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SPORTS AND PASTIMES

EDITED BY

HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT, K.G.
ASSISTED BY ALFRED E. T. WATSON

f

BIG GAME SHOOTING

II.

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2007 with funding from

IVIicrosoft Corporation

http://www.archive.org/details/biggameshooting02philiala

HAND TO UAND WOKK

BIG GAME SHOOTING

BY

CLIVE PHILLIPPS-WOLLEY

WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY

LIEUT. -COLONEL R. HEBER PERCY, ARNOLD PIKE,

MAJOR ALGERNON C. HEBER PERCY, W. A. BAILLIE-GROHMAN,

SIR HENRY POTTINGER, Bart., EARL OF KILMOREY, ABEL CHAPMAN,

WALTER J. BUCK, AND ST. GEORGE LITTLEDALE

VOL. II.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHARLES VVHYMPER
AND FROM PHOTOGRAPHS

LONDON
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO

; '/ i ' \a if'yt's'iits^ h^Wfii l/lV \ \V '•.**

s\<?>\

CONTENTS

OF

THE SECOND VOLUME

I. Arctic Hunting i

By Arnold Pike.

II. The Caucasus 22

By Clive Phillipps- VVolley.

III. Mountain Game of the Caucasus ... 48

By Clive Phillipps- Wolley.

IV. Caucasian Aurochs 65

By St. G. Littledale.

V. Ovis Argali of Mongolia 73

By St. G. Littledale.

W. The Chamois 77

By W. A. Baillie-Grohman.

VII. The Stag of the Alps 112

By W. A. Baillie-Grohman.

VIII. The Scandinavian Elk 123

By Sir Henry Pottinger, Bart.

IX European Big Game 154

By Major Algernon Heher Perry, and the Earl of
Kilinorey.

353456

vi BIG GAME SHOOTING

CHAPTER I'ACIE

X. The Large Game of Spain and Portugal. . 174

By Abel Chaptnan and W. J. Buck.

XI. Indian Shooting 182

By Lieut. -Col. Reginald Heber Percy.

XII. The Ovis Poli of the Pamir . . . . 363
By St. G. Littledale.

XIII. Camps, Transport, etc yji

By Clive Phillipps- Wolley.

XIV. A FEW Notes on Rifles and Ammunition . . 394

By H. W. H.

XV. Hints on Taxidermy, etc 413

By Clive Phillipps- Wolley.

A Short Bibliography 421

INDEX . 425

ILLUSTRATIONS

IN THE

SECOND VOLUME

{Reproduced by Messrs. Walker &^ Bontall)

FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS

ARTIST

C. Whymper Fi-onlispiece

C. Whymper

From a photograph
C. Whymper

Hand to hand Work

Death of a Polar Bear

The Corpse Rocks ....

Mr. St. G. Littledale"s Caucasian'
Bag for the season or 1887

' Standing like Statues '

Ibex {Hircus (egagrus)

The Spectre

f From an instanla- \
( veous photograph )
\ C. W., after a sketch ]
I. by A. Chapman )

The First Stalk of the Season ....

A Fair Chance at Black Bears . . C. Whymper

'The front rank and p\rt of the)
second alone stood firm' . . I '

A Charging Gatr

to face p. 16

Chamois
Spanish Ibex .

48
52
62

80

180

184
186

208

242

viii BIG GAME SHOOTING

ARTIST

A Snap-shot in the Forest . . Major II. Jones to face p. 278

' With cartridges handy and steady )
shooting' i *

322

Mr. St. (Ieorge Litti.edale's Bag '^^ Xprom a photograph „ ZU
Ovis Pom, 1888 ..... 1

The Camp . . . . . . C. IVhymper ,, 378

WOODCUTS IN TEXT.

Among the Ice C. IVhymper . . i

, ,,, , -, \ From a photOin-aph\

A Walrus' Hk;ad j t .-^ r .

\ after Mr. Lamont j

Where to Shoot a Walrus ... .... 7

Waiting for the Dawn . . . . C. Wliymper . . 27

The Boar's Charge . • • 33

A Gutturosa 45

65

„ { After a photosn-aph i

Dead Aurochs \ \r \, -

( from Nature )

The Si'Y Chamois 79

Emperor Maximilian I. Chamois Hunt- )

-After Theiterdank . no
ING, a.d. 1500 . . . . . j

Antlers of Stags killed at Radauc, \

IN the Pilis Mountains and the \ . . . .115
JOLSVA Estates ''

Specimen Heads of Scandinavian Elks From a photograph . 129

Stalking Elk C. IVhymper . -152

'This time his side was towards .me' ,, . . 158

Group of Aurochs ...... „ . . 168

Aurochs' Heads ■' 171

y photograph )

The Lyn.\ {Felis paniina) . . . . C. IVhymper. . 174

ILLUSTRATIONS IN VOLUME II

ARTIST

Snow-Bears Major H.Jones

^ (C. IV., after sketches )

A Glorified Comet . . . .\ ;-

( by Capi. Kaivlinso^i )

HowDAH Shooting

Landing a Ghayai . .

'He gave HIM A tremendous punishing' . . . .

IIogdeer Shooting

RucERVUS Duvaucelli . . . . From a photograph .

RUCERVUS Schomburgkii. . . . . , .

Panolia Eldii

A Stalk in the Open

( C. IV. , after Major |
1 H.Joms \

I'AGE
187

196

255
262
266
267
269

281

Specimen Heads of Ovis oli and Ovis i
Karelini )

Specimen Heads of Ovis Ammon and |
Ovis Nivicola ....

From photographs . 292

The Astor Markhor ....

Varieties of Markhor .

Ii* his Summer Coat ....

Specimen Heads of Capra sibirica
Capra /egagrus, and Capra si

NAITICA . . . . .

A Dream of Ther Shooting

The Serow gallops down hill
Budorcas taxicolor ....
Saiga tartarica ....
Tame Decoys ....

Ovis Poli

Our Camp

\C. W., after sketch )
i hyCapt. Rawlinson )

293

310

From photograph

312

C. Whymper .

318

■ FrotJi photograph

322

( C. W. , after sketch )

326

( byCapt. Rawlinson )

C. Whymper .

333

From photograph

335

C. Whymper .

345
351
363
367

BIG GAME SHOOTING

From a photograph

Dead Ovis Poli

Cinch him up

Knife Fastening

' Good-bye to the Groceries ' . .

Specimens of 340, 360, 440, and 460 grain ]
Express Bu llets . . . . )

Specimens of -500 and -577 bore Express )
Bullets i

Specimens of -450 and -577 bore Express )
Bullets ;

Specimens of soft -577 Bullets . .

Specimens of i2-bore ' Paradox ' Bullets

Diagram showing six shots with 10 bore )
AND 8-BORE 'Paradox' . . . )

Diagram of 8-bore 'Paradox' Bullet .

Sir Samuel Baker's strengthened Stock

Rifle Loops

' Shikari ' Rifle Case . . . .

Back Sights

When the Light Wanes . . . . C. IVhymper

Wapiti Head .

PAGE

388
391

395

396

397

398
400

400

401
406
407
408
408
414
419

BIG GAME SHOOTING

CHAPTER I

ARCTIC HUNTING
By Arnold Pike

Arctic hunting embraces an enor-
mous field, the extent of which is
not yet reahsed, and I should begin
by remarking that my experience, as here set forth, is limited
to the seas around Spitzbergen, and that I propose to confine
myself to the pursuit of the walrus and the polar bear.

Although the vast herds of walrus which formerly inhabited
the Spitzbergen and Novaya Zemlya seas have been sadly

U>

2 BIG GAME SHOOTING

thinned by persistent — and often wasteful — hunting, first by
the Enghsh and Dutch in the early part of the seventeenth
century, then by the Russians, and at the present day by
the Norwegians, yet enough may still be killed in a season's
hunting to satisfy most sportsmen. The fact that the expedi-
tions after walrus and polar bear which are made to these
waters are often partially, or wholly, unsuccessful is due not to
the scarcity of game but to the manner in which it is sought.
The sportsman usually sails in a yacht — a vessel totally unfit
for the work before her — and at Tromso or Hammerfest picks
up an ice pilot, who is also supposed to show where sport is
to be obtained, at a season of the year when all the best men
are engaged to, or have already sailed with, the professional
walrus hunters. The consequences are that the voyage is
confined to the open, and therefore easily navigated, waters of
the western coast of Spitzbergen, or else that if good hunting
grounds are visited much of the game is not seen ; for no
matter how keen a look-out a man may keep, he is sure to
pass over game if he is not used to hunting, and does not
know exactly what to look for and where to look for it.

The best way, therefore, in the writer's opinion, is for the
sportsman to hire one of the small vessels engaged in the
trade, sailing either from Hammerfest or Tromso (preferably
from the latter port). He could hire a walrus sloop of about ^
forty tons burden for the season, completely fitted out with all
the necessary gear and boats, and a crew of nine men (seven
before the mast) for about 450/. This amount would cover
everything except tinned soups, meat, &c., for his own con-
sumption ; and the expenditure is not all dead loss, for if he
allows one boat's crew to regularly hunt seal, whilst he devotes
himself principally to bear and walrus, he will probably realise
a sum by the sale of skins and blubber, at the conclusion of
the voyage, which will meet the greater portion, if not the
whole, of the amount paid for the hire of the vessel. There is
no difficulty in^iisposing of the ' catch.' If, however, a sports-
man decides to go in his own yacht, with an English crew, he

ARCTIC HUNTING 3

should engage during the winter, through the British vice-
consul at Tromso, a good harpooner and three men used to
arctic work, and buy a hunting boat (fangstbaad), to the use
of which they are accustomed, together with the necessary
harpoons, lines, lances, knives, (S:c.

In either case he should sail from Tromso early in May if
bound for Spitzbergen, where he would in ordinary seasons be
-able to hunt until the middle of September. In that time,
with fair luck, he may expect to kill from five to ten bears,
about twenty walrus, thirty reindeer, and from three to four
hundred seals. If only small attention is paid to the seals, the
number of walrus and bear obtained should be considerably
larger.

No especial personal outfit is necessary.
As most of the shooting will be done from a boat that is
seldom stationary, the rifle to which the sportsman is most
accustomed is the best. A "450 Express, with solid hardened
bullet for walrus, and ' small-holed ' for bear, is a very good
weapon. A fowling-piece for geese and a small-bore rifle for
practice at seals would also be useful. Whatever weapons are
taken, they should be of simple construction and strongly
made, for they are liable to receive hard knocks in the rough,
wet work incidental to walrus hunting.

As regards clothing, a light-coloured stalking suit (the writer
prefers grey), underclothing of the same weight as the sports-
man is accustomed to wear during an English winter, and
knee-boots, will answer every purpose. For hand covering the
mittens (' vanter ') used by the Norwegian fishermen are most
suitable. The sportsman had better lay in his stock of canned
provisions and tea in England, but coffee, sugar, &c., can be
obtained of good quality and equally cheap at his starting
point in Norway.

I. WALRUS (Rosmarus trichechus)

The walrus is one of the largest animals ^till extant, and
although the element of personal danger is not as great in

4 BIG GAME SHOOTING

hunting it as in hunting some beasts of lesser bulk, yet the
conditions under which the sport is pursued, as well as the
nature of the sport itself, are such as will probably tempt one
who has once tried this form of sport to return to it.

An average-sized four-year-old bull walrus will measure
lo ft. in length and about the same in girth. The weight is,
of course, difficult to determine, but it is probably about
3,000 lbs., of which 350 lbs. may be reckoned as blubber, and
300 lbs. as hide. A large old bull will probably weigh and
yield half as much again. The blubber, to be utilised, is
mixed with that of the seals wliich may be obtained, and the
oil which is extracted by heat and pressure sold as ' seal oil ' ;
the hide, which is from i in. to iVin. in thickness, and makes
a soft, spongy leather, is exported principally to Russia and
Germany, where it is used for harness, ammunition-boots, &c.

The walrus is a carnivorous animal, feeding mostly upon
shellfish and worms, and is therefore generally found in the
shallow waters along a coastline, diving for its food on banks
which lie at a depth of from two to twenty fathoms below the
surface. Deeper than that the walrus does not care to go ; in
fact, it generally feeds in about fifteen fathoms. The tusks-
are principally used to plough up the bottom in search of food,
but are also employed as weapons, and in climbing on to ice.
They are composed of hard, white ivory, set for about 6 ins.
of their length in a hard bony mass, about 6 ins. in diameter,
which forms the front part of the head ; the breathing passage
runs through this mass, and terminates in two ' blow-holes ^
between the roots of the tusks. The tusk itself is solid, except
that portion which is embedded in the bone, and this is filled
with a cellular structure containing a whitish oil. Both sexes
have tusks, but those of the cow do not run quite so large as
those of the bull. The yearling calf has no tusks, but at the
end of the second year it has a pair about 2 ins. in length,
which grow to about 6 ins. in the third year. The largest pair
I have measure 18^ ins. round the curve of the tusk from skull
to point, and girth 7^ ins. near the base ; but I have seen

ARCTIC HUNTING 5

them much larger, and do not think that anything under
22 ins. can be considered a good head. Cows' tusks are
generally set much closer together than bulls', and sometimes
meet at the points. There are some good specimens illustrating
this pecuharity in the Tromso Museum. The bulls', on the

A walrus' head

contrary, generally diverge, and are often upwards of a foot
apart at the points. I have read and heard that in rare cases
the tusks diverge in curves, but have never seen any. I have
one head (I was not in the boat when the walrus was killed)
with three tusks, two of which spring apparently from the same
socket, and there is no doubt that there are heads with four ;

6 BIG GAME SHOOTING

but such cases are, of course, very rare. The comparatively
small size of the tusks makes the ivory useless for the manu-
facture of billiard balls and other things of considerable size,
and it does not, therefore, command so high a price as ele-
phant ivory, but it is largely used in the manufacture of small
articles.

A walrus killed in the water immediately sinks ; even if
mortally wounded, it will in nine cases out of ten escape, and
sink to the bottom. When on the ice, walrus always lie close
to the water, and it is therefore necessary to kill them instantly,
or they will reach the water and be lost before the boat can
arrive within harpooning distance. This can only be done by
penetrating the brain, which is no easy matter. The brain
lies in what appears to be the neck ; that which one would
naturally suppose to be the head being nothing but the heavy
jaw bones, and mass of bone in which the tusks are set. In
reference to this point, I cannot do better than quote Mr.
Lamont, who on this and everything else connected with walrus
hunting is a most accurate authority. It is with the kind per-
mission of his publishers, Messrs. Chatto and Windus, that I
reproduce his plate ' How to shoot a Walrus.' In his ' Yacht-
ing in the Arctic Seas,' page 69, he says : —

No one who has not tried it will readily believe how extremely
difficult it is to shoot an old bull walrus clean dead. The front or
sides of his head may be knocked all to pieces with bullets, and
the animal yet have sufficient strength and sense left to enable him
to swim and dive out of reach. If he is lying on his side, with his
back turned to his assailant (as in the upper figure), it is easy
enough, as the brain is then quite exposed, and the crown of the
head is easily penetrated ; but one rarely gets the walrus in that
position, and when it so happens it is generally better policy to
harpoon him without shooting. By firing at an old bull directly
facing you, it is almost impossible to kill him, but if half front to
you, a shot just above the eye may prove fatal. If sideways, he
can only be killed by aiming about six inches behind the eye, and
about one-fourth of the apparent depth of his head from the top ;
but the eye, of course, cannot be seen unless the animal is very

ARCTIC HUNTING

close to you, and the difficulty is enormously increased by the
back of the head being so imbedded in fat as to appear as if
it were part of the neck. This
will be understood by a refer-
ence to the plate. If you hit
him much below that spot, you ^ -

strike the jaw-joint, which is
about the strongest part of the
whole cranium. A leaden bullet
striking there, or on the front
of the head, is flattened like a
piece of putty, without doing
much injury to the walrus ; and
even hardened bullets, propelled
by six drachms of powder, were
sometimes broken into little
pieces against the rocky crania
of these animals.

What becomes of the wal-
rus in the winter it is hard to
say, but I have heard them
blowing in an open pool of
water among the ice on the
north coast of Spitzbergen in
the month of December. In
the spring, however, when the
ice begins to break up, they
collect in herds on their feed-
ing grounds around the coasts,
where they may be found diving
for shellfish, or basking and
sleeping, singly or in ' heaps '
of two or three (often five or
six) together. They seem to

prefer to lie on small cakes of flat bay ice ; a single walrus will
often take his siesta on a cake only just large enough to float
him, and it is among such ice therefore, rather than among

Where to shoot a walrus

8 BIG GAME SHOOTING

rough old pack and glacier blocks, that they should be sought,
although I have seen them lying on heavy old water-worn ice,
four and five feet above the water. In this case, however,
they had no choice. Later in the year, in August and during
the autumn, particularly in open years, they collect in some
bay (formerly they were found in herds thousands strong), and
lie in a lethargic state on the shore. I suppose that this is their
breeding season, as the young are cast in April and May, and
even in June. In former years, the walrus hunters, if they had
experienced a bad season, would hang around the coasts as
long as they dared, visiting the various places which were
known to be favourite spots for the walrus to 'go ashore,' and if
they found one occupied, a few hours' work would compensate
them for the bad luck of the whole season.

Massing their forces— if, as customary, several sloops were
sailing in company — the hunters attacked the walrus with the
lance, and, killing those nearest the water first, formed a rampart
behind which the rest of the herd were more or less at their
mercy, which quality indeed they did not appear to possess ;
for, fired by excitement and greed, they would slay and slay, until
there were far more of the poor beasts lying dead than they
could ever hope to make use of. The remnant of the herd
would escape, never to return ; they would seek each year
some spot further towards the north, and therefore more diffi-
cult of access to their enemies. Although, doubtless, the
walrus still go ashore late in the autumn, they probably
choose some of the islands in the Hinlopen Straits, or the
coasts of North East Land and P'ranz Joseph Land, where the
hunters cannot approach them, or would not dare to if they
could, at that season of the year ; and thus it is rare to hear of
a herd being found ashore at the present day. This oppor-
tunity of having an inaccessible breeding ground will save the
walrus from the fate which has overtaken the American bison,
of being almost wiped from the face of the earth ; and the
species will therefore probably continue to exist in large
numbers in the far north, after its scarcity in the more acces-

ARCTIC HUNTING 9

sible waters has caused the professional walrus hunter to
abandon his calling. The most likely localities for walrus
around Spitzbergen at present are the coast of North East
Land, Cape Leigh Smith (Storo), Rekis-oerne, Hopenoerne
on the east coast, and the Hinlopen Straits.

Although the staple food of the walrus consists of mollusca,
it also preys, to some extent, upon the seal. I remember that,
on opening the stomach of the first walrus I shot, we found it
full of long strips of the skin of a seal, apparently Phoca his-
pida, with the blubber still attached.' As the death of this
walrus was fairly typical of the manner in which they are now
captured, I will try to describe it ; but it would be better perhaps
to first sketch the boats and implements which are used in
walrus hunting.

The boats, called 'fangstbaade,' are strongly, yet lightly,
built of three-quarter-inch Norwegian ' furru.' They are carvel
built and bow shaped at both ends ; the stem and stern posts
are made thick and strong in order to resist the blows of the
ice, and the bow sheathed with zinc plates to prevent excessive
chafing. They are most commonly 20 ft. or 21 ft. in length,
and have their greatest beam, viz. 5 ft., one-third of their
length from the bow. It is most important that they should
be easy and quick in turning, and this quality is obtained by
depressing the keel in the middle. They are painted red
inside and white outside, so that they may not be conspicuous
amongst ice, but the hunters stultify this idea to some extent
by dressing themselves in dark colours. Inside the bow there
are small racks guarded by painted canvas flaps, in which the
harpoon-heads are fitted, usually three on either side of the
boat. The harpoon, the point and edges of which are ground
and whetted to a razor-like sharpness, is a simple but very

1 The harpooner on this occasion, whose word I have never doubted, told
me that once when he was hunting in King's Bay, on the west coast of Spitz-
bergen, he saw a walrus take a ' Hav-hest," i.e. fulmar petrel, which was
sitting on the water, and was actually engaged in eating it when struck by
the harpoon.

lo BIG GAME SHOOTING

effective weapon. When thrust into a walrus or seal, a large
outer barb ' takes up ' a loop of the tough hide, whilst a small
inner fish-hook barb prevents it from becoming disengaged, so
that when once properly harpooned, it is very seldom, if ever,
that an animal escapes through the harpoon ' drawing.' The har-
poon-shafts, which lie along the thwarts, are made of white pine
poles, 12 ft. in length and from i in. to i^ in. in diameter,
tapered at one end to fit the socket of the harpoon-head, in
which the shaft is set fast when required by striking its butt
against one of the ribs of the boat, or a small block fixed
in the after end on the starboard side. The harpoon is used
almost entirely as a thrusting weapon, but a good man can set
one fast by casting if the occasion demands it, up to a distance
of 20 ft. The harpoon line, which is ' grummeted ' round the
shank of the head, consists of sixteen fathoms of two-inch
tarred rope, very carefully made of the finest hemp, ' soft
laid ' ; each line is neatly coiled in a separate box placed
beneath the forward thwart. When a walrus is ' fast,' it is most
important that the line should not slip aft — if allowed to do so
it would probably capsize the boat — and to help to prevent
this, deep retaining notches are cut in two pieces of hardwood
fixed one on each side of the stempost, the top of which is also
channelled.

The lance also lies along the thwarts, its broad blade con-
tained in a box fixed at the starboard end of the forward
thwart. The head weighs about 35 lbs., and the white pine
shafts 5 lbs. to 7 lbs., according to length. It is generally
about 6 ft. and tapered from 2\ ins. at the socket to I5 in.
at the handle. The head is riveted to the shaft ; two projecting
ears run some way up, and are bound to it by apiece of stout
hoop iron, for additional security.

Along the thwarts also lie a mast and sail, and several
< hakkepiks,' a form of boathook, most useful for ice work.
Another box, fastened to the starboard gunwale, holds a tele-
scope. In the bottom of the boat are twenty-four fathoms of
rope, two double-purchase blocks, and an ice anchor ; in

ARCTIC HUNTING ll

addition to its ordinary use, this anchor is employed as a
fulcrum by which, with the aid of the blocks and rope, a boat's
crew can haul a dead walrus out of the water on to a suitable
piece of ice, to be flensed.

The fore and after peaks are provided with lockers, which
should contain a hammer, pair of pliers, nails, and some sheet
lead — for patching holes which a walrus may make with his
tusks — matches, spare grummets, cartridges, &c., and a small
kettle — a small spirit lamp would also be useful— together
with coffee and hard bread sufficient for two or three days.
An axe and one or two rifles, which lean against the edge of
the forward locker, in notches cut to take the barrels, skinning
knives, a whetstone, and a compass, which should be in a box
fitted under the after thwart, and one or two spare oars com-
plete the list of articles, without which a ' fangstbaad ' should
never touch the water. Nevertheless, it is usual to find that
two most important items, viz. food and a compass, are miss-
ing. This is surprising, for in this region of ice and fog no
one knows better than the walrus hunter when he quits his
vessel's side how uncertain is the length of time which must
elapse before he can climb on board again, even though he
may merely, as he thinks, be going to ' pick up ' a seal, lying
on an ice cake a few hundred yards away.

A boat's crew consists of four or five men, and the quick-
ness with which they can turn their boat is greatly accelerated
by their method of rowing and steering. Each man rows with
a pair of oars, which he can handle much better than one long
one when amongst ice. The oars are hung in grummets to
stout single thole-pins, so that when dropped they swing along-
side, out of the way, yet ready for instant action. The steers-
man, called the ' hammelmand,' sits facing the bow, and
guides the boat by rowing with a pair of short oars. I think
this is preferable to steering either with a rudder or with a
single long oar, as the whalers do, as it not only enables a crew
to turn their boat almost on her own centre, but economises
nearly the whole strength of one man. As there are six

12 BIG GAME SHOOTING

thwarts in the boat the ' hammelmand ' can, if necessary,
instantly change his position, and row Hke the others.

The harpooner, who commands the boat's crew, rows from
the bow thwart, near the weapons and telescope, which he
alone uses. It is he who searches for game, and decides on
the method of attack when it is found. ' No. 2,' generally the
strongest man in the boat, is called the ' line man ' ; it is his
duty to tend the line when a walrus is struck and to assist the
harpooner, while ' stroke ' and the ' hammelmand ' hang back
on their oars, to prevent the boat from 'overrunning' the
walrus.

In such a boat, then, one lovely September morning, we
are rowing easily back to the sloop, which is lying off Bird
Bay, a small indentation in the east face of the northernmost
point of Spitzbergen. The skin of an old he-bear, half cover-
ing the bottom of the boat, proves that we have already earned
our breakfasts, but no one is in a hurry. The burnished sur-
face of the sea is unmarked by a ripple save where broken by
the lazy dip of the oars. Northwards, beyond the bold contour
of North Cape, the rugged outlines of the Seven Islands stand
out sharply against the blue sky ; behind us the hills of the
mainland, dazzling in their covering of new snow, stretch away
to the south. Bird Bay and Lady Franklin's Bay are full of
fast ice, which must have lain there all the summer, but the
blazing sun makes it difficult to see where ice ends and water
begins. Around us and to the east the sea is fairly open,
except for the flat cakes of ice broken off from the fast ice,
and several old sea-worn lumps, which, from their delicate
blue colour (sea ice is white), we know have fallen from the
glaciers of the east coast, or, perhaps, have travelled from some
land, out there beyond Seven Islands, which no man has yet
seen. The harpooner is balancing himself, one foot on the
forward locker and one on the thwart, examining through a
telescope something which appears to be a lump of dirty ice,
about half a mile away. Suddenly he closes his glass and
seizes the oars. ' Hvalros,' he says, and without another word

ARCTIC HUNTING 13

the ' hammelniand ' heads the boat for the black mass which, as
we rapidly approach (for no one is lazily inclined now), the
mirage magnifies into the size of a small house. Now we are
within a couple of hundred yards, and each man crouches in the
bottom of the boat, the harpooner still in the bow, his eyes level
with the combing, intently fixed upon the walrus. The ' ham-
melmand ' alone is partly erect on his seat, only his arms moving,
as he guides us from behind one lump to another. Suddenly the
walrus raises his head, and we are motionless. It is intensely
still, and the scraping of a piece of ice along the boat seems
like the roar of a railway train passing overhead on some
bridge. Down goes the head, and we glide forward again.
The walrus is uneasy ; again and again he raises his head and
looks around with a quick motion, but we have the sun right
at our back and he never notices us. At last we are within a
few feet, and with a shout of ' Vcek op, gamling ! ' ('Wake up,
old boy !'), which breaks the stillness like a shot, the harpooner
is on his feet, his weapon clasped in both hands above his
head. As the walrus plunges into the sea, the iron is buried
in his side, and with a quick twist to prevent the head from
slipping out of the same slit that it has cut in the thick hide,
the handle is withdrawn and thrown into the boat. No. 2,
who, with a turn round the forward thwart, has been paying
out the line, now checks it, as stroke and the ' hammelmand,^
facing forward, hang back on their oars to check the rush.
Bumping and scraping amongst the ice, we are towed along
for about five minutes, and then stop as the walrus comes to
the surface to breathe. In the old days the lance would finish
the business, but now it is the rifle. He is facing the boat, I
sight for one of his eyes, and let him have both barrels, with-
out much effect apparently, for away we rush for two or three
minutes more, when he is up again, still facing the boat. He
seems to care no more for the solid Express bullets (I am
using a '450 Holland & Holland Express) than if they were
peas ; but he is slow this time, and, as he turns to dive,,
exposes the fatal spot at the back of the head, and dies.

14 BIG GAME SHOOTING

It does not take us long to fix the ice anchor in a suitable
cake, and with the blocks and rope we drag him head-first on to
the ice, and skin him. On examining his head, I find that the
whole of the front part has been broken into small pieces by
the first four shots, one tusk blown clean away, and the other
broken. So much for shooting a walrus in the face !

Of course, the walrus does not always allow the boat to
approach within harpooning distance. If it is very uneasy
(which it is more likely to be in calm weather than when there
is a slight breeze blowing), the beast will begin to move when
the boat is, say, fifty yards distant. Then is the time for a
steady wrist and a clear eye, for the creature must be shot, and
shot dead, or, no matter how badly it is wounded, it will reach
the water, and, dying there, sink like a stone to the bottom.

Although the walrus does not often show fight, it is not,
on the whole, a rare thing for him to do so. The harpooners
say that three-year-old bulls are the most liable to attack a
boat, especially if it is allowed to overrun them when fast to a
harpoon line. The following incident illustrates this.

One sunny night, towards the end of May, we were running
for Black Point, Spitzbergen, as the skipper did not like the
look of a heavy black bank of clouds which a freshening
breeze was blowing up out of the south-west. Suddenly, as
we were threading our way through some heavy old ice, we
found that we were among the walrus, and we determined to
lie aback for a few hours and take some. They were lying
about in twos and threes on the ice lumps, and in a good
mood to be stalked, so that we soon had the skins of three
young bulls in the bottom of the boat ; but the fourth, a
three-year-old bull, gave trouble. He did not like the look of
the boat, and a rather long shot only wounded him. After
diving off the ice he rose quite close to the boat, and when the
harpooner gave him the weapon, instead of making off he
immediately charged. It was hand-to-hand work then : lance
and axe, hakkepik and oar, thrust and slashed, struck and
shoved, while the white tusks gleamed again and again through

ARCTIC HUNTING 15

the upper streaks of the boat ; for a walrus can strike down-
wards, upwards, and sideways, with much greater quickness
than one would imagine possible. After a while he drew off,
and, slipping a cartridge into the Express (which I had emptied
as soon as the struggle began), I put a bullet through his brain,
and he hung dead on the line. We were lucky to escape with
no more damage than a few holes in the boat and a couple of
broken oars. There were many walrus around us, both on the
ice and in the water, but the breeze had freshened into a gale,
and snow began to fall heavily, so that we were glad to get on
board again and run for shelter into Kraus Haven, a little inlet
in the mossy plain which stretches from the foot of Black Point
to the sea.

Few men are likely ever to forget the first occasion on
which they found themselves amongst a herd of walrus in the
water. Scores of fierce-looking heads — for the long tusks,
small bloodshot eyes, and moustache on the upper lip (every
bristle of which is as thick as a crow quill) give the walrus an
expression of ferocity — gaze, perhaps in unbroken silence, from
all sides upon the boat. See ! the sun glints along a hundred
wet backs, and they are gone. Away you row at racing speed
to where experience tells you they will rise again. ' Here they
are ! Take that old one with the long tusks first ! ' A couple
of quick thrusts, right and left, and away you go again, fast to
two old bulls that will want a lot of attention before you can
cut their tusks out. Indeed, unless one has served his appren-
ticeship, he had better not meddle with the harpoon at all.
The old skippers and harpooners can spin many a yarn of lost
crews and boats gone under the ice through a fatal moment's
delay in cutting free from the diving walrus.

II. THE POLAR BEAR {Urstis maritimus)

As a ' sporting ' animal the polar bear is, to the writer's
mind, somewhat overrated ; the walrus affording more exciting,
and in every sense better, sport than does the bear.

i6 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Although the history of Arctic exploration and adventure
contains accounts of many a death laid to its charge, yet the
' polar ' makes but a poor fight against the accurately sighted
breechloaders of to-day, and it is very rarely that one hears of
the loss of a man in an actual encounter with a bear. And
this for several reasons. Unlike the grizzly, the polar has
generally to fight his man at a disadvantage. Seen first at a
long distance, he commonly requires but little stalking. A
boat full of men creeps along the ice edge until within shooting
distance, and if when merely wounded the bear has the pluck
to charge, he has not the opportunity, for his enemies are on
the water, and once he leaves the ice he is completely at their
mercy — no match for a man who can handle even a lance or
an axe moderately well. Should a man happen to encounter
a polar on land or ice, however, the brute's great size and
marvellous vitality naturally make him a somewhat formidable
foe, especially as the soles of his feet are covered with close-set
hairs, which enable him to go on slippery ice as securely as
upon terra firma. This characteristic of having the sole of
the foot covered with hair is peculiar to Urstis maritiimis. But
even when encountered on ice, nine bears out of ten will not
fight, even when they have the chance, unless badly 'cornered.'
As a rule, Ursus maritimus is purely carnivorous, preying
mostly on seals, which bask on the ice with their heads always
very close to, if not actually over, the water, a habit of which
the bear takes advantage in approaching to within striking
distance, by dropping into the water some way to leeward and
swimming noiselessly along the ice edge. Even if the seal
perceives the white head, the only visible portion of the swim-
ming bear, it probably takes it for a drifting splinter of ice,
and pays no more attention to it, until a blow from the heavy
forepaw of the bear ends sleep and life together. I am told that
the bear manages to secure seals lying at their holes on large
flat expanses of ' fast ' or bay ice, but imagine that such cases
are rare, as anyone who has tried to stalk a seal basking at its
hole knows how extremely difficult, if not impossible, it is to

DEA.TH OF A POLA.R BEAR

ARCTIC HUNTING 17

approach within rifle-shot of it. I once, however, killed a
large blue seal at the fast ice edge, along whose back, from
* stem to stern,' were five parallel gashes, freshly cut through
hide and blubber, marking the passage of Bruin's paw as the
seal had slipped beneath it into the water. The walrus is also
attacked, of course on the ice only ; for in the water both
walrus and seal can sport around their enemy with impunity ;
indeed, if the professional hunters are to be believed, the
former sometimes turns the tables, and under these circum-
stances it is often the bear which comes off second best in the
encounter.

Although carnivorous, the polar also appears to be able
to exist on a vegetable diet, like other bears. Nordenskjold
observed one browsing on grass on the northern coast of
Siberia (he remarks that it was probably an old bear whose
tusks were much worn), and it is on record (' Encyclopaedia
Britannica,' ninth edition) that one was fed on bread only for
some years. From its manner of life this bear is raturally
almost amphibious, ' taking ' the water as a matter of course,
and, no doubt, frequently making long journeys by sea to
regain its habitat, from which it has been carried on some
drifting ice-lump. Captain Sabine found one 'swimming
powerfully, forty miles from the nearest shore, and with no ice
in sight to afford it rest.' No beast on the earth leads a harder
life than the polar bear. Relying solely on the chase for its
support, it roams continually amongst the ice. Even during
the winter it does not retire from the battle of life, like its less
hardy congeners, but wanders on through the storm and last-
ing darkness, for this species does not as a rule hibernate. It
is alleged elsewhere that the female differs in this respect from
the male, hibernating whilst he remains out, and the fact that
all the bears (between sixty and seventy) killed in the winter
months during the Austrian expedition under MM. Weyprecht
and Payer were males, supports this statement ; but, on the
other hand, the only bears, two in number, which we killed in
midwinter (on December 11 and 19, 1888), while wintering on

II. c

1 8 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Danes Island (north coast of Spitzbergen), were both females^
accompanied on each occasion by a cub. I think it possible,
therefore, that it is only the females which are about to cast
their young in the spring that lie dormant during the winter.
Why the rest are roaming in the darkness, or what they find to
eat in that land of death, I cannot tell ; for the seals do not lie
on the ice in the dark time (at that season of the year we
could not distinguish day from night), and, as has been said,
the bear is no match for the seal in the water.

Even if the records of gigantic grizzlies — brutes weighing
2,000 lbs. and upwards — are trustworthy, the polar must yet
be allowed to be, upon the average, the largest of his tribe.
Most Londoners know the old beast in the Zoological Gardens-
in Regent's Park (presented by Mr. Leigh Smith), which is a
good type of a big male ; and it is not too much to say that a
large full-grown male bear of this species will measure from
8 ft. to 8 ft. 6 ins. from snout to tail, and weigh, probably,
1,500 lbs. The largest I have myself killed measured 8 ft.
(Norwegian measurement) in length in the flesh, but I have
seen a skin, now in the possession of Mrs. Dunsmuir, of Victoria,
British Columbia, which measures 9 ft, 10 in. from the snout to-
root of tail. This must have belonged to an enormous bear.

The reasons why some of the expeditions after polar bear
are unsuccessful have already been referred to. If the bears
are sought for in the proper places, there is no reason why they
may not be found and killed. Around Spitzbergen the most
'likely' places are in Stor Fjord, along the south-east and
east coast (which indeed is but seldom accessible), and on the
north coast east of Wiide Bay, and in the Hinlopen Straits ;
the number of bear to be found in these localities depending,
of course, on the state of the ice. In the spring of 1889, the
south-east coast was more or less open, and the bears were sa
numerous that the skipper of one of a fleet of seven walrus
sloops, which arrived from Norway during the last week in May,
told me that he had counted upwards of twenty bears on the ice
at one time, near Half-moon Island. In the same spring, one

ARCTIC HUNTING 19

sloop killed or captured fifty bears in the locality. When a
bear is discovered on the ice by the look-out in the crow's-nest,
a * fangstbaad ' is lowered, and the hunt begins. It is often
but a- tame affair. If one of the hunters can manage to show
himself between the main body of the ice or land and his quarrj-,
the bear will generally take to the water, when he may be pur-
sued and dispatched at leisure, for he is not a fast swimmer,
although a powerful one. The carcase of a bear, unlike that
of the walrus or seal, always floats. Among rough old pack or
on ' hummocky ' fast ice, however, the affair assumes a more
sporting turn, as the bear must then be carefully stalked amid
the ice lumps, either by boat or on foot, great attention being
paid to the direction of the wind ; for Ursus maritimus is one
of the keenest-scented animals in creation, and if he once winds
the hunter, the chase may be abandoned unless there is a
chance of driving him into the water. The chief danger of
such a hunt is from the ice, which is liable to be ' working,' or
which, in the case of bay ice, may be rotten in places at the
season of the year when most of the hunting is done. In
many cases a man should not venture on a floe or big sheet of
bay ice to chase or intercept a bear without a pair of Norwegian
snow-shoes and a 'hakkepik,' and should be careful also in
stepping on to the ice from a boat, as the edge is often under-
mined by the action of the water, and will break beneath his
weight, although to the eye it looks as solid as the rest of the
block.

There is another phase of hunting. When the darkness of
an Arctic winter has settled down on the ice fields, wrapping
some ice-bound crew in its pall, then one of the few excitements
which is granted to these men, left out of the light and
warmth of the world, is the silent coming of some old white
bear.

Early one December morning, when wintering on Danes
Island, we heard bears about a mile away among the loose
ice near Amsterdam Island. The men judged that the cries
were made by a cub which was being punished by its mother

c 2

26 BIG GAME SHOOTING

for not being able to keep up with her, and this proved to be
the case ; for before noon an old she-bear, and what seemed to
be, from the tracks we afterwards saw, a three-parts-grown cub,
were 'nosing' about some old seal carcases which, frozen into
stony hardness, were lying a few yards distant from the snow
wall surrounding the house. I crept up to them, but with an
overcast sky and no moon there was not light enough for a fair
aim, even at a few feet distance, so that the heavy balls from
the Paradox gun struck her too far back to stop her at once,
and with a low roar both she and the cub made off.

For some way along the shore there was an open space, a
few feet in width, between the ice and rocks, caused by the rise
and fall of the tides, and we saw the phosphorescent light flash
up as the old bear struck the water in crossing it. The cub
kept along the shore-line, and the skipper and myself followed
his trail in deep snow until it ran on to the ice. As we
retraced our steps we saw a spurt of flame apparently about
a quarter of a mile away, near the Corpse Rocks ; but the
report of the rifle never reached us, being lost in the rending
and groaning of the ice, which was grinding its way out of the
Gat. This shot we found was fired by the mate, who was out
on the ice after the old bear, with whom he had evidently
come up, for we saw his rifle flash again and again, and had
just decided to go to him, dragging our smallest boat with us,
when the ice must have become jammed in the mouth of the
Gat, for it began to close again. We were soon up with him?
and did not stop to skin the bear, but dragged it head first over
the ice to the house. The mate had found her lying down, and
in twelve shots, two of which were miss-fires, had in the darkness
put six bullets into her, the last of which had pierced her hearts
She was in fair condition, although giving suck, but the stomach
was quite empty, save for an old reindeer moccasin which one
of the men had thrown away. One of my shots had almost
filled the abdominal cavity with torn entrails and debris, but,
with this terrible wound and a broken hind leg, the bear had
fought her way for more than a quarter of a mile through loose

ARCTIC HUNTING 21

ice, before lying down on the spot where the mate found her.
A few hours later a south-west gale was cutting the crest off
the heavy seas which were rolling where the trail we made in
dragging the dead bear had been.

In conclusion, I may mention a ruse we employed during
the winter months to attract any bears which might be roaming
in our vicinity. A small quantity of seal blubber was kept
burning and simmering in an iron pot, placed without our snow
wall and replenished every few hours. Towards the end of
February, two days after the re-appearance of the sun, a large
old he-bear wandered about within sight, for the greater portion
of two days, apparently sniffing up the fumes from our blubber
pot, without daring to approach within four hundred yards of
the house. At length we killed him, and after taking the skin
decided to utilise the flesh, to the sparing of our blubber stock.
With this idea, we filled the cavity of his chest with shavings
and coal oil, and set the mass on fire. The odour of the dense
black vapour which poured from the carcase may have attrac-
tions for bears, but was too pungent and powerful for human
nostrils. The men were quickly of the opinion that ' bear
would not eat bear,' and the following morning we were com-
pelled to cut a hole in the ice, and commit the charred body of
the last of our winter visitors to a watery grave.

22 BIG GAME SHOOTING

CHAPTER II

THE CAUCASUS
By Clive Phillipps-Wolley

I. INTRODUCTORY

Although the Caucasus is within a week's journey of Charing
Cross, to the average Enghshman it is as Httle known as
Alaska. As a hunting ground for big game it is infinitely less
known than Central Africa. The men who have shot in Africa
and written of their sport in that country may be counted by
the score ; but, as far as I know, up to the present moment no
book has been written (except my own)^ upon the sport of
the Caucasus, and in this chapter I am obliged to rely upon my
own experience and some rough notes sent me by Mr. St. George
Littledale. That being so, it may well be that much has been
omitted which may hereafter become common knowledge ; I can
only affirm that the statements made are trustworthy, as being
the outcome of actual personal experience, unvarnished and
undiluted.

To me the Caucasus is an enchanted land. The spell of
its flower-clad steppes, of its dense dreamy forests, of its giant
wall of snow peaks, fell upon me whilst I was still a boy, and
will be with me all my life through. It was the first country
in which I ever hunted, and it may be that I am prejudiced
in its favour on that account, or it may be that I am right,
that there is no country under heaven so beautiful and none
in which the witchery of sport is so strong. Let my confession

' Sport in the Crimea and Caucasus and Savage Svdnetia. Bentley & Son.

THE CAUCASUS 23

of prejudice be taken into consideration by all who read this
chapter, and with it the verdict of my quondam companion
in Svanetia : ' The Caucasus is an accursed country to hunt
in, a country of ceaseless climbing and chronic starvation, in
which the sport is not nearly worth the candle.' This was the
honest conviction of one who is no mean sportsman, and who
since his Caucasian experiences has done exceptionally well
in India.

But men define sport differently. To those whose ambition
it is to kill really wild game in a wild and savage country in
which they will get but little help from any but their own right
hands, to them I say, try the high solitudes round Elbruz and
the ironstone ridges of Svanetia.

The best time for sport in the mountains is the end of June,
July, August, and the first week in September, after which
another month may be spent profitably hunting bear and boar
in the chestnut forests on the Black Sea ; for aurochs the
hunter should be in the sylvan labyrinths at the head of the
Kuban in August.

Taking London as your point of departure, you can reach
the Caucasus by four different routes : either by Paris, Mar-
seilles, and thence by one of the boats of the Messageries
Maritimes (running once a fortnight) via Constantinople to
Batoum ; or by Calais, Cologne, Vienna and Odessa, to
Batoum ; or by the Oriental Express via Paris and Constanti-
nople; or by Wilson's line of boats from Hull to St. Petersburg,
and thence by rail via Moscow and Voroneze to Vladikavkaz.

The first route takes about eleven days, and costs about
16/. 1 6 J. ; the second takes (roughly) nine days, and costs
about 20/. The third route is, I believe, the quickest and most
expensive, but I have not tried it.

My own favourite route is the fourth, by adopting which you
gain the advantage of a quiet and untroubled journey, with few
vexatious changes, only one custom-house (and that with a
consul-general at hand to help you through), and the possibility
of alighting from the train within a drive of the outskirts of

24 BIG GAME SHOOTING

your hunting ground. The cost of the journey from London
to Vladikavkaz by this route is about (including food, &c.) 20/.,
or as much more as you like to make it. From St. Petersburg
to the Don the level lands of Russia glide by your carriage
window unbroken by a single hill — I had almost said by a single
tree. After Voroneze you enter the steppe country proper, a
sea of flowers in spring, a perfect hell of dust, or mud, or wind,
for all the rest of the year. From Voroneze these steppes roll
right up to the foot of the main chain of the Caucasus, and stand-
ing on the plains near Naltchik you may see at a coup d'ceil
some hundreds of versts of snow-capped mountains rising like a
sheer wall drawn from the north-east to the south-west of the
peninsula. These snow-capped mountains and the ' black hills '
(as the natives call the densely wooded foot-hills) constitute
the principal game preserve of the country, and resemble, in
their appearance and in the varieties of game with which they
abound, the hill country of India, to such an extent that an
old friend of mine, whose happiest days had been spent in
shikar in the Himalayas, used to allege that all the game beasts
found in the Caucasus were mere varieties of the Indian fauna.

Before deahng with the different districts and the game
found in each, a few general hints to the traveller may not
come amiss.

The Caucasus is the arena of the hardest fight Russia ever
fought, and, having partially depopulated the country, she still
holds it by force of arms. That being so, the more unpre-
tentious a traveller is, the better is his chance of passing un-
questioned about the country. Strong introductions from
home and from the Foreign Office are more likely to hamper
than to help, and if you want leave to go to any little
travelled district, the best way is to take it. If you ask for
it you are likely to be refused, but if you go in quietly, with
a small outfit, and devote yourself exclusively to hunting, no
one is likely to interfere with you.

The best outfit in the Caucasus is that which comes
nearest to the hunter's beau ideal, i.e. as much as he can carry

THE CAUCASUS 25

himself. This of course, hke all ideals, is unattainable, but
you may come very close to it ; and as there are many places
in which, when in pursuit of mountain game, you cannot use
horses, your baggage must be such as one, or at most two, men
can pack in a bad place. Now a man should pack 50 lbs.,
and if your means are unlimited, your baggage need only be
limited by the number of men you can persuade to accompany
you ; but the more men you have with you the less work you
will get done per man, as the chief luxury of the Caucasian is
gossip, and with a crowd of followers the temptation to loaf
and talk would prove irresistible.

Two men, one as a guide and gillie, and one to leave in
camp (both of them taking their share of packing whenever
camp is moved), should be sufficient for anyone. Of course,
where it is practicable, ponies should be used, as with them
a greater weight can be packed, and packed too more ex-
peditiously, than with men ; and in most cases it will be found
easy enough to take pack ponies to establish your main camp,
proceeding from that on foot for short expeditions of three or
four days. It is as well to remember that 200 lbs. is a good
load for a pony in rough country, more, probably, than he
could carry on most of the Caucasian trails, and from 50 lbs. to
60 lbs. quite enough for a man, although I have known one of
my own men carry nearly double that weight during an ordinary
day's tramp, arriving at camp towards sundown brimful of
spirits and devilment. I remember that when his load was off
he stood on his head, and 'larked' about with the other
fellows to relieve his exuberance of vitality. A tente d'abri,
to weigh about 15 lbs., is the best tent for Caucasian travel,
because it is the lightest and handiest to carry. My old
tent used to weigh about 20 lbs., and this with an express
rifle (about 10 lbs.), cartridges, field glasses, a revolver and a
few sundries, used to constitute my own 'pack."

When travelling with Caucasian porters and hunters it is as

1 The revolver was a useless encumbrance, and the tent can be made many
pounds lighter. — C. P.-W.

26 BIG GAME SHOOTING

well to treat them as comrades and not as servants. Although
they work for hire, they do not understand the relation of
master and servant, and, though perfectly ready to help you
when you need help, expect you to help yourself when you can,
whilst in all matters of food and camp comfort they expect to
share and share alike with the head of the expedition. May I
digress here for a moment to say that this is one of the most
important secrets of travel ? Never allow yourself any luxuries
in a ' tight place ' which your men have no share in. If you have
only one pipeful of tobacco, when provisions are short, share it
with your men, and in the Caucasus at any rate you will not
lose your reward. It is a good many years ago now, but the
memory of one chilly night among the mountains is with me
still, when I woke at 3 a.m. to find myself warm and snug
under two extra bourkas (native blankets). The owners of the
blankets were squatting on their hams, almost in the fire, and
talking to pass the long cold hours until dawn. Having rated
them for their folly and made them take back their blankets
and turn in, I rolled over and slept again. When I next woke
— it was 7 A.M. (shamefully late for camp) — the men were still
crouching over the embers, helping to cook breakfast, their
bourkas having been replaced upon my shoulders. I had paid
those men off the day before this happened, and they left me
next morning with a hearty 'God be with you,' utterly un-
conscious that they had done anything more than the proper
thing towards their employer and companion who, 'poor
devil, could not sleep unless he was warm, and became ill if he
did not get a meal every day in the week.'

A sleeping bag such as Alpine Club men use would be
an excellent substitute for blankets, and with that, a pipeful of
tobacco, a little bread and bacon and a small flask of whiskey,
any reasonably keen and hearty sportsman should be able to
hold out for a few nights among the mountain-tops in August.
Indeed, if this is too much hardship for the would-be ibex
hunter, he had better give up ibex hunting.

In all the best districts for mountain game round Elbruz

THE CAUCASUS

27

the traveller will find smoke-blackened lairs amongst the rocks,
and round beds amongst the fallen pine needles at the base of

Waiting for tiie dawn

some great tree just on the timber limit. In these, for genera-
tions, the ibex hunters of Svanetia have rested from their
labours and waited for the dawn.

28 BIG GAME SHOOTING

As to general camp outfit, any light outfit for a hunter's
camp in a temperate region (e.g. Europe or North America)
will suffice ; extreme portability being the principal thing to aim
at, as the trails are infamously bad in the best game districts.

Eschewing luxuries, let the hunter take with him all the
flour he can carry, as round Elbruz and in all the best moun-
tain districts the only flour obtainable is of villanous quality,
and the bread made from it will damage the most cast-iron
digestion.

As to foot-gear, English hobnailed boots may do excel-
lently well for mountaineers, and may be the best possible
things on ice. I would as soon wear rings on my fingers and
bells on my toes as attempt to hunt in boots. For still hunt-
ing of any kind, whether in the mountains or in the forest,
moccasins of some sort are essential, whether they be soled with
india-rubber like tennis shoes, or simply soled with a double
sole of deer's hide, like those used in North America. For
the ' tender foot ' old tennis shoes are excellent things, but a
pair per diem would not be too much to allow for ibex shoot-
ing in the Caucasus, the rocks cutting any foot-gear to pieces
in the shortest possible time.

The native moccasin is the best after all ; a sock of deer
skin or some other soft tanned hide, made large and loose, with
a split down the middle of the sole from toe to heel, which is
laced up with raw hide laces, the laces running across and
across each other thus XXXX, The moccasin is stuffed with
fine mountain grass, and is then put on damp and tightly laced.
By these means a comfortable fit is ensured, the tender hollow
beneath the instep is protected from sharp rocks, and a firm
grip in slippery places is given by the kind of network made
by the laces. In boots a man has no chance of using his toes
to cling with \ even to bend his foot is beyond his powers, and
a boot once worn out cannot be repaired in camp, whereas a
moccasin may be patched until none of the original article
remains.

A sling for your rifle is a necessity in all mountain shooting ;

THE CAUCASUS 29

so, too, is an alpenstock, which should never be shod with
metal, the ring of which against the rocks would proclaim your
approach half a mile away. Choose a good stout pole of some
hard wood for yourself ; harden it (and especially the point) in
the fire, and test it carefully before using it, as it may have to
carry your weight in awkward places.

Wages in the Caucasus vary according to the amount of
travel in the district. If the sportsman is unfortunate enough
to run across a district in which foreign tourists are common,
the charges made for men and horses will be excessive, but in
remote districts, off the main lines of travel, you could (in 1888)
hire a man and his horse for 5^-. a day, and a porter to carry
your food and blankets in the mountains at \s. a day.

In 1882 I travelled and shot for three months in the
Caucasus with a friend. During the whole of that period [
carried the money-bags, and at the end of the trip, I believe
that I was able to return a little small change to my companion
out of the 100/. with which he had entrusted me, as his share
of our joint purse. Out of our 200/. I paid railway fares, hotel
bills, and all camp expenses ; and it is only fair to add that when
in a town the best room in the best hotel, and its best bottle
of wine, was only just good enough for us. Luckily, we spent
very little time in towns.

Those days, I am afraid, have already passed away, but two
roubles a day should still be ample pay for any of the men who
accompany a shooting party, and less than that would probably
be taken gratefully. The chief difficulty of the Caucasus as
a shooting ground for Englishmen lies in the language of the
country, which varies in every district. Either Russian or
Georgian would probably be sufficient to carry a man through
the whole country between the Black Sea and the Caspian, as
he would generally find some one w-ho spoke one or other of
these tongues in every village he entered, and even if now and
again he came to a hamlet where no one could understand
his speech, the ordinary Caucasian is wonderfully apt at the
language of signs.

30 BIG GAME SHOOTING

An interpreter can be hired at I'iflis or Kutais, but he will
be more trouble than a valet and more fastidious, besides
doubling the expense of the expedition and causing constant
trouble with your men. There may, of course, be good inter-
preters ; if so, I have been unfortunate in never meeting any.
My last word of advice shall be, try to do without them, pick
up a little Russian for yourself, and then trust to luck and
good temper to pull you through.'

II. NORTH-WEST CAUCASUS.

The Caucasus includes not only the great range which
gives its name to the isthmus, but also a district as large as
France, bounded on the north by Russia, on the east by the
Caspian, on the south by Armenia and Persia, and on the west
by the Black Sea and the Azov.

In any similar area you would expect to find districts varying
considerably in their fauna, but in the Caucasus the districts
to the north and south of the chain vary to such an extent, that
the naturalist Eichwald speaks of the ' tall peaks of Caucasus,'
as putting the most distinct limits to the fauna of Asia and
Europe.

The northern side of the chain, from what is called the
Manitch depression to the foot-hills of the main chain, is
simply a continuation of the steppes of Russia, a land without
trees, and, until you get near the foot-hills, devoid of all game
except feathered game and wolves.

To the north-west of the mountains, the great game district
is that which lies along the banks of the Kuban, a river rising
in the main chain near Elbruz, and flowing thence due north
for a space, after which it turns sharply westward, and flows
parallel to the main chain, finally emptying itself into the Black

' To deal exhaustively with all subjects connected with mountain hunting,
in the Caucasus or elsewhere, would be to repeat much which has already
been written by experts in the Mountaineering volume of this series. Rather
than do this, I strongly recommend anyone who meditates a hunt in Alpine
regions to procure that volume and read it carefully. — C. P.-W.

THE CAUCASUS 31

Sea. On its road from Elbruz to the sea it receives the waters
of every stream which drains to the north-west of the chain ;
and it is here, between the Kuban and the mountains, and
upon the banks and head waters of the Kuban's tributaries, that
the hunting grounds of Northern Caucasus are to be found.

Going east from Taman along the line of the Kuban, the
country is broken up by huge beds of a tall reed called kamish
by the natives {Arundo phragmites of the naturalists), which
grows to such a height as to hide a man riding through it. In
places these reed beds stretch for miles, and through them the
Kuban runs, a dull sluggish flood, more like a great canal
than a mountain-born river.

Its banks of black mud, however, are interesting enough to
the sportsman, written over as they are with the ' sign ' of the
beasts which find safe harbour in the adjoining jungles.

Of these beasts the commonest is the wild boar, an animal
which I believe grows to larger proportions, and exists in
greater numbers, in the Caucasus than anywhere else on earth.
A pair of tusks, the tracings of which are before me now (the
originals being in the possession of Colonel Veerubof, Governor
of Naltchik), measure round the outside edge 11^ ins. and
\\\ ins. respectively.

Like the European wild boar, the Caucasian beast is of a
blackish-grey colour, covered with a long coat of stiff bristles,
which he erects along his spine when irritated, making him
appear some inches taller than he really is. Professor Radde,
of the Tiflis Museum, has been kind enough to supply me with
the following particulars. 'The largest solitary boars,' he says,
' measured at the shoulder and measured straight, stand about
105 centimeters, and their total weight not dressed rarely
exceeds 15 puds (600 lbs.).' These are undoubtedly big beasts,
but in the chestnut forests of Circassia, and in the reed beds
of the Kuban, there are such rich feeding grounds that in
them even a 600-lb. boar seems possible. In India, I suppose,
to shoot a boar is as vile a crime as vulpecide in Leicester-
shire, but, except on the plains of Kabardah, there is no place

32 BIG GAME SHOOTING

in the Caucasus where the boar could be hunted on horseback,
and even there the hunting would be but a very short scurry
at early dawn from the maize fields to the foot-hills, the shelter
of which once gained, the quarry would be absolutely safe from
any mounted enemy.

Enormous as their numbers are, wild boars would be even
more numerous between the Black Sea and the Caspian, were
it not for their nocturnal raids on the maize fields of the
natives, most of whom, being Mahommedans, only hunt the
marauders in self-defence, not deigning to so much as touch
them when dead. The Cossacks, of course, have no such
scruples about pork, and the principal object left in life to the
old scouts ('plastouns'), who were wont to keep the Kuban
red with Tcherkess blood, is the pursuit of the boar.

In the great reed beds in which they used to lurk waiting
until the men of some native ' aoul ' went out to harvest, that
they might give the village to sword and flame, these same
scouts wander to-day, grey as the boars they hunt, rough,
savage, and uncouth as their quarry, wounded probably in a
score of places, but silent-footed, enduring, and as well acquainted
with every game path in the reeds as the very beasts which
made them. These are the men to obtain for guides if you can
get them, but beware of paying them a single kopeck as long as
there is a cabak (whisky shop) within a day's march of you.
As a rule the plastoun shoots his game at night, waiting
by some wallow or by the side of some swine path leading to
water or fruit trees, until he hears a rustling among the reeds,
sounding strangely loud in the moonlit August night, and
growing nearer and nearer until between the watcher and the
skyline comes a great dark bulk. Round the muzzle of his old
musket the plastoun ties a white string with a large knot in it,
where the foresight should be, and aiming low into the middle
of the dark mass, pulls his trigger when the boar is almost on
the muzzle of his rifle. My first experience of boar shooting
was connected with such a shot as this ; but on that occasion
the victory rested with the boar. Through a long summer

- THE CAUCASUS 33

night I waited for my gillie to come back from his vigil by tlie
Kuban, and at dawn he came, four men carrying him. He
had wounded the old grey beast on a narrow path through the
kamish, and had lain still while the boar gnashed his teeth and
glared about for his foe. But the tall reeds hid the hunter,
and the boar turning retraced his steps, leaving a broad blood
trail as he went. Until the grey dawn the Tcherkess waited,
and then, confident that he would find his enemy cold and stiff
not far away, he got up and followed the tracks. Before he

-■3*

^

The boar's charge

had gone far, there was a crash among the reeds behind him,
followed by a fierce rush along the trail, and as he turned to
face his foe, the keen white tusks ripped him from knee to thigh-
joint and across and across his stomach, until his bowels rushed
out and he lay across the pathway nearer death than the boar.
When his companions found him he had still life enough
left to tell the story, and an examination of the scene of the
encounter proved the extraordinary cunning of the wounded
boar, who, failing to ' locate ' his enemy when first struck, had
retraced his own steps along the trail, had entered the reeds at

II. D

34 BIG GAME SHOOTING

a point higher up and on the opposite side to that from which
the shot had come, and, returning by a line parallel to the
trail, had lain in hiding opposite to the ambush of the hunter.

Only once in eighteen years' wanderings have I seen any-
thing to match this in cunning, and as it was in the same
neighbourhood, I may be allowed to allude to it here.

In the Red Forest, near Ekaterinodar, the wood is cut up
into square versts, divided by rides. The snow had fallen,
and in one of these squares old Colonel Rubashevsky, the
forester, showed me where a pack of wolves had surrounded
a small band of roe deer, having taken up positions along the
four sides of the square, from which, on some preconcerted
signal, they appeared to have converged simultaneously upon the
centre where the deer lay. They had surprised in this manner
four or five roe deer, whose remains we found. But to return
to the boar. If anyone should care to hunt this beast specially,
the best plan to ensure success is to sit up for him at night when
the pears round some Cossack settlement are fresh fallen, or
else to hunt him with a small pack of hounds. Half a dozen
curs will suffice, and with these, in the chestnut forests on the
Black Sea, or in the lovely pheasant-haunted woods near
Lenkoran, very good sport may be obtained, for not only will
the boar, shifting rapidly from holt to holt in an almost
impervious tangle of thorns, tax the endurance of the hunter
to the utmost, but should that hunter be tempted to take a
snap shot at the black quarters and crisply curling tail of
which he gets a glimpse as it vanishes into dense covert, it is a
thousand to ten that the next thing which he sees will be
the other end of the gallant beast coming straight for him
at something less than a hundred miles an hour. There is
no beast alive for whose uncalculating courage I have so much
admiration as I have for the boar's. I have seen him scatter
a pack of hounds nearly as big as mastiffs (they were mongrel
harlequins) and go straight for the hunter. I have seen a sow
with her back broken trying to worry with her teeth a hound
nearly as big as herself, and fighting till death stiffened her

THE CAUCASUS 35

muscles, and I have also seen an old boar, with a bullet in
his neck, trying for my wind like a pointer trying for birds,
and as angry as a drunken Irishman who can find no one
to fight with. Luckily, he gave me a broadside shot at him
before he had discovered my whereabouts.

As to a locaHty suited for hunting boar, it is hard to choose
in the Caucasus. Wild swine swarm on the coast of the Caspian ;
they are the road-makers and chief denizens of the kamish
jungles on the Kuban ; they abound in all the scrub oak dis-
tricts among the foot-hills, but perhaps they are most numerous
where Circe tended her herds of old, on the wooded slopes
near the Phasis, between Sukhoum and Poti. Like most
beasts, they are more or less nocturnal in their habits, coming
out to feed on the peasants' crops, wild fruit, oak-mast, chest-
nuts, or the roots of the common bracken at dusk, and retiring
during the day to the densest thorn thickets, where neither sun
nor man can molest them, and where the thick black mud is
most moist and dank.

A smoothbore (No. 12), with a round bullet in it, is
the handiest weapon for shooting wild boar over hounds, as
with it you can make better practice snap shooting in the
dense jungle than you could possibly hope to make with a
rifle.'

But the kamish beds and the foot-hills hold nobler beasts
of chase even than the wild boar. Besides the tracks of the
roe and the wild swine, the hunter's eye will be gladdened now
and again by the big track of the ollfen, although the proper
habitat of this noble beast is in the foot-hills and the lower
ridges of the main chain.

The ollfen is the red deer of the Caucasus, and is found
from the Red Forest (' Krasnoe Lais '), near Ekaterinodar on
the Kuban, to the snows on the mountains of Daghestan.
Naturalises may be able to detect some points of difference
between this deer and the red deer of Europe and the wapiti of

1 This w as written before the author had had experience of the Paradox,
the best of all weapons for bush shooting.— C. P.-W.

]> 2

36 BIG GAME SHOOTING

the New World. To the ordinary hunter he is the same beast,
only that in size he more nearly resembles the great stag of
America than our Scotch red deer.

Mr. St. George Littledale puts the oUen midway in size
between the bara singh of Cashmere and the wapiti, whilst
Dr. Radde, curator of the Tiflis Museum, maintains that the
quality of their food makes the only difference (a difference
merely of size) between the wapiti, bara singh, oUen and red
deer. When I hunted the oUen I had no notion that I should
ever be called upon to carefully discriminate between them
and their kin in other countries, so that I am obliged to rely
upon my memory for any points of difference, and memory
only suggests that whereas the wapiti rarely (if ever) has ' cups '
on his antlers, the oUen royal has the peculiar cup formation
as often as the red deer. Again, the call of the Caucasian stag
in the rutting season (September) is similar to that of the
Scotch stag, and does not resemble the weird whistle of the
wapiti. In size both of body and antler the ollen comes very
near to the great American stag. The dimensions of four heads,
obtained by Mr. Littledale at one stalk, will give a very fair
idea of the average size of ollen heads, and a glance at the
illustration taken from a photograph of this gentleman's bag
for 1887 will convey an idea of the general character of oll^n'
heads as well as of the sporting capabilities of the Caucasus.
In this photograph, to make it a complete record of his year,
Mr. Littledale should have included trophies of boar and bear
which also fell to his rifle.

On the day upon which Littledale's four heads were
obtained, this fortunate sportsman, lying on a ridge near the
summit of the divide, looked down at one coup d'oeil upon a
dozen old male tAr in an unstalkable position, two bears whose
skins (it being in August) were not worth having, a chamois
scorned as small game, and the stags which he ultimately
bagged.

The following are the dimensions of three of the four heads
referred to ; the fourth, a 1 2-point head, had some of the

THE CAUCASUS

37

velvet still clinging to it in shreds, and the dimensions I see
are not given.

Points

Girth of beam

Length of brow
antler

20 inches
i6i „
13^ »

Length from skull to

tip along the curve

of antler

(I)

(2)

(3)

14
13
13

6| inches
7

7i „

44^ inches
46| „
48 .,

Compare these measurements with those of the biggest wapiti
exhibited at the American Exhibition of 1887, belonging to
Mr. Frank Cooper, of which the length along the curve was
62^ ins., the girth of the beam 8 ins., and the number of
points 16, and it will be seen that, given as large a number of
picked Caucasian heads to choose from as there were picked
American heads in England in 1887, the probability is that the
oWhn would not be very much surpassed by the wapiti.

Like the latter, the ollfen is daily growing scarcer. In Min-
grelia, before the Russian conquest of that province, this grand
red deer abounded, and for some time after that date the
Russian peddlers did quite a lively trade in antlers, which they
obtained by the cartload for a mere song from the natives.
But ill-blood arose between the Russian officers and the native
princes, which led to a wholesale slaughter of the oU^n, so that
to-day it is comparatively scarce in its old haunts, although
on the head-waters of the Kuban and its tributaries, and in
Daghestan (where the natives call it ' maral '), the oWhn still
exists in sufficient numbers to satisfy any honest hunter. The
worst characteristic of the beast is that, as a general rule,
he is as fond of timber as a wapiti in Oregon.

The Caucasian ollen has his antlers clean from about the
middle of August, and his rutting season is (in the mountain
regions near Naltchik) about the middle of September.

The only other deer in the Caucasus is the roe {Cervus
capreolus\ a pretty graceful little beast, which is plentiful on
the Black Sea coast, amongst the foot-hills, and forms the

353456

38 BIG GAME SHOOTING

principal item in the bag made at the big drives in the Imperial
and other preserves of the district. The sharp bark of these
little bucks, as they bound away unseen from some thicket
above you, or a glimpse of a group of roes standing as still as
statues, dappled with the shadows of the foliage above them,
are incidents in most days' still hunting in Circassia.

In the Crimea, round Theodosia and Yalta, men may hunt
specially for roe, as there is no larger game (except, they say, a
few red deer near Yalta), but in the Caucasus he is only looked
upon as useful for filling up the void in one's larder.

After all, in big game hunting half the charm lies in the
mystery of the dark silent forests and the mist-hidden moun-
tain peaks. Once well away from the haunts of men, you are
in a land of romance, and if you do not actually believe in the
eternal bird who broods upon Elbruz, at the sound of whose
voice the forest songsters become dumb, and the beasts tremble
in their lairs ; if you don't believe, as the natives do, that the
tempests are raised by the flapping of her hoary wings ; if you
scout the camp-fire stories of the tiny race seen riding at night
upon the grey steppe hares ; you have still some superstitions
of your own — you look for some wonder from every fresh ridge
you climb, in every dim forest that you enter. In America it
is the hope of a 2,000-lb. grizzly or a 20-in. ram which buoys
up the hunter ; on the head-waters of the Kuban, on the
Zelentchuk, on the Urup, on the Laba, and especially upon
the Bielaia river beyond Maikop, in the least known and most
unfathomable wooded ravines from which the Kuban draws
his waters, it is the rumour of a great beast, called zubre by the
natives, which draws the hunter on.

If the zubre differs at all from the aurochs,' he is the only
beast left, now that Mr. Littledale has slain the Ovis poli^ of
which no specimen has fallen to an Englishman's rifle.

That a beast nearly allied to the great bull of Bielowicza
does exist, and in considerable numbers, in the districts in-

1 Since this was written Mr. St. G. Littledale has killed the aurochs as he
killed the Ovis poll.

THE CAUCASUS 39

dicated, there can be no doubt. A fine is imposed by the
Russian Government upon anyone who slays a zubre, and this
in itself goes a long way to prove the beast's existence ; but
there is better evidence than this. In 1079 I knew of two
which were killed as they came at night to help themselves in
winter to a peasant's haystack, and in 1866 a young zubre was
caught alive on the Zelentchuk and sent to the Zoological
Gardens of Moscow, where the savants decided that he was
identical with the aurochs of Bielowicza. Unfortunately the
chance of adding the head of a zubre to the sportsman's col-
lection is becoming more and more remote, as, in addition to
the law protecting the beast, the districts in which he is most
common are now included in a preserve set apart for the sons
of the Grand Duke, who formerly ruled at Tiflis.

III. SOUTHERN SLOPES OF THE CAUCASUS

The black hills and the pine forests on the northern side
of the chain are the favourite haunts of the red deer and the
aurochs, as the reedy bed of the Kuban is the favourite home
of the boar and the pheasant ; but though bears are found on
the northern slopes in fair numbers, occurring sometimes even
above the snow-line, the true home of Michael Michaelovitch
(as the peasants call him) is on the sunny slopes of the
southern side of the chain, as for instance in the great wild
fruit districts of Radcha, between the Kodor and the Ingur, or
in the sweet-chestnut forests and deserted orchards of Cir-
cassia.

The change from one side of the main chain to the other
is as marked to-day as ancient legend made it. It is a change
from a northern land of storm and mist and pine forest to a
land of tropical luxuriance, of rank vegetation, of enervating
sunshine. Vines and clematis, and that accursed thorny
creeper which the Russians call ' wolf s-tooth,' form impene-
trable veils between the trees, while huge flowering weeds,
thickets of rhododendron and azalea, and jungles of the

40 BIG GAME SHOOTING

umbelliferous angelica pour down dew upon you in the morning
until every rag of your clothing is soaked through, or later on
in the day impede your progress and render every footstep
noisy.

Through all this wild tangle of forest growth run the brown
bears' paths. Down below are tracts of wild currant bushes ;
in the gullies made by the mountain brooks are patches of
raspberry canes, and leading to them, from the cool lairs
higher up (which he affects at noontide), are the broad path-
ways down which the lazy old gourmand half walks, half
toboggans, just as the sun goes down, when you can hardly
tell the outline of his clumsy bulk from the other great silent
shadows which people the gloaming.

The natives of Radcha and the mountain forests to the
north-west of that province, having but little arable land, clear
small patches in the forests and grow crops of oats amongst
the charred stumps. These are the places in which to wait for
Bruin at night, and earn the thanks of your neighbours, as well
as the brown coat of the old thief himself. I well remember
once in Radcha, when the moonlight was so bright that I could
read a letter by it, waiting with my Tcherkess until it grew so
late that we gave up all hope of a bear that night. Suddenly
a bough snapp)ed in the forest above us, and within ten
minutes a great brown shadow was biting at a bullet hole near
its shoulder, after which it galloped off into the rim of gloom
which hedged in our litde oat-field. Within half an hour from
that time the field seemed full of bears, four or five of which
we could distinguish plainly, their backs moving about slowly
just above the level of the crop, and all of them as silent as
spectres. We got a bear every night we stopped at that camp,
and left feeling sorry for the local agriculturists.

Amongst the chestnuts and old orchards between Tuapse
and Sukhoum bears are as numerous as in Radcha, and I have
frequently seen half a dozen in a day's still hunting. Being
undisturbed, they feed or wander almost all day long through
the still, shady forests, and though early morning and evening

THE CAUCASUS 41

are the best times to look for them, the man who with
moccasined feet will ' loaf ' slowly upward, standing still from
time to time to listen and to watch, will rarely go half a day
without a shot, at any rate in late autumn.

Still hunting in October is the best way of obtaining game
in the forests by the Black Sea ; but later on in December,
when the berries are over, the fruit rotten and the chestnuts-
eaten, the bears ' house up ' (or hibernate), and the only chance
of getting any sport at all is with hounds ; even then pigs
and roe deer will be your only quarry, and nine times out of
ten you will waste your day hunting wild cats or jackals, your
pack appearing to prefer these beasts to nobler game.

