MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 771 



from which flows a handsome river, that pursues its course along an exten- 

 sive plain, covered with the richest verdure. Such indeed is its quality 

 that the leanest cattle turned upon it would become fat in the course of 

 ten days. In this plain there are wild animals in great numbers, parti- 

 cularly sheep of a large size, having horns three, four, and even six palms 

 in length. Of these the shepherds form ladles and vessels for hold- 

 ing their victuals ; and with the same materials they construct 

 fences for enclosing their cattle, and securing them against the wolves, 

 with which they say the country is infested, and which likewise destroy 

 many of these wild sheep or goats. Their horns and bones being found 

 in large quantities, heaps are made of them at the sides of the road, for 

 the purpose of guiding travellers at the season when it is covered with 

 snow. For twelve days the course is along this elevated plain, which is 

 named Pamir ; and as during all that time you do not meet with any 

 habitations, it is necessary to make provision at the outset accordingly. 

 So great is the height of the mountains, that no birds are to be seen near 

 their summits ; and however extraordinary it may be thought, it was 

 aflirmed that from the keenness of the air, fires when lighted do not give 

 the same heat as in lower situations, nor produce the same effect in dress- 

 ing victuals." Carlyle remarks that the traits which were noticed by 

 Julius Osesar among the Gauls, were to be found among the French at the 

 Revolution. At the present day near the head of the Taghdumbash Pamir 

 is a camping ground called Kukturuk. Thence a river flows the entire 

 length of that Pamir. Ten miles below Kukturuk close to the left bank of 

 that river is a sheepfold, and it has pleased the Kirghiz who constructed 

 that sheepfold to make its walls entirely of the horns of Ovis poli twisted 

 in among large boulders. This is good evidence of the truth that Marco 

 Polo wrote. 



The Pamirs can easily be reached from Europe by means of the Trans- 

 Caspian railway, but I know nothing about this route. 



Tlae only other practicable way of reaching the Pamirs is from India. 

 There are two feasible routes, via Gilgit, and via Leh and Yarkand. How- 

 ever the Leh route is so long and the passes open so late in the year, that 

 it would really be waste of time for any sporstman to attempt to shoot on 

 the Pamirs unless he has obtained permission from the Government of 

 India to travel via Gilgit. The shorter journey is also infinitely more 

 beautiful and interesting than the longer one. 



I regret to say that game on the Taghdumbash Pamir is now very scarce 

 indeed. The game list comprises Ovis poli, ibex, wolves, bear, and snow 

 leopard, and the two last are so rare as scarcely to count, and although 

 I travelled all over the Pamir, I only saw one decent herd of ibex, which 

 was in the Paik Nullah. I calculate that on June 1st, there would 

 be 200 head of Ovis poli on the Pamir, of which 60 would be in 

 the nullahs round Kukturuk, 50 in the Paik Nullah and 100 in the 

 Kunjerab. It is an interesting fact that two miles of the head of the Kunjerab 

 Nullah are in British territory, so ihditpoli is a permanent resident of our Empire, 

 The record pioli head is 75 inches, and the sportsman is allowed to shoot 4 

 heads. However he will be most fortunate if he shoots a single head of 50 

 inches, and I would not hesitate to shoot anything of 45 inches. I myself 

 only secured a single head of forty inches in 5 weeks, and only missed once, 

 so that it is open to ask whether the game is now worth the candle. On 

 the other hand my companion got two heads of over 45 inches in ten days, 

 and heads of 50 inches are still to be had. The reason for this is obviously over- 

 shooting. Guns are not much in evidence in the summer, but the winter is thie 

 shooting season for the Kirghiz and one sees skulls literally by the hundred 

 that one would give anything to possess as a legitimate trophy. Indeed one 



