1843.] Trip to the Bulcha and Oonta Dhoora Passes. 93 



for having brought me across the Pass. Fortunately, his people were 

 all present, and Nagoo had no difficulty in persuading him, that I had 

 come solely for shooting, and did not intend to advance further. Two 

 men had just arrived from Dhapa or thereabouts in search of the 

 Lama, bringing ghee and rice for his consumption. Their only news 

 was, that the Lhassa force of from 5 to 7,000 men had moved on 

 Ladakh, where the Seiks continued to hold out, and would probably 

 have reached ere this date. These two men were stupid fellows, and 

 had not been within many days journey of Lhassa, so that their in- 

 formation is deserving of but little credit. The general impression is, 

 that the Lhassa force, even if it has moved, will not be able to cap- 

 ture the citadel of Ladakh from the 300 Seiks holding it. 



31s< May. — After a horrible night's rest, dreams of wonderful as- 

 cents and descents, &c, I rose at 5 a. m. and prepared for a hunt 

 after burral. Ther. 36° in sleeping tent, boiled at 188^°. Elevation 

 14,523 feet. I crossed the river and ascended a rather steep hill West of 

 the road, when on the other side, much to my delight, I saw five or six 

 burral. The first that caught my eye was lying down at about ninety 

 yards. I took a good aim with the long rifle, and hit him in the 

 middle of the back. He jumped up and stood, the others running off, 

 I fired one barrel of my double gun, (I thought I missed,) the bullet of 

 which entered the jaw a little below the eye, still the burral stood, and 

 it seemed doubtful whether I should get him, though he was pouring 

 blood; but my long rifle was now ready again, and after numerous 

 attempts I was satisfied with the aim, and rolled him over, to my 

 infinite delight, with a ball in the side. Thinking the others might 

 not have gone far, I left the fallen burral where he lay, and ran along 

 the crest of the hill, and on the South face I saw four or five more 

 standing very far down ; knowing it would be useless attempting to get 

 nearer, I put up the second sight of my rifle, and took a long steady 

 aim at one standing lengthwise from me. He dropped to the shot hit 

 fairly in the centre of the back, and I do not remember ever to have 

 been so delighted with my shooting. The distance could not have 

 been less than 1 60 yards. The remainder stood for a second or two, 

 watching this poor brute's struggles to rise, and then made off. 

 Two more, and a herd of seven or eight more made off, so that I had 

 no chance of another shot, and prepared to return, having much 