The common bear of the Caucasus is a small brown bear,
like, but not as large as, his cousin of Russia, although I have
once killed a young specimen (full grown, but with teeth un-
worn) as light in colour and as large as the ordinary Russian
bear. As a rule the Caucasian bear is an inoffensive brute,
but, like all his race, he will every now and then turn upon his
assailants. I said above ' the common bear ' of the Caucasus,
and I said it advisedly; for, although I am aware that I may meet
with contradiction from high authorities, I am myself firmly per-
suaded that there is another variety of bear found, for the most
part in the highlands of Central Caucasus about Radcha,
Svanetia, and on the uplands of Ossetia, and the head-waters of
the Baksan, Tchegem and Tscherek, tributaries of the Terek.

It may well be that these bears occur elsewhere in the
isthmus, but I have never seen them or their skins in the low-
lands by the Black Sea. The highland bear of the Caucasus,
whose tracks I have found over and over again among the
snow and ice far above timber level, is called ' Mouravitchka '
(the ' little ant-eater ') by the natives, who allege that he is as
savage as the common bear is pacific ; that he preys upon the
flocks and herds, which the ordinary bear never does ; that he
is much smaller and more active than his fruit-eating cousin
of the lowlands, and that his skin is greyish in colour, with a
broad white collar round the neck. The coat altogether re-

42 BIG GAME SHOOTING

minds one rather of the Syrian bear than of any other variety
of the tribe.

Unfortunately, I have never killed one of these bears myself.
Every man who has shot bears anywhere knows that it is a
good deal a matter of chance whether you meet one or not, and
with this particular kind of bear chance has been against me ;
but I have found their tracks above the snow-line ; and I have
had exactly the same story repeated to me year after year in dif-
ferent villages by the natives. On the Balkar pastures in 1888
the herdsmen told me that they had suffered very severe loss
from this beast's depredations, and sold me a fresh skin of a
bear of this kind which they had slain on one of the high passes
.between Svanetia and Balkaria, after putting eleven bullets
into him. I have seen some dozens of skins, among them
those of bears in every stage from cubhood to toothless old
age, and in all the marking was like the marking of the skin
I bought in Balkaria, a coat of silvery grey with a broad pure
white collar round the neck.

The coats of bears, I know, vary enormously. I have in my
own library at this moment skins of ,the same variety which
differ in hue, from a brown which is nearly black to a pale
straw colour ; but amongst them all the Caucasian mountain
bear's skin looks distinct. The native hunters all believe as
firmly in the existence of two distinct varieties of bear in their
mountains as Western trappers believe in the grizzly as distinct
from the black bear ; and I agree with and believe in the
hunters.

In a Western camp the tales told at night are invariably
of the ' grizzly.' He is the devil of the mountains. In the
Caucasus and in Russia it is otherwise.

The Russian peasant makes Mishka (a pet name for the
bear) the comic character of his stories. The 'bogey' of the
woods on the Black Sea coast is the ' barse,' of whom all sorts
of terrible yarns are spun. Most of them, I fear, are lies. In
nine cases out of ten the barse is merely a lynx, of which
there are very many all along the coast, and in the foot-hills

THE CAUCASUS 43

on the southern slope of the Caucasus. Now and again, as
you come home late with your hounds, you may be lucky
enough to tree one, but you don't see them often. The tenth
time the barse may really be what he is supposed to be, a
leopard, but whether this leopard is Felts pardus or Felts pan -
thera, I don't know.

Professor Radde mentions both in his list of Caucasian
mammals. All the skins of barse which I have ever seen were
similar to the leopard skins of India and Persia, on the borders
of which country, near Lenkoran, the Caucasian barse is most
common.

In spite of the stories told in his honour, I am inclined to
think the Caucasian leopard as great a cur as the panther of
the States, which he resembles a good deal in his habits. My
own experience of the beast is, however, limited. In a dis-
trict which I used to hunt a certain barse had his regular beat,
appearing even to have a particular day of each week allotted
to each little district in his domains. One moonlight night I
was obliged to sleep by myself in a ruined chateau, once the
property of General Williameenof, standing where the shore
and the forest met. The old Caucasian fighter had made no
use of the land given him by a grateful government, so the
roof had come off the chateau, the trees had climbed in through
the empty frames of the great low windows, and I flushed a
woodcock in the nettles which grew on the hearth.

At midnight I woke, the moonbeams and the shadows of
the boughs making quaint traceries on floor and ceiling, whilst
underneath the window, a barse was expressing his earnest
desire to taste the flesh of an Englishman, in cries in which
a baby's wail and a wolfs howl were about equally represented.

The brush was tco thick for me to be able to get a shot
at my visitor that night (though I got a shot on a subsequent
occasion), and though I wandered about among the trees
looking for him, and went to sleep again lulled by his serenade,
he never dared to attack me. Hence I fancy that the Cauca-
sian bogey is as harmless as other bogeys.

44 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Everything on the southern slope of the Caucasus warns you
that you have left Europe behind you. It is not only the
jackals' chorus at sundown, or the antelopes' white sterns bob-
bing aw^ay over the skyline, but now and again a report comes
in that somewhere down by the Caspian a man has killed or
been killed by the tiger.

I have even seen the tracks of ' Master Stripes ' myself, and
sat up for nights over what a native said was his ' kill,' not very
far from Lenkoran.

Still tigers are too scarce to take rank amongst the great
game of the Caucasus.

IV. PLAINS OF THE CAUCASUS

I have said that the Caucasus is divided by nature into
several distinct districts : the plains of the North, the deep
forests of the Black Sea coast, the great wild region at the top
of the ' divide,' and the arid eastern steppes, deserts such as
Karias and the Mooghan.

Each district has its typical game. On the barren lands
outside Tiflis, where nothing will flourish without irrigation,
except perhaps brigandage, and on the great wastes through
which the Kdr and the Araxes run, there is a short period,
between the stormy misery of winter and the parching heat of
summer, when the steppe is green with grass and dotted with
the flocks of the nomad Tartars.

Later on the sun burns up everything ; the Tartars move off"
to some upland pastures, and the natives of the steppes have
the steppes all to themselves. These natives are the wolf, the
wild dog, and two kinds of antelope, not to mention the turatch,
a sand grouse as fleet-footed as an old cock pheasant and as hard
to flush as a French partridge. The two antelopes are Gazella gut-
turosa and Antilope saiga, of which the former is by far the most
plentiful ; indeed, in stating that A. saiga is found at all in the
Caucasus, I am relying upon the authority of a Russian author
(Kolenati), upon whose authority, too, I have enumerated the

THE CAUCASUS

45

wild dog {CiDiis karaga?i) as among the denizens of the
steppe.

Wolves, djeran {Gazella gutturosd) and turatch I saw daily
in 1878, when I crossed the steppes from Tiflis to Lenkoran,
before the Poti-Tiflis line had been extended to Baku. The
saiga antelope, unless misrepresented in drawings and badly
stuffed in museums, is an ill-shaped beast, with a head as ugly
as a moose's, the ' moufifle ' being, like that of the moose, abnor-
mally large and malformed. But the djeran is a very different
creature, built in Nature's finest mould, with annulated, lyre-
shaped horns, coat of a
bright bay with white rump,
of which the hunter sees
more than enough, always
on the skyline, receding as
the rifle approaches.

In the young djeran
the face is beautifully
marked in black and tan
and white, but the old
lords of the herd get white
from muzzle to brow. The
illustration is froir^a photo-
graph of a full-grown young
buck shot at Karias.

There are many beasts
in the world which are

A gutturosa

hard to approach. It is not easy to creep up to a stand of
curlew, or to induce a wood-pigeon to get out of your side of
a beech -tree : it is fairly hopeless to try to stalk chamois from
below when they have once seen you — but all these feats are
easy compared to the stalking of djeran on the steppes of
Karias.

Nature has given the pretty beasts every sense necessary
for their safe keeping, and, like wise creatures, they generally
stay together in herds, so as to have the benefit of united

46 BIG GAME SHOOTING

intelligence, some one or other of the herd being always on the
look-out while the rest are feeding. They do not appear to
want water often, as no one ever tries to waylay them at their
watering places (indeed, I never met anyone who knew where
they went to drink), and the country they live in is flatter than
the proverbial pancake, and as smooth as a billiard-table.
There is hardly a tree in the whole of it ; not a reasonably sized
bush in a mile of it ; I almost doubt if there is a tuft of grass
big enough to hold a lark's nest in an acre of it. I remember
once finding cover behind a bed of thistles on Karias, and the
incident is indelibly fixed upon my memory, I suppose, by the
rarity of such comparatively rank vegetation in that country.
Add to this scarcity of cover the fact that a floating population
of shepherds, Tartars and outlaws from Tiflis, hunt the djeran
incessantly, and it is easy to imagine that a shot at anything
less than 500 yards is difficult to obtain. The Tartars have a
method of their own for circumventing these shy beasts.
Knowing that under ordinary circumstances even the long-
haired Tcherkess greyhound would have no chance of pulling
down G. gutturosa, the dog's master manages so to handicap
the antelope that the greyhound can sometimes win in the race
for life. Choosing a day after a thunderstorm, when the light
earth of the steppe will cake and cling to therfeet, half a dozen
Tartars ride out on to the steppe, each with his hound in front
of him on his saddle. Having found a herd of antelope, the
hunters ride quietly in their direction. Long experience has
taught the antelope that at from 500 to 1,000 yards there is no
danger to be apprehended either from man or horse, so that
for a little while the herd fronts round, calmly staring at the
intruders, and then quietly trots away, turning again ere long
to have another look. From the moment the herd is first
found the Tartars give it no rest, nor do they hurry its move-
ments unduly, but are content to keep it moving at a slow trot,
not fast enough to shake the caked mud off" the delicate
legs and feet of their quarry. In this way they gradually weary
the poor beasts (who seldom have wit enough to gallop clean

THE CAUCASUS 47

out of sight at once), and then, as the weaker ones l)egin to
lag behind, the Tartar's time comes, and, sUpping his great
hound, man and dog rush in upon the tired creatures. The
antelope of course is half beaten before the race begins, whereas
the dog is fresh and would at any time get over the sticky soil
better than the antelope ; so that, thanks to this and to the aid
of other hounds and men who head the devoted beast at every
turn, one djeran at any rate is pretty sure to reward the Tartars
for their pains. To us this always seemed unfair to the
antelope, besides which we had neither hounds nor horses at
Karias, so that we had to resort to stalking pure and simple.

Long before the dawn we used to rise, and, with some local
Tartar for our guide, steal out silently across the level lands.
Arrived at what our guide considered a favourable spot, we
would lie down and wait for dawn. As the morning approached,
the cold increased ; then the sky grew lighter, and the mists
began to roll off the plain. By-and-bye a long string of laden
camels, which must have started from camp by starlight, would
appear upon the horizon, and then the sun came up and it was
day. The Tartar's idea was that when the sun rolled up the
mist-curtain for the first act, a band of antelope would be seen
feeding within rifle-shot ; but, as a matter of fact, we only used
to see those antelopes as usual making their exit over the sky-
line. One of the two I killed I shot at over 400 yards, going
from me, and the other was found feeding behind what I think
must have been the only ant-heap in Karias. As I had spent
some days going as the serpent goes in a vain endeavour to
approach a djeran unseen, I found no difficulty in stalking this
comparatively confiding beast. On the Mooghan steppe the
djeran is less hunted than at Karias ; there is more cover, and
the game is less shy. It may be worthy of remark that, having
tasted game flesh of many kinds, including bear in America
and Russia, deer of all sorts from Spitzbergen to Elbruz, white
whale and a score of other questionable delicacies, I consider
that there is no meat which I have ever tasted to be at all
compared with that of G. gutturosa.

48 . BIG GAME SHOOTING

CHAPTER III

MOUNTAIN GAME OF THE CAUCASUS
By Clive Phillipps-Wollf:y

Wild and beautiful as they are in their way, it is not in the
deep mountain gorges at the head of the Kuban, nor in its vast
reed beds, neither is it in the rich forests of Circassia, or the
dreary steppes of the Mooghan, that the true spirit of the
Caucasus dwells, and the finest sport of the country makes
slaves of natives and aliens alike.

Round the Mamisson Pass, in the wild and beetling precipices
of Svanetia, wherever nature is most cruel and most forbidding,
lives a race of men to whom, not only luxury, but every ordinary
comfort of the most primitive forms of civilisation, is unknown.

Stronger tribes than theirs drove them, in the dark ages,-
from the rich plains below into the mist-hidden fastnesses in
which they now dwell.

Their villages are perched at heights varying from 6,000 to
9,000 feet ; \}vi.€\x pastures are such dizzy slopes as lowlanders
would hesitate to climb ; their harvests travel down to the
villages in rough log toboggans, the impetus afforded them by
their own weight and the precipitous nature of their descent
being their only motive power ; while the houses in which the
natives crouch for shelter from the bitter blast are mere
irregular cairns of grey stone, without windows, smoke-
blackened, unfurnished, unmorticed even, and lit only by a
flarmg pine knot carried uphill from the nearest straggling
group of stunted trees. A Russian writer says of these men
that ' as children they learn the lessons of life from the lammer-

'STANDINO LIKE STATUES

MOUNTAIN GAME OF THE CAUCASUS 49

geiers wheeling round their mountain-tops, until robbery and
the chase become for them all that makes life worth living.'

It is to their hunting-grounds that a true sportsman's eyes
will always turn from plain or forest ; to the region of desolate
ironstone peaks by the snow-line and above it, where, amidst
the chaos of an unfinished world, the ttir and the ibex, the
chamois and the mountain goat, share the solitudes with the
vultures and the Ossetes or Lesghians.

If the truest sport is that into which most dangers and most
hardships enter ; in which the odds are longest in favour of the
quarry and against the hunter ; in which the sportsman hunts
for the love of the chase alone and not as a pot-hunter, still
less for any reward of ' filthy lucre,' then is the ragged Ossete a
prince amongst sportsmen. Unless Nature has given a man a
good head, the mere sight of the Ossete's hunting-ground is
enough to turn him dizzy.

Starting at midnight from Teeb, or Tlee, or any other of
those grim but shattered citadels of the mountain-men in the
Valley of the Mamisson, you may climb until the stars fade
and the dawn comes, and then, having started at a height close
on 9,00c feet above sea-level, you will reach the ragged iron-
stone crags amongst which your game lives, just half an hour
too late, although since the moment you started you have had
but one short breathing space, and have plodded bravely on in
the steps of the lean grey hunter who is your guide, by a track
which seems to lead as persistently upwards as the flight of a
skylark.

It is almost impossible to give any adequate idea of the
weird desolation which surrounds the home of the Ossete and
the tftr. At Alaghir, a village of the plains, some seventy-three
versts from the summit of the Mamisson, there are good houses
and orchards and many of the comforts of life. A few miles
from Alaghir the road enters a gorge full of the fumes of
sulphur, the stream becomes a milky blue, the road grows
steeper and steeper, hour after hour vegetation becomes more
beggarly, until at last there is no timber on the side of the

II. E

50 BIG GAME SHOOTING

gorge, only half of which gets the light of the sun at any one
time ; the features of man and of nature are pinched as if by
the cold and misery ; everything is hard and grey, and the
chill of the glaciers seems to have got hold of the very heart of
Hfe.

In old days the Caucasian mountaineer had two pursuits
open to him — brigandage and the chase. The shattered keeps,
which no one has troubled to repair, tell the story of the first
of these.

Russian cannon has knocked the eyries of the mountaineers
to pieces, and cut short their career as warriors. It is for sport
alone that the best of them still live, and their one sport is the
chase of mountain game.

With a skin of sour milk over his shoulder, and a few thin
cakes in his bashlik (hood), the Ossete will disappear for days
and days among the crags which overhang his miserable home.
To him the ironstone rocks are as familiar as Piccadilly to a
Londoner, and wherever dark or the mountain mists may catch
him, he knows of some lair under a boulder where he and his
predecessors have passed many a night before. After two or three
days of lonely hunting, the man comes back, if empty-handed,
uncomplaining ; if successful, just as silent and undemonstrative
as the stones he lies down amongst. By a custom of his country,
the very game he kills is not his own, but must be given to his
fellows, his own share being but the massive horns, which he
hides away among the blackened rafters of his hovel, or hangs
on a post before the door of his tiny church.

There are, as far as I know, four varieties of mountain game
between the Black Sea and the Caspian, but the country has
been but very superficially explored by sportsmen, and the
reports of naturalists who base their theories upon the stories
of the natives are not worth much.

On the lower ridges, and on the high grassy shoulders of
SvUnetia, and elsewhere, chamois abound, identical in all
respects with the common chamois of Switzerland and the
Tyrol. Being less hunted than the European variety, the

MOUNTAIN GAME OF THE CAUCASUS 51

Caucasian chamois is generally found fairly low down, just
above timber limit, or in summer round the lower edges of the
glaciers. There is seldom a day in the mountains when the
hunter will not hear that long whistle so strangely human in
its note, and, turning, find that he has been detected by the
mountain sentinel. In Svanetia I have seen chamois in large
herds (one herd which I remember numbered at least fifty head),
and every ' sakli ' has its crevices or its roof adorned with the
little black horns.

But the tdr is the mountain beast, par excellence, of the
Caucasus. The chamois is looked upon as comparatively small
game.

' Tiir ' is a native name, and is applied to several different
beasts indiscriminately.

When a Svan, or an Ossete, or any man, native or Russian,
talks to you of tiir in the main chain between Kazbek and
Elbruz, he means either Caucasian ibex or Caucasian burrhel.

Of the two in Svanetia the ibex is the commoner beast, while,
judging by the horns found in the saklis, the burrhel is com-
moner in the Mamisson district. I have, however, seen the
burrhel in Svanetia, and any intelligent native hunter will tell
you that there are two kinds of ttir in his country, one with
notched and one with smooth horns. There are now specimens
of both in the Natural History Museum at Kensington, and any
one who will take the trouble to compare them will find abundant
points of difference, though their general similarity of appear-
ance is enough to account for the confusion which exists among
native hunters. The burrhel {Capra pallasi or cylindricornis)
stands about 3 feet high at the shoulder (a big ram would stand
higher), and measures from shoulder to rump about 3 inches
more than that. His horns are something like the Indian bur-
rhel's, not being indented, and turning out laterally before bend-
ing back. The coat of the burrhel is hard and deer-like, in
colour closely resembling that of the ibex, both beasts being
furnished by nature with coats of reddish brown to match the
ironstone rocks amongst which they live. In the ibex {Capra

52 . BIG GAME SHOOTING

caiicasica) the colour and the size vary very Httle from the colour
and size of the burrhel, but the horns are true ibex horns,
curving back at once from the head towards the quarters, and
deeply indented. A glance at Mr. Littledale's trophies of 1888
will give an idea of the head of C. caucasica, v>^hile the little
sketches of horns in my possession and of the head in the
Kensington Museum will illustrate the difference between C.
cylindricornis and C. caucasica. Before dealing with the hunting
of any of these mountain beasts, all of which live in the same
kind of country and are hunted in the same way, let me describe
the fourth variety to which I have alluded.

C. cylindricornis and C. caucasica are found in Central
Caucasus, and from personal knowledge I know that the
former, C. cylindricor7iis or pailasi, is found also in Daghestan;
but it is only in Daghestan and the neighbouring mountains,
and I believe in Ararat, that that splendid wild goat, Hircus
cegagrus, is to be found.

Unfortunately Ararat is an impossible country for the sports-
man, as a gentleman named Kareim was in 1886, and perhaps
still is, actively engaged in the native industry of brigandage; and,
moreover, what few natives there are in the mountains are per-
petually at war with one another, in consequence of which the
Russian officials will not permit sportsmen, with or without an
escort, to wander about Ararat. In Daghestan, in 1878, there
were also brigands, and, if you believed the resident Russians,
some of those with whom I associated were distinctly no
better than they ought to have been ; but to me they were the
kindest of hosts, and in the part of Daghestan in which I shot, life
was absolutely luxurious compared with the life in the villages
of Central Caucasus, and, indeed, quite as comfortable as any
healthy man need desire. The whole population is composed
of shepherds and hunters ; the half of their flocks being ot
goats, so like Hircus cegagrus in type that the suspicion that
he himself was but a tame goat ' gone wild ' would force itself
upon one. The reverse of this may be the truth ; but un-
doubtedly there are among the herds which the little Lesghians

IBFX
i/Iircus ^^a^nts)

MOUNTAIN GAME OF THE CAUCASUS 53

drive up to the mountain pastures every morning many old
he-goats which it would be hard to distinguish from those so
well set up at Kensington, or those others which I saw wild in
the mountains about the Christmas of 1878.

Hircus cBgagrus is somewhat smaller in size and lighter in
build than either C. caucasica or C. pallasi. He is a rich creamy
brown in colour, with a dark stripe along the spine and what a
saddler would call a ' breast-plate ' of the same colour, and dark
knees and dark markings on the legs. The beast described
and figured as Capra cegagrus by Mr. Sclater in the Proceedings
of the Zoological Society for May 1886 seems to me to repre-
sent the animal in question.

There are three ways at least in which the mountain game
of the Caucasus may be hunted. First, there is the royal
method practised by the Prince of Mingrelia, who was good
enough to invite me to participate in a mountain drive with
him in 1887. This gentleman owns a large tract of country
between Kutais and Svanetia, in which tilr and chamois are
preserved. Once a year the Prince and his friends assemble
their retainers, of whom every Caucasian chieftain keeps and
feeds a vast number ; and, having stationed the guns in the
passes and runways of the mountains, the beaters drive the tftr
and chamois past the guns. On one occasion I am informed
that a bag of forty tiir was thus made in one day's driving. To
those who prefer grouse driving to walking up the wild old
birds later on in the season, this may be fine sport. For my own
part I don't consider it so. But it is a mere matter of opinion.
Then there is a second method which appeals strongly to
those who care to watch Nature and her wild things closely,
when they are most off their guard. This is the shepherd's
way. Wherever there are tfir, there are what the natives call
springs of bitter water, in some cases mere yellow licks on
almost inaccessible crags, in others big springs of water very
strongly impregnated with iron. The natives are extremely
fond of this water, believing that it cures all ailments and en-
dows a man with every physical virtue, and the mountain goats

54 BIG GAME SHOOTING

are as fond of it as the men. Wherever there is such a spring
or lick, the tdr will, if possible, come down to it at least once
in every twenty-four hours, and the shepherds, knowing this,
lie in wait for their coming. All day long, at any rate during
the warm months of the year (June, July, and August), the t(ir
keep well up in the crags above the snow-line, where neither
man nor insects nor the broiling heat of a Caucasian sun can
annoy them. But as night begins to approach, the listening
hunter will hear the rattling of stones upon the moraines
above the glacier. The ttlr are coming down to the little
patches of upland pasture to feed. By-and-bye he may catch
sight of them as one by one they come slowly on to a knife-
like ridge of rock looking down upon the patch of sweet grass
below. But they are in no hurry, and the probability is
that they will stand there like statues, gazing into the gulf
below, for what seems to the watcher to be half a day, and
really is half an hour, while the chill mist wraps him round,
numbing him with cold and gradually hiding his game from his
sight. Later on, if he has crawled up to his eyrie opposite the
bitter-water spring, where he has just room to curl himself up
on a ledge overhanging a hideously dark profound, he may
watch the moon sail up over the peaks, and towards morning
he may hear again that rattling of falling stones displaced by
unseen feet. Peer as he will into the silvery mists on the
other side of the ravine, he can see nothing ; but the falling
stones continue to set his heart beating, and at last he hears
that shrill bleat from which the ttlr gets its local name, djik-vee.
Straining his eyes to the utmost as cry after cry comes from the
' lick,' he at last makes out shadowy forms moving like flies
across the face of the sheer rock opposite, and, praying to his
patron saint, he startles the solemn night with the sharp ring
of his rifle. In nine cases out of ten, if he kills anything it will
be a ewe or a young ram at best ; for, though the young rams
and the ewes go in large herds, the old beasts keep themselves
apart, retiring, so say the natives, to inaccessible fastnesses
above the snow-line, and not coming down until later on in the

MOUNTAIN GAME OF THE CAUCASUS 55

season. This is to some extent corroborated by a note of
Mr. Littledale's to the effect that in 1886 he found the old
rams in a certain remote district on the south side of the cham,
13,000 feet and more above sea-level.

But the only true way to hunt ibex is to follow them to
their own haunts, and if they will go high up, then must you
gohigher. There is but one top to a mountain, even tftr
cannot get above that ; and the man who, having got to the
crest of the ridge, has the hardihood to sleep there (no great
hardship if he has a sleeping bag with him) is pretty sure of
success, even with Capra cylindricornis. The first rule in hunting
mountain game is, that if you want to get near them you must
hunt them from above. A few hawks, an occasional eagle, and
the great snow-partridge are the only living things which share
the mountain peaks with the ttir, and from these they have
nothing to fear. But watch them before they lie down for
their midday siesta, and you will see how they stand and stare
from their dizzy resting-place down on to the lower slopes of
the mountain ; notice, too, how the old solitary rams choose
their beds on some narrow ledge commanding every possible
approach from the lowlands. They know that man, their one
enemy, lives below them, and it is for him that they are in-
cessantly on the watch. The smoke of a camp fire on the edge
of the pine forest in Svanetia, if seen, as it probably will be by
some of the sentinels of the mountain herds, is sufficient to
scare every beast from that side the ridge for days ; for, remote
as his haunts are, the tdr has been hunted by the natives for
generations, and is alive to every move in the hunter's game-
But from above the ttlr expects no danger, and is therefore
comparatively easy to approach, always provided that no eddy-
ing gust of wind brings the scent of man to his keen nostrils.
If this happens the hunter's next view of him will be on a sky-
Hne which it would take human feet a couple of hours to reach,
and the direct road to which appears impossible for anything
without wings. There is only one sense in which the tOr is
inferior to the lowland beasts, and that is in his hearing. A

56 BIG GAME SHOOTING

broken twig will disturb half a forest ; but stones may go rattling
away from under your feet, making a noise like volley-firing,
and the tfir will hardly turn their heads. Presumably stone
slides and the fall of single detached rocks from natural causes
are so common that the ibex become indifferent to the noise.

Having then found a country, about the end of August, in
which ttir are said to be plentiful, make your permanent camp
just inside the edge of the forest where a tiny stream trickles
from the glacier through the pine-trees. It is ten to one that,
if the country chosen is really a good one for game, you will
find traces of an old camp near at hand, if it be but a smooth
round nest among the fallen pine-needles.

Leave your supplies and a man to look after them here, and
see that the man left behind understands that if he shows him-
self outside the forest, or goes hunting on his own account, he
will forfeit his pay.

If you can persuade a Caucasian to submit to such a thing,
it would be safer to leave your man without firearms, and
therefore out of the reach of all temptation to wander. As
this is difficult to do, I always prefer to simply ' cache ' my
supplies and leave them unguarded. Even if they should
happen to be found by some wandering Tcherkess, they will
not be touched. The supplies having been cared for and a
central camp established, take a sleeping bag for yourself (your
man very likely will not even trouble to take his bourka with
him if it is only for a couple of nights), as many flat cakes of
bread as you can manage to pack, some cooked meat in the
most portable form you can devise, an extra pair of moccasins,
and a suit of flannel for night. This last item takes up very
little room, and is worth more than all the whisky you could
carry.

Let your clothes be of good stout tweed, as near the colour
of the rocks as possible. Wear knickerbocker breeches, made
very loose at the knee, so as not to stop your stride uphill, and
get from your man a pair of the stout felt gaiters which he him-
self wears, to save your shins from the sharp edges of the rocks.

MOUNTAIN GAME OF THE CAUCASUS 57

I find that a spare bourka (native blanket) and a tanned skin
are useful things to take into camp with your other stores, for
making and repairing gaiters and moccasins. A pair of loose-
fitting deer-skin gloves, with (at any rate in September) another
pair of woollen gloves inside them, are generally worn by the
native hunters, and are almost a necessity. Even with two new
pairs of gloves to protect them, I came home, after my last
twenty-four hours in the ironstone rocks of Ossetia, with my
palms badly cut and bleeding. However, that was an ex-
ceptionally rough twenty-four hours in an exceptionally rough
bit of country, even for the Caucasus. Add to the above out-
fit an alpenstock (the point fire-hardened, not iron-shod), your
rifle, with a sling to carry it over your shoulders, your stalking
glass and your cartridges, with a small coil of rope, a compass,
matches, tobacco, a knife for skinning, and any other small
luxuries which you feel inclined to ' pack ' on your own
shoulders, or which your man offers to carry. Don't let him
have a rifle if you can help it. A Caucasian is as keen after
game as a terrier after rats, and if he has a rifle it is quite on
the cards that at the critical moment he may think your move-
ments too slow, outpace you in getting to your game, or even
fire over your shoulder.

I have had this happen once in my life, at the end of a
long day of hard work, and think I know now what is the
utmost which a man can be called upon to endure at the hands
of his fellow-man.

Equipped as suggested, a man should be able to stay on
the top of the ridge for three or four days, and in that time it
is hard indeed if he cannot get a shot, at fairly close range,
at a really good ' head.' In such quarters as he will have to
sleep in, there is no fear that the hunter will lie abed too long ;
but it is worth remembering that ibex, especially, are somewhat
nocturnal in their habits, and that as soon as ever it is light
you should be on some point of vantage from which you can
see your game returning from their feeding grounds to lie down
for the day. An old tdr, when he has once settled himself for

58 BIG GAME SHOOTING

his siesta, is very hard to distinguish from the red rocks
amongst which he Ues, and even when you have found one or
more of the really big fellows the probability is that they will
be lying in some spot to which it is impossible to approach
unseen.

By sleeping, as suggested, at the top of your ground, or
near it, you avoid the necessity of rising at midnight ; of forcing
your way in the dark through thickets of tall weeds, which
soak you with rain or dew ; you are sure of being at your look-
out station in time ; you can examine several faces of the
range at once, and choose that on which you see game in the
most approachable position ; you begin your day's work
fairly fresh, instead of being dead beaten by a stiff climb before
dawn; you get a chance of stalking your game from the only
point from which it can be stalked with any reasonable hope
of success, and all at the price of a somewhat uncomfortable
and chilly night's rest.

There is one other point worth noticing before I tell the
story of a day's stalk as illustrating t(ir-hunting generally, and
my last point is this : Having fired your shot, lie still until you
know certainly what the result of it has been. If you have
missed, you may, if you do not show yourself, get a second
shot, and this is especially the case with mountain beasts like
the t<ir, which do not seem to ' locate ' sound as accurately or
quickly as lowland beasts.

If the animals fired at move ofi" at a run, wait a few moments
before firing again, and you will be rewarded by seeing them
pull up and stand at least once more before they are out of
range. Unless you are a very first-class performer, one chance
at standing game is worth a dozen at game ' on the jump.'
Again, in any case lie still at first, for if your beast is wounded
he may either lie down before going very far, or even come
towards you if he has not seen you. I have had a brown bear
blunder almost over me when wounded, and that not because
he meant mischief, but because he had not seen me and did
not know where the shot came from. Even when badly scared,

MOUNTAIN GAME OF THE CAUCASUS 59

game will sometimes stop for a second in full flight if the
unseen hunter gives a shrill whistle. But once a tHr, unhit or
wounded, has discovered the hunter, nothing will induce him
to stop travelling for the next quarter of an hour, and no beasts
which I know will take so much lead with them {uphill even)
as rams generally, and more especially Caucasian rams.

Having elsewhere published the story of most of my own
best days amongst the tAr, I have drawn upon some notes of
Mr. Littledale (the most successful hunter, I verily believe, who
ever carried a rifle between the Black Sea and the Caspian) for
a story illustrative of tiir shooting, and have told it almost in
his own words.

Being camped at the extreme limit to which it was possible
to take horses, even with half-loads, and having his wife in
camp with him, Mr. Littledale was obliged to rise every day by
starlight and do half a day's work before getting to his shooting
grounds. In order to lighten the work for his hunters, he had
sent them on to a spot higher up, some four hours' walk from
camp, there to await his coming every morning.

The interpreter he had with him was an untrustworthy sort of
fellow, and the camp was full of half- wild natives, good enough
men in their way, but as troublesome and mischievous as boys.
This state of affairs in the main camp made it essential that,
instead of sleeping where he shot, Littledale should return to
camp every evening.

On the first day he rose at 2 a.m., and, guided by a native
over some extremely bad going, reached the hunters' camp by
6 A.M. Here Littledale left his guide and went on with the
hunters, who were up and ready for him.

That first day Littledale saw a band of ttir feeding on a
slope above his party, but as the day grew older the band made
for the crags, and, in spite of all the hunters' efforts, reached
their regular haunt on an inaccessible ledge and lay down
there. An attempt to get at them by making a wide detour
only resulted in moving the game, although the hint of man's
proximity conveyed to them by some eddy of wind was not

6o . BIG GAME SHOOTING

sufficientl)' strong to make them move far or fast. However, it
was enough to render any further attempt useless that day ; so
that, after making another detour and kiUing a chamois on his
road home, Littledale reached his camp and turned in by 8 p.m.
Next morning he and his guide were delayed at starting by
the mountain mists, which hid everything, so that they did
not reach the hunters' camp until 6.30 a.m. Going at once to
the spot at which they had seen the ttir the day before, they
hunted high and low without success, and then took a line
along a ridge, which they stuck to until it grew so steep and
dangerous that the guides showed signs of striking and Little-
dale had to give the order for ' home.' On their way back the
party saw their old friends the ttir far away below them, with
such a yawning gulf between them and the hunters as to render
any attempt to reach them that day absolutely hopeless. That
night Littledale reached camp at 9 p.m., and at 2 a.m. next day
was again on foot. But on this third day the tur were not
upon their usual ground, and, weary with incessant early rising,
hard work and hope deferred, the hunters gave way for a time
to disappointment. But honest hard work generally gets its
reward, if there is only enough of it, and as Littledale's glass
swept slowly over the crags and snow-fields round the point on
which he lay, luck turned, and lo ! there was the herd not half
a mile away in a place where they could apparently be stalked
with ease, whilst even the wind for once was in the right direction.

At first all went well ; too well, Littledale thought. Experi-
ence had taught him that such luck could not last. Nor did it.
When the stalk seemed almost at an end and success assured,
he came to a sheet of snow at least 100 yards in width, set
between him and the tdr, and within full view of the latter.

In vain he sought for a way round, or for some covert, how-
ever small, behind which there would be some chance of
crawling across ; but it was no use, there was absolutely no
way for him except across that glaring white patch in full view
of his game. It seemed, after all his hard work, too cruelly
tantalising even for that sport of which the Russian says that

MOUNTAIN GAME OF THE CAUCASUS 6i

it is ' harder than slavery ' ; but, unfortunately, there was no
help for it, so there the hunters lay, the game almost within
range of them, and yet hopelessly inaccessible. As they lay
silently watching, the heat which exercise had generated in
their bodies slowly oozed away, the wind began to twist and
shift dangerously, so that at any moment they might expect to
have their presence betrayed, and down below the mist-wreaths
began to gather. All at once one of these detached itself from
the rest and came floating up towards the peaks. Nearer and
nearer it crept up the mountain-side, until, to Littledale's in-
expressible delight, it rested for one moment upon that odious
snow-patch.

That was all that was wanted, and in a moment Littledale
and his companions had taken advantage of it, had flitted like
ghosts through the shifting veil before it had time to pass on,
and had thrown themselves, with a sigh of thankfulness, behind
a huge boulder on the other side of the snow-field. They were
only just in time, for as they gained their shelter the little mist
floated off the snow, and the tftr, which were still above the
party, began to show unmistakable signs of uneasiness.

From the boulder Littledale tried to worm himself still
nearer to his quarry, but as he did so, first one and then the
whole herd got slowly up, one big fellow standing, broadside on,
upon a little pinnacle above the rest. Putting up the 150 yards
sight, and taking the foresight very fine, as the shot was uphill,
Littledale pressed the trigger, and the great ram sprang from
the rock with a stagger which looked as if he had got his death-
wound.

As the first beast left it, another big ram took his place
upon the rock, and as the left barrel rang out he too vanished
on the other side of the rock.

Uncertain as to the result of his shots, Littledale hurried
to the spot, to find one tftr in extremis and the other gone.

However, the hunter, following at his leisure, pointed out
the second beast, dead, within ten or fifteen yards of the first.
The fact that Mr. Littledale (no novice, mind you) overlooked

62 BIG GAME SHOOTING

the second dead beast, although so close to him, gives some
idea of the way in which a tlir's rusty hide matches his sur-
roundings.

But the game was not bagged yet, although Littledale had
settled down to skin one beast, and the hunter was preparing
to skin the other.

In turning his ram over, on the steep incline upon which
it lay, the hunter lost control of it, and, in spite of his efforts,
the dead beast broke away from him, rolling over and over at
first, and then going in great bounds down the mountain until
it lay on a snow-bank several thousand feet below, upon which
it appeared, even through the field-glass, a mere speck. This
misfortune complicated matters, and in order to save both
heads, Littledale was obliged to let both hunters go down to
the fallen ttir and pass the night alongside of it, whilst he was
left to find his way back to camp alone. This generally sounds
much easier than it is, and so Littledale found it upon this
occasion. As evening approaches, the mists begin to sail about
among the crags, first like great ostrich plumes, and then grow-
ing larger and more dense, until they make the smooth places
difficult and the difficult places impossible. I have myself
a very vivid memory to this day of a certain rock to which I
had to cling for half an hour until one of these mist- wreaths
floated away, leaving me almost too stiff and tired to climb
down, and far too tired to climb up any higher, though a wounded
ibex was above me. As for Littledale, upon this occasion he
put his best foot forward and made all the speed he could to
get off the ridge, and on to better going. For hours he had
to grope his way along a precipitous ridge, in dense fog, throw-
ing small stones down either side from time to time to tell by
the sound whether he was still upon the main ridge or not.
Only now and again did a gleam of sunshine break through the
mist, and in a few hours the sun would set.

It was a horrible position for a lonely man, uncertain where
his camp lay and tired with three days' hard work ; but Little-
dale's cup was not yet full.

THE SPECTllE

MOUNTAIN GAME OF THE CAUCASUS 63

The Caucasians, like all mountaineers, are full of supersti-
tions. Gods and devils haunt their mountains now as they did
when the ancients only knew them as a part of misty Turan,
the home of storm and evil, or at least the mountain men so
believe. And what wonder ? As Littledale stopped to scrape
together a few more fragments with which to sound the abysses
on either side of him, he noticed with a shudder a huge figure
crouching in the mist beside him. As he sprang to his feet
the awful shape reared up, and small blame to a level-headed
and cool man if he did not remember, until his express was
pressing against his shoulder, that there was such a thing as
the spectre of the Brocken, and that this huge shape which
followed and mimicked his every action was, after all, only his
own shadow in the clouds.

It was long after this that, lying at the top of a ravine
which had taken him an hour and a half to climb, he struck
a light to find a few more pebbles and get a drink, and found
as he bent down his own track of that morning.

He says the sight of it made him feel years younger, and
those who have been in such tight places and found their way
out of them will know the feeling ; but it was 10 p.m. when he
got back to his camp, and here are the last words in his notes :
' Reached home a little after ten, had some food in bed, and
registered a vow that I had done my last solitary scramble in
the Caucasus.'

I have registered that vow many times, when cold, and
starving, and dead tired, with hands and feet bleeding, and no
massive ' head ' to compensate me for my toil ; but I have
never kept my vow, and I venture to doubt whether my much
more successful fellow-sportsman will keep his.

The great peaks are sorcerers whose spells no man may
resist, and the feeling that every manly quality in you has been
tried to the utmost, and has borne the strain, is worth more
than all the cruel toil endured.

In conclusion let me say that there is so much confusion as
to the correct classification of the Caucasian goats, that before

64 BIG GAME SHOOTING

venturing to publish this contribution I went for information to
the British Museum, considering that the nomenclature used by
that Museum should be the standard for British sportsmen. At
the Museum I learned that on this particular subject even our
savants are in some doubt, whilst in Russia the leading
naturalists of St. Petersburg and Moscow disagree. However,
Mr. Thomas courteously supplied me with the following defi-
nitions, which may be sufficient for present purposes.

Capra cylindricornis, or pallasi, is the name properly ap-
plied to the Caucasian burrhel, a beast with smooth cylindrical
horns ; C. caucasica is applied to the Caucasian ibex, a beast
with horns recurved and modulated as in the true ibex ; while
C. cegagrus is an animal with horns of the common goat type,
with sharp front edges irregularly modulated. The best horn
measurements of these three beasts known to me are :

Length

Circumference

38} inches

12 1 inches

36 „

. 15

4oi ,,

• I2f „

C. cylindriconiis

C. caiicasica .

C.cegagna . . 48^ ,, • • 8| ,,

These measurements have been kindly supplied by Mr.
Rowland Ward from his notebook.

Dead aurochs

CHAPTER IV

CAUCASIAN AUROCHS
By St. G. Littledale

Bos BONAsus is the scientific name for the aurochs, the great ox
that roamed in bygone ages over the whole of Europe : its re-
mains are found in Spain and Great Britain on the west. How
far east it ranged I cannot say, but when on the Upper Irtish
in Siberia, close to the Mongolian frontier, I obtained a skull
which had been dug up from the river bank. Like the
A-merican bison, it has been driven from the low ground forests
and open plains, and has tried to find refuge in a secluded
mountain range ; and thanks to the inaccessibility and impene-
trable nature of its chosen retreat it is still to be found, though
in very limited numbers, in as wild and savage a state as it was
in the days of Caesar, In the forest district of Bialowicza in

II. F

66 BIG GAME SHOOTING

I^ithuania, belonging to the Emperor of Russia, there are a
number of them Hving under very efficient protection ; but the
Caucasus is the only place where they are still found absolutely
wild. On my first visit to the Caucasus in 1887, the natives
told me about the aurochs, and, fired with the idea, I made
several attempts to get one ; but we were too late in the year,
and were, so our guides informed us, in imminent danger of
being snowed up in the mountains, so we had to leave without
my ever seeing a fresh track. Mrs. Littledale and I returned
the following year, and for three months not a week passed
without my making two or three excursions after the aurochs.
We were camped just about the timber-line at an elevation of
(approximately) 6,000 feet, and we only found their track in the
densely timbered valleys below. There were no means of get-
ting our camp pitched lower down, for the valleys were quite
impassable for horses, and even if possible it would have been
questionable policy, as such extremely shy and retiring animals
would certainly not have remained within a feasible distance of
our tents. The only way we got into the country at all was by
following up a ridge : when the ridge ceased to be practicable
then we had to stop. In the early morning I used to descend
into the timber, sometimes trying the higher ground, on other
days the lower ; and I frequently crossed the valley and up the
other side, which entailed a descent of about 3,000 feet, a similar
ascent up the corresponding side, and the whole thing over
again on returning to camp. We rarely saw a fresh track.
The aurochs seemed to love a level piece of ground, perhaps
because when the ground was level there was always a swamp
with facilities for wallowing, or because, being originally a plain
animal, some latent hereditary instinct made them feel more at
home there than on the steep hill- side. But whenever we
were able through an opening of the trees to look down and
see a level spot, we used to make straight for it, because we
found from experience that if there were any of the animals
near at hand we should find traces of them there, and if there
were no tracks then it was almost useless spending any more

CAUCASIAN AUROCHS 67

time in that neighbourhood. I had with me Tcherkess hunters
— we had not a Russian in the party that trip — and they worked
very hard to get me a shot at a dombey, the Tcherkess name
for the aurochs. We found places where they had stripped
the bark off rowan trees, both the bark and berries evidently
being a favourite food, and where they had grazed on the
bracken one afternoon we thought we heard some below us.

The wind being right, we lay down for a couple of hours in
the hope that they might come towards us. Presently we heard
the snapping of twigs getting nearer and nearer. I made myself
a little peep-hole through the bracken and cocked the rifle ;
about sixty yards off I saw some young fir-trees sway about as
an animal forced its way through, and there stood before me,
not the aurochs I had hoped for, but a young stag. He
sauntered past within forty yards without getting our wind,
and we then crept in the direction where we imagined the
aurochs were, for the hunters were positive it was not the stag
they had heard. The two men were barefooted and I wore
tennis shoes, but the bracken was dead, and with all our care
it was impossible to go through it without making some little
noise. Suddenly there was a disturbance as of an omnibus
crashing through the branches, but we saw nothing ; and that was
the nearest I got to an aurochs on that expedition. The
same weary plodding through dense timber brush and bracken,
and every evening the same story, a tired frame and a clean
rifle, was continued week after week till the natives told us
that unless we wished to leave our baggage behind we must
get out of the mountains.

The autumn of 1891 saw Mrs. Littledale and myself back
in the Caucasus, and on our arrival we immediately inquired
for our old hunter. He had embraced and kissed me fer-
vently on both cheeks at parting, and we looked forward
to seeing that fine old man again. He had snow-white hair,
but his springy walk and keen eye made me hope that 1 too,
at his age, might still be able to toddle along with a rifle
after big game. But he had gone, emigrated with some

F 2

68 BIG GAME SHOOTING

thousands of his tribe to Turkey. The best of our new
hunters was a Lesghian, who spent most of his life in the
mountains, and it would have been better for him if he had
spent it all there, for he only came down to the settlements to
get vodky, and there he would remain till his last rouble had
vanished.

We had occasion to pass through a village in changing our
shooting ground, and once in the village it took us three clear
days to get our Russian followers out of it ; baking bread,
buying sheep, changing ponies, all in turn were pleaded. At
last we were ready, but the Lesghian did not show. When he
arrived he was ridiculously drunk ; his drunkenness taking the
form of excessive politeness. If either Mrs. Littledale or I
spoke to him, off went his cap and he bowed nearly to the
ground. Near the village we crossed a river with some difficulty ;
directly he saw us well started in the water, back he doubled
for the village. I recrossed at once and captured him. I thought
it would keep him out of mischief if he led a baggage pony.
He objected, pointing out that he was over forty, and that one
of the Russians was a younger man, who ought to lead the
pony. I shook my head, and said he was much too young to
be trusted, but that, as I was over forty too, I arranged that
he and I should lead the pony alternate versts.

I agreed, at his earnest desire, to let him have my alpen-
stock when he had not the pony ; if he said he was tired and sat
down I said it was the very thing I was dying to do ; when he
wished to carry my field glasses I took a fancy to pack his
rifle, and so the farce went on ; Mrs. Littledale was in fits of
laughter at us. But he was worth the trouble, and knew more
about the habits of the game than all the rest of them put
together. Before we camped that night he was himself again,
and he had no other opportunity of breaking out ; once or
twice he expressed a wish to go down to look after his bees, and
we appealed to his feelings by telling him he was the only
trustworthy person in camp, and that Mrs. Littledale would not
feel safe were he to leave. Little presents of tea and quinine

CAUCASIAN AUROCHS 69

kept him contented till we broke up our party. As an instance
of a curious custom in the Caucasus, I relate the following
circumstances. I had had bad luck in losing a wounded beast
or two, and the Lesghian told me the rifle wanted washing.
I let him look through the barrels, which were bright as silver,
for never under any circumstance do I go to sleep without first
cleaning my rifle. He said it looked clean, but it wanted
washing. After wounding and losing a stag, the Lesghian
insisted on returning to camp. He said I might fire at all the
animals in the whole Caucasus, but until my rifle was washed
we should get nothing. To humour the man we retraced our
steps, and I asked him to cure the rifle ; he said we must wait
till the morning, and then get water from different streams
before any animal had drunk, or man had washed in it. The
Russian hunters were equally confident of the necessity, so the
following day they brought water from three different springs,
carefully boiled it, and then washed out the rifle with the hot
water. Whether it was owing to their fetish, or to my having
substituted solid for hollow bullets, I express no opinion,
though the hunters were less modest, but from that time forth
I lost no more wounded beasts.

Early one August morning, with my two best hunters, I
made another attempt after zubr (this being the Russian name
for aurochs). We struck right down into the timber, making for
a mineral spring, where we hoped to find tracks. On our way
we passed and examined another small spring and found no-
thing fresh, but on reaching the lower spring we came on the
track of a bull that had drunk there the previous evening. We
followed his trail as quickly and silently as we could. The
tracks showed that he had gone up the hill and had been
browsing about there, and we found a comfortable bed which
he had scraped out for himself in the pine needles, under a
big pine with low spreading branches. We now redoubled our
precaution ; the head hunter went first, tracking ; I, with the
other man carrying the rifle, kept a sharp look-out ahead.
Several hours passed, and we were still steadily creeping

70 BIG GAME SHOOTING

through dense pine woods, when the aurochs dashed out of
a thicket, and down a watercourse, barely allowing us a
glimpse ; but soon I saw about a hundred yards off, ascending
the other bank, a great ungainly brown beast. There he was
at last — 'everything comes to him who waits.' What struck
me most during the moment that I was bringing the rifle up
was not his size, but the extreme shortness between his knee
and fetlock. Bang, bang, went the double Express, the first
bullet catching him through the ribs, as he was sideways on,
the other just by his tail as he disappeared into the brush. I
made record time down that hill, jumping fallen trees, and
loading as 1 went. How I escaped a broken leg I don't know,
but I got below him, and saw the beast coming down, evidently
very sick. Again, again, and again, I let him have it. I ran
up to within forty yards, and when he saw me he lowered and
shook his head, but he was too far gone to do more. Not
wishing to spoil his skull, I waited till he turned and gave him
his quietus behind the shoulder ; he ran twenty yards and fell
on his back into a deeply cut watercourse. As we stood on
the bank looking down at his great carcase, it struck me as
strange that such an ungainly beast, without excessive speed
or activity, with eyes and ears small in proportion to those of a
stag, should have managed to survive at all in this thickly
populated Europe of ours, his very existence being only known
to comparatively few people. As he lay I took the following
measurements :

From nose to root of tail

From top of hoof to top of withers

Circumference of leg below the knee

„ of the knee

„ below the hock

„ round the hock

Girth of body

The last measurement, girth of body, is a little uncertain, as the
beast was lying huddled up, I could not get the tape underneath
him, and therefore had to measure one side and then double it.

ft.

in.

. lO

I

• 5

II

o

lO

I

4

o

lo^

r

7

. 8

4

CAUCASIAN AUROCHS ft

The Lesghian and I prepared to sleep out. We gralloched the
bull, and a difficult and dirty business it was, as his carcase had
dammed up the rivulet, and we were working up to our knees
in water and blood. We took some of his rump steak, cut
it into little chunks and skewered it alternately with lumps of
fat on a long stick carefully trimmed. When cooked it looked
and smelt so delicious that I would not then have traded those
kabobs for the best dinner Delmonico could turn out. I was
very hungry, and fell to with a will : the will was there but not
the power. One might just as well have tried to chew a stone.
Even the hunter was beaten. He tried again with liver, but
as I draw the line at that, I omitted supper, and looked forward
to what the morrow might bring forth. Early next morning
the men came with food, &c. We cut down some small trees,
barked them, and got them partially under the aurochs, then
tying ropes to a horn and to each of his legs, all hands hauled
first at one leg then at another, making fast the slack gained
with each haul, until by degrees we got him out of the stream
on to the bank. We then skinned him and cut the meat
roughly off his skeleton. His bones were all carefully put
into sacks. The skin, bones, and a little meat formed a
heavy load for three ponies, which the men had managed
to bring from camp somehow. That afternoon and the two
following days we were busy drying and preparing the skin and
skeleton. Having been successful with the bull, I thought I
would try to get a female, so we pursued the same tactics and
I eventually shot a cow, whose skin and skeleton we also pre-
served. Some weeks after that, I found myself face to face with
a grand old bull, bigger than my first victim. We were hidden
in the bush and he stood in the open wood, and grand indeed
he looked. I laid my rifle down, for the temptation was great,
and I would not have slain him for i,ooo/. I took off my cap
to him out of respect for a noble representative of a nearly
extinct species. I had got what I wanted, and mine should
not be the hand to hurry further the extermination of a fading
race for mere wanton sport. I shot the aurochsen for the

72 BIG GAME SHOOTING

express purpose of presenting them to the British Museum,
where I have every reason to believe they are extremely
appreciated.

The aurochs of Europe is closely allied to the American
bison {Bos americanus), but surpasses it in size. Its legs and
tail are larger, and its hind quarters not so low. The mane is
much less developed, composed of shorter hairs, and not
extending so far back as in the New World species, in which,
besides, it is of a black colour.

73

CHAPTER V

OVIS ARGALI OF MONGOLIA
By St. George Littledale

The Ovis argali is, thanks to his richly-coloured coat of reddish
grey, an exceedingly handsome beast, but his horns, though
more massive, lack the sweeping character which is the glory
of the Ovis poll. So like, however, are these great sheep of the
Altai and the Pamir, that Dr. Giinther, to whom I am deeply
indebted for much valuable assistance, says that to distin-
guish between them ' is a very hard nut to crack, and perhaps
the only solution will be to find a distinction (if such exists) in
the osteology of the ewes.' He adds that in the poli group the
horns are less massive at the base than the horns of the argali ;
and that the argali has never a ruff or mane.

It was in the summer of i88g that my wife and myself,
accompanied by Mr. Whitbread and Mr. Cobbold, reached
the Tabagatai Mountains in search of argali. Though anxious
to help us, the Russians knew nothing for certain about the
districts in which we were most likely to find our game, and
such hearsay evidence as they had from the Kirghiz I knew
from former experience to be utterly untrustworthy.

Our best chance appeared to be to take a line of our own,
and this we eventually did, guided in our choice of ground by
the consideration of elevation alone, knowing well that as a
rule the biggest ' heads ' are to be found in the highest moun-
tains or in the largest forests. Nor had we any cause to
regret our course ; for, on our return journey, a flying visit to
the mountains originally recommended to us proved that game

74 BIG GAME SHOOTING

in them was scarce and the dimensions of the heads insig-
nificant.

Leaving Zaizau, on the frontier of Russian territory, with a
pack train of ponies, bullocks, and camels, we travelled by an
easy road through the Saiar range, into the desert, with its
familiar pests of mosquitoes and horseflies and its never-to-be-
forgotten odour of sage-brush and horse-sweat.

But on the high ground beyond were the great sheep
which we had come so far to seek, and in the high range of the
Saiar Mountains and two neighbouring ranges we had fair
sport, killing not only the beasts we came especially to find, but
also specimens oi Antilope subgutturosa, and the ibex {Capra
sibiricd) which shares the ground with the argali, bears and
tigers,

A passport which the natives could not read, in vermilion
and yellow, secured the neutrality of those we met, but a letter
of introduction to the Chinese Governor of the district procured
us a typical escort of natives, excellent horsemen and good
fellows, armed, however, somewhat oddly — to wit, one carry-
ing a Russian Berdan rifle without cartridges ; another provided
with an old Tower musket cut off half-way down the barrel,
consequently without a foresight ; a third with a matchlock ;
and a fourth with a horn arrangement on his finger for
archery. With this little army at our back we naturally threw
fear to the winds, and pressed on into the strongholds of the
sheep.

Like all their race we found the argali keen of scent and
quick-sighted to such a degree as to make a successful stalk a
feat to be proud of. Here, as elsewhere, we discovered that
separate hills seemed to be set apart for the ewes and lambs,
while the rams sought a dignified seclusion elsewhere.

The reddish-grey coat of the argali is an additional point
in his favour, since in a country the dominant tone of which is
that of a gravel walk it is extremely hard to pick out the beasts
with the spy-glass. Moreover the Altai does not resemble
the Pamir in its general features. The Pamir being at a much

OV/S ARGALJ OF MONGOLIA 75

greater elevation and the ground less broken, the sheep which
inhabit it neither feel the heat so much as the argali do, nor
are they able to find such shelter, even if they should want
it, as is afforded by the broken ground of the Altai. The lower
portion of the hills we hunted in 1889 was of sandstone forma-
tion, eaten out into fantastic shapes and curious cavities, in
which the sheep sought shelter from the sun, actually going to
ground under rocks and in holes to such an extent as to make
a search for them during the five or six hottest hours of the
day absolutely useless.

The nature of the ground in which each variety of these
great sheep live accounts, I think, for the different character of
their horns. The wide sweep of the poll's horns is fitting and
natural in a beast whose home is on the broad rolling upland
plateaux, and no less natural is it that the argali's horns should
be more contracted and heavy, since he lives in a land of rocks,
where sharp corners and narrow paths are in the order of his
daily life.

Perhaps it is not as easy to explain the great size of the
horns of the poll, compared with those of the argali, bearing in
mind the cruel climate and scanty herbage to which the former
is accustomed. Added to natural advantages of scent and
sight of a very high order, Ovis argali had a good deal in his
favour in the land he inhabited ; for, owing to the immediate
neighbourhood of a good deal of snow with sun-baked rock
and shale, unforeseen currents of air were continually being
generated which were fatal to many a stalk, whilst upon stormy
days (which were many) the wind roared and twisted about
in the rocky gorges in the most exasperating manner. In the
highest range, indeed, of those which we tried, which was a
regular cloud trap, we were soaked to the skin nearly every day.

There is still another point in this Central Asian sport
against the shooter : that is, the difficulty of judging distance
consequent on the clearness of the atmosphere and the general
absence of objects by which to test the relative size of your
game. As a rule, the shots you get are fired from the top of

76 BIG GAME SHOOTING

one mound at a sheep on the top of another, and unless you
are using a rifle with a very flat trajectory, and have (as all
men should in Central Asia) a rough mental table, to suit your
own eyesight, of the distances at which an eye or an ear would
be visible, you are extremely likely to throw a great many
shots away.

Altogether, we were somewhat unlucky in this expedition.
The sheep's habit of disappearing in cavities and under
rocks from lo a.m. until evening made the sport less interest-
ing than the pursuit of Ovis poli, who is always ' on view,' and
even when hard hit the extraordinary vitality of the beast
not mfrequently enables him to escape the hunter. However,
in the second range which we tried I had fair success, bag-
ging six or seven heads varying from thirty-six to forty inches.
The ground here was a range some three thousand feet above
the level of the plains, whose top was reached by occasional
valleys up which it was possible to ride, while the northern
face of the range was steep and rocky, a favourite haunt of
Capra sibirica.

My biggest ram was killed in ground even lower than this,
among the sandstone hollows of the third range which we
tried, at an elevation of not more than two hundred feet
above the plain. This was a nice head of fifty inches.

Before closing these notes upon the sheep of Asia, may
I respectfully invite the scientific naturalist to come to the
assistance of the unlearned sheep-shooter? — to whom the in-
convenient question is often put, ' Are your trophies Ovis
poli, karelini, or argali ? ' for to this he is constrained in his
ignorance to reply ' I'll be shot if I know ! '

Would it not be well to place on record a revised classifi-
cation of the sheep of Asia, before erroneously-applied names
attach too firmly by common usage ?

In no contentious or captious spirit I would plead for a
new and distinct classification, in which the sheep of Asia, the
Hir of the Caucasus, and the ibex of the different parts of the
world may be clearly distinguished the one from the other.

n

CHAPTER VI

THE CHAMOIS
By W. A. Baillie-Grohman

Chamois are to be found in all the higher mountain systems of
Central and Southern Europe. They are indigenous to timber-
line regions from the Caucasus to the Pyrenees, and from the
Carpathians to the Alps of the Epirus. Switzerland and the
Austrian Alps have, however, always been their chief home. To
the sportsman the latter region, with its large estates and sport-
loving landed aristocracy, offers a much more inviting field than
does Switzerland, where the republican spirit and peasant
proprietorship make the preservation of game by individuals
almost impossible, and the chase in consequence uncertain and
difficult. It is fair, however, to add that the efforts made by
several of the Swiss Cantons in the course of the last ten or
twenty years will presumably prevent the extermination of the
chamois in Switzerland, which but for strictly enforced regula-
tions would at one time have been only a matter of a few years.
That the democratic spirit of republics is not one favourable
to the preservation of game, we can see by the dire results it
has worked in the Great Transatlantic Federation, where some
species oi ferce natune have practically become extinct.

The experience of those who have killed or tried to kill
chamois in the Pyrenees or in Albania would show that sport
in those countries is somewhat uncertain, and to obtain it
lengthy expeditions have to be undertaken, which in the-
majority of cases, the writer's not excepted, are not sue-

78 BIG GAME SHOOTING

cessful. It will therefore, we are inclined to think, best serve
the practical purposes of these volumes if prominence is given
to chamois shooting in those regions of the Central Alps which
may be considered the true home of that sport.

In Tyrol, the Bavarian Highlands,' Upper Austria, and
Styria, the regions best adapted for chamois shoots are in the
hands of the Austrian nobility, or of the Imperial House, or of
foreign potentates, who in their own countries cannot establish
chamois drives. Besides these large and well-guarded pre-
serves, there are also peasant-shoots where strangers can with
comparative ease procure permission to stalk. With few
exceptions, to one of which more detailed reference will be
made, the sport obtainable in peasant-shoots is poor ; for where
it is open to the natives (born mountaineers, and as keen and
hardy sportsmen as can be found anywhere), game is in con-
sequence of constant molestation more difficult of approach,
and less plentiful than in preserves where, with the exception
of a fortnight or two in the autumn, it is never disturbed. In
the peasant-shoots chamois are never driven but always stalked,
and the stranger attempting to do as the natives do must make
up his mind to undergo very hard work, put up with very rough
fare, and must consider himself lucky if he manages to get a
shot the third or fourth day out. Indeed, there can be no
better test of a man's love for sport or of his woodcraft than
to let him attempt to get a chamois in a peasant's-shoot un-
assisted by native hunters. On the other hand, to stalk chamois
in a preserve under the guidance of a keeper is really a very
ordinary matter ; good wind, a fairly clear head, and moderately
good eyesight are the chief qualifications beyond the knack of
doing exactly what one is told.

The nature of the ground where chamois are found differs
vastly. Thus in the Bavarian Highlands where the shooting
rights are almost entirely in the hands of the Royal House,

,' The term 'Bavarian Tyrol' one often hears used is entirely incorrect.
There is but one Tyrol, and for more than five hundred years it has formed
part of the Austrian Empire.

THE CHAMOIS

79

and where game is very closely guarded, the mountains fre-
quented by chamois are low, hardly reaching beyond timber-
line, and so easy to ascend as to almost allow a man on horse-

The spy chamois

back to climb their slopes. Here stalking is sometimes easier
than deer stalking is in Scotland, for there is more cover for
the sportsman. In an easy country such as this, a rigorous
day and night watch has to be kept up, and poaching is made

8o BIG GAME SHOOTING

a matter of life and death ; indeed, in the eyes of the Bavarian
keeper, his Tyrolese neighbour used to be regarded much in
the same hght as the American frontiersman looks upon red-
skins, i.e. the only good Indian he knows is a dead Indian.
Chamois poachers are by no means to be placed on the same
low level as Bill Sikes or Tom Stubbs of evil mien, who sneak
about English preserves. The ' Freeshooters of the Alps,' as
they are often called, are invariably brave fellows, who literally
take their lives m their hands, and are not moved by mercenary
motives, but by their inborn love of the chase. As a rule, they
make the best and most faithful keepers ; experience in
hundreds of cases testifying to the correctness of the old
saying, that a good keeper is but a good poacher turned outside
in. No finer specimens of manhood can be discovered than
among such reformed and unreformed poachers, and most
of the great lords take pride in having the most dare-devil
fellows and best cragsmen as keepers. Their whole lives are
passed in the great silent solitudes of timber-line, and for weeks
at a time they don't see a human being, and undergo hardships
of which the ordinary dwellei m civilisation has no concep-
tion.

The shooting season varies triflingly ; in some parts of the
Alps it begins in July, and ends in December, in others it
begins only in August. The rutting season is in November,
and that is the only time when old bucks are found constantly
mingling with the does. Were it not for the inclemencies of
the Alpine climate, which usually covers inhospitable timber-
line with several feet of snow by the end of October, the rutting
season would be the best for stalking, for chamois are then less
wary, and their coats have by that time got darker in colour,
and hence they are more easily seen than earlier in the season ;
but as a rule the chase is made impossible to all but the most
hardy by the deep snow. The interesting instantaneous photo-
graph taken of chamois during the rutting time shows how
dark their coats have got by that time. September and October
are as a rule the months chosen for driving and stalking. The

CHAMOIS
(Front an iustantaneous Photosraph)

THE CHAMOIS 8i

kids, which are dropped in April, have by that time attained a
sufficient growth to enable them to get their own living under
the care of a foster-mother should their own parent accidentally
fall a victim to the rifle of a tiro who in the excitement of a
stalk has failed to distinguish the doe from the buck ; by no
means an easy task, for both have the same sized horns, though
triflingly different in shape and position, those of the buck
being a little thicker at the base and rising more parallel to
each other. Speaking of horns, it may be as well to give the
size of the largest of the many hundred heads of which the
writer has kept record. The two largest pair are in the
collections of the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg at the Hinter
Riss, in Tyrol, and in that of Count Arco at Munich, where
over seven thousand horns and antlers form a particularly
interesting collection. They each measure over twelve inches
along the curve and over four inches in circumference at the
base ; the former are those of a buck killed by the Duke in
Tyrol, the other was bought by the late Count Arco. Eleven-
inch heads are still obtainable, though very rare, the largest
of my own killing being of that length, and four inches in
circumference. A first-rate ordinary buck tapes ten inches.
Abnormally long doe's horns are also occasionally seen, but
the slimness at the base invariably betrays the sex. In some
of the mountain ranges isolated from other homes of chamois,
the heads, in consequence of constant inbreeding, assume
a certain type by which those versed in antler-lore can
recognise their origin. Thus the horns will perhaps be
closer together or be wider apart, or have a more or less
developed crook, or stand at a slightly different angle than
they ordinarily do. The chamois horns of the Epirus, the
Carpathians and the Pyrenees are smaller than those found
in the Central Alps, and the animals are also lighter. The
weight of a good buck of the Alps is about 60 lbs., though
the writer has killed one in the Dolomites weighing 73 lbs.,
and Tschuddi mentions an authentic instance of 125 lbs., and
another of 92 lbs., the latter buck being killed in 1870 on the
II. G

82 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Santis. The does are not as heavy, ordinarily weighing from
45 lbs. to 50 lbs

A trophy one often sees on the hats of sportsmen on the
Continent is the so-called ' Gamsbart,' literally ' beard of the
chamois.' This name is misleading, for these bunches are
made of the hairs that grow along the backbone, from the
neck to the tail. These hairs are in summer not much longer
than any other part of the coat, but as the rutting time ap-
proaches they grow longer, and in November they are from
six to eight inches, and the longer they are the greater their
beauty in the eyes of the natives, who will pay large prices
for particularly long bunches. A peculiarity little known to
naturalists is the fact that when these hairs are stroked from
the roots toward the tips they become positively, and when
rubbed in the opposite direction they become negatively,
electric.

CHAMOIS PRESERVES AND PEASANT-SHOOTS

One of the regions most attractive to the sportsman is
North Tyrol, and more particularly that wide strip of mountain-
land skirting the Bavarian boundary on the one side and the
Inn Valley on the other. Here some of the best preserves in
the world are situated, five royal shoots almost abutting on each
other. These mountains, in character very similar to the
better known Dolomites, which range is now, alas ! thanks to
tourists and peasant-shoots, pretty well cleared of chamois, are
the beau ideal of what chamois ground should be. Most of
this area consists of vast almost verdureless limestone ranges
of jagged peaks intersected by deep ravines, where even in the
hottest weather snowfields nestling in shady recesses form the
chamois' favourite rendezvous. Too barren to make the cul-
tivation of those elevated Alpine pasturages, so common in
Tyrol and Switzerland, and which as a rule are fatal to pre-
serves, a paying industry, this sea of mountains is practically
one chamois preserve. In this tract, containing seven shoots, the

THE CHAMOIS 83

annual bag aggregates between five hundred and eight hundred
chamois, while the total head must be over four thousand.

One is often asked what the cost of a moderately large
chamois preserve amounts to. It is difficult to give any hard
and fast rule ; one thing, however, is certain, that a shoot, say
of mixed game, i.e. stag and chamois, can be obtained for a
fourth or fifth of the cost of a Scotch forest. The chief
expense are the keepers, whose wages (from 40/. to 50/. per
annum) are, however, low. As a rule, the ground is rented
from the Crown, and if it has been hitherto unpreserved, the
rental is a nominal sum. In three years, if not shot over at
all, the game will have increased probably three or four fold,
not only from natural increase, but, being entirely undisturbed,
game from adjoining shoots will have been attracted. If any
Alpine pasture-rights on any part of the leased land exist,
these ' servitudes,' as they are called, will have to be bought
up or leased from the individual peasant owners.

The following instance, which may be regarded as authentic,
will show what can be done in this respect. In 1866 four
sportsmen rented on long lease from several Alpine hamlets
a number of adjoining ' servitudes,' and placed three trust-
worthy keepers over the shoot, whose sole duty was to prevent
poaching. When they started there were between 100 and
140 chamois on the place. In 1867 they killed fourteen, and
from that on the bag gradually increased until in 1881 they
shot 113 head, while the entire bag from 1867 to 1883
amounted to 766 head, the average number of shooting days
being twelve every year. Their rent and keepers' wages came
to under 300/. per annum, and a separate gratuity of ten
florins for every chamois killed b> the owners offered a further
inducement to the keepers to prevent poaching.

Before the year 1848, the Austrian red deer and chamois
preserves carried infinitely more game than they do now,
though they still are probably the best stocked that exist. In
that dire year of revolution the destruction, amounting in only
too many instances to complete extermination by the rebel

G 2

84 BIG GAME SHOOTING

peasantry, gave the deathblow to the cherished rights of the
chase — reUcs of the feudal ages — claimed by all the large
landed proprietors. The peasant-shoots as a consequence of
the revolution came into existence in that year ; for anterior to
it the peasantry were feudal vassals to whom their seigneur's
game was almost as sacred as their lives, poaching in the
olden days being an offence punished by loss of limb or life.
It may be interesting to refer briefly to one of the few
instances of peasant-shoots dating back to earlier times than
1848.

In this instance, the rights of the chase date back to the
year 1709, when an imperial grant conveyed the sporting
privileges to the peasantry of this particular valley as a reward
for their conspicuous bravery in the defence of their country
against overwhelming odds. Since that time the heirs of the
twenty-six peasants who participated in the war have exercised
the sporting rights over a very large area. By careful manage-
ment and the adoption of the following rules, it is made a profit-
able property. At the commencement of the shooting season
the twenty -six shareholders, as they might be called, meet in
solemn conclave and settle among themselves what number of
chamois and stags are to be killed that season, the severity or
mildness of the preceding winter having, as in all Alpine
districts, much to do with this matter, and they also select
three of their number, who for the ensuing twelve months
have to act as keepers to guard against poachers from the
adjoining valleys. During the season, any one member may
shoot as many head as he chooses until the agreed upon total
is reached. As there is a good market for the game within
reach, every head is turned over to the treasurer, who sells it.
Half of the proceeds goes to the man who killed it, while the
other goes to a general fund which is equally divided among
the twenty-six members at the end of the season, so that a
man who has not fired a shot draws at the end of the year
what to these simple folk is a considerable sum. In one year,
when the writer was shooting there, the total reached three

THE CHAMOIS 85

hundred head of big game, i.e. chamois, stags, and roe-deer,
and one was placed in the odd position of not only not having
to pay for the capital sport one had enjoyed, but having
money offered one in the shape of half of the proceeds of all
one had killed.

CHAMOIS STALKING

At a discussion which once arose at the table of the
Prince Consort's brother, H.R.H. the reigning Duke of Saxe-
Coburg — a veteran Nimrod, who for the last fifty years has
unquestionably shown himself, next to the Emperor of Austria,
the keenest royal sportsman in Europe — the question arose
whether chamois would share the fate of their kindred the
ibex and become extinct. Somebody made the paradoxical
reply : ' Not so long as they are only killed by potentates and
by peasants.' While this cannot of course be taken literally,
there is yet some truth in it, for it indicates the respective
methods of shooting chamois — that is, by driving and by
stalking ; the one being the pleasure of the highest in the
land, the other infinitely harder and more truly sportsmanlike
method being usually only pursued by the hardy peasant and
daring poacher. In pursuing the argument that arose as to
the respective merits of stalking and driving, the host, whose
prowess as a bold stalker in his younger days was well known
to all present, remarked with sparkling eyes that he would
willingly give all the 149 driven chamois he killed the pre-
ceding season for the half-dozen he stalked half a century
before in the first season he visited those mountains, a senti-
ment with which every keen sportsman will heartily agree.'

Stalking chamois is hard work, often very hard work, but

' The above was written before the lamented and unexpectedly sudden
death of this singularly versatile and able prince, who, without question,
was also the greatest Nimrod of his time. His demise, in his seventy-sixth
year, was one befitting his sportsman's career, the apoplectic attack from
which he never rallied overtaking him on his return from a stalk, in which
he had killed two 14-point stags. His last words, murmured in a semi-
conscious condition, were : ' Let the drive commence.'

86 BIG GAME SHOOTING

it is keener sport than any the average sportsman comes
across. Amid the wild grandeur of unfrequented mountain
recesses, one's woodcraft, one's endurance, and one's agility
are pitted against the instincts of what is probably the wariest
game that exists, and one, too, which is protected by the kind
offices of nature, who has made its home, as a rule, inacces-
sible to all but the most surefooted. The dangers besetting
the path of the lonely stalker have from time immemorial lent
themselves in a particularly tempting manner to exaggeration,
so that most accounts of the sport are not only given at third
hand, but are overladen with romantic nonsense.

