MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 385 
No. XVIIL—A SHOOTING EXPEDITION ON THE PAMIRS.—I, 
Ten years ago, when ibex shooting in Kashmir, I came across a trader 
from Central Asia, who was bringing down among other things two Ovis poli 
heads, the first I had ever seen. Ever since then I have longed to bag one or 
two of these splendid trophies, but it was not until the spring of 1899 that I 
at last got an opportunity to do so. 
I managed to get the necessary leave and passports, and about the end of 
April I arrived at a Tarjik encampment on the Pamirs, not far from the place’ 
where I first proposed to try my luck with the O. poli, We were announced by 
a deafening chorus from half a dozen rather formidable_looking dogs, and a 
man, who looked out of the biggest yourt to see what was the matter, came up 
to us,and invited us to enter, A fine looking old man, who was evidently the 
head of the family, received us at the door with the usual “ Khushamed,’ 
literally “ Welcome,” while the other occupants began to get tea and other 
luxuries ready for us. Inashort time I had placed before me China dishes 
containing tea, hot milk, cream, and a sort of biscuit, while they pressed on 
my shikari an enormous wooden bowl full of curds, While doing justice to 
this fare I looked around and examined the yourt, which was the first one 
I had been inside, 
From the outside these yourts look very grimy and uninviting, and one is 
surprised on entering them to find how comfortable and comparatively clean 
they are, They are bell-shape, consisting of a framework of wooden laths, 
the lower part of which is made on the principle of the “ lazy tongs ” and 
folds up into a small space, the whole covered with large pieces of felt. The 
yourt is absolutely impervious to the icy wind which howls ontside, and the 
first thing which strikes one on entering is the warmth and silence, for the 
large circular opening in the top of the dome, while admitting plenty of air 
and light, lets in none of the wind and noise. This opening serves indifferently 
well as an escape hole for the smoke, but the latter, if the fire is at all big, 
is generally rather trying, The cooking place is in the middle, while one side 
is always carpeted with bright-coloured numdahs, I noticed, among other — 
odds-and-ends hanging on the lattice work, half a dozen firearms of sorts, 
These I was told belonged to the old man’s eldest son, Dhe Khan, a great 
shikati, who had been out since daybreak after a bear which one of his 
brothers had seen, I had heard of this man before, and had been recommend- 
ed to get hold of him ; so was glad when the old man said that Dhe Khan 
would be delighted to go after the O, voli with me. — 
The other occupants of the yourt were three young women, daughters. 
or daughters-in-law of the old man. These attended to the cooking and 
moved sbout laughing and talking in a natural, unembarrassed way, to the 
great astonishment of Rakhmat, my shikari, who, I knew, thought it extra- 
ordinary behavior in Mahomedans, While I was there several visitors 
dropped in, and the ladies again produced the great bowl of curds, Two or 
