R. It. H. THE PRINCE OF WALEH' SHOOTS. 
677 
better, I found, as, after the animals came to the camp and had been viewed by 
H. R. H. and the people who shot them, thej' were immediately and without 
delay sent to the skinning camp and on arrival at once dealt with by 
our department. In shooting on a large scale celerity in skinning is a 
great point, particularly in the present instance where I had only two men* with 
me who could be trusted to attend to the more intricate points of skinning, such 
as the head and limbs. We obviated difficulties as regards nauseous smell, etc., 
which other\\ise would have made the skinning camp in Nepal a perfect Glolgotha 
by a plentiful scattering of lime and disinfectants. However in spite of this at 
times, when we had five or six disarticulated rhino ' together with numerous 
tigers and an odd bear in different stages of skinning, the stench was almost 
unbeai’able. 
Before describing the shooting I cannot but comment on the elaborate and 
extremely efficient methods adopted forgiving prompt and exact ‘‘khubber” 
about kills and the movements of game. This was accomphshed by a precise 
system of signalling, on a scale which I think has never been attempted before 
on a shoot of this description. The whole arrangement was under the direction 
of Lieut< Leonardj R.E., who had arrived in Nepal some weeks previously to put 
up a system of telephonic communication between the Roj^al Camp and certain 
suitable spots, within the forest for a radius of 30 miles. Lieut. Leonard 
was assisted by a party of English Sappers who dming the period during which 
they were engaged in putting up the necessary wires and installation spent a very 
thrilling fortnight alone in the jungles. Considering that these jungles in 
normal times abound with dangerous game of all description, and that parti- 
cularly at this period when in preparation for the Royal Shoot there had been a 
close season for some time, it can be readily understood that Lieut. Leonard and 
his party had some exciting experiences to recount of the time spent in the Nepal 
jungles. One of the receiving field stations was fixed to the trunk of a tree near 
by my tent and every morning on my visit to the skinning camp I would ring 
up for news and would be promptly informed as to the whereabouts of the last 
“ Kill ” or the location of a tiger 10 or 15 miles away. No rhino was untracked 
or tiger left to itself. The rhino no sooner began to doze off as the sun grew 
warm, as is his wont, than the tracker climbing up a neighbouring tree made 
signs to his mate on the ground who ran off to flash the news by the nearest 
telephone station. 
I give the following extract from my diary of the first day’s shoot : — 
Deceinber 14fA. — At Biknathori to-day the camp is aglow with excite- 
ment from early morning. I was awakened by the trumpeting of elephants 
and the shouts of an army of Nepalese attendants. I watched the little Gurkhas 
passing to and fro near my tent. What a noise these stout little fellows with the 
Kukris make ! Talk is of nothing else but the arrival of the Prince and the pros- 
pects of the shooting. A very large tiger had been seen and it was hoped that it 
would fall to the Prince’s rifle. Shortly after 9 a.m. a fanfare of bugles announce 
the arrival of the Prince. The Nepalese Guard present arms and the Royal Car 
sweeps into the camp followed by the cars of his suite. The Prince steps out, 
looking remarkably well and bojfish in light khaki Jodhpur breeches, shooting 
coat, and Sambhar leather shoes. A few minutes were spent in introductions. 
Then off we all go in the cars to the shooting beat. This is quite near the camp, 
at a place called Sarasvati Khola. We get out of the ears and mount the 
pad elephants which take us to the line of elephants, with howdahs, in position 
by the river bed. His Royal Highness mounts into his howdah which, by the 
* I brought with me from the Natural History Society two skinners — N. A- 
Baptista, a Goanese skinner of considerable experience who for many years had been 
in the employ of the Society, and my servant Rawjee Kaneira, a Hindu, who had a 
knowledge of skinning. Under my supervision they did all the skinning in the 
principal shoots in India and Nepal and worked exceedingly well. 
