H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES' SHOOTS. 
683 
diverse petitioners pleading for a modicum of the precious adipose, reputed as a 
panacea for many ills, but as Phaioah of old to his starving Egyptians, I com- 
mended them to Joseph, in this instance Baptista, my head skinner. To him 
in the course of his labours had fallen a bountiful harvest of the desirable un- 
guent and to the waiting multitude he bestowed his favours, with, I am afraid, 
a somewhat niggardly hand. 
Sunday afternoon was spent in the distribution of gifts and mementos from 
the Maharaja to his guests. Among these were a number of beautiful silver 
mounted kukris which were presented to various membei-s of the party% a fit- 
ting memento of their days in Nepal. According to time honoured custom 
H. R. H. was the recipient of a number of live animals and birds. A list of the 
collection is printed at the end. Among the animals was the famous 
‘ unicorn ’ sheep of Nepal. These are normally two horned. When quite 
young the horns are bound closely together so that they grow up in contact 
nith one another giving them the desired “unicorn” effect. The birds included 
a very fine series of pheasants. Particularly striking were the gorgeous 
Monauls, the Tragopans with their crimson wlute-spotted breasts, and the 
little Blood Pheasants in green splashed over with blood-red markings. After 
being inspected by the Prince the collections were finally handed over to the 
writer and at the close of the shikar in Nepal were brought donn to Bombay 
where the animals and birds were temporarily housed in the Victoria Gardens 
previous to their being shipped to the London Zoo, their final destination. 
Monday, December \Wi . — On this day His Royal Highness shot a rhino at 
Sarasoti Kola. Capt. Dudley North describing the shoot w'ritts : 
“ I went out with H. R. H. after Rhino. We went to where one was 
reported and soon sighted a Rhino lying down. H. R. H. had not seen 
one properly before so that at fimt he did not recognisB it as they are so 
difficult to distinguish in heavy' cover. However when the brute rose he 
saw it. The Rhino moved slowly towards us and I suggested his firing a 
raking shot into it, but H. R. H. very rightly preferred to wait for a more 
advantageous position. The Rhino turned to the right and the Prince fired. 
His first shot hit, though rather high, and the beast swung round and H. R. 
H. fired again hitting it this time on the neck. We followed the beast into 
very heavy cover, but the trees were so thick that it was impossible to get a 
clear shot, the elephants were just getting clear of the trees w'hen the Rhino 
was dropped by one of the Nepalese officials* who had fired as he w'as under 
the impression the beast was going to charge. H. R. H. used my ‘470 Gibbs 
Rifle which I lent him.” 
A separate party consisting of Sir Godfrey Thomas, Capt. the Hon’ble Bruce 
Ogilvy and Lord Louis Mountbatten spent a fruitless morning after Rhino at 
Kasra. The day was not without its excitement however, as in the course of 
operations Lord Louis Mountbatten’s elephant suddenly went ‘ musth ’ while he 
was in the howdah. The party was going through what one of them described as 
“ the longest and thickest grass I have ever had the misfortrme to encounter ” it 
was several feet above the head of a man standing up in a howdah. Without 
any appreciable warning Lord Louis’ elephant attacked another animal on 
which a Nepalese Colonel was sitting and disappeared into the bush. For- 
tunately the mahout managed to stop him by slashing at his head with a kukri. 
Lord Louis was then rescued and transferred to another elephant. After that 
the party went through “ still worse country ” ; the noise the elephants made 
crashing through the tangle of tree and grass was sufficient to scare any game 
within a radius of miles, so the shoot was abandoned and the party retired to 
the base and motored back, reaching camp long after dark. 
Near Dhoba, one mile to the south of the 22nd milestone, the same morning 
Mr. Percival Landon, who was with another party, bagged a fine bull rhino 
with a single shot clean through the brain. I am indebted to Mr. Percival 
* General Kaiser Shamsher Jimg Bahadur. 
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