THE GREAT THIBETAN SHEEP, OR NYAN. 1 75 



brutes saw me, however, and went off at full speed. Going along the ridge of the hills towards 

 Talang I could see nothing, although I had expected to have found the eight rams again. 

 Having come to the end of the ridge, I was descending a valley, when I suddenly saw a 

 solitary old ram standing about half way up the hill-side. We instantly crouched, and he 

 did not appear to have made us out clearly, but continued gazing without moving for several 

 minutes. Thinking it just possible that he might remain long enough to give me time to 

 stalk him, I left a man for him to look at, and crawling carefully out of sight, ascended the 

 hill and got above him. As this occupied some time, I was much afraid that he would have 

 gone, but on looking over the ridge I saw his horns. I walked down as far as I could without 

 being seen, and then lay down and crawled along until I got within one hundred and forty 

 yards. The ram had moved a little, but stood broadside on : I took a most careful aim, 

 and though he rushed down the hill after the shot, I felt confident that I had not missed. 

 When he had gone a few strides I saw blood on his side, he soon began to stagger, and 

 finally rolled over after galloping about two hundred yards. I ran down to him and found 

 that he was a fine fellow, not so old as the first one I shot, but with larger horns, measuring 

 thirty-seven inches by seventeen. The head was a heavy load for my gun-carrier, so I had 

 to shoulder my rifle and had a very long walk to camp. 



I had one more chance at old rams before I left these hills, and lost it by bad general- 

 ship. I killed a small one on the last day. 



In 1866 I hunted the big sheep in the neighbourhood of Hanle. The first flock I saw 

 was on the 9th of June, within two miles of the Lamaserai, or Monastery, on the opposite 

 side of the stream : the herd consisted only of females and young ones, but I shot a large 

 female for the sake of the meat. We had cut her up, and were proceeding homewards, when 

 I saw her lamb galloping along the ridge of a hill. As I was watching it, a large dark-colored 

 Eagle swooped down and fastened on its head. I hastened towards it, but long before 

 I reached the place, the Eagle soared away far out of shot. I found the lamb lying dead 

 with several holes in its throat : it was rather larger than a Gazelle. I should have much 

 liked to have shot the Eagle, which was, I believe, the Golden Eagle, the ' Bearcoot,' about 

 which Atkinson tells such wonderful tales. 



Altogether I hunted for about three weeks in this part of the country, but with very 

 indifferent success. I wasted a good deal of time in hunting the wrong ground before I met 

 with a very intelligent Tartar, Thering Dorje by name, who showed me the haunts of the 

 old rams. Even then bad luck constantly attended me, as it sometimes will, something 

 going wrong in every stalk, and I only killed a two-year old ram before the 16th of July. 

 On that day I was encamped near the wide plateau which lies between the Lanak Pass and 

 Nyima on the Indus ; the valley in which my tents were being a favorite resort of old rams. 

 Very early on this morning I ascended the hill above camp and followed the course of the 

 valley, keeping high up. Before long I discovered three Nyan lying on a steep slope, and 

 had to make a very long detour in order to get beyond them. Having accomplished this, I 

 found that the wind had changed, and the Nyan were moving restlessly about, but being 

 favored by the ground, I managed to stalk to within fifty yards, and found that they were 



