134 
YAK SHOOTING IN THIBET. 
By EpGark PHELPS, 
(Read before the Bombay Natural History Society on 16th January, 1900.) 
What is a Yak ?—is a very reasonable question to be asked. The answer 
is—the wild Ox of Thibet, Bos grunnéens. To find Yak in any numbers the 
sportsman must journey as far Hast as the great, Salt Lake plateau of Thibet, 
and it is to some of the incidents, and accidents, of an expedition there and 
back that I now propose to shortly introduce. our readers, | Air, 
Those who cross the Thibetan frontier solely for purposes of sport have, or 
should have, one main object in view, namely, to get intoand out of the coun- . 
try as quietly and peaceably as possible, and to avoid contact with the natives 
altogether ; for the very good reason that the Thibetans, ‘acting under the 
influence of the Buddhist hierarchy, which governs the country with the 
scourge of superstition from the City of Lhassa, resent vi et armis any 
attempt of the foreigner to enter and explore.their inhospitable, barren and» 
wind-swept steppes. 
To effect its purpose, therefore, an expedition must be practically self- 
supporting, and to render it so a great deal of calculation, combined with 
experience, is necessary as to the nature and amount of grain and other food 
supplies for man and beast which have to be carried. 
The nominal starting point of our expedition,as of almost every recent 
expedition, whether to the Pamirs, Turkestan, or Northern Kashmir, was 
Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir ; but our real base of operation was Leh, 
the capital of Ladak, about 14 marches south-east of Srinagar, 
My companion, Gerry Milne, had come all the way from Australia to join 
me, and I feel that I was particularly fortunate in having such a genial 
companion on an expedition, during which one’s temper was often put to 
the severest of tests. 
We spent a fortnight in Srinagar, buying ponies, and fitting out generally. 
The experience of two journeys into Chinese Turkestan,and onto the 
Pamirs, have taught me that the Kashmir hill pony is by far the best animal 
to trust to for transport purposes in high altitudes, where grass is generally 
scarce, and dry grain the staple diet. These little beggars stand about 12 
hands, and willcarry a load of 200 Ibs. There is considerable amusement, 
not to say annoyance, to be got out of the purchases. The owner will gene- 
rally begin by asking 100 rupees, whereupon one prompily offers 75 rupees, 
and perhaps, after two or three days’ patient bargaining, the purchase will be 
completed at an average of about 40 rupees, As to saddles, I find that the 
Yarkandi pack saddles are by far the best to use. They are made of reeds 
covered with felt, and can be procured to order in Leh for about 7 rupees 
each. 
Another most important point to look to is'shoeing, and in choosing caravan 
drivers I am always careful to get men who thoroughly understand the job. 