For a narrative of actual stalking experiences which
possibly may prove more useful than mere generalisations, it
may be as well to describe a typical stalk, one of many the
writer has enjoyed in the peasant-shoot already alluded to ;
for it will give a better idea of the ordinary incidents of
stalking than were one to relate the more everyday events of
a stalk in a preserve where game is plentiful and where one
has simply to follow the directions of the keeper. Under the
circumstances the hope is entertained that the use of the
otherwise undesirable ' ego ' will be permitted.

One of the first things to settle before starting on a
chamois stalk is the question where shelter for the night
nearest to the hunting ground can be obtained. If roughing
is not objected to, a light sleeping bag made of waterproof
canvas with fur lining and weighing not more than ten or
twelve pounds is a friend in need. With it and the shelter
of the widespreading branches of an arve or pine, the night or
two passed on high need not entail great discomforts ; but, as
a rule, a more substantial roof overhead becomes acceptable,
particularly if, as in this instance, the advent of October brings
with it a snowstorm. If there are any Alp-huts at all handy,
their shingle roof and loft filled with fragrant hay offer a more
desirable shelter and sleeping accommodation than a pine-tree
and sleeping bag.

A long day's walk from the main valley, with three or four

THE CHAMOIS 87

days' provisions stowed away in the ' Riicksack ' — of which
useful style of game-bag a word anon — brought me at dusk to the
chalet selected on this occasion. It had been vacated five or
six weeks before by its solitary inmate and his dozen or so
of hardy mountain-bred cattle, man and beast having returned
to lower and more hospitable regions after their three or four
weeks' sojourn in these elevated solitudes. The small low log
hut was about as primitive and isolated a human habitation as
one could imagine. The nearest dwelling was five hours' walk
off, and as one looked upon the scene familiar to one from
stalks of old, a delightful sense of solitude made itself felt. In
front of the hut the primitive ' Brunnen,' made out of a hollowed
pine-tree, spouted forth gaily and merrily a clear stream fed from
a rill coming straight from the nearest snow-field a few hundred
feet above the hut. A sound usually indicative of human pre-
sence, it now only heightened the sense of the utter solitude
of the scene upon which the sombre mantle of night was about
to sink. As the door was locked, a few shingles removed from
one corner where the eaves of the slanting roof approached
the ground to within three feet gave ingress to the hayloft,
from which the soot-begrimed interior of the primitively
constructed hut could be gained by a short ladder. The door
was easily unfastened from the inside, and a fire on the open
hearth soon sent forth its genial blaze. From the owner of the
hut, whose habitation was one of the last which I passed that
morning on my way up, the hiding-place of a frying-pan and a
small stock of flour was learnt, and with these additions to
what I had brought, a substantial meal of ' schmarrn ' and tea
was soon prepared and eaten, while a pipe or two before
turning into the hay for the night were enjoyed sitting on a
primitive bench in front of the chalet. From here in the
bright moonlight I could see my goal for the morrow, the
declivities of a boldly rising peak which I knew of yore to be
a pretty sure find for chamois at this season of the year, ana
where on the occasion of my last visit I had demonstrated to
a friend how easy it was to spoil a stalk and miss a chamois.

88 BIG GAME SHOOTING

A sharp frost, causing a chilly mist to rise from the steaming
moorland surrounding the hut, however, sent me soon indoors
and to my night's quarters in the dry fragrant hay, where,
enfolded in a plaid, sleep after a twenty-five-mile walk was
indeed sound and restful.

The following morning I was up before dawn, and after a
breakfast of a pannikin of steaming tea and some bacon, I
reached the first rocks at the base of the peak, before as much
as ' shooting light ' had chased away darkness. To be early
on the ground is a great advantage, for the chamois' day is
half over at what most people would consider a reasonable
breakfast hour, and moreover it usually gives the stalker the two
winds, i.e. the one ordinarily blowing down the mountain before
the rays of the rising sun strike the slope, and the one blowing
in the contrary direction after that has occurred. Leading up
to the rocks was an exceedingly steep grassy slope, which the
hard frost of the night had turned into a precipitous field of
ice, to ascend which my light pair of crampons (so useful for
rockwork in a limestone formation) came in very handy. On
reaching a good point of outlook a definite plan of action had
to be decided upon. As the wind would be soon drawing up
the slope, it became necessary to gain a point above the pro-
posed stalking ground, which could be done by climbing the
peak from the back. It was not of great altitude, perhaps some
two thousand five hundred or two thousand six hundred feet
over the moor where the Alp-hut stood, but the back rose in
bold proportions and presented a face almost bare of vegetation,
towering up like a huge wall, so that the task of scaling it from
that side was a stiff one. A couloir-like cleft running almost
vertically up the face of the rock offered the only practicable
means of ascending the first ninety or hundred feet, by a free
use of one's back and knees in chimney-sweeper's style. One's
progress would have been more rapid but for the rifle and
rucksack hampering one's movements. Protected, as the
muzzle of the rifle should always be when real climbing is to
be done, by a sheath of sole-leather five or six inches long

THE CHAMOIS 89

drawn over the sight, it often materially assists to take the
rifle apart, and wrap the stock and the barrels separately in
the folds of the game-bag (to prevent chafing). By thus
making a compact parcel of it, and with the assistance of a few
fathoms of strong cord, which should always be carried with
one, it can be drawn up after one at the more difficult places.
Three hours' stiff climbing landed me at last near the top of the
peak, where further progress was rendered easier by the existence
of horizontal ledges running towards the side of the mountain
which I was striving to gain. Wriggling along one of these
bands, now on my hands and knees, then again in an upright
position with my back scraping against the rock, I finally
weathered the corner or shoulder of the mountain, and there
at my feet lay the slope to gain the command of which had
entailed such hard work.

The slope I overlooked was perfect stalking ground. Far
less precipitous than the one I had ascended, it fell away from
the top in a series of terrace-like steps, each separated from the
next by small precipices from twenty to fifty feet in height.
The uppermost steps were almost verdureless, while the middle
and lower ones broadened into grassy ledges with thick beds
of the dwarf pine (latchen), affording good grazing and capital
shelter. The breeze was drawing briskly up the slope, and
everything, from the nature of the ground to the glorious
autumn weather and crisp atmosphere of high altitudes, seemed
favourable to good sport.

From nine to twelve in the forenoon is the worst time to
spy for chamois, for after their morning graze they invariably,
except in very bad weather, lie down in some sheltered nook
where it is almost impossible to spot them. At noon they rise,
if only for a few minutes, to nibble at the nearest blades of
grass and resume their 'couch.' An old poacher's saying that
the older the buck the more punctual he is, emphasises this
habit, which, by-the bye, is also observed by red deer. An
hour's rest, with a bite of lunch and a pull or two at a flask of
genuine kirsch, formed an acceptable interlude and when

9© BIG GAME SHOOTING

the shadow of my alpenstock, planted vertically in a crack (thus
forming a primitive kind of sun-dial), had almost disappeared, I
knew it was about time to commence a sharp look out. But, as
IS so often the case, I was looking for something in the distance
which, had I but known it, was right before me. For a quarter
of an hour I had been scanning the different ledges with my
glass without discovering anything, and I was closing the tele-
scope rather impatiently and with unnecessary violence, thereby
making a very audible metallic click, when suddenly, with a
loud whistle of alarm, a fine buck jumped into my line of sight
on the ledge below the one I occupied, not more than thirty-
five yards, off. At the moment I was lounging with my back
against a rock, my legs, on account of the narrowness of the ledge,
dangling over the brink, and my rifle, still unjointed, safe in the
game-bag. Throwing my body to one side as the buck jumped
into view, I commenced frantically to fumble for the arm ; but
the buck was not so easily duped, and by the time I had put it
together, wrenched the protector from the muzzle and slipped
cartridges in, he had time to put a hundred and thirty yards
between himself and that alarming apparition of which he just
caught a glimpse. Though he kept to the same ledge he was
only visible for brief moments, projecting rocks obstructing the
line of sight. So old Reliable, a favourite -500 Express that
had done good work in the Rockies and the Sierras, did not
get a fair chance, and the buck made no sign he was hit, though
it certainly seemed to me that I heard the thud of the ball.
Making a detour to gain the lower level, I hurried to the spot
and soon found blood, though only in scanty patches. The
colour was, however, bright red and frothy, so it evidently was
a lung shot. Wounded chamois give no end of trouble, and
■ this one was no exception, for generally it means tracking a
beast which instinctively resorts to its matchless climbing
faculties to outwit its pursuer. As a rule, it is far wiser not to
follow the animal at once, but to seek a prominent point where
a good view of the surroundings can be gained, and watch
where the beast goes to. If it is only slightly wounded the

THE CHAMOIS 91

pursuit will probably be fruitless, and if hard hit it is best to let
the effect of the wound tell upon the vitality of the animal by
waiting an hour or two. If hard hit, it won't go far so long as
it remains unpursued, and the great thing is to see w-here it
goes to cover. The temptation to follow the tracks at once is,
however, one which in the excitement of the moment is not so
easily resisted, and in this instance it was doubly unwise to
give way to it, for my shot was less likely to be a fatal one
(having been fired at a steep slant downwards) than had it been
delivered on the level. It was noon when I fired ; it was past
four when, after a persistent chase, I caught sight of the buck
four hundred yards off, still on his legs, though evidently hard
hit. Probably he had kept me in sight all the time, jumping
up from his blood-bespattered couches whenever I got too near.
At sunset I was no closer to him, and as he w^as taking me
further and further away from the chalet, a decision whether 10
sleep out or whether to return for the night to the hut became
imperative. Sleeping out, quite unprepared as I happened to be,
was, at the altitude I was on and in the chilly October nights,
a contingency which if not really necessary was better avoided,
particularly as the weather was rapidly assuming a threatening
look, and the sky became covered with leaden-hued clouds
indicative of coming snow. Taking the shortest route, it was,
however, pitch dark when I finally reached the hut. A couple
of hours later, when I turned in, a strong wind was blowing,
which soon afterwards rose to a fierce gale that made the
timbers of the ramshackle old hut groan and creak. It was
still quite dark when I woke up, an ominous stillness contrast-
ing strangely with the preceding uproar of the elements. The
cause was soon explained, for on going to the door and trying
to open it I found a couple of feet of snow had drifted against
it, and I had to take it off its primitive raw-hide hinges to get
it open at ail. The air was thick with big flakes, and the
ground was covered to a depth of four or five inches. It was
noon before it stopped snowing, though the leaden, sunless
sky did not look even then very promising. To search for the

92 BIG GAME SHOOTING

wounded buck under such circumstances seemed almost hope-
less, and entirely so if he had died during the night, but
eventually I decided to make an attempt. Making my way
as best I could by the easiest approach to the ledge where I
last saw the buck, I was of course wet to the skin long ere I
reached the spot, for forcing one's way through the twisted and
tangled masses of the dwarf pine, snow clinging to every twig
and branch, is the reverse of agreeable. However, I was to
be rewarded, for I had not gone far when I heard the whistle
emitted by the chamois when suddenly alarmed. Looking up,
I saw him standing on the ledge above me, his shaggy coat
outlined against the sky. It was his last tottering effort to
fly from his pursuer, and I believe I almost could have caught
him, so enfeebled had he become by loss of blood. A bullet
placed in a better place than the last one soon put him out of
his misery. It was a good five or six year old buck, and my
first bullet had struck him rather high between the spine and the
lungs, but ranging downwards had cut a furrow in the one lung
on the side of its exit. Overshooting game when firing down-
wards should be specially guarded against. For shots under
similar circumstances and at ordinary distances, it is a safe rule
to see daylight between the top of the bead and the body ;
where otherwise, if the shot were fired on level ground, one
would hold the bead right on the body.

Cutting a branch or two from the nearest dwarf pine and mak-
ing use of the cord in my riicksack, a sort of sleigh was easily
improvised, and seeing a steep and uninterrupted slope near at
hand, I bundled the buck and myself down it in capital time,
and in a flying cloud of snow. At the bottom I brittled the
animal, for from there on I had to carry him, and finally
reached the hut just as dusk and snow were simultaneously
commencing to fall upon the landscape. A roaring fire and
the fact that I had brought a change of underclothing with me,
and discovered a pair of discarded old sabots in the adjoining
cowshed, together with the solacing eflects of a delicious stew
of liver and brain, soon put a rosier hue upon things generally.

THE CHAMOIS 93

and the fact that a good buck was hanging by the crooks of
his horns to the eaves outside had probably also something
to do with it.

One more chamois stalking incident may perhaps be per-
mitted to find space here, as it will illustrate another aspect of
the sport obtainable in a peasant-shoot. The shoot in question
skirted for many miles the boundary between Tyrol and
Bavaria ; the preserve on the latter side marching with it, being
a favourite hunting ground of the late King, was hence par-
ticularly strictly guarded. Preparing myself for a three or four
days' absence in the mountains, I left the main valley one
August morning and reached the Alp-hut which I proposed to
make my headquarters late the same afternoon. In the locality
referred to, the duty of herding the cattle driven up to these
elevated pasturages is performed by girls instead of by men.
The • stout-armed and stout-hearted lass will often be for
weeks quite alone in her hut, miles of mountain wilds be-
tween her and the nearest habitation. On getting to the
hut I found installed in it, instead of buxom Moidl, her brother
Hans, a bold climber, inveterate stalker, and best of fellows
withal. Hans and I were acquaintances of old, and he had no
secrets from me. What that meant will be better understood
when it is mentioned that the Bavarian frontier line was within
rifleshot of the hut, following the backbone of a steep ridge.
Beyond that invisible line death awaited the poacher ; for the
Bavarian keepers were well known to entertain no scruples
about reversing the order prescribed by law, and would
shoot first and then only call upon their foe to surrender, a
condition of things which naturally led to retaliation and
sanguinary feuds. Hans and I were sitting in front of the
hut smoking our pipes, and it needed no glasses to see that
those black specks on yonder arete were the game of game, and
Hans' eyes, sparkling with excitement, involuntarily travelled
from the chamois on the far cliff towards a huge old larch-tree
a couple of hundred yards from where we were sitting, shattered

94

BIG GAME SHOOTING

ages ago by lightning, and now affording in its hollow trunk a
safe hiding-place for his rifle and capacious rucksack, in the
folds of which more than one buck had, I suspect, been ' extra-
dited ' back to Tyrol. There was really no reason for Hans
to hide his rifle, for he was here on his own ground, but being
a wild and uninhabited stretch of country and only peasants
their victims, the Bavarian keepers would often defy the rules
of international intercourse, and would cross into Tyrol to
search Alp-huts they suspected of harbouring poachers — a pro-
ceeding which was all the more aggravating to the Tyrolese, for
m consequence of topographical reasons the chamois were, if
length of residence counted, really more their own than the
Bavarian King's — the peculiar lay of the country causing
the chamois to leave the Tyrolese mountains, which faced the
south, during the hot summer months to seek the cooler
northern aspect on the Bavarian side of the line, returning to-
their home-range with the first September or October snow-
storm, after which period the south aspect of the moun-
tains remained their home for eight or nine months of the
year. The King usually held his big drives in August, an
exceptionally early period, and, as the Tyrolese persisted in
maintaining, they were held so early for the special purpose of
getting their chamois, a pretension which received some colour
in their eyes by the circumstance that the keepers used to take
special precautions at this season to prevent them escaping over
the line.

My only hope for sport in that neighbourhood, those hot
August days, lay in the circumstance that at one point the
boundary line, instead of following the watershed, crossed from
point to point, leaving the northern declivities -of one of the
higher peaks down to its base on the Tyrolese side. Towards
this spot, about two hours' climb from the hut, I shaped my
course early the next morning after a comfortable night in the
hayloft. It was necessary to get to the spot at sunrise, for
otherwise the chamois, who used the narrow ledges that ran
across the face of the exceedingly precipitous slope only for

THE CHAMOIS

95

their night quarters, would have moved down towards their
feeding ground near some snow patches beyond the base of
the rock, where the ground was already in Bavaria. On
getting to the top of the hill, which I did just as the sun was
rising over the great glaciers of the distant Zillerthal, I found
that the wind was still drawing down the slope, so the change
in its direction, which usually occurs about sunrise, had to be
patiently awaited. After shivering for some time in the
piercing breeze, the wind at last began to shift, and five
minutes later it was blowing up the slope. Only now did I
venture to creep forward to the edge of the precipice, and
craning over, scan the declivity below me. There, sure
enough, right at the foot of the cliff, about 250 yards off, but
already on Bavarian ground, was a single chamois slowly
feeding away from me. My glass soon told me that it was a
prize worthy of every effort, nay, almost worth turning poacher
oneself How unjust that this animal, which passed the greater
part of the year on Tyrolese soil, should, because it happened
to stray across an invisible boundary line, become the property
of the King, just at the very time when the big royal chamois
drives would, perhaps, cause him to run up to the rifle
barrels of some pampered sportsman sitting on his camp-
stool behind a bush, and anything but deserving the luck of
bagging such a rare old buck, who was worthy of the hardest
stalk man ever had ! How unlucky, too, that the wind had
not changed five minutes earlier, for I felt convinced that my
lordly old buck had passed the night on some of the ledges
within easy reach of my rifle ! But these ruminations were
useless, and as nothing further was to be done that day, I
determined to return to the Alp-hut and repeat the experiment
the following morning, when I hoped the wind would prove
more propitious. On reaching the hut, I found that flaxen-
tressed Moidl had returned from her errand to her distant
home, and as both she and her brother knew every inch of
the country I had been over, I talked matters over with them.
My comment that the ' Hohe Geschniirr ' was a fickle place

96 BIG GAME SHOOTING

for wind found the assent of experience. Moidl was quite
a fair cook, and as I had some time before rendered her
lover, who was serving his three years' military service in the
nearest garrison town, the much-prized favour of obtaining for
him an unexpected leave of absence, she was, so far as the
primitive means at her command allowed her, an attentive
hostess, and, as the sequel proved, an energetic strategist-
* And you are sure that you will return to the Hohe Geschniirr
to-morrow morning?' queried the lass as I was settling myself
for a comfortable afternoon smoke at the open hearth. To
my affirmative answer she replied with a smile and a nod, and
soon afterwards left the hut, bent, as I supposed, on some
errand connected with the guardianship of the kine in her
charge, and from which she had not returned when I turned
in for a second night in the hay. My start next morning was
an early one, and I reached the top of the cliff in good time.
Awaiting sunrise and the wind being favourable, I was soon
creeping with bated breath through the low brush that grew to the
very edge of the cliff, and looked down to renew my acquaintance,
if possible, with the old lord of the manor. But, alas ! the
rising morning mist still hid the lower portion of the vast
amphitheatre-shaped declivity. What wonderful effects do not
those fleecy clouds produce as, drifting from pinnacle to pinnacle,
assuming every minute different fantastic shapes, they finally
begin to melt away, disclosing as they do so bit after bit of the
details of the sublime landscape ! When the base of the cliff
at last became visible, I saw, somewhat to my surprise, quite a
number of chamois congregated and evidently made uneasy
by some sign of danger which was invisible to me ; I could
even hear their 'whistle.' With my glasses I soon picked out
my buck of yesterday, and near him I saw a second veteran.
It was much too far to shoot, so I awaited with imaginable
impatience what the next move of the game would be.
Slowly, with frequent stops to look back in the direction where
their scent detected danger, they at last commenced an
upward course which would bring them, if nothing changed

THE CHAMOIS 97

their bearing, to within fifty yards of where I lay concealed,
waiting till they reached the top of the cliff- -in front the
leading doe, then several yearlings and two-year-olds, and last,
straggling at some distance behind, the two fathers of the tribe.
The latter's doom was sealed, for a minute later a right and left
had added two good heads to my collection. Far over the
mountains did the breeze carry the sound of my shots, and
presumably more than one many- jointed German oath came
as echo from the angry keepers, whose ideas respecting the
ownership of those chamois were not exactly the same as those
of the proprietors of the soil where the chamois lived for the
greater part of the year. After brittling the bucks and hiding
the larger one under some brush, I made for home with the
other one in my riicksack. On my way down I stopped at the
Alp-hut and sent Hans back for the former, which he was to
take to the main valley the following day, an arrangement
which prevented my hearing the sequel of the story, and the
explanation why those chamois had come my way that
morning, until some weeks later. My artful friend Moidl, it
appeared, together with another girl from a neighbouring
Alp-hut, had planned and had executed the following ruse.
Starting long before sunrise from the latter's hut, the two
girls with large baskets on their backs had penetrated by
break of day into the very heart of the royal preserve, situated
on the lower slopes of the peak, on the top of which they knew
I would presently be posted. When the wind changed, all the
chamois above the girls got scent of them, and the result was
soon afterwards communicated to them by my shots. But,
unfortunately for the girls, my shots also put the keepers on
the qui vive, and before the girls could get back to the
Tyrolese side a keeper had spied them and promptly arrested
them. Their excuse that they were collecting medicinal
roots for their cattle, and had unwittingly wandered across into
Bavaria, did not help them, and they were taken down in
triumph to the nearest forest-master. Fortunately, however,
•the judge who heard their case took a more reasonable view,

II. H

98 BIG GAME SHOOTING

and found that there were no proofs of poaching or of abet-
ting poaching, and after a brief confinement they were set at
liberty.

RIFLES AND KIT

Tyrolese, Swiss and German sportsmen, as a rule, use only
single-barrelled rifles, and much smaller charges than are used
out of English Expresses ; indeed, in some royal shoots the use
of double-barrelled rifles is against local etiquette. Thus the
Emperor of Austria, one of the keenest sportsmen born, never
uses other than single-barrelled arms, and his guests are
expected to do the same. The reason is a good one — namely,
to discourage wild shooting at long ranges, causing numbers of
chamois to be wounded, many of whom escape only to die in
places where they never can be got at. To a person who is
accustomed to shoot at long ranges and who knows exactly
what the rifle in his hands can do if held steadily, the shoulder
of a chamois standing at two hundred yards is not, as most
German sportsmen will insist on, an impossible mark ; but of
course practice and fine sights on a really accurate weapon
with the necessary steadiness of aim are essential to accom-
plish it. A hinged peepsight behind the hammers, which turns
down when not required, or a Lyman sight, is a desirable
aid for fine shooting, provided one is accustomed to its
use ; and the same might be said of hair triggers. A peepsight
of my own invention, which has been copied by some who have
seen it, is constructed so as to fold down when not in use, fitting
into a recess of exactly its shape. Its chief merit is that when
not required it is invisible, and when required the pressure of
the thumb against a tiny knob (the size of a No. i shot) behind
the right hammer releases a spring, and the sight jumps into
position, and without requiring any further adjustment is
ready for immediate use. Messrs. Holland & Holland, of New
Bond Street, have built me an excellent rifle with this sight.
To the question which is the best rifle, the reply may safely be
given : a light '450 Express, with a sling to carry it in the Con-

THE CHAMOIS 99

tinental fashion, which latter leaves one the free use of the hands
and arms for climbing. For all ordinary purposes in driving and
also in stalking chamois the solid bullet should be used, for the
disfiguring effect of the hollow bullet at short ranges on such
comparatively small game as chamois is to be avoided, and
in many shoots there is a standing rule against them. For
stalking, when one is alone, and a wounded chamois is likely
to baulk one's best efforts to get it, the hollow bullet has certain
advantages, for wounded game succumbs as a rule much
sooner, and it is also much .more easily tracked. Considering
that the hollow and the solid bullets have very different tra-
jectories, the promiscuous use of both out of the same barrel is
fatal to good marksmanship.'

Good field-glasses, preferably of aluminium, being much
lighter than other metal, are quite indispensable, and are better
than telescopes in the hands of all but the most experienced,
for they give a much larger field and can be used more
constantly. Chamois, particularly early in the season, are, on
account of their dun coats, hard to see against a background
of rocks, and, even with some practice in knowing where to
look for them, a close scrutiny is necessary. 'Steigeisen,' or
crampons, are most useful when once one has become used to
them ; to the tiro they are, however, often a source of danger,
and in really bad places when stalking alone bare feet answer
the same purpose. The already mentioned ' riicksack,' or
Tyrolese game-bag, is the stalker's best friend, not only in the
Alps, but in any part of the world for rough work. It is a bag
of canvas, with two broad leather straps to pass the arms
through. Its lightness — it weighs only a few ounces — and
extreme simplicity are advantages apparent to everybody who
has used it once. When empty one can put it into one's
coat-pocket, and when required one can carry in it a roebuck
or chamois in the manner least fatiguing, for the weight is

1 This difficulty the writer, after years of experimentalising, has overcome
by using the hollow exclusively out of the right and the solid out of the left
barrel of a rifle built expressly for this purpose.

• H2

loo BIG GAME SHOOTING

distributed between the shoulders and the small of the back,
leaving the arms and muscles perfectly free play. The writer
has used them for years in the Rockies, and the alacrity ex-
hibited by the Indians in one's employ in taking to them
in lieu of headstraps and crossbands showed that there was
one improvement that the old world could show the new one.
A well-known writer on sporting subjects not long ago, when
recommending this bag to young shooters, stated that it was
originally introduced by a gentleman in Carlisle. If so, it
must have been a good many years ago ; for the Prince Consort
used them in Scotland from the first year he shot in the
Highlands, and the writer's father used them in the Highlands
forty-five or fifty years ago. In Tyrol it has been in use for at
least four hundred years, for we see it in prints of Maximilian's
day. As for clothing, the best nether garments for really
rough work are dark-coloured chamois leather breeches,
reaching to the knee, leaving it bare, with worsted stockings
long enough to reach well over the knees in snowy weather.
Ordinary woollen knickerbockers will not stand many hard days
of chamois stalking in a limestone formation ; in fact, the end of
the first stalk will probably find them seatless.

CHAMOIS DRIVING

What has been said will show that, to become a successful
stalker, practice and early training in mountain work are, if not
absolutely essential, at least very desirable, and even the pos-
sessor of these advantages has cause to pray for perpetual
youth. As years roll by, even the keenest stalker gradually
becomes more and more reconciled to the assistance afforded
by beaters and other extraneous aids to outwit this wary game,
and more and more satisfied with the buck carefully picked
from the band as it rushes past one's post in headlong flight,
or in cutting short the earthly career of a tricky old veteran
whose oft-repeated practice of sneaking through the line of
guns unobserved was attempted once too often.

THE CHAMOIS loi

The following account of a ' Treibjagd ' in the Duke of Saxe-
Coburg's famous preserves in the Hinter Riss in Tyrol will give
a comprehensive picture of driving chamois at its very best.

In this vast preserve, consisting of a great strip of mountain
country, a very sea of jagged ranges, stretching from the Inn
Valley to the Isar, driving is made a fine art, the experience of
fifty years assisting to no little extent the efforts of as finea staft
of keepers as can be found in the Alps. Sport can be obtained
there with a luxurious ease that is in striking contrast to the
hard fare and rough times usually the lot of the stalker. To
drive chamois over an exceedingly rough country in a given
direction is a very much harder task, however, than appears
on the face of it. Take a tract of mountains, the selection for
that day's drive, five or six miles square, connected with ad-
joining ranges by numerous passes by which the wary game
can easily escape ; take the extreme uncertainty of the wind in
these elevated localities, now blowing in the desired direction,
now suddenly veering round, carrying the alarm for many miles
to the keen-scented game, and undoing in one minute the
most carefully planned manoeuvre, and it will be realised how
many obstacles and contingencies, often of the most unforeseen
nature, must be provided for to make a drive successful.
Where such large areas have to be surrounded a whole army
of beaters would not suffice to keep chamois in the drive, and
the ' lappen,' or flags, one of the most important aids on such
occasions, have to be employed. These consist of many
miles of strong cord to which at intervals of every four or five
feet bright-coloured pieces of linen about the size of a pocket-
handkerchief are fastened. These cords, resembling a
laundry line hung low, are drawn on two sides of the tract to
be driven, and are kept in position about three feet from the
ground by rods firmly fastened into the rocks. Swayed by the
breeze these flags wave to and fro, and under ordinary circum-
stances serve their purpose of preventing the chamois escaping
that way. As a rule they are strung along the knifeback back-
bone of the mountains to be enclosed, jagged ridges peculiar

I02 BIG GAME SHOOTING

to a limestone formation, where apparently only flies with glue
on their feet could find a footing. Great care has to be taken
in stringing these cords, as the ever-busy breeze makes simul-
taneous action necessary ; and even then, when everything
appears to work like clockwork, some hitherto unknown gap
in an apparently perfectly impassable wall of rock will afford
escape, for where one chamois can get the whole band will
follow, and the day prove a complete failure.

Along the narrow glenlike valleys that intersect the Duke's
vast shoot he has constructed, so far as the ground permitted
it, carriage-roads, and up the precipitous slopes, where prac-
ticable, carefully laid out bridle-paths wind and twist, enabling
elderly sportsmen to reach the vicinity of their ' stand ' or
post on the backs of sure-footed mules or mountain-bred
ponies. Leaving the central shooting-box, a charmingly situated
little Gothic castle reminding one of a. miniature Balmoral, at the
comparatively late hour of 7.30 a.m., the four Hungarians take
the break in good time to the furthest extremity of the valley
which in its higher recesses is to be the scene of the day's
drive. Quitting the vehicle where the precipitous slopes begin
to rise at an angle that makes the construction of even a bridle-
path a matter of some difficulty, the genial host and his princi-
pal guest mount sturdy cobs, while for some of the more elderly
guests mules are provided, and without loss of time the party,
followed by eight or nine of the keepers, begins the ascent.
The latter are fine stalwart Tyrolese, clad in their picturesque
native dress ; grey frieze jackets, black chamois leather knee-
breeches, and greenish-grey worsted stocking-like leggings, leav-
ing bare both the knee and the foot, which, where visible, are
tanned to a mahogany hue ; low heavily nailed shoes protecting
the stockingless feet. For two hours we continue to ascend,
presently reaching timber-line and the crest of the ridge, from
which we obtain our first view of the scene of the drive. Here
the riders dismount, for the remaining mile to the posts has to
be done on foot, and as noiselessly as possible. The ground
selected for that day's drive consists of two vast semicircular

THE CHAMOIS 103

' Kaare'- -amphitheatre-shaped declivities two miles across,
the sides being formed by steep moraines ending in great cliffs,
a thousand or fifteen hundred feet in altitude. Along the
jagged top of these walls one can see with one's glasses the
string of flags which were put up early that morning. The
drive is to begin sharp at 12 o'clock, and as the beaters, some
forty or fifty in number, are far beyond the furthest limit of the
drive on the other side of the flagged ridge, punctuality is very
necessary. Each of the four guests has allotted to him a
keeper, who conducts him to his ' stand ' or post, and as we part
the German contingent wish each other the usual ' Weidmans-
heil,' sportsman's luck, as prescribed by ancient custom. The
drive is one of the longer ones, lasting between four and five
hours, so the softest looking rock is selected for a seat permit-
ting of a good view of the whole scene, and a layer of pine
branches gives increased comfort. By the time the signal
shot, which is echoed and re-choed from precipice to pre-
cipice, warns the guns of the beginning of the drive, some
luncheon has been disposed of, and if the wind permits it,
even a cigarette can be indulged in without danger.

The result of the day would be very different were the breeze
even at this late hour to chop round, for no power on earth can
drive chamois into the teeth of a danger-tainted breeze ; but
this fortunately does not occur, and we can watch the drive
from our point of vantage, and follow the details of it at
leisure. On two small snowfields lying well under the cliffs
we can see small black specks. Closer examination with the
glasses discloses two bands of chamois each some twenty
in number ; some are lying on the snow, others, mostly
kids, are frisking about, the whole lot, till they hear the
signal shot, being quite ignorant of the impending ordeal.
Very rapidly does the scene change when the first alarm
strikes their ears. The frisky kids, which a second before
were playing about, now press against their respective mothers'
sides, while the older animals have jumped to their feet with
amazing rapidity. Misled by the echo as to the direction

104 BIG GAME SHOOTING

whence the sound really came, they dart hither and thither,
unable to make up their minds whither to flee. The next
minute the bands separate into several groups, each under
the leadership of a doe, who select different routes, each
of which, however, will in the end probably bring them to
the guns, though some sooner than others. The plan of the
drive depends greatly upon the lay of the ground. In many
cases the line of beaters, from twenty to fifty in number, is drawn
from the bottom to the top of the mountain, and then at a
given signal the whole line works along its flank. The crest
of the ridge is flagged off and so is the bottom, if it is at all
likely that the chamois will attempt to break through in that
direction. The fourth side is occupied by the guns, and if
there are not enough to stop the gaps and passes, short lengths
of flags are strung between them, or keepers are posted who,
when chamois approach, show themselves and cause the game
to turn back into the drive, and try for some other place of
escape till they finally come to one of the guns. In other drives
the two side lines of flags are curved inwards till the extremities
almost meet, and that is usually the best post ; for chamois
on getting to the ' lappen ' turn one way or another, dashing
along the flag-line till they reach an opening. In other places,
again, where the mountains are very steep, and a large area
has only three or four possible outlets by which the game can
get away, flags are almost unnecessary, for the beasts must
come by the passes, or 'chimneys,' or ledges, which of course
should all be well known to the keepers, who make the con-
figuration of the ground their special study. But only too often
the amazing climbing powers of the chamois will at the last
moment upset all the well-matured plans, and the hard-
pressed animals effect their escape by some hitherto unknown
ledge, or by a series of leaps down perpendicular heights that
make the onlooker hold his breath with astonishment. Speak-
ing of the wonderful climbing feats, space may be given to
one or two actual measurements. Tschuddi's eminently trust-
worthy figures are the following : a chasm on the Monte Rosa

THE CHAMOIS 105

jumped by a chamois measured 21 feet, while a perpendicular
wall, 14 feet high,' was jumped by a semi-tame chamois
frightened by a dog ; and the writer has measured a vertical
depth of 24 feet, down which a wounded buck cornered by a
bloodhound unhesitatingly ventured to leap without injury to
himself. When in their flight suddenly coming upon the flag-
line chamois will not always turn to one side or leap clean over
it, but will sometimes boldly charge the bunting, and if the
cord is not too old and stands the strain, the result is a chamois
violently flung on its back. In a few instances they have been
known to get entangled in the cord and strangled to death.
A somewhat singular and ludicrous result of such a charge
once occurred to me, and may be worth repeating. It happened
at a drive in the Hinter Authal, Prince Hermann Hohenlohe's
excellent preserve in Tyrol. There being but three guns pre-
sent, flags had to be used between the posts. I was posted
on a rock at the bottom of a steep and high slope of loose
stones stretching many hundreds of feet upwards ; my range
of vision and of fire being unusually confined in every other
direction. Two shots fired in rapid succession by my host,
who was the nearest gun above me, put me on the qui vtve, and
not needlessly, for there, flying down the slope, bounded a
chamois straight for my post. The Prince's coup double had
knocked over the companion buck, and the frightened animal
was travelling at a terrific pace. On getting closer I observed,
to my utmost surprise, that to one of its horns was attached
what appeared to be a scarlet handkerchief, which fluttered like
a pennant in the air as the animal pursued its headlong flight.
The fluttering rag made it impossible to determine by its horns
whether the animal was a buck, but its large size, strongly
formed neck, and whole appearance confirmed me in my
belief that it was a buck. On it came with the speed of a
ricochetting cannon-ball straight down towards me, and would

1 The Editor is not responsible for the measurement of this jump. He
assumes that it was measured by the gentleman named, and on his authority
it is printed. — B.

lo6 BIG GAME SHOOTING

have passed me within a couple of yards had my rifle not
ended ahiiost a bout portant the days of what, on going up,
turned out to be an old and unusually large barren doe ! It
afterwards appeared that several beaters had seen her in her
wild flight dash against the ' lappen,' which were new and
strong, and after turning a double somersault and being flung
on her back, dash away with one of the red rags, pierced by
one of the horns, fluttering from her head. What made the
matter worse and earned me some chaff", was the fact that it
was my hundredth chamois, and I had only a few hours before
expressed the determination that it should be a buck and not
a doe.

Chamois, to return to our drive, pursue different tactics
when driven. Old bucks — and they, of course, are the
special object of the ambitious sportsman — as a rule, try to
steal away at the first sign of danger, after having from
some prominent crag thoroughly inspected the whole ground.
These wary old fellows proceed very cautiously : every
ravine is carefully scanned before it is crossed and every
couloir narrowly inspected, lest danger be lurking behind
some rock or boulder. If the guns are posted on exposed
points, good cover, and as perfect immovability as it is
possible to maintain during a three or four hours' drive, is
advisable if nearer acquaintance with these old stagers is
sought. Often has the writer watched old bucks approach
and inspect some restless and fidgety gun, who, because he
could not see any chamois, imagined no chamois could see
him, than which no greater mistake can be made. Bucks will
often stand for an hour at a time perfectly motionless, fixedly
regarding some point to which their attention has been
attracted. The does and younger generation of bucks are
more easily startled than the fathers of the tribe, and they
generally approach the guns in full flight, testing the nerve of
the sportsman to a high degree, for it is no easy matter to
pick out males under these circumstances. On the occasion
I am endeavouring to describe, some ninety or a hundred

THE CHAMOIS I07

beasts are in the drive, and soon the easily distinguishable
right and left of the Duke's Express are awakening the echoes,
and as the fleeing band, after leaving two victims behind,
dashes down the flag-line, the turn of the other guns comes too.
About one o'clock another distant signal shot tells one that
the beaters have reached the top of the flagged ridge from the
back, and now we can see them clearly outlined against the
sky. They remove the ' lappen ' before beginning their ex-
ceedingly perilous descent down the face of the cliffs — a most
desperate looking undertaking, which one watches with bated
breath. Some seven or eight chamois trying to escape
by a ledge up the face of the chff reach the top from one
side just as the beaters do the same from the other, and to
see them wheel about on a band of rock only inches wide and
dash down, leaping from projection to projection, startlingly
exhibits their wonderful surefootedness. My turn comes by-
and-bye, when an old stager, whom I have been observing
for some time, makes up his mind to escape by the pass my
' stand ' commands. Stealthily and carefully winding at every
stop he makes, he slowly comes up towards the only remaining
point, whence as yet no thundering note of warning has
issued, and I am glad that I let the small fry which shortly
before dashed past me do so unmolested. It frequently
occurs that a sacrifice hke that at the beginning of the drive
is finally thus rewarded. In this instance, a second old
buck an hour later is also fatally misled as to the safety of
the route I am guarding. Soon after four o'clock the drive
is over, sixteen chamois forming the 'Strecke,' as a very
ancient custom of venery, i.e. the placing in a row of the
day's bag, is called. A stirring and picturesque sight it is
when all assemble at the meeting-place, usually some bit of
Alpine sward where sportsmen, keepers, and beaters mingle
in eager discussion of the chief events of the day, and every
head is carefully examined. To an active climber, joining the
beaters under the guidance of a keeper is more exciting work
than sitting for hours in one spot and potting driven chamois ;

io8 BIG GAME SHOOTING

but this, like stalking, no tiro should venture on, and permis-
sion to do so is often difficult to obtain.

As some adjoining country is to be driven on the morrow,
the night is passed in one of the many delightful shooting-
boxes, simply furnished. chalets with wainscot interiors, dotted
about on the timber-line regions of the Duke's shoot. The
entire month of October is thus devoted to driving, and never
is ground beaten twice the same year, so that some idea can
be formed of the extent of the shoot. Fine weather does not
always, however, attend these occasions, for October in the
Alps can make itself very disagreeable, with snowstorms and
fierce gales that drift the snow in great heaps round one on
one's post, turning one's body into an icicle, and cramping
the fingers, so that aim at even the shortest distances, as the
mistily outlined game flits past one in the driving snowstorm,
becomes strangely uncertain.

In conclusion, a hint or two to those participating for the
first time in a large drive may be of use. In the first place, if
not expressly told to the contrary, it is wiser not to open the
ball by firing the first shot. Such a premature warning may
possibly spoil the whole laboriously laid out drive by causing
the chamois to break back at a moment when the beaters
have not yet been able to reach those points where their
attempt could be frustrated. The writer has known more
than one instance when a big shoot, which otherwise might have
been entirely successful, has been spoilt by a shot fired very
soon after the beginning of the drive by an impatient gun.

Another and last hint is always to find out from the
keeper who posts one, not only the exact position of the
next guns — information he usually volunteers — but also, if
they are invisible to one, the limits of one's own field of
fire. Nothing is more disagreeable than at the end of the
drive to find out that, by shooting perhaps a little further
than was expected, one has shot beasts really belonging by all
rules of venery to one's neighbour. Such an oversight, arising
from ignorance respecting these limits, once caused the writer

THE CHAMOIS 109

on the occasion of a formal Court chasse very painful em-
barrassment by tempting him to fire at and, as bad luck would
have it, also hit, at somewhat long range, four good bucks,
which at the time — of course, unknown to him — were much
closer to his neighbour, an exalted English personage, and
which bucks, to make it worse, w^re the only chamois the
latter saw during a long day's drive. The consternation of
the dumbfounded officials, when they discovered the result of
their negligence in failing to give the necessary information,
was lamentable to behold till the amiable prince very good-
naturedly made light of their awkward oversight.

HISTORY OF THE CHAMOIS AND ITS CHASE

Marvellous stories of the chamois's wily artfulness in
evading the hunter have from time immemorial been told.
For instance, that when cornered by its pursuers it would hang
itself by the crook of its horns from ledges overhanging deep
precipices to evade the hunter's ken. As late as forty years
ago, absurd nonsense was still being written about the chamois.
Thus an English author gravely quotes : ' The chamois hunter
rarely shoots his game, but drives it from crag to crag till
further pursuit becomes impossible, when he draws his knife
and puts it to the side of the chamois, and the animal pushes it
into its body of its own accord ! '

To the chamois' blood valuable medicinal qualities were
for many centuries ascribed, and the healing properties of the
famous ' Bezoar stone ' (^gagropilae) have been vaunted and
written about by numerous authors from Pliny to Lebwald.
This ball-shaped secretion, consisting of resinous fibres and hairs,
is occasionally found in the stomach of very old bucks, and
is really the result of the unnatural contraction of the muscles
of the stomach, which in the chamois consists of four much
more distinctly separated divisions than is usual with other
ruminants. Up to fifty years ago these stones (which occa-
sionally reach the size of a billiard-ball) fetched their weight in

no

BIG GAME SHOOTING

gold, and they were considered specifics for half a dozen deadly
ills, among them ' the loss of one's intestines,' as Pliny calls a
malady which it is to be hoped has since disappeared.

In the Middle Ages, before the invention of gunpowder, the

Emperor Maximilian I. chamois hunting A.D. 1500 (from ' Theuerdank")

chase of the chamois must have been infinitely more arduous
than it is to-day. They were usually stalked, and were killed
either with the cross-bow or with spears thrown like javelins.
These were shafts 9 ft. long with thin tapering lance points,

THE CHAMOIS ill

and a skilled man could throw them with fatal eflFect a distance
of forty steps. The great mediaeval sportsman, Emperor
Maximilian, has left us some quaintly worded descriptions and
pictorial representations of chamois stalking and its dangers.
He was undoubtedly the first to use the unwieldy ' fire -tube '
weighing 20 or 22 lbs., with its forked prop and fuse which
was carried in the hand, and which had to be lighted with
steel and flint before game hove in sight. The only bit of
advice smacking of our own luxury-loving much-beservanted
sport four centuries later, is the quaint remark of the royal
sportsman : * that it is a convenient thing to have at one's side
a trusty man with good lungs to keep the fuse alive.'

U2 BIG GAME SHOOTING

CHAPTER VII

THE STAG OF THE ALPS

Bv W. A. Baillie-Grohman

The red deer to be found on the Continent of Europe can,
broadly speaking, be divided into two families : those inhabit-
ing the more or less isolated forests on the great plains of
Central and Northern Europe, and those making the mountain-
ous regions of South-Eastern Europe, chiefly in the Austro-
Hungarian Empire, their home. Whilst it is not always easy
to draw a topographical line of demarcation between plains
and mountains, this broad subdivision has a great deal to do
with the explanation of the fact that the mountain stag has,
in the course of the two or three last centuries, deteriorated
less than has the stag of the plains.

The retrogression of the latter has been much greater than
is generally supposed, and it is not till one has investigated the
abundant evidence placed at the disposal of those having the
necessary opportunities for research that the vast decrease in
numbers and deterioration in the size of the animal and of its
proud trophy are brought home to one. Months of interesting
study are afforded by the perusal in German archives of the
shooting diaries of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a
pericfd when, as is well known, the love for the noble art of
venery swayed the great territorial lords and potentates of Ger-
many, France and Austria to an all-absorbing degree of which
it is difficult to form a correct idea in these days of responsible
government. Such study of old diaries, kept as a rule with far

THE STAG OF THE ALPS 113

greater punctilious care and method than was bestowed upon
the most important papers of state, brings to light narratives
of sport and details about the animals themselves which make
comparison with the puny forms, shrunken number, and dwarfed
antlers of to-day a matter of suggestive interest. To cite
only one instance : is it not startling to read that the Elector
of Saxony killed in forty-five years (161 1 to 1656) — during
which, we must not forget, the Thirty Years' War was ravaging
Germany — no fewer than 47,239 head of red deer, of which
24,563 were stags? Amongst them there were :

I stag of thirty points
I „ twenty-eight points
I ,, twenty-six „
3 „ twenty-four „
9 „ twenty-two „

24 stags of twenty points
131 » eighteen „
373 „ sixteen „
1,192 „ fourteen „

whilst as to weight the following figures tell their own story : the
heaviest stag (killed somewhat early in the season, August 17,
1646), weighed 61 stone 11 lbs., fifty-nine stags exceeded
56 stone, 651 exceeded 48 stone, 2,679 exceeded 40 stone,
and 4,139 exceeded 32 stone. It is interesting to compare
with these figures the bag of the descendant of the above
potentate — i.e. the late Duke of Saxe-Coburg, an equally keen
sportsman, with opportunities, in comparison, much the same
as his great ancestor. ^He, as we find from compilations
placed at the writer's disposal, killed in forty-nine years
(1837 to 1886) 3,283 red deer, of which 2,316 were stags, and
of these there were one of 24 points, two of 22, four of 20,
eight of 18, and 164 of 16 and 14 points ; whilst in respect
to weight, the best forests of Germany did not return a single
stag equal to that of the lowest in the Elector George's list, i.e.
32 stone. If deterioration continues at the same rate, the de-
scendants of the Duke of Edinburgh, who has now succeeded
to the throne of this doughty race of Nimrods, will have to be
satisfied with stags of proportions akin to those of the dwarf
II. I

114 BIG GAME SHOOTING

deer of other continents, which a strong man can hold out at
arm's length.

Such deterioration as the above has not occurred with the
mountain stag, for we find that in Northern Hungary and ad-
jacent Bukowina giants of the red deer species, ranging in
weight from 35 to 40 stone (clean) are obtainable to this day,
while their heads, if not exhibiting such an abnormally large
number of tines as those to be found in the great historical
collections of antlers of the Continent, where heads up to 66
points are to be seen, are nevertheless as heavy in the beam
and as wide spreading almost as the best which the sixteenth
century produced. Moreover, one must not forget when
examining these famous old collections that they represent a
zeal in sport and, in most instances, a lavishness almost in-
comprehensible in these modern utilitarian days ; a lavishness
which in many instances wrecked the finances of the ruler and
of his country. History tells us that one enthusiast gave a full
battalion of his tallest grenadiers for a single pair of antlers two
centuries ago, while another offered a sum corresponding to
5,000/. for another famous head, and offered it, moreover, in
vain. These are two instances of what perhaps to our remote
descendants may possibly not seem a more extraordinary pro-
ceeding than the purchase of a few square feet of painted
canvas for fifteen times that sum.

If we search for the reason why the stag of the plains has
lost so much more ground than his brother from the hills, we
come upon the same factor which has worked so much havoc
in Scotland, i.e. inbreeding. The forests of Central and North-
ern Europe (often tracts of enormous extent) were nevertheless
much more isolated from other breeding grounds than is the
whole system of the South European Alps, where nature has
always provided fresh blood with far greater regularity than
could possibly be the case in detached forests.

To-day by far the largest heads and heaviest stags are to be
found in the mountainous regions of Northern Hungary, where
are situated many great sporting estates of the Austrian aristo-

THE STAG OF THE ALPS

IIS

cracy, which afford sport such as is probably to be found no-
where else in the civilised world.

Confining himself to the bags of the last ten years or so,
the writer can give the following details. The heaviest stags of
all are shot at the famous Munkacs estate of Count Schoen-
born, in the Carpathian Alps, where stags with a clean weight of
40 stone 8 lbs. have been killed in the last decade. Their heads
are, however, so it is generally averred, not better than those
of stags in the adjacent Pilis Mountains and other regions
in the Carpathians. The accompanying sketch (No. i) is an
accurate representation of the upper part of a pair of antlers

No. I

No. 2

of a stag killed at Radauc in 1882 by Prince Rohan ; they
are of the following very remarkable dimensions : length of
right antler 49 j^^^ ins., of left antler 48^^ ins. No. 2 sketch
represents antlers of a stag shot in the Pilis Mountains in 1884
by the present Duke of Ratibor, the right antler measuring
49 ins., the left 50/^ ins., while the spread from tip to tip at
widest point is 55^ ins. This is enormous. The remark-
able expanse of the crown of a stag shot on the Jolsva estates
(Hungary) in 1884 by Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg Gotha is
shown in sketch No. 3, where the extreme distance between
the two most prominent tines forming the crown a to d tapes
20^ ins.

ii6 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Frequently, as everybody who has dipped into antler lore
well knows, the largest heads, so far as length and number
of tines go, are not the heaviest in weight ; in fact, one
might almost quote as a rule that the heaviest heads are
fourteen and sixteen tined ones, when the animal has
begun to set back. Thus neither No. i, 2, nor 3 reaches,
by 4 lbs. or more, the weight of a 14-pointer killed by Prince
Rohan in Radauc, which, with the small fragment of skull-
bone which is usually left attached to the antlers, exceeds that
of many a fair wapiti head — the giant of the deer species —
scaling an ounce or two over 31 lbs. avoirdupois ; whilst
another 14-pointer, obtained by the late Austrian Crown
Prince, weighed little less. To find matches for these mo-
dern antlers among old historical heads one has to search
among the pick of the old collections, and of these history does
not always tell their origin. Take, for example, two famous
collections embracing between seven and eight thousand heads,
i.e. the historically most interesting ' Sammlung,' at the King
of Saxony's castle of Moritzburg, where, in one of the many
halls in which are hung these highly treasured trophies of the
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the visitor can see 71
heads,not oneof which carries less than 24 points; and, secondly,
Count Arco's numerically even finer collection at Munich.
The pick of both collections is in the first named — i.e. a head
of the unrivalled spread of 6 ft. 3^"^ ins., and of the equally
remarkable weight of 41 5 lbs. avoirdupois. The history of most
of the lesser heads in this collection is well known ; not so
unfortunately the origiri of these monster antlers. In spite of
many weeks' researches in the King's private library and in
the Royal archives to which the writer obtained access, it was
impossible to trace its history further back than 1586, in which
year the head is enumerated in an inventory of the Elector
Augustus's heirlooms, without mentioning whence it came.

Returning to modern times, it must, of course, be re-
membered that in the localities producing the monster stags
of to-day everything is in their favour. In the oak forests on

THE STAG OF THE ALPS 117

the lower slopes of the mountains they find a mild climate and
the best horn-producing food during the winter months, while
during the summer they make undisturbed raids upon the rich
agricultural valleys below, where they find the wherewithal
for many a stone of extra weight, the feudal sway exercised
by the great territorial magnates permitting the deer to trespass
upon the crops with impunity, and thus grow to be the lustiest
of their race. In the higher Central Alps, in Styria, Tyrol,
and the Bavarian Highlands, the stags are smaller and their
antlers shorter and proportionately less massive, being about the
size of the best Scotch heads. In the Alps the inclemencies of
sev'ere winters, lack of food as well as lack of shelters, tell upon
the growth of the whole race.

In other respects, however, the stag of the true Alps is a
grander beast than his lazier and sleeker brother to be found
on the slopes of the Carpathians. Scarcer, far harder to obtain,
amid surroundings not unsimilar to those which make chamois
shooting such keen sport, stalking the Alpine stag has for those
who are fond of real mountain sport more attractions than the
pursuit of the larger and less wily Hungarian stag.

STALKING THE ALPINE STAG

The home of the Hungarian and of the Alpine stag differs
very materially from that of the Scotch deer. The more or
less treeless ' forest ' of Scotland is replaced in the first named
locality by superb woods of deciduous as well as of coniferous
trees ; in the latter by dense pine, fir, and larch woods. These
are forests which do not belie their name, and their owners are
never forced to kill off stags in order to save a few precious
trees, an unpleasant alternative by no means unknown to
Scotch lairds.

To the presence of these forests must be ascribed the entirely
different mode of stalking pursued in Austria from that known
to the Scotch deerstalker. The view over great expanses of open
hill land, which is the most typical incident of Scotch sport,

n8 BIG GAME SHOOTING

is practically unknown on the Continent. In consequence of
this, stalking can only take place at a season of the year when
the stag betrays his whereabouts by the call or roar he emits
at rutting time.

The rutting season of the Alpine stag varies triflingly, but
as a rule it may be said to begin about September 25, and
to end on or about October 10 or 15. Prior to that time, from
the moment when the stag's antlers are clear of velvet, he is
literally unapproachable in the dense thickets he loves to
frequent at this period. Though necessarily a high feeder at
this season, during which he has to lay up a goodly stock of fat
for the exciting and exhausting times of the rut, he nevertheless
comes out to feed only at night-time, and he hears as well as
scents danger afar. So suspicious is he that, as an old proverb
says, ' he flies from his own shadow.' To stalk him under such
conditions in a densely timbered country is, of course, hopeless ;
so that his chase during August and the first half of September
can only be successfully achieved by driving the forest with
beaters (dogs, except for tracking wounded game, being of course
very much out of place), and this driving is considered but poor
sport by those who have an opportunity of killing the same
animal by stalking a few weeks later.

In this stalking, the call of the stag plays a principal part.
Unmelodious as is this hoarse challenge for the virile champion-
ship of the herd, it is a glorious sound to the ear of the
sportsman. Whether heard in timber-line regions of the Alps,
or in the tangled depth of German or Hungarian forests, or
in the elevated uplands of the Rocky Mountains, it has about
it as true a ring of sport as the first music from the pack in
covert.

In stalking the Alpine stag during the 'Brunft,' as the.
Austrians call the rutting time, in forests that are strictly pre-
served, the assistance of keepers saves much time which other-
wise would have to be expended by the sportsman in discover-
ing the favourite locality frequented by the stags. Stags when
the instincts of the season are full upon them are 'up and

THE STAG OF THE ALPS 119

doing ' all night, and the concert made by four or five (and
often many more) brave warriors within earshot lasts all night,
only to die away as darkness is replaced by daylight.

On clear nights, favoured by a bright full moon (other con-
ditions being equally propitious), it is possible for a skilful
stalker to get up to within a score of yards of a calling stag,
close enough to fire with a good chance of hitting the beast.
A smooth-bore, to which one is well accustomed, firing a
spherical 13-bore ball, is for such occasions preferable to a
rifle with its fine sights, and as a rule less perfect ' fit ' for such
hazarding. To a novice unaccustomed to this kind of midnight
sport a few practice shots at a dummy should precede actual
trial, for distances on such occasions are sadly deceptive, and
it is remarkable how much of beautiful Nature there is to be
hit in the immediate vicinity of one's would-be prey.

Ordinarily the sportsman does not begin the stalk (during
the rut) till just before the break of day. He has to be on
the spot at the first signs of dawn, and therefore it is very
advisable to pass the night as close to the scene of the stalk
as possible. In most preserves small log huts of the most
primitive kind are built expressly for this purpose high up on
the mountains close to timber-line, and if possible close to
some prominent point of rocks or shoulder of the mountain
whence the slopes below on both sides can be, as the Germans
say, ' overheard.' What glorious solos, duets, and trios can the
lucky stalker not hear on such occasions, when nought but
those weird sounds breaks the great solemn silence of night on
the elevated Alpine timber-line regions ! And how eagerly does
one's ear follow those sounds as they draw nearer or grow
fainter, as the champions, bent on war and love, roam hither
and thither on the great pine-clad slope lying in solemn silence
at the feet of the midnight watcher !

The rutting stag, ardent with virile passion, is singularly
heedless of danger at this season, and were it not for the hinds,
who at this period appear to redouble their vigilance, he would
be comparatively easy to stalk. In nine out of every ten

I20 BIG GAME SHOOTING

unsuccessful stalks it is safe to say the failure is attributable
to the watchfulness of the hinds, an experience which, it is
perhaps needless to say, is by no means confined to the red
deer of Europe.

With the exception of a few days at the height of the rut,
stags only ' call ' or ' roar ' at night-time, and during the early
hours of the morning. Not every rutting season affords the
same chances for sport. What in the sportsman's eyes is a
good season is marked by its briefness, say ten days, and by
a corresponding intensity of its peculiarities. In such seasons,
the stag that roars one night at a certain place will, if not dis-
turbed, make himself heard in the same locality the next
night. In bad seasons, usually on account of unseasonably
warm or wet weather, the stags roam further afield, and ' roar '
far less regularly, the impelling instincts being apparently less
violently aroused. In such cases they will continue the rut
fully ten days longer, but far more intermittently than in the
former.

The favourite rutting-places, or ' Brunftplatze,' of the Alpine
stag do not appear, so far as surroundings are concerned, to be
subject to any particular rule. They are generally well up on
the mountains, not far from timber-line, and ordinarily on clear-
ings or park-like openings of a marshy character, such as
often are to be found on the small watersheds separating the
headwaters of two glens.

Finally, to speak about the sport itself, it is safe to say that
next to chamois stalking it is the keenest sport obtainable on
the Continent. Being less uncertain and less riskful, for there
is no climbing about it, it is more attractive to the ordinary
sportsman, and it leaves perhaps quite as pleasurable memories
in the minds of even the most ardent of Nimrods.

Given a fairly well-stocked forest in one of the picturesque
regions of Styria, Salzburg, or Tyrol ; given clear, frosty, autumn
weather, and as your host a fair representative of the truly hos-
pitable and truly sport-loving Austrians, no more delightful
last week of September or first week of October can be passed

THE STAG OF THE ALPS I2i

than in the log huts dotted here and there near well-known
favourite ' Brunftplatze ' on the uppermost outskirts of the vast
pine forests of the Austrian Alps.

Starting out from your hut, which has given you a welcome
night's shelter, an hour or so before dawn, accompanied if you
are a novice by a keeper, you pursue your way silently and
noiselessly towards the spot where your quarry has been betray-
ing his presence by lusty notes. Only practised ears can tell
exactly where that spot is, for there is nothing more deceptive
than the roar of a stag. At one time it seems scarce a quarter
of a mile off, two or three minutes later it will sound thrice that
distance away, caused by the stag sending forth his challenge
in the opposite direction. Moreover, the sound itself, with
its deep guttural notes, is by no means always of the same
strength.

By the time you have reached the vicinity of the deer, the
rays of the rising sun are tipping with a rosy tinge the high
snowclad peaks which form your horizon overhead, and the
time when ' shooting light ' will enable you to finger your
trigger is near at hand. If the clearing on which the deer are
disporting themselves — as yet only faintly outhned forms- — ^is a
large one, you will have more difficulty in getting close to your
quarry than if it happens to be merely a glade or park-like
opening in the forest.

Now every moment is valuable, for as dawn gives way to
broad daylight, the deer are sure to return to the denser forest,
where pursuit is infinitely more difficult. If the clearing happens
to be an old windfall, or marks the pathway of an avalanche
which has laid low the great pines and arves, fallen trunks
scattered here and there, or little thickets of young saplings,
usually afford means of approach. If you are hardy, and do
not mind brushing the rime off the frost-laden grass with your
bare feet, your heavy iron-shod boots will about this time be
slipped off and the last part of the stalk be performed without
them, the best of all precautions against striking stones, or, what
is even more treacherously dangerous, treading upon twigs.

122 BIG GAME SHOOTING

which snap with an alarming noise. Possibly you may have
whispered to you hints similar to the one a keen old keeper
once hissed into the ear of an august but inexperienced sports-
man, who, in plain view of a fine stag, gaped aghast at the idea
of baring his feet to the sharp rocks and frost-coated ground :
* Don't be afraid, Highness, of hurting the stones, or crushing
the grass ; up here God grows a goodly crop of 'em, but he
doesn't make any too many stags such as stands yonder.' '

And when finally, with palpitating heart, every fibre in your
body set, you have approached your noble quarry, surrounded
as you must eve/ remember he is by keenly watchful members
of his harem, brace yourself by a supreme effort for a steady
aim ; a good stag is worthy of your very best effort. And if
you are a true sportsman, and not merely a slayer, stay for a
brief moment or two before you end that life, the finger
pressing the trigger. The call of a distant foe has just struck
the ear of the gallant champion, and with virile impetuosity he
steps forth from the circle of graceful hinds to hoarsely answer
the challenge to mortal combat. His head is thrust well
forward, his shaggy neck distended to twice the natural size,
his antlers of noble sweep are thrown well back, one of his
forefeet is angrily pawing the ground, whilst his hot breath issues
from his nostrils and open mouth upon the frosty air like so
much steam ; it is a picture which you will never forget.

1 Lawn-tennis shoes, with stout ribbed soles, are capital makeshifts for
stalking purposes.

12"?

CHAPTER VIII

THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK
By Sir Henky Pottinger, Bart.

The chase of the elk, one of the few grand wild sports still to
be found in Europe, was thought worthy of mention by very
old and distinguished writers, but their remarks on the subject
are perhaps not likely to be of much practical value to the
modern sportsman. The great Caesar is our authority for the
fact that the elk, having no joints to its legs and being there-
fore unable to lie down, is compelled to take its rest by leaning
against a tree. The cunning hunter, continues the noble
Roman, takes advantage of this peculiarity, and by sawing
most of the trees in a wood frequented by the ponderous beast
nearly through, brings about its downfall, when, from ina-
bility to rise, it becomes an easy victim. I have not yet tried
this method of hunting, which is corroborated by Pliny, when
writing of the elk 'in Scandinavia insula.' The celebrated
naturalist also observes that, owing to the monstrous protrusion
of its upper lip, the animal is compelled to feed backwards.
Other ancient writers concur in the statement that the elk
when pursued is liable to epileptic fits, but that he can oc-
casionally relieve himself from the malady by opening a vein
in his ear with his hind foot. I am inclined to believe, having
never myself seen an elk in a fit, that now-a-days the remedy
is invariably successful ; but I find that the author of a small
French book, entitled Nouveau voyage vers le Septentnon, and
published in 1 708, mentions that whilst hunting near Christiania

124 BIG GAME SHOOTING

in the company of a Norwegian nobleman, he was fortunate
enough to be an eye-witness of the death of the only two elk
they found, both of which succumbed, after a severe run, to
sudden epileptic attacks, otherwise they would certainly never
have been overtaken ! He records, moreover, his scornful
rejection of one of the elk's feet, kindly offered by his host as
a sovereign preservative against this terrible ' falling sickness,'
on the not unreasonable ground that the pretended virtue of
the foot had been of little use to its original owner.

We thus see that from the earliest times some degree of
mystery and special interest has been attached to the habits
and chase of the elk, whose obscure existence in the depth of
Northern forests, and gigantic uncouthness of appearance,
amounting almost to deformity, still seem to indicate him as
a survivor from the remote age of antediluvian or primaeval
monsters.

Owing to the wise protective enactments of the Govern-
ment, extending over more than half a century, the Scandi-
navian elk, which although formerly abundant was at one
time almost in danger of extinction, has of late years again
spread rapidly over a great part of Norway and Sweden, where-
ever the country is sufficiently wild and wooded to suit its
habits. It is indeed found even within a comparatively short
distance of the capitals, some of the best elk-ground in
Norway being accessible by a short railway or road journey
from Christiania ; but this is principally in the hands of gentle-
men resident in that city, by whom the game in the adjacent
forests is often as strictly preserved as that in our coverts at
home. It appears, however, that the elk is still almost un-
known in the extreme north — that is, within the Arctic Circle.
Its range throughout the whole Scandinavian Peninsula, with
the exception of rare stragglers, may be fairly reckoned as
lying between 57° and 66° 30 N. By the published returns of
the ' Norsk Jjeger og Fisker Forening,' we learn that in 1889,
which may be accepted as an average year, elk were killed in
eleven out of the eighteen amts or provinces of Norway. North

THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK 125

Trondhjem, which includes the wild regions round Stordal,
Vaerdal, Inderoen, and Namdal, was easily first in its return of
303 elk, of which 207 were bulls and 96 cows. Next, but
a long way behind, came Akershus (containing the capital,
Christiania) with 71 bulls and 47 cows, 118 in all; Hede-
marken was third with 109 elk ; Christian fourth with 82 ;
Buskerud fifth with 77, and South Trondhjem sixth with 74.
The long stretch of Nordland returned only 9 kills ; and Fin-
marken, the Arctic province, not a single one. Altogether
about 850 elk on the average are killed yearly in Norway, and
in Sweden rather more than double the number. It must
be remembered, however, that on the vast estates belonging to
the great landowners in the south and centre of the latter
country elk are preserved as strictly as foxes or pheasants are
in England, and that, at the same time, there is no legal re-
striction to prevent the sportsman killing during the season as
many elk, including calves, as he can, upon any property how-
ever small ; whereas in Norway he is limited, under penalty of
a heavy fine, to one deer for each registered or ' matriculated '
division of the land, and the murder of calves is altogether
forbidden.

The period during which it is legal to kill elk in Norway is
nominally from August i to September 31, but this general law
is subject to much local modification. Thus, in Nordland the
full time of three months is still granted ; in North Trondhjem
it is curtailed to forty days, from September i to October 10;
whilst in South Trondhjem its duration is for the month of
September only. As by the watchful care of the authorities
the close-time for any game in any given district of Scandinavia
is always liable to extension, it is as well for intending lessees
of sporting rights to ascertain exactly the terms of the local
enactments, and, if possible, the probabilities of fresh legisla-
tion. Some years ago I took a large tract of forest in the
province of Jemtland, in Sweden, and had just succeeded, after
the first season, in making my quarters fairly comfortable, when
the Government passed a law forbidding, any elk to be killed

126 BIG GAME SHOOTING

in that province for three years. Unluckily the local authorities
neglected to enforce at the same time proper supervision in
the matter of poaching. A Swede, who acted as hunter for
me some years later, coolly confessed that he and his comrades
had never had such good sport as during that long close-time.
Whilst honest law-abiding men stayed at home and the officials
pocketed their salaries and did nothing, the poacher gangs had
the immense forest tracts all to themselves, and with the con-
nivance of some of the farmers, who of course had their share
of the spoil, were easily able to escape detection. The elk
season in Sweden would appear to be subject to local varia-
tions similar to those in Norway ; in the province of Jemtland
it is confined to the month of September only.

Knowing nothing of the American moose, except from
reading or hearsay, I am scarcely equal to drawing any com-
parison between it and the Scandinavian elk. It is, I under-
stand, generally agreed that while the two animals are about
equal in bulk, the moose, in the matter of horns at least, has
the advantage — ceteris paribus — of its European congener.
Nevertheless, the latter, when it has attained its full honours,
is capable of furnishing the sportsman with a trophy of which
he may well be proud.

Whether, as some experienced hunters maintain, the age ot
an elk can be fairly determined by the number of points on its
antlers, or whether, as others declare, there is absolutely no
test by which it can be approximately guessed, beyond the fact
that the ruggedness and spread of the coronet and the thicken-
ing of the base of the horns and tines are sure indications of
old age, it is not for me, in the teeth of such conflicting
opinions, to decide, although I have for some years taken
especial pains to collect data and ideas on this very obscure
subject. But I would suggest, with all due respect to the
theories of others, that nature is seldom purely capricious, and
that, taking as a basis the normal development of the horns
during the first two or three years, which is, as a rule, regular
and easily observable, and regarding the large number of elk

TflE SCANDWAVIAN ELK 127

with antlers of almost precisely the same size and number of
points that are annually killed, there does appear to be some
method in the growth of the latter, and that it does seem only
reasonable that some accuracy of calculation may be attained
by those who have constant opportunities, if they will but
take the trouble, of verifying it. I fancy that it is only of late
years and since a small band of English sportsmen has devoted
itself to the regular annual pursuit of the elk in Scandinavia,
that the native hunter, the Norwegian at least, has been in-
duced by example to exhibit any interest in the question of
horns or to regard them as worthy of special attention : the
size of the body and the amount of meat have always been to
him of far greater importance. To this day I occasionally
hear Scandinavian Nimrods express much incredulous astonish-
ment at the fact that an Englishman has been known to spare
a well-grown bull with an insignificant trophy, or a big cow.
Quite recently, however, Norway has been invaded by a large
number of German sportsmen also bent on the pursuit of the
elk, and from all accounts these gentlemen, keen and energetic
as they all undoubtedly are, are not, as a rule, prone to err on
the side of declining chances. May I then, without polemical
design, suggest it as probable that a bull elk attains its prime
between the ages of seven and twelve years, when, in the
natural course of events, the antlers will have from fourteen to
twenty-four points or thereabouts, and that to this general
computation there must be, from various causes, many excep-
tions ? It is not too common to find the horns a perfect pair,
although they may be symmetrical in their general curves and
sweep ; one has frequently a point or two more than its fellow.
I have seen a single fine very massive head that had no pal-
mation whatever, and on each antler only four tines, but these
were of great length and thickness, and strongly resembled on
a smaller scale those of the wapiti. The owner of another re-
markable head, which I have not seen, describes it as being
very powerful, with twenty-three points in all, in double rows
on each horn. I find that among native hunters the belief is

128 BIG GAME SHOOTING

prevalent that there are two kinds of elk, the one being less
massive in build than the other, of lighter colour, and with
invariably less palmation ; but I take it that such variation is
simply due to local influences, and is common to many animals,
cornigerous and otherwise.

Be all this as it may, we have at least the fact that the
horns of all the elk in Scandinavia do run more or less to
points, and that the majority killed have less than eighteen,
which number, my experience leads me to believe, English
sportsmen, whatever may be their opinions as to growth and
age, practically regard much in the light of a ' royal head '
amongst elk, while with any greater number it might be
analogously classed as 'imperial,' although neither these nor
any other terms that I know of are in use. A head with twelve
or fourteen points is reckoned a decent trophy. I have never
myself seen one preserved with more than twenty-six, and this
was inferior in sweep and general measurements to some which
had fewer ; on the best which has fallen to my own rifle I
count twenty-three. It will be understood that in reckoning
points I recognise the claim of every distinct and undeniable
excrescence, of whatever size. By the kindness of Colonel
C. S. Walker, of Tykillen, Wexford — a keen and successful
hunter in India and elsewhere, and my predecessor in the elk
forest which I now hold in Norway — I have been supplied with
excellent and instructive photographs of some of the best heads
he obtained during his four Scandinavian seasons, which
have been admirably set up by Keilick, of 59 Edgware Road.
They are superior to those in my own possession, and as good
all round as any that I have myself seen ; but a few have, I
believe, been obtained of slightly larger dimensions by English
sportsmen in Norway. No. i is that of a bull in his prime,
with eleven points on each antler. No. 2, that of an old bull
described as having light grey long curly hair on his brow and
crest, which gave him a very venerable appearance ; thirteen
points on one horn and eleven on the other. Nos. 3 and 4 are
different views of the finest specimen, with twelve points on

THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK

\2<j

either side and great development of palmation — a bull also in
his prime with no signs of age. The measurements of the
latter head are as follows : Height of horns from tip of central
brow point to tip of highest back point, 3 ft. i in. ; height of
palmation, exclusive of said points, 2 ft. 6| ins., and 2 ft. 5 ins. ;
curve of inner edge of horns from coronet to tip of inside back

No. I

No. 2

points, 2 ft. \ ins. ; width of palmation, centre of horns, \\\ ins.
and io| ins. ; between tips of inner back points, i ft. ii| ins. ;
between inner brow points, 1 1 \ ins. ; between tips of fifth points
on either side, following curve and across brow, 4 ft. 5| ins. ;
the same measurement, taut, 3 ft. 54 ins. : across skull at brow,
7^ ins. ; fifth points, right and left, 6] ins. and 7^ ins. ; round
II. K

I30 BIG GAME SHOOTING

coronet, lo^ ins. ; round base of horn, 6y^ ins. Sixteen is the
greatest number oi points I have ever seen on a single horn.
This was picked up in the forest, freshly shed, in 1888, and un-
doubtedly belonged to an old elk of great size Avhich had been
known to haunt the district for some years. It is, however,
an inch smaller all over, except in width of palmation, than
the i2-point horns of which the measurements have been
given. I believe that in 1892 I fired at (in a wood so densely
set with stems that I had great difficulty in finding a passage
for my bullet) and slightly wounded this very elk. Oddly
enough he had been wounded in the nose the year before, and
within a short distance of the same spot, by my predecessor
in the shooting, who was also baulked by the dense growth of
the pine-trees. He was by far the largest elk I have ever met
with, and my hunter, a Lapp of great experience, assured me
that he had never seen one bigger. The conformation of his
antlers, so far as it was possible to judge in the obscurity of
the wood, was exactly that of the shed horn, the great palma-
tion with its fringe of closely set spikes being very remarkable ;
but to count the number of the latter during such a brief and
exciting interview was impossible. I trust that some time next
season I may be able to study them at my leisure, and to
decide whether the horns have increased since 1888, or begun
to deteriorate. It is certain that with great age, when the
vital and generative powers which undoubtedly nourish their
growth are impaired, they do go back, often becoming com-
paratively stunted and distorted. Bad wounds and scarcity of
food'^vill produce the same result. The elk sheds its horns
during March and April, and the new growth begins to sprout
early in June.

