THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
health, as it is very hard work indeed, and, coming up to Kashmir from the 
heat of the Indian plains, one should get into training gradually and not 
attempt too long marches at first or evil results may follow. 
Of course, when hunting, a very early morning start has to be made, 
as is always the case in mountain shooting. It is most important to spy 
the animals before they retire to their lying-up places for the day, other- 
wise you may fail to find them at all, as they frequently repose among 
boulders or in some hollow where they are quite invisible from your 
spying-place. At first it is difficult to face breakfast in the middle of the 
night; but after a short time one gets accustomed to it, and I am sure it is 
a mistake to start a long climb on a cup of tea only. It is dreary work stum- 
bling up hill in the dark, and it is a good plan to take an extra man with a 
lantern, who can return to camp as daylight appears; and it may be useful 
to have him back to meet you in the evening should you be late in return- 
ing, as going down a steep hill when very tired, without seeing where the 
feet should be placed, takes it more out of one than going up, and a sprained 
ankle may stop shooting for some time, if it does not spoil the trip alto- 
gether. When there is sufficient moon to pick one’s way with ease, a fairylike 
scene presents itself as we gradually ascend, the world seems all marble 
and silver, and as the first flush of dawn touches the snow peaks, what a 
good thing it is to be alive. 
The usual method of entering Kashmir is to drive up to Srinagar from 
Rawal Pindi railway station in a tonga. This takes about three days, and 
the horses are changed every few miles; but in the early spring the road 
over the Murree Hill may be blocked with snow, in which case a march or 
two must be done on foot, with coolies to carry the baggage; a heavy rain- 
fall may cause a break in the road at any time. There are comfortable 
rest houses to stop in on the road, and the details of the journey and the 
various distances can all be found in Colonel Ward’s “ Guide to Kashmir 
andLadak.” But the shooting information in that book is now somewhat 
out of date, and if a new and revised edition could be published it would 
be a great boon to travellers. 
When travelling in India or Kashmir every one takes his own bedding, 
done up in a roll, as it will be required in the train and in dak bungalows, 
where bedsteads are provided, but no blankets or pillows. The best form 
is probably a Jaeger sleeping bag, and a fur bag to go outside this again 
is a great comfort in the mountains, and is warmer than any number of 
separate blankets. 
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