GAME ANIMALS OF KASHMIR. 
601 
Probably it is even harder to kill game with the sun facing the gun than it is 
to do so when shooting directly downwards. A start is generally made in the 
early morning when the sun is behind the hills, but often a great deal of time is 
lost whilst getting over bad ground, and just as the last few yards have to 
be passed the sun tops the hill, and the difficulty of looking along the barrel 
and taking a fine sight is so great that a shot at 50 yards is often clean 
missed. What with the wind changing and regard ha\ing to be taken 
as to the sun, mist driving up, and bad ground, no one can expect successful 
sfjort after Ibex without much patience and endurance, and it may be added 
that good food is a necessity. If suitable ground for an approach is impossible, 
and the Ibex are in a ravine, they can be brought up to the gun, by sending a 
couple of intelhgent men to give them the wind. On two occasions this 
method came oS well, but often it fails. 
Whilst seated behind a rock just under the head of the ravine, in fact almost 
on the crest, a large herd streamed passed, but there were no males worth shoot- 
ing. In another drive, if it could be called so, the Ibex came in a flock and 
behind them was a Thar. This was luck, for the coolies were clamouring for 
meat, and were short of rice. The Thar supplied this want, and also saved the 
pricking of conscience, for enough Ibex had been killed during the trip, and 
somehow the proceedings did not seem to be fair. 
Long ago when there were no game laws the Governor of Leh gave an enter- 
tainment in the Basgo Nullah (on the road to Ladak) which in those days was 
full of Ibex. 
The camp was pitched close to the Ladak road, w'here a crowd of Ladakis 
had assembled with their dogs. Some very fine Baltistan dogs, not unlike the 
big lurchers, were also in camp, but they w'ere not'vicious, while on the con- 
trary no stranger dare go near tiie Ladaki hounds. 
The Governor explained that the Basgo ravine would be surrounded and the 
dogs would be let loose, the Ibex would go into the cliffs and probably stand. 
From the point of view of a strange sight the drive was a success on the whole, 
but as a sporting undertaking it was a mean advantage. Many of the Ibex 
broke through, but several were shot as they took refuge in the rocks, where 
the Baltis seemed to be almost as much at home on bad ground as the goats ! 
One buck stood looking over a clifi with his head over the edge below, but at 
some distance away dogs were barking furiously. Walking below and looking 
upwards it was a prettj sight, but to shoot at the poor beast was not to be 
thought of. Eventually that Ibex managed to get away. 
Nearly all those shot were females or very small males. 
To see much of the drive was impossible. Basgo is a big nullah, much shoot- 
ing was to be heard, and now and again a few Ibex and several dogs passed. 
Time makes changes. When the Game Preservation Department was started 
Basgo became a sanctuary, and efforts were made to stop the Ibex drives for 
if these come off in the snow, the results wei’e fatal to the game. On the next 
day another drive was xmdertaken elsewhere, but luckily the game got through 
the stops, and only left two or three behind which were probably slain. 
The impression left was that Game Preservation was urgent, sporting weapons 
were being steadily improved, and soon accurate nfles would supersede* the 
smooth bore, and these combined with the aid of dogs and snow would ex- 
terminate the hill animals. 
No. 349. Markhor {Capra falconeri.) 
The Markhor of Kashmir. 
The two varieties of this grand goat which exist within the limits of the 
territory dealt with in these articles are famiharly known as 
1. The Astor {Capra falconeri falconeri) with a bold single twist which 
gives a massive appearance. 
2. The Pir Panjal or Kajnag {Capra falconeri cashmiriensis) with 2 to 2^ 
spirals. 