The average bodily measurements of a full-grown Scandi-
navian elk, let us say over seven years old, are as follows :
Length from tail to crest, 9 ft. 5 ins. ; crest to nose, 2 ft. 5 ins. ;
height at withers, 5 ft. 8 to 9 ins. ; at quarters, 5 ft. 5 to 6 ins. ;
from belly to ground, 3 ft. 4 ins. ; greatest girth, 6 ft. 11 ins. to
7 ft. ; round thigh, 3 ft. ; round forearm, i ft. 11 ins.

THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK 131

The accurate uncleaned weight of so huge an animal it is,
of course, impossible, for obvious reasons, to obtain, but it is
reported as having occasionally exceeded 1,400 lbs. An average
deer will yield from 600 to 700 lbs. of good meat, and a heavy
haunch turn the scale at 140 lbs.' The height of the bull at
the shoulders as compared with the length of his actual body
(the two measurements are nearly equal), the massive shaggy neck
(on which, however, there is no very conspicuous mane), the
enormously long head with its bunch of beard, huge hooked
nose and bulbous lip, the rather sloping hind- quarters, and
slender legs terminated by immense hoofs, combine to render
him a most awkward and ungainly animal to look at ; but the
rapidity of his movements and his total disregard of the worst
obstacles are at times astonishing, and nothing will strike the
sportsman more than the way in which, if the golden moment
for a shot be lost, the great deer will seem to suddenly and
silently melt away like a phantom into the forest.

Another point on which some discussion has arisen is as to
what vocal sounds are produced by the Scandinavian elk of
either sex during the rutting season, and whether such sounds,
if any be uttered, are of habitual occurrence. Personally,
during six seasons' hunting, I have never heard an elk, either
male or female, utter any sound whatever ; but after long and
careful inquiry into the subject, which revealed more an-
tagonism of opinion than even the question of the horns, I
have made out, on the clearest evidence,,4feat the bull during
the said season gives utterance to a kind of cross betwe^ a
grunt and a snort, which is often repeated many times in suc-
cession, and is audible in still weather at a considerable dis-
tance, such sound being unmistakably an amorous call. It is
known in Scandinavia as the 'Lokketone,' or 'Lokton,'and
may be heard during the day-time. By equally certain testi-

1 Under contracts for elk hunting on private ground it is generally arranged
that the shooter shall keep the head, the hide if he pleases, and one haunch,
the rest of the meat going to the proprietor or farmer of the land, by whom it
is salted or smoked for winter consumption. But on State lands, the rights
of which are periodically sold by auction, the shooter retains the whole carcase.

K 2

132 BIG GAME SHOOTING

mony, it is proved that, in moments of rage and defiance, the
bull will also roar or bellow furiously. About the call of the
cow there is no doubt whatever ; she can also, on occasion,
produce a loud, harsh roar, intended as an attractive summons
to the bull. Colonel Walker mentions his having for some
time watched a cow in the very act of uttering this call, after
the bull had been shot whilst paying her great attentions. She
wholly disregarded the shot herself, and the approach of the
shooter, whom she 'allowed to come within twenty yards before
she moved quietly off. When about half a mile away she recom-
menced her alluring roar, which Colonel Walker describes as
' like the noise of a very angry bear when you have him where
he cannot escape you.' The cow has also, when separated
from her calf, a milder call, nearly similar to that of the domestic
animal. The art of calling elk has, happily, never been practised
in Scandinavia, and as all the hunting takes place during day-
light, and as, moreover, the inhabitants of the interior have a
decided objection to being abroad during the dark hours of
either evening or morning, this subject, like that of the horns,
has probably not received from them much attention. You
will find men who have passed all their lives in the wilds
of Norway, and constantly hunted the elk, ready to swear that,
with the exception of the ' Lokton,' neither sex utters any cry
whatever. It is somewhat hard to reject altogether the idea
that the elk of Scandinavia is, during the rutting season, habitu-
ally more silent than the moose is reported to be — but here I
get out of my depth.

The first signs that the rutting season is beginning usually
reveal themselves about the third week in September, when
the hunter will discover in the forest sundry young fir-trees
that have been freshly barked and cut to pieces by the horns
of the bull. This would scarcely of itself be conclusive
evidence, as the bull will occasionally spar with a tree much
earlier in the month, possibly to complete the removal of the
velvet. I have seen the horns of young elk covered with it as
late as the end of the first week. Corroboration will be sup-

THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK 133

plied by sundry shallow scrapings of the ground, the fore-
runners of the deeper pits which the bull scoops out when his
frenzy is more advanced. When, owing to the purpose for
which the elk uses them, these pits begin to be so ammoniacally
odoriferous as to become guides to even a human nose, then it
may be accepted as a certainty that a bull accompanied by a
cow is, if not previously disturbed, somewhere in their vicinity.
According to the best authority, the bull only remains with
the cow for about three days, after which she will have nothing
more to do with him, and beats him off, whereupon he resumes
his travels in search of fresh loves. During the whole rutting
season, which lasts for about three weeks or a month, and is
therefore included to a great extent in the present Norwegian
elk season, he eats little or nothing except certain plants of a
stimulant character, and becomes, in consequence, reduced to
the worst possible condition. At this time he develops a very
strong but not particularly disagreeable odour, akin to musk,
to such an extent that a hunter might often follow by using his
own nose, without the aid of a dog. All the trees and bushes,
and even tall grasses against which he brushes during his
progress through the wood, are tainted with this peculiar scent.
The old bull elks now become very savage and pugnacious,
and, not content with attacking each other, will occasionally
run at any object they see in motion. My Lapp hunter tells
me that when prospecting for elk without a rifle and in the
interests of his late employer, he was several times charged by
bulls, and had to run for his life and conceal himself in a
thicket. But on all these occasions as soon as the elks reached
his track and, nosing the ground, recognised the scent of
humanity, they in their turn swung round and retreated. It
would, however, be foolhardy, if unarmed, to stand their
charge, as they might strike the life out of a man with their
forefeet, their most dangerous weapon, before their timidity of
or respect for the human race generally came into play. An
English sportsman of my acquaintance, while returning one
evening from an unsuccessful chase, in crossing a small opening

134 BIG GAME SHOOTING

in the forest, was charged by a bull, who rushed out of the
covert and was only checked at thirty yards distance by a
bullet between the eyes.

Both sexes of elk are often seen together by the peasants
during the haymaking season, in the forest and near the
mountain dairies, and small families, consisting of a cow with
one or two calves and a single bull (or possibly a couple),
still hold together at the beginning of the hunting season ;
but as, at the same time, we constantly find a certain number
of bulls and cows leading solitary lives, or one or two of the
same sex together, the secret of these domestic arrangements
is shrouded in some obscurity, and one can only conclude
that, as in the case of men, there are some male elk who prefer
a roving bachelor life, whilst others have more uxorious and
paternal tendencies. I have never been able to discover
that the Scandinavian elk has any prominently gregarious
instincts under ordinary conditions of existence, although I
have heard it stated in Norway that they sometimes unite
during the winter into bands of a dozen or more. In some '
very highly preserved districts, such as the royal forests of
Sweden, mentioned later, they are now and then artificially
congregated in considerable numbers, and a Swedish gentle-
man once told me that on a part of his property, at the head of
the Gulf of Bothnia, there existed on a stretch of land bounded
by two rivers a 'herd,' as he termed it, of nearly a hundred
elk. But it appeared that in this district, owing to peculiar
circumstances and local laws, the deer had not been shot for,
I think, over twenty years, and were carefully watched by
foresters, so that we have here also signs of compulsory gre-
gariousness ; but it is not safe to be dogmatic in this direction.
What is more to our present purpose is the certain fact, on
which the sportsman may rely, that during the hunting season
he will not be troubled or perplexed by any gregarious ten-
dencies on the part of the elk, whether because there are not
enough of them or because such is not their habit is of little
consequence ; he will, I think, discover that a more unsociable

THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK 13$

and sporadic race of animals, averse to neighbours, does not
exist on the face of the earth.

In Scandinavia, now that the use of traps, pitfalls and the
like is abohshed, there are three legitimate methods of killing
elk — namely : stalking with the ' bind-hund,' or, as I may
render it in English, leash-hound ; running with the loose
hound ; and driving. Of these three methods it may be said
that the first is more worthy than the second, and the second
than the third. In Norway, owing to the operation of the
legal enactment ' one farm one elk,' driving is practised on so
insignificant a scale as to be scarcely worth noticing. Oc-
casionally, when elk are known to frequent a precipitous
mountain, whence it is impossible for them to descend except
by certain passes where the guns can be stationed, a few
beaters may be employed to move the elk quietly, with a fair
prospect of success ; but if it should happen that two or more
of the passes are within the same holding, some care is necessary
to guard against the chance of more elk than the one allowed
being illegally killed. A drive of this kind is in Norway
termed a * klapjagt,' from the noise made by the beaters. The
term is corrupted by British sportsmen into 'slapjack.' In
certain situations where the ground is favourable, as in 'a
narrow glen or on an isthmus between two lakes, the single
sportsman may attempt something of the same kind by the aid
of his hunter or attendant, who, making a long circuit, comes
upon the elk down wind, and starts them towards the gun in
ambush. Nothing more than the wind of man is necessary to
move the elk, and the more quietly all these driving operations
are conducted the better. The hunter who is wise will always
avoid disturbing elk needlessly or wantonly, as they quickly
become suspicious of danger, and are apt to travel long dis-
tances. In Sweden elk driving has been practised for a great
number of years, and sometimes on an immense scale. In
Lloyd's works, ' Field Sports of the North of Europe,' and
' Scandinavian Adventures,' will be/ound a detailed account of
some of the great ' Dref- and Knaptskalls,' arranged in former

136 BIG GAME SHOOTING

days by the Master of the Hunt for the delectation of royalty,
by which many elk, bears, and other animals were killed. But,
as regards this branch of our subject, it will be sufificient to
notice very briefly two great drives which have taken place in
quite recent times in one of the royal forests near the town of
Wenersborg and the mountains of Hunneberg and Halleberg,
at the southern extremity of Lake We.nern. Both these great
functions were arranged for weeks beforehand, and many
hundred beaters employed in sweeping with a gigantic cordon,
which was never relaxed by day or night, an enormous extent
of forest, and moving the elk gradually to the stations of the
guns. The first ' skall ' took place during the visit of the
Prince of Wales to Sweden in 1885, when forty-nine elk were
killed during the day ; the second, in September, 1888, when,
so completely had the stock recovered from the previous
slaughter, that in three drives, also on the same day, there
were respectively slain twenty-four, twenty-eight (in this case
bulls only), and fourteen elk — a total of sixty-six. Great
damage had been done by the deer to the young Scotch firs in
the forest, which is some excuse for such a massacre.

By the Norwegian law, elk- hunting with the loose dog is in
reality forbidden ; at the same time, in several districts it is
practised to a considerable extent, and with impunity. But it
is in Sweden that this style of chase is most in vogue. To
begin with, the physical geography of that country lends itself
to the sport. The Swedish forest is for the most part of a
rolling character, swelling and sinking into hill and dale of
respectively moderate elevation and depth, and spreading out
into huge morasses and tracts of natural upland meadow with
a degree of uniformity that produces tame and somewhat
monotonous scenery. Sweden lacks the deep, gloomy gorges,
the precipitous or terraced mountain-faces, the boulder-strewn
and birch-clad dells of the higher fjeld, and the barren, stony
summits which are characteristic of Norway, and amongst
which, if a courageous and persevering hound be loosed at elk,
there is great danger of his being quickly and entirely lost to

THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK 137

sight and hearing, It is said that an elk can go wherever
a man can, and, although this may be somewhat of an ex-
aggeration, inasmuch as no elk could climb the Matterhorn, it
is nevertheless astonishing what tremendous ascents and de-
scents his long legs can accomplish under pressure, and with
what rapidity he will travel for miles over the fjeld, from valley
to valley, so that the most active followers of the loose dog
would in such a chase be nowhere.

The elk hound belongs to the breed used by the Esquimaux,
a small species of which is known in England under the name
of ' Spitz.' There are two types of this dog, the one being
smaller, lighter limbed, and more finely coated than the other ;
but they have in common the characteristics of thick hair with
an undergrowth of wool, sharp noses and ears, and a bushy,
tightly-curled tail, like the inner whorls of a fossil ammonite.
Their colour ranges through various shades of grey, brindled
and foxy, is occasionally pure black or white, or a mixture of
the two. A well-bred and thoroughly well-trained elk hound
is a valuable animal and hard to procure : 25/. to 30/. — a large
sum in Scandinavia — or even more, is not too high a price for
a perfect animal, -when we consider how much is required of
him, how greatly the enjoyment and success of the sportsman
depend upon his experience, sagacity, nose, speed and courage,
and how considerable is the market value of each animal that
by his aid falls to the rifle of the professional hunter : head,
hide and meat included, it may be set at from 6/. to 10/.
But the leash-hound, to be used only as a stalking dog, seldom
commands anything like so high a price, the Scandinavian
natives being, as a rule, singularly ignorant or impatient of
this style of pursuit. The best leash-hounds are those which
are never loosed. This will be easily understood when we
reflect that in stalking a thoroughly good dog will be mute
under all circumstances, and always temperate, never straining
violently at the leader, even when most eager and excited
by the proximity of the elk : whereas it is essential that the
loose dog should give tongue freely when he finds, overtakes,

138 BIG GAME SHOOTING

or bays the deer, in order that the sound may serve as a
guide to the shooter. With the constant expectation of being .
loosed, he can hardly be expected to restrain his emotions
when his instinct, or possibly eyesight, tells him that the
glorious moment of freedom is, or ought to be, at hand. Few,
if any, dogs can play both roles equally well ; it will be found
that a hound accustomed to being loosed will, in stalking,
invariably strain impetuously at the leader, and that it is not
safe to let him view the elk, as he will in all probability whine
or bark : on the other hand, one that is rarely slipped will only
follow for a few hundred yards, and seldom or never stop a deer.
I do not deny that good useful dogs may now and then be found
who will acquit themselves tolerably in either character, but
I am speaking only of the best of each class. Thoroughly
broken and trustworthy dogs are sometimes allowed to range
the forest from the first, but as a rule the hound is never
slipped until, either from his conduct, or from his own observa-
tion of signs, ^ the hunter becomes certain that the elk is not far
off, or until he despairs altogether of finding one, and trusts to
the dog as a last chance. This is but a too common ending to
a day when the forest tract is large and fresh signs of elk not
discoverable. A brace of dogs are frequently allowed to run at
the same time, but it is a safe maxim that when a single dog
notifies that he has found and bayed the elk, a second should
not be loosed, as his sudden appearance on the scene will often
start the deer off and render him more difficult to stop.

In searching for elk with the dog still in hand the hunter
works slowly up and across wind, utilising his knowledge of
country to the utmost advantage. The dog at such a time —
and this applies equally to both styles of hunting — precedes
him at a distance of five or six feet, being restrained by a leader
or leash, which is fastened to the harness. The best form of
harness consists of a belly-band and chest-strap of softest
leather sewn together, and further united by a strap which

1 Knowledge of elk spoor, to be of any practical value, can only be learnt
by experience : I have not therefore attempted any description of it.

THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK 139

passes between the dog's forelegs. The belly-band buckles
just between the shoulders, and at this point the leader is at-
tached either to a ring or by a simple knot. Some hunters are
content to use an ordinary collar ; but this is a wretched plan,
as with a dog at all given to pulling it produces choking and
eventually injures the wind. When the harness is properly
made all pressure is on the strap across the broad of the chest.
On catching the wind of elk, or of their fresh spoor, the dog
naturally faces towards it, when the hunter must use his judg-
ment as to the right moment for loosing. The part of the
loose dog, having once found the elk, is either to bring him to
bay, or to cause him so far to slacken his pace that the shooter
may be able to get up. Whilst the elk is running at speed, the
dog is generally mute in pursuing, but the experienced hunter
can tell by his note whether the quarry is moving at a moderate
pace or is actually stationary. The old bulls, when they have
not got wind of man or been otherwise scared, are often easily
brought to bay, and in such a case the hunter may approach
almost at his leisure ; but younger elk, and cows in particular,
are much more difficult to stop, and will, as a rule, travel a
considerable, sometimes a great, distance before halting.
Deer of all ages are specially shy if they have been roused
when lying down. Their daily siesta lasts from about noon
— or sometimes, according to weather, an hour or two earlier—
until two or three in the afternoon, and consequently hunters
with the loose dog generally halt during this period, or at least
part of it, and bivouac in the forest. It is said — and, I believe,
with some truth — that in those districts of Sweden where the
elk are during the season continually hunted in this fashion,
they are invariably suspicious, when the hound puts in an
appearance, that man is somewhere in the background, and
that, even when at bay, they are straining their senses to detect
the presence of their real enemy, being of course perfectly
aware that the dogs, for all their noise, can do them no harm.
It is in any case needful for the hunter, however recklessly he
may have been running before, to make his final approach as

I40 BIG GAME SHOOTING

cautiously and noiselessly as possible ; and this is not so easy
in a Scandinavian forest, where the ground is usually cumbered
with any number of dead trees armed with spikes as sharp as
rapiers, of rotten trunks half-buried in moss and rank vege-
tation, and of dry branches and twigs which crack loudly
beneath the over-hasty and incautious foot. In the rutting
season indeed such a noise is now and then of some slight
service to the hunter. I have known several instances in
which, the wind being right, a bull either searching for the cow
or suspicious of a rival has run back out of the thicket to see
what was approaching, and paid the penalty of his curiosity.
Such an incident can of course only occur when the dog is in
hand, and the sportsman will do well not to presume upon its
very rare advantage.

I recollect a scared elk running twenty English miles, with
the dog still sticking to him. After giving me a difficult chance,
he broke his bay two or three times during the first hour of the
chase, and how many times subsequently I cannot say, as,
finding the pace too hot for my age and weight, I stopped and
let the hunter, who was young and light and a celebrated
runner, go on with my rifle. This happened about ii a.m.,
and he shot the elk just before dusk. His dog, dear old
Kurre, was one of the staunchest loose hounds that ever lived ;
he was, in fact, too good, for if he once got up to the elk he
would never leave it until dark, and not always then. On one
occasion he held a bull at bay all night, until his master came
early in the morning and killed it.

So keen was this dog to keep the attention of the bayed
elk on himself, that with a kind of demoniacal glee he would
actually roll on the ground just out of reach of his forefeet.
When very young he had been struck by an elk, and was sup-
posed at the time to be seriously if not mortally injured ; but
he recovered himself, went on again, and eventually stopped
the bull, which was then shot. With all this ferocious courage
there never was a dog more gentle, good-tempered, and well-
behaved in ordinary life. When an elk hound, as is certainly

THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK 141

not often the case, is possessed of such magnificent staunchness
as this, great care must be taken never to sHp him at a scared
elk, unless the shooter is prepared for, and physically equal to,
a long stern chase which may last for some hours. Moreover,
others besides the owner of the dog may profit by his grand
qualities. The law of Scandinavia permits an elk that has
been bona fide in the flesh roused on and moved off one
l)roperty, to be followed at the time on to another and there
killed, although one may not so follow the freshest spoor of
an animal that is simply travelling of his own accord ; there is,
however, nothing to prevent the owner of the other property
from killing the elk thus moved on to it. I was once hunting
near the great lake Kallsjon in Sweden, with Kurre and his
master, when the dog, who was running loose, slipped away
unperceived and took up the fresh spoor of elk which he did
not overtake until out of our hearing. Having no clue to the
direction in which he had gone, we were at last, as evening
came on, compelled to go home without him. l"he next day
he was sent back with many thanks by a farmer who lived
some miles off, and had heard the dog baying the elk close to
a tarn where he happened to be fishing. The man ran home
for his rifle, returned to find Kurre still holding the family of
three — bull, cow, and calf — and killed the lot in three shots !
No, Kurrfe was positively too good. Some dogs are cleverly
trained never to cross a large river or a lake in pursuit, which
in a land of many waters like Scandinavia precludes the chance
of their getting too far away. I believe that Kurr^ would have
swum the Skagerrak after an elk. But the great majority of
elk dogs will give in as soon as the deer really takes to travelling,
and too many of them much sooner. The hunter must be
careful not to let the leader slip out of his hand when the dog
is straining eagerly on spoor, and never to loose him with even
only a collar on. Considering that the elk when tackled by
the dog will, as a rule, make his way through dense covert and
over the most tremendous obstacles in the shape of 'windfalls,'
where the dog has to keep him company, it will be understood

142 BIG GAME SHOOTING

that any even momentary check to the latter's nimble move-
ments, such as might be caused by a tree -spike catching in the
collar, may result in his being disabled or killed. I once, when
stalking, fired from the top of a high steep bank at an elk which
dropped to the shot and lay motionless. The hunter, who was
behind me, thinking the beast stone-dead, foolishly let go the
dog, who, with the harness on and the leader trailing, ran down
the bank, and when within a few yards of the deer was brought
up short by the leader becoming entangled in the branches of a
fallen tree. The elk at this moment revived, and was able to
rise so far as to squat on his haunches, but the hind quarters
being paralysed by a shot in the spine, he could not reach the
dog, otherwise he would most certainly have destroyed him,
unless I could have dropped him again with a second bullet ;
but one instant and one blow of the forefoot would have been
sufficient for the catastrophe. The hunter, who assured me he
had never done so foolish a thing before, was lucky in having
the possible result of his first folly brought home to him by so
forcible and harmless a lesson.

From what has been said it will be clear that elk hunting
with the loose dog is a manly, noble sport, fitted in reality for
those who have youth, activity, and decided staying powers.
At the same time the race is not always to the swift ; experience,
cunning, and knowledge of country will effect a great deal, and
under certain conditions the elderly hunter may achieve some
success ; but if the elk really means running, he may as well
confess at once that he is not in it, and sit down and light his
pipe. But I strongly recommend him to turn his attention
solely to stalking with the leash-hound. He will find it scarcely
less exciting than the other branch of the sport, and quite
fatiguing enough, although it lacks that species of triumph,
so dear to Englishmen, which results from success attained by
very distressing physical exertion. The serious drawbacks to
loose-dog hunting are, first, the common necessity of killing
time in the forest — or, it may be, in a * saeter ' or hay-house —
for some hours and in all weathers whilst the elk are lying

THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK 143

down. Secondly, the fact that it is, to a great extent, bhnd
work, that one is entirely dependent on the dog and must run
to a sound, that there is little or no opportunity for the science
of woodcraft, and none for that study of the object of the
chase which is so dear to the stalker. Thirdly, that you cannot
run a single deer for any distance without disturbing a great
extent of country. Fourthly, that there is the obligation, if
not invariably yet nearly so, to kill whatever beast the hound
has succeeded in stopping, be it a young bull with insignificant
honours or a cow with a calf in tow. The Swedish hunter
never gives quarter ; his immutable doctrine may be summed
up in the words, 'Meat for the man, and blood for the dog.'
He will not risk disappointing his hound and perhaps ruining
his staunchness, nor will he, if he can help it, stultify the whole
raison d'etre of the chase, nor forego his hankering after the
flesh-pots. I do not say that the English sportsman is abso-
lutely compelled to adhere to this merciless creed, but he will
find it difficult to withstand. He is the actor in a drama in
which the hound takes the leading part throughout until the
climax, and for that he is himself responsible ; excitement,
struggle, endurance, opportunity, these are the several stages ;
it rests with him what the final one is to be : if failure, well,
man is prone to err and so is his bullet ; after all, he has done
his best and tried to succeed — but refusal ! I think he will
become conscious, possibly against his will, that this is, under
the conditions of such a chase, the most miserableyf^^^ri? of all :
the chance at last, and tamely to forego it ! he will feel that
he who acts thus is deserving of that limbo to which Dante
consigned the otherwise blameless man who refused the
popedom :

Che face per viltate il gran rifiuto.

I find it to be commonly supposed that the chase of the
elk is almost always confined to comparatively low ground,
covered with pine wood and swampy thickets. There was a
time when I had this notion myself, and as regards Sweden it

144 BIG GAME SHOOTING

is, no doubt to a great extent, a correct one. But I have
recently had reason to change my mind a good deal on this
point, and I cannot do better than quote the following passage
from an article of mine in the ' Fortnightly Review ' ;

Under the guidance of Elias (my Lapp hunter), who is a
master in woodcraft, elk hunting was, in a great degree, assimi-
lated to deer stalking. He was all for pursuing the chase on the
Tiighest possible ground. ' There are, of course, always elk in the
low pine forest,' he would say, ' and in winter it is full of them ;
but at this season of the year the place to find and >^///them is the
high fjeld, or thereabouts.' That this dictum was in the main
correct is proved by the fact that last season, during thirty-two
days' hunting, we sighted — including all ages and both sexes — no
fewer than forty-one distinct elk, over two-thirds of which were
found on the high terraces and slopes just under the crest of the
mountains, or in the quiet dells and hollows of the fjeld itself,
where the birch-copse often grew barely high enough to conceal
them. They were occasionally seen lying out in the open, like red
deer. The term ' high' as applied to the fjeld is, of course, rela-
tive to the general elevation of the country.

We found the best stalking ground at between 1,500 and
2,000 ft. above the level of the valleys. I am here, of course,
speaking of Norway, where in the vast desolate districts north
of Namsos I have been lucky enough to secure the sole right
to kill elk over a considerable tract, about equal in size to the
county of Surrey.'

The ' bind hund ' or leash-hound should be trained, as I
have said, to be perfectly mute and quiet even when he views
elk, and should be taught also to keep close to heel when not
required to lead. This latter point is often neglected. It is
pleasant to observe the clever way in which a well- broken and
steady elk dog will steer his way through covert when in ad-
vance, seldom going the wrong side of a tree or bush, and
obeying instantaneously the slightest hint of the hand which

' To explain how such a tract, entirely mountainous, may be conveniently
hunted, I may mention that there are eight specially built huts and four small
farmhouses which serve as quarters.

THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK 145

holds the leader ; but I have watched with still greater ad-
miration the extraordinary accuracy with which my Lapp
hunter's dog, Passop, when kept at heel, judges the pliability
of any ash-plant or other sapling over which the slack of the
leader fastened to his master's belt is likely to sweep. If it is
sure to bend, the dog simply stiffens his neck until the slight
strain is past ; but if it is too rigid or too much branched, he at
once shifts his position from the man's left knee, close to which
he runs, to the right, thus bringing the loop of the slack directly
behind the Lapp, who of course avoids the obstacle, and in
ninety-nine cases out of a hundred there is no check to the
progress of the pair. When the slack occasionally catches in a
projecting root, stone, or dead branch, he will spring like light-
ning to one side, or even backwards, and clear it before it is
drawn taut. I notice that if a rare mistake does occur and the
dog goes the wrong side of a tree, the Lapp, even when holding
the leader, will never pass the end round the tree as some hunters
do, but always pitilessly compels the dog to dodge back to
the proper side and free the line himself. The slightest, almost
inaudible, sound with the lips is enough to send Passop to the
front full of subdued eagerness, and a turn of the wrist to bring
him to heel. It is a treat to witness the way in which, when
purposely brought to the brow of a hill, he will calmly squat on
his haunches and test the wind for many minutes together,
quite motionless except for the slight turn of his head and his
incessantly working nostrils. By carefully watching his saga-
cious countenance, one can almost follow his subtle apprecia-
tion of the various odours that are wafted to those delicate
organs. It may be that he will at length suddenly rise, and
without hesitation begin to lead in a particular direction, in
which case it becomes a certainty that there are elk somewhere
in that quarter, although they may be still a couple of miles
or more away. Again> it may be that this prolonged nasal
scrutiny will result in his lying down, and, with studied careless-
ness, beginning to nibble his foot or lick himself, thereby
demonstrating that he has temporarily lost all interest in the

II. L

146 BIG GAME SHOOTING

wind, whereupon it becomes scarcely less certain that there are
no deer within a reasonable distance ahead, and that one must
strike into fresh country to find them. When there are no elk
about, I have seen this hound very keen, although quiet, on the
scent of fox or marten-cat, which few dogs can resist ; but in the
vicmity of the nobler game he always pays the strictest attention
to business, and it is impossible to misunderstand him : quite
mute with his mouth, he speaks eloquently with the whole of his
body. Some dogs are very untrustworthy, and cause infinite
trouble and annoyance by working as impetuously up to the
signs of fox or marten, or even capercailzie, as they will to elk
spoor. In approaching elk with the stalking dog, before they
are actually sighted — when his occupation is, of course, for the
moment gone — care should be taken not to advance in too
direct a line up wind ; the dog should be pulled off now and
then to right or left, as the case may require, to guard against
any lateral movement on the part of the deer. It will be found
that when thus pulled off, the hound will be always trying to
swing round and face the wind again, and his movements in this
way will, if carefully watched, afford a tolerably sure indication
of the actual or quite recent position of the quarry. Any emi-
nence in the right line should be ascended, and the ground in
front surveyed from just below its crest ; and as elk have a habit
of turning abruptly and lying down, or moving to leeward of their
former track, every yard of ground on either side must be made
as safe as is possible under the circumstances. Elk can, of
course, be approached either on the line of their spoor or by
the wind alone, in case they have come from the opposite direc-
tion, and have not traversed the ground over which the advance
is made.

When the hunter is sure that he is close upon the elk
and is cautiously ascending a rise for the purpose of ex-
amining the country beyond and at his feet, including the
opposite slope of the rise itself, there is considerable art in
making safe each successive inch — which of course represents
according to distance several or many yards — of the fresh ground

THE SCANDINA VIAN ELK 147

as it comes into view. The narrow line revealed should be
carefully examined with concentrated attention, and as far as
possible to right and left. In this way the top of an elk's horn
or the line of his back maybe detected before the whole animal
is visible. The natural tendency of the eye is to search too
much space at once, and to keep on repeating a general gaze,
including ground already made safe, instead of fixing an intense
one on a fresh and limited area. Where there is much forest
or brushwood, field-glasses will be found of the greatest use in
searching between the foliage and stems ; for in spite of their
size elk are astonishingly difficult to detect, even in low covert
and by the most practised eye. Moreover, in the shadow of a
wood various objects will often bear so strong a resemblance
to a motionless elk, that even eyes as keen as those of my
Lapp hunter, whose quickness and strength of sight are re-
markable, are frequently unable to determine their real nature
without reference to the glasses. He always carries a pair of
his own.

The stalker at a considerable elevation will often find
that, when expecting momentarily to view the elk, he is led
to the verge of a very steep slope, forming the side of a
ravine or dell, overgrown with trees and brushwood, and not
seldom strewn with much dead lumber. On a bank of this
nature there frequently flourishes a considerable growth of
tall herbage, and of birch and mountain-ash, trees on which
the elk delights to feed ; the bark of the latter is his especial
dainty : I have seen copses in which out of some hundreds of
stems there was scarcely one that did not show marks of his
destroying teeth. In such a situation — a very common one — it
is almost impossible to approach the elk from above. If they
are not detected by peering over the bank, the only safe plan
is first carefully to examine the farther side of the ravine, and
then by making a long circuit to try to gain some high point
thereon from which, with due observance of the wind, the hither
side may also be inspected. I have known many native hunters,
as hasty and impatient as their dogs, blunder down into such

148 BIG GAME SHOOTING

a steep thicket and effectually scare the elk before they sighted
him. In fact, a judicious use of the many rocky knolls and
steep acclivities which rise above the brushwood in the high-
level forest of Norway is one of the principal features of stalking,
for it is in the copses which clothe the sides of the watered dells
and the basins of the mountain tarns that the deer are oftenest
found. The main point is to sight the elk without disturbing
him, after which it becomes a question of time and patience
to get a shot. If he is not at first approachable, you must
watch him until he shifts his position, and then try again ; it
is better to spend the whole day in getting up to a beast than
to scare him and have to pass the next two or three days,
and possibly more, in finding another. Stalking has the great
advantage over loose-dog hunting that one need never be
idle ; elk when lying down may be frequently approached with
great success, and if one is forced to wait until they move, such
compulsory idleness is at all events fairly in the day's work ;
it has in it the elements of excitement and continual hope, and
is far better than merely killing time under a pine-tree or in a
hay-house.

Although the stalker will find the high-level beats best
suited to his work, he will be at times obliged to exchange their
freedom and glorious air for the close monotony of the lower
pine wood, especially for those long sombre stretches of it —
half level, half slope — which so often lie between the margin
of a lake and a range of towering cliff. Here he will find, as
a rule, but little undergrowth or brushwood, but from among
the moss-coated boulders many a tall, slender mountain-ash
will be found springing up and flourishing wherever it can gain
sufficient light and air. Such a place is a favourite resort of
elk, who are generally aware of some steep pass among the
cliffs by which they can regain the higher ground. Supposing
the hunter to have settled to his satisfaction that there are deer
in such a stretch of wood ; supposing him to have found their
fresh signs all over it, the bared wood of the ash-saplings
showing white and the edges of the bark still bleeding, he has

THE SCANDINA VIAN ELK 149

before him a most difficult task in the stalk. This is best
effected by advancing in long zig-zags, working from the edge
of the water to the highest point where the signs are visible,
and vice versa. This must be done at the slowest possible pace,
and with all his senses constantly on the alert. The thickly
set stems of the trees will help to conceal him, but they incon-
siderately render the same service to the elk. In this way half
a mile of ground, taken in a straight line, may perhaps be
covered in an hour, and during that time the intense attention
must not be, in the slightest degree, relaxed ; there must be no
hurrying of the cat-like step nor careless planting of the foot,
the rifle must be ready and the hand prepared to act on the
instant. In this kind of work there is little more physical
exertion than in sauntering along Piccadilly, nothing that is
productive of muscular fatigue, and yet such is the tension of
senses and nerves that, after a long spell of it, I have caught
myself yawning with that peculiar tense, rigid yawn which has
not the faintest connection with mental boredom, but generally
betokens physical exhaustion ; and I have seen my hunter —
whose responsibility was of course greater than mine — lean
and wiry as he is, growing visibly paler and wiping from his
brow the dew of anxiety. And then in a moment, when one
least expects it, if that can be said of a man who is always
expecting it — but the apparent paradox is the strict truth —
comes the climax : a glimpse of a huge dark grey mass amongst
the dark grey stems of the trees, a momentary sensation of all
the columns of all the temples in Egypt having risen to baulk
one, and in another second one's whole soul is concentrated in
the effort to find a clear space among that timber labyrinth for
the bright bead at the end of the barrels and the ounce of lead
which it directs.

• The Scandinavian elk has, I believe most unjustly, been
branded with the epithet of stupid, probably owing to his un-
couth personal appearance, which is certainly not suggestive of
a brilliant intellect, nor do I deny that the bull frequently owes
his safety to the superior wariness of the cow. But, irrespective

ISO BIG GAME SHOOTING

of their keen senses of hearing and smell, the great deer will,
when they have been scared and become, in some mysterious
way, aware that they are being tracked, resort to all kinds of
artifices to conceal their huge trail (of the conspicuousness
whereof they seem to be painfully conscious), and to baffle and
confuse the pursuer. A favourite trick, for example, is to wade
or swim for a long distance when the simple route lies along
the edge of a tarn or lake ; another, to double sharply back at
an acute angle and travel for a long way to leeward of their
original line before resuming it ; a third, to entfer a river and
work up the bed of it for several hundred yards before actually
crossing ; a fourth, to travel out of their way along a stony ridge
where they leave no footing. I believe myself that these
stratagems always originate in the brain of the cow, especially
when she has a calf beside her. If they are not invariably
successful, chiefly owing to our employment of another animal
of equal nose and sagacity, they at least seem to me to exhibit
a considerable share of reasoning faculty incompatible with
stupidity. I find that my hunter is imbued with great respect
for the intelligence of the elk, which he considers as not so far
inferior to that of the bear ; but of their eyesight he has not a
high opinion. Where the lie of the land will admit of it, a
forced march may sometimes be executed with great advantage
when the elk have turned and are retreating down wind. On
the very last day of last season we were following on low ground
up wind the spoor of a bull and cow which had caught a glimpse
of us, but were not much scared ; after trotting for some dis-
tance they subsided, as we saw by the tracks, into a walk. But
on reaching a spur of rock which jutted into the forest, the
extremity of a ridge which ran up to a considerable height,
they rounded it and at once turned down wind, thereby placing
us in their rear to windward had we continued to pursue thgm.
Without hesitation my Lapp hunter faced about, and after
following the back trail for some way under the ridge, began
to ascend the slope of the latter in a slanting direction at such
a pace that I needed all my forty days' training to keep up

THE SCANDINAVIAN ELK 151

with him. As however I guessed what he was after, there was
no need to ask questions, but simply to ' keep wiring away.'

In about five-and-twenty minutes we reached the top of the
ridge, which was quite open and mattressed with thick moss, on
which we lay down. We are not given to talking much during
the chase, and for ten minutes did not say a word. My busi-
ness was to recover my wind for shooting, and I was content
to leave the rest to the Lapp and Passop. I found that we
were on the brink of a little cliff, perhaps eighty feet high, im-
mediately under which was a fairly level terrace about a hundred
yards broad and covered with birch-trees and brushwood, with
a few Scotch firs at intervals ; beyond this the ground dropped
rather suddenly to the distant landscape. I had forgotten all
about my rapid climb when the Lapp gently pressed my elbow
and pointed to the left, and in a few seconds I saw the horns
and broad back of a bull elk surge up amongst the brushwood.
He was walking behind a very small cow who preceded him
by five yards or so ; we had got well ahead of them, and they
were now approaching us down wind and without the slightest
suspicion. The cow gave the line to the bull just along the
edge of the bank where the terrace ended, and where the trees
were thickest ; by watching her I could tell where he would
appear a few seconds later. Fortunately, just in front of us
there was a clear space amongst the branches about as long as
an elk's body, and when the cow filled this gap I got the rifle
up, and as soon as the point of the bull's shoulder crossed the
sight pressed trigger. He fell over at once and disappeared, all
but one motionless horn, while the little cow danced in towards
the cliff until she was close under us, and then made off. We
found that the bullet had struck the centre of the base of the
neck, and the elk had died so instantaneously that his hind-
quarters were still hoisted up by the stem of a young birch
against which he had fallen under the edge of the bank. Of
course in this case, being fired from above, the bullet pene-
trated downwards, but in my experience, confirmed by that of
others, the neck-shot is with elk always very deadly. Even

152

BIG GAME SHOOTING

when hit behind the shoulder
they will sometimes travel a
considerable distance, but
when the lead strikes fairly in
the centre of the broad neck,
they usually drop within a
few yards at the outside. In

stalking, owing to the utilisa-
tion of knolls and other
eminences already men-
tioned, a large proportion of
shots are fired from above.
Every big-game sportsman
has his favourite battery, but
it is as well to remember
that the elk requires a heavy
blow to knock him over and

Stalking elk.

THE SCANDINA VIAN ELK 153

save the trouble of pursuit, and that the vitahty of the bulls
is often very great, especially just before the rutting season.
When hunting in the low forest and with the loose dog, it is
seldom necessary to fire at over a hundred yards, and in every
rifle used for elk the fixed back-sight and the bead, taken full
and quickly, should together give this range. But on the
higher and more open ground the shooter must be prepared to
accept fair chances at much longer ranges up to, say, four
hundred yards. At this distance or thereabouts, anyhow with
the corresponding sight up, I have myself been several times
successful. Most Englishmen will employ a hunter or attendant,
but it is scarcely needful to say that, with thoroughly trained
and steady dogs, either style of pursuit may be practised alone.
In stalking, the leader may be conveniently fastened round a
tree or bush while the shot is taken. The shooter must not be
over-sanguine of sport. If he spares cows and very young
deer, and gets from four to six bulls during his thirty or forty
days' season, he ought to be more than satisfied.

154 BIG GAME SHOOTING

CHAPTER IX

EUROPEAN BIG GAME
By Major Algernon Heber Percy

BROWN BEAR HUNTING IN RUSSIAN LAPLAND

Ursus arctos, the bear of Northern Europe, exists rather
plentifully in the forests to the extreme north of Russian Lap-
land. This bear is omnivorous : he feeds on roots, leaves,
wild berries such as molte berries (which grow in large quan-
tities in the Northern swamps), and is especially fond of the
giant angelica, which occurs occasionally in patches. To
salmon or other fish he is extremely partial, and I have seen
places where he has been gorging himself on salmon on the
Valasjok river, where the first fosse is divided into a large and
small fall by an island in the middle of it. Salmon endeavour
to go up both falls, and when the water is low the small fall
ceases running and the pool below it drains out, leaving any
fish that may be there imprisoned to die, a fact immediately
taken advantage of by bears in search of dinner. Bears are
carnivorous when they get the chance. The largest brown
bear I shot in Russian Lapland measured 8 ft. from tl»e
tip of his nose to the tip of what we must call in courtesy
his tail. Brown bears have the most extraordinary tenacity
of life ; no wound is instantly fatal except in the brain or
spine, or incapacitates from attack, except perhaps if the
bullet takes effect in the kidneys. The bear's enormous
muscular strength is very apparent when he is divested of his
warm fur coat ; indeed the Russian Lapps, or ' Norlalash,' as

EUROPEAN BIG GAME 155

they call themselves, say that a bear has the strength of ten men
and the wisdom of five. Consequently they fear him extremely
and with good cause, I myself having seen a Lapp horribly
scarred on the head and face by a bear. My own experience
is that brown bears invariably charge, if they can, on receiving
a bullet.

There are two ways of hunting the Northern brown bear
which have proved successful for the single hunter : either by
tracking the animal with a carefully trained dog, or by discover-
ing the places where he finds some special delicacy, and waiting
at a considerable distance for him to come to feed, then
stalking him and getting a shot. Further south, in Norway,
where there is a larger and settled population, a drive or ' clap-
jaght ' is often organised, but unless extremely well arranged by
a person in authority who thoroughly knows the ground as
well as the men and the habits of the bear, the drive in my
perhaps unhappy experience is seldom successful.

Too often the drivers are armed with guns and rifles, and
I have vivid recollections of spending an animated twenty
minutes lying flat on my stomach with Remington rifle-bullets
whistling overhead, and an excitable brother sportsman dancing
to and fro with a double-barrelled rifle at full cock, jumping to
fire at the first thing that stirred. I prefer less excitement,
and less motion in the play. There is another method of
hunting the bear, when he has hibernated in the den he has
found during the autumn, carefully composed of moss and dry
leaves, under some rock or tree root. This style of hunting
I have not seen, but the Earl of Kilmorey has kindly for-
warded me an account of it. As I said before, bears are
excessively fond of berries, and nothing is more amusing than
to come up to a bear which has made a really good meal,
and having over-eaten himself with berries has been attacked
by subsequent stomach-ache. His complaints, moans, and
attitudes are so human as to be irresistibly ludicrous.

When I first went to Russian Lapland I walked many
miles in the sun-lit nights of summer, tracking, or endeavouring

156 BIG GAME SHOOTING

to track, bear, and I have also waited by calves and lambs
tied up, but all without result ; yet I have invariably been suc-
cessful when I have found any quantity of angelica in a suitable
country, and have watched it with glasses from a distance.

On August I, 1873, my wife and I started from Pechinka
Fiord with a fjeld Lapp, and rowed up a little river which runs
into it till we could not use our oars ; we then landed and
tracked the boat as far as possible, and finally carried her
bodily half a mile through the forest of birch, carpeted with
quantities of yellow globe flowers, wild geraniums, red campion,
and other flowers, to a large sheet of water, called by the Lapps
St. Trefan's Lake. We pulled right up this lake to the extreme
end (about seven or eight miles), trolling for trout on our way.
To keep out in the lake as we did, in a small boat composed
of four planks and a bottom sewn together with reindeer
thongs, was, as I afterwards found out, an extremely risky
experiment ; for on a subsequent occasion, while crossing in
the same boat, we were caught in the middle of the lake by
a thunderstorm, accompanied by very heavy squalls of wind,
which soon raised such waves in the fresh water that we had to
bear up and run before it, the Lapp pulling all he knew, and
my own strength being fully exercised with the steering oar to
keep her dead before the wind, as the slightest coming to on
either side must have inevitably ended in a capsize — no joke
with a lady in the boat, in the icy waters of a lake 3° north of
the Arctic Circle. However, I kept her straight until near the
shore, which was rocky, when, seeing the water had shoaled,
and that if we ran on at the pace we were going we must
inevitably smash the boat, I caught hold of my rifle, sang out
to everybody to look out, and turned her broadside on about
six yards from the shore. We were swamped at once, but in
water not much above our knees, so that we managed to catch
hold of the boat, and carried her safely out.

However, on the date I am writing about we had no such
adventure ; the day was bright, and the scenery beautiful. At
the end of the lake a huge terrace, covered with grass, extended

EUROPEAN BIG GAME 157

between two ranges of mountains, the terrace's top as level,
and its side as accurate, as if made and turfed by a landscape
gardener, the only difference being that it was about two
hundred feet high. Behind it we could see mountain after
mountain, their sides and summits, broken and jagged, ex-
tending far away. The ground between the terrace foot (from
which, as from the bowels of the earth, a little river ran brawling
to the lake) and the margin of the lake was covered with a
dense forest of birch. This we passed through, and making a
wide detour down wind, we climbed a hill behind and over-
looking the top of the terrace. When we arrived there we
saw on the top of the terrace some curious circular basins,
all containing water. Their diameter would be about two
or three hundred yards. A strong stream ran into the right-
hand basin, but there was no apparent outlet to any of them.
Doubtless the water from these basins fed the subterranean
stream that issued from the foot of the terrace. All round the
basins, and extending for some distance from the margin of
the water, was a rank and luxuriant growth of giant angelica.
Far down below us we could see with the glasses a magnificent
reindeer feeding— a runaway from one of the tame herds, no
doubt. We had a capital place, the wind blowing straight from
the basins to us. Keeping a sharp look-out, we discussed some
smoked salmon and bread, and had hardly finished it when
suddenly a bear appeared, waddling with his quaint, slouching
gait to the edge of one of the basins, where he began to
feed greedily on the sweet angelica. I slipped down at the
back of the hill, leaving my little party to watch him from the
top. Getting quickly under cover of some birch-trees, I
descended, silently crept up to the edge of the basin, and,
peeping from behind a bush, saw him about 150 yards away,
but his head was towards me ; so, wishing for a better
chance, I crawled back, and, making a circuit, got up again
within eighty yards. This time his side was towards me, and I
got a steady shot from behind the bush, aiming behind the
shoulder. The bear sprang up with a loud roar, and, looking

ijS

BIG GAME SHOOTING

round to see ' who hove that brick,' charged straight up the
bank, getting my second barrel as he came. He charged
thirty yards without a falter, and then suddenly collapsed and
rolled over stone-dead. After loading I walked up to the
bear, first throwing some stones at him to make sure he was
not shamming, and found it was an old, large she bear ; that
both my shots had hit
her, the first behind the
shoulder, having cut right
through the heart, and yet,

'^^nSiC

C^tj^ST^

This time his side was towards me '

notwithstanding this and the second shot through the chest,
she had managed to charge thirty yards apparently uninjured.
We had much trouble to convey the head, skin, and some
of the meat down to the boat, which was greatly overloaded ;
but the weather was dead calm, so that, keeping close along
the shore, with continual bailing, we arrived safely at the end
of the lake, where, leaving the boat, we carried the trophy
down to another boat on the Fjord, and so home about 2 a.m.

EUROPEAN BIG GAME 159

Next day several Lapps came and looked at the bear,
and expressed themselves well pleased that she was killed. I
noticed that when they saw the skin they invariably crossed
themselves, and, if not prevented, spat at it. A Norwegian
told me that the Lapps dread bears very much, and will
not attempt to hunt them except in parties of five or six.

On another occasion a bear let me off in the kindest
manner. My wife and I, our Norwegian servant and a Lapp,
had ensconced ourselves in a good position, overlooking an
excellent feeding place, and had hardly settled ourselves before
we saw old Bruin come waddling down for his dinner. I was
then shooting with a double-barrelled Purdey polygroove
muzzle-loading rifle, a most excellent weapon, but requiring a
nice adaptation of the sights for any distance over a hundred
yards, and slow to load, the bullet having to be entered into
the grooves of the muzzle by force. I now quote from my
wife's journal :

A. then crept down to stalk him, leaving us on the hill holding
our breath with excitement and lying with our heads over the side
of the rock in front of us. A. made a good stalk, but was not able
to get near Bruin on account of the wind, so he lay down in the
grass and put up the 1 50-yards sight, took a steady aim, and pulled.
The bullet, we think, must have hit the ground under the bear's
foot, for afterwards, on looking over the ground, we found that the
distance must have been at least two hundred yards, the line being
partly over water, and very deceptive to the eye. Anyhow, up
jumped the bear on his hind legs to look all round for the being
who had sent that nasty whistling ball, and seeing no one, he began
to move quickly off in the contrary direction to where A. lay hid.
A. then let drive the second barrel, which turned the bear, who
then made straight for him. A. was unable to see the bear on
account of the scrub (though we could see perfectly well from our
elevated position), and before he had time to reload, old Bruin
appeared fifteen yards from him. Both were equally surprised at
the meeting. A. stopped loading to pull out his hunting-knife,
putting it into his teeth, expecting a charge, and then went on load-
ing, and there they stood, man and bear, looking at each other for
a full minute ; but before A. had time to get his muzzle-loader

i6o BIG GAME SHOOTING

capped, the bear had seen enough — had turned, and was off. We
watched all his movements from the hill. It was so curious seeing
him, the whole thing seemed all at once to flash on him, and then
he was off ; the more he thought of it the less he liked it and the
faster he went, until at last he raced ventre d terre, jumping the
fallen trees in his path. Once only, just on the brow of the hill,
did he look back, and then away he went, faster than ever, and dis-
appeared in the birch scrub. We then came down and hunted the
birch scrub, with no results ; but on one of the hills we found a
place he was accustomed to lie up in, so snug, in between two rocks
on the brow of the hill, where he could see all round him, and yet
the rocks sheltered him. He had scratched up the moss and had
made a soft bed, with a raised pillow at one end. It was a great
pity that A. did not get him, for he was a very large bear, and must
have been old, as he had such a white muzzle.

For myself, I confess I was glad that I had not touched
him, as during the time we faced each other it was simply on
the balance whether that inconvenient change was not going
to occur when the hunter begins to be the hunted. 1 have
since invariably shot with a Henry Express double-barrelled
rifle.

Again watching a favourite feeding place in a similar
manner, I saw a very large bear, and managed to get up to within
a hundred yards of him, when he offered me a good side shot.
I fired, aiming as usual behind the shoulder. On receiving
my fire he charged straight at me, whilst I slipped in a cartridge
to receive him. He charged fully forty yards at best pace,
and, just as I was about to endeavour to give him a head shot,
he reared straight up his full height, smashing down a young
birch-tree with his weight, stone-dead. This was the largest
bear I have shot. His heart was absolutely shattered by the
Express bullet.

EUROPEAN BIG CAME i6i

BEAR DRIVING IN RUSSIA
By THE Earl of Kilmorey

No sportsman passing a winter in Russia should leave the
■country without trying his hand at Viear shooting.

It is not necessary to go great distances from St. Petersburg
to satisfy every desire, as plenty of bears are to be found in the
■enormous forests which still cover innumerable square miles
in the immediate neighbourhood of the principal lines of rail-
way. Moreover, to simplify matters for residents and foreigners
alike, information concerning the whereabouts of bears is being
constantly brought to St. Petersburg during the season, either
by letter, or more often by estate agents or by the head-men
of villages, who come up to the capital for the purpose.

Personal interviews are to be preferred, at which all the
necessary arrangements can be entered into, prices fixed, con-
tracts for beaters and sledges made, and a plan of campaign
■drawn out and agreed upon. The countrymen accustomed to
this business not unfrequently exhibit considerable intelligence
when an amount of organisation and generalship is required
which would much interest and amuse our keepers and stalkers
at home. Old hands always make payment by results the
basis of their contracts, for disappointments are frequent, no
•doubt unavoidably so in some cases, though very often the
unconscious sportsman is made to wade through the whole
business of the ckasse, everyone present, barring his innocent
self, knowing full well that Mr. Bear nyett doma — i.e. is not at
home.

Russians are beginning to fear that foreigners will soon
spoil their sport, as foreigners usually do, by paying too much
per pood for their bears, too much per diem for their
conveyances, too much for their lodgings, and too much tia
tchai (tea money) at the close of the proceedings ; but, under
the direction of gentlemen who can speak the language fluently,

i62 BIG GAME SHOOTING

who understand the people and their pecuharities, and who are
thoroughly ' posted ' in the whole business, one cannot go far
wrong. After six days' continuous sledging, we bagged four
bears out of six promised, afair average considering the market
value of promises. For this sport we paid at the rate of ten
roubles per pood, lodging, beaters and na tchai included, sO'
that our bill only came to 60/., which I do not think excessive,
considering we covered over 400 versts, or about 260 miles.
There is no doubt that the man you contract with makes a
fine profit over the sledges, but I believe the money paid out
is fairly divided among the beaters, and averages about 25
copecks a head, equivalent to (i\d. in English money.

Finding your bear depends mainly on the strict sobriety
and untiring vigilance of the men employed as watchers during
December and January.

As soon as the first snow has fallen, the villagers turn out
in search of tracks, and when the animal's winter quarters have
been approximately discovered, a circle is marked out, within
which, unless fresh tracks indicate a move, the bear is certain
to be enclosed. This is called ' ringing.'

Bears, unless wantonly disturbed, will scarcely ever move
when they have once comfortably established themselves,
though cases are on record where they have been known to
sally forth with extraordinary caution in search of food ; but
as a rule they remain at home, content with the nourishment
said to be derived from sucking their own paws. This being
so, it is remarkable to find bears still in excellent condition
after many weeks of somnolent starvation.

Should the watcher get drunk, as is not unfrequently the
case in Russia as in other countries, and let the bear escape
unperceived, or should he develop a desire to rival Ananias
or Ah-Sin— a practice not altogether peculiar to the Russian
peasant either — then the sportsman's lot is not a happy one.

A very favourable opportunity of securing several bears at
no great distance from St. Petersburg having presented itself
to me at the beginning of March 1889, I gratefully accepted

EUROPEAN BIG GAME 163

an invitation to join an expedition intotheprovince of Novgorod,
organised by Count Alexander Mi.inster, son of the distinguished
Ambassador of that name so well known to us from his long
residence in England.

Our third 'gun' was M. Constantine Dumba, First Secre-
tary to the Austrian Embassy, whose agreeable companionship
added considerably to the pleasure of the trip.

With these gentlemen I arrived at Malo Vyschera, a
station 152 versts down the direct line from St. Petersburg to
Moscow, at 7.30 P.M., March 2/14, 1889, had supper, and after
packing ourselves, our trusty henchmen, and our provisions
into country sledges which baffle description, started a la
belle etoile at 9.15 p.m. The moon was nearly at her full, the
thermometer at —9° Reaumur (about 9° Fahr., or 23 degrees of
frost), and not a breath of wind. The sensation of gliding
along through the silent night, comfortably wrapped up and
extended at full length on the hay with which each sledge was
amply provided, was most enjoyable. The weird beauty of the
forest scenery by moonlight, the countless rows of dark firs,
the silvery birches, the sudden clearings, all exciting the
imagination, whilst the constant jolts and dislocation of the
body, resulting in curses loud as well as deep, forbade sleep
till the small hours. I had, however, begun to slumber,
when we were tumbled out to change sledges at a small village
called Falkova, at about 1.15 a.m. While fresh horses and
drivers were being collected we had tea in the principal room
of the posting house, which we found very clean, dry and
comfortable. I am afraid we disturbed the family in their beds
on the top of the stove, which may sound strange in. English
ears ; but these stoves, being made of brick and cement and
about the size of a pianoforte van, whole families can, and do,
sleep atop of them without inconvenience. At 2 a.m., or a little
after, we were again en route.

I have experienced extreme cold in various quarters of the
globe, but recollections of nocturnal expeditions in Canada at
Christmas time, and of middle watches on the fore bridge

M 2

i64 BIG GAME SHOOTING

rounding Cape Horn in May, fade into nothing compared with
the memory of what the air felt Uke in the province of Novgorod
in the early morning of March 5/18, 1889. We were covered
with hoar frost, and our coat collars and comforters, where they
crossed over our faces, were frozen as hard as boards. We cal-
culated that the thermometer stood at —24'^ to — 28° Reaumur
that morning between three and five o'clock.

6 A.M. brought us to a waking village called Zaruchi,
72 versts (or about 48 miles) from Malo Vyschera, where
we were not sorry to make a light breakfast of the inevitable
tea. Here began what turned out to be our daily disappoint-
ments. Three bears, which we had fondly hoped to have
encompassed and slain in that immediate neighbourhood, had
been quietly disposed of during the past week to higher
bidders, and three lynxes, said to have been seen not far off
only the day before, were an hour later reported to have
' vamosed.' There was no good waiting any longer at Zaruchi,
so as soon as fresh sledges had been provided, we started again
on a 40-verst stage to Crasova. The rising sun changed the
entire aspect of affairs ; gradually the air got warmer, and very
often in sheltered places the heat was almost oppressive. At
Crasova, where we put up at the agent's house, we lunched
and made arrangements to pass the night, and at i p.m. we
started once more to drive 15 versts to our first bear. There
is no denying that fatigue and sleeplessness were now beginning
to tell, and that all hands were dog-tired ; but excitement
kept us up.

We arrived on our ground about 3 p.m., and, leaving
our overcoats in the sledges, placed ourselves unreservedly
under the direction of one Alexei Nicolaievitch, as general
of the division, his two brothers, Ivan and Dimitri, acting as
brigadiers.

Before us was ranged the army of beaters, collected from
the immediate district, some seventy to eighty persons of all
ages, sorts, sizes and sexes, a goodly show. The beat on this,
as on other occasions, was arranged in the shape of an

EUROPEAN BIG GAME 165

elongated square, the guns being placed in line at the end
nearest the starting point.

The approximate position of the bear having been indicated
in a hoarse whisper by Alexei Nicolai'evitch, he proceeded to
post the guns. Having drawn lots before starting, as we do
at home when grouse or partridge driving, I was No. i, M.
Dumba No. 2, on my left, and Count Miinster No. 3, still
further in the same direction, at, I believe, about fifty yards apart.

No. I has almost always the best of it, Alexei invari-
ably posting him, as he thinks, right opposite the bear. It
is from No. i that the army of beaters silently diverges,
making a large circuit right and left, and meeting again at
a point in the forest, perhaps a verst or more distant, far
in the rear of the bear, facing the line of guns. When
the wings of beaters meet, and the cordon is complete, the
whole set up an appalling shout ; the far side gradually ad-
vances until the area enclosed is reduced to about half its
original size ; then the beaters begin to draw" inwards, shout-
ing, screaming, snapping off old guns, and rattling sticks.
After an interval of ten or fifteen minutes, according to the
nature of the ground and the temper of the bear, he or she,
as the case may be, begins to move, though sometimes the
creature positively refuses to stir, actually seeming to prefer to
be shot sitting.

The yelping of a dog who had attached himself to our
party— a sort of stunted, wiry-haired, wolfish-looking collie —
very soon gave notice that the bear was afoot, and she (for it
proved afterwards to be a she bear) appeared suddenly among
the trees right in front of me, about eighty yards off : a poor
harmless, distressed-looking object blundering along in the
deep snow. Bears move a great deal faster over the ground
than they seem to do, and having selected a convenient clearing
not twenty yards off as a good place in which to cover her,
I had not long to wait before she tumbled headlong into it
over the stump of a big tree. This sudden and unexpected
fall at the moment of firing rather disturbed my aim, and the

166 BIG GAME SHOOTING

bullet struck her somewhat higher than I had intended, going
bang through her, ripping up the muscles of her back, and
bringing her to the heraldic position of '■ours couchant.' The
novelty of the situation, my inability to see my companions,
and my ignorance in concluding that one shot is ever sufficient,
except in a vital spot (it is not always so then), deterred me from
firing again, as I ought to have done ; and in the exuberance
of my spirits I was about to run in and ' put her in the bag,'
when she got up, and, moving a pace or two forward, received
her quietus through the heart at the hands of M. Dumba, who
was only a few yards off.

Immediately a bear is defunct a curious scene takes place.
The beaters run furiously together, all radiant with joy and
streaming wMth perspiration. Many of them cross themselves
devoutly, and sing a melancholy ditty descriptive of the death
of their enemy. As every male peasant in Russia carries an
axe, and has a long scarf bound round his greasy sheep-skin
coat, in less than no time a young tree is cut down and
fashioned into a convenient pole, and the bear's legs being
made fast over it with one or more scarves, the triumphal pro-
cession staggers through the snow towards the nearest sledge.
This, our first bear, weighed 5^ poods, i.e. about 15 stone, and
was light in colour, as bears generally are in the province
of Novgorod. The heaviest bear shot during the expedition
weighed 6^ poods, or about 260 lbs. (40 Russian pounds go
to the pood).

One word of advice in conclusion : when a bear is crossing
in front of you, there is no time to lose if you have — if only for
a second or two — the clear space between you and him, which
you ought to try for. Two seconds before he ' opens,' he will
be sheltered from your fire in the thicket to your right, and in
two more, if you hesitate, he will be out of range again in the
trees to your left ; and if he is coming straight to you, aiming
is not as easy as may be supposed. The poor brute goes
floundering along, with a pitching motion not unlike that of a
waterlogged ship in a heavy sea. At one moment he is crawling

EUROPEAN BIG GAME 167

awkwardly over a fallen tree, at the next he is almost lost to
sight in the deep snow. It is on such occasions more than any
that the sportsman must remain cool. More shots have been
clean missed at close quarters than at thirty and forty yards,
and though as a rule the animal's sole idea is how to escape
from the din around him (the idea of attacking his disturbers
rarely occurring to him), still instances have been knowm, and
not unfrequently, when an old she bear with cubs has stood
up and charged. Poor thing ! she has not much chance
against two rifles, a bear spear, a long hunting-knife and a
revolver, which generally constitute the equipment of a
ihasseur d^ours.

AUROCHS HUNTING
Bv Major Algernon Heber Percy

The European bison, or aurochs. Bison Bonasiis, which
used to roam in large herds over Europe, is now exclusively
confined to the forest of Biolvitskia, in Lithuania, where it
is known by the name of zubr.^

It has long been protected and preserved here most strictly,
and has been kept solely as a royal quarry, certainly from the
time of the kings of Poland.

Its habits appear much to resemble those of the wood
bison of America now almost extinct ; for example it makes itself
mud baths like the well-known buffalo wallows in the plains
of North America. Heads of these magnificent animals being
excessively rare, I give the dimensions of the bull and cow
which I killed and have now set up :

Bull Cow

Tip of horn to tip of horn . . i8i^ ins. 6 ins.

Base of horn to tip round cuive outside . I7i „ 'Si >?

„ ,, inside . 13^ „ 10 „

Circumference of horn at base . . . 10 „ ^ „

Across forehead '3 >> 1° m

1 Unless the Caucasian zubr, of which Mr. St. George Littledale had
recently killed a specimen, Ix; (as the Caucasians maintain) identical with the
Lithuanian beast. — C. P.-W.

i68

BIG GAME SHOOTING

In August 1879, by Lord Dufferin's great kindness, I
received permission from the then Emperor of Russia^
Alexander II., to visit the forest of Biolvitskia to hunt aurochs,
and was directed to call on the Minister of Domains in
St. Petersburg for directions when and where to go. The

'■•^**^ W-

■^^^

Group of aurochs

Minister, M. Walouieff, was most civil and kind ; indeed, I
may- say at once that I met nothing but the most extreme
kindness and hospitality from all Russian gentlemen during
my visit to their country.

Accompanied by my wife and a courier I arrived at Grodno,
where I had expected to have a keeper put at my disposal to
assist me in finding and stalking the bison ; but was rather

EUROPEAN BIG GAME 169

taken aback at being met at the station by the Governor-
General de Ceumern, the Minister of Domains of the province,
and a posse of gendarmes.

On the night of our arrival, the Governor-General and
Madame de Ceumern entertained us most hospitably, and on the
morrow, together with the Minister of Domains, accompanied
us by rail to the station nearest to the aurochs forest. From
that station we drove to the house of the forest ranger, M. Cam-
pione, and there supped.

I found that all preparations had most kindly been made for
me, and after supper with the Campiones we drove on through
the forest, which was lovely in the moonlight, the white rays
shining through the leaves here and there, lighting the gnarled
trunks of the trees with a touch of silver, anon bursting through
a glade and throwing a weird gleam on the mist hanging
by the little streamlets, and then at a turn of the road (the
moon being brought in front of us) making the most lovely
vistas of interwoven branches and leaves, in black on a silver
ground.

We arrived late at the Czar's shooting palace, a small but
most comfortable house standing in the centre of the forest,
where we were luxuriously put up.

The next morning I carefully unpacked and overhauled
my rifle, a Henry express made especially for me. I have shot
with it a good many years, and believe that a small weight
of lead properly placed — but I will not bore my readers
with the old arguments. After breakfast the Ranger, the
General, and Madame de Ceumern accompanied us to one of
the keepers' houses where we were to wait. It was a small
cottage, and I fear the entrance of our party disconcerted the
chasseur's wife, who, poor woman, was standing by the swing
cradle of her newly-born child. As the woman bowed re-
peatedly when we came in, I laid a few rouble notes on the
coverlet, asking Madame de Ceumern to explain that they
were for a christening present. This she kindly did when, to
my horror, the mother prostrated herself before me, and en-

I70 BIG GAME SHOOTING

deavoured to kiss my shooting-boots. I hopped backwards
round the room Hke a hen, and the grateful female on hands
and knees after me. The rest of the party seemed to enjoy
the incident too keenly to answer quickly to my frantic appeals
to them to tell the good lady to desist ; but, as luck would have
it, she never caught me, only very nearly, for she went with
remarkable ease and speed on her hands and knees.

Soon after this M. Campione came in and told us that we
nmst take our positions, whereupon my wife and I proceeded
with M. Campione and a chasseur to ray post, by a large
uprooted tree at some distance from the hut. The forest was
here rather open : on my left stretched a small glade, which
gave me a clear view of anything crossing it to a distance of
about two hundred yards. On the right, though the trees were
fairly thick, there was but little underwood. In front the bushes
and undergrowth were much denser, but the ground sloping
away from where I stood gave a view of a small clearing about
three hundred yards off. Between this clearing and my right
and left I could see nothing but underwood.

A great many of the large forest trees were magnificent
limes which supported quantities of wild bees, of which" there
are so many in the forest that men were employed to rob the
nests of the honey. M. Campione explained to me in a whisper
that they were trying to drive the aurochs past me, the wind being
light from the front. We waited in perfect silence for about half
an hour, and then I heard the breaking of sticks and crashing of
branches, as the herd approached at a gallop. Across the clearing
they came, heading to pass me on the left across the small glade.
There were about fifteen of them, all thoroughly alarmed, and
presenting exactly the appearance of a herd of American bison,
the same carriage of the head, and the tail carried in the same
manner. Though I had but one short view of them, one bull
immediately caught my eye as being much larger than the
others. As they crossed the glade almost in file, he was the
second, and M. Campione whispered ' Le second dest le vieux,
tirez-le ! ' At that moment they disappeared in the brushwood,

EUROPEAN BIG GAME \~\

but 1 could hear them coming straight on towards me, so
cocking my rifle, I waited for them to cross the glade to my
left. Louder came the noise of the crashing of branches ; and
out burst the leading aurochs across the clearing about eighty
jards from me, closely followed by the second and remainder

Aurochs' heads

of the herd. Directly the second appeared I fired at it, and
rolled it over. Reloading quickly, M. Campione and I ran up,
and found I had shot an old female aurochs, the bull having
changed his position while passing through the underwood.
' Stand still,' said M. Campione, ' they may come by us again ' ;

172 BIG GAME SHOOTING

and, turned by a hideous din, shouts, noises, and whooping,
the scattered herd reappeared, galloping wildly by us on either
side. ' Le voila,' said M. Campione, and there could be no
mistake this time ; for, facing as I was, the forest was clearer,
and I could see him distinctly, a grand beast, his tail jerking up
over his back in anger, about sixty yards from me, giving me a
perfect side shot, of which I made the most, rolling him over
with a bullet behind the shoulder. The death holloa was given
by M. Campione, and by-and-bye appeared quite an army of
chasseurs and beaters. I at once set to work, after all con-
gratulations, carefully to cut the skin low down on the shoulders
so as to get plenty of neck, the appearance of so many good
heads being entirely ruined by not having sufficient neck
to set them up with. This bull was one which had become
well known, and I was told that several applications had
been made to St. Petersburg that the chasseurs might shoot
him, as he was dangerous, and had injured, if not killed, several
people. He was much larger than any American bison I have
shot or seen ; his hair was finer, longer, and not so curly ; his
colour was a shade lighter, and his horns do not curve at the
same angle as those of B. america?nis. I noticed a strong
aromatic smell about both bull and cow, which they get from a
peculiar grass that grows in the forest called zubr grass. I was
informed the aurochs are very fond of it. I picked some of it
and found that it resembled ribbon grass, but the Ijlade was all
green, and had the same strange aromatic smell which I noticed
in the aurochs. The height of the bull at the shoulder was about
six feet, but he gave me the idea of being a leggier beast than
the bison of America. I saw no difference between him and
B. americanus which could not be accounted for by climate
and habitat. The differences between European reindeer and
American barrenland and wood caribou are certainly greater,
and the differences between European elk and American moose
are quite as great. I explained to General de Ceumern that I
had only permission to take the head and skin of the bull, and

EUROPEAN BIG GAME 173

that I did not consider myself justified in taking that of the
female as I had not received the Czar's permission, but some
little time after my arrival at home in England the cow aurochs'
head was by order sent to me, set up, mounted by a Warsaw
taxidermist.

The lynx [Felis pardina)

CHAPTER X

THE LARGE GAME OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

Bv Abel Chapman and W. J. Buck

Though comparatively near 'home,' Spain is but little known
to the mass of English sportsmen. Its game laws are not
such as to deter the foreigner from visiting its shores, and its
game list is a fairly long and interesting one ; but such sport
as Spain offers is mostly * driving ' — a sport exciting enough
in itself, but not to be compared with stalking or still hunting.
Besides this, sport in Spain is expensive. As for the ibex of
the Spani-sh highlands, a competent authority states that every
ibex shot in Spain by our English sportsmen from Oibraltar
costs at the lowest computation loo/.

In principle, if not in practice, the game laws of Spain
resemble our own, recognising a vested right of chase in the
owner or occupier of the land.

THE LARGE GAME OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 175

Nominally it is illegal to enter upon any private lands in
search of game without a written permission from the owner ;
but practically the sportsman goes wherever he pleases through-
out the length and breadth of this sparsely peopled country,
except only in the case of cotos or preserves.

This is an important exception to the big game hunter, for
nearly all the regions frequented by red deer, at any rate, are
strictly preserved, and wholly forbidden ground to the casual
stranger. The snow-clad Alpine regions where the Spanish
ibex and chamois are to be found, and a few remote haunts of
roe deer and pig among the Sierras, are free to all comers, but
the difficulty and expense of arranging drives and of camping-
out in these distant regions are very great.

The Government of Spain is unusually civil to aliens, making
no special stipulations with regard to their sporting rights. Like
everyone else in Spain, the foreigner who wants to shoot must
take out a licence to carry a gun [uso de escopeta) and to kill
game {cuzar). The cost of this is 25 pesetas. In addition to
this, each municipality has power to levy a tax in the form of a
licence, giving the holder a right to shoot over all lands belong-
ing to the municipality the sporting rights of which have not
already been leased. An Englishman furnished with a letter of
introduction from his consul would experience no difficulty in
obtaining such a licence.

The close-time for large game is, as regards certain northern
provinces (Galicia, the Asturias and Santander), from March i
to September i, and for the rest of Spain and her Mediter-
ranean islands from February 15 to August 15, but it is to be
observed that the law as to close time does not bind game-
preservers in their own preserves.

This, in brief, is almost all that an Englishman need know
of the game laws of Spain, although perhaps these two quaint
clauses (Arts. 37 and 38 Consolidated and Amended Game
Law, January 10, 1879) might affect him : —

•^j. A sportsman who wounds a beast has a right to that beast
so long as he, either in person or by his dogs, is in pursuit of it.

176 BIG GAME SHOOTING

38. If one or more beasts are put up by a sportsman or party
of sportsmen, and these beasts, being neither wounded by them nor
their dogs, are subsequently killed during their flight by another
party, those who have killed the game have an equal right to it
with those who first aroused and pursued it.

But the wandering rifleman has little to fear from the law
in Spain ; on the contrary, if an expedition is planned and
carried out with due formality and regard to other people's
feelings, permission to shoot anywhere is rarely refused, assist-
ance even being offered as often as not by the proprietor to the
invader.

Spanish sportsmen count the varieties of Caza mayor, or
larger game, in their peninsula, to wit, red deer {Cervus ela-
i)hus), roe deer {Cervus capreolus), fallow deer {Cervus damd),
chamois {Afitilope rupicaprci), Spanish ibex {Caprd hispanica),
bear {Ursiis arctos), wolf, fox, lynx (J^eh's pardina), and wild
boar.

