194 WANDEEINGS OF A 



musk-deer. Now and then large masses of rock were observed 

 to become loosened by the melting of the snow, and roll down 

 the sides of the mountain, carrying destruction before them. 

 Halkett had a narrow escape from one which struck a rifle 

 from the shoulder of his servant. The nights were bitterly 

 cold, and unless in the sun there was a chilling wind that 

 necessitated us moving about. To judge distances exactly, 

 or even with moderate certainty, is only to be gained by much 

 experience and practice in a level country ; it is generally no 

 difficult matter to guess with accuracy any distance within 

 500 yards, but on mountains, especially in firing across valleys 

 or downwards, unless the hunter is careful, he wUl experience 

 many a heartache. Across ravines objects generally look 

 nearer than they actually are, and the reverse when below you ; 

 the latter, however, is by no means always the case, — a great 

 deal depends on the nature of the mountain, whether clad with 

 vegetation or barren. In all barren places and mountains 

 objects appear nearer than they really are. At Pilgam, one 

 forenoon, I marked a black bear feeding on a hill-side at what 

 I fancied was 100 yards distant. Adjusting my rifle accord- 

 ingly, I placed it with great care and fired, when to my aston- 

 ishment the ball hit a rock half-a-foot above bruin's back. I 

 measured the distance, and found it did not exceed 60 yards ! 

 Such pieces of bad luck soon taught me to be more particular 

 in judging distances, and it was not until I had practised a 

 great deal that I could make a moderate computation of any 

 range beyond 50 yards. The scenery about Pilgam is full of 

 noble grandeur, comprising steep and rugged mountains, their 

 summits jutting into rocky pinnacles or beetling crags over- 

 grown with moss and lichen, and often scarped and bare ; 

 lower down the pine diversifies the scenery with its clustering 

 or scattered forests, which the grassy glades and perpendicu- 



