494 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol 11, 



my wife and little son through the palace to visit the Ban} Saheb, and also 

 showed us over his Zoological collection in the Palace yard. Interviews with 

 His Highness are arranged by addressing Prince Bhuri Singh, the Rajah's 

 brother and Private Secretary. Ee too is a very keen sportsman and 

 popular with all classes. In his absence, apply to the genial Captain Sri 

 Kanth, commanding the forces of the State. The Vizier, or Prime Minister, 

 is a Mahomedan statesman of the good old sort, and though he does not talk 

 English (as the gentlemen above-mentioned all do), he will be found a very 

 interesting companion for a chat. There is a thriving Scottish Mission 

 Station at Chamba, with a Medical Missionary, Dr. Hutchinson, and some 

 ladies. The town is very picturesquely situated on a sort of plateau, edged 

 with high cliffs above the Bavi, There are some very ancient temples, a polo- 

 ground, &c. You will not be in Chamba long before you are besieged by a. 

 troop of shikaries, candidates for employment. The Chamba shikari is no 

 more to be compared to a good Kashmir one, than a thar is to be compared 

 to a markhor. But (like the thar) he has his points. Certainly, if I were 

 specially desirous to do the thing cheaply, I would merely take coolies and 

 engage some keen villager when I got on my ground. With one other 

 villager to carry the tiffin bag and help generally, fair sport might thus be 

 had. But there are some other things to be taken into' account besides 

 shikar. A good shikari will make himself useful in getting supplies, arrang* 

 ing for coolies, messengers to Chamba or Dalhousie, &c. Besides, he will be 

 able to advise you as to route and nullah to be chosen, and will pick up 

 khubber from the local men and utilize them directly, if necessary. It is- 

 convenient too to have some one directly responsible for the proper skinning 

 of trophies, but this, and the pegging out, preserving and eustody of skins- 

 and heads, should receive a good deal of your personal supervision, at all 

 events until the men have fully learnt what you want done. Bear skins, 

 especially, need careful fleshing to clear the grease away. With thar and 

 gooral, the halal, if performed, or else decapitation, should be done very low 

 down, on the shoulders almost, to preserve the neck skin as large and per- 

 fect as possible. On the whole, I think the professional shikari is worth his 

 hire, which is Bs. 15 a month (and a tip) ; but he will try to get you to take 

 a Chota shikari on Bs. 10 and several coolies on Rs. 8 each as well. So- 

 long as he shows you sport, you need not mind a little swindling of this sort, 

 at least I don't. My friend the Captain Saheb kindly recommended me his 

 own man, a shikari named Bhiku, whom I found rather exasperating in some 

 ways at first, but after he got to understand that I did not like him to be 

 flustered and idiotic when I was preparing to fire at game, he suited me welS 

 enough. He was quick at seeing game, but almost useless in judging how to- 

 make a stalk. He paid no regard to the wind. He could not see through a 

 telescope, though he could use binoculars. He had no idea of range, and my 

 Ettle Mannlicher hit some animals at distances that made him think anything 