Of these lynx and fox are only reckoned as large game
when killed by a rifle ball, while fallow deer can hardly be said
to exist in Spain in a truly wild state, although they come near
to it in Aranjuez, where they live free and unenclosed.

As suggested before, ' driving ' is the commonest form
of sport in Spain, but there are two or three old forms of
national sport still alive in the country, more picturesque and
more in keeping with the popular ideas of the chivalrous
Spaniard.

Of these the chasse au sangUer in Estremadura, and the
pursuit of the bear by the oseros of the Asturias, are worth a
passing notice.

When the acorns are falling from the oaks during the still-
ness of a moonlit night in the magnificent Estremenian woods,
and the ripe chestnuts cover the ground, the valientes of the
district assemble and wait for the boars to come down from
their mountain fastnesses to feed. As soon as the snapping
of some dry twig announces the ' javato's ' (boar's) approach, a
hound trained to give tongue to boar only is slipped, and as

THE LARGE GAME OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 177

soon as his first note proclaims a find, a dozen strong half-bred
mastiffs are despatched to his assistance.

Then for a while the hound-music frightens the shadows
and shocks the silence of the sleeping woods ; there is a
crashing among the dry forest scrub, a breakneck scurry of
mounted men among the timber ; then the furious baying
of the hounds and the noisy rush of the hunters converge
towards one dark point among the shadows, and in the half
light a great grizzly tusker dies beneath the cold steel, but not
before he has written a lasting record of the hunt on the hide
of some luckless hound. Pig-sticking proper, as practised in
India, is not known in Spain, though possibly it might be
practicable on the plains of Andalusia.

The bears of Spain are of two varieties — the large dark-
coloured beast known as 'carnicero,' and said to prey upon
goats, sheep, pigs, and even to pull down horned cattle upon
occasion, and a smaller, lighter-coloured bear called 'hormi-
guero ' or ant-eater, which is common in the Asturias, feeding
upon roots, ants, and such-like humble fare.

Bear hunting in Spain is confined almost exclusively to the
north, to the Pyrenees and Cantabrian highlands. Among
the Asturias a kind of hunting brotherhood of peasants
still survives, whose members face the bear armed only
with pike and knife. These men {los oseros de Espafia),
with the assistance of a couple of sturdy dogs, seek out
their quarry amid the recesses of the mountains, and slay
or are slain in single combat. Their equipment is simple.
A broad-bladed knife and a double dagger, each of whose
triangular, razor-edged blades fits into a central handle,
suffice them for weapons of offence. For defensive purposes
they wear a thick sleeve composed of many layers of coarse
cloth.

When the bear is brought to bay by the dogs the hunter
rushes in ; as the bear rises to grip his new assailant the
osero plants his knife in Bruin's chest, and then, as the animal
lowers his head for a moment oeneath the pain of the blow,

II. N

178

BIG GAME SHOOTING

the double dagger is driven home to the heart with all the
power of the oserds right arm.

This kind of bear-hunting is hereditary, the profession of
osero passing from father to son with the peasants of the
Asturias ; but for the most part the bear is killed like other
game in Spain, by means of large organised ' drives ' or
batidas.

Red deer are found locally and irregularly over several
provinces of the Peninsula, differing in type from Scotch red
deer in the absence of the shaggy mane or ruff on the neck,
and in some slight modifications in the horns. Being chiefly
forest deer their heads are narrow, and the animals slim built
and game-like. They are found both in the mountains and
among the extensive pine forests and scrub-covered plains ; but
the finest heads are obtained in the Sierra Morena, to the west
of Cordova, though the deer are most numerous in the southern
wooded plains of Andalusia, in which part of the Peninsula
the writers of this chapter, forming two of a party of eight or
ten guns, have killed from twenty to thirty stags in a week's
shooting, besides wild boar, lynx, and other beasts, and between
sixty and seventy stags in a season.

Deer shooting usually begins in November and ends in
February or early in March.

The following are measurements of heads that we have had
the fortune to obtain in Andalusia. Though not the largest
known, they are good typical heads : —

Forest Deer

Length

Circumference

Beam

No. I, 8 points (small) .

„ 2, II „

„ 3, 12 „ (royal) .
5) 4j '3 >j »

\^\ ins.

24i „
29 »
22| „

3i ins.

J4 )J

4i^ „

1 6^ ins,
i9i »

25 »
22^ „

THE LARGE GAME OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 179

Mountain Deer

Length

Beam

No. I, 12 points.

» 2, 12 „ .
» 3, 15 » ■
» 4, 17 » •

34i ins.
36 ,,

40 „

32 ins.
34 „
34* „
36J „

Of the Spanish chamois there is little to be said. He is more
or less common in the Pyrenees, where the French call him
the ' izard,' the Spaniards ' rebeco,' and in the Cantabrian high-
lands, especially about the Picos de Europa, where he is ignobly
slain by driving.

But the great prize of Spain to men of our craft is the ibex —
the ' Cabra montes ' of Andalusia, the 'bucardo' of Aragon. The
Spanish mountaineers do not much affect ibex hunting, though
there are a few hardy souls among them who, donning their
alparagatas, or hemp-soled sandals, make a living out of this
most fascinating of field sports.

The ibex is found on the highlands of Spain from Biscay
to the Mediterranean, and from the Pyrenees to the Straits
of Gibraltar, as also on the hills round Andorra, on the
mountains of Toledo, and along all the elevated cordillera of
central Spain ; but its favourite haunt is the Sierra de Gredos»
This lofty sierra is the highest point of the Carpeto-Vetonico
range, extending from Moncayo through Castile and Estrema-
dura, and forming the watershed of Tagus and Douro. It
separates the two Castiles, and passing the Portuguese frontier
is there known as the Sierra da Estrella, which, with the Cintra
hills, extends to the Atlantic seaboard. Along the whole range
of this extensive Cordillera there is no such favourite ground for
the ibex as its highest peak — the Plaza de Almanzor. During
the winter months the ibex are found on the lower slopes of
the range towards Estremadura, but in summer and autumn
herds of them, especially the males, make their homes in the
environs of Almanzor. The best time for ibex shooting in

N 2

i8o

BIG GAME SHOOTING

Spain is during the months of July and August. Heavy snow-
storms make sport in the winter dangerous and uncertain.

With regard to the specific distinction of the Spanish ibex,
some authorities have held that the ibex of the Pyrenees differs
from that of the Sierra Nevada and southern mountains, the
former animal agreeing more with the typical ibex of the Alps.

Sir Victor Brooke, in a note just received, remarks, ' The
Pyrenean ibex are much larger beasts than those of the southern
Spanish Sierras. In the Pyrenees they are scarce, and live in
the worst precipices I ever saw an animal in — they go into^^r
worse ground than the chamois, and are very nocturnal, never
seen except in the dusk or early dawn unless disturbed.'

We, however, have found no material difference in the
form of the horns of ibex trom ihe Pyrenees and those from
Central and Southern Spain. The following are the maximum
dimensions of six ibex heads from these latter districts, all
measured by the writers : —

Measurements of Six Ibex Heads

Age

Length

Sweep

Circumference '

No. I

5 years

i8i ins.

n^ ins.

9| ins.

„ 2

8 „

27^ „

23 »

9 »

» 3

8 „

28i „

19 „

8^ „ 1

• „ 4

8 „

29 ,,

i8| „

9 »

» 5

Aged

29 »

-7'>-l

9i »

„ 6

j>

29i »

23i »

9^ ,,

All these were shot on the Central and South Spanish sierras.

The following are the measurements of Sir Victor Brooke's
three best Pyrenean ibex heads : —

Length

Circumference

Sweep

21 ins.

23 »

26^,,

A . . .
B . . .
C . . .

26 ins.

29 »
31 »

10 ins.

10 „

8^,

x

\

~<<^m!f^^

8PANISH IBKX
iCafra kisfanua)

THE LARGE GAME OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL i8i

[It may be added that the writers of this chapter devoted
almost the whole of 1891 to the investigation of the natural
history of this little-known corner of Europe, so that those
specially interested may supplement this sketch by a study of
their work, 'Wild Spain,' — Ed.]

i82 BIG GAME SHOOTING

CHAPTER XI

INDIAN SHOOTING
By Lieut. -Col. Reginald Heber Percy

I. INTRODUCTORY.

In dealing with such a vast tract of country as India it is out
of the question to describe any one class of outfit which will
suit the traveller equally well among the snowy peaks and
bitter winds of the Himalayas and Ladak and in the furnace-
like heat of the plains. Snow is the great obstacle to travel in
the former, whilst heat, rain, and malaria are the evils to be
contended with in the latter. Nor is one class of weapon
equally suitable everywhere. For all soft-skinned animals, such
as tigers, and all varieties of sheep, goats, and deer (except
sambur) there is no rifle, in the writer's opinion, that is so
satisfactory as a '500 Express with a charge of at least 5 J drachms
of powder. This weapon is sufficiently powerful for any beast
to be met with in the Himalayas. Of course, yak may be
found, but the chance is so remote that it is barely worth while
taking a special rifle for their benefit, and a few cartridges with
solid bullets for the '500 will probably meet all requirements.
On the other hand, for thick-skinned animals, such as elephants,
rhinoceros, gaur, buffalo, and sambur, the smallest bore of
any practical use is a 12 -bore, and the powder charge for this
should be at least 6 drachms. The light bullet of an Express is
so easily turned by a small twig that it is absolutely untrust-
worthy among heavy timber, and it Is for this reason that the
writer includes sambur with the larger animals. For the big

INDIAN SHOOTING 183

dangerous beasts a still heavier weapon, such as an 8-bore
with 8 drachms of powder, is desirable, though not absolutely
necessary, as the superior accuracy and handiness of a 12-bore
go far to counterbalance the extra power. For antelope and
gazelles the writer prefers a light single-barrelled -400 Ex-
press, taking 3 drachms of powder, to any other rifle that he has
ever used.

So far for rifles. A shot-gun is a necessity everywhere, and
one of the best pot-hunting guns (the chief use of a gun on the
trip after big game) is one of three barrels — two shot, i6-bore,
and a -450 rifle underneath — which will meet all requirements
on the march and near camp. As regards tents, the ordinary
Cabul tent (part of every officer's equipment in India), with a
smaller one for the servants, is ample for the Himalayas and
the plains in the cold weather, but a larger tent is required
during the hot weather in the plains. Manifold are the
instmctions already published as to outfit — 'Large Game
Shooting,' by Colonel Kinloch, ' The Sportsman's Guide to
Kashmir and Ladak,' by Major Ward, and ' The Sportsman's
Vade Mecum,' by K. C. A. J., are among the best books to con-
sult, as they are written by practical men. Among the points that
the intending traveller must bear in mind are : That the unit
of transport in the Himalayas is the coolie, and his load over a
snow pass is only 50 lbs., though along an ordinary road he
can carry 60 lbs. Pack animals can certainly be used over a
large portion of the country, but every snow pass forces the
traveller back to the unit, so that his baggage must be capable
of being arranged in 50-lb. loads. Throughout the rest of
India carts can generally travel, and, failing them, camels, oxen,
or ponies can always be procured, so that the unit of trans-
port being greater, *the sportsman can travel with far greater
comfort than he can in the Himalayas. Then, again, if the
traveller requires more than sixteen coolies to carry his baggage
in the Himalayas, he will be subjected to endless delays at every
changing station. A dozen men or so can be collected at short
notice almost anywhere, but over sixteen generally means delay

1 84 BIG GAME SHOOTING

till they can be summoned from outlying villages ; and per-
petual detentions of this class when one is racing for ground
are extremely annoying, so that it should be the sportsman's
aim to combine lightness with eilficiency in all articles of his
outfit, and to travel with the smallest amount of state com-
patible with his standard of comfort — a standard which, in the
writer's experience, differs with every individual.

As regards expenses, the following may be taken as a rough
guide throughout the Himalayas : —

Coolie, per march, 4 a.

Coolie, monthly, Rs.6 (without rations if employed near Iiis
own village).

Coolie, monthly, Rs.5 (with rations).

Baggage pony, per march, 8 a.

Riding pony, per march, R. i.

Baggage yak, per month, Rs.8 to Rs.12 (the drivers bring
their own food and provide carriage for it).

Head shikari, in Cashmere, Rs.20 monthly (with rations).

Assistant shikari, in Cashmere, Rs.io monthly (with
rations).

Luncheon coolie, in Cashmere, Rs.7 monthly (with rations).

Head shikari in Gurwhal, Chumba, Lahoul, &c., being
local men, Rs.12 to Rs.i6 monthly (usually without rations).

Assistant shikari, Rs.8 to Rs.io (without rations).

Luncheon coolie, Rs.7 (without rations).

Rations consist of 4 lbs. daily of flour or rice for head
shikari, assistant shikari, luncheon coolie, and servants brought
up from the plains ; baggage coolies get 2 lbs. daily of the
same. An estimate of Rs.300 a month should amply suffice
for travelling in any part of the Himalayas : an old hand will
do it for far less, but the Cashmere shikari so thoroughly
understands the art of running up the bill, and is so plausible
withal, that the majority of his employers will find themselves
paying more than its market value for the pleasure of his
company. When the sportsman has sufficient experience
and sufficient knowledge of the language to employ shepherds

THE riHST STALK OF THE SEASON

INDIAN SHOOTING 185

and local shikaris to show him the ground near their own
homes, he may dispense with the luxury of having a Cashmeree
to rule over him, and find great advantage accrue both to his
sport and to his purse. It is impossible to give an estimate
for big game shooting in the plains, as the rates for transport
and beaters vary in every district. As regards servants brought
up from the plains, two should be enough, and they should be
of the same religion and caste, so as to be able to cook for one
another : the writer prefers Mussulmans, as they will eat meat,
which Hindus of good caste will not do. In any case they will
require extra pay in the hills (an additional Rs.2 or Rs.3 a
month should suffice), warm clothing, an extra blanket apiece,
and a waterproof bag to pack their things in. Also, as their
work begins on arrival at camp, they should, if possible, be
mounted for long marches. It is a good plan to hire milch
goats from the village which supplies the coolies, and change
them when one changes the men in the next district.

The generally accepted rule with regard to shooting grounds
in the Himalayas is that the first comer has the right to any
minor stream not being the main river of a district (except at
its source, where it is considered a minor stream), and to all the
land that drains into that stream ; but he must occupy the
ground in person, and cannot retain it by sending servants or
tents there before his arrival, or by keeping servants or tents
there during his absence.

In the plains the same rule, though not so accurately laid
down, holds good in spirit, viz. that no sportsman should hunt
over ground within reach of his neighbour's camp, and in tiger
shooting a beat belongs to the man whose shikaris are tying up
for it.

Visitors from home should endeavour to bear in mind that
the sport of India naturally and fairly belongs to those who
spend the best years of their lives in administering and
garrisoning it, and that the assistance they will, as a rule, so
freely receive will be given by good sportsmen from sheer love
of sport.

1 86 BIG GAME SHOOTING

In conclusion, the writer begs to express his grateful thanks
for the kindly assistance afforded him by the authorities of the
Natural History Museum, the Cambridge Museum, and the
Senckenburg Museum, Frankfort, and also to the numerous
sportsmen and owners of private collections for the generous
way in which they have, at no slight trouble to themselves,
lightened his labours by contributing records of sport and
measurements of horns and animals.

II. THE BEARS OF INDIA AND BURMAH

There are no fewer than five varieties of bears to be found
in our Eastern Empire. The three most commonly met with
are the Himalayan black bear, Ursus torquatus (native name
' Kala Bhalu ') ; the Himalayan snow bear, Ursus Isabellinus
(native names ' Lai Bhalu ' ; Cashmere ' Harput ') ; and the sloth
bear of the plains, Ursus labiatus (native names ' Bhalu,'
'Reech,' 'Adamzad')-

The Himalayan black bear is common enough on the
southern slopes of the Himalayas, but rarely crosses the main
snow-line. Being chiefly a fruit and corn eater, in contradis-
tinction to the snow bear, whose main food consists of grass and
roots, it likes to live near villages, especially when the maize
crops are ripening. Dense jungle is a necessity to it for shelter
during the day and for the wild fruit and berries it lives on
before the crops are ripe, and this jungle is non-existent on the
northern side of the main range. The snow bear is found on
both sides of the range, but does not extend to Ladak. Both
black and snow bears will kill cattle and sheep if they get
the chance, and neither variety is above eating carrion. The
black bear with his short sturdy nails climbs readily, while the
long digging claws of the snow bear prevent him doing much
in that line, though he is said to be able to climb a little. The
villagers in the Himalayas have to keep their bees inside their
houses both for the sake of warmth in winter and also to pre-
vent the hives being robbed by bears. Both varieties hibernate.

TT

A rAIB CHANCE AT BLACS BEAE3

INDIAN SHOOTING

187

but Colonel Kinloch points out, and all natives agree, that while
the snow bear is never seen abroad in the winter, the black bear
periodically wakes up and makes short excursions for food and
water. As regards their comparative ferocity, the snow bear,
being generally found and shot in the open, rarely has an
opportunity of doing mischief, though he will occasionally
show fight. The black bear, on the other hand, from living
near villages has partly lost his fear of man, and though he
rarely if ever goes out of his way to attack, he will charge freely

Snow bears

if cornered, or suddenly disturbed in his mid-day siesta by any-
one walking almost on to him. This is almost invariably the
reason wood-cutters and herdsmen get mauled.

One of the best ways to shoot black bears is to have them
marked down into ravines or patches of dense jungle on their
return from feeding in the early morning, and to wait for them
to draw out in the evening just before sunset. As a rule Mr.
Bruin is pretty punctual. Shooting bears by moonlight when
they are feeding in the fruit trees is generally unsatisfactory

1 88 BIG GAME SHOOTING

work, as so many escape wounded, and having the jungle driven
usually ends in disappointment.

The snow bear is easily stalked on the open slopes he fre-
quents, and provided that the wind is favourable, and that the
sportsman remains absolutely motionless as long as the animal's
head is turned towards him, he can play almost any trick with
a bear, even though standing in full view ; but he must be care-
ful not to let the sun shine on the barrels of his rifle, for that at
once attracts attention. The best place to find a snow bear is
one of those patches of bright green grass that mark the spots
where sheep have been folded the year before. The writer
knows several instances of black bears having been followed
into their caves and shot there under circumstances of intense
excitement. Colonel Howard, whose adventures with sloth
bear are narrated below, had a sparkling time with a Himalayan
black bear in a cave ; but it is not everybody's sport.

Few men, after they have procured a good specimen or two,
care to shoot bears. Their skins require more attention than
they are worth, and on good shooting ground where snow bears
are most common, it is rarely worth the risk of disturbing a
good ibex or markhor for the biggest bear in Asia.

Jerdon remarks of the black bear — and the natives of
Chumba at all events thoroughly believe it — that when one is
caught in a rope snare, if he cannot break it by the first effort
he will not try again, but will remain on the spot moaning and
looking at the imprisoned paw without attempting to bite the
rope.

The sloth bear is the common black bear of Central and
Southern India. It extends to the base of the Himalayas, but
does not ascend them, its northern limit being about 31°
N. Lat. Its long flexible snout and long claws distinguish it
at once from its Himalayan cousin, and though it del'ghts in a
temperature more suggestive of the necessity of punkahs and
ice than of greatcoats, its fur is longer and better. In spite of
its long claws it climbs well, and as, like deer and natives, it
delights in the nasty-tasting flowers of the * mhowa ' tree, a

INDIAN SHOOTING

189

moonlight stroll in March or April, when the blossoms are
falling, will often afford the chance of a shot. The best way
of hunting these bears is to have them marked down in the
early morning like U. torguatus, and then either to stalk or
have them driven. Should the bears go into caves, they are
easily dislodged by poking sticks or rolling stones through
fissures above, or if the cave is shallow a bundle of rags or a
turban dangled over the entrance and a few shouts will fetch
them out. A firework thrown into or a shot fired down the
mouth of the cave is a very effectual summons. Though U.

A glorified comet

labiatiis is both willing and able to do a good deal of mischief,
if due precautions are taken few branches of sport afford
such a succession of ludicrous episodes. Poor old 'Adam zad,'
if he is not witty himself, is a fund of merriment to others.
Forsyth's and Sanderson's books teem with comical situations.
The companionship of a fellow-sportsman whose shooting can
be relied upon is necessary if full enjoyment of the sport is
desired, as tricks may then be played which would be a little
too risky to attempt single-handed. Native fireworks, ' Anar,'
are rather dangerous to use, as they are apt to explode in the

igo BIG GAME SHOOTING

hand. Never will the writer forget seeing a lot go off in a how-
dah during a tiger beat : the poor old elephant went streaking
across country like a glorified comet. Two guns are ample
for following up a wounded bear on foot in jungle ; if there
are more the party is apt to get separated, and then, if the
bear shows sport, there are too many bullets flying about to
be pleasant. Natives, except perhaps one tracker, are only en-
cumbrances. The way a cub will ride on its mother's back and
keep its seat under the most trying circumstances is marvellous.
The writer once rolled an old bear clean over without the cub
letting go. Sterndale quotes a capital story about this. Rusty
coloured bears are not uncommon : the writer saw two in
Central India, but as in each case the bear passed under his
tree before the tiger in the beat had been fired at, he had to
spare them. Bears may occasionally be ridden down and
speared, but they are not often found on ground that will admit
of this, and the way they ' sling their chat ' will prevent most
horses from going up to them. This bear does not hibernate.
Colonel Howard gives the following account of his experi-
ences in Central India in 1884 :

L. and I were at Lulliapoora tying up for a tiger, and hearing
of some bears' caves about two miles off, we rode out to look at
them. On arrival at the ground we dismounted and strolled along,
accompanied by a couple of villagers. Whenever we found a cave we
rolled rocks down into it to see whether it was occupied or not, and
having gone on in this way for some time without result, the natives
began to get careless and went ahead of us. Presently we heard
some growls and saw our Aryan brethren scuttling up trees. L. and
I ran forward and found a large crevice in the rocky ground about
four feet wide, eight or ten yards long, and from fifteen to eighteen
feet deep ; at either end of this caves seemed to run into the
ground, and in the centre was a ragged archway that formed a
staircase for the bears to climb in and out. Standing astride of
the crevice I saw a bear's head appear at the entrance of one of
the caves, and as L. was new to the work, I signalled to him to
come and shoot, while I stood a foot or two back from the edge,
ready for whatever might turn up. The bear, noticing L., turned,
and, on receiving a bullet in his seat of honour, ran along the

INDIAN SHOOTING 191

bottom of the crevice to the opposite cave, acknowledging the
second barrel with that pecuharly plaintive moan which a bear so
often gives when he has received his death wound. L. then jumped
aside, saying, ' Look out ' ; a second bear's head and shoulders
appeared just above the crevice. I fired into her ear at about a
yai'd's distance, and she rolled back to the bottom dead. Tying
the ponies' leading ropes together I climbed down, put a noose
round the bear's neck, and steadied her while the others hauled
her out.

I now told L. that I was perfectly certain that his bear was dead
too, and that I would go down and see. I did not fancy going
down the archway, as that seemed to be the bears' regular run, so
looked about for another entrance, and soon found one which
seemed to lead almost perpendicularly down into the back of the
cave. After removing a stone or two at the top in the vain hope of
being able to see without actually going down, I started on my
journey. As it was pitch dark and I had to use both hands in
climbing down, I left my rifle behind, intending to run and not
fight if I got into a scrape.

On reaching the bottom, I found myself on an underground
continuation of the crevice. On one side was a stone about a
couple of feet high on which I stood, and as my eyes got accus-
tomed to the darkness, I made out an overhanging rock just in front
of me, and protruding from beneath it, at my feet, a mass of hair.

I did not like to put my hand on it, so climbed up again, bor-
rowed a stick from one of the natives, then jogged down again,
and jammed the end of the stick into the bear. To my horror
he jumped up with a growl, but luckily, being just as frightened
as I was, he bolted further up the cave, while I legged it up my
hole at about the best pace on record.

I then sent back to camp for a lantern, and with it in my hand
and my short single rifle slung across my back, journeyed down
for the third time, after posting L. at the top of the crevice, warn-
ing him to let any bear that might turn up come well out into the
open before he fired, and on no account to let a wounded one
come back into the cave on me.

Arrived at the bottom, I placed the lantern on the ground, un-
slung the rifle, and stepped on to the stones. There, just sticking
out from under the overhanging rock, was undoubtedly the back
of a bear, so I let drive into it. The smoke completely concealed
everything, then there was a prolonged growl, afterwards a succes-

192 BIG GAME SHOOTING

sion of short grunts, my lantern was put out and sent flying by a
bear who charged it, brushing past me, probably with the idea that
the lantern was the assailant. I scuttled up the hole, and L., who,
in the excitement of the moment had forgotten my warning, fired
at the bear and rolled him back down into the crevice before I
got out.

It was now evening, and getting very dark, so I lit a bunch of
grass, and, on throwing it down the crevice, could see a bear lying
at the bottom. I threw a stone down, at which he did not growl,
but, probably owing to the flickering light of the burning grass, he
seemed to move, so we agreed to leave him till next morning. As
we were starting home, my shikari noticed that the dry leaves at
the bottom of the crevice were burning, which meant that by the
morning the bear would have his coat singed off, so I hardened
my heart, and, taking the rope, climbed down again, gave the bear
a kick when I got just above him, and as he did not move, went
up to him, felt for his head, slipped a noose over it, and the men
above hauled him out. We started early next day, taking L.'s
lantern, as mine was in the cave, and, on arrival at the place, to
my infinite disgust, found fresh droppings at the entrance. They
were probably only those of cubs, but one could not tell their size,
and it made the idea of going down in cold blood much less pleasant.

I fired a shot down the cave, listened, but could hear no sound,
so went to my old entrance and tried to lower L.'s lantern by a
string, which was cut against the rocks, so that the lantern fell to
the bottom.

We were now in a fix, for both our lanterns were down below,
and if we left them there we should have to spend our evenings in
darkness.

L., whose figure was not suited to climbing about in narrow-
caves, did not like the idea of my going down again — no more did
I — but I could not well leave the lanterns there simply because I
was afraid of fetching them ; so taking my double-barrelled rifle
with me, I started on my fifth journey. The length of the rifle
made the climbing very awkward ; however, I reached the bottom
without damaging it, found my own lantern none the worse except
for a few dents and scratches, followed the bottom of the cave until
I reached the crevice, above which the others were standing
anxiously awaiting my reappearance. They lowered a rope and
hauled up the lantern, while I went back, found L.'s lantern in two
pieces, handed it up, and then proceeded in my search for the bear.

INDIAN SHOOTING 193

I found him stone-dead under the overhanging ledge, but I
could hear something moving ahead of me the whole time ; the
cave was pitch dark, was getting much lower and narrower, and
turned two sharp corners.

To get at the bear's head I should have to crawl over him, and
we had no rope long enough to reach to where I was, besides which
the cave made so many zigzags that it would in any case have been
impossible to haul the bear out without several of the party coming
down to assist ; so pulling out some hair to show that I had handled
him, I returned, and offered to go on ahead of the bear as a guard,
with rifle and lantern, if some of the others would bring the rope
and do the hauling.

The noise ahead was probably made by cubs, but as I did not
know their size, and as it might have been a fourth bear, I did not
care to risk being attacked while I was tying up the quarry in a
place where I had no elbow-room.

L., I think wisely, decided that we had been very lucky in re-
covering two bears and our lanterns without accident, and that it
would be folly to risk an almost certain mauling for the sake of a '
third ; so I came out, by no means unwillingly. I never fancied
the last part of the job — I could not have got the bear out alone,
and as two or three men on hands and knees in a narrow cave
must get in each other's way in a scrimmage, a charge would
probably have ended badly.

I only escaped the first time through putting the lantern on
one side of me mstead of at my feet, and through the cave at that
place being wide enough for the bear to pass by my side ; very
likely also the fact of my standing on the stone, though it was at
the most two feet high, brought me a little above the level of the
bear's eyes, and seeing the lantern he charged it.

The astonishing part of the whole thing was the rapidity with
which the bears came up the crevice. It was by no means an easy
climb for a man, and yet it hardly seemed to delay them at all.

There is a certain delicacy in this branch of sport that
requires such exceptional temperament and nerve that the
writer can hardly feel himself Justified in recommending its
practice, at ^11 events to a novice in the art.

The remaining varieties of the bear family found in India
are somewhat more rare than those already described. They
are the Burmese bear ( Ursus malayanus), the Beluchistan bear
II. o

194

BIG GAME SHOOTING

( Ursiis ged?-osianiis), called by the natives ' niamh,' and a quaint
looking piebald bear {Ailuropiis inelatioleucos)^ discovered in
Eastern Thibet by the Abbe David. U. malayanus resembles
the Himalayan black bear but is smaller, the white horse-shoe
mark upon the chest of the Himalayan bear being prolonged
in a white stripe down the belly of U. malayanus. U. gedrosianus
also resembles, but is smaller than, the Himalayan, but in
colour he is brownish instead of black.

Measurevients

Authority

Major FitzHerbert
Major Ward

Major Ward
Col. Howard

I Height ] Length
at ; nose to
Shoulder' tail

Girth

Forearm

Ursu.s

ISABELLINUS

ins.

ins.

65

57

82 \

ins.
48

ins.
17

Ursus

1 ■■ i

TORQUATUS
78

764

••

Sex

Male
Female

Authority

Sanderson .

Sterndale

Major FitzHerbert

Sterndale
Sterndale

Height at
shoulder

Length nose
to tail

Ursus labiatus
ins.

\ about 36

ins.
about 72
60 to 72

65

Ursus malayanus
.1 . . I not exceeding 54

AlLUROI'OS MELANOLEUCOS

. I about 26 I about 58 I

Weight

lbs.

280

210 to 280

III. THE LION {Felisleo)
Native names: ' Sher-babbai;' ^ Singh,' ' Unthia Bagh "

The Indian lion differs little in appearance from the African
variety, the males of both being furnished with manes, though
a black mane is unknown in India.

Lions are almost extinct in India, though there are still a
few left in Guzerat and Kutch, and natives occasionally bring in

INDIAN SHOOTING

195

reports of them in Central India ; but the writer has not heard
of one being shot in the last district for many years. The lion
is a less active animal than the tiger, and apparently not so
powerful ; in every case of a fight between the two occurring in
a menagerie the tiger has invariably killed his opponent.

Essentially a wanderer, the Indian lion avoids heavy forest
as a rule, preferring sandy hills covered with thin scrub and grass,
and may be tracked and shot on foot in a way that it would
be foolhardiness to attempt with a tiger. There is a capital
account of the sport given in the ' Oriental Sporting Magazine,'
July 1876. The narrator came across four males, shot one
that charged him brilliantly, wounded and lost a second, and
missed a third.

Native shikaris declare that lions always put up for the day
under the same bushes, and that consequently if there is a lion
about he is generally easily found. It would be curious if
African sportsmen could corroborate this story.

Unlike tigers, there is a large preponderance of males to
females among full-grown lions, which is supposed to be attri-
butable to the mortality among female cubs in teething.

Measurements

Authority

Sterndale

„ quoting Captain I

Smee . . )

'The Delhi Gazette': aj

lion killed in Central f-

India . . . i

'Oriental Sporting Ma- I

gazine,' July 1876 . j'

Rowland Ward, ' Horn [
Measurements'. .J

Total
length

ft. ins.

(8 6)

■ to ''

U 6)

8 9i

8 7

9 3

Tail

ins.

(30)

- to :-
I36)

34

■■

.S2

be 3

ins.

42

39

..

0 „
ins.

46

Weight

lbs.

1 490'
t (cleaned)

Remarks

African Lion

563
385

F. C. Selous, 'A
Hunter's Wan-
derings '

'The Ffeld,' July
13, 1890

J. S. Jameson

\ tiger of this length would only weigh about 300 lbs. not cleaned.

O 2

196

BIG GAME SHOOTING

IV. TIGER {Fells tlgrls)

The tiger is found throughout India wherever there is
suitable jungle, and extends through Burmah to the Malayan
Archipelago and China, but is not found in Ceylon. Sterndale
says : ' It has been found as far north as the island of

Saghalien, which is bisected by
N. L. 50°. This is its extreme
north-eastern Hmit, the Cas-
pian Sea • being its westerly
boundary. From parallel 50°
downwards it is found in many
parts of the highlands of
Central Asia.'

'J'he biggest tigers the
writer has heard of are one of
13 ft. that Sir Charles Reid

Howdah shootin

quotes as having been shot by the late Sir Andrew Waugh,^ and
one of 12 ft. 4 ins. quoted in a letter by Mr. Y. A. Shillingford
to ' The Asian ' as having been shot by Mr. C. A. Shillingford
of Munshye in 1849 ) ^"^^ Williamson, writing about the year
1805 of a tiger killed by Mr. Paul, the superintendent of the

1 Tigers have been shot in the Caucasus west of the Caspian.
^ Note to Appendix C, Sterndalc's Mammalia.

INDIAN SHOOTING 197

Elephant Establishment at 1 )audpore, says : ' The tiger proved
to be the largest ever killed on the Cossim Bazar island. The
circumference of the joint at his wrist was 26 ins. ; he was
13 ft. and a few inches from the tip of his nose to the end
of his tail, and in a right line, taken as he lay, from the sole
of his forepaw to the tip of his withers, between the shoulders,
gave very nearly 4 ft. for his height.' As the old gentleman
afterwards states that 'nine in ten do not measure 10 ft.,'
it seems only fair to conclude that the above extraordinary
measurements were honestly taken of the beast as he lay before
being skinned.

Captain Forsyth's division of tigers into three classes has
been generally accepted by sportsmen as a correct definition
of their habits. They are, as Sanderson writes : ' Those which
habitually prey upon cattle ; those which live upon game alone ;
and the few dreaded individuals of their race that frequently
prey upon human beings.' None of these classes absolutely
restrict themselves to one diet. The cattle-lifter will kill game
occasionally, the game-killer does not despise a juicy young
buffalo, nor does a man-eater live entirely on human flesh ;
but in broad terms the game-killer, who is in reality one of the
villagers' best friends in that he preys upon the wild pigs and
deer that ravage his crops, is an active wandering beast which is
proportionately hard to bring to bag, being generally met with
by chance.

The cattle-lifter is generally a stay-at-home old gentleman,
averse to travel, who takes two or three villages under his
protection, and lives, as far as they will allow him, on good
terms with the people, simply taking a cow, or a donkey, as his
droit du seigneur every four or five days. Occasionally he may
contract the wasteful habit of knocking over two or three
animals at a time out of a herd ; but this, as Sanderson points
out, is the result of continual ill-judged interference on the
part of the cowherds. Buffaloes in a herd he is too wary to
meddle with, as he knows they will not hesitate to charge him,
and the small boys who pretend to look after them traverse

198 BIG GAME SHOOTING

the tiger's domain in perfect safety if mounted on the Inroad
back of one of their charges. In reality the buffaloes are
sent out to look after the children, and there is no better nurse-
maid than an old cow buffalo, who combines perambulator and
guardian in one.

Seldom do these tigers attack a man wantonly, and though
when they increase in numbers their system of taxation
becomes oppressive, the damage they do is often overrated.
Forsyth gives the alarming figures of 325/. to 650/. worth per
annum for each tiger, but Sanderson more justly cuts the
estimate down to about 70/. He adds, ' The tiger might in
turn justly present his little account for services rendered in
keeping down wild animals which destroy crops,' and gives
many excellent arguments in favour of tigers.

The gravest charge against cattle-lifters is that they occa-
sionally turn man-eaters ; the game-killer, according to
Sanderson, never does. As regards man-eaters, the crafty
she-devils — they are generally tigresses — often bring up their
cubs to the same way of living. They roam over a considerable
tract of country, rarely staying long enough in one place to
afford a chance of beating them out like ordinary tigers, killing
perhaps on successive days at villages ten miles apart, rendering
the whole district helpless from terror. These are the hardest
brut€s of all to destroy. The sportsman can get no help from
the natives, he can gain no knowledge of the brute's conduct to
assist him in the pursuit ; ceaseless hunting at all hours and in
every method available, hoping that luck may favour him at
last, is his only chance of ridding the country of its scourge.
Even if he succeeds in killing every tiger he finds in the dis-
trict, he can never be sure of having destroyed the real culprit ;
he may have driven it away only to return after his departure.
There may be more than one man-eater at work, or it may very
possibly be a panther that is doing the real damage, which he
might refrain from firing at, like Sterndale, for fear of spoiling
his chance of a tiger. Unless the beast is caught red-handed,
time alone will prove its destruction.

INDIAN SHOOTING 199

Well may the unhappy villagers attribute to it supernatural
powers, declaring that the spirits of its victims ride on its fore-
head, and that even, as Forsyth relates, a corpse raises its arm to
warn the tiger of the hidden shikari. Well may they magnify
its size, declaring it has a white moon on its forehead, and its
belly sweeps the ground. Till all killing has ceased for some
months no man dare pursue his usual avocation or travel to the
nearest village alone.

Tiger shooting may be broadly divided into three classes,
viz. : shooting from elephants ; driving with beaters to guns
posted in trees ; sitting up over kills. The first method is that
usually employed in the high grass jungles of the Terai. The
ordinary plan, if a tiger is marked down into a particular patch of
grass, is to send one or two guns ahead to prevent the creature
slinking out, and these guns should, if possible, be posted in
trees, as the restless movements of the elephants will almost
invariably head the tiger back, and the elephant is ^better em-
ployed with the line. Of course, if it is considered desirable to
hem the tiger in till the line gets up, elephants should be posted
ahead, but a man in a tree will as a rule get a better chance
than if he were on an elephant. The forward guns being
posted, the line beats up to them w*th guns on the flanks
and the pad elephants in the centre ; if there are more than
two guns with the line, the remainder distribute themselves
along it. The elephants should not, if possible, be more than
twelve yards apart at starting, and if a tiger is wounded should
be closed up till they almost touch one another, as the elephants
and their mahouts will gain confidence, and the formidable
aspect of the close line will prevent most tigers from attempting
to charge home ; short half-hearted attacks he may make, but
the line will stand firm, for the mahouts are under too close
supervision and have hardly room to turn their elephants
round ; the guns on the flanks are also close enough to protect
the whole line.

To hear of tigers making good their charges and springing
on to elephants' heads sounds very nice and exciting, but

200 BIG GAME SHOOTING

nothing is more demoralising to the elephants, especially at the
beginning of a trip, and every precaution should be taken to
save your elephants from getting mauled ; for, if injured, many
of them never recover confidence, and become absolutely worth-
less for tiger shooting afterwards. Forsyth mentions an instance
of an elephant dying of wounds received from a tiger. It is all
very fine for the sportsman to take a charge, standing in a how-
dah perched on the back of a large tusker ; but it is a very dif-
ferent thing for the opium-sodden nerves of an unarmed mahout
riding a sir^all timid pad elephant. Close order is the only safe
formation for pad elephants, and should invariably be adopted.
If the tiger is marked into a particular bush, the line may
be halted, and the howdah elephants alone be taken up to
engage him ; but until the mahouts have thorough confidence
in the guns a fight is better avoided.

It is a good plan to reward all the mahouts engaged after
a successful hunt, and the douceur should be bestowed on the
spot, or at latest the same evening on return to camp ; any
mahout misconducting himself of course forfeits the reward.
A wounded tiger rarely^ goes far before lying up, and there
is really less chance of a close line missing him than an
extended one, as with trie latter he may crouch and be passed
over.

Ringing tigers with a large number of elephants, as practised
in the Nepal Terai, is merely a variation of the ordinary method,
and is thus described by Sir E. Durand :

The usual method is to send men ahead the day before, to tie
up buffaloes in all the likely places round the place selected for camp,
then beat up the jungle with a long line of three or four hundred
elephants. If a kill is found, the flanks of the line gradually get
forward and wheel inwards, and on a tiger being seen the flanks
sweep round as rapidly as possible and form a ring round the
patch of jungle the tiger is supposed to be in. If the tiger breaks
out, fast elephants are sent in pursuit at once to head him and try
to detain him till a fresh ring can be formed. On one occasion,
when a kill had been found, both flanks of the line of elephants
had gradually been creeping forward till they were almost at right

INDIAN SHOOTING 201

angles to the centre, which still kept steadily advancing. Suddenly,
although apparently no news had been passed up, a sort of electric
current seemdd to run through the line ; then bugles sounded right
and left, and the movement became hurried. The Maharajah
(Bir Shumshir of Nepal) and I then stopped to mount our howdah
elephants (as we had hitherto been riding^ pads), and, advancing on
them, found ourselves outside a ready-formed ring of elephants,
some two hundred yards in diameter, encircling a lovely glade in
the forest, damp and cool, with tall green reeds and scattered trees.
A tiger had been viewed, and the question now was, whether he was
inside the ring or not. Orders were now given for the ring to close
very slowly and steadily, till it had contracted to a circle of about a
hundred yards, and the elephants were in some places standing two
deep. A halt was now made to complete the formation ; gaps
had to be filled up here and there, and big tuskers sent round to
any weak points where a number of small elephants had got
together, to give them confidence in case of a charge. The Maha-
rajah and I then entered the ring, and took up a position on our
howdah elephants, between where we thought the tiger was lying
hid and the heaviest cover. I have seen several tigers break the
ring and escape for the time when this precaution has not been
observed. Three big tuskers, which had accompanied us to rouse
the tiger, then began moving about very quietly, lifting up a
tangle of grass here, shaking a bush there ; for tigers in these rings
lie very close, the elephants invariably making a masterly retreat
immediately pending the result of each special inquiry. Suddenly,
not fifty paces from us, a lovely tigress with a glitter of gold on
her flanks appeared, standing listening and motionless. As we
had detected no movement she must have been crouching in the
short grass and risen to her feet. We usually took it in turn to
fire first, and as it was the Maharajah's shot, and our elephants
were standing side by side, I leant over my howdah and touched
his arm. He fired hurriedly, and with a whoop of anger the lady
answered the shot and sprang into a thick bed of high reeds.
Thinking she was hit, we went round and posted ourselves again
between the reeds and the line of elephants on the far side. We
had hardly settled ourselves when there was a deliberate rush,
beginning some thirty yards from us, and the charge came straight
and true. When within three yards of the tusks of the Maharajah's
elephant she met her fate, and rolled over and over like a rabbit,
almost between the lov/ered tusks of the elephant, with a bullet

202 BIG GAME SHOOTING

through the head, and never moved again. The Maharajah's
elephant, usually impassive and unhysterical, had actually been so
far shaken by the decided nature of the charge that he had moved
and forced his rider to sit down just at the critical moment. The
noise of the charge and the shot roused up her mate, a heavy, long
tiger, who gave me a chance as he walked quietly between two
patches of cover about sixty yards off, and I dropped him with an
Express bullet through the shoulder. Now began a performance
that I never like, and for which the only excuse is the fear — a very
real one — that if the howdah elephants get mauled they no longer
remain absolutely staunch and reliable. The game is, that when a
tiger is wounded in thick cover, the big tuskers are sent in to move
him. It is often a very funny sight as the tiger goes for them and
they find pressing business on the other side of the ring, whilst
the careful way they hunt for him or break down a tree to fall
near him and stir him, and then clear out, is quite a study. The
mischief is that they are often caught, and on this occasion three
of them were caught by the tiger, one after the other. The tiger
once was swinging under a big tusker's head and getting his hind
leg up ; for a moment we thought he would pull the elephant down,
but the latter managed to shake him off. The Maharajah and I
then went in and killed the tiger before he had time to get in a fair
charge at us.

On some occasions we have had as many as three, four, or even
five tigers in one ring, and the excitement is of course proportionate.
Then, though a purist would object that the whole thing is not real
sport, it is most interesting from beginning to end : the careful
search for the tiger, always an excitement in itself, the ringing, the
doubt whether you have him inside or not, his break, perhaps,
before or after the ring is formed, and the mad rush of shouting
mahouts and crashing elephants to head him and surround him
again ; the lesser life that goes whirling up overhead when the
tuskers search the ground — peacock, jungle-fowl, partridge — or the
blundering gallop round the ring of a frightened boar, the rush of
terrified hog-deer or chital ; and perhaps, at last, a circus perform-
ance on the part of the tiger himself, who will gallop round the
ring, his tail whirling like that of an angry cat, trying the circle
here and there with a hoarse, grunting charge, which is met by a
volley of abuse and cudgels flung by the mahouts, and by shrill
trumpetings on the part of the elephants, backing with fright. All
this tends to make a Nepalese tiger ring an interesting and an

INDIAN SHOOTING 203

exciting show, even before the tiger charges the hovvdah elephants,
which he seems to recognise at once as the real enemies he has
to fear.

The second way of hunting tigers by beating them out is
that generally practised in Central India, Bombay, and Madras ;
here, though a few elephants may be employed as they are
in Central India, their chief use is for following up wounded
animals, and not for obtaining the iirst shots. The circum-
stances of tiger hunting in these two districts are entirely
different.

Instead of the seas of high grass in which tigers are found
in the Terai, the usual beats in Central and Southern India are
densely wooded ravines, often with precipitous banks. The
modes of hunting vary slightly in different districts, but the
method perfected by the Central India Horse parties is the
one generally adopted. It is as follows : a Ime of country
for the party is decided upon, and the camp is preceded by
three or four pairs of shikaris, who practically form a line
of scouts ten or twelve miles ahead of the camp. These men
visit all the known tiger nullahs, and on obtaining infor-
mation from the villagers tie up young male buffaloes (the
cheapest animals that can be bought, as they are of little use
except to train as pack animals, and even then are not as good
as bullocks for the purpose) as baits in all the likely spots
within reach of the village ; the baits are visited next morning,
and reports of kills sent in to head-quarters. The head of the
party, after receiving the reports from all the country round, is
then able to decide on his plan of operations, selects one or
more beats for the day's work, and orders the remainder of the
shikaris to keep on tying up. The shikaris of the beat selected
assemble the beaters, sixty or a hundred men being engaged
according to the ground. Operations begin about noon,
when the tigers are pretty sure to be lying up. The guns,
usually four in number, as there is rarely room for more, draw-
lots for their trees (this is generally done for each beat), and
take up their positions as quietly as possible. Each gun is

204 BIG GAME SHOOTING

accompanied by his gun-carrier, and is provided with a leather
bottle of water and a stout leather cushion two feet square,
with eyelet-holes at the corners and ropes to sling it.

The cushion is lashed up in the tree so that the sportsman's
left shoulder is towards the beat ; loops of rope are arranged
as stirrups to prevent an attack of pins and needles in his legs,
and another loop should be passed loosely round his body
and fastened to the trunk or to a strong bough, so that he
can lean well over without fear of falling ; the small boughs that
would interfere with his shooting are cut away as noiselessly
as possible with a green-wood saw. The gun-carrier is sent to
another tree, about a hundred yards in rear ; the sportsman
takes a good pull at his water-bottle and sits, slowly frying in
the sun, till the beat strikes up. He wall now appreciate the
precautions he has taken of wearing a good big hat, a thick
cummerbund round his waist, and a cotton quilt down his back.
In the meantime men have been posted as stops along the
flanks of the beat and in places where the tiger may break out ;
these are of course either up trees or on high rocks, and their
orders are merely to clap their hands if the tiger tries to break
out. The slightest noise ahead will suffice to turn a tiger.
As a rule the guns are not allowed to smoke, and this, not so
much from fear lest he should wind the tobacco, as because, if
he hears a match struck, he will perhaps crouch till the beaters
come up to him, and then dash back through them. The
beaters form line under the direction of all the available
shikaris Cthe four or five elephants that may be out being
distributed along the line), and advance towards the guns
making all the noise they can with tomtoms, horns, rattles
and their own sweet voices. If matters go smoothly the tiger
will walk with long swinging strides close past one of the
guns, and be either dropped on the spot, the point of the
shoulder being the place to aim at, or will dash on with a
loud ' wough ' towards the gun-carrier in rear, who should be able
to mark him down. He may, however, particularly if he has
been driven before, creep on just ahead of the beaters, hide

INDIAN SHOOTING 205

before he reaches the guns till the last moment, and then come
out at a gallop. If he has to cross an open glade, he will almost
invariably bound across, pulling up to a walk in the cover of
the far side.

Probably the first things that the sportsman will see will be
a herd of chital trooping quietly past his tree, or he will hear
an irresolute tread among the dry leaves coming closer and
closer, till the head of a peacock peers round a bush, instantly
detects him — for no man ever yet hid from a peacock — and the
bird scurries off with a sqawk. A bear may come shambling by,
or a panther walk right under his tree, but the first shot must be
reserved for the tiger ; when that is fired anyone may take his
choice. The sure signs of either a tiger or panther being in
the beat are when the monkeys begin swearing or peafowl get
up with a peculiar ' kok-kok.' Monkeys running along the
ground is a bad sign for sport, but not an absolute guide.

As soon as the first shot is fired the beaters are stopped,
and either sent up trees or collected in masses on rocks or
high ground. The elephants come up to the guns, and the head
of the party details one or two guns to get round the wounded
tiger and force him back up to the other guns, who remain
in their trees — this is when the fun begins. The tiger's every
move will be probably observed by some of the men in the
trees ; he can hardly get away, and has every inducement to
show fight.

If a tiger is killing near camp, there is a good deal of sport
to be had by going round the baits in the morning oneself.
If one of them is taken, a wide circuit should be made round
the cover with a good tracker to ensure the tiger being at home.
An inner circuit may be then made to determine his approxi-
mate position, and to do this well without disturbing him
requires great care and skill ; but the knowledge so gained is
invaluable in beating for him afterwards.

In Bombay and Madras elephants are not generally used,
and, instead of the square cushions to sit on, light bamboo
ladders are carried and set up against trees or clumps of

2o6 BIG GAME SHOOTING

bamboo where cushions could not be slung, the top of the
ladder being lashed to the tree or bush, and the sportsman
seating himself on one of the rungs. Many sportsmen
praise these highly, as being easier to erect and giving more
choice of position ; but, on the other hand, they entail an extra
man to accompany the sportsman to his tree, and are more
conspicuous. Accidents of course happen equally to both ;
men have been taken out of their cushions, and ladders have
been upset. The district in which the sportsman has received
his training usually decides his choice of gear. The want of
elephants, however, in Bombay and Madras obliges the guns
to follow up their wounded tigers on foot. The orthodox pro-
cedure is to form a picked force of beaters and shikaris into
a solid triangle, the apex and flanks being formed by the guns.
Every man should provide himself before starting with all the
stones he can carry ; the wounded tiger is generally given a con-
siderable time to stiffen — two hours if they can be spared may
well be spent thus. The trail is then followed at a slow pace,
every bush being well stoned before it is approached, far more
passed ; at every tree the party is halted and a man sent up to
look, and if a tracker is necessary, he moves close under the
guns of the two sportsmen who form the apex. If the natives
can only be persuaded to keep together, with cool guns and
fairly open ground like the bamboo jungles of Southern India,
there is no excessive danger ; but the writer's experience of the
work was that for the first hundred yards the men kept together
pretty well, but would go too fast ; then they became care-
less, and as the danger really increased began to straggle. Being
single-handed, though there was another party working parallel
to him at about fifty yards distance, the writer was unable to
keep his men in order, and by the time the tiger was found,
luckily dead, by the other party, his followers were all over the
place.

The subjoined account by Captain Lamb gives a good
idea of what may be expected to take place without trained
men :

INDIAN SHOOTING 207

As soon as the beaters came up we [Major Mansel and himself]
had awful trouble to prevent them scattering about in the jungle.
We waited about twenty minutes, and then started to follow the
tiger up. We took twenty men and formed them four deep, close
up and shoulder to shoulder, M. and I going in front. We im-
pressed upon the men that they were on no account to leave the
square, and sent two men on each flank up trees to examine the
ground in front. We could easily track the tiger bj- his blood, and
in one place found what looked like a piece of his liver. We knew
he could not go far, especially as he was full of cow. Some of the
men began to wander a little, and we had to abuse them to make
them keep their places. The trail led us through dry grass up to
our knees, but not very thick, and growing under scattered young
trees. After going about two hundred yards we heard the tiger
growling, but he must have moved on. We could still follow him by
his blood. Another hundred yards, and we could hear him dis-
tinctly. The square began to break, and several men started shin-
ning up treeSi M. shouted ' Look out,' and the words were not out
of his mouth when the tiger came, his tail up, his mane on end, at a
gallop, roaring and making straight for us. He was about twenty
yards off when he first came out, and looked an awful devil, being
almost black from rolling in the ashes where the jungle had been
burnt. M. fired at him when he was about ten j-ai-ds off, and he
swerved a little to his right, passing M. within five yards. 1 was on
M.'s right and could not fire before, but as the tiger passed I turned
and fired behind M.'s back ; there was a cloud of dust, and at first
we only heard a thud, and could not see whether the tiger had gone
on or not ; as the dust cleared, we saw him lying stone-dead. It
was a very lucky shot through the neck, as by this time the
square was in full retreat, the men scattering all about and falling
over each other. The front rank and part of the second alone
stood firm, so if the tiger had gone on he would certainly have
mauled one or two of the natives. He measured 9 ft. g ins. as he
lay.

The worst part of getting a native hurt is, that though it
almost invariably happens through his own wilful disobedience
of orders, the news spreads like wildfire through the district,
and makes it very hard for the party to procure beaters.
Rustum All, the villagers argue, was a brave man ; he didn't fear
tigers, we have seen him throw stones at tigers, and he went

2o8 BIG GAME SHOOTING

out with those sahibs and got killed — the said Rustum having
met with his death by getting out of his tree and going to get
a drink of water while the guns were following up a wounded
tiger, or some equally nonsensical breach of orders. Accidents
of course do happen, even when all precautions are observed,
but the majority of them are occasioned by the natives' own
carelessness.

Natives are often very unwilling to give information about
tigers, partly from fear of being turned out to beat, and partly
from the universal idea that the tiger, if he escapes, or his mate,
if he is killed, will take vengeance on them. They often also
consider it unlucky to mention his name, and talk of him as
a jackal, precisely as in Sweden a bear is never talked of as
such.

Sitting up for a tiger over a kill or bait is the least amusing
and least certain of any method of hunting him, but often in
large forests which cannot be beaten, or where the sportsman
is single-handed and without elephants, it is the only way to
get a shot.

The erection of the platform, or ' machan,' too frequently
disturbs the tiger and drives him away. If the sportsman can
procure baits, a good plan is to select a good place for a machan
before tying up ; tether lightly so that the tiger may drag the
carcase away. Make the machan when the first bait is taken,
tie up again till he kills again in the same place, and about
three days after the second kill tie up again and sit over it.
The best machan is a cot with low rails round the edge, fitted
with ropes to sling it in a tree. The sportsman's blankets and
pillows can be spread in it, he himself can lie comfortably at
full length watching the bait or kill, there are no sticks to
crackle and make a noise ; and when the moon goes down or
he has had his shot, he can turn round and sleep as one only
sleeps in the open. The sportsman should be at his post by
four o'clock in the afternoon, as if the tiger means coming he
will probably come early. Sanderson says he enjoys the sport ;
it's pleasant enough if the tiger comes soon, but if he puts off

INDIAN SHOOTING 209

his visit to 3 a.m., as happened to the writer, who was at that
hour peacefully sleeping and never woke up, the entertain-
ment is mediocre. Allowing a native to perch on the same
tree is ruination to sport : cough he must ; besides, the jungle
man is unsavoury, and the evening air seems to make him
smell worse than usual. If a kill is found in the jungle and the
sportsman decides to sit over it, General Macintyre's plan is worth
trying ; i.e. take some men up to the tree, let them talk loudly,
or shout while the machan is being prepared, and then retire
talking or shouting, according as the tiger is supposed to be
bold or timid. He will very likely come at once, as their voices'
die away, not to eat, but to see if they have removed the kill.
This often succeeds where professional skinners are in the
habit of saving what they can of the hides of kills. Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Fife Cookson, in his book • Tiger Shooting in
the Doon and Ulwar,' gives a curious account of a tiger stalk-
ing a bait :

Suddenly there emerged from underneath the trees a brownish-
yellow object which appeared about the size of a monkey, and for
a moment, in the failing light, I thought it was one. It darted
rapidly along the bare ground for about twenty yards at a time,
moving towards the bullock, and stopping at the end of each run
behind one of the tufts of grass about two feet high, over which it
peeped, then sinking down again and gliding forward as before. It
was now nearer, and by this time I could see that it was not one
of the monkeys ; but still I could not clearly make out what it was.
It reminded me of a very ugly, large, yellow and black mask at a
pantomime. I could see no legs or body. Now it reached a tuft
about forty yards from me, over which it also peeped, staring
intently at the bullock. By this time I was convinced that it was
the tiger, though it looked about the size and shape of a horse's
head. The curious appearance which the tiger had presented at a
distance of about seventy yards, in shape like the head of a horse
with the chin touching the ground, was no doubt owing to my
seeing his forepaws underneath and part of his back foreshortened
over the top of his head. What most particularly struck me was
the small object which the tiger appeared during the stalk. It
must be remembered that, although I perhaps saw a little of the
II. P

2IO BIG GAME SHOOTING

back between his ears, I was looking down upon him from a much
higher level, and that if I had been on the ground I should probably
have seen nothing but his head. Thus the tiger was evidently able
to hide himself behind any tuft of grass which was large enough to
conceal his head. Another remarkable thing was the position in
which he held his head. It was no longer in the usual attitude,
with the nose in the air, as when the animal is walking about ; but
the face was held vertically, the chin being drawn in, and the fore-
head pressed forward, thus displaying its black stripes and mark-
ings, together with the intent stare of the large eyes. This greatly
added to its sinister appearance.

Williamson describes another variety of sitting up, the
sportsman being enclosed in a strong bamboo cage and
playing the part of bait himself, being armed with two or three
spears :

Being accompanied by a dog, which gives the alarm, or by a
goat, which by its agitation answers the same purpose, the adven-
turer wraps himself up in his quilt, and very composedly goes to
sleep in full confidence of his safety. When the tiger comes, and
perhaps after smelling all round begins to rear against the cage,
the man stabs him with one of the spears, through the interstices
of the wickerwork, and rarely fails at destroying the tiger.

The writer heard of an instance of this being tried by a
European, with a cage made of iron. Unfortunately the bars
were set too far apart, and the tiger got his paw through and
slew that adventurer.

Williamson also narrates the old story — possibly it was
taken from his book — of tigers being caught by covering leaves
with birdlime ; it was told him by a Mahommedan gentleman
of the Court of the Nabob Vizier of Oude. Sanderson gives a
capital account of tiger-netting, as practised in Mysore, and
describes the various traps occasionally used by natives. The
late Maharajah of Patiala, about 1872, had a tiger that had been
trapped in the hills turned out on the plain outside the town,
he and his guests being mounted on elephants. Of course the
whole of the populace assembled to see the fun, forming a
large circle round the plain. The tiger, on being released

INDIAN SHOOTING 21 1

where there was not sufficient cover for a quail, selected as his
point of exit the buggy of a native gentleman, who sought
refuge between the wheels ; his groom, being unfortunately in
the way as the tiger cleared the conveyance, was knocked
over, but luckily more frightened than hurt. The tiger then
took refuge in a garden, pursued by the elephants. On
their arrival at the spot the gardener was found placidly pur-
suing his avocation, and, on being asked if he had seen the
beast, imprudently pointed him out. The tiger at once sprang
on the man, upset him and bolted ; but as he was now heading
for the English doctor's stables he was considered to be
becoming dangerous, and was cleverly shot by the Maharajah.
Sanderson, in describing the way a tiger attacks and kills
his prey, says that in attacking a bison his object is to get the
latter to charge, and then, avoiding the rush, to follow on the
instant and endeavour to emasculate the bull by striking him
behind. In killing cattle he writes :

The general method is for the tiger to slink up under cover of
bushes or long grass, ahead of the cattle in the directicn they are
feeding, and to make a rush at the first cow or bullock that comes
within five or six yards. The tiger does not spring upon his prey
in the manner usually represented. Clutching the bullock's fore-
quarters with his paws, one being generally over the shoulder, he
seizes the throat in his jaws from underneath, and turns it upwards
and over, sometimes springing to the far side in doing so, to throw
the bullock over, and give the wrench which dislocates its neck.

Sir S. Baker writes that while lions and cheetahs {Felis
jubata) use their paws in striking down their prey at the
moment of capture, tigers apparently never do. Sanderson
points out that Forsyth, as also Captain Baldwin in his
'Large and Small Game of Bengal,' agree that tigers seize by
the back of the neck, and then give the dislocating wrench.
The writer noticed the fang-marks on a good many kills in
Central India, and certainly they appeared from their position
rather low down, apparently too much so to have been in-
flicted by a bite on the back of the neck — a tiger's jaw is not very

P 2

212 BIG GAME SHOOTING

long — to entirely support Sanderson's description. As regards
a tiger's powers of springing, Sanderson says he has often
measured the bounds of tigers that have pursued deer, and found
15 ft. to be about the distance they usually spring.

The writer particularly noticed the way a tiger sprang at an
elephant : he did not bound from a distance at all, but simply
galloped up till he was just under the elephant's ear-hole, and
then sprang vertically upwards, placing his forepaws on the
elephant's head, and there he hung till the elephant shook him
off. A tiger can with ease get his forepaws on to an object
twelve to fifteen feet from the ground ; but he seems clumsy in
getting sufficient hold with his hind paws to enable him to pro-
ceed after his first spring. Sanderson says that tigresses do not
breed at any fixed season. Sterndale states that they go with
young for about fifteen weeks, and produce from two to five at
a birth. Sanderson gives four as an unusually large number ;
the writer saw six taken out of a tigress, but probably these
would not all have been born alive. He also saw a tigress with
four cubs which must have been nearly a year old, one of
them which was shot measuring 4 ft. 9 ins. Mr. Shillingford's
memorandum quoted by Sterndale is interesting :

Cubs one year old measure . /^^^^' 4^1- to 5 Ht-

l Females 4 „ 5 »

r Males ^\
two years „ . X' \

\ Females 5

three vears /Males 7

three years „ . | p^^^^j^^ ^^

7 „

When they reach three years of age they lose their ' milk
canines,' which are replaced by permanent fangs, and at this
period the mother leaves them to cater for themselves, the
tigress breeding once in three years.

Mr, Shillingford also notes that out of 53 cubs (18 mothers)

2 c were males, and 22 females, the sex of two cubs not being given.

This tends to prove that there are an equal number of each

sex born,' the marked preponderance of adult tigresses over

* Stemdale's Mammalia.

INDIAN SHOOTING 213

tigers being accounted for by most writers by the native
story that the male tigers kill the young male cubs. The
writer offers another suggestion : may not the young male
tigers as soon as they leave their mothers avoid the domains
of the heavy old cattle-lifters, and taking to the hills and forest
form the game-killing class, till they are powerful enough to
succeed to the estates of their sires, either by force or by
inheritance, owing to their sire having met with an accident
when entertaining a sahib, and so settle down and take wives ?
The writer has no proof to give in support of this suggestion,
but merely offers it for sportsmen to consider. With respect
to the common native story that the age of tigers may be told
by the number of lobes in their livers, the writer made the
following observations in Central India : Tigress, 6 lobes ;
tiger, 8 lobes ; tigress, 7 lobes ; cub (male), 6 lobes ; male
panther, 7 lobes ; tigress, 7 lobes ; tiger, 8 lobes ; tigress, 7
lobes ; tigress (a very old light-coloured one), 7 lobes ; tiger,
7 lobes.

Sanderson say he has shot tigers and panthers with from
9 to 15 lobes. An article on the age of tigers as shown by their
length, written by Mr. F. A. Shillingford for ' The Asian ' and
copied in 'Land and Water,' August 30, 1890, appears to be
worth quoting :

It was the opinion of the late Mr. Joe Shillingford that in
Bengal and the Nepal Terai, at all events, tigers, as distinguished
from tigresses, did not attain full maturity until they attained a
length of over 10 ft., measured ' sportsman's style,' and that occa-
sionally they attain a length of 11 ft., and that the 12 ft. tiger
shot by the late Mr. C. A. Shillingford was an exceptional mon-
ster, like the exceptional tigress, 10 ft. 2 ins. m length, shot in 1867,
and in these opinions I entirely concur. I have a collection of
over a hundred tiger skulls, and in no case are the parietal
sutures obliterated from old age of skulls of tigers below 10^ ft.
in length.

Tigers take to water readily, and swim higher out of the
water than most animals.

Elephants who take matters into their own hands and

214 BIG GAME SHOOTING

charge at tigers are exceedingly dangerous in the field, par-
ticularly after a tiger has been killed and men are dismounting
to pad it. All the elephants in such a case, except the one
destined to carry the beast, should be taken away from near the
carcase ; they are more or less in an excited state, and are apt
to mistake a man in the grass for another tiger. The writer
remembers being on an elephant that stood perfectly steady
for the shot, but as soon as the tiger was killed — it was within a
few feet of her — it was all the mahout could do to prevent her
charging it.

The elephant has a way of playing football with an animal
which though diverting to a spectator is awkward for the man
in the howdah. The elephant performs a kind of war dance
over the carcase, kicking it about between his feet, lifting it
with the front of the hindfoot and returning it from the back
of the forefoot till tired, when he places one ponderous hind-
foot upon it and squashes it flat. If an elephant has been
mauled, it is not at all a bad plan to let it play with the carcase
of its enemy ; but everything should be taken out of the how-
dah, and the skin will not be worth much afterwards.

Two other serious dangers that have to be guarded against
in tiger shooting are bees and red ants. Bees generally hang
their hives from boughs of trees or on the face of rocks, but
often they have them in high grass, and an elephant pushing
his way through disturbs them, rendering them exceedingly
aggressive, whilst a shot fired near them is quite enough to
make them attack. Deaths of men and animals from their
stings have often been recorded ; they almost always go at the
head, and the best way of escaping is to cover the head with
a blanket, which should invariably be placed in each howdah.
The mahouts always sit on theirs. Oddly enough, if the head
is covered the rest of the body, even of unclad natives, usually
escapes their attentions. A nest of red ants, though not so
dangerous, is quite enough to put anyone to flight, as they bite
unmercifully and leave their nippers in. No one would ever
think of climbing a tree with a bee's nest in it, but equal care

INDIAN SHOOTING 215

should be taken that red ants, which are hard to detect, are not
in it also ; an inspection of the trunk will usually decide the
question, especially if the boughs touch nothing else. In
selecting camping grounds particular attention to these points
is also necessary ; most servants do not take the trouble to
look up into the trees, and will light their fires under a bee's
nest till they have been properly stung once ; but their careless-
ness may result in the loss of ponies' or even men's lives.

Sanderson remarks on the danger of firing at a tiger's head
except at very close ranges. The writer saw an instance of this
in a tigress hit on the side of the head with an Express bullet ;
she dropped in her tracks, lying with her head underneath her
for nearly a minute, when she recovered, went back into the
jungle, and gave a good deal of trouble afterwards, charging
the elephants freely. A shot through the shoulder is far more
likely to be effective. A tiger seems rather a soft beast, and
nearly always drops on receiving his first wound, though he
picks himself up pretty quickly. Subsequent wounds have
comparatively little effect on any animal, and another curious
thing that the writer has noticed is that wounded animals
nearly always lie down on their wounded side.

Tigers do not seem to be very particular as to what they
eat. Sterndale records an instance of their eating carrion ;
Sanderson gives a story of three tigers killing and eating a
fourth, and of their eating bears ; and Colonel Kinloch told
the writer of his finding a snow bear killed by a tiger in Chumba,
on barasingh ground. Tigers seem to be yearly penetrating
deeper into the Himalayas ; probably they follow the ever-
increasing herds of cattle that come up from the plains in the
summer to graze.

Sterndale gives an ingenious formula for finding the length
of a tiger from its skull. For details the reader is referred to
his book.

In the following list of measurements only tigers of
10 ft. or over are mentioned except where weights are given
and of exceptionally large tigresses. The system of recording

2l6

BIG GAME SHOOTING

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INDIAN SHOOTING

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2i8 BIG GAME SHOOTING

tigers' weights as shot does not appear satisfactory. Those
which scaled over 500 lbs. must surely have included a good
deal of beef.

V. PANTHER {Felis Pardus)

Native names : generally, ' Chita ' ; in the Himalayas, ' Lagd Bagd ' ;
in Cejitral India, ' Tendwd '

The panther is common all over India, Burmah, and Ceylon,
but does not cross the snow-line of the Himalayas, being
replaced beyond the range by the ounce. Sterndale gives two
varieties, the pard and the panther, describing the pard as being
larger, the spots more clearly defined in rosettes, and the skull
longer and more pointed than the panther's. Sanderson also
gives two varieties with the same distinctions, but calls Stern-
dale's pard the panther, and Sterndale's panther the leopard.

This is in itself perplexing to the ordinary sportsman, and
as the writer saw two beasts shot in the same beat, the male
corresponding to Sterndale's pard and the female to Sander-
son's leopard, the only solution he can offer of the difficulty
is that the sportsman may call the beast he shoots either
leopard or panther according to his own fancy, and not one
man in a hundred will be able to contradict him.

The panther is a nuisance wherever he is ; he is perpetually
prowling about villages at night picking up unconsidered trifles,
such as dogs, goats, ponies and babies, in short anything.
Occasionally panthers become regular man-eaters, and though
far more plentiful than tigers, they are so cunning that they are
far harder to shoot. A wounded panther is always a dangerous
beast to follow up. He can hide, like a quail, in anything ; his
attack is always sudden, and being a quick, active beast, he more
frequently makes good his charge than a tiger. More men get
mauled by panthers than by tigers, but on the other hand fatal
results are the exception, and stories are told of men having
strangled panthers with their hands when they have been
attacked.

INDIAN SHOOTING 219

Many a pet dog has been carried off in broad daylight, in
the middle of large hill stations, where the forest comes close
up to the roads and houses. A dog of my own had the
narrowest escape in Chamba, being chased by a panther almost
up to my feet. The beast had almost got hold of him when
I drove him off. Ward recommends trapping, and gives
capital directions for making a cage-trap. When the writer
was stationed at Chakrata a few panthers were caught in these
traps, but more were shot over dogs tied up as baits. Panthers
are often shot in this way, or by sitting over a kill. At night a
very good plan is to strew chaff thickly all round the bait,
and if it is dark arrange a lantern so as to throw its light on the
bait ; neither of these plans will scare a panther, though it
might a tiger.' Sterndale recommends phosphorescent oil
(one grain phosphorus to one drachm oil dissolved in a bath
of warm water) for touching the sights at night. There is a
magnesium wire lantern, a Hanoverian invention, which is made
to fit on the sportsman's shoulder, and on a string being pulled
throws a broad search light down the barrels of the rifle lasting
about thirty seconds ; but this, if the sportsman was sitting
on the ground, might lead to complications should the first
shot fail to kill outright. If a panther's cave is found, it is
often worth while watching the entrance about 4 p.m., when
the animal will come out and sun himself before starting on
his evening ramble. In Central India panthers are often beaten
out like tigers, but they are unsatisfactory beasts to try and
drive, as they are so apt to hide and let the beaters pass by
them. On one occasion a panther came within shot of one
of the guns, who did not fire as a tiger was expected. The
panther first amused himself by catching a hare that the beaters
had driven up to him, then, as the men got near, he selected
a plump youth and proceeded to stalk him, when the gunner
thought it time to interfere.

Sitting up over a bait at night is the poorest of all amuse-
ments. Often has the writer undergone it, and as often sworn

' Several good sportsmen even recommend the plan for tigers.

220 BIG GAME SHOOTING

he never would do it again, till the next absolute certainty has
been offered him with the usual disappointing result.

When a panther is in the habit of attacking flocks on their
way home in the evening, a good plan is to select a place before
the flock returns, and arrange with the shepherd that he shall
drive the flock past your hiding-place and tether a kid as he
passes ; the apparent absence of pre-arrangement will probably
induce the panther to show at once.

Sanderson gives some stirring accounts of his adventures
with panthers in which the following points are particularly
noticeable, viz. the necessity of posting markers outside the
cover beaten to watch the panther if he leaves it ; that panthers
will not charge out of caves even if poked up with bamboos ;
that, unlike most tigers, a panther charged home at a large
party of men closed up, and used his paws, cuffing right and left
instead of biting. Not that a panther never bites, as the beast
referred to had bitten a man previously, but in nearly all cases
of men being mauled the bulk of their injuries are claw wounds.

Sterndale relates a curious legend about a well-known man-
eating panther that killed over two hundred people in three
years, and was supposed to be a kind of Wehr-wolf Panthers
have often been ridden down and speared, but two or three men
are required for this amusement, as on the first horse overtaking
it the panther will at once crouch and endeavour to spring on
the horse's back as he passes. The second horseman should,
therefore, be close up ready to cut in at once ; care should be
taken to get the first spear home in a good place, and the
panther should be held down if possible, till despatched by the
spears of the rest of the party. It is foolhardiness for a single
man to attempt it. Panthers climb readily, and many have
been shot out of trees where they have taken refuge, or been
found lying asleep on a branch. Forsyth considers that many
panthers escape in drives by taking to trees, and mentions
finding the body of a child, that had been killed by a panther,
lodged in a forked bough.

The troopers of the Central Indian Horse used often to kill

INDIAN SHOOTING 221

panthers in the rainy season by tracking them into patches of
sugar-cane, which they surrounded with men armed with spears
and swords (guns were naturally not allowed), and then hunted
the beast out with a pack of dogs. When panthers or bears
were marked down in jungle too big to be surrounded, the
guns were posted in trees, and the pack laid on to hunt the
beasts up.

