THE THIBETAN GAZELLE. 105 



My Tartars found a Goa each a sufficiently heavy load, and when we reached the one 

 first killed, and one man had to carry two, I had to shoulder both my rifles. The extra weight 

 did not, however, prevent me from going along at a good swinging pace ; the sight of the 

 white tent, which was visible from a great distance, suggesting visions of hot tea and a com- 

 fortable dinner, for which I was all the more inclined as I felt that I had earned them by a 

 good hard day's work. The three Goa, as they lay where they had been thrown down by the 

 door of the tent, formed a group that was very pleasing to a sportsman's eye ; and I longed 

 for the pencil of a Landseer to immortalize the event. 



In 1870, I was again in Thibet, and towards the end of August I had once more to cross 

 the plateau above the Tsomoriri lake on my return journey. 



As it was probably the last day on which I was likely to see game, I sent my camp by 

 the most direct route, while I made a long round over the hills. Towards the end of a 

 shooting expedition one is in such splendid 'condition,' that the addition of six or eight miles 

 to the day's work is thought nothing of, and as this was my last day I did not spare myself. 

 I was in hopes of finding Nyan, which I had previously seen in the neighbourhood, but not 

 a trace of them was met with. 



Seeing a small herd of Goa, I had to make a long detour to get above them, and on the 

 way I saw a single buck. Proceeding to stalk him I found that he had been joined by 

 another, and that both were very restless, and although I got a fair chance, I missed. 



Three or four miles farther on I had to cross a lofty table-land, which was nearly level, 

 but with a few slight hollows worn by the melting snows. Strolling along without much 

 expectation of seeing anything, I suddenly discovered four Goa feeding on a grassy patch, 

 and I at once saw that it would take all my generalship to get within shot. 



There was nothing for it but to lie down and approach them by dragging my body along 

 on my elbows, any attempt to creep up to them on hands and knees being out of the ques- 

 tion on such open ground. Even by keeping myself as flat as possible there was not an 

 inch to spare, for I could hardly keep my head low enough to avoid seeing them ; and to see 

 them was to be seen. 



Those who have never tried the mode of progression which I mention, on stony ground, 

 have little idea how delightful it is : crawling over wet moss or stumps of heather, is pleasant 

 enough, but nothing to the sensation caused by the sharp edges and corners of the shingle 

 of a Thibetan hill ! 



In the present instance I had to advance by inches for several hundred yards, remaining 

 motionless whenever the Goa looked up, and gaining ground as they were feeding. At last, 

 after the exercise of much patience, I found myself within a hundred and twenty yards, and 

 obtained a fair broadside shot, which dropped the largest buck ; and as the others looked 

 round in astonishment for the cause of his fall, I had time to reload and bring down a second. 

 The remainder of the herd did not again stop until they were at a respectful distance. These 

 were the two last shots that I fired on a most successful trip. 



