met 
with and stalked to within about 40 or 50 yards. I'rom thence they were watched, 
. the bulls looking huge with long hair down almost to the ground. One passed 
within a few yards, stopped, snorted and then lumbered off, The wind had be- 
trayed the supposed danger, but there was in reality none, for both bulls could 
have been easily killed. There was no looking back, the yak fled up the opposite 
hill without halting and were gone after affording a most interesting sight 
extending over several minutes. 
SHEEP. 
No. 343. Great TipeTan SHEEP (Ovis ammon hodgsoni). 
Hodgson’s sheep: The Tibetan Argali: the “Ammon” of Sportsmen—called 
** Nyan” in Ladak. The Ovis ammon ammon of Siberia the largest of all 
sheep is the typical race of thisspecies. Inthe typical race the horns turn 
outwards not upwards at the tips, and are thus unlike the Tibetan race ( Ovis 
ammon hodgsoni.) 
* Mr. J. H. Millar secure a head of a Siberian Argali with 60” horns and a 
girth of 203”. This head is figured in Plate I. ; 
* The record Siberian head measures 624”. 
The record Tibetan head measures 57”. 
( Rowland Ward's ‘‘ Records of Big Game ’’ 6th Edition.) 