Terriers were chiefly used, but it was necessary to employ a
greyhound or two to prevent the beast galloping away from the
little dogs ; the greyhounds would not tackle, but by ranging up
and snapping would impede the beast's movements. Sanderson
had great sport with his pack, hunting bears, bison, and even
on one occasion a young elephant. He gives every instruction
for getting together a pack, but does not mention the use of grey-
hounds, though they would evidently have saved his heavy
seizers from long tiring runs. Sambur hunting with dogs in
Ceylon is an old-established custom, but there apparently the
whole pack is hunted together, while Sanderson appears to
have kept his seizers up till the quarry came to bay and then
slipped them.

Black panthers are occasionally found, but they are merely
instances of melanism, several cases of a single black cub
in a litter being recorded. As a rule, these black specimens
are only found in heavy forests, not in the more open ground,
and they are more common in the south of India than the
north. There is a lovely stuffed specimen in the British
Museum, upon which the markings are just discernible in
certain lights.

VI. THE CLOUDED PANTHER {Felis Diardii vel Macrocelis)

Native names : ' Tungmar ' Lepcha ; ' Zik ' Bhotia ; ' Lamchitta '
of the Khas tribe {Sterndale)

This panther seems to be entirely a forest animal. It extends
from Nepal eastwards through Assam.

Kinloch gives an instance of one having been shot, but

222 BIG GAME SHOOTING

specimens are very rarely obtained, though occasionally live
cubs have been bought from natives.

The chief peculiarities of this species are the extreme
beauty of the colouring, and the fact that the upper canines
are the longest in comparison of all living felines.

VII. THE HUNTING LEOPARD {Felts jubaia)
Native names : ' Chita ' getierally ; ' Ytiz ' of the Chita-catchers {Sterndale)

This animal is generally found in Central or Southern India.
The writer has never heard of it in the Punjab or North-West
Provinces. According to Sterndale, it is most common in
Jeypur in Upper India and Hyderabad in Southern India.

In general colour it is like a panther, except that its nose is
black instead of pinkish ; it has a mane on the neck and long
hair on the belly ; its spots are single and not in rosettes. Its
shape is quite different from that of the panther. Instead of
having the muscular forearm, short legs and rounded body of
that beast, it is a tall greyhound-like animal with thin long legs,
and toes like a dog, the claws being only semi-retractile.

It is not often shot, but most native princes have tame
specimens for hunting antelopes. These have to be caught when
nearly full grown, as cubs cannot be trained for the sport, and
chita catching is a regular profession in certain districts. In
Sterndale's * Mammalia of India ' there is an interesting account
of catching chitas quoted from 'The Asian.' As regards its
habits when wild, the writer says :

It is said by shikaries to feed only once every third day, when,
after gorging itself, it retires to its den for the other two. On the
morning of the third day he visits some particular tree, which the
animals of his species in the neighbourhood are in the habit of fre-
quenting. Such trees are easily to be recognised by the scoring of
the bark, on which he whets his claws. From this meeting place,
after having played about with such of his comrades as may be
there, they go off on a hunting expedition.

Here is evidently the tip for any sportsman wishing to

INDIAN SHOOTING 223

shoot one : find a tree with tracks three days old, and sit up
in it on the fourth morning.
Stern dale says :

Chita kittens are quite grey without any spots, but can always
be recognised by the black stripe down the nose, and on cutting off
a bit of the soft hair I noticed that the spots are quite distinct in
the under fur. As a rule the young of all cats, even the large one-
coloured species, such as the lion and puma, are spotted, but the
hunting leopard is externally an exception, although the spots are
there lying hid.

Hunting antelope with chitas has been described ad
nauseam, and is in the opinion of the writer very poor sport.
It is worth witnessing once, if only to see how fast a chita
can go.

VIII. THE OUNCE, OR SNOW LEOPARD {Felis Uncid)
Generally, ' Safed Chita ' ; Thibet, * Stian '

The ounce is fairly common on the higher ranges ; there
are few ibex grounds on which its tracks will not occasionally
be seen, but owing to its nocturnal habits it is very rarely
met with. It preys chiefly on ibex and burrel, and rarely, if
ever, descends to the forest line. It will kill sheep and goats.
A farm in Lahoul, belonging to the Moravian missionaries,
suffered considerably in 1884 from the depredations of a pair
of ounces that lived in the valley behmd Kielang. The male
of this pair was killed by an officer of the Royal Artillery, who
saw the ounce on his return from shooting late in the evening.
The next day he went back up the nullah prepared to spend
the night out, shot a young male ibex and dragged the carcase
down to where he had seen the ounce the day before. Just at
dusk the ounce came to the bait and was missed clean with
the first barrel ; however, the sportsman, being highly favoured
by the gods, bagged him with a second shot, and next morning
brought him in triumph down to Kielang. The skin was a
beauty, very pale yellowish white with black spots and black
rings on the thick furry tail.

224 BIG GAME SHOOTING

From the amount of slaughter ounces effect among ibex, it
is probable that they hunt in pairs. In 1874 a sportsman in
Pangi found a flock of five or six male ibex lying dead within a
few yards of each other, killed by ounces ; he had seen this
particular flock some days before, had either disturbed them or
was unable to get at them, and had given them a few days' rest
to settle down in. When he did go after them he found that
they had all been slaughtered.

IX. THE THIBETAN LYNX i^Felis Isabellina)
Thibetarif ' Ee '

This beautiful animal is very rarely met with, but as the
Tartars know it well by name, it is possible that it may be
more plentiful than is commonly supposed ; its nocturnal
habits, as in the case of the ounce, shielding it from observa-
tion. The Tartars aver that it frequently kills sheep and
goats ; but though the lynx is quite powerful enough to do so,
it is probable that the natives occasionally confound the lynx
with the ounce. The lynx stands about 1 7 ins. at the shoulder,
and is of enormously powerful make, with teeth and claws large
enough for an animal of twice its size.

The Thibetan lynx has the orthodox prominent whiskers
which are absent in the red lynx of the plains, but it differs
from the European variety in the pads of its feet being pro-
minent and bare, with short close fur between them, whereas
in the European lynx the long fur completely conceals the
pads.

The red lynx, Felis caracal, called by natives 'Siagosh,'
is occasionally met with all over India. It is not common
anywhere, or at least, possibly owing to its nocturnal habits,
it is not often shot. A few are known to have been shot in
Central India. It preys chiefly on hares, birds, and small deer.
Sterndale gives the following measurements : Head and body,
26 to 30 ins. : tail, 9 or 10 ins. ; height, 16 to 18 ins.

INDIAN SHOOTING

225

Measurements

Authority

Total
length

Tail

Height

at
shoulder

Remarks

1
Felis Parous

ft. ins.

ins.

ins.

Oil. Gordon Cumming (
('Wild Men and

7 10
7 8

..

..

Male

Wild Beasts') . I

"

Capt. A. G. Ferguson .

7 8

Col. Howard

7 44

Male

Mr. H. L. Heberl
Percy . . . )

' 7 4
' 7 I

Nepal, Dec. 9, 1892

„ Jan. 30, 1891
,, Jan. 17, 1891

Sir E.' Durand, Bart.

' 7 I

Major FitzHerbert .

6 8i

26 i

Male

Col. Kinloch

6 4

Female

Col. Howard .

6 0
ft. in. ft. in.

"

Stemdale's ' Mam - )
malia ' . . .]

7 0 to 8 8

30 to 38

Pard

» f>

S 6 „ 6 0

30

18 to 24

Panther (female)

Sanderson (' Thirteen 1

ft. in.

Years among the \

6 8

,, ,,

Wild Beasts') .)

6 3i
6 10
5 4
5 2

26

Leopard (male)
,, (female)

Feus diardii

Stemdale .

6 4 1 36 1 ..
Felis jubata

f Jerdon states that it grows
I to a larger size

Stemdale .

7 0 1 30 1 30 to 33
Felis Unci a

Stemdale .

7 4

36

24

f Measurements apparently
1 too big

Major Ward {\ Sports- )
man's Guide to y
Kashmir') . . )

6 4
6 0

36
33

Male
Female

Capt. Dawkins (May \
24, 1884.) . . )

5 "i

36

18

Male

' Measured between uprights

X. WOLVES AND WILD DOGS

Space does not permit an exhaustive description of these
vermin, and it must be briefly said that there are three kinds
of wolves in India. First is the ordinary wolf of the plains
(JZanis pallipes), which is more destructive to children and cattle
than to game, and is generally called ' Bheria ' by the natives.

II Q

226 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Authenticated tales of its ravages among the infant population
are only too common, an old bitch wolf with cubs laid up
near a village naturally finding Indian baby the most easily
procured and most succulent diet for her offspring. Wolves
have occasionally been ridden down and speared, but only
when found in the morning, and more or less gorged ; a wolf
in the evening, when empty, will lope along just ahead of good
greyhounds till the latter lie down exhausted. They can occa-
sionally be smoked out if their earths are found. Williamson
describes a big bag made in this way near Allahabad in 1780 ;
the earths were dug out, and at least ten pounds weight of
children's ornaments found in them. He also narrates a ghastly
story of the way wolves attacked the starving natives during
the famine of 1783 in broad daylight ; as a rule, however, they
seldom attack men.

The next well-known varieties are the grey and black
Thibetan wolves {Cams laniger and Canis niger), generally
called ' Chanko.' These are very destructive to game as well
as to flocks and herds, as they hunt in small packs. Both grey
and black wolves are found together, and interbreed. The
black wolf is said to be rather the larger, but it is an open
question whether the varieties are distinct or not, in spite of
the fact of the black specimens Colonel Kinloch presented to
the Zoological Gardens only producing black cubs.

A third variety of ' Chanko,' called the 'golden wolf,' has
been mentioned by sportsmen, but this may possibly be the
European wolf {Cams Lupus), which extends to Turkestan.

The chief points of distinction between the three varieties
of wolves, i.e. European, Thibetan, and Indian, are as follows :
in the European wolf the carnassial tooth is as long as the two
molars together, which is not the case with the others ; it has
also a dark stripe on the forelegs, which the others have not ;
and, lastly, the European and Indian wolves have black tips to
their tails, which the chanko has not.

The remaining species of vermin is the Wild Uog {Cuon
rutilans), generally called * Jungli-Kutta ' : in Cashmere ' Ram

INDIAN SHOOTING

227

Hun.' These veritable pests are found everywhere, and as
they hunt in large packs are most destructive to all kinds of
game, absolutely clearing out whole tracts of country, even
being credited occasionally with killing tigers, which, as
Sanderson points out, is by no means impossible if the tiger
attempts to run away, and they get a chance of making their
favourite attack from behind. He narrates two occasions on
which he saw deer eviscerated by one or two snaps from wild
dogs. They rarely, if ever, attack men, and are more like big
red jackals than dogs. The cubs are quite untamable, and are
the nastiest, most evil-smelling, vicious pets that heart could
desire.

Measurements

Authority

Total length

Tail

Height at shoulder

Stemdale .

Stemdale .

Stemdale .

Stemdale .
Major Ward .

Canis Lupus
ins. I ins.

62 to 68 I 20

Canis pallipes
52 I 16 to 18

Canis laniger

CuoN rutilans
48 to 52 I 16

60

ms,
30 to 32

26
17 to 20

XI. THE STRIPED HY.«NA {Hycena striata)
Native names : ^ Lakhar baghar^ generally; * Rerha,'' Central India

This is scarcely a sporting beast, but being destructive to
dogs is generally saluted with a shot if found by daylight, a
thing which does not often happen. The striped hyaena is a
large brute, with tremendous power of jaw, which lives prin-
cipally on carrion, and will pick up a dog if found alone, though
two or three dogs will easily beat it off. The hyaena has often
been ridden down and speared, and shows little or no fight in
spite of its large teeth. Hyaenas are found all over the plains

Q 2

228 BIG GAME SHOOTING

of India, but apparently neither in Burmah nor Ceylon. There
were several which used to prowl about the barracks at Now-
gong in Central India when the writer was quartered there,
two or three of which were shot by the soldiers, and the jackals
there paid them all the honours usually accorded to tigers,
following them and uttering their peculiar note of warning
which the natives call 'kole baloo.' The writer has often heard
this cry, and as long as it continues no jackal within earshot
will set up his ordinary howl. This hyaena is the common
species that is found throughout Persia, Asia Minor, and North
Africa.

Sterndale gives its length as 3^ ft., head and body ; tail,
about \\ ft. The writer never measured one, but estimated
the height of an old male as about 22 ins.

XII. ELEPHANT {Elephas indicus)

Native names : ^ Hati'' generally ; ' Anay,^ Canarese [Sanderson) ;
' Allia,' Singhalese [Sterndale).

The elephant is found along the foot of the Himalayas, from
Deyhra Doon through Assam and Burmah to Siam ; also in
some parts of Central and Southern India and Ceylon.

The difference between the Indian and African elephant is
well marked ; the small ears, smooth trunk, and more intelligent
head of the former being very conspicuous. The marks on the
grinders are also different, being in the Indian elephant irregu-
lar loops, while in the African they form a string of decided
lozenges joined by the corners. The African elephant has only
three toes on the hind foot, while the Indian has four. The
point of difference, however, which chiefly concerns the sports-
man is that in the Indian elephant there is a cavity in the skull
behind the bump on the top of the trunk which enables a
bullet properly placed to reach the brain, while with the African
variety this cavity is protected by the roots of the tusks, making
the front shot ineffective.

INDIAN SHOOTING 229

The main points to be considered by the sportsman may
be shortly summarised as follows :

The brain, which at most only presents a mark of about twelve
inches in length by six inches in height, is situated low down and
far back in the skull, the centre of it being nearly in the line
between the two ear-holes. The three chief shots are the front
shot, in the centre of the forehead towards the top of the
bump at the base of the trunk, and about three inches higher
than a line drawn between the eyes ; the temple shot, the head
of the elephant being at right angles to the sportsman, through
the ear-hole in a line to pass through the opposite ear ; the
rear shot, behind the ear in the hollow just over the large bump
at the junction of the jaw and neck. It must be taken at about
an angle of 45° with the elephant's course from behind. These
are the shots to be tried for ; if the elephant's head is inclined
at an angle, calculation has to be made to determine the line of
the brain. If charging with the head carried high and trunk
curled, it is almost impossible to kill him with a front shot, but
heavy rifles will generally stop him. In head shots an elephant
not killed on the spot generally escapes, so no time should be
lost in finishing one that is floored. For weapon, a 4-smoothbore
spherical ball with twelve drachms of powder is recommended.
Indian elephants are seldom shot behind the shoulder, for as
Sanderson says, ' When an elephant can be approached to
within a few yards, and dropped on the spot, it is hardly
sportsmanlike to take a long shot, and risk wounding the
animal uselessly.' Females in a herd are always the first to
charge. The tuskers are most likely to be found in the rear
guard of a herd, and the animals should not be approached in
cover unless they are feeding. A peculiar short, shrill trumpet
is the sign that the hunter has been discovered ; the herd
stands perfectly still for some minutes and then closes up and
moves rapidly off; or, if the elephant that perceives danger
discovers that it is very near, it retires quickly without a sound,
followed by the rest, so that the hunter may find the whole
herd gone before he is aware that he has even been perceived.

230 BIG GAME SHOOTING

If a herd is attacked it stampedes, and if hard pressed the
females with calves will charge.

When a herd stampedes in cover, as it is impossible to tell
the direction it will take, the best course the sportsman can
adopt is to stand still against a tree or a bamboo clump, and
not attempt to run. A tree eight inches in diameter is said to
be about the largest that an elephant can overthrow. If cir-
cumstances ever occur to make a run unavoidable, the flight
should always be down hill and the steepest places at hand
chosen, as elephants fear to trust themselves on a rapid descent
at any great pace ; up hill or on the level a man would be
speedily overtaken on rough ground.

When a herd makes off it goes at a great pace for a short
distance and then settles into a fast walk, which is often kept
up for ten or fifteen miles if there is a wounded elephant
and no young calves with it. The sportsman should pursue at
once, as an ordinary runner can generally keep near for two
or three hundred yards.

When elephants are close at hand, standing in indecision,
no one should shout to turn them, as a charge from one or more
of them is almost sure to be the result. A friend of the
writer's told him that once when stalking an elephant he could
not get a fair shot at his head, so he whistled to make him turn ;
the elephant simply swung round and charged, but a shot in
the head, though it did not floor, turned him.

The impression of the tusks in soft soil gives a good idea
of their size. A groove that will admit five fingers means that
the tusks will probably weigh over 60 lbs. the pair. Twice
round the forefoot gives the height of the elephant at the
shoulder.

In shooting single elephants, after the first rush of a hundred
yards or so all noise often ceases, as the elephant breaks into a
walk, and a novice would suppose that he had stopped when
in reality he is rapidly retreating.

In following wounded elephants it is a good plan to send
a couple of trackers ahead while the sportsman and his gun-

INDIAN SHOOTING 231

carriers follow a hundred yards in rear, as the trackers, if alone,
are not likely to be taken by surprise. Rogue elephants, though
more liable to attack in the first place, are not more determined
than others ; a female with a young calf is much more likely
to charge persistently, and the advantage of having only one
animal to deal with is immense.

The wild elephant's attack is one of the noblest sights of the
chase. A grander animated object than a wild elephant in full
charge can hardly be imagined ; the cocked ears and broad fore-
head present an immense frontage ; the head is held high, with the
trunk curled between the tusks to be uncoiled in the moment of
attack ; the massive forelegs come down with the force and regu-
larity of ponderous machinery, and the whole figure is rapidly fore-
shortened, and appears to double in size with each advancing
stride. The trunk being curled and unable to emit any sound, the
attack is made in silence, after the usual premonitory shriek, which
adds to its impressiveness. A tiger's charge is an undignified dis-
play of arms, legs, and spluttering ; the bison rushes blunderingly
upon his foe ; the bear's attack is despicable ; but the wild ele-
phant's onslaught is as dignified as it seems overwhelming ; and a
large tusker's charge, when he has had sufficient distance to get
into full swing, can only be compared to the steady and rapid ad-
vance of an engine on a line of rail. With all this, the sportsman
who understands his game knows that there is a natural timidity
in the elephant which often plays him tricks at the last moment.
It is not difficult to turn or stop him with heavy metal, and if
knocked down, he never, I believe, renews the attack.

Thus Sanderson writes, and in conventional phraseology
that is all very fine ; but Sanderson seems to have let his feel-
ings run away with him. I confess that a tiger charging never
appeared undignified to me ; his charge has always struck me as
being a particularly neat, business-like performance, and the
coughing roar that accompanied it did not at all detract from the
show — spluttering indeed ! Sanderson's elephant does not roar
because he is afraid of hurting his trunk. Then the poor bison
a blunderer ! The way an old bull will charge, dodge behind
a bush till he sees someone following him or hears someone

232 BIG GAME SHOOTING

speak, and then charge back again, shows an amount of sys-
tematic ' cussedness ' which deserves praise not ridicule. As for
the bear, his best friends must admit that his natural grotesque-
ness is only enhanced by his efforts at retaliation ; but he does
his best.

With a single exception, all those elephants which Sanderson
shot behind the shoulder seem to have given him a long chase
before he could bring them to bay, probably because the
position of the heart is much harder to judge in the Indian
than in the African species, the centre of the outside edge of
the latter's ear when thrown back marking the spot. It is not
so with the Indian elephant, whose ear is smaller.

A fight between two wild tuskers is said frequently to last
for a day or more, a round being fought every now and then.
The more powerful elephant occasionally keeps his foe in view
till he perhaps kills him.

Though elephant catching is of old date, shooting wild
elephants seems to have been unheard of at the beginning of
the century. Williamson, who wrote about the year 1805, re-
marks with reference to M. Vaillant's exploits in South Africa :

Without disparagement to M. Vaillant's veracity, I should
think I might with great safety venture a wager that no native
of Bengal, nor any European resident there, would undertake such
a piece of rashness as to go out shooting wild elephants ; and
that, in the event of anyone possessing such temerity, the sports-
man would come off second best. M. Vaillant performed his
miracles in a wilderness, without anyone to record his achieve-
ments ; consequently he was obliged to be his own historian.
Persons under such circumstances are in possession of one gi'eat
advantage : namely, that of relating not only the facts as they
would appear to any common observer, but of describing the
wondrous coolness and presence of mind which pervades them
throughout the perils of the enterprise.

Sanderson says the largest elephant he has seen measured
9 ft. 10 ins. at the shoulder, and declares there is not a lo-ft.
elephant in India. Colonel Kinloch measured one he shot

INDIAN SHOOTING

''II

lo ft. I in., and the writer has seen a foot in Mr. Rowland
Ward's shop that measured 5 ft. in circumference, which should
make the animal 10 ft. at the shoulder.

Sterndale gives 10 ft. 7^ ins. as the largest authentic
measurement on record, and oddly enough quotes Sanderson
as authority for the measurement of this elephant, which
belonged to the Sirmoor Rajah.

As regards tusks, Sanderson's biggest pair measured

4 ft. II ins. and 5 ft. respectively, with a girth of 16^ ins. at
the gum, the pair weighing 74^ lbs.

Sir Victor Brooke's big tusker measured : Right tusk, 8 ft. ;

5 ft. 9 ins. outside socket ; girth i ft. 4^^^ ins. ; weight, 90 lbs.
Left tusk, 3 ft. 3 ins. ; i ft. 2 ins. outside socket ; girth, i ft.
8 ins. ; weight, 49 lbs.

The skeleton of the well-known Arcot rogue elephant, now
in the Madras Museum, measures 10 ft. 6 ins. at the shoulder.
Mr. Rowland Ward considers that when alive it must have
stood 10 ft. 10 ins.

' Jumbo,' the African elephant in the Zoological Gardens,
stood II ft., and Sir S. Baker says that African elephants
measure 1 2 ft. or more.

The three largest African tusks recorded in ' Horn
Measurements,' by Rowland Ward, are :

Length

Greatest circumference

Weight

lbs.
184
160
IIO

ft. ins.

9 5
9 4
9 4

ins.
18

XIII. RHINOCEROS

There are no fewer than four different kinds of rhinoceros
to be found in India and Burmah ; viz. Indicus, Sondaicus,
Lasiotis and Suviairetisis. The first, which is the most generally
known, extends from the Nepal Terai to Assam. The second

234 BIG GAME SHOOTING

is found in the Sunderbuns, and from Manipur through Burmah
to the Malay Peninsula ; the third is found in Arakan and
Tenasserim ; the fourth, from Tenasserim through Burmah
to Siam and the Malay Peninsula ; the two first varieties
being one-horned, the two last two-horned. The Asiatic rhino-
ceros differs from the African in three particulars : the skin
is divided into shields by well-marked folds ; he has long
upper cutting teeth (the African having none), and the nasal
bones of the skull are produced and conical instead of broad
and round (Sterndale).

The chief diiference between R. indicus and R. sondaicus is
that the latter has a well-marked fold in front of the shoulders,
the line running over the back of the neck, whilst in Indicus it
dies away on the shoulder-blade ; the head of Sondaicus is also
somewhat slenderer, and the female has no horn. In Indicus
both sexes have this horn, and the curious tesselated appearance
of the hide in one is very different from the tuberculated armour
of the other. i

Though Sondaicus has been described as the lesser Indian
rhinoceros, there is little difference in the size between this and
other Indian varieties,

R. lasiotis and R. sumatrensis have more or less hairy
hides instead of tubercles. lasiotis is larger, lighter in colour,
with wide-set ears, a short tufted tail, and a long fringe of hair
on the back edge of the ear ; Sumatrensis is smaller, darker,
with close-set ears (which are filled with black hair but have
no fringe), and tail long, tapering, and semi-nude.

The native names of all four varieties seem much the
same : ' Gainda,' ' Gaira,' ' Gonda,' generally ; ' Gor ' Assam,
' Khyenhsen ' Burmah, ' Bodok ' Malay.

The rhinoceros does not extend to Central and Southern
India, being only found in the heavy grass swamps of the Terai,
Assam, &c. ; consequently the only way of hunting this beast is
with elephants. The rhinoceros may be either tracked up to his
lair on a single elephant, or the jungle may be beaten as for tigers.

In no branch of sport is it more necessary to have trust-

INDIAN SHOOTING

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236 BIG GAME SHOOTING

worthy men in charge of the mahouts of the pad elephants.
A rhinoceros when roused makes such a noise crashing through
the reeds and snorting, that, though he rarely charges home,
and even then only bites instead of using his horn, he fairly
terrifies both mahouts and their animals, and consequently,
unless the line is under good control, the beating is carried out
in a very half-hearted manner. The usual pace of a rhinoceros
is a trot, but he will sometimes break into a gallop and gets
over the ground with surprising speed. When shot they usually
sink down on their knees and rarely roll over on to their sides.
The flesh is said to be as good as, or better than, most Indian
beef. The track is easily distinguished, as the foot has only
three toes.

There is a story of a fight having been witnessed between
a rhinoceros and a wild male elephant, in which the latter
was worsted. A rhinoceros is said to have wantonly attacked
the camp of two officers from Dinapore, near Derriapore, in
1788, The brute killed their horses, which were picketed,
treed the officers and their servants, and ' after keeping them in
dreadful suspense for some time, and using some efforts to dis-
lodge them, seeing the sun rise, retreated to his haunt,'

Their habit of depositing their dropping on the same spot,
which is shared by many deer and antelopes, has been noted
by all writers on the subject. Native shikaris watch these
large heaps and take poor rhino at a disadvantage.

XIV. THE MALAY TKVl^ {^Tapirus 7nalayanus)
Native names : ^ Ta-ra-shu,^ Burmese ; *■ Kuda-ayer,'' Malayan

Sterndale says of it :

Habitat : Tenasserim provinces, as high as 1 5° N. Lat., Lower
Siam, the Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Description :
General colour glossy black, but with the back, rump, and sides of
the belly white ; the young are beautifully variegated, being striped
and spotted with yellow fawn on the upper parts of the body and
with white below. Mr. Mason writes : 'Though seen so rarely.

INDIAN SHOOTING

237

the tapir is by no means uncommon in the interior of the Tavoy and
Mergui provinces. I have frequently come upon its recent foot-
marks, but it avoids the inhabited parts of the country. It has
never been heard of north of the valley of the Tavoy river.' The
tapir is naturally, all the world over, a very shy, retiring animal,
but it is capable of being tamed when taken young, and of showing
great attachment. It is not found in India proper, but is occasion-
ally come across in Burmah.

Measurements

Authority

Height

Length, head and body

Remarks

British Museum .

36i ins.

75 ins.

[ A skeleton, tail
■ with some verte-
( bra wanting

XV. WILD BOAR {Stis indicus)

It is a maxim in India that the only sportsmanlike way of
killing boar is with horse and spear, and therefore as these
volumes treat principally of those beasts which fall or should
fall to the rifle, this pluckiest of all beasts must be dismissed
with a very brief notice.

Occasionally there may be some justification for shooting
boar, but as they travel great distances, none ought to be shot
within forty miles of rideable ground.

Several cases are on record in which an old boar has beaten
off a tiger, and some in which the latter has been killed by a
boar. The boar's extraordinary activity and sharp tusks make
him no mean adversary, and his short neck makes it difficult
for a tiger to seize it and give it that fatal wrench with which
he likes to polish off his victims.

XVI. THE PIGMY HOG [Porcula salvania)
Native names: ^ Sano-baiiel,' Nepal ; * Chota soor,^ Hindi

This tiny little wild pig is found in the Sal forests of Nepal
and Sikkim. It has the reputation of going in herds like the

238

BIG GAME SHOOTING

peccary and attacking intruders in the same fearless way. In
shape it only differs from the common wild pig in that its snout
is comparatively shorter, and the eye consequently set midway
between snout and ear. Its tail, too, is short and is hidden
among the bristles on the rump. It has long bristles all over
its back and sides, but no well-defined mane like an ordinary
boar, whilst its ears are quite hairless and the under parts of
the body and limbs almost so. Some stuffed specimens in the
British Museum of apparently half-grown beasts are deep chest-
nut, a full-grown one being nearly black.

Measuretnents

Authority ^l^df

Height

Weight

Remarks

Sterndale . . 1 1 8 to 20 ins.
British Museum . 28 ins.

i

8 to 10 ins.
iii ins.

7 to 10 lbs.

1 A stuffed speci-
men, tusks
i X in.

XVII. CROCODILES

Native names:
^ Muggur,'' the snub-nosed variety ; ' Ghayal,^ the long-nosed variety

The crocodile is a kind of vermin, of which there are
two varieties in India — the flat-nosed and the long-nosed.
Though not perhaps objects of the highest form of sport, still
a good deal of fun may be had with them ; and as they
are awful brutes for robbing the sportsman of any birds that
may be dropped on the water — will take down his dog if he
sends it in to retrieve, and in many places will take human
beings — their destruction should invariably be attempted.

A few may be shot with a rifle, but they are uncommonly
wary, and nineteen out of twenty that are hit will get back into
the water and be lost. The most satisfactory way of dealing
with them, besides being far the most sporting, is to bait a
good large hook with a bird or small animal, and fasten it by

INDIAN SHOOTING 239

a chain to a good long rope, the end of which is firmly picketed,
the rope being coiled and the bait laid in shallow water.
There must be lots of slack line, as the crocodile does not
swallow anything at once, but seizes it and takes it into deep
water to gorge. A number of lines may be laid and looked
up in the morning or cool of the evening. When hooked it
will take a good many men to haul a crocodile out, and as he
resents the operation and can use his tail as well as his jaws,
one or two sportsmen will find considerable entertainment in
despatching him with spears. Some crocodiles grow to an
enormous size, and their maws always contain round white

Landing a ghayal

Stones, and often trinkets, the relics of inside passengers. The
writer assisted at the death of a not extraordinarily large ' snub-
nose,' which had six women's rings in her. This beast was a
female, and full of eggs. Another plan worth trying is to tie
up a kid in the evening as a bait, just sufficiently far from the
water to attract the crocodiles by its bleating on to dry land,
so that the sportsman, lying well hidden about sixty yards off,
should be able to make sure of shooting them through the
back of the head.

Measurements. — British Museum : a snub-nose, 17 ft. 4 ins. ; a
long-nose, 15 ft. i in.

240 BIG GAME SHOOTING

XVIII. GAUR [GavcBiis Gaums)

Native names: '■ Gaor,^ *■ Gaori-gaV ; generally, ' Gail,^ Chota Nagpur ;
^ Khulga,'' IVesteni Ghauts ; ' Karti,'' Mysore ; ^ MithaJt,^ BJwotan.

Gaur, or bison/ as they are usually called, are found in
suitable localities, from the Terai, through Bhootan, Assam
and Burmah, to the Malayan Peninsula and throughout Central
and Southern India, but do not extend to Ceylon. The 28th
degree of North latitude seems their extreme northern limit,
otherwise it would be difficult to account for their absence in
what appears to be such thoroughly suitable ground as the
Sewalik range and the lower slopes of the Himalayas north of
this limit, although elephants, whose food and requirements
are almost identical with those of the gaur, are plentiful there.
Hilly country, covered with extensive tracts of forest and
bamboo jungle, is the likeliest ground for bison, though they
occasionally visit the low ground at the foot of the hills, parti-
cularly when driven from the higher ridges by flies and the
want of suitable pasture. Bison vary much in their habits
according to locality ; their migrations from high to low ground
being mainly influenced by the rainfall (which regulates the
growth of grass) and the prevalence of flies in their district.
During the latter part of the rainy season, when the grass has
grown high and coarse and flies are most numerous, Sanderson
remarks that bison move into the thinner jungle at the foot
of the hills. Forsyth says that in Central India bison retire to
the tops of the hills at that season.

The general colour of an old bull bison is a dark brown, almost
black, with a light slaty patch on the forehead, a grey muzzle,
and the legs, from above the knees and hocks downwards, a
yellowish white, the inside of the forearms and thighs being
chestnut ; the head is particularly handsome, and well-bred-
looking, the high frontal which rises above the base of the

I There are no true bison in India, both gaur and buffalo having thirteen
pairs of ribs, while the true bison has fourteen pairs.

INDIAN SHOOTING 241

horns adding to, rather than detracting from, its beauty ; the
pupil of the eye is large, and of a pale blue colour. Jerdon
says the eyes are small. They may be in actual measurement,
but they certainly do not appear so. The muzzle is large, and
the ears broad without being coarse. The ears of an old bull
are often torn to ribbons from fighting. The horns of such
animals are rather rugged at the base, and the points are
chipped and worn ; but they are massive, have a beautiful out-
ward curve, and are light coloured. The neck is short and power-
ful, the skin rather loose, with curious wrinkles in it that give
the apuearance of a small dewlap, which the beast is really des-
titute of. Eehmd the neck the beauty of the bison vanishes.
The high dorsal ridge towering above the insertion of the neck
makes the shoulders look loaded and straight, and the neck
icself put on too low ; the ridge running down to the centre of
the back and there ending abruptly gives the quarters a dwarfed
and drooping appearance, though this is far from being really the
case. The tail is rather short and fine ; the legs are particu-
larly fine and clean, the hoofs being marvellously small and
neat for so large an animal.

The cows, less heavily built than the bulls, are of a coffee-
brown colour ; the dorsal ridge is not so much developed,
though it is still prominent ; the legs are white instead of yellow
— the writer heard an old bull described as looking as if he was
wearing gaiters. The horns are thmner and more upright ;
young bulls are very like cows, and mistakes are frequently made
when stalking herds, except by really experienced men. Old
cows look enormous, they are often darker in colour than young
bulls (in certain lights they look almost black), and are not
unfrequently shot by mistake. Of course if there is an old bull
in the herd to compare with them, there is little chance of
error. The best bulls are those that have been driven from
the herds by younger and more active rivals, and hencefor\vard
live alone. These solitary bulls are always the finest specimens,
and are consequently the chief objects of the sportsman's
ambition. It is a very curious fact that bison appear to be the

II. R

242 BIG GAME SHOOTING

only animals which regularly resign, or are ousted from posses-
sion of, a herd when they attain their largest size and most
powerful horns. Old stags will keep their hinds even when
their horns are diminishing from age. Sanderson says solitary
elephants are frequently young males waiting till they can
appropriate a herd ; but no sooner does a bison get really at
his best to all appearances, than he at once gives way to a
younger animal. The cream of bison shooting is naturally
stalking them on foot. Sanderson describes hunting them on
an elephant, a method which, of course, enabled him to bring
heavy rifles into the field without fatigue, and was of enormous
assistance in thick cover and in carrying the trophies ; but his
using the elephant to make the first approach must have con-
siderably detracted from the sport, although he discarded his
mount when following up a wounded beast.

The writer has had bison driven to him, on ground where
stalking was impracticable owing to the density of the forest,
and where the dryness of the season rendered tracking impos-
sible ; but there the fun only began when a wounded beast had
to be followed up, though it was pleasant listening to the
avalanche-like rush of an approaching herd, and amusing to
see cows come through an apparently impenetrable thicket of
bamboos, like harlequin through a trapdoor, only to stand
staring at a few yards distance with their noses poked out, an
expression of puzzled funk in their eyes.

But when the first few showers of the rainy season have
moistened the dry crackling leaves, and softened the ground
so that tracks can be followed, you should start in the early
morning so as to catch the beast before he is down for the day
(that is, before the sun gets hot, about 9 a.m. according to
Sanderson), and getting on the fresh tracks of a solitary bull,
follow him up. If your trackers are good, you should soon
begin to find signs that you are getting near him (the droppings
warm, &c.) ; you can then dismount from your pony which you
have been riding in rear, and close on the trackers with your
gun-carrier till they show you the beast. But whether your

INDIAN SHOOTING 243

trackers are good or not, it is quite useless for you to interfere
with them unless you have sufficient experience to do the
tracking yourself and let the men follow behind. You must take
it for granted they are doing their best ; the fact of their being on
a bison's trail will ensure their running no undue risk from care-
lessness, and if you interfere you only confuse and put them
out : therefore take Sanderson's advice, unless they wish you to
keep close to them, which they probably will not do, ride
your pony comfortably about one hundred yards in rear, till
they signal you up. You should then be either pretty close to
or within sight of your game. It is assumed that you have two
rifles, an 8-bore and a 12-bore, with round bullets ; conical
bullets are not to be relied on in jungle. Try to approach
within sixty yards, and get your first shot in with the 8-bore.
Should the bull bolt, run after him at once, whether you
have fired or not. Very likely he will pull up after going a
short distance and give you a chance. Aim well forward ; if
you break his shoulder you are more likely to get him than if
you take him too far back ; keep him in sight as long as you
can ; if he goes out of sight sit down and smoke a pipe or
have breakfast. In any case give him half an hour, then
follow up with your trackers, carrying the 12-bore yourself
and your gun-carrier the 8-bore. If the track lead into thick
stuff, send a man up the first tree you come to, and if he can-
not see the animal, work carefully on to the next tree in the
direction the track leads, though not necessarily on it. Work
clean through the thick patch in this way from tree to tree,
till you get to the far side ; never mind the trail inside. Should
you get through without seeing the beast, try to pick up the
trail outside, and if you fail in this go back the way you came
to where you lost the track, and try working through it from tree
to tree in another direction. If your lines have formed a not
too broad angle at the point you left the trail, and you cannot
track him outside, the bull should be within the triangle, and
if there are no more trees you must follow the trail. Should the
jungle happen to be ' Kharwee/ the stems of which are about

244 BIG GAME SHOOTING

as thick as your finger, growing about six inches apart and eight
feet high, you will find it exciting enough. The bull will
probably turn short off at an angle just before he lies down,
and if he means mischief will be watching his trail ; you will
then probably get within ten yards of him before you see him, in
which case you will be able to realise the sensations of a valiant
mouse hunting a man in a stubble-field. At this period in the
chase you will naturally have the 8-bore in hand again.
Presently the bull will either start up close to you, or you will
perceive a black mass on the ground. Your only course then is
to fire and lie down on the ground at once ; the smoke will
prevent your getting in a second barrel, and if the bull charges
the smoke he will gallop over you without seeing you. It is not
a bad plan to leave a man permanently up the first tree you
reach to watch till you have quite done with the cover, as he
will probably be able to see where the bull goes if he moves.
If the bull is wounded again in thick stuff and again lies down in
it, he is probably past doing harm ; but still it is advisable to
give him the time of another pipe. A man up a tree who can
watch the exact place he is lying in is invaluable. Natives at this
period of the chase, more particularly the inexperienced ones,
invariably get excited and lose their heads, offering to go in
and pull the bull out by the tail, and looking upon any precau-
tion taken as a sign of faint-heartedness on the part of the
sportsman. If the sportsman gives way to them and allows
them to accompany him in the final stalk, he will probably
get some fool hurt through disobedience of orders. The last
approach to a wounded bull in thick cover should invariably
be made alone, or with one gun-bearer, the rest of the men being
put up trees.

Solitary bulls, Sanderson declares, are not a bit more savage
by disposition than herd bulls, and the instances of their attack-
ing natives when unwounded are almost invariably due to the
bull being approached unawares within striking distance in the
midst of thick cover.

He narrates a case of a gentleman being killed on the

INDIAN SHOOTING 245

Putney Hills in 1874, but this was through incautiously following
a wounded bison into thick cover. In this case the beast went
on at once, after killing his victim in his rush. ' Only in one
instance that I know of has a wounded bison turned and
gored his victim. I do not even think the solitary bull is more
dangerous when wounded and followed up than a member of a
herd. I have seen both die without resistance, and both give
some trouble.' An officer on the Head-Quarters Staff at
Madras had a very narrow escape from a wounded bull a few
years ago, getting knocked down and only escaping by kicking
the bull in the face as he tried to gore.

Several writers have noticed that a stag sambur or bull
nylghao (apparently it is always a male) occasionally attaches
himself to a herd of bison, and that this follower is invariably
the wariest and most watchful beast in the herd. Forsyth
mentions a bull nylghao in company with a herd of buffaloes.
Sanderson states that the bison, after a sharp hunt, gives out
an oily sweat, and in this peculiarity it differs from domestic
cattle, which never sweat under any exertion. He also says
that herd bison retreat at once if intruded upon by man, and
never visit patches of cultivation in the jungle ; later on, how-
ever, he enumerates three varieties of cattle disease to which
they are liable, and states that they sometimes contract these dis-
eases by feeding in jungles used by infected domestic cattle. Of
course these two statements are not necessarily contradictor}-,
but the writer when shooting in the Western Ghauts found
both herd and solitary bison within a mile or two of villages, saw
their tracks on patches of ground cleared for crops in the
jungle, on one occasion found bison on the side of a hill over-
hanging a main road on which there was daily a certain amount
of traffic and near enough to it to see and hear the passers-by ;
and there was a range of hills, the plateau on the summit of
which was a kind of open down where the village cattle were
daily brought to graze, and there were a good many bison in
the densely wooded ravines and slopes. The writer had been
studying Sanderson's book before starting, as every sportsman

246

BIG GAME SHOOTING

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248 BIG GAME SHOOTING

should who desires success in the pursuit of bison, and was par-
ticularly struck by the tolerance these herds, at all events,
showed to the vicinity of natives.

In Assam, Chittagong and Burmah the natives own large
numbers of domesticated animals called ' mithun ' or ' gayal,'
which are very similar to bison in appearance, but are without
the characteristic frontal ridge, and are said to have a small
dewlap. Sterndale distinguishes these under the name of
Gavceus frotitalis, and quotes Dr. F. Buchanan Hamilton
and Professor Garrod's account from Mr. Macrae to the effect
that the natives recruit their tame herds by catching and
taming wild animals. But both Sanderson and Kinloch, who
have hunted in the districts where the tame gayal are numerous
for the express purpose of bagging a wild one, declare that such
an animal does not exist, that the wild animals in those parts
are the same as bison anywhere else, and that the peculiarities
of the tame ones are due to domestication and inter-breeding
with domestic cattle.

As regards measurements of heads, the same disappointing
practice prevails with bison as with buffalo, viz. : measuring from
tip to tip of the horns across the forehead, in addition to which
(with bison) heads are frequently estimated only as regards the
width of splay between the horns, without any reference to their
length and girth. This latter measurement is the more mis-
leading, as a deformed head with unnatural lateral sweep is
more valued than one with long massive horns which grow
closer together. The fairest measurement is length and girth
at base of horn only.

XIX. BURMESE WILD OY. {Gavaus sondaicus)

Native names: ' Tsoing, ^Burmah ; ' Banieng,'' Java ; {Sterttdale). Habitat :
Burmah, the Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Java. Blyth
says it is domesticated in the Island of Bali.

This animal resembles the gaur in many respects, having
the distinctive white stockings, but has no frontal or dorsal ridge.

INDIAN SHOOTING

249

Its horns are more like those of the gayal, but it has not the
dewlap of the latter, and it appears to be a much smaller and
lighter built animal than either gaur or gayal.

The old bull is black with white stockings and a white
patch on each buttock, the cows and young bulls being bright
chestnut. There is a stuffed specimen in the British Museum
which shows the difference very plainly. The only measure-
ments the writer has been able to obtain are those of the
horns.

Measurements

0 I 0 .3 [3.

Authority

3)o 0 i '^ ?i"Kl Remarks

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British Museum

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( From Java, Rowland Ward,
\ ' Horn Measurements '

Mr. H. B. Low, British Museum

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Mr. J. Can- Saunders

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Mr. H. B. Low, British Museum

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( ' Horn Measurements '

British Museum

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Mr. H. B. Low, British Museum

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XX. YAK {Poephagus g7-tinniens)
Native names : ' Donkh,^ ' Dhong,^ Ladak ; ' Butu/io7vr,' Hindi

Wild yak are said to be plentiful throughout Thibet, but at
present the Tartars watch their frontier so jealously that it is
almost impossible for Europeans to cross with any chance of
obtaining sport ; particularly as the sportsman's own Tartar
attendants would be the first to endeavour to frustrate any
ambitious schemes of exploration. It must be remembered
that, not only would they be held responsible by the Leh
authorities if anything happened to an Englishman, but, living
on the frontier themselves, they naturally like to be on good

250 BIG GAME SHOOTING

terms with their neighbours. The valley of Chang Chenmo,
north of the Pangong Lake, and the ground between the Niti
Pass and the Sutlej, are the only two easily accessible places
where yak may be met with. Beyond Chang Chenmo there
is said to be good ground on the Karakash, but to cross the
Linzinthung plains would require special arrangements, and
ponies would have to be taken instead of the ordinary tame
yaks on account of the scarcity of grass. An old wild bull
yak is a magnificent ^beast ; he is nearly jet black, with a little
grey about the muzzle and forehead. Though fifteen hands in
height, his legs are short and sturdy. The long shaggy hair
which droops from his body reaches down to his knees, and
sometimes almost to the ground ; and his huge swab of a tail
rather adds to than detracts from his beauty. The white tails
which are brought for sale are those of tame yaks ; a wild bull's
tail is such an unwieldy mass of hair that it is not at all the
sort of thing to have flipping round one's head on a hot evening.
Tame yaks have often a good deal of white about them.
Wild yaks with white patches have occasionally been shot, but
only cows as far as the writer can learn ; wild bulls appear
always to be black. The Tartars say that these mottled wild
yaks are hybrids between the tame bulls, which are turned out
to graze on the hills in the summer, and wild cows.

Captain Duff contributes the following interesting account
of a successful stalk after yak :

I was out one day after a couple of Thibetan antelope, and not
being able to get near them, was looking about to see if there was
any game farther up the nullah. Right away up the head of the
valley we saw a large herd of dhong, about twenty or more, with
a lot of young ones, and even at that distance we could distinguish
one much bigger than the rest. The next day, a heavy fall of snow
prevented my going out ; but on the third day, I started to try for
them. It was a long walk to get anywhere near the herd, and of
course, just as I was beginning to go a bit carefully, and take
advantage of cover, I put up three very fair Oves Amnion, but the
dhong did not seem to notice them, and the wind all through was
in my favour. A bit farther on I came across one of those beastly

INDIAN SHOOTING 251

kyang, which would keep running on in front of me till I could
get across the river at the bottom of the valley. When I got up
to where I expected to find the dhong, I found they had moved a
good bit higher up the nullah, and I could not possibly get nearer
than some three hundred yards from them. Leaving my gun-carrier
and a Tartar behind with strict orders not to stir till I fired, I tried
to crawl on with my shikari, but had to return before getting any
distance, the dhong meanwhile feeding farther away and going
up the hillside, thus making the stalk more and more difficult. I
had seen no signs of my big friend, and began to think I had been
mistaken ; but there was a fair-sized bull with the herd. I now
had to retrace my way for some distance, and get down to the
river again, so as to creep up under cover of the bank till I got a
hill between the dhong and myself. On reaching this hill, I found
I could not possibly get within shot, and could do nothing but
hide behind a large stone and wait.

I suppose I must have waited at least a couple of hours, when
there was a bit of a commotion among the herd, the babies all
running to the big ones, and I heard a funny noise which I could
not account for. In a few minutes I saw the big bull appear from
round the side of the hill, walk leisurely towards the herd, and
lie down. Just then three chankos came past me, and I came to
the conclusion that they had occasioned the scare, had been driven
off by the big bull, and had made the noise I heard.

I waited for another good half-hour, and had almost made up
my mind to crawl towards the bull in the hope that he would mis-
take me for one of the chankos coming back, and so give me a
shot, when up he got, but only to walk a few yards, and then go
down again and roll.

After a bit of this sort of play he got up again, and taking no
notice of the rest of the herd, began walking towards me.

There was a little stream at the foot of the hill I was on, and
the bull was walking quietly down the opposite bank, coming on
slowly, looking like a young elephant with his hair nearly touching
the ground on each side of him.

I waited and waited for him, till he got almost past me, and
within about sixty or seventy yards, and then he stopped, looking
down the nullah, and broadside on to me. I tried to get steady on
him and fired ; but he stood still, and my shikari said I had missed.
The ground beyond him was softish, and I began to be afraid I
had, and had not seen the bullet strike, so I fired again, and the bull

252

BIG GAME SHOOTING

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INDIAN SHOOTING 253

dropped in his tracks. I found my first shot had hit him in the
neck, and must have paralysed him, as he could not move his fore-
legs, though he could kick with his hind ones. My second shot
was a wild one, and had only broken a hind fetlock. The rest of the
herd ran in all directions at the shot, and then getting together,
made for the top of the valley. As soon as I saw that the big bull
could not get away, I started after them, and managed to get two
more bulls.

The big bull was really a very fine beast, his forehead covered
with curly grey hair. He measured just over 15 hands \\ in. as
he lay. I put a stick as upright as I could against his withers, and
measured to his heel.

In 1866 another sportsman managed to evade the Tartars,
and crossing the Sutlej beyond Niti, found a herd of eighty yak,
out of which he shot a bull and three cows, one of the latter
being piebald.

There is a quaint story from Nepal, that, during the war
between the Nepalese and the Thibetans, Jung Bahadur,
finding his army very short of food, referred the case to the.
chief priests in Khatmandu, who decided that yak were deer,
and not cattle at all, as their tails were different, and so might
safely be killed and eaten by the pious Nepalese.

XXI. BUFFALO {Buhalus ami)

Native namts generally : ^ Ban Bhains,' ' Arnd' the male,
' Ami ' the female ; in Bengal, ' Mains '

The buffalo is found in Nepal, and extends eastward through
Assam to Burmah. It is plentiful in the Sunderbuns, in the
Central Provinces, and in Ceylon, but is not found, according
to Sanderson, in Southern India. Forsyth gives 80° as the ex-
treme western limit of buffaloes in Central India, and says that
they are not found north of the Nerbudda river.

The wild buffalo only differs from the tame one in being
slightly larger and more uniform in colour (tame ones are of
many shades, and have often a good deal of white about them,
in fact albinos are not uncommon), and in having regular white

254 BIG GAME SHOOTING

stockings, which the tame ones may or may not have. The
horns are more symmetrical and larger. In the high grass
jungles of the Terai and Assam, buffaloes are generally shot
off elephants, and Kinloch notices ' the strong sweet bovine
scent ' emitted by a herd. In the Sunderbuns and parts of
Lower Bengal they are occasionally shot out of boats when
the country is flooded. The sport is described as magnificent,
but requires a fever-proof constitution.

In the Central Provinces, however, the ground is more open ;
there buffaloes can be stalked on foot, and Captain Forsyth
gives an account of a sparkling episode when shooting buffa-
loes from horseback.

When pursuing them on foot, the best time for sport is in
April and May, when a good deal of the grass has been burnt
and water is comparatively scarce. The best way of finding
the animals is to look for fresh tracks near pools of water, and
follow them up. The plan recommended for bison, of sending
the trackers on ahead, should be adopted if possible.

Captain Lamb gives the following interesting account of a
stalk:

I started up the river bed and found fresh tracks. After follow-
ing the track for a good way we came on a single bull feeding on
a grassy plain about half a mile in width, studded with a few
trees. Leaving all the men behind, I crept up on my stomach to
within about forty yards of him, and got behind a small pollard
tree without the bull being aware of my presence. I fired at his
shoulder with the 12-bore, and he fell over kicking on his back.
Just as I was going to give him another shot, a second and larger
bull rushed out from the long grass and attacked number one, who
was still kicking on the ground. He gave him a tremendous
punishing, bowling him over whenever he attempted to rise. I was
so astonished at the whole thing, that I simply stood and watched.
After a little while, number two seemed to think there was some-
thing wrong, and stopped to look round ; whereupon, I took the
opportunity of giving him a shot, which laid him on his back like
his fellow. Both bulls then got up and went into the long grass.
I followed number one, going very cautiously, as I was not quite
sure of number two's whereabouts. I came up with number one,

INDIAN SHOOTING

255

who was still on his legs, knocked him over again and finished
him with a shot behind the ear. I then went after number two
and killed him without any difficulty. The fight had been quite
knocked out of him.

Buffaloes appear to charge much more readily when hunted
with a line of elephants or from boats than when stalked on
foot. In the first case at all events the buffalo is generally
roused from his midday sleep, and attacked at close quarters,
when his temper is ruffled, while when stalked on foot he gets
such a severe wound when feeding (probably without seeing his

• He gave him a tremendous punishing' '

enemy) that the fight is knocked out of him to start with. Still
fatal instances have occurred, notably in the case of Mr.
Chatterton, of the police, who was killed by a buffalo in 1886.
Kinloch gives an account of a bull charging elephants both
before and after being wounded. When they have thoroughly
made up their minds to fight, buffaloes will, as a rule, carry out.
their plans most resolutely ; but wild ones, though in a less
degree, have the same kind of slow-wittedness that is so
remarkable in tame buffaloes. If a European rides past a
herd of tame buffaloes in some rather out-of-the-way district

256

BIG GAME SHOOTING

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INDIAN SHOOTING 257

where Europeans are scarce, some of the herd are sure to begin
pondering on the advisabihty of charging him, but before they
can make up their minds, the object of their attentions has
got beyond reach and they give up the problem. The
average size of a good bull's horns is about 40 ins. in length
by 16 ins. in girth, or about 8 ft., measuring from the tip of
one horn round the curve across the forehead and up the
other horn. It is somewhat unfortunate that sportsmen should
have selected this style of measurement, as it gives a poor idea
of the comparative size of horns.

Forsyth and Kinloch both agree that a front shot is rarely
successful against buffaloes, owing to the angle at which their
heads are carried and the enormous thickness of their chests.
Forsyth recommends hardened bullets, as he found two ounce
bullets of soft lead propelled by eight drachms of powder flattened
on their shoulders, pulverising the bone but not penetrating to
the vital parts. Williamson describes shooting buffaloes out of
boats in flood-time, and says that the point to aim at in this
sport is to get the beast into such deep water that he cannot
lower his head to use his horns.

As for using dogs for buffalo, Forsyth's experience with a
wounded bull was not a happy one ; he writes : ' The dogs
were now loosed, and bayed round him till he began to chase
them all round the field ; but as soon as our heads appeared
over the fringe of grass, he left them and charged down at our-
selves.' In spite of one of the dogs pinning him by the nose,
the bull made good his charge, knocking Forsyth's rifle out of
his hand and upsetting his companion.

XXII. SAMBUR {Rusa Aristotelis)
Generally, ' Sambur^ or '■ Maha '/ in Gurwhal, ^Jerow ' or ' Barasingh '

The sambur is found throughout the lower slopes of the
Himalayas from the eastern bank of the Sutlej river (Kinloch
points out that the Sutlej seems to be its boundary), and
extends all over India and Ceylon to the south, and through

II. s

258 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Assam and Burmah as far as the Malay Peninsula to the south-
east, wherever there are forest-clad hills. It does not ascend
to any great elevation, being rarely found above an altitude
of 5,000 or 6,000 ft. It seems to delight in heat, not, indeed,
of the sun, as it is as careful of its complexion as a gooral,
but of hot stony hills and stifling ravines covered with thick
forest.

Sambur appear to require very little water, drinking, accord-
ing to Sterndale, only every third day — a fact which the writer's
experience entirely confirms.

The general colour of the stag is dark sepia, the chin and
inside of limbs yellowish-white, and an orange-yellow patch
on the buttocks. The dirty yellow patch on the chin is some-
times very striking, and looks as if the stag had the skin of
a pale orange in his mouth. The tail is large, the hair being
coarse and very dark brown ; and on the neck there is a shaggy
coarse ruff. The ears are large and coarse, rounded in shape,
nearly black, and almost hairless. Sterndale calls the sambur
a noble creature, but compared with the Cashmere stag, red
deer, or wapiti, he looks an ugly, coarse, underbred brute.
The horns are massive, with a long brow antler and a bifurcated
top, and in good specimens are about 40 ins. in length ;
longer horns are obtained occasionally, but not often. As the
sambur is almost entirely nocturnal in its habits, it is most
commonly shot in drives, and in many places it is almost im-
possible to obtain sambur otherwise; but where it can be
managed, stalking is, of course, far better fun. The sportsman
should be on his ground just before daylight, and work slowly
through the forest at the edge of the feeding grounds, taking
the bottom of the hill if there are crops on the plain below,
or, failing these, the edges of the open glades in the forest.
Presently, if there are any sambur about, he will hear their
trumpet-like call, and, creeping on, see two or three dark forms
moving among the trees. In the grey of the morning it is
often very hard to distinguish a stag from a hind, and the
writer has on several occasions had to wait after viewing the

INDIAN SHOOTING 359

herd till there was Hght enough to pick his stag. Even in
broad dayhght it is difficult to judge the size of a stag's horns
as he stands motionless in the deep gloom of the forest, and
what little can be seen of them makes them look three times
their real size — the beam is so massive and the tines so long.
The stag, too, is such a big beast, standing nearly a hand taller
than a barasingh, that if seen in the open he looks as big as an
Irish elk.

If the sportsman fails to intercept any stags on their return
from their feeding grounds by working along the base of the
hill, he should next ascend the hill and try the cup-like basins
which are so often found near the summits. Sambur are very
fond of these spots, but a first-rate local shikari is necessary to
show the way to them, as there is often no sign of the existence
of such places from the foot of the hill, the trees appearing to
grow taller in them on purpose to hide them from observation
from below. The approach to them is often up a heartbreaking
boulder-strewn slope, which apparently continues to the sum-
mit. Up this the sportsman toils, thinking his shikari must
have lost his way, when suddenly he comes upon a dark cool
glen, and in it there is pretty sure to be a herd. The above
applies chiefly to the isolated hills which rise out of the plains
in Central India ; in ranges like the Sewaliks the best plan is
to walk along the top of a ridge, examining the ravines below,
and in the grass on the crest of these ridges will often be found
places where sambur have been lying down under the trees,
the form being carefully chosen so that the shade of the tree
will be over it during the hottest part of the day. Many
pleasant little incidents may occur during an early morning
stroll in the Sewaliks ; kakur, gooral, and chital afford tempt-
ing shots if the sportsman likes to vary his bag, and an occa-
sional bear, leopard, or tiger may be met with. One sportsman
met a tiger almost face to face just as he gained the crest of a
ridge. The man only had a light single-barrel rifle, so he wisely
refrained from attack under the circumstances, and, the tiger
being a well-behaved deer-stalking beast, the two passed the

26o BIG GAME SHOOTING

time of day and parted. Wild elephants, too, are not uncom-
mon in certain parts, so that altogether there is always a chance
of finding amusement. What fun there must have been in the
Sewaliks in the days of the Ganesa mammoth and the four-
horned moose-like sivatherium ! Their remains in the British
Museum make one's mouth water to think of them.

Among the larger ranges of hills in Southern India, the
best way of hunting is to send men in pairs before daybreak to
well-chosen positions to watch the forest, the sportsman with
one attendant taking a line of his own, and working on or
watching his particular beat till the sun is beginning to get
powerful and the animals have lain down for the day ; then he
should himself go round the different groups of watchers and
collect their reports. It is important that the sportsman should
go round himself and not depute the work to his shikari, as a
stag or a bear may often have been marked down to an inch
by the watchers and may be stalked forthwith, whilst if a drive
be decided upon the sportsman has an opportunity of studying
the ground and settling all the details with his head shikari on
the spot. Having gone round his sentries and withdrawn the
men, he should then return to camp for breakfast, order beaters
for any drives he has decided on, and about ii a.m., when the
sun is really hot and the animals marked down are likely to
be disinclined to move, and so enable the beaters and guns
to get into position, he should begin operations. All driving
should be done in the heat of the day, when the animals are
lying down ; trying to drive when beasts are naturally on the
move generally results in the game leaving the beat before the
men are in their places. Another great point to attend to in
driving is for the sportsman, if possible, to get up into a tree.
It may sound ridiculous for a man to climb up a tree in a
sambur drive, but he is far more likely to get an easy shot in
this position, as the deer will neither see nor wind him, he
commands more ground, and he runs no risk of heading back
the wary old hind which often leads the herd ; the chances
being that if he is rightly posted the herd will come right

INDIAN SHOOTING 261

under his tree. Another advantage is that, his fire being
plunging, he can shoot all round without danger to the beaters.
If two or three guns are out, it is more than ever necessary to
try to post them well up off the ground. Having settled him-
self in his tree, the sportsman should send his gun-carrier to
some tree or rock at least a hundred yards behind him, so that
the course taken by a wounded animal can be observed.
Tracking in jungle is often very difficult work, and a sharp
gun-carrier posted well to the rear will often save a lot of
trouble. In some parts of the Himalayas native shikaris de-
clare that they often shoot sambur by selecting a likely path
and improvising a salt-lick, after the fashion of Laplanders
when they want to catch their tame reindeer. (General Mac-
intyre describes the formation of a ' kar ' and his adventures
in watching one; he calls it a dirty way of killing ' jurrow.'

Though sambur occasionally throw out abnormal tines, they
usually carry only three antlers on each horn — a long brow
antler and two on top. The horns are generally shed about
the end of March, and are free from velvet about the beginning
of November. Major Ward's remarks about shooting small
stags are well worth quoting :

Remember that sambur are not prolific; they seldom have
more than one fawn, and that it is four years before the young
stag assumes his complete shape of horn, and that he has still
three or four years to live before he can have a pair of antlers
worth preserving. He has quite sufficient chances against his
attaining an age of seven or eight years, without having to run the
risk of being shot down by the rifle bullet whilst still in his im-
mature state.

Shooting hinds is quite unpardonable, the venison .being
not worth eating.

XXIII. HOGDEER (Axis pore inus)
Native name : generally * Para'

Kinloch aptly describes this deer as the rabbit of Indian
battues. It is a long-bodied rather heavily built beast on short

262

BIG GAME SHOOTING

legs with horns Hke a small sambur, the brow antlers coming
straight up from the burr at an acute angle without the hand-
some curve of those of the spotted deer. The stags are
reddish brown, their hair coarse and thick, their tails rather
long and exactly of the sambur type, their ears round, not
pointed like a spotted deer. When galloping through the grass
the hogdeer carries its head low, its horns laid back on the

Hogdeer shooting

neck, and its rump high. It
is found throughout the high
grass swamps at the foot of
the Himalayas and on the
islands and banks of the big

rivers. High grass and plenty of water are its chief requisites.

It expends through Assam to Burmah, and is also found in

Ceylon.

It is usually shot when beating the large tracts of grass in the

Doon and Terai with a line of elephants, and affords pretty

snap shooting from a howdah when better game is not expected.

The does will squat in the grass till the elephants almost kick

them up, but the way to get the best stags is to go well ahead

INDIAN SHOOTING 263

of the line on a flank, or, if possible, post yourself on foot so as
to command a nullah leading from one patch of grass to another,
or the dry sandy channel separating two islands. This, however,
is a matter of some risk, as, if hogdeer are plentiful, the firing
from the line becomes fast and furious, and unless you are on
an elephant the guns in the line cannot see where you are.
Shooting from a howdah is an art which requires practice, and
many a good rifle-shot on foot finds himself missing hideously
when he first tries shooting off an elephant. A very sound rule
is, never to put your head down on the stock, but keep it well up,
look hard at the beast's shoulder and see as much of its body
as possible over the muzzle of the rifle : the range is generally
short and nearly all misses go high. Shooting hogdeer from
elephant has been likened, with some confusion of ideas, to
shooting rabbits from a pitching collier in a gale of wind in the
Bay of Biscay.

Hogdeer are often put up when pigsticking ih grass, and
give capital runs.

Major FitzHerbert had a quaint bit of sport in 1874. He
slipped a brace of dogs at a stag and rode after them ; in his
own words :

The stag made for the river, and as the ground got more and
more open the bitch caught sight of him, made a rush and
soon got up to him ; she laid hold and pulled him over, but as the
dog would not help her, the stag shook her off and went away
again. When she came up to him again, he stood at bay with
head down and bristles raised like a miniature red deer of Land-
seer's, but broke away when I came up. Once he charged the
bitch and knocked her over : he stood at bay two or three times,
but I never could get a spear into him for fear of hurting the dogs ;
at last one time as he was breaking bay I came up, and he
charged me with such force as to break one of his horns clean off
against the spear ; however, I stuck him in the spine and rolled
him over.

The fawns are always spotted. The stags seem very ir-
regular in shedding their horns, and deformed heads are not
uncommon.

264 BIG GAME SHOOTING

XXIV. SPOTTED DEER (Axis vmctdattts)
Native names : ' Chital,^ ' Chitra ' ; t/te Stag ^ JhanW

xA.bout the beauty of the skin of this beast, the writer
heard a story of a man who was taking such particular pains to
preserve the hide of a stag he had shot that his companion
asked him what he wanted it for, adding, ' It's only a chital.'
' Yes,' returned the other, ' it may be only a chital on the banks
of the Nerbudda, but I am going to send it home, and it will
be a leopard at Northampton.'

The horns are of the rusine type, but the brow antler has
a more graceful forward curve than in the sambur, and the
anterior terminal point is always longer than the posterior.
Small false points are also frequently thrown out at the base of
the brow antler.

Chital are often shot off elephants, but the sport is not to
be compared to stalking them ; and as chital always seem to select
the loveliest scenery in the forest for their abode, a morning or
evening stroll after them is most enjoyable, or, if the heat is
too great to render a long walk pleasant, a shot may often be
obtained in the evening by watching a glade where the young
grass is springing up after a foiest fire. There must, however,
be water in the vicinity, as chital are rarely found at any great
distance from it.

The peculiar call of the chital can be heard for a long
distance, and is a common hunting signal among many jungle
tribes. If a chital is heard repeatedly calling in one spot, it is
generally a danger signal, and means that a tiger or panther is
on foot.

Unlike hogdeer, chital often go in large herds, each herd
being owned by one big stag, though there may be many
smaller stags in it.

The horns are shed annually but very irregularly, stags
without horns, in the velvet, and with matured horns, being
often met with in the same day. This is attributable to the

INDIAN SHOOTING 265

deer breeding all the year round instead of having a definite
rutting season, the shedding of horns varying with the age of
the stag. This is more noticeable in the forests along the foot
of the Himalayas than in Central India, where, though still
irregular, the bulk of the stags have their horns ripe in January
and shed them about July,

Jerdon was of opinion that there were two species of spotted
deer, the smaller of the two being found in Southern India ; but
Sterndale quotes McMaster to the effect that the spotted deer
found in Orissa are more than usually large. As far as the
writer has been able to judge, the stags in Central India have
finer heads than those in the Doon and Terai.

When stalking in forest the sportsman should bear in mind
that if he comes suddenly on game his best chance of avoiding
detection is to stand motionless. If he attempts to crouch the
movement will draw attention at once, whereas if he stands still,
and his clothes are of the right colour, he may very likely be
mistaken for the stump of a tree.

XXV. SWAMP XiY.Y.'S^ {Rucervus Dtivaucelli)

Native names: ' Gon,^ ' Gond,^ ' Barasingka,'' ' Maha^ ; in Central
India, ' Gcen ' or ' Goenjak ' (maie) ; ' Gaoni'' {female) {Sterndale)

This deer avoids heavy forest and is nearly always found
in the swamps and open grassy plains near rivers. Colonel
Erskine, the Commissioner of Kumaon, writes of it :

I have shot numbers of these deer, but all in the swampy
Terai country in the north of Oudh bordering on Nepal, and in
that part of the Pilibhit district on the same frontier. I have never
heard of it much to the west of the Pilibhit district. I should think
Haldwani, at the foot of the Naini Tal hill, was well beyond the
western limit of the tracts which it frequents ; it is found in the
swamps and high grass on the edges of the swamps and rivers,
and on the islands in the rivers, along the forest country at the
foot of the Himalayas, from the places I have mentioned, east-
wards as far as Assam and Bhotan, and along the Barhamputra

266

BIG GAME SHOOTING

river down to the Sunderbands of Bengal. It is also known in
the Central Provinces near Mundla and along the tributaries of
the Nerbudda.

Kinloch says that it used to be found on the islands in the
Indus, but is now almost extinct there. By all accounts it
seems to prefer the neighbourhood of Sal forest.

The antlers of the swamp deer are peculiar. The beam is
rather slender, the brow antler very long, there is no median
tine, and at the top the head becomes almost palmated. The

Rucervus Duvaucelli

full-grown stag carries three antlers on the top, two of which
(the outside antlers generally) are bifurcated equally, as if the
antler had been split and bent outwards ; each horn having
thus six points, including the brow antler. Colonel Erskine
says that he has never seen a head with more than fourteen
tines, but Jerdon speaks of seventeen. In Schomburgk's deer
(an allied form found in Siam), all three prongs on the top are
bifurcated. The difference between the two varieties is very
noticeable in the British Museum, where the horns are placed

INDIAN SHOOTING

267

side by side. Stemdale says that in Schomburgk's deer the
tr^s and royal tines are equal, whilst in the swamp deer the tr^s
tine is longer than the royal.

In the high grass of the Terai and Assam, swamp deer are
generally shot off elephants, but in some parts of Central India
the ground is open enough to permit of their being stalked.
Forsyth gives a capital account of the sport he enjoyed while
hunting them in the Sal forests of Central India. Swamp deer
are gregarious, and Jerdon quotes from an article in ' The Indian
Sporting Review ' a case of three large herds being seen on one

Rucervus Schomburgkii

plain. The general colour of the beast is a light yellowish red,
paler in the winter than in the summer ; the under parts and
below the tail are white. The hinds are lighter coloured than
the stags, and the fawns are spotted. The stags appear to
shed their horns about March or April, as, Forsyth says, they
lose the velvet at the close of the rainy season ; he also says
that they shed their horns more regularly than the Rusince.
The following quotation from his charming book gives an
excellent account of their habits :

This animal has been called in North-Eastem India the ' swamp
deer,' but here (Central India) he is not observed to be particularly

268 BIG GAME SHOOTING

partial to swampy ground. These deer graze in the mornings and
evenings in the open valley, chiefly along the smaller streams, and
by springs where the grass is green, and rest during the day about
the skirts of the Sd.1 forest. A favourite midday resort is in the
shade of the clumps of Sdl dotted about the open plain, at some
distance from the heavy forest. They are not nearly so nocturnal
in habits as the sdmbar, being often found out grazing late in the
forenoon, and again early in the afternoon ; and I do not think they
wander about all night like the sambar. Their midday rest is
usually of a few hours only, but during that time they conceal
themselves in the grass much after the manner of the sdmbar. I
have never heard of their visiting cultivated tracts like the latter ;
nor can I learn that their apparent adherence to the Sdl forest is
due to their employing any part of that tree as food.

XXVI. BROW-ANTLERED OR ELD'S DEER
[Riueruus vel Panolia Eldii)

Native names : ' Thaniin,'' ^ Simgrai^

This variety of swamp deer is found chiefly in Burmah, but
extends from Munipur to the Malay Peninsula. Its habits are,
as above noted, the same as those of the swamp deer, but it is
rather differently coloured, being, according to Sterndale, ' of a
light rufous brown with a few faint indications of white spots,
the under parts and insides of the ears nearly white, the tail
short and black above. It is said to become darker in winter
instead of lighter, as in the swamp deer.'

The horns, however, are very unlike the swamp deer's. The
brow antler and beam, instead of forming an angle, are in one
continuous curve, Hke the section of a circle, the burr being
small and hardly seen. In rear of the top of the beam there is
a short snag, which Sterndale calls the royal tine, and on the
front of the top of the beam, which is rather flattened, instead
of regular tines like those on a swamp deer's head, there is a
collection of what look like false points. In a head in the
British Museum the left horn has thirteen of these little snags
and the right fourteen.

In Upper Burmah, Eld's deer are scarce, and the only way

INDIAN SHOOTING 269

to obtain them is to drive for them with beaters. In Lower
Burmah they are occasionally shot by lamplight, much in the
same manner as that described in Colonel Rice's book ; the
performance is said to be very interesting. The party (which
usually consists of a lamp-bearer, a man with an arrangement
of jingling bells and rings on a stick, the sportsman and his gun-
carriers) having assembled after dark, a fire is lit, and a kind of

Panolia Eldii

incantation gone through, everyone but the speaker being for-
bidden to utter a word. When the incantation is over, each
member of the party passes through the smoke of the fire in turn,
the guns are handed through it also, the lamp is then lit, and
the party starts, using the lamp, an earthenware pot with a hole
in its side, as a search light, while the man with the frame of
bells keeps up an incessant jingling On a deer being dis-
covered, the light is at once turned full on its eyes and kept

27©

BIG GAME SHOOTING

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steadily there, the jingUng kept going, with the result that the
deer is so dazed that it will often allow the party to go close up
to it before the sportsman fires. Both Eld's deer and sambur
may be shot in this way, and the writer has been told that
hares, and occasionally deer, will allow themselves to be
approached till they can be speared or knocked on the head
with sticks. This, of course, is not a very high class of sport,
but in many of the coast districts stalking in the jungles is
almost impossible.

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ordinary way, owing to the extreme smallness of the burr, the
back of the beam in good specimens touching the skull, and
because the brow antler does not form an angle with the beam
but is simply a prolongation of the curve of the horn.

