KASHMIR. 
29 
always went by the name of Natoo " amongst our 
followers, a contraction for native doctor, in contra- 
distinction to the head bird-stuffer, who was called 
the Chirya (bird) Doctor, or usually " Chirya." 
Natoo had a friend with him, who was not on the 
establishment. This was a young man, a relation of 
Natoo's, who had a great desire to see foreign parts, 
and was being instructed by Natoo in the rudiments 
of medical science, with a view to become a pupil at 
the Lahore Medical College. Nafcoo had a wonderful 
turn for acquiring languages. He, of course, knew 
Hindustani and Pushtoo ; he also spoke Persian 
fluently, and having lived in Peshdwar, near the 
Kashmiri's quarter, he had picked up enough Kash- 
miri to converse freely in that language. Whilst we 
travelled through Laddk he managed to learn some 
Tibetan, and before we had been a fortnight in 
Yarkand he was able to question the sick in Turki 
regarding their symptoms, and give them directions 
for treatment. 
Abdulla, my chief bird-stuffer, was kindly sent to 
me by Dr. Anderson, Curator of the Calcutta 
Museum. Although a Bengali, and unaccustomed to a 
very cold climate, he worked remarkably well. When 
his work began to get behind, he used to start at day- 
break with the arrears of birds to be stuffed, and 
galloping on to next camp, would there work, some- 
times till midnight, preparing the skins. 
I also employed two Kashmiri Shikaris to shoot 
and preserve birds ; but one of them, a tailor by trade, 
was so awkward in handling a gun, that the very first 
day he managed to shoot and slightly wound one of 
the boatmen, and soon after he fell with one of my 
