THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
trouble in arranging transport and porters for the next march, and gene- 
rally in making the “ bandobast,” as the arrangements for an expedition 
are called. In Kashmir and the neighbouring states porters are only hired 
for one march, usually twelve to fifteen miles, after which they return to 
their own village and a fresh lot have to be procured for the next day. It 
is surprising what bad ground these men can get over with 56 lb. or more 
on their backs; their legal pay for this amount of work is only the modest 
sum of fourpence, out of which they have to feed themselves, during the 
march to and from their own village. Of course, when crossing a long 
pass like the Zogila the same coolies have to be kept for several days, 
in which case special arrangements have to be made and very much 
higher rates paid, more particularly early in the season when the deep 
snow makes the carrying of a load very severe labour indeed. Later on 
in the summer pony transport can be got on the road to Leh, and now 
that rest-houses have been built on the way it is a much easier journey 
than it used to be. 
As regards the question as to which is the best rifle for hill shooting, every 
man has his own ideas; but it must be remembered that the *303 rifle 
cannot be imported into India or Kashmir, and it is well always to have 
two long-range rifles, in case of accidents, such as breaking a stock or a 
foresight, which may happen at any time. The long range, high velocity 
repeaters, such as the Mannlicher and the Mauser, have very much facili- 
tated the killing of game; but they have rather spoilt stalking as a fine 
art, and have I fear proved an incentive to firing long and unsportsman- 
like shots. In the old black powder days one of the chief attractions of 
stalking was in making the attempt to approach as near as possible to 
the animal without being detected; whereas now we frequently kill a 
beast right across a narrow valley with very little genuine stalking at all. 
One of the great charms of Kashmir is that sport with the gun or rod may 
be indulged in practically the whole year round. Throughout the summer 
the mountain game may be pursued, and the fine barasingh stag during the 
autumn, while in the winter and early spring most excellent duck and fair 
snipe shooting is to be got; in addition to which the chikor , or hill-part- 
ridge, if not numerous, still has the attraction of offering about the most 
sporting shot of any bird that flies. Now that trout have been introduced 
with success into several of the streams of the country there is a further 
inducement to prolong the visit. 
Those to whom the pursuit of the mountain game in Ladak and Baltistan 
102 