XXVII. THE CASHMERE STAG {Cervus cashmiriamis)—ST'E.K^-
DALE, KiNLOCH. {Cervus Wallichii) — Jerdox, Ward

Cashmere: Hangal, Barasingh

This is the stag par excellence of India. A sambur has a fine
head and so has a swamp deer, but neither approaches in beauty
to a barasingh. A good stag's head is one of the trophies of
the Himalayas, but unfortunately it is getting scarcer year by
year. Sheep and cattle affect this deer but little, as they keep
more or less to the open downs and glades ; but the yearly
increasing herds of buffaloes that come up from the plains to
graze in Cashmere during the summer, at the very time that
the stags are growing their horns, are the real mischief-makers.
Buffaloes delight in plunging through dense forest, and they
and their attendants will clear the deer out of any valley. Un-
fortunately for the sportsman, buffaloes pay for their feeding in
taxes and produce, while deer do not. The best step as regards
preservation that the Cashmere authorities have taken as yet is
the creation of a Royal Preserve between the Sindh and Liddur
rivers, and if they would only exclude buffaloes from this tract
entirely it would form a real sanctuary, which would immensely

INDIAN SHOOTING 275

improve the shooting all round. At present, by allowing buf-
faloes to graze on it, they are depriving it of half its value.

In spite of all drawbacks stags are still to be got, but in no
quantity. Two good heads in a month's shooting are as many
as any sportsman can reasonably hope to get, and if one of
those measures 40 ins., whether with ten or twelve tines, he is
to be congratulated.

The general impression about barasingh seems to be that a
full-grown stag always has twelve points, but this the writer
believes to be entirely erroneous. I have hunted over some
of the best ground in Cashmere on different occasions, and am
of opinion that the number of points usually found in full-
grown heads depends entirely upon the locality. The stags
which do not leave the Cashmere Valley, i.e. harbour on the
hills overlooking it, and those that live to the south-east, often
run to twelve and sometimes more points ; while the stags
which harbour across the Kishengunga rarely run to more than
ten points. These stags appear to develop ten points very
early ; the poorest head the writer ever shot was a lo-pointer.
I shot a young stag with only six points once, under circum-
stances that gave no opportunity of previously judging its head,
and it had far longer and better horns than the above-mentioned
lo-pointer. Crummle and antelope heads are also rare. I
once shot a very heavy old stag with a most curious antelope
head, the horns having not a tine on them, and being twisted
more like a markhor's than a stag's. The old fellow was abso-
lute king of the valley, too, and not another stag dared answer
his challenge. It was very puzzling at the time. While stalk-
ing another stag which had called once among some thick
bushes but would not show, the old antelope head appeared
far up the hill, sauntering leisurely down, and challenging as
he came. Every deer within hearing seemed to hide from
him at once. There was a small 6-point stag with a hind
cowering behind some bushes about two hundred yards to
my right, while the deer that he had originally started after
were keeping hidden somewhere to his left, and the old chief-

276 BIG GAME SHOOTING

tain was coming straight towards him, singing his war-song.
Over and over again were the glasses laid on him, but nothing
could be made out. The body was that of a royal, but the
horns were short, with no antlers visible. Apparently he was
a bad three-year-old. What did it mean ? If he were a big
royal the respect shown him by the other stags was intelligible
enough ; but why should they be afraid of a beast like that ?
Fairly puzzled, I crept back to look for the stag I had
originally come dov/n after, which there was every reason to
believe was a lo-pointer. Not a sign of him could be seen,
but while pottering about in some long grass a pair of straight
horns suddenly appeared within forty yards of me. Confound
this brocket ! he has walked on top of me ; perhaps he may
just miss me ! No ! he comes straight on and looks me in the
face. Now the brute will drive everything away, so here goes
— and he drops in his tracks. A brocket ? Not a bit of it ;
twenty years old if he's a day, and his quaint old head is the
pick of the bag.

The general colour of barasingh is much the same as that
of red deer, but is rather greyer, and the white patch on the
rump appears a little larger. Sterndale says it has a white
circle round the eyes, but the writer has never seen anything
more distinct of this kind than a ring slightly paler than the
rest of the head.

The horns resemble those of the red deer, with the notable
exception that with barasingh the bez antler appears to be the
fighting one, and is always longer and bigger than the brow
antler, while with red deer the reverse is the case. Sir Victor
Brooke says its call is just like that of a wapiti, and quite
different from that of a red stag. * In the former it is a loud
squeal, ending in a more guttural tone; in the latter it is a
distinct roar, resembling that of a panther.' According to the
writer's experience, the full call is seldom heard till the rutting
season is at its height. When the stags first begin roaring the
call is comparatively short. Ward's remarks on the subject
are well wordi quoting : ' The noise a stag can make when

INDIAN SHOOTING 277

" roaring " is much louder than would be imagined, and can be
heard at a great distance ; but very often, when the animal is
lying down, he only utters a prolonged moaning sound, which
is very deceptive, and unless frequently repeated, it is difficult
to find out the exact direction to follow.'

In the winter nearly all the barasingh are congregated in
the Cashmere Valley, but though the smaller stags come down
and are pretty easily found, the big ones will not leave the high
ground, where it is impossible to follow them (unless they are
driven down by an early fall of snow), until the young grass
begins to grow in March, which is the best month to get heads,
though of course the deer are then in poor condition. Ward
writes about winter shooting :

If it could be done, the plan would be not to decide to enter the
valley (i.e. Cashmere) until information of a really heavy fall in De-
cember or early in January had been obtained. The late falls of snow
do not drive the deer down. The hazel buds are swelling, and they
can graze on them ; the sap is rising in various bushes and trees,
and the deer can eat the smaller twigs, but an early fall forces the
animals into the valleys^ ... In the spring, when the snow is
melting, is, to my idea, far the best time, and I would sooner have
from February 20 to March 20 after the stags than all the rest of
the year. They are then down on the young green grass, and are
busily devouring the crocuses.

By the end of March all the big stags and most of the
smaller ones have shed their horns, and the deer collect into
large herds and begin moving off to their summer CLuariers,
those in the western corner of the valley going to the banks of
the Kishengunga river. The herds which strike the river at its
nearest point below Gurais cross it, and retire to the range of
hills on the southern border of Astor. Only a very few stags
cross this range, the bulk of the deer remaining on the Cash-
mere side. The deer on the northern and eastern sides of the
valley retire to the slopes of Haramook and the high ground
south of the range which separates Cashmere from Dras and
Sooroo, but do not appear to cross it. The farther east one goes
from Srinugger the less the deer appear to migrate, merely

278 BIG GAME SHOOTING

retiring to the heads of the valleys. The altitude of the birch
copses just above the limit of the pines is what ihey seek, and
this they can find close at hand on the north and east of the
valley, but they have to travel some distance to it on the west.
About September i the horns should be nearly free from velvet,
and as a delicious wild black currant ripens at the same time, "
the shikaris associate the two. Up to September 20 the old stags
are either alone or accompanied by a youngster who acts as fag,
and they are not easy to find ; in fact, as a rule, shikaris declare
that it is useless trying to find them. But when the sportsman
knows, from seeing tracks, that there are big stags on the ground,
and the heads of the valleys (not the calling grounds) are the
places to look for them, then, by carefully watching some glen
where tracks have been seen, particularly just about 8 a.m. when
the sun is getting hot, a stag may often be discovered as he
rises from where he had lain down shortly after sunrise. He
is about to move to a more sheltered spot to spend the day —
and it is so satisfactory to have a stag or two to one's credit before
they begin to call. Unfortunately it is not always possible.
Some of the best valleys during the calling season do not hold
stags before that season begins, as the deer move on to them
just then, and very often leave immediately afterwards. Good
local information is absolutely necessary, and a shikari who
does not know every soiling pool, every deer-path, or likely
copse for a stag to lie up in is useless.

The calling season generally begins about September 20,
and varies according to the weather, and also according to the
moon. Fine hot weather and a full moon about the 20th
mean that every stag in the place will be calling freely. Wet
cold weather and no moon mean the reverse, the weather
having more effect than the moon. The idea of the stage of
the moon having any effect may be considered fanciful, but if
it is taken into consideration that the stags usually begin calling
at night and almost invariably fight their battles for supremacy
then, it follows that the light of the moon is a decided advan-
tage. A good set-to between two old barasingh stags would be

INDIAN SHOOTING 279

a grand sight. The writer once came across a battle-field, but
too late to witness the fight, and the way the turf was ploughed
up bore testimony to the severity of the struggle. The
rutting season appears to be initiated by the hinds ; at least
I have observed that the short bark of the hinds is usually
heard some days before the roar of the stags, and have seen a stag
come best pace out of the forest in answer to a hind's call in
the early morning, before a stag's challenge had been heard on
the ground. It is most amusing to watch a young stag calling,
the way he swaggers before his lady-love, tearing up the turf
with feet and horns as if nothing could drive him from her,
till his challenge is answered by a deeper note, when the
youngster curls up at once, flees for his life to the thickest scrub
he can find half a mile away and cowers among the bushes,
while his mate in the most matter-of-fact way at once attaches
herself to his lordly rival, who comes swaggering easily along
the hillside with the sunbeams glancing from the burnished
points of his glorious antlers. A small calling stag should
never be disturbed, as he almost invariably draws out a better
beast. Great care, too, should be taken not to frighten away
unattached hinds anywhere near a calling ground. If left alone
they will sooner or later be joined by stags, though occasion-
ally hinds will run from a stag just as if they had scented a man.
The writer on one occasion was watching a hind and calf fieeding,
when they suddenly galloped off, and presently an old stag came
trotting down the hill grunting his displeasure and following
their scent like a hound, till, coming within range, he paid the
penalty. Probably owing to the scarcity of hinds, even the
best stags appear never to be able to collect more than two or
three, not counting calves, which seem always to run with their
dams for a year.

Old writers talk of stags calling all day long. This may
have been so years ago ; now-a-days they rarely call after 9
A.M., and do not begin again before 3 p.m. at the earliest.
I once heard a grand chorus in the early morning. Five
different stags were calling at the same time, but as they

28o BIG GAME SHOOTING

seemed to be more or less afraid of one another and kept per-
petually on the move, I never got a chance at one of them.

To be successful with stags during the calling season, the
sportsman should be on his ground as soon as it is light. The
stags are moving about all night, and soon after sunrise they
retire into the forest, where, unless they keep on calling, it is
almost impossible to find them. This, of course, refers to the
•open ground at the top of the hills. Ward prefers the lower
ground in the pine forest, from 8,000 to 9,000 ft. above the
sea level, as he says the stags there seem to settle down into
certain spots and remain there for days together. The writer's
own experience is that the upper ground is best when the stags
first begin calling, as they all seem to collect there, and that
later on, about October 1, when there has often been a slight
snowfall on the top of the hills, and the frost at night is begin-
ning to tell, the stags should be followed down into the forest.
Bi4t as different valleys vary so much, according to whether the
■deer remain in them during the winter or are merely passing
through, no general rule applies to all. Hunting the upper
ground as long as the stags are on it is undoubtedly far
pleasanter than creeping about in the forest down below, and
in the gloom of the pines the chances are very much against the
stalker. Stags may occasionally be shot by waiting for them
at some favourite soiling or drinking pool, and it is by no
means a bad thing to try if the pool is in thick forest and some
distance from other water. The most likely time to see any-
thing is about 4 P.M., when the deer begin to draw out.
AVaiting over salt-licks and water at night is an abomination,
like all other night shooting. As a rule, you do more harm
than good by disturbing the ground, and if you do get a shot
and hit (no certain matter even in the brightest moonlight),
unless the stag is dropped on the spot you run a very great
risk of losing him. Barasingh are very tough beasts, and an
ill-placed bullet is not much use. It is very difficult to know
what to do when (as often happens) the stags will not call till
just before dark. If this happens among the pine forests, any

INDIAN SHOOTING

281

attempt at night shooting is almost
sure to end in faikire ; and even on
the high open ground the chances are
so much against the sportsman that
it should only be tried if every other
plan fails. Patient tracking and
watching over likely glades for a stag
to draw out on- are far more effective
in bringing eventual success. The two
main points to be remembered during

A- stalk

282 BIG GAME SHOOTING

a stalk are, first, to try and get a clear chance at about sixty
yards, and not creep up too close to the stag before firing ;
secondly, to avoid going straight downhill on to a stag. A
stone dislodged, a pheasant or musk deer disturbed, will be
sure to start him off. On the other hand, if the stalker is
moving down sixty or seventy yards to one side, any slight
contretemps does not necessarily spoil his chance of a shot.
Every native shikari, if conducting a stalk, will try to land his
master between the beast's horns if possible. As soon as he sees
a stag, he will begin to try to point him out, with the result
that before his master can get his wind and take any aim to
speak of, the beast is at full gallop down the hill. The second
point never enters into a native's calculations at all. Ward says
that natives can imitate the call, and draw stags, but systematic
calling as practised in the Tyrol is practically unknown in
Cashmere, and a proficient in the art would undoubtedly have
success. The point to aim at in caUing is to pitch your note
a little weaker than the answering stag, so as to give him confi-
dence in accepting the challenge.

The stags generally cease calling towards the'end of October
(Ward says 20th), and after that there is little chance of getting
sport till the snow drives them down, or, failing an early fall,
till the spring.

Major Ward says a well-shaped lo-point head of 40 ins.
should not be despised, but the majority of heads shot, according
to the writer's experience, do not average more than 37 ins. ;
40 ins. and over being exceptional heads.

XXVIII. THE SIKKIM STAG {Cerviis affiitis vel Wallichi)

Native name : ' Shou. ' Habitat : Eastern Himalayas ; Thibet, in the
Choombi Valley, on the Sikkim side of Thibet {Sterndale)

None of the heads of this variety in the British Museum
have more than ten points. Their colour, according to Jerdon,
is a fine clear grey in winter, with a moderately large disc j pale
rufous in summer, quite different from the rich mouse colour

INDIAN SHOOTING 283

of the barasingh. Hodgson's description of the horns is most
accurate, the flatness of the brow antlers is very marked.
' pedicles elevate ; burrs rather small ; two basal antlers, nearly
straight, so forward in direction as to overshadow the face to
the end of the nasal ; larger than the royal antlers ; median or
royal antlers directed forwards and upwards ; beam with a ter-
minal fork, the prongs radiating laterally and equally, the inner
one longest and thinnest.' There is an enormous head in the
British Museum, the two brow antlers of which bend down-
wards on each side. As in the case of the barasingh, the second
brow antler, or bez, is always longer than the first.

As regards the allied maral stag of Persia and Turkestan,
Major Cumberland, in his letters published by ' Land and
Water,' 1891, writes that the Turkestan name for the stag is
' bogh^,' the hind being called ' maral.' This deer resembles
the red stag, in that the brow antler is longer than the bez, and
the crown is more of the wapiti type.

Another variety, with horns also of the wapiti type, Cervus
Eustephamis, was discovered by Mr. W. Blanford in the Thian
Shan mountains. He describes this variety as also having the
brow antler longer than the bez.

XXIX. MUSK DEER {Mosckus moschiferus)

Generally * Kastura ' / Garwhal and Kumaon, ' Bena,^ ' Masaknaba ' ;
Cashmere, * Roos,^ ' Fous '

This little deer is found all over the hills above an altitude
of 7,000 or 8,000 ft., except in Ladak, though it is said to be
plentiful in Thibet, beyond the frontier of Nepal.

Cover of some sort, bushes or timber, seems necessary for
it, and the want of this is probably the reason it does not
extend to Ladak. Except that district, every shooting ground
of the right elevation seems to hold musk deer ; and as, particu-
larly in the autumn, they are excellent eating, a chance with a
light rifle is well worth taking advantage of, unless in too close
proximity to better game. The musk deer has no horns, but

384

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British Museum
Lord Northbrook

Dr. Campbell, British 1

Museum . . . I
Dr. Jerdou quotes a |

head . . . )
Mr. B. H. Hodgson,

British Museum
Hume Collection, 1

British Museum . 1
Col. Tanner
British Museum
Rowland Ward .

Sterndale, 'Mammalia'

British Museum

Mr. E. Buxton .

Hume Collection, [
British Museum . i

Major Cumberland .

Mr. Blanford, ' Scien- '
tific Results^ Second •
Yarkand Mission' .

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the male has two deUcate curved tushes, growing down from the
upper jaw, which are often over three inches in length outside
the gums ; these tushes being the only distinguishing mark
between the sexes, it is very hard to tell them apart at a dis-
tance.

The hair of the musk deer seems always loose, and comes
out readily. A musk deer just grazed by a bullet (by no means
an uncommon occurrence with so small a beast) seems to vanish
in a cloud of hair. The male has an abdominal gland contain-
ing more or less musk according to the season, it being fullest
during the rutting season in the winter ; this pod is valuable
(a good one is worth Rs. 5 in the jungle), and leads to the musk
deer being so mercilessly snared and hunted by natives that
in many districts they are almost extinct. Pine martens, wild
dogs, leopards, eagles, all seem to prey upon the unhappy musk
deer, and if it were not that they breed far more rapidly than
other deer (according to Hodgson being able to procreate before
they are a year old), they would have no chance of existence at
all.

When a musk deer has been killed the pod should be cut
ofT in the presenf e of the sportsman, and hung up in his tent to
dry ; if the shikari is allowed to meddle with it, he will pro-
bably extract the musk, and iiU up the pod wath rubbish.
Another very common trick is for the shikari to present his
master with the buck's scrotum, and keep the pod for himself

Musk deer are generally found alone or in pairs, and as they
keep a great deal to their particular bit of ground, if one has
been seen and not fired at the sportsman may nearly always
rely upon finding it again near the same place. When startled
this deer gives a low hiss, and as it seldom runs far without
stopping to gaze, it generally affords an easy shot. Musk deer
are occasionally a nuisance on barasingh ground, and the writer
once lost a shot by putting up one of them just as he was get-
ting up to a stag which was calling in the forest.

Measurements. — Sterndale gives length about 36 ins.,
height about 22 ins. Major Ward, height about 22 ins.,

288 BIG GAME SHOOTING

weight from 25 lbs. to 30 lbs. Colonel Kinloch says it does not
stand more than 20 ins., Jerdon 22 or 23 ins.

In Garwhal and Kumaon musk deer appear to be bigger
and heavier than in Cashmere.

XXX. BARKING, OR RIB-FACED DEER

( Cervulus Aureus, vel Muntjac)

' Kakur,'' generally throughout the Himalayas ; ' Ratiua,'' in Nepal and
neighbouring states ; ^Juttgli Bukra,' tn Central Provinces ; '■Munt-
jac,'' Sundanese

This deerlet is found pretty generally throughout India,
Burmah, Ceylon and the Malay Peninsula, wherever there are
fairly high hills covered with forest. Thick cover and plenty
of water seem essential to it.

Kakur are not gregarious ; they are generally found in
pairs, each pair seeming to keep pretty much to its own
particular ravine or patch of jungle. They will often live close
to villages, and feed on the crops at the edge of the jungle ;
they rarely venture far into the open, and invariably live close
to water. Their general colour is a bright golden bay, with
the lower parts white ; the tail is rather long, and as the deer
when galloping carries his head low and cocks his tail up, he
forcibly reminds one of an old buck rabbit. The buck has
horns about five inches long, set on bony pedicles about
three inches high, which are covered with longish hair. In
good specimens there is a small brow antler of about one inch
in length, and the tips of the horns should be curved back
enough to permit of the head being suspended from a cord by
the hooks. The V-shaped creases on the face, from which it
derives its name of rib-faced, are dark brown, and there is a
dark line up the front of each pedicle. The horns appear to
be shed annually. The buck has a pair of sharp stout tushes
in the upper jaw, of which he can make very good use. Ward
laments the loss of a valuable terrier which was killed by a
wounded buck, so that it is advisable to be careful in handling

INDIAN SHOOTING 289

one. The kakur has a pecuHar resonant call, like the hoarse
bark of a dog, which can be heard for a long distance ; and as
the buck frequently keeps on barking for some time, it will
often betray its locality to the sportsman — its locality certainly,
but not much else. The stalk is enlivened with song till just
the critical moment, when a glimpse of the performer would
be so desirable ; then usually comes a dead silence — possibly
the buck is waiting for the applause you so ungraciously with-
hold— no sign of the songster, look as you will there is nothing
to be seen but bushes and stems of trees ! Suddenly out of
emptiness appears a flash of red surmounted with a brilliant
white scut, and a derisive bark, in answer to your snap-shot,
proclaims your defeat. Moreover, it behoves one to be wary
when stalking a barking kakur ; he may very possibly be
barking at a panther, or even in some localities at a tiger, and
it is as well to be careful that you do not entertain — not quite
an angel unawares. Jungle warnings, such as monkeys swear-
ing and the alarm notes of peafowl and deer, should never be
lightly disregarded.

Occasionally kakur make a curious clicking noise, pro-
bably, as Kinloch suggests, with the tongue, which is very
long. The writer has watched a kakur walking quietly down a
sandy river-bed, cHcking all the way at intervals ; here certainly
the hoofs could not have made the noise in sand. That buck
was shot, and as the writer saw another single kakur several
times afterwards not far from the same spot, it has struck him
that the clicking noise might possibly be a low call from one
of a pair to its mate.

In Garwhal the natives occasionally call kakur, using a split
ringal cane, and making a call very similar to that used in
the Tyrol for roe deer ; but the writer's experience of this class
of sport is that one may sit and pipe for a long time before
anything comes. Having the covers driven is also poor fun if
there is only one gun, as the deer will rarely come right, almost
always breaking back ; and by far the pleasantest and best way

II. u

290

BIG GAME SHOOTING

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of getting kakur is by strolling through the forest in the early
morning and evening when, if there are any about, the sports-
man is pretty sure to see or hear them.

XXXI. THE LARGE WILD SHEEP OF INDIA

{^Oves Poll, Amnion, 6^c.)

In Central and Northern Asia tliere were at one time no fewer
than eight recognised varieties of giant wild sheep, viz. O. Foli,
O. Karelini, O. Heinsi, O. mgrimontafia, O. Amnion, O. Hodg-
sonii, O. Brookei, O. nivicola.

Mr. W. T. Blanford, however, after inspecting a magnifi-
cent collection of heads, made by Hon. C. Ellis, which exhibit
every gradation of curve between the two extreme types, de-
clared in his paper to the Zoological Society in 1884 that he
considered O. Foli and O. Karelini to be practically the same
species, and the formidable list may be further reduced from
a sportsman's view b) massing the varieties into three broad
types, viz :

1. O. Foli with its little known varieties, O. Heinsi, and
O. nigrimontana ; for though these appear to differ somewhat
in size {O. nigrimontana being a comparatively small animal),
their horns are of the same wide-spreading type.

2. O. Amman, O. Hodgsoniiz.n^O. Brookei ; the difference
between the first two is very trifling, and O. Brookei is con-
sidered by some authorities to be possibly a hybrid between
O. Hodgsonii and O. Vignei (Shapoo).

3. O. nivicola, which more nearly resembles O. moritana
(the Bighorn of the Rocky Mountains).

The first type is found, according to M. Severtzofif, only in
Turkestan, from the Pamir through the Thian Shan range as far
eastwards as Tengri Khan ; its varieties being located as fol-
lows : O. Heinsi m. the Tockmack district west of Tengri Khan ;
O. nigrimontana in Karatan, near Samarcand.

The second type is not found in Turkestan. Its range is the
Altai from Tengri Khan as far eastward as the sea of Baikal,

u 2

292

BIG GAME SHOOTING

and then southwards by the sources of the Hoang-ho and
Yang-se-kiang rivers down to Ladak and the southern frontier of
Thibet.

The third type is found in Kamtchatka.

No. 2, intermediate type

No. 3, extreme type, Ovis Karelini

In colour all these sheep are much the same ; generally
a rather rich greyish brown fading to greyish white towards the
tail and belly, with, in the ram, a greyish white ruff on the
neck. This is the chief distinguishing mark of a ram Ovis Amnion

INDIAN SHOOTING

293

at a distance, the ewe having a brown neck ; in fact, the ram
looks as if his thoughtful spouse had insisted on his wearing a
white comforter for fear of catching cold. The horns of the
ram, large as they are, are of such a pale colour as to be hardly
distinguishable in certain lights" at long distances. The Ovis
Poll appears to have little or no ruff, but has a dark line down

Ovis Ammon

Ovis Nivicola

the back, which the Ovis Amnion has not, and has also a
more clearly defined white anal disc.

Old rams of the Ovis Ammon are by no means easy to
bring to bag. The bare open downs they live on afford little
or no cover for a stalk ; the wind in Ladak, piercingly cold as
it is, seems to take a delight in blowing from all points of the

294

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compass in turn, especially if there are any clouds about ;
the rams themselves are particularly wary and keen -scented,
and the least suspicion of danger will set them marching
steadily across country for miles without stopping. In the
summer, like most hill animals, the old rams leave the ewes
and young ones and form small flocks by themselves, selecting
favourite valleys to which they repair year after year, and being
rarely found on the same ground as the ewes at that season,
i.e. after the middle of June. I have, however, seen a flock of
five rams and ten ewes together as late as June 1 1 and secured
a big ram out of it. Ward's remarks about hunting Ovis
Amtnon are worth quoting :

Stalking in Ladak is very often a matter of time. Many of us
will march for a month to get on to Ovis Amnion ground, and yet
will not consent to wait a few days after the game is sighted.
Naturally, in a country where the hills are devoid of cover, the game
is often seen on spots where it is useless trying to approach it ; but,
if watched for a few hours, it is almost certain to graze its way into
a more favourable position. Avoid going after game on gusty and
cloudy days, and exercise patience, remembering that you have
probably marched some hundreds of miles to obtain a few shots,
and one or two days' more or less work can make but little
difference.

Even supposing the sportsman to have everything in his favour,
wind, cover, and the rest, there are pretty sure to be some
kyang about, and these once disturbed, good-bye to the oves.
The writer had once been watching two fine old rams from
early morning till 2 p.m. before the wind would let him attempt
the stalk ; he had got within a quarter of a mile of the rams with
absolutely nothing to do but walk straight on up to them, when
suddenly a brute of a kyang jumped up from behind a rock
where he had been lying hid, galloped straight up the valley
past the oves, found seven devils worse than himself, brought
them all back to show them the quaint manners of an infuriated
man with a gun, and concluded the entertainment by galloping
round and round him out of shot. The oves naturally took

INDIAN SHOOTING 299

the hint, and not caring for an asinine circus, simply marched
off to the next county.

Large bags of ram oves are consequently seldom made.
Mr. O. Shaw got nine in 1877, including one of 47 ins. ; the
rest of the bag was, one bull yak, eight or ten burrel, one of
27 ins., eleven Thibetan antelope and one shapoo ; this was an
exceptional bag by an exceptionally hard working sportsman.

The native names for O. Poli are ' Rass.' ' Roosh,' ' Goolga '
(the male), and for O. Avimon ' Nyan.'

XXXII. BURREL {Ovis NaJmra vel Burhel)

Native names : ' Baral,'' ' Bariit ' ; in Ladak ' Napo ' the male, ' Namoo '
the female ; Zanskar, ' Snapo,'' "■ Snamoo ' ; on the Sutlej ' Wa '

Sterndale appears to have fallen into a curious mistake about
this sheep. He says : ' The name Ovis Nahura is not a felicitous
one, as it was given under a mistake by Hodgson, the nahoor
being quite another animal. I think Blyth's name of Ovis
Burhel should be adopted.' On reference, however, to Blyth's
account in the 'Proceedings Zoo. Soc. 1840,' it will be found
that he calls the animal generally known as burrel the ' nahoor,'
and says of Ovis Bttrhel, ' It is smaller and more robust than
the nahoor, with shorter ears and very dark horns, having no
white about it ; and general colour dark and rich chestnut
brown, with the ordinary black markings upon face, chest, and
front of limbs very distinct.' The specimen came from the
Boorendo Pass, but as no more specimens have been obtained
from that locality or elsewhere, it appears to be quite possible
that Blyth was misled by a native-cured skin. Discoloration
by curing is common.

The burrel has a very extended range, reaching from Ladak
on the west (it apparently does not extend into Baltistan) to
East Thibet, as Pere David found it in Moupin. Its southern
limit is the line of the Himalayas ; it extends up north to
the Kuenluen ranges, and was obtained by Prejevalski on
the Altyn-Tagh. It seems to require an altitude of at least

300 BIG GAME SHOOTING

10,000 ft., and many of the shooting grounds are quite
17,000 ft. above the sea-level.

Its general colour is a light slaty grey. The ram has black
marks on the chest, side, and legs, and these are the points to
look for in a distant flock to distinguish the sex ; the ram's horns
being of a very pale colour, are often hardly distinguishable.

The old rams in the summer generally live apart from the
ewes, and on some grounds, notably about Chumatung on the
Indus, the rams seem to take themselves off to separate valleys ;
usually they keep to another part of the same valley, and occa-
sionally intermix.

Burrel are quite the hardest animals to see on a hillside
unless they are moving ; their colour so exactly matches the
blue shale of Ladak, that when they are lying down a flock
may be easily overlooked by even a careful man with glasses.
Being pretty plentiful where they are found at all, and as a
rule, where not much shot at, fairly easy to approach, a visitor
to Ladak, if he works at all, must indeed have been behind
the door when the luck was served out if he cannot get a
few burrel heads. Ordinarily they are found on fairly broken
ground, and usually not very far away from rocky cliffs of some
sort ; they are capital climbers, no sheep better, and a wounded
ram is by no means an easy beast to recover. If a burrel had
only the horns of an ibex he would be the most charming
beast to hunt in the whole of the Himalayas. An old ibex
when he is shot stinks appallingly, and is practically uneatable.
A burrel on the other hand, no matter how old a ram he may
be, is always excellent ; his head, pretty trophy as it is, is his
weak point. The writer has seen burrel and ibex on the same
ground, though never actually feeding together ; a friend in
1866 saw burrel and ther feeding together between Joshimath
and the Niti Pass, and (ieneral Macintyre also notices this on
the same ground.

As with ibex, several shots can generally be obtained at a
flock of burrel before they get out of range, provided the
stalker keeps hidden ; but he should take pains to stop his

INDIAN SHOOTING 301

cripples, if he does not want a stififish task set him afterwards
in recovering them. Major Ward recommends using Baltistan
dogs, and if procurable, good dogs no doubt would be invalu-
able ; but the mere fact of having dogs out, unless they are
exceptionally good and led by a native of more than ordinary
intelligence, generally so multiplies the chances against a suc-
cessful stalk that one is better without them. English dogs,
he says, are useless among rocks and cannot stand the rarefied
air.

I remember having a capital day with burrel. I sighted
a flock of eight good rams in the morning, but could not
attempt to close with them till the afternoon on account of
four kyang who persistently kept in the way. At last the kyang
fed away, and after a longish detour the burrel, who were lying
down, were approached by my sliding down the hillside on my
back. Having got within fifty yards of one whose horns were
just visible, the expedient of shuffling among the loose stones
with the hand was tried to get him to stand up, but this only
brought the tips of an ear in sight by the base of the horn.
Another shuffle and the ram stood up, but only showed about a
couple of inches of the top of his shoulder. Foolishly firing at
this instead of at his neck, the shot missed, the whole flock
bolted at once, and a running shot with the left barrel also
missed. Reloading at once, the chase was carried on down the
hillside, and the burrel were again found, standing looking at
their pursuer about a hundred and fifty yards off. Picking out
the biggest ram, a shot from the shoulder rolled him over, but a
snap-shot at the hind-quarters of another disappearing down the
hill missed. Another run of about three hundred yards afforded
another chance, as when within one hundred and eighty yards of
the flock it again halted, and a second ram fell to the shot. The
rest went about three hundred yards and stood again. I
still followed, and at two hundred and fifty yards broke the
forearm of a third ram close to the body. By this time rest
was the first necessity, but after a short pause the wounded ram
was followed up and bagged with another shot. The first was ten

302 BIG GAME SHOOTING

years old, horns 25^ ins. by 14 ins. thick ; second eight years,
23 ins. by 12 ins. ; third eight years, 22 ins. by \o\ ins. Bad
shooting but good fun.

Amongst other varieties of burrel are the Barbary burrel
{Ammotragiis Tragelaphus), of which there is a skeleton in the
British Museum which stands 33^ ins. at the shoulder, and a
pair of horns measuring 26 ins. in length by 1 1 ins. in girth ; also
the Caucasian burrel {Capra Pallasi), of which there is a
specimen in the same museum, whose horns are 29 ins. long
by 12 ins. in girth ; but the animal looks more like a goat
than a sheep, having a rudimentary beard, and the horns are
more like those of Capra pyrenaica than Ovis Nahura.

XXXIII. SHAPOO {Ovis Vigiiei)

Native names : ' Shapoo ' the male, ' Shajiioo ' tlie female ;
in Asfor, * Oorin '

Shapoo and oorin, though by some naturalists classed as
separate varieties, may practically be considered identical ; the
writer has hunted both, and is unable to distinguish any dif-
ference in appearance or habits. The annual winter migration
of oorin to the Boonji Plain is probably attributable to the
snowfall in Astor being heavier than that of Ladak.

The only other difference (giving the result of individual
experience) is that oorin are not nearly so restless as shapoo,
being pretty regular in their feeding hours, and lying down
throughout the heat of the day. Shapoo, on the other hand,
are perpetually on the fidget. In colour they appear identical,
generally a pale reddish grey fading into white below. The
profuse black beard of the Ovis cycloceros is entirely absent,
the shapoo in his winter coat having only a short stubbly brown
beard, and in summer a dark line on the throat. The different
points of Ovis Vignei and Ovis Cycloceros are briefly as follows,
according to Mr. Sclater (' Pro. Zoo. Soc' i860) :

Rounded posteriorly.

Curving outward and backward.

Points divergent.

General colour, brownish grey.

INDIAN SHOOTING 303

Ovis Vignei 1 Ovis cycloceros

Horn rather compressed Much compressed laterally,
laterally. I

Much compressed posteriorly.
Curving outward and inward.
Points convergent.
General colour, rufous brown,
with blotch on flanks, and
lateral line blackish.
Beard short, of stiffish brown Beard profuse, reaching to
hairs. knees, black intermixed with

i white hairs.

The two varieties are much of the same size, but are entirely
ditferent in colour and habits. The horns of the shapoo are
generally more massive than those of Ovis cycloceros^ but the
horns of both so vary in type and so closely resemble those
of Ovis Gmelini from Asia Minor, that it is almost impossible,
except for a highly trained scientific eye, to decide from this
point alone to which of the three varieties a specimen belongs.
Shapoo seem only to be found in the valley of the Indus, from
a few miles above Leh down to the junction of the Astor river,
How far below that they extend the inhabitants of Chilas only
know, and they are not famed for hospitality or for com-
municating their knowledge. There appears to be a gap in
the continuity of the species about Shigar and Rondu, which
separates the shapoo from the oorin. The writer has never
heard of shapoo being obtained there, and it would be interest-
ing to know how far below Leh they are found. Shapoo seem
to be very fond of wild thyme, which almost invariably grows
plentifully on the ground they frequent. The venison is inferior
to that of either Ovis Amf/ton or burrel.

The ram shapoo is a very game-looking beast, and the
horns, standing well out from his head, show off to great
advantage ; but there is not an animal in the whole of the
Himalayas so vexatious to hunt. Markhor are bad enough in

304 BIG GAME SHOOTING

all conscience, but even markhorare less heartbreaking to deal
with than shapoo.

The writer once met a real typical shapoo, a true son of
Belial. The beast started out of a ravine, galloped as hard as he
could lay legs to the ground for four hundred yards, and then
calmly lay down to think. After about a quarter of an hour
he rose, strolled leisurely over a ridge, and then cantered off to
some rocks about three-quarters of a mile away, where he lay
down again. This necessitated a climb to the top of the hill,
whence, wind and cover being perfect, the stalk would be easy
enough. He remained there just long enough to enable the
pursuer to begin the easy part of the stalk, when up he got,
cantered gracefully back across the valley, and lay down on the
opposite hill, in another very tempting position. This move
entailed a detour, so as to cross the valley out of sight, and
another climb up the far hill ; half an hour was spent in reaching
the desired spot : but though from there a magnificent view
could be had of all the country round, there was not a sign of
the shapoo, and the ground was too dry to show his tracks-
Verily, shapoo are only shot when they give themselves away.

Shapoo are very tough beasts. The writer once regularly
raked a ram galloping straight from him at thirty yards ; the
bullet, from a "500 Express, caught him on the rump, and the
base of it was afterwards cut out in front of the liver ; yet the
ram ran some two hundred and fifty yards, stopped for about a
minute to look round, and then started off again at a gallop,
but after going a hundred yards fell over dead. The writer
remembers no other instance of an animal stopping to gaze in its
death gallop.

XXXIV. OORI AL ( Ovis cycloceros)
Generally ' Oorial,'' ' Kuch,^ in the Sulcitnan range

This sheep is found in the Salt range near Jhelum, and where-
ever there are any suitable hills on both banks of the Indus from
about Peshawur down to Beloochistan, where it is replaced by
the next variety, Ovis Blanfordi. The ram has a long ruff of

INDIAN SHOOTING

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grizzled black hair which, flowing from his throat and chest down
to his knees, emulates the grand beard of a markhor ; this
beard drops off in the summer, but begins growing again in
August, and is at its full length during the rutting season late
in September, which is about the best time for procuring good
heads.

Oorial, like stags, seem to affect particular spots at that
season, and certain hills which at other times of th^e year hold
nothing but ewes and young ones will just then invariably
have big rams on them. Oorial ground has hitherto been practi-
cally restricted to the Salt range, and a 30-in. ram there is*
now a rarity. The country on the right bank of the Indus is
being yearly made more accessible, however, and there are
large tracts of good oorial ground in that direction that are
as yet practically unshot. Oorial shooting, however, is by no
means a summer amusement, and there is little to be gained
then except dysentery from bad water and sunstroke by hunt-
ing the deep stifling ravines and almost red-hot stony hills.
In the cooler months it is most enjoyable. As a rule one gets a
fair number of chances, the ground being so broken that stalking
is by no means difficult. An old ram oorial is a fine game-
looking animal, and though not to be compared to burrel, is
still very fair eating. The best way of hunting them is by
walking along the tops of the ridges and carefully examining
the ground below ; as there are often a good many bushes on
the hillside, oorial are not always very easy to see, especially
if they are lying down, so the pace should be slow. The
natives of the salt range are generally expert trackers, and as a
wounded oorial is by no means an easy beast to recover, their
skill is doubly appreciable when following up a good ram with
a broken leg. The way they will carry the trail through the marks
of a flock of sheep or along stony nullahs and hillsides with per-
haps only an occasional spot of blood to help them, is quite
charming after the bungling attempts at the art one generally
sees displayed by the natives of the Himalayas.

As oorial are perpetually seeing shepherds and other natives

INDIAN SHOOTING 309

they do not become alarmed at the sight of man at a distance ;
but as they are a good deal driven about, especially by the cul-
tivators whose crops at the foot of the hills they feed on at
night, no liberties can be taken during the stalk, and the sides of
the ravines being often excessively steep, good noiseless stalk-
ing shoes are requisite.

XXXV. OVIS BLANFORDI

This variety is found in Khelat, and a few specimens have
been procured near Quetta. Its horns are described as being
longer and more slender than those of O. cycloceros or O.
Vignei, and as having a second twist outwards at the ends. It
has a white beard, unlike either shapoo or oorial.

XXXVI. MARKHOR (Capra megaceros vel Falconeri)

Native names :
Cashmere, ' Markhor ' ; Ladak, ' Rache ' ; Astor, ' Boom '

Whether this king among goats deserves his name of * snake-
eater ' or not is hardly likely to be settled. Shikaris all believe
that markhor do eat snakes, some going as far as to say that
they suck the snakes out of their holes, and swallow them like
macaroni ; and Colonel Kinloch supports the theory.

But though some hundreds of markhor have been shot by
Europeans, the fact has hitherto not been proved ; and the
writer ventures in all humility to suggest that the tale is derived
from some old legend, and refers, in spite of the Persian name
which may have become corrupted, to the long snake-like
horns.

Be this as it may, an old markhor swaggering along a ledge
on a precipitous hillside, with his long black beard and white
mane floating down to his knees, showing off every inch of his
beautiful horns — as no beast knows better how to do, except
perhaps a really big stag in the rutting season — is one of the
most glorious sights in the Himalayas.

The beast looks such a gentleman with his lean head and

3IO

BIG GAME SHOOTING

small ears, his powerful back and quarters, and his dignified
carriage. Alas ! it is all looks ! His smell is something fear-
ful, and manners he has none. Ibex and barrel can be trusted,
when they are lying down after their morning feed, at all
events not to move far ; but markhor, no. You may watch a
flock feeding till late in the morning, and they will lie down
comfortably, apparently for the day ; you begin your stalk with

The Astor markhor

everything in your favour ; suddenly there is a clatter of stones
and a cloud of dust, you peep over a spur, and see the whole
flock galloping wildly down the hill. After going half a mile,
they probably pull up, begin feeding again, and again stretch
themselves out on the ground as if nothing had happened.
This little manoeuvre probably necessitates your climbing pain-

INDIAN SHOOTING 311

fully back to the top of the ridge, and starting your stalk afresh,
the intervening ground being impracticable. Once more you
try, leaving a man on the top of the hill to watch and signal
what the beasts do. You stalk carefully on ; the watcher makes
no sign ; you creep on the last hundred yards, to the exact
spot you wish to reach, and there is nothing. You search the
ground as far as you can get, and there are only a few foot-
prints leading over impassable ground ; you climb back again,
probably the only way you can go, vowing vengeance on the
watcher, and he tells you that the markhor lay quiet till you
were beginning your last crawl in — every second he expected to
hear the shot : suddenly they jumped up and disappeared, and
owing to the steepness of the ground he could not tell which
way they had gone. This sort of thing will happen over and
over again, particularly in Astor.

Perseverance combined with good management always
brings luck in the end, but big bags of really fine markhor are
not to be expected ; one fair chance for each fortnight on the
shooting ground is a good allowance.

It is always a pretty sight seeing markhor move down to
their feeding ground in the evening from the crags above where
they have been lying during the afternoon. Full gallop they
come, sending the stones whizzing in front of them, over the
most break-neck ground as if it were a level plain ; rearing
up on their hind legs and butting at one another, a venerable
old fifty-incher probably playing with his great-grandson, a
young spark of only twenty ; the whole lot of them thoroughly
enjoying the frolic. Ibex will play, and prettily too, but no
beast appears so thoroughly to enter into the fun of a good
skylark as a markhor. The master buck of the flock, how-
ever, seems to keep the youngsters in pretty good order.
The writer was much amused once, watching a flock coming
down a particularly difficult cliff". The best buck led the way,
the flock following in single file soberly enough, the ground
apparently was not safe even for a markhor to frolic on ;
turning a comer, the old fellow came to a wall of rock that,

312

BIG GAME SHOOTING

after careful inspection, he did not think good enough to
descend, and he turned back to take another route. Just as he
made up his mind, one of the smaller bucks in rear evidently
chaffed him. The old fellow went for him at once, drove
him right up to the edge of the cliff with his horns, as nearly as

I. Cashmere

2. Astor

3. Trans-Indus

4. Afghanistan

Varieties of markhor

possible pushed him over, and then, with an air of great im-
portance, led the flock round his own way.

Hitherto most writers have divided markhor into only two
varieties, viz. the spiral and straight horned ; but the type of
horn obtained in Astor is so different from that in Cashmere,
and again that in Afghanistan from that in the lower Trans-
Indus ranges, that any sportsman can distinguish them at a
glance.

INDIAN SHOOTING 31.?

The writer has consequently adhered to Colonel Kinloch's
theory, that there are four distinct varieties of this goat, classi-
fying the two spiral types under the name of Megaceros, and the
two straight-horned types under that oi Jerdoni. In the British
Museum the name Falconeri is applied to all four.

The first variety of Capra megaceros is that found in Cash-
mere on the Pir Punjal and Kajnag ranges ; its horns make
occasionally three complete spirals, whereas the horns of the
second or Astor variety rarely have more than one ; and as the
horns are measured along the curve, it follows that a 40- in.
horn from Astor is far bigger than one of the same length
from Cashmere. The Astor markhor is also a larger animal
than the Cashmere one, often measuring a couple of inches
higher at the shoulder.

As regards habits, the Cashmere markhor is a thoroughly
forest-loving beast. He will come out to eat the young grass
on the upper slopes of the hill, but his real home is among
precipitous cliffs in the middle of forest, and well worth
watching those cliffs are when the sun first comes out after
heavy rain. If there are any markhor about, they are pretty
sure to appear and sun themselves.

The Astor variety, on the contrary, live almost entirely in
the open, only taking to the strips of forest when driven there
by the gadflies in the summer. In the winter they come down
to the cliffs overhanging the main streams, working up about
May, till they join the ibex, who never seem to leave the
higher ground. In June both ibex and markhor may be seen
feeding together. The writer saw a combined flock of nearly
one hundred beasts, male and female, in the amphitheatre at
the head of the Dashkat or Datchnar valley. Stalk them ? Of
course we tried, in spite of the long odds against one with a
flock of that size. There was a ravine leading up towards them,
which we reached all right by crawling on hands and knees
through some thick low scrub ; then we crept up the ravine
till it died away into open ground and found ourselves planted
within three hundred yards of the bead of the flock, some dozen

314 BIG GAME SHOOTING

buck markhor and ibex. There we lay for nearly an hour and a
half hoping they would feed towards us, and a capital oppor-
tunity we had of comparing the relative size of the beasts ;
the markhor with his superior height and length making the
ibex look quite cobby in comparison. Of course an old buck
markhor must needs feed ahead of the rest, well out of shot,
get our wind, and lead the whole lot at a gallop back to the
rocks on the far side of the basin. There the ibex stayed, but
the markhor went clean away over the crest of the hill.

In the evening, while we were watching the ibex in the vain
hope they would come down again, behold on the very line the
markhor had left by in the morning three male ibex and another
flock of markhor appeared descending into the basin. As the
markhor were coming down at a good pace we started to cut
them off. On came the markhor, which we recognised as a
flock we had been hunting all the previous week on another
part of the ground. A stiff climb took us near where we had
last seen them, and creeping on the shikari who was in front
came almost face to face with one, upon which the alarm
call began to sound furiously. A run forward only brought the
writer within sight of a pair of horns moving off about eighty
yards away, but while pushing on to get a shot, suddenly the
buck that had convinced us as to the identity of the flock by
his upright horns, came into full view broadside on at fifty yards.
He rolled over stone-dead to the shot, and as he was lying
doubled up with his head underneath him a gun-carrier was
sent down to him, while I ran on fast to try for another
shot. The rest of the flock, however, had vanished, and as the
chase was abandoned a noise was heard : looking round,
the spectacle presented itself of the beautiful 50-in. markhor
(such was the first impression ; in reality it was not quite
forty) slipping from the clumsy Cashmeree's hands, rolling down
the slope over one precipice, then over another, and lodging by
the greatest luck just on the top of a third ; the horns were sadly
scarred and chipped, but were fortunately not broken. Many

\

INDIAN SHOOTING 315

heads of both markhor and ibex get utterly spoilt in Astor by
the animals falling over cliffs when shot.

As regards Capra Jerdoni, the straight-horned markhor, the
first variety, with a perfectly straight axis to the horn, is found
all over the low ranges that run parallel to the right bank of the
Indus below Attock ; it used to be found in fair numbers near
Sheikh Budin, a small station near Dera Ismail Khan, and
in the hills, or rather the steep ravines, in the plateau behind
Dera Ghazi Khan, The country beyond these places belongs
to more or less inhospitable tribes and, for the present at
all events, is practically closed against the sportsman. Near
Quetta markhor are reported to be obtainable, and in
Beluchistan there should be a chance of getting Capra
cegagrus and Ovis Blanfordi as well as Capra Jerdoni.
Hunting straight-horned markhor is scarcely a summer amuse-
ment, as the heat is terrific on the low hills, and drinkable water
is extremely scarce.

The second variety is found in Afghanistan, another practi-
cally closed shooting ground. It appears to be a link between
the straight horn and the spiral, more generally approaching
the spiral in size of body and general appearance. As the
Astor variety probably extends some distance to the west of
Gilgit, and this second variety is found in Northern Afghan-
istan, it seems possible that its corkscrew bend may be more
pronounced towards its eastern limit and less so as it extends
to the south-west. The illustration on p. 312 gives the four
marked types.

Kinloch notes that markhor horns twist the reverse way to
those of domestic goats ; and the writer, after looking at many
hundreds of tame goats in India for the express purpose of
studying their horns, and after inspecting the heads in the
British Museum and other collections, is able to confirm the
fact that the horns of all wild animals that twist at all do so
outwards, while those of tame animals appear invariably to twist
inwards.

3i6

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XXXVII. IBEX {Capra sihirica)
Cashmere, ^ KaW ; Ladak, ' Skeen^ ; Fangi and Lahoul, ' Tangrol'

Ibex vary very much in colour according to age, locality and
the season. In their winter coats the old bucks, though looking
almost white at a distance, and showing up conspicuously among

C3''CjCS^raf'«»" ■

In his summer coat

the brown young bucks and females, are really very patchy
looking at close quarters, the head and part of the neck being
a sepia brown, the middle of the body generally yellowish white
with a dark stripe on the back, and the quarters again brown,
with legs of dark sepia. In the summer they are sepia-
coloured all over, the head and neck often darker than the body

INDIAN SHOOTING 319

— in fact, an old buck looks sometimes almost black at a dis-
tance ; the beard is thick and very dark brown.

Ibex are to be found pretty nearly everywhere in the
higher ranges of hills from Gilgit to Spiti, though they do not
appear to cross the Sutlej to the eastward of Spiti. To name a
particular valley would be only misleading. Favourite districts
soon get shot out as regards good heads, and the only trust-
worthy information to work on is that of the year previous. If
you get a good nullah, there is no sport in the Himalayas
more charming. Parts of the ground no doubt will test your
nerve as a cragsman, but it does not entail the perpetual climb-
ing of markhor and ther ground, and in April, May and June
a fair number of good chances may be relied upon. As Ward
says, ' Patience and steady shooting are what are necessary ; a
man does not require to be a first-rate walker or a really brilliant
shot during that season ; but he does require to be enduring,
and not too eager about getting up at once to his game.' Of
course, if the sportsman blazes away at indifferent heads he
will not get the big ones ; but if he sees a good head one day
and cannot get it, if he does not disturb the beast, he will see
him again next day somewhere near the same place, and sooner
or later be able to close accounts with him ; ten heads, all over
thirty inches, which would probably include two or three over
forty inches, would be a far better bag for two months' work
than twenty heads in the same time, including a lot of rubbishy
little things about twenty-five inches.

If you wish thoroughly to enjoy your stalk, and the ground
is not too difficult, insist upon going first and making your
shikari carry your rifle behind you. He will probably object,
but be firm, and listen to none of his plausible arguments ;
carry out your own stalk without asking his advice, simply
telling him what you mean to do. When you are within two
hundred yards of where you expect to get your shot, make him
lie down, take the rifle from him and go on alone. Warn him
beforehand that if he moves till you tell him, you'll fine him.

320 BIG GAME SHOOTING

When you reach your place, get your wind before you look
over ; you will see perhaps fifteen or twenty ibex in front of
you ; don't be in a hurry ; make sure that you have really
selected the best head for your first shot, and take pains to get
it home. When you fire, the smoke will hang in your eyes,
and you will dimly see the flock scatter. Keep your head now
— don't show yourself ; and if you are in about the right place,
a little above, but nearly on a level with the flock, and about
eighty yards ofl", not closer, you will probably see the flock
walking up the hillside, occasionally turning round to gaze
at the 40-incher lying dead below them. With cartridges
handy, and steady shooting, you should add the next two or
three best heads to your score. You have no shikari at your
elbow nudging you, and whispering advice just as you are going
to fire, starting off" the flock by showing himself immediately
after your first shot, and finally, when you have got all the heads
you care for out of the flock, imploring you to shoot a worth-
less little brute for the coolies to eat. Call him up when you
have finished, and let him cut the throats of the slain to make
them lawful eating, low down the neck, so as not to spoil the
skin for stuffing, and if he objects, tell him he may do without
meat. One of the greatest mistakes that all shikaries make in
stalking is trying to get too close to the game. It stands to
reason, in a country infested by leopards or ounces, that if a
beast catches sight of the top of one's head within five and
twenty yards, he will bolt at once, whereas at eighty yards
distance he feels at all events safe from a sudden rush, and will
stop to gaze.

After the end of June it is practically waste of time trying
for ibex. There is grass everywhere, and to escape the gadflies
and be out of the way of the flocks of sheep and goats that are
driven up into many of the best nullahs in summer, the ibex
retire to the highest peaks in the neighbourhood, and rarely
descend to ground where there is any chance of getting near
them.

INDIAN SHOOTING 321

XXXVIIL— THE IBEX OF PERSIA AND SINDH {Capra agagrus)

Native names: ^ Pasang,^ male ; ' Boz,'' female ; generally Boz Pasang
in Persia {Blanford) ; tCayeek in Asia Minor {Danford)

This ibex extends from the Taurus mountains in Asia Minor,
through the Caucasus range and Persia, to Afghanistan, Be-
luchistan and Sindh.

It is a smaller animal than the Himalayan ibex, and does
not ascend to the same altitude, preferring, according to Mr.
Danford, elevations of 2,000 to 5,000 ft., while 8,000 ft. is
about the lowest limit of the Himalayan variety. In Beluch-
istan and Afghanistan these ibex and O. Blanfordi are found
on the same ground, just as Capra Jerdoni and Ovis cydoceros
are in the Suleiman range ; and this peculiar trait of preferring
hot low hills is, in the writer's estimation, the great point of
difference between Capra CBgagrus, Capra Jerdoni and Ovis
cydoceros on the one side, and Capra sibirica, Capra megaceros
and Ovis Vignei on the other.

The general colour of the buck Capra cegagrus is brown
with a dark line down the back, and a black beard, but the last
is not so profuse as in Capra sibirica. The females are lighter
in colour, and have small horns. The horns are quite different
from those of any other species of ibex ; instead of having a
flat front and being thinner behind than in front, as most other
ibex horns are, these horns have the edge in front, a scimitar-
like ridge running up the front of the horn, wavy but unbroken
for about one-third above the head, and then represented by
knobs which spring up at some distance apart for about another
third, when the ridge appears again, but rapidly dies away
towards the point. The sides of the horn too are smooth, the
outer side rounded and the inner flat, the knobs not running
down the sides as in other ibex.

In Persia and Afghanistan these ibex are generally shot in
drives. The members of the Afghan Boundary Commission
had a great day with them.

II. Y

322

BIG GAME SHOOTING

In the Sinaitic Peninsula they are replaced by Copra
sinaitica vel nubiana, which extends through Egypt. Few
people looking at the hills that run down to Suez harbour
would imagine that they hold ibex, but such is the case never-
theless. The horns of this type are more like Capra sibirica,
being quite as long, but thinner and more curved.

The European ibex, Capra Ibex of the Tyrol, has also horns

Capra sibirica

Capra sinaitica

like Capra sibirica, and nearly as thick, but shorter. His beard,
however, is only rudimentary.

The Spanish ibex, Capra pyrenaica, on the other hand, has
a peculiar upward twist at the end of the horn that makes
it look almost like a markhor. This type is described else-
where.

Mr. Sclater gives two other varieties of ibex, Capra cau-
casica and Capra Wali. The Senckenberg Museum of Frank-
fort is believed to possess the only known specimens of this
last type. Of it Dr. F. Richters, in charge of the Museum,

'WITH CARTRIDGES HANDY AND STKADY SHOOTINO '

INDIAN SHOOTING

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INDIAN SHOOTING 325

says : ' The horns of Capra Wall differ from those of Copra
sibirica in the following points : the outer surface in Capra
Wali is curved (smooth ?), while in Capra sibirica it is corru-
gated. The under side of Capra Wali is sharper than in
Capra sibirica. The inner side of Capra Wali has between
every two knobs (on the top of the horn) five or six
grooves, which correspond with a similar number of notches of
equal depth on the under side. C. sibirica, on the other hand,
has a fairly smooth inner surface, and on the under side has
undereverytwoknobs(onthetopof the horn) a deep notch, and
between every two deep notches a shallower one. The tip of
C. sibirica is more curved than that of C. Wali. The horn
of our specimen of wali has eight knobs on it, that of C. sibirica.
(horns 36^ ins. in length, girth at base 95 ins., cord from
base to tip 22 ins.) 17 knobs.' The specimen came from
Abyssinia, and its photograph shows the peculiar knob at the
base of the horn on the forehead, its absence of beard, and its
small size in comparison to C. sibirica, which is photographed
with it.

XXXIX. THER {Capra jemlaica)

Gunuhal, ' Ther,^ female '■ Theri,'' ' Tahr,'' or '■Jhula,' female ' TharnV ;
Chamba and Pangi, ' Kart '; Cashmere, ^Jagla ' ; KhisHvar, ' Kras ' ;
Nepal, '■Jharar

Ther are found at high elevations, where the forest line begins
to give way to the snow throughout the southern slopes of the
Himalayas, from Cashmere to Bhutan. Its north-west limit
appears to be where the Jhelum river separates the Kajnag
from the Pir Punjal ranges ; though fairly common in the
latter, it is apparently unknown in the Kajnag, nor is it found
in the ranges to the north of the Cashmere valley ; from the
Pir Punjal it extends south-eastwards through Kishtwar and
Chamba, then leaving Lahoul and Spiti to the north on to
the upper waters of the Jumna, Ganges, and Aleknanda rivers,
and so by Nepal to Bhutan, being most plentiful perhaps in
Chamba and Gurwhal.

326

BIG GAME SHOOTING

A dream of ther shooting

An old buck ther is a fine
beast in his winter coat ; his
head is long and lean, the face
being nearly black ; the ears are
small ; a long, light-coloured
mane sweeps down from his
neck, chest and shoulders, reach-
ing below his knees and showing
up well against his dark brown
back and quarters, his long
shaggy coat half hiding his short
sturdy legs. The horns are his
weak point, and the ground he
frequents entails such a lot of
climbing and hard work that
one is always inclined to think,
' If I must risk my neck, I would
sooner do it after a 50-inch
markhor than a 15-inch ther.'

Still, ther shooting is very
enjoyable in the spring (in the

INDIAN SHOOTING 327

autumn, when the beasts are in their summer coats, they are
hardly better worth kiUing than bears at the same season),
and a few days ther shooting, if it can be indulged in before
proceeding after markhor or ibex, is the best possible tonic
for one's nerves. The ground — rocky slopes covered thinly
with pines and bushes — always looks more dangerous than it
really is. The rock is sound limestone, and does not give way
imder one's foot ; there is nearly always a friendly bush to
hang to, and the very blades of grass are tough. The writer
does not go quite so far as to confirm the statement of a merry
sportsman — that he and two shikaris all hung on to one blade
of grass while crossing a difficult bit ; but it is wonderful how
much weight that grass will support if only subjected to a
steady strain.

There is also generally a variety of game to be shot from
the same camp— gooral, kakur, black and brown bears, musk
deer, markhor in the Pir Punjal, and burrel may often, accord-
ing to the district, be combined with ther shooting ; besides,
there is always the 100 to i chance of a serow or leopard, and
the writer even once came across a tiger within a walk of ther
ground. It had killed a buffalo out of a herd close by, and
actually walked through the camp one night, passing within a
few feet of the tents.

Though ther are often found in large flocks, the big bucks
are generally alone, and these solitary old males are particularly
crafty and by no means easy beasts to come to terms with.
Colonel Kinloch writes unkindly of the ther in respect of his
high flavour ; all wild goats smell, and whether it be markhor,
ibex or ther, the stink of the last beast bagged always seems
more appalling than any that one has experienced before, and
is only surpassed by the next one. The ' bouquet ' of ther and
markhor, however, appears to fade after the head has been
stuffed, but the scent of the ibex will cling to it still. The
writer has- some stuffed ibex heads that were obtained six
years ago, and their aroma on damp days, though pleasing as a
reminiscence of past sport, is hardly Suited to the house.

328 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Female ther are smaller than the males, have no mane,
insignificant horns, and vary a good deal in colour, some being
reddish-brown, others a yellowish- drab. They and the bucks
in their summer coats have a conspicuous mark on the back,
where the hair of what is the mane in the buck parts from the
hair on the back. This is particularly noticeable when looking
down on the beast from above.

XL. NEILGHERRY IBEX {Hemitragus hylocrius)

Native Names : ' Warra-adu,^ ' Warri-atu ' ; Tamil {Stemdale)
' Kdrd-ardoo ' ; Canarese {Sanderson)

This wild goat is found in the Neilgherry range, and most
of the higher hills in the south of India. It is not found in
Mysore nor in Ceylon.

The old buck is of a dark sepia colour, with a light, grizzled
saddle mark, lower parts paler brown, legs and face dark, and
a short stiff mane on the neck and withers ; the young bucks
and females being lighter in colour. The horns much resemble
those of the ther, HetJiitragus je7nlaicus, except that they are
more ringed and sheeplike, and do not taper so rapidly. There
is much the same difference between them on a small scale as
between the horns of Capra sibirica and Capra cegagrus, the
Neilgherry goat taking after the former and the ther the latter.
The two beasts are much about the same size, and have, taking
into consideration the different types of forest, much the same
habits. In Madras the Neilgherry ibex, being the sole repre-
sentative of the goat family, has an amount of importance
attached to his pursuit which his Himalayan cousin does not
enjoy, being crushed by the superior attractions of his mighty
relatives the ibex and markhor. They are to be sought for in
the same way, watching from above the grassy slopes among
the cliffs at an elevation of 5,000 or 6,000 ft., and require the
same careful stalking.

INDIAN SHOOTING 329

XLI. GOORAL {Neinorhcedus Goral)

Generally,
* Gooral ' or ' Ban hakri ' ; Chiaiibay ' Pij ' ; Cashmere, ' Nain,^ ' Norn '

This is quite the most sporting of the minor beasts of the
chase. It is pretty generally distributed along the whole of
the lower slopes of the Himalayas from the Indus river to the
Kachin hills in Burmah ; horns of both gooral and serow were
found by the Phunkan column in 1889. In Cashmere they
are scarce, a few only being found in the Kajnag and Pir
Punjal ranges, but from Kishtwar to the south-east they are
pretty plentiful, especially in Chumba, Gurwhal, the Sewalik
range, and the valleys of the Ganges, Jumna, and Tonse
rivers. They seem indifferent to heat, and abound among the
hot precipitous cliffs formed by the big rivers cutting their
way through the hills, the Tonse seeming to suit their re-
quirements admirably. Wherever a landslip has occurred,
wherever there is a steep rocky slope covered with long grass
and occasional bushes and pines, there gooral are sure to be
found. Higher up the hills, up to about 8,000 ft. above the
sea level, they are often seen on the short turf at the tops of
the ridges or in the pine forests, but rocks they must have close
to, and the more precipitous the cliff the more likely it is to
hold them.

Wary as gooral are, they will often live close to villages, and
do not mind the presence of flocks with their attendant shep-
herds, or hillmen cutting wood and grass near their haunts.
They seem to trust to the steep broken ground they frequent
for protection. Gooral, as a rule, are fairly easy animals to
get a shot at, but they present by no means a large target, and
are very tenacious of life ; a wounded one will often tax the
best nerves to follow. Gooral seem to become particularly
attached to certain localities, and will stand a good deal of
bullying and firing at before they leave the ground for good,
and as they are to be found within easy reach from many of

330 BIG GAME SHOOTING

the hill-stations, they afford pretty shooting to sportsmen who
are debarred from hunting better game. Few men go out of
their way to hunt gooral, but it is very good fun all the same,
and first-class practice both in climbing and shooting.

Buck gooral are generally found alone or with one other
companion ; if four or five are seen together, they are almost
invariably does and young ones. It is nearly impossible to
distinguish the sexes at any distance, one rarely gets a fair view
of the beast to begin with ; the horns are well nigh invisible,
except against the skyline, and even if seen are hardly any guide,
as both sexes carry them, the buck's horns being only longer
and thicker ; and it requires the experience of a Tyrolese
keeper, accustomed to chamois, to judge the sex from the shape
of a beast half hidden in long grass or bushes. Native shikaris
certainly never know.

Walking along a ridge or a hillside you hear a sharp hiss :
up jumps a brown beast some fifty yards off, gallops twenty
yards, and stands for a second to gaze ; you fire, and it rolls
down the hill ; you climb down congratulating yourself — a
clean kill ! — a single beast — surely a real good head this time —
but when you reach it, too often it is another luckless nanny.
In chamois the buck is more heavily built than the doe, is
darker in colour, and has a ruff of long black-brown hair along
the back, but it takes years of practice to tell an old doe from
a buck, especially in winter.

The general colour of gooral is a rich brownish-yellow
tipped with sepia, and there is a conspicuous white patch on
the throat which is more recognisable in the buck than in the
doe, and is really, if it can be seen, the best guide in distin-
guishing the sexes. General Macintyre mentions an albino
gooral.

Though gooral seem fond of heat, they do not like being
out in the sun, and this fact is a decided convenience to the
sportsmen, the shady side of the hill being both pleasanter
and more profitable to work over.

Gooral may occasionally be driven, but far the pleasantest

INDIAN SHOOTING

331

and most sportsmanlike way of hunting them is to walk slowly
along the top of a ridge, carefully examining every ravine and
patch of likely ground. Where gooral are at all plentiful it is
almost impossible to take too much pains. The beasts often
lie down under overhanging boulders and turn up suddenly in
the most unexpected fashion on ground where you thought you
had examined every inch, and as surely as you become careless
so surely will you hear a hiss and see a beast dash down the
hill at whom you might have got an easy shot had you not re-
laxed your attention.

The comparative measurements of European chamois are
given by Colonel Howard as follows :

Good bucks weigh from 45 lbs. to 60 lbs. broken up.
Extraordinary ones reach 70 lbs. and over.

Length of horn

ins.

Hi

lOf

Perpendicular
measurement

ins.

71

Girth Splay

ins. . ins.

Z\ 4

These two heads are exceptionally fine ; the two next heads are
good, but not extraordinary.

Length of horn Perpendicular
* measurement

Girth

ins.

9i
9\

ins.
5

ins. ins.

3i 4

There are two more varieties of gooral in the British
Museum : the long-tailed gooral from China, which is about the
same size as an Indian gooral, but rather more yellow in colour.
It has a tail of long brown hair reaching to its hocks, that of
the one in the British Museum measuring 17 ins. to the tips of
the hair. The Japanese gooral is a delightful beast, and exactly
what one would expect from such a quaint country. Its coat is

332 BIG GAME SHOOTING

like that of a Langour monkey, long, soft, grey hair, tipped with
brown ; it has a white ruff on its throat and cheeks, a brown
face, and rather rounded brown ears — altogether it looks like a
goat-monkey. The horns are the same shape as those of the
Indian gooral.

XLIII. SEROW {Neiiiorhcediis bubalinus)

Gnnvhal, ' Serow'' ; Sutlej Valley, ' Imii' ; Cashmere, ^ Rainoo,^ ^ Halj,'
^ Salabhir ;^ Chaniha, ' Goa,'' ^/hangal'

The serow is a heavily built, awkward looking animal,
intensely ugly, suggesting a cross between a donkey and a cow,
with a wild-looking bristly black mane, large coarse ears, horns
like those of a gooral, only bigger ; its general colour is black on
the back and head, the muzzle being dirty white ; the sides, fore-
arms and thighs are of bright red clay colour, the under parts
and legs being white ; when seen first, it looks all red and
black, and its wild uncanny appearance accords well with the
gloomy tangled precipitous ravines it frequents.

It is found thinly scattered along the whole of the southern
slopes of the Himalayas, from Cashmere down past Sikkim, to
the Burmo-Chinese frontier, but apparently does not cross
the snowline, probably on account of absence of forest on the
northern side. Precipitous rocks and their accompanying
caves it likes, but forest it must have, and the thicker and more
tangled the better. A gloomy damp ravine below a waterfall,
the sides mere walls of rock and the bed choked with rank
vegetation, is the place where its tracks are oftenest found. The
beast itself is rarely seen. It appears to live generally alone ; a
female with a three-quarter-grown young one may be found
together, but rarely two full-grown beasts. Major Greenaway
saw three serow in one day, in the Sindh Valley in 187 1, two of
them together, and one alone, and got shots at all of them, but
only bagged one. But this was exceptional luck. Most men
who have shot for some years in the hills, have seen one or two
serow, but rarely more, and getting a shot at one is generally

INDIAN SHOOTING

333

looked upon as a lucky fluke. Besides being scarce, serow are
uncommonly wary, and are said by natives to travel for miles if
disturbed.

Colonel Kinloch is one of the very few people who have
laid themselves out to hunt serow, and his experiences are
scarcely encouraging, though Ward says that in the winter
months serow can be found with comparative ease in the Sindh
Valley, in Cashmere. The serow seems, like sambur, to be

The serow gallops down hill

nocturnal in its habits, and its discordant scream is often to be
heard after dark in Gurwhal, where it is comparatively plentiful.
The serow's chief accomplishment is the way that he can
gallop down a steep hill, and as he invariably takes that course
when disturbed, he can be easily driven, provided the ground
is well known. All writers agree that a wounded one will
charge. Kinloch mentions having heard of an unwounded
male charging when its mate was shot, and Ward gives a graphic

334 BIG GAME SHOOTING

account of an adventure he had with one. Mr. O. Shaw shot
a serow with a white mane in Cashmere. There are two more
varieties of this Capricorn described in Sterndale's 'Natural
History of India.' The first is the Arakanese Capricorn, found
in Arakan, Pegu, the Malayan Peninsula, and Sumatra.

This is a brown beast v/ith a yellow bay throat, black fore-
legs, and bay hind ones. The description is rather vague, and
Blyth's note — ' This species varies much in colour from red
to black, and the black sometimes with a white nape, or the
hairs of the nape may be white at the base only ' — does not
explain matters very clearly to an unscientific reader. The
second variety is the Thibetan Capricorn, discovered by Abbe
David, in Eastern Thibet.

This differs from the Indian serow by the uniform blackish
brown of the upper parts, tending to ferruginous on the thighs,
and the red colour in place of the grey on the lower parts of
the legs.

XLIII. TAKIN {Budorcas taxicolor)

Native 7ia?ne : ' Takin,'' ' Takhon '

This curious animal, which is found just outside British
limits in the Mishmi and Akha hills, north of Assam, and in
Eastern Thibet, is a kind of large serow ; but its horns, instead
of being sharp upright spikes like those of the serow and gooral,
are more of the bovine type, being rounded, smooth, and with
the distinctive wrinkles and longitudinal marks of genus Nem-
orhoedus faintly defined. Their peculiar twist is best explained
by the accompanying sketch.

An article in Sterndale's ' Mammalia of India,' signed ' J. C.,'
thus describes the animal :

The takin is a large, heavily built ruminant, about 3 ft. 6 ins.
high at the shoulder, and 6 ft. in total length. The external
peculiarities of the animal are : first, peculiar angularly curved
horns in both sexes ; second, the enormously arched chevron ;
third, the very great development of the spurious hoofs, which are
obtusely conical, and about i^ in. in length in a small specimen.

INDIAN SHOOTING 335

Old bulls appear to become of an uniform brownish black at
times, but the colour doubtless depends on the season, as each hair
has the basal two-thirds yellow, and its apical third black, and the
young its hair brown with a dark tint.

The animal would appear to range from about 8,000 ft. to the
Alpine region, which is stated to be its habitat.

Budorcas taxicolor

As this animal has been found by the Abbe David in
Chinese Thibet, future explorations to the north of Burmah
should furnish skeletons and details about its habits for the
advancement of science.

There are two skulls in the British Museum in which the
prominent chevron is particularly noticeable ; and there are
also several stuffed specimens.

XLIV. THIBETAN ANTELOPE {Pantholops Hodgsonii—
Sterndale, Kinloch) ; {Keinas Hodgsonii— V^ xViD)

Cashmeree shikaris kitmu it as ' Hcran.'' The Ladak name is
' Chiru,'' or ' Choos '

This rather curious antelope is pretty plentiful in the Chang-
chmeno Valley, the only easily accessible place for European
sportsmen where it is found. A few are said to have been shot
in the neighbourhood of the Mansarovara Lake, near the North-

33(>

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INDIAN SHOOTING J39

Western frontier of Nepal, and they are also to be met with all
over the lofty plateau which has to be crossed on the way to
Yarkand. It appears, however, never to have been found
in the district beyond the Niti Pass as far as Europeans have
been able to penetrate, nor did Colonel Kinloch apparently
meet with it when he crossed the frontier in the direction of
Gartope.

The bucks vary a good deal in colour ; some of them are
a beautiful golden red, some a light fawn, and others a dirty
yellowish white. The colour of the hair seems always to fade
after the skin is removed. As a rule the skins are useless in
the summer as the antelope are changing their coats ; the legs
and face are dark brown, and the muzzle, instead of being neat
and deer-like, is broad and puffy. The horns are peculiar,
having a considerable bend forward at the tips, as if they were
pliable, and the buck was standing with his back to a gale of
wind.

They have two greatly developed inguinal glands, the tubes
of which run right up into the body, and the Tartars are said to
believe that the antelope inflate these with air at will, to enable
them to gallop faster. A curious point about this antelope is
that though he can gallop, and very fast, he generally seems to
prefer moving at a sharp trot.

