THE TAHR. 13! 



clothed with trees. Female Tahr may be frequently found on open ground, but old males 

 hide a great deal in the thickest jungle, lying during the heat of the day under the shade of 

 trees or overhanging rocks. Nearly perpendicular hills with dangerous precipices, where the 

 forest consists of oak and ringal cane, are the favorite haunts of the old Tahr, who climb 

 with ease over ground where one would hardly imagine that any animal could find a footing. 

 Tahr ground indeed is about the worst walking I know, almost rivalling Markhoor ground ; 

 the only advantage being that, bad as it is, there are generally some bushes or grass to hold 

 on to. 



The Tahr and Markhoor are indeed to be found together on the Pi'r Panjal, and it was 

 on that range that I first saw them when I commenced my Himalayan hunting in 1861. 



The ground in the neighbourhood where I was then shooting is about the most difficult 

 I have ever seen, and extremely trying to those who are not gifted by nature with a " good 

 head." This is undoubtedly a natural gift, and I do not believe that it can be acquired by any 

 amount of practice, although a certain degree of confidence will be attained by habitually 

 walking on narrow paths, and looking down deep precipices. For my own part, after many 

 years' wanderings in the hills, I have never been able to shake off the sense of dizziness on 

 looking down precipices, and although I generally manage to get along anywhere, except 

 in the very worst ground, I cannot help being conscious of considerable nervousness in 

 dangerous places, and frequently have to trust to a helping hand from my Shikaris. I have 

 often felt very angry with myself at having to crawl along where a Shikari would walk with 

 the utmost nonchalance, perhaps carrying two rifles ; but I have usually comforted myself with 

 the reflection that if he felt half as uncomfortable as I did, he would not venture on the 

 hill-side at all ! 



Considering the unavoidable risks attending mountaineering, it is wonderful how few 

 accidents take place in the Himalayas : during the last twenty-five years, I can only recollect 

 about half a dozen Englishmen being killed by falls when out shooting. More fatal accidents 

 have happened at our hill sanitaria, but the majority of them have occurred to people on 

 horseback. 



One morning I had a long and severe climb, and in the afternoon was descending 

 towards my camp over very precipitous ground, among pine forest. The walking was 

 extremely difficult, and I was picking my way carefully, and had just scrambled down from 

 one ledge of rock to another, when I caught sight of a shaggy old Tahr moving away to my 

 right. I quickly caught hold of my rifle and followed the narrow path along which he had 

 gone, but he turned a corner, reached inaccessible ground, and I never saw him again. On 

 subsequent days I again saw Tahr two or three times, but always among tremendous preci- 

 pices where there was no possibility of approaching them. 



Owing to the fact of its head being a comparatively poor trophy, the Tahr is not so 

 eagerly sought after by sportsmen as its handsomer congeners, the Ibex and Markhoor, but it 

 is quite as difficult an animal to stalk, and its pursuit involves equal labor and as much risk ; 

 while the hunter who keenly follows the sport will find that both his endurance and nerve 

 will be thoroughly tested. 



