178 WANDERINGS OF A 



the mountains, we arrived at the little village of Lidur, situated 

 at the foot of a long straggling limestone ridge covered with 

 wood and bush. There is a small tank close to the village 

 containing Himalayan trout, which I attempted to capture, 

 but had to desist on account of having been informed that the 

 animals were sacred, and if I killed one I should be certaia to 

 incur the displeasure of some departed saint. 



The thermometer stood at 76° in our tent during the day 

 at Pampur. We found, however, on the hUI-side above, that 

 the temperature that night was very different, and made us 

 glad to sleep under blankets. Before daybreak each of our 

 party, accompanied by his shickaree, struck off in divers direc- 

 tions. I followed up a wooded spur, with a valley on each 

 side, and had not gone far before the loud bellowiag of 

 the Cashmere stags was heard in various parts of the thick 

 cover, and a herd of eight was seen in a jungle on the opposite 

 ridge. To cut them off was our only chance ; so, on hands and 

 knees I scrambled through tangled bush and brake for up- 

 wards of an hour, when, most unexpectedly, I came upon a 

 hind, and delivered the contents of my rifle on her at ten yards. 

 Although desperately wounded, I could not discover the animal 

 from the extreme density of the underwood and difficiilty of 

 finding our way through it. On gaining the top of the ridge 

 a brown bear was seen in a valley some distance off, but I was 

 too much disappointed at my failure to go in pursuit, and 

 returning to the tent, found Halkett exulting over a very large 

 bear he had killed in the neighbourhood. The animal 

 measured 7^ feet in length, height 3 feet 5 inches; around 

 the chest 58j inches ; the thickest part of the fore-legs 

 was 24 inches, and the thigh 37 iuches in circumference. I 

 mention the dimensions of this individual, as they are the 

 largest of several hundred I have examined. One afternoon. 



