LA DAK. 
41 
was a Mahomedan, and not a Buddhist or Hindu, 
and beyond this he seemed neither to know nor care 
anything about religion. 
There is a polo-ground here, as at every Tibetan 
village where sufficient level ground can be found ; 
" polo," or hockey on horseback, being the national 
game of the country. 
On June 23rd we continued our march along the 
Drds river seventeen miles, to Tashgam. The cultiva- 
tion along the road consisted of buckwheat, peas, and 
barley ; the last was only about six inches high, and 
showed no signs of coming into ear. I saw very few 
Yaks of the pure breed, but crosses between the cow 
and Yak were common, and are said to be superior 
in some respects to either parent. 
I noticed very few sheep, and only occasionally a 
small herd of poor-looking goats. The people here, 
as in most parts of Laddk, are wretchedly poor. On 
leaving Dras I saw the first magpie {Pica bactriana)^ 
which was afterwards met with at every J^^illage up 
to about 13,000 feet, and was once seen near the 
Yarkand plains. In habit and general appearance 
it much resembles the English magpie. It seems 
strange, as Adams has remarked, that this bird should 
prefer the wastes of Laddk, and never cross the 
passes into Kashmir, where one would expect its food 
must be much more plentiful. The same remark 
applies to the blue pigeons, which are seen in enor- 
mous flocks in Ladak. I shot three species, one of 
them very rare ; but at the time I did not know this, 
and only secured one specimen. 
Beyond Dras the hills are still covered with grass, 
but this soon ceases as we proceed down the river ; 
