352 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
The country is very precipitous, and the habits 
of this variety induce it to cling closely to the 
protection of the woods, where deep ravines and 
overhanging precipices afford a secure asylum. 
The only method of shooting in such a country is 
by driving; either by beaters, or by disturbing the 
forest with dogs, and posting guns in well-known 
passes where the deer will probably run through. 
There were eight or ten Japanese hunters with 
me, one of whom was an enthusiastic old Nimrod of 
seventy, who prided himself upon his activity and 
the sureness of his aim. All these people were 
armed with matchlock rifles, exhibiting a step in 
advance of the Indian shikaris, whose matchlocks 
are generally smooth-bores. 
They were indefatigable fellows, and we worked 
from daybreak until after sunset; upon one occasion 
we did not return until two hours after dark. 
When I saw the thoroughness of these native 
hunters, and their intimate knowledge of the moun¬ 
tains, and habits of the game, I could not help 
wondering that any deer remained. Nevertheless 
we always found, and no beat was ever blank. 
Several times I saw deer rushing through a valley 
when I was perched upon a rock out of distance, 
but nothing came towards my position. The 
cracks of native rifles showed that they had posted 
their guns in the proper passes, but with all their 
good intentions, fortune did not favour me. Several 
deer were killed, and had it not been for the differ¬ 
ence in the horns, I should not have distinguished 