As they are wary and require careful stalking, and as they
often lie up for the day in holes, which they have a curious
habit of scratching for themselves on the hillsides just deep
enough to conceal the whole of their bodies and necks when
lying down, leaving the eyes just peeping over the top, the
best time to hunt them is when they are feeding in the morning
and evening. They are rather soft animals, and succumb to
wounds that most deer would travel miles with, the writer
once broke the foreleg of a buck who after going about half a
mile lay down with his nose on the ground, and let himself be
caught. There was a pretty free fight for a bit when he was laid
hold of, his sharp horns necessitating a certain amount of caution;
a judicious wrench towards his wounded side, however, at length

Z 2

340 BIG GAME SHOOTING

upset him, and a knife-thrust finished him. A Tartar shikari,
who was standing by, absolutely refused to lend any assistance
during the struggle, contenting himself with applauding the
combatants and seeing fair play. The .does are smaller than
the bucks, are of a light brown colour, and have no
horns.

Unlike other antelope, the bucks separate from the does in
the summer, and walk about in herds together. They are much
worried by the grubs of some fly, which seems to annoy them
chiefly when lying down during the heat of the day, for it is a
common thing to see one of a herd get up, go for a constitu-
tional gallop — they always gallop then — return to the herd and lie
down again with the others. They do not seem to be troubled
so much when moving about feeding. The venison in July is
excellent.

XLV. THE SAIGA ANTELOPE (Saiga tart arica)

This extraordinary animal, which hails from Central Asia,
is said to be a relative of the Thibetan antelope, on account of
the peculiar formation of the nose. In the stuffed specimens
in the British Museum there is little or no resemblance between
the two ; the Thibetan antelope having there, as in its natural
state, a broad puffy muzzle, while the saiga antelope has, at all
events in the Museum, in addition to a very high chevron, an
absurd-looking elongated snout like a tapir, projecting far be-
yond its lower lip. The hair is thick and long, particularly on
the cheeks, where it almost resembles a wild boar. The ears
are small and rounded in shape, utterly unlike any deer's ears.
The general colour is almost white (probably a very pale yellow
in nature), and there is a dark stripe down the quarters and
tail. The horns are annulated and of a very pale colour, the
stuffed specimen having twelve rings ; and though of the gazelle
type, with a backward sweep, rising up again at the tips, they
have also two curious outward bends, one near the base of the
horn, and another near the tip, though the tips eventually
incline inwards. A skeleton in the Museum measured 58 ins.

INDIAN SHOOTING

341

in length along the spinal cord, and stood 31 1 ins. at the
shoulder. The stuffed specimen stands 30 ins. at the shoulder.
Three pairs of horns measured 13 j ins., 13^^ ins. and 13 ins.

Sterndale remarks that the inflated nostrils ' are so much
lengthened as to necessitate the animal's walking backwards
when it feeds.' The fortunate sportsman who comes across
this rare variety should therefore remember to post himself
astern of a herd should he wish it to feed up to him — though
he may possibly find that nature has provided the animal with

Saiga tartarica

means of twitching its nose out of the way to obviate so un-
comfortable a method of grazing.

Gaze/la giUlurosa

This is another little known variety. It is found in Mon-
golia, and is the one Ward refers to as the ' hwang yang, or
yellow goat.' There is a stuffed specimen in the British
Museum, which stands 31 ins. at the shoulder, is of a pale
yellowish white, with coarse hairs, and has horns 10^ ins. in
length, of the regular gazelle type in shape and ribbing, much
resembling those of the Gazella picticaudata.

342 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Cazella stihgnttiti-osu

is a much smaller beast than the last. It is found in Persia/
and extends to Yarkand, where a specimen was shot by Major
Biddulph when with the Yarkand Mission, between Maral
Bashi and Kashgar. It is called by the natives ' djeran,' or
' jairan.' Its general colour is pale red, with dark facial marks,
a dark band along the side where the white of the belly joins
the red of the back, and above it a curious pale streak. The
buck has long, annulated, lyrate horns, with the tips inclining
inwards. It measures 27^ ins. in height, and the horns of
a specimen quoted in the ' Scientific Results, Second Yarkand
Mission,' measured 14 ins. in length by 5 ins. in girth.
There is a coloured plate of one in the same publication.

Major Cumberland, in his journal published by ' Land and
Water,' mentions hawking these gazelles with trained eagles.
He says that the doe is not much bigger than Gazella Bennetti,
with short stumpy horns.

XLVI. THE THIBETAN GAZELLE [Gazella picticaudata,
Procapra picticaudata — W A R D )

Thibetan ' Goa '

This lovely little animal is of a creamy fawn colour in its
winter coat. It has a white anal disc of longish hair, and a
black tail about four inches long, which, like the Indian
gazelle, it keeps perpetually wagging. The summer coat is
slaty grey. The horns are like those of the Indian gazelle,
but are longer, of finer grain, and have a far bolder sweep
backwards before turning up at the tips. The female has no
horns. It frequents the high plateaux along the Chinese
frontier, in Eastern Ladak, in the neighbourhood of the Tso-
moriri Lake, but apparently does not extend north of the

^ This antelope is also found in the Caucasus, between Tiflis and the
Caspian, where it is also locally known as dj^rtin. — C.P.W.

INDIAN SHOOTING

343

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INDIAN SHOOTING 345

Indus, as far as Ladak is concerned, its limits in Chinese
Thibet being at present unknown.

Goa do not appear to lie down much in the middle of the
day, and in May and June, at all events, are constantly on the
move. They appear to resort to particular spots for dropping
their dung, and little heaps of it may be noticed wherever goa
are at all plentiful.

As they, are generally found on the grass flats that fringe
the streams, or on some almost level plateau, stalking them is
by no means easy, though they are not generally very shy,
will occasionally allow considerable liberties to be taken in
approaching them, and will stop to look after a fallen com-
panion. The Tartars say that they can be stalked down wind,
but they say this also of the Thibetan antelope, and Major
Ward's advice on this point is sound : ' Believe it, reader, if
you like, but do not try it often.'

XLVII. INDIAN ANTELOPE {Auiilopc Bezoariica)
Generally ' Heran,'' or ' Mt'rieg,' /ro/u the Sanscrit ' Mirga '

This is the well-known black buck, which is found all over
India at intervals from the extreme south to as far north as the
Jhelum, following the southern bank of that river till (joined
by the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej) it flows into the Indus, which
then becomes the black buck's northern boundary. Essentially
a plains-loving animal, it avoids hills and heavy forest, but
is often found in the long grass which covers the islands and
banks of many of the large rivers. Though considerable tracts of
apparently suitable country do not seem to hold a single herd,
special districts where antelope are always to be found seem
to crop up unexpectedly all over India. In the North-West
Provinces, and along the borders of the Bikanir Desert between
Rajpootana and the Punjab, it appears to be more generally
plentiful than in the rest of India, and the horns in these dis-
tricts grow longer. Sanderson says, in ' Thirteen Years among
the Wild Beasts of India,' that an i8-in. horn is a decided

346

BIG GAME SHOOTING

rarity in Mysore, whilst in the Bikanir Desert they are fre-
quently obtained 24 ins., and occasionally 27 ins. or more, in
length.

A black buck in his best coat is a very handsome animal,
but is too well known to require description.

The buck usually changes his coat after the rutting season,
which is in the spring, the season varying slightly according to
locality. During the hot months he is generally more or less
brown, regaining the black coat after the rainy season. Many
full-grown bucks with good heads do not seem to turn black

Tame decoys

at all, but the master buck of a herd is almost invariably black
at the proper season.

Major FitzHerbert (a very careful observer of the habits of
wild animals) is of opinion that it is usually the master buck
of the herd who turns brown in the hot weather ; he is then
used up, and often leaves the herd to the possession of a
younger buck, who has remained black.

The herds, though more frequently consisting of ten or
a dozen animals, are occasionally of immense size— indeed
thousands are mentioned by some authorities. Antelope in

INDIAN SHOOTING 347

herds are, as a rule, fairly easy to get within shot of ; but a solitary
old black buck takes precious good care of himself, and as there
is rarely cover enough to stalk him without being seen, these
wary old gentlemen generally escape. The natives have many
methods of hunting antelope. Pursuing them with trained
chitas has been so often described that any detailed account
of it is unnecessary. It is interesting to see once, the chita's
speed being so amazing, but considered as sport it is poor fun.
Black buck are occasionally snared by sending tame bucks
among them with nooses attached to their horns. The wild
buck attacks the intruder, and gets caught by the horn. This
plan is also adopted for snaring ravine deer, but not often, as
the gazelle is said to be harder to train than the black buck.
The commonest way of snaring antelope is by covering about an
acre of ground thickly with nooses and driving a herd over it.
Trained bullocks are often used by native shikaris to enable
them to get within the close range they love for a shot ; and the
writer has seen the following curious method practised in Central
India. A trained buck and doe are taken out, each having a
light cord about ten yards long attached to it, and the pair are
led by an attendant, a light screen about three feet square made
of grass and leaves with a small hole in the centre being carried
by the shikari, and the whole party moves under cover of a
third man on horseback to within about three hundred yards
of a herd of antelope. The screen is then planted on a spot
commanding a good view ; the men on foot crouch behind it,
and the horseman rides slowly off to a flank. The tame deer
are then let out to the full extent of their lines on one side of
the screen, and begin playing round one another. The master
buck of the herd, seeing an impertinent intruder on his ground,
trots out at once to do battle for the doe, but the screen
puzzles him, so before coming close he generally circles round
to try and see behind it. As he moves the screen is shifted
round, the men scrambling round on hands and knees behind
it, and if there are two Englishmen bursting with suppressed
laughter in addition to the two natives, all scuffling round as

348 BIG GAME SHOOTING

the screen moves and trying to keep their legs out of sight, the
business is most comical.

Directly the wild buck stops, the screen and the men behind
it must remain motionless. Having failed to discover what is
behind the screen, the buck, though he is still suspicious, pro-
bably because he caught sight of a clumsy English leg, feels
that he must try to capture that enticing doe, but decides on
having a look from the other side of the screen first, so back
he gallops to the other flank, and the scrambling process is re-
peated. Gradually he comes within range, the rifle is poked
through the hole in the screen and he gets his quietus ; after
this the tame deer are given a handful of corn, and the party
sets out to look for another herd. The tame buck employed
in this manoeuvre should be a brown one, as if an old powerful-
looking black one is used the wild buck will often decline the
contest.

In some districts the antelope are so wild that sportsmen
have to approach them under cover of bullock-carts, and occa-
sionally dress up as natives to get within range. The antelope
are accustomed to see carts and natives, and will generally
allow them to pass within about a hundred and fifty yards,
while the sight of a European will start them off at once ; but
in most places in Central and Northern India these accessories
are not needed. The pleasantest way of shooting is to ride a
quiet horse, which will do for stalking if the antelope are wild
or for ridmg down a wounded buck, taking a few coolies with
you to carry game, luncheon, guns and cartridges.

A shot-gun enables one to vary the bag pleasantly with
small game, without interfering with the chance of getting ante-
lope. If the sportsman is fond of coursing, greyhounds may
be taken, the Rampore breed suiting the country best ; but
after many trials the writer has become unwillingly convinced
that dogs do more harm than good. If there are any crops
about they soon get unsighted, get on to fresh deer, and disturb
the whole country.

On the other hand, if the sportsman has dogs he can often

INDIAN SHOOTING 349

enjoy a course after a fox or a hare to vary the entertainment,
and a good course with a wounded buck is a very pretty sight.
The usual proceeding is as follows : The sportsman rides till a
herd is sighted ; he approaches them as far as he thinks safe,
probably within about six hundred yards ; he then dismounts,
and if he is going to use his horse for stalking, goes on with the
horse and groom, leaving the coolies and dogs behind, with
orders to follow him slowly, keeping as far back as possible
without losing sight of him. If the antelope are feeding or mov-
ing slowly, the sportsman directs his course so as to cross their
path about a hundred yards ahead of them. If the creatures are
lying down or stationary, he must try to pass within a hundred
yards of the flank which is to the leeward of the herd, walking
on the far side of his horse, which is led by the groom on the
same side. If he has no horse with him, he should hold his
rifle so that the sun does not shine on the barrels. If two
sportsmen are working together (a most killing plan with crafty
men who play into one another's hands), they should each take
a flank and go rather wider than they would if hunting single-
handed, so as to keep the herd between them. As long as
that can be managed one or other of the guns is sure to get
a chance at the best buck. The sportsman should show
himself to the herd a long way off", and walk slowly, without
any attempt at concealment; he must remember never to
walk straight at them, but always as if he were going to pass
them at about a hundred yards ; if he finds he is lying toe
far out of his course, he should edge quietly towards them
without turning, and he should never stog until he means to
fire. He should never look direct at the herd ; quiet side glances
will give him all the information he requires.

When he has approached to within two hundred yards,
if the herd is lying down some of the does will get up ;
but the sportsman can go on safely till the buck he wants
begins to stir. The old fellow will rise leisurely, stretch him-
self, and then turn to gaze. This is the time for the shot, and
if it can be taken without sitting down or kneeling it is far

3SO BIG GAME SHOOTING

more likely to be an easy one. An excellent rest ^ for firing
standing can be made with a light bamboo having an iron
crutch covered with leather on the top to hold the rifle barrels.
The crutch should be the exact height of the top of the sports-
man's shoulder, and is held, when firing, with the left hand
at arm's length. The bottom of the stick should be shod, to
prevent it ' wearing away when used as a walking-stick. The
advantages of using this rest are particularly noticeable when
shooting among low bushes, which so often interfere with a shot
when sitting or kneeling.

Frequently, just before the sportsman can get a fair chance at
the buck he wants, the herd begins to move off ; two or three
does commence bucking high in the air, and to a novice it would
appear that the whole herd are on the point of galloping away.
This, however, by no means follows. The master buck often
takes very little notice of their pranks, and follows slowly after
them, in which case the does calm down, and though still con-
tinuing to move, will lead on slowly. The sportsman should
follow them quietly, still keeping on their flanks, and heading
so as to cut them off, if possible ; sooner or later he will get a
chance if he sticks to them quietly, though if he has followed
them for some distance he will probably only get a running
shot. Each herd has its own district as a rule, and sooner than
be forced far over its boundary, it will turn and gallop back
past the sportsman, often within fifty yards. This is even more
noticeable with ravine deer, whose herd districts appear to be
smaller than those of antelope, and who generally require a lot
of following up and Jpullying before they give a chance. A good
buck with a herd of either antelope or of ravine deer need
never be given up as hopeless as long as it can be followed.
In following a wounded buck the main point is just to keep it
in sight without pressing it until it lies down, when it should
be left for about half an hour before being restalked. If it is
intended to ride, or course the buck, the attendants should be

1 Such .1 crutch is in general use amongst Caucasians. — C. P. -W.

INDIAN SHOOTING 351

signalled up at once, as the half-hour's rest will spoil the run,
but the sportsman should be careful that the dogs are not
slipped till the buck is well clear of the herd. The best way is
for the sportsman to have the dogs brought up to him, then
ride ahead, the slipper running after him with the dogs in leash
till the buck begins to gallop ; then have the dogs slipped and
ride the buck, halloaing on the dogs till they are fairly laid on.
If he has no dogs he will be able to get within three hundred
yards of the buck before the latter really starts, and then he
must send him along ; after about half a mile he will find that
he can get within twenty yards, but no nearer. A few hundred
yards farther the buck will begin to falter and then suddenly
throw himself down, and the sportsman can either spear him
or dismount and knife him — the buck has run himself out.
With Express rifles, unless a buck is hit in the leg, he will give
no run at all ; with a body wound he can't gallop any distance,
though he may give trouble if pursued on foot. The bucking
bounds which antelope make are very peculiar (no wounded
animal ever bucks). The distance covered may be only a few
feet, the animal jumping apparently to get a good view, but
when the deer are galloping, the distance covered in a bound,
apparently made without effort, is extraordinary. Major
FitzHerbert paced three successive bounds of a doe on
softish sand ; two measured eight yards and the third seven
yards.

A buck slightly wounded in the leg will occasionally give
a grand run. In 1875 Major FitzHerbert shot a buck through
the hock without breaking the bone. Mounted on a fast Arab,
he rode this buck for a mile and a half without being able to
get up to him, as the buck led over a succession of gram fields
where he was able to keep along the narrow headlands while
the horse had to plough through the clods. Finding that he
was, if anything, losmg ground, the rider pulled up, and the
buck stopped and lay down in a patch of grass. The attend-
ants then came up with a couple of deerhounds, which were
slipped at the buck with a good start, but could not run into

352 BIG GAME SHOOTING

him till he had gone another mile and a quarter, and only then
caught the buck when he dislocated his wounded hock.

In 1876 the same sportsman had another brilliant gallop on
the same horse after a buck wounded in the fleshy part of the
thigh. A brace of dogs were slipped, but got away on to other
deer early in the run, and the buck was ridden till he dropped
and was despatched with a knife. This run was measured
about five miles on the map from point to point, and must
have been seven or eight miles as the buck went. Cases have
been reported of unwounded black buck being run down by
dogs in the Bombay Presidency, but in Northern India, though
the writer knows of two instances of unwounded does being
successfully coursed (one of these at all events was not in young,
as it was examined by a medical officer to decide a bet), the
bucks could always gallop away from the dogs.

The biggest bag of black buck the writer knows of was
sixty-four bucks in 1883, by two guns in five days and a half.
Of these, ten bucks, whose horns were all over 22 in. in
length, were shot by one of the sportsmen in a morning's work.
The biggest mixed bag by one gun in a day was two nylghai,
five ravine deer, and three black buck in 1875.

Black buck in their wild state are very pugnacious, and
when two bucks are fighting they may often be approached
without difficulty. I once walked up to within eighty yards of
two who were desperately hard at it ; sat down and watched the
fight till they stood with their horns locked, and then shot the
blacker buck of the pair through the lungs. He threw up his
head and bolted, pursued by his antagonist, a brown buck with
good horns, who seemed to have had rather the best of the
battle while it lasted. They ran about one hundred yards, the
brown buck driving and horning the other till the latter
dropped dead ; then, after making two or three attacks on the
prostrate body, the brown buck began to swagger round it,
head and tail in the air, as proud as could be. By this time I
had again got well within range, and as the brown buck now
apparently saw me for the first time (not having taking any

INDIAN SHOOTING 353

notice of the shot), I dropped him with another bullet so that
he fell over the carcase of his late rival.

Writing of the height that antelope can jump, Williamson
mentions a black buck leading a herd over a net which was
propped up on poles 13 ft. long, and which must have been
at least 1 1 ft. high.

XLVIII. THE NYLGHAO {Portax pictm)
Native names : ' NilgAao,' ' Lilghao ' ; in the Punjab, ' Roz '

This animal is found pretty nearly all over the plains of
India. Jerdon says it is not known in the extreme south of
India, but Sanderson mentions it as occurring in the Madras
Presidency on the borders of Mysore. According to my own
experience, it is most plentiful in Central India, though it is
common enough in the North -West Provinces.

An old male, usually called a blue bull, is a large beast
with a lean head, surmounted by short cow-like horns, but
with a curious rib along the base of the horn in front ; the
neck is long and carried high ; the withers are high, and give
him a horse-like appearance, but he falls away towards the
hind-quarters ; the tail is like a cow's, with a tuft at the end,
but only reaches to the hocks. His general colour is a dark
iron grey ; the chin, lips, and inside of the ears are white ; the
^ars are rather large and cow-like ; there is a white spot on
each cheek, a large white patch on the throat, below which
hangs a tuft of long black hair ; the chest and stomach are
white, there are white rings on the fetlocks, and he has a thin
upright black mane.

The female is fawn-coloured, and is without horns.

Scrub jungle, composed of ' babul ' trees, ' dhak ' and
' beyr ' bushes, is the ground on which to look for nylghai, and
if there is a patch of sugar cane adjoining such a jungle, it is
an almost certain find. The natives often enclose these patches
of cane with grass fences nearly six feet high, but nylghai will
always jump them.

II. A A

354 BIG GAME SHOOTING

As a rule, natives object more or less strongly to nylghai
being shot, regarding them as cattle ; and as they afford
poor sport with the rifle, most men spare them after having
obtained a few specimens, especially if the ground is not
rideable ; but where they can be ridden it is quite another
matter. A wounded bull will give a grand run, and even an
unwounded one can be ridden down if well pressed at first.
This is rather a difificult matter for a single horseman, but
parties of three or four have frequently done it. Kinloch
mentions an instance of its having been done single-handed,
and gives some stirring accounts of his own adventures after
nylghai. Cows, he says, it is almost impossible to catch, the
only chance being with heavy old bulls.

Blue bulls have frequently been tamed and trained to carry
loads. Sterndale mentions one he used to ride, but they are
as a rule dangerous in captivity. The writer owned one who
would let him sit on his back when lying down, but he would
always charge any pony that came near him, dropping suddenly
on his knees to use his horns. He used to break loose, and
hunt the native gardeners up trees, whilst he enjoyed the
produce. As the bull would not consent to be led, he had to
be left behind when the writer's battalion left the station, and
his last exploit was to hunt the portly native landlord of the
house round and round the premises when he came to look at
his property.

The hide is very thick, especially on the shoulders, and is
much prized by the boatmen on all the rivers for making up
into the inflated skins they use.

Sterndale remarks : ' He sometimes even devours such
quantities of the intensely acrid berries of the aoula {Fhyllan-
thus emblica) that his flesh becomes saturated with the bitter
elements of the fruit. This is most noticeable in soup, less so
in a steak, which is at times not bad.'

The writer has never had the luck to taste any part of a
blue bull that was worth eating except the tongue.

INDIAN SHOOTING 355

XLIX. INDIAN GAZELLE {Gazella Bennetti)
Commonly called Ravine Deer ; native name generally * Chikara '

The gazelle is found in suitable localities pretty nearly all
over India, with the exception of Lower Bengal, the Western
Ghauts, and the Malabar coast. Wherever there is sandy
ground, low stony hills, or the network of ravines which fringes
the banks of so many Indian streams near their sources, or
where they cut their way through low hills, ravine deer are
likely to be found. They avoid heavy forest or swamp covered
with high grass, nor do they usually frequent closely cultivated
ground unless there is scrub, jungle, or a ravine near to which
they can retire when disturbed.

They are fidgetty, restless little animals, and, like the
Thibetan gazelles, are incessantly twitching their tails. Even
where not much hunted they are generally pretty wild, but as
they do not as a rule go far when disturbed, the sportsman can
usually get a shot by perseveringly following up a herd. A
steady shooting horse is of great assistance in stalking them,
and on the edge of the Bikanir Desert, where they are very
plentiful, the easiest way of approaching them is under
cover of a riding camel. As black buck and ravine deer are
often found on the same ground, the same tactics in the stalk
are applicable to either. The stick-rest recommended for
black buck shooting is of the greatest assistance when shooting
ravine deer among bushes. The bucks are often seen alone,
and herds rarely consist of more than a dozen animals. The
does have thin horns, and occasionally, in bad light or jungle,
pay the penalty of being mistaken for bucks.

Ravine deer shooting with a light rifle is very good fun.
Straight shooting is necessary for so small a mark, and as a
rule the day's amusement can be varied by shots at black buck
or small game. Colonel Howard, in 1883, got one ravine
buck, one bustard, two peafowl, one sand-grouse, one duck, in
a day, all shot with a rifle.

A A 2

356 BIG GAME SHOOTING

A ravine buck with a broken leg will give a good run to
dogs if found in the open, but as a rule the ground these deer
frequent is too broken for coursing.

An unwounded doe was run down by three dogs belonging
to officers of the Rifle Brigade in 1876, but on another occasion
the writer saw a fawn run clean away from a good dog. Kin-
loch describes how the officers of the Guides used to hunt
ravine deer with dogs and falcons.

L. THE FOUR-HORNED ANTELOPE

( Tetraceros quadricornis)

Native names: generally * Charsingha,^ ' Choka^ ^ Doda^ ;
in Chota Nagptir ' Chdorang'' {Kinloch)

Four-horned antelopes are found thinly scattered all over
India, but, according to Sterndale, not in Ceylon or Burmah.
They are met with in Rajputana, but the writer has never heard
of them in the Punjab.

They generally live alone or in pairs, and frequent bamboo
jungle, or the long grass and bushes near forests.

Their colouring varies a good deal, but it is generally a
reddish-brown, paler below the forelegs, and fetlocks dark ;
the latter being ringed with pale marks. The female is horn-
less. The male has two pairs of short, smooth black horns,
the front pair, which is shorter than the other pair, growing
almost above the eyes, while the rear pair rises just in front
of the ears. The front pair are often mere knobs, and good
specimen heads, with the four horns complete, are not easy to
get ; in fact, this antelope is such a small animal and sticks so
persistently to cover, that the majority of those that are killed
are bagged by lucky snap-shots. Sterndale quotes a letter in
the ' Asian,' signed ' Bheel,' in which the writer remarks : ' It is
found in the thick jungles at the foot of the hills. It selects
some secluded spot, which it does not desert when disturbed,
returning invariably to its hiding-place when the coast is clear.'
This peculiarity might well be taken advantage of by any

INDIAN SHOOTING

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sportsman desirous of obtaining a specimen ; on a four-horn
being put up, his hiding-place might be noted, the attendants
sent on a few hundred yards, and the sportsman remain
behind to intercept the animal on its return. The writer has
never tried this plan, but only offers the suggestion for what it
is worth.

The four-horn has the stilted action peculiar to deerlets,
walking on the tips of its toes. Sterndale remarks that it is
higher at the croup than the withers, and runs with its neck
stuck out in a poky sort of way, making short leaps.

LI. THE MOUSE DEER {Meminna hidica)
Native nantes : ^ Pisora,' *■ Pisai'

Habitat, the large forests of India ; but it is not known,
according to Jerdon, in the countries eastward of the Bay of
Bengal. It is common in the bamboo forests of the Central
Provinces (Sterndale). The writer has never heard of it in
Northern India, nor has he even seen it in Central India ; in
the Western Ghauts it is common enough.

In colour it is an olive dun, with lines of pale yellow spots
along the sides ; the lower parts are white ; the ears small
and rounded ; the legs fine and delicate, being scarcely thicker
than an ordinary pencil ; the tail is short. The male has
delicate little tushes pendant from the upper jaw, like the
Barking deer ; the scrotum is hairless, and instead of being
between the legs is behind them, like the ordinary little Indian
ground squirrel, which it very much resembles in colour and
markings. It is commonly found in bamboo jungle, and the
writer got a good specimen in the Western Ghauts. Sterndale
writes of some tame mouse deer which he had : ' They trip
about most daintily on the tips of their toes, and look as if a
puif of wind would blow them away. They are said to rut in
June and July, and bring forth two young about the end of the
rainy season.'

INDIAN SHOOTING 361

LII. KYANG {Equtis heinionus)
Thibet ^ Kyang''

The kyang was doubtless originally intended by Providence
to fulfil some good purpose, but having turned out a failure
was located in Thibet, where it was probably considered it
would not be much in the way ; or else it was designed to
take the place of the insect life on the lower ranges and act
as a blister on the temper of the sportsman. The shapoo, limb
of the devil as it is, has some good points in its favour— e.g. a
graceful carriage, fine horns, and it is a desirable acquisition to
the bag. The kyang has nothing to recommend or excuse it.
It is an ugly, donkeyfied, fiddle-headed brute, with straight
shoulders. In colour it is a mealy bay with a dark- brown hog
mane, dorsal stripe and tail. Its head and ears are coarse and
large, and its screeching bray is as unpleasant as its general
appearance. Being absolutely worthless to shoot, it is always
trading on that fact, and on the utterly false pretence that it
is deeply interested in the actions and habits of human
beings, particularly Europeans, is for ever thrusting itself into
society where it is not welcome, thereby spoiling the sports-
man's chance of a quiet interview with the animal of his choice.
The one trait in its character that might be reckoned as a palli-
ation by an unduly benevolent commentator is that it appears
not to be selfish. As soon as it thinks it has got a sportsman's
temper well under way, it will scour the country round for all
its friends and relations, and assemble them to enjoy together
the interesting spectacle of an angry man armed with a rifle
that he dare not discharge for fear of alarming something worth
firing at. Hints and persuasion are thrown away, and nothing
but a declaration of war has the smallest effect on kyang. A
skilful diplomat may occasionally gain a temporary advantage
by misleading kyang as to his intended route — getting the
kyang, for instance, to believe that he wants to cross a par-
ticular pass, and then, by taking advantage of cover, escaping up

362

BIG GAME SHOOTING

a side ravine ; but as a rule the sportsman has only the choice
of two alternatives : either to take the first opportunity of hiding
and remaining hidden till the disturbance is over, or else going
to some other part of the ground.

Measurements.

Authority

Height at shoulder

Col. Kinloch . . 1 About 14 hands
Sterndale . . . 12 to 14 hands
Major Greenaway . 5 year old female, 12J hands

,, . male, 13 hands
The Writer . . old male, 13! hands

si inches below the knee

i

LIII. THE WILD ASS {Equus onager)

Native names: '■ Ghor khttr,' Hindi; *■ Ghour^ ^ Kherdecht, Persian;
' Koulan,^ Kirghiz {Sterndale).

The wild ass is common in Persia and extends through
Beluchistan and Sind to the Bikaneer Desert and Kutch, its
southern limit according to Jerdon being Deesa, and its eastern
75° E. longitude. It is closely allied to, if not identical with,
the wild ass of Assyria, Equus hemippus.

As south of the Indus the wild ass is by no means common,
and is very shy and difficult to stalk in the open desert,
comparatively few have been shot by Europeans. Sterndale,
quoting Major Tytler, says that on the Bikaneer Desert the
natives organise a hunt once a year to catch the foals for sale to
native princes, and that a full-grown one has more than once
been run down fairly and speared. The Beluchis also ride
down and catch the foals, and shoot the full-grown ones
for food, the ground there being favourable for stalking. A
gallop after a wild ass should be exciting, but few sportsmen,
the writer imagines, would care to shoot more than one
specimen of a beast whose sole trophies are the hoofs.

Sterndale says they stand eleven or twelve hands at the
shoulder, which is considerably smaller than the kyang.

''^•^

«^-

Ovis Poll

CHAPTER XII

THE OVIS POLI OF THE PAMIR
By St. George Littledale

The great Pamir, or ' roof of the world,' forms the nucleus of
the whole Central Asiatic highland system, and consists of a
vast plateau formation some 30,000 square miles in extent,
with a mean elevation of at least 15,000 ft.

This, shortly, is what modern geographers have to say of the
home of Ovis Poll :

The plain is called Pamier, and you ride across it for twelve
days together — finding nothing but a desert without habitations or
any green thing, so that travellers are obliged to carry with them
whatever they have need of; North-east, you travel forty days over
mountains and wilderness, and you find no green thing. The
people are savage idolaters, clothing themselves in the skins of

364 BIG GAME SHOOTING

beasts ; they are in truth an evil race. There are numbers of wild
beasts — among others wild sheep of great size, whose horns are a
good six palms in length. From these horns shepherds make great
bowls to eat from, and they use the horns also to make folds for
their cattle at night.

So Marco Polo wrote of the Pamir six hundred years ago,
and six centuries earlier still some Chinese pilgrims, in de-
scribing it, said that 'it was midway between heaven and
earth : the snowdrifts never cease winter or summer : the
whole tract is but a dreary waste without a trace of human
kind.'

These descriptions are nearly as true to-day as they were
when they were first written, and this Pamir is the home of
the grandest of all the sheep tribe, the great Ovis Poli.

Until very recently the Pamir was considered one of the
most inaccessible places in Asia ; but the Transcaspian Railway,
opened in May, 1888, from the Caspian to Samarkand, has com-
pletely altered this state of affairs, though the Russian Govern-
ment looks with disfavour on Enghsh travellers wishing to use
the line so cheaply and expeditiously constructed for purely
military and strategical purposes.

Had it not been for the untiring efforts of Sir Robert
Morier, our Ambassador at St. Petersburg, continued for
several months, I should never have allayed the natural
suspicions of the Russian officials in the Asiatic and War
Department, and obtained the necessary permission to travel
by that route. I entirely owe the success of our expedition to
his efforts, and I can never sufficiently thank him for the
trouble taken.

But had I known as much about Russian Central Asia
before as I do now, I should not have waited for the railway,
but have crossed the steppes to Khokand, and thence south
to the Pamir, years ago. There are three routes by which it is
possible to reach the Pamir : the first from Ladak over the
Kara Korum to Shahdula, and then west, either from Yarkand
or from a point before you reach that city. For this route a

THE OVIS POLI OF THE PAMIR 365

passport would be necessary from the Chinese Government,
which, though much easier to obtain now than it was formerly,
is still by no means easy to get, nor, having got it, is there
any certainty that there would not be obstacles thrown in
the path of anyone wishing to visit the Pamir from the Chinese
side.

The second is the Gilgit, Yassim, Chitral, and Badakshan
route, but the political difficulties at present put this out of the
question.

The third is by the Transcaspian Railway.

I have made two visits to the Pamir, the first in 1888, the
second in 1890, and Mrs. Littledale accompanied me upon
both occasions. In 1888 I did not know anything about the
country or the chances of sport, beyond the mere fact that the
Pamir was the habitat of the Poll sheep ; but as to which par-
ticular district I ought to visit, or what special outfit I ought to
take with me, I could obtain no information either in England
or Russia. However, I had the good fortune to meet the
Rev. Dr. H. Lansdell, who gave me valuable advice as to the
route to Khokand.

From the Russian officials we received the greatest civility
on all sides ; whatever antagonism there may be between the
two countries politically, it begins and ends with politics ; for
socially at the present day there is no nation more popular in
Russia than the English, nor do I know any country wherein a
man, furnished with proper letters of introduction, will be made
to feel more at home than in Russia.

Saturday, August 5, 1888, found Mrs. Littledale and myself
camped in a valley, flat as a billiard-table, about two miles
wide, which was one vast river-bed of soft shingle, cut up into
countless channels, which varied day by day, almost minute by
minute, one or two hours of sunshine bringing down a flood
like a mill race, which cut new channels and left old ones dry,
making that which was a difficult ford in the morning almost
dry by night, and moving the main stream maybe half a mile
away.

366 BIG GAME SHOOTING

The place was an idyl of desolation ; not a shrub, nor a
bird, nor a living soul in sight, while the few blades of grass,
here and there apparent among the debris fallen from the
cliffs above, had a half-hearted air, as if they knew that they
were out of place. The mountains on either side were for-
bidding to a degree. Down their rugged sides dashed torrents
from the glaciers above. The head of the valley was blocked
by some grand snowpeaks, which reared their proud summits
to a height of 20,000 ft. and more. There they stood (and
stand) unnamed, unmeasured, and unknown, waiting for some
one to conquer their virgin snows.

It had been no easy task to persuade our Kara Kirghiz
hunters to come to this place at all. They asked why I wanted
to go ? They said that there was no grass there, that the horses
would die of starvation ; and did I think that the 'Gulcha' (the
Kirghiz name for Poli rams) would stay in a place where there
was nothing to eat ! For generations their fathers had been
hunters, and did I, a stranger, know better than they ?

However, I pointed out to them that we had everywhere
found skulls of fine old rams from ten to fifteen years old, and
yet we had hitherto seen no ram over five years old in the
flesh. How did they account for that ? In reply they said that
no Kirghiz had ever seen one of the big ones alive. ' Then,'
said I, ' come with me and I will try to show them to you,'
for I felt perfectly certain that the Poli were not different in
their habits from the Ammon and the Bighorn, and that it
was only a question of time before we found the old rams in
some secluded spot, away from the females ; and the event
showed that I was right.

We left camp one morning about 4.30 a.m., and rode up
the main valley for an hour or so. This brought us to the
mouth of a side valley, up which we turned, keeping to the
east side of it, so as to be in shadow. The elder Kirghiz,
Dewanna by name, soon detected something about two miles
away on some high undulating ground across the valley.
Dewanna was using binoculars, and though I tried to use my

THE OVIS POLI OF THE PAMIR 367

telescope, my fingers were so numbed with cold that it was
quite impossible to hold it steady. After some little scrutiny
we all decided that the beasts were arkar — i.e. female Poli— and .
continued on our course for about another mile, when some
extremely likely-looking ground made us pause again to take a
good look ahead. By this time some little warmth had come
back into my fingers, and I was able to use my Ross's telescope
again. After carefully spying over the ground and finding
nothing, I turned the glass on to our old friends the arkar.
The moment the glass was still, one look was sufficient. Down
went the telescope, and I crept forward dragging my pony out

Our camp

of sight, whilst the Kirghiz, divining that I had seen something,
promptly followed my example. And what a sight that glass
revealed ! Twenty-six old Poli rams in a band, and the smallest
of them larger than anything I had yet seen ! Lucky for us
that we had kept under the shadow of the rocks, as but for
that we had been in full view of the rams for a quarter of an
hour, in spite of which they were still quietly feeding, un-
conscious of the deadly peril to which they were exposed.

Men who are not sportsmen can hardly realise what my
feelings were when I discovered that at last I had in front of
me so many splendid specimens of an animal which for years
had been the dream of every British sportsman in the East.

368 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Years ago, when in Kashmir, my wife and I had discussed
every possible and impossible means of getting at the noble
beast, but the more we talked with those most likely to know, the
more we were convinced of the hopelessness of any attempt in
the then state of affairs, and we had to content ourselves with
the thought that when in the Gilgit country we had been
within sixty or seventy miles as the crow flies from the inacces-
sible Pamir.

I may remark here, in passing, that to the Russians
Karelin and Severtzoff is due the honour of having brought to
Europe the first entire specimens of Poli. I believe the mem-
bers of the Yarkand Expedition can claim ' first blood ' amongst
Enghshmen.

As I looked at those old rams, some browsing, some lying
down, my thoughts wandered back a dozen years to when on
the slopes of that stupendous Nanga Parbat in Astor on a
misty morning in May, three ibex (the smallest 38 ins.)
bit the dust. Again my imagination jumped forward to an
autumn in the ' Frosty Caucasus ' when three right royal red
deer stags fell in almost as many seconds. On occasions
like these one's thoughts are always rose-coloured. It is only
the red-letter days which come forward. Pushed into the
background are the long trying stalks, when perhaps for an hour
you have stood up to your knees in an icy stream, not daring
to move, for movement meant instant detection : forgotten, too,
is that last critical moment when, as your head rose higher and
higher above the rock which had been your objective point for
hours, your hopes sank lower and lower until the hideous
truth became plain to you that the head which you had almost
counted as your own had gone never to gladden your eyes
again ; or it may be that there was even worse luck to forget,
when wind, or light, or a tired man's laboured breathing had to
account for a "500 Express bullet driven by six drachms of powder
just over a big beast's back !

The rams we had sighted were on the other side of the
valley, the bottom of which was about a mile and a half wide,

THE OVIS POLI OF THE PAMIR 369

quite flat and without any cover. To get at them we must
either retrace our steps for about two miles, when we could
cross unseen, or go forward about a mile. The Kirghiz were
both in favour of going forward, whilst I wished to go back^
and it was very much against my will that I let them have
their own way. The rams were on the lee side of the hill and
near the top, which is always a most difficult position ; in
fact, if the game is withm one hundred or one hundred and
fifty yards of the top, and the hill is pyramidical in shape
(which this hill was not), I think ' it passes the wit of man ' to
approach them, for from whichever side you try you will find
them either with the true wind or the shifting eddy to leeward
of you. Try one side or the other, it is a position of nearly
absolute safety for the rams.

By keeping behind the moraine of an old glacier a shoulder
of the hill at length shut our quarry out of view, and we were
able to cross the valley. In the middle of this there was a
rapid stream across which the younger Kirghiz (having
stripped) carried Dewanna, coming back afterwards for me.
Unluckily, when nearly over, my carrier slipped and all but
came down, wetting me to the knees in a stream cold as only
ice water fresh from a glacier can be. After a stiff climb of
about an hour, we reached the top of a small ridge from which
we expected to view the rams ; but though we ' spied " every
yard carefully, we could see nothing of them. All the while
I knew that we were stalking on wrong ' principles, and when
at last, after a most careful climb, Ave found that we had run
into an eddy of wind, and that the sheep had vanished, it
caused me no surprise.

For several hours after this we walked on slowly, spying
every yard as we went, for tracking on this stony ground was
hopeless. On reaching a spot where the hill broke off sharply,
we lay down and examined the ground, which was very much
broken up into little valleys filled with great boulders, the lee
side of any one of which was a likely place for the rams.

When the Kirghiz first joined us I told the interpreter to

II. BB

370 BIG GAME SHOOTING

explain to them the use of a field-glass. Then they all laughed
at the idea of finding game with such things ; now they were
always wanting to borrow them.

For about half an hour we lay spying both with binoculars
and telescope, and Dewanna had just risen to his feet saying
that there was nothing, when I saw by the younger Kirghiz's
manner that he had seen something. I was only just in time
to drag Dewanna down, when over a brow below us came a
fine Poli, followed by two others, all beasts with good heads.
After a few minutes, the three lay close down together near the
bottom of a small ravine, and we had a good look at them
through a telescope. They were magnificent fellows, possibly
out of the big lot which we had seen in the morning.

Of course the Kirghiz wanted to ' drive ' the rams, and of
course I promptly vetoed the proposition. Why is it, I wonder,
that all over the world the natives are so desperately keen about
driving ? I could easily account for it if the general knowledge
of stalking were as limited as that of the Kirghiz, who spoilt
several of my earlier stalks by showing themselves behind me
whilst I was 'worming' my way up to game, and who seemed
quite ignorant of the fatal results of showing oneself upon a sky-
line. But it is not only the Kirghiz, for in the Caucasus two
men whom I employed, perfect masters of the stalker's art — quite
as good as the best of the Kashmir Shikaris (who I consider are
at the top of the tree) — were always tempting me to 'drive.' I
am glad to say that the only time I was weak enough to yield
to their solicitations the drive ended in a fiasco. Taking the
younger Kirghiz with me to carry the rifle, and leaving Dewanna
to watch and to signal to us the direction of any movement on
the part of the rams, I took the precaution to pick up a good
supply of small stones to pelt my man with whenever I found
him going too fast ahead of me. The fellow had most wonder-
fully quick sight, so I used to send him on in front, and on
previous occasions his excitement had so far carried him away
that I had to be perpetually running after him to stop him ;
and as at that altitude (upwards of 16,000 ft. above sea

THE OVIS POU OF THE PAMIR yj\

level) I found that I could not shoot unless I had been walking
with the greatest circumspection, it was necessary to recall him
now and again by this simple and easy system of telegraphy.

Keeping well out of sight along the ridge, we found a little
watercourse down which we could descend without being seen,
and having carefully searched every inch of ground to make
sure that there was no other Poli in our path who might spoil
our stalk, we crept down to within three hundred yards of where
we had last seen our three rams. Here the Kirghiz took off
his sandals, while I took the Henry double Express out of its
cover, made sure that all was ready, and then handed it back
to him, as every extra pound to carry adds to the difificulty of
keeping your breath.

I was shod in tennis shoes, with red rubber soles three-
quarters of an inch thick, to my mind the very perfection of
foot-gear for stalking, as they are perfectly noiseless, will out-
wear two ordinary leather soles among the rocks, and are only
dangerous on snow or ice.

Softly as mice we crept up the slope of a little ridge on the
further side of which we had last seen the Poli. Our man on
the hill made no sign, so that all was right so far. A little
short of the top, I took the rifle and crept up the last few yards
alone. Peeping over the top, I could just see the tip of a horn
behind a rock about one hundred yards below. Taking oif my
cap to place my rifle upon it, for if fired resting on a rock
without a pad the jar would send the bullet wide, I cocked
the weapon and lay there waiting.

The wind was right and the moment they moved they
were at my mercy. Whilst waiting I sent the Kirghiz about
ten yards to my right to see if he could make out in which
position the big one was lying, as from my point of view they
were half hidden, and it was difficult to say for certain which
was the big head.

Suddenly up they jumped and stood for one momeni
looking up the hill. The big one was end on, facing me, but I

B B 2

372 BIG GAME SHOOTING

had had a good rest, my heart had ceased to beat wildly and
my hand was steady, so squeezing the trigger gradually and
firmly, the report of the rifle was followed by the loud smack
which tells an old hand all he wants to know. Not wasting a
look on the big one, I shifted the sights on to one of the others
and fired just as he bounded off. Another smack told that
that bullet,' too, had found its billet, but the beast made off with
its companions. On dashing frantically down the hill and up
the other side of a small ravine, I saw cne Poli standing and
looking about him two hundred and fifty yards off Lying down
I tried to take a careful aim, but I found the rifle was pointing
ten feet over his back one second and the next twenty feet below
him. This was no good, so I lay quiet in the hope that he
might be so unsophisticated as to stay there until my poor
panting frame recovered its steadiness ; but alas ! in a few
seconds he was off.

However, I was satisfied that he was unhurt, and the
wounded one probably lay between us and him, so that I at
once took up the search for the beast, the man on the hill
coming in now very handily, directing us by a prearranged code
of signals.

Presently this man (Dewanna) got very excited and kept
signalling ' below, below.' As we were then at the bottom of
the valley we were at a loss to know how to go any lower,
when out from behind a large boulder came the Poli, very
sick indeed ; but to make sure I gave him another barrel and
rushed up to gloat over my latest prize, measuring 59 ins.
along the left and 58^ ins. along the right horn.

I then started up hill back to where the first one lay. On
getting up to him I was rather disappointed, as I had thought
that he was bigger than his comrade, and I pulled out the
tape and began to measure: 'sixty, sixty-one, two, two and a half
— thank goodness, at last I had got a trophy that would hold
its own in any company, and one that will still be a comfort, a
joy, and a thing of beauty when old Time has so stiffened my

THE OVIS POLI OF THE PAMIR 373

joints as to make this most glorious and exciting of all sports
only a memory for me.'

Having skinned our beasts and packed their heads upon
one pony, the younger Kirghiz, careless of the possibility of a
fall and consequent impalement, twisted himself somehow in
among the twisted horns on the pony's back, and so, he riding
and we on foot, we turned towards camp, warned by the waning
glories of the sky, the dark shadows stealthily creeping across
the snows, and the little rills frozen into silence, that the
Night King was coming, and that it was well to hurry. As we
reached camp our interpreter met us, and I think everyone
echoed his ' Vraiment, c'est assez grand ! ' as my first big head
was scrutinised.

In 1888 we had wandered about until we found the valley in
which the above took place, and then having discovered a good
hunting ground sat down to work, with the satisfactory result of
fifteen rams bagged, all but four being over 50 ins. and several
the right side of 60 ins.

In 1890 we decided to try the Southern Pamir, as all the
natives agreed that the further south you went the bigger the
heads became. But a visit to the Southern Pamir meant much
more elaborate preparation than heretofore, and our modest
little caravan of twelve horses all told in 1888 swelled to the
considerable number of forty in 1890 ; for it was not only
necessary to take food for ourselves and our men, but also for
the animals, and for each horse carrying a load of baggage we
had to have an extra horse carrying barley to feed him. Besides
this we took four or five horseloads of firewood, for there are
long stretches of the Pamir that are absolutely devoid of vege-
tation of any kind — places where even the travellers ' stand by '
for fuel, * Boortsa eurotia,' is not to be found. Without boortsa
life on the high timberless plateaux of Central Asia is indeed
hard, for that insignificant-looking plant affords splendid fuel.

1 This head was not destined to grace ray walls, but is now reposing in a
palace in St. Petersburg, her Imperial Majesty the Czarevna having expressed
a wish to have one of my trophies. — St. G. L.

374 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Green or dry it makes a blazing fire, and though it wants con-
stant attention and soon burns out, where there is no dry dung
it is a perfect god-send.

We had made up our minds not to return by Turkestan if
we could get across the Hindu Kush, and down into India ;
but as our chance of getting through was very uncertain, we
were obliged to secure our retreat by establishing depots along
the return route, of barley, flour, firewood, &c., all of which
entailed extra transport.

We found our tent, though it was lined and had a double
fly, so cold and so troublesome to keep upright during the
furious gales which even in summer sweep over the Pamir, that
on our second expedition we took with us a couple of Kirghiz
yourts in addition to this tent, and although the yourts are not
fastened to the ground in any way, yet, owing to their being
dome-shaped, they never showed the slightest tendency to blow
over. Once inside our yourt, a stormy evening had no fears for
us, nor had we ever to rush out in scanty garments on a bitter
night to refasten some yielding tent-peg.

On the Abchur Pamir there were immense quantities of
Poli horns, most of them of very large size, one head which I
measured being 69 ins., though even this was beaten by one
which was shown to me at Simla by Sir Frederick Roberts,
who kindly allowed me to photograph it. The head was given
to Sir Frederick Roberts by the Maharajah of Kashmir, and is
as far as I know the biggest head on record — length, 75 ins.;
tip to tip, .54^ ins. ; circumference round the base, 16 ins.

Let me recall one day out of my 1890 expedition, as another
sample of Poli shooting I have done. We had camped at the
end of June by Victoria Lake, which was still three parts frozen,
and after a short and fruitless hunt had recrossed to the Alichur
Pamir. The weather was changeable and the wind shifty, but
our sport had been fair. One stormy evening I spied three
rams a long way off. Before we reached them, a flurry of snow
hid them from us, and when the snow cleared we could not see
them. We decided that they must have gone over the hill for

THE OVIS POLl OF THE PAMIR 2,7 S

shelter, but on looking for them they unfortunately got our
wind, and bolting out from some rocks dashed across an open
piece of ground. I put the 200 yards sight up and fired at
the centre one, which was a monster, towering above its two
companions, and altogether by far the biggest sheep I had
ever seen — its horns, I should fancy, certainly measuring some-
thing over 70 ins. I saw the dust fly beyond just over its
back, and had no time for a second shot before the sheep dis-
appeared in a dip of the ground. I felt low at missing such a
grand fellow, but it was a running shot at quite two hundred
yards, and a hit would have been more or less of a fluke.

As they were a very long time coming up the other side of
the ravine, we went to see what had kept them, and found that
the two smaller sheep were waiting for the big fellow, who was
lagging wearily behind. As soon as they had got over the ridge
we followed them and found their track, which was very bloody.
My bullet, instead of going over my beast, must have gone
through him without expanding, and it was not long before we
found him lying down on a snow bank which was streaked with
his blood. Here I could have stalked and finished him, but for
the excitement of one of the Kirghiz, who showed himself and
made the beast get up again. After this he kept lying down at
intervals, travelling a shorter distance and resting longer each
time.

The vitality of Ovis Poli is something extraordinary. Here
was a beast shot through the lungs, as was proved by the frothy
blood which poured from his wounds, and yet he went eight
hundred or a thousand feet up a snow slope. Having allowed
him to get out of sight we followed him, but just as we reached
the top of the slope a heavy storm coming on obliterated every-
thing in six inches of fresh snow. As soon as the storm was over,
numbed and cold though I was, I tried to follow by kicking the
new snow away with my feet till I found blood, but eventually I
lost the ram and had to leave him. It was a terrible disappoint-
ment, for I fear I shall never look upon his like again. My atten-
tion had now to be turned to my Kirghiz companion, who had

376 BIG GAME SHOOTING

been taken violently sick and lay there unable to move. I had no
brandy to give him, and not even a coat to wrap him up in, for
we had left our sheepskins at the bottom of the hill. However,
I rubbed his hands vigorously, and after a time he recovered
sufficiently to descend leaning upon my shoulder. I believe it
was nothing but the height which affected him, and, extra-
ordinary as it may seem, two other Kirghiz who regularly spent
four or five months in every year on the great Alai, as their fore-
fathers had done before them, had been completely knocked up a
few weeks before this by the two or three thousand feet additional
elevation at which they found themselves with me, and had
been compelled to leave the Pamir. They are a careless happy-
go-lucky race, these Kirghiz, easy to offend as children, but as
ready to 'make it up,' and quite harmless if well handled. On
life they set but little store ; but the words of one old chief as
he handled my rifle are still in my ears. ' Ah,' he said, with a
sigh, 'and even the man who made that gun must die.'

377

CHAPTER XIII

CAMPS, TRANSPORT, ETC
By Clive Phillipps-Wolley

It is not possible to devise a camp outfit which would suffice
in all climates and under every condition of travel, and for that
reason a few notes on the special outfit necessary for each
country have been given where requisite.

But, although different climates require different camp
equipment, there are many things common to camp life all
over the globe, and a brief sketch of the needs and shifts of
such a life in temperate, tropical and arctic countries may at
any rate serve as a basis upon which to found a plan of cam-
paign in any country.

It must be understood from the outset that these notes are
for the hunter and not for the scientific explorer, whose needs
are excellently cared for in the Royal Geographical Society's
' Hints to Travellers,' and that the beau-ideal hunter is he who
can accomplish most with the least assistance from anyone else.
The most perfect outfit is that which, while it contains all things
really necessary to success, includes no superfluities, and is in
the highest degree portable.

The cost of hiring help in different countries has of course
an immense effect upon the nature of the camp equipment
employed, and what would be but a beggarly outfit in India
where you pay your beaters 3^. per diem would be extravagantly
luxurious in British Columbia where you pay your Indians
i^ dollar a day.

378 BIG GAME SHOOTING

But to succeed all the world over in big game shooting, a
man should be able not only to find his own game and kill it
when found, but to skin it, pack it, pack his own food on his
shoulders or his horse's as the circumstances require, cook
his dinner, choose and pitch his camp ; in fact, he should be
able to do everything which he wants done for himself without
aid from anyone else.

It by no means follows that because a man can do these
things he will be obliged to do them, but there are times in
every hunter's life at which the almighty dollar fails him, and
then it is that the beauty of being able to help himself becomes
apparent. It is not a bad plan just for once (say for a single
day) to do entirely without extraneous aid. At the end of the
day you will probably find that a good many things, from tying
a bowline knot to lighting a camp fire, look a good deal simpler
than they are.

We will consider then, first, what are the essentials of camp
life and camp outfit in countries where the temperature ranges
during the shooting season from 80° above to say 10° below
zero, a fair sample of which may be found on the mainland of
British Columbia.

One of the first maxims I would lay down is, bring with
you all the most important items of your outfit, rifles, ammuni-
tion, tents, &c., even though the cost of transport be heavy ;
but, on the other hand, do not load yourself with less important
items, such as rugs, blankets, cooking utensils, saddles and
smaller things. You can get most of the ordinary necessaries
of life in every country you enter, and in nine cases out of ten
the native manages to evolve the article best suited to the daily
needs of the country he lives in and the life he leads, e.g. the
so-called Mexican saddle or the Indian moccasin. There is
another thing worth considering, and that is that if you must
spend money somewhere upon your outfit, it is as well to spend
it where the spending of it may earn you the goodwill and
assistance of the people amongst whom you are going to
hunt.

CAMPS, TRANSPORT, ETC 379

The first matter to be considered upon reaching your start-
ing point, the point I mean at which the locomotive leaves
you, is the question of transport, a very serious matter to the
man who has been ' dumped ' down for the first time in his
life at a frontier station with a huge pile of belongings and not
even a friendly porter to carry them under shelter for him.

In North America (indeed, in most countries) the commonest
method of transporting freight from . one point to another
in regions where the railway does not run is by pack animals,
for which reason we will treat of ' packing ' with pack ponies
first.

In all the countries known to the writer the cheapest way
is to buy your ponies, taking your chances of selling them when
you don't require them any longer. Hiring your animals is an
expensive plan, especially in America, where the hire of a pack
pony is at least one dollar per diem, whereas his cost would
not exceed thirty dollars. Thus even if you gave your ponies
away (and you cannot always do much better) at the end of a
two months' trip, you would have saved thirty dollars by pur-
chasing outright. In buying your pack animals don't leave
the purchase of them until the last moment. If you do, there
is no one in the world who better understands the art of ex-
tracting the highest price from a man who j?mst buy than the
' untutored savage.'

Choose animals of short cobby build rather than those
which are more 'leggy,' and in addition to all the ordinary
precautions observed in dealing with horse-flesh, take care
to examine your purchases to see whether they have ever
had sore backs. If you find scars, however well the wound
has healed, don't buy the pony, as backs which have once
been sore are extremely apt to break out again at the first
opportunity.

You may estimate the number of ponies wanted for your
expedition by the weight which you require them to carry,
allowing from 150 to 200 lbs. to each pony, and although pro-
fessional packers will sometimes put as much as 400 lbs. upon

38o BIG GAME SHOOTING

a beast on a road, 200 lbs. is a full load for such a creature as
the ordinary cayuse on such trails as those which generally
lead to game countries.

Having bought your ponies and hired a man as camp
cook who can pack and look after the beasts, take precautions
against losing your animals. Of course your packer ought to
do this, but he won't. Buy picket pegs and ropes for your
saddle-horses, and good leather hobbles for the pack animals,
as well as a bell for the leader of the pack train, and see,
personally, that for the first few nights, at any rate, every horse
is hobbled or picketed, including even your hunter's horse, in
spite of his protestations that ' that cayuse won't stray ' ; and see,
too, that one of the horses has the bell on at night. During
the day you can take the bell off or silence it by shoving a fir
cone into it, or some such simple device, if you hope to see
game along the trail ; but at night, insist upon the bell and
the hobbles being worn, and in this way even if your beasts
have only poor feed they won't stray far, whilst if they do
the bell will help you to find them. As I pen these lines I
am as sure that some one of my readers will curse his luck for
having neglected this advice as I am that death and the tax-
man will arrive in due season. In passing, I may remark that
the man who takes the trouble to silence his pack train's bell
and his packers' mouths, whilst he rides half a mile ahead of
his train when on the march, will secure many a shot which
would otherwise never have fallen to his share.

In picketing your horses use a bowline knot, see that the
loop made will run easily round the tree to which each horse
is tied if you are not using a proper picket, and in any case
see that there are no bushes or stumps in his way round which
he can get tied up in the night.

Next to your ponies your pack-saddles are the most im-
portant part of your equipment, and though you can no doubt
pack either with ordinary pack-saddles, or with parfleches
(mere leathern envelopes depending from either side of the
pony), still the best of all the many contrivances for packing

CAMPS, TRANSPORT, ETC

381

is, to my mind, the aparejo, an arrangement of Mexican origin
obtainable for about twenty-five dollars all over America.

With good aparejos, sweat-pads and saddle-blankets of
stout material, and a man who knows how to put them all on,
there need be no sore backs, and very few halts to rearrange
packs during the longest trip in the roughest country.

Be careful, however, to see that your aparejo is long

Cinch him up

enough for your beast, otherwise you will get him so chafed
under the tail as to be unable to work. See, too, that your
horses get a rough rub down before being saddled, and that
your blankets are ample and well put on. Just as there are
many kinds of pack-saddles, so are there many ways of tying
on your packs ; but one good way is sufficient, and that known
as the diamond hitch has been adopted almost unanimously
as the best by the men who live by packing. Here I might

382 BIG GAME SHOOTING

give directions for the tying of the diamond hitch, but the
object of this book is to supply information useful to the
hunter, and written instructions in the tying of the diamond
hitch would not fall into that category. A man may learn to
pack by practical experience and with pack, pony and an ex-
pert before him, but I do not believe anyone could learn from
printed directions. Should anyone care to try, an' excellent
series of articles upon the subject, by a thoroughly practical
man signing himself 'Yo,' may be found in 'Forest and
Stream 'for June 2, 1887, and following numbers. Let your
camp man be a practical packer, would be my first advice to
anyone meditating a shooting expedition in America. To any-
one who had ever made such an expedition such advice would
be unnecessary. There should be no difficulty in finding a
man who can both pack and (in a rough way) cook. I was
going to say that any fool could cook sufficiently well for a
hunter's camp, but the recollection of beans fried without
boiling, a vivid memory of some of the abuses of baking
powder, and a certain black-currant pudding boiled without
basin or pudding-cloths, make me pause.

In addition to the aparejos, sweat-pads, and saddle-blankets
before mentioned, all of which go under your packs, you
must provide yourself with what are known as iTianteaux, i.e.
squares of stout waterproofed canvas which are thrown over
the packs to protect them not only from rain, but also from
pointed boughs and such like which would otherwise tear the
packs in passing through a timbered country. With these,
cinches, sling ropes, halter ropes, and a good supply of spare
rope of the kinds known respectively as half- and quarter-
inch, the sportsman should be able to transport all he requires
through almost any country.

As to the packs themselves, I would recommend that as far
as possible everything should be put up in stout canvas bags
and labelled. This plan saves infinite trouble in the long run.
Some things of course must be carried in tins, and among
these should be your matches, which will thus be protected

CAMPS, TRANSPORT, ETC

3«3

from damp, and will have no chance of making dinner a horror,
as the ordinary sulphur matches loose amongst provisions have
a habit of doing. Even for matches a stout well-corked bottle
is better than the best tin.

Packs are generally arranged as two side packs, and one top
pack, and square side packs (in wooden boxes) with blankets,
tents, and such like bundles for top pack seem most convenient.
Round side packs are apt to shift.

Above all things see that your side packs are about equal
in weight and hang about level. The contents of the packs
must depend to a great extent upon the tastes and means of
the hunter, but for simple men travelling in a difficult country
the list of necessaries given below should suffice for two
sportsmen, two gillies and a cook during an expedition of two
months' duration.

I have allowed a gillie or hunter to each sportsman, as well
as a camp cook between them, although my own experience
has been that your greatest happiness and best success begin
when you have learned to hunt alone. That two make more
noise than one ; that your own eyes (not another's) are the
best eyes for you to use ; and that a white man with practice
is better than any red skin, are articles of faith which will be
approved by experience.

However, of this more in another place. The accompany-
ing list of stores, &:c., has been based upon the lists of things
used by the writer in former expeditions, in none of which
(at any rate since 1883) has there been any running short of
supplies.

Provisions and other reqtd sites for five men for two months

lbs.

lbs.

Flour .

6 sacks = 300

Coffee .

. = 12

Yeast-powder

18 tins

Tea .

. = 8

iMcon .

= 100

(or Cocoa

. = 12)

Dried apples

• = 50

Pepper .

. = I

Sugar .

• = 50

Salt .

. = 30

Beans .

• = 50

Onions.

. = 60

384

BIG GAME SHOOTING

Worcester sauce

Matches

Candles (three dozen composite)

Soap

Tobacco

A small can of oil for rifles

Spare rope

Two dozen horse-shoes, nails,

and a shoeing hammer
A few yards of linen for dish

cloths
Ten pounds of powdered alum

for curing skins

Two spare deer-skins for patch-
ing moccasins ; some waxed
thread, which must serve your
turn until you can get some
sinews, to sew your moccasins
with

A cobbler's awl and needle

File

A housewife containing buttons,
thread, needles, darning
needle, wool, &c.

A little ingenuity and abundance
of good temper

In this list I have only allowed enough bacon for men who
know how to hunt in a country where game is to be had for
the hunting. Of course if game is scarce, more supplies might
be needed, whilst equally of course, if the country is very dif-
ficult and the temptation sufficient, keen men should be able
to get along with half a pound of flour and four rashers of
bacon per diem, and even this with tea, blankets, rifles, car-
tridges, &c., will be found quite enough to carry in a mountain
country with no one to help you.

I have suggested cocoa as an alternative for tea, for I find
that the latter, as it is generally brewed in camp, is intensely
indigestible, and is apt to keep even a tired man awake at night.
Cocoa, on the other hand, is refreshing, it is almost as effectual
a ' pick-me-up ' as a whisky and soda, and does very well in
its place. For men who do not stop to lunch, cakes of choco-
late or raisins are recommended, as being very portable and
nutritious.

My second list of necessaries consists of kitchen gear, and
although it may easily be reduced to a ' billy,' a frying-pan,
and your fingers if needs must, it is as it stands about as small
as is compatible with comfort. Cups, plates, &c., should all
be made of what is known as 'granite iron,' as this material is
very strong, will not crush like tin, and retains heat a long time,

CAMPS, TRANSPORT, ETC 385

an important point when your meals are taken in the open air
of an October evening in the mountains.

Kitchen gear

One nine-inch iron pot with a 'nest' of three smaller pots

inside ; these should all be ' tinned ' or enamelled inside
Two tin milk-pans for kneading dough in
Two coffee-cans or ' billies '
Two frying-pans to make dampers and fry bacon. Have these

made with folding handles
Five soup-plates, five tea-cups (both plates and cups to be made

of enamelled iron)
Five knives, five forks, five soup-spoons, five tea-spoons, one

meat-knife, a big cooking fork, one small meat saw
Two axes and two spare axe-handles

Almost of more importance than either food or kitchen
gear is the sportsman's ' sleeping outfit,' if I may use the jargon
of the camp.

The common A tent is the one most used in America, but
probably there is nothing better than that known as Whymper's
Alpine tent, made of Willesden canvas, as recommended in
' Hints to Travellers.' For extremely rough work I have used
a little * tente d'abri ' into which we had to crawl on our hands
and knees, but which held two men, kept them dry, and weighed
with poles, pegs, ropes, and a bag to pack it in, only nineteen
pounds.

I am inclined to think that even this weight might be lessened
if required. But whatever the tent you use, you should in all
cases have a floor to fit it, rather larger than the ground covered
by the tent, and made of some stout waterproof material. This
floor may be made to attach to the sides of the tent if so
desired.

A sleeping bag or blankets must be taken for each person,
and if blankets are used, three pairs of four-point Hudson Bay
blankets if properly arranged will suffice to keep a man fairly
warm, even with the thermometer 10° below zero. But they

11. cc

386 BIG GAME SHOOTING

must be properly arranged, and to do this one pair of blankets
should be sewn up at the bottom, along the whole of one side,
and halfway up the other side, the other half to be fitted with tapes
or buttons. This makes a kind of bag which effectually prevents
a man from throwing off his clothes in his sleep, and keeps
out those bitter little draughts which otherwise so annoyingly
creep in and dispel the soundest slumbers. An inflatable air-
cushion is light to pack, and handy either as a pillow or as a
seat in camp. The air cushion makes a better seat than pillow,
for which the writer always uses a canvas bag packed with
spare clothes, flannels, &c., carried inside the roll of blankets.
The sleeping bag made of blankets, with an outside covering
of tarpaulin to lace up over the blankets, and with a hood or
pillow-case of tarpaulin attached to hold pillow or canvas clothes-
bag, is the most convenient outfit of the kind for America.
Before leaving the subject of beds, a subject of the utmost
moment to the hunter, let me point out that one of the
most comfortable and simplest of camp bedsteads may be made
thus. Let your manteau measure 6 ft. 6 ins. by 4 ft., and let it
be made of the strongest waterproof canvas, two pieces of equal
size being sewn together so as to make an endless sack. In
this form your 77iatiteau will do duty as a cover for the packs
by day, and at night you can cut two thin poles about 7 ft. 6 ins.
long, pass them lengthwise through this endless sack, take two
logs about a foot in diameter and 5 ft. or more in length,
and cut notches in them 4 ft. apart ; then set one at your
feet and one at your head, stretch out your manteau and rest
the ends of the poles in the notches, and in ten minutes you
will have made yourself a spring mattress above the reach of
the damp. If, however, you are content with a brush bed — and
the sweet aromatic balsam boughs should be good enough for
any man — cut only the smaller boughs and arrange them in rows,
the points of each row overlapping and covering the thick and
hard butts of the row above. Hemlock makes the best of all
bedding, and keeps oyt damp better than any other brush. It
is a good plan before finally arranging your bed to lie down on

CAMPS, TRANSPORT, ETC 387

it, find out where your hip-bone comes, and dig out a hollow
for it to fit into. Anyone who has slept upon a hard and
absolutely level surface will understand why this is recom-
mended.

Finally, as to clothing, I have ventured to recommend a list
of simple necessaries, more as a hint to those preparing for an
expedition than as a rule for their guidance. In his choice of
clothes, every man will to a certain extent follow his own fancy,
but there are some few things essential to health, and others
essential to success. For still hunting in timber I consider
moccasins, or at any rate tennis shoes, essential. For a tender-
footed man tennis shoes with thick red india-rubber soles are
the very best of foot-gear. Exc.ept that you cannot cling
with them as you can with the moccasin, they are nearly
as good as the latter, and certainly save your feet as you
come down hill, among sharp loose stones, in the dark ;
but they are hard to repair, and impossible to replace in the
woods. Flannel is the best thing to wear next to your skin,
and a good supply of dry flannels to put on when you come in
at night is of the utmost importance. A pair of ' rubber shoes *
to slip on in camp is well worth carrying, so that if you are
obliged to go out in the snow or slush after you have made
yourself comfortable for the night, you need not wet your feet
again. Let your clothes be of some neutral tint ; my own
especial weakness is an Indian hunting-shirt made as plainly as
possible of taimed deerskin. The colour of this is excellent j
the material is very light and tough, and when you top a ridge
to which you have painfully climbed for half an hour, the bitter
wind which meets you does not go through a buckskin shirt as
easily as it does through tweed or homespun. In wet weather —
i.e. in real drenching rain — such a shirt is not as good by any
means as tweed, as it then becomes exceedingly cold and un-
pleasant to wear. A broad belt of webbing (not of leather, for
leather cuts you) to contain your cartridges may be used over
the shirt, if it has not a great brass fastening in front as most

c c 2

388

BIG GAME SHOOTING

belts have. The object of this fastening I suppose is to reflect
the sun's rays and make a dazzHng spot of light on the abdo-
men of the hunter, about as useful in attracting the attention
of every living thing as anything which the ingenuity of the
gentlemen who sell ' sporting goods ' could contrive. Metal
buttons, metal watch-chains, uncovered rifle barrels, and even
the end of your stalking glass, will reflect the sun's rays in the
same dangerous manner, so that though you may be otherwise
uimoticed, the attention of your quarry will be drawn to what
appears to him to be a little star amongst the grass on the other
side of the ravine. Added to the dangers of their appearance
is the danger that if you wear any metal trappings about your
person, they may ring against one another terribly loud and clear
just at the moment when even the beating of your own heart
seems unwarrantably and absurdly noisy. For these reasons
avoid metal adornments ; keep a loose cover
over your rifle barrels, be careful not to catch
the sun's rays with your glass when spying, use
a watch-chain of buckskin, and don't carry a
lot of loose change in your trousers pocket.

Attached to your belt will probably be a
knife for administering a coup de grace, and for
skinning. If you would not lose it, adopt some
such plan for securing it as is suggested by the
accompanying woodcut. None of the ordinary
spring fastenings are proof against the rough
usage of the hills.

If you wear knickerbockers, have them made
loose at the knee, so as not to hamper you in
your stride up hill, or wear them unfastened
at the knee ; but though less smart in appear-
ance, ordinary tweed or flannel trousers, with the bottoms
tucked into a stout pair of woollen socks, are as workman-
like as anything ever made.

Whatever you do, don't wear canvas overalls, although you

Knife
fastening

CAMPS, TRANSPORT, ETC 389

may be strongly advised to do so. I wore a pair once, and in
a week they were so ragged that I had to borrow a petticoat
in which to return to civilisation, and, moreover, they are
not only easily torn, but they emit a strident scraping sound,
whenever a twig touches them, which can be heard very
far off.

Loose buckskin gloves sound rather luxurious wear for a
hunter, but the hardest Siwash wears them ; and as your hands
have often as rough usage among the rocks as your feet, they
are necessary. Below is a Hst of clothes, &:c., for a two months'
trip in temperate climates. ,

Clothiitgfor two months
Two tweed suits
One buckskin shirt
Two tweed caps
Four flannel shirts
Four pairs of flannel drawers
Six pairs of woollen socks or stockings

Moccasins : the number of these depends entirely upon the
nature of the shooting. After ibex, I have worn out a pair
in a morning, but for ordinary work a pair of good thick
moccasins should last four or five days
Eight handkerchiefs : not white, but some dull colour which will
not attract attention from afar, if inadvertently pulled out in
sight of game
One pair of short waterproof boots (gum boots)
One waterproof cape, such as is made by Cording ; an armless
contrivance, very light and portable, used I think by cyclists
Three pairs of blankets, one waterproof sheet, one air-cushion
One belt of webbing for cartridges

One pair of loose buckskin gloves, one pair of woollen mits
One boating sweater

Having now enumerated most of the essential items of a
camp outfit, it may be as well to sketch roughly the ordinary
routine of a day's march with pack ponies.

In a well-ordered camp someone should be stirring just as
the stars begin to lose their brilliancy and to fade before the

390 BIG GAME .SHOOTING

coming of day. An early start is most important, as it goes a
long way towards ensuring an early camp, and that camp should
be made early whilst there is still plenty of daylight is of vital
importance to everyone with the expedition. The discomforts
of camping in the dark only require to be tried once to be
avoided for the future.

Whilst one man lights the fire and gets the breakfast ready,
let another go for the horses, and a third put the beds together
and make the packs ready. Save time whenever you can, for
unavoidable delays are all too frequent with a pack train. A
cayuse is not as other horses are. When you have sought
animals sorrowing, in the chill dawn, and found them hiding,
in a long line one behind another with their heads down,
behind a bush no bigger than a respectable cabbage, or have
watched your bell-horse roll his bell in the sand, shake himself
to see if it will ring, and then trot away contented, you will
know more about cayuses, and agree that they are the hardiest,
most sure-footed, and ' meanest ' of all created beings. See
then that you get them together early in the day, and have the
packs on their backs and 'all set' within half an hour of the
time at which you finish your breakfast.

When you have the ponies packed, some one of the hunters
may ride well ahead, but the man who 'leads out,' i.e. guides
the pack train, should never ride far ahead. If he does, the
pack animals will at once begin to stray. The best pace to
travel at is a fairly brisk walk ; anything more than this generally
disarranges the packs and necessitates halts to rearrange them,
or causes sore backs. From fifteen to twenty-five miles a day,
according to the character of the country to be ridden through,
is an excellent day's work for pack ponies, and from two to
three miles an hour a fair pace to travel at.

Keep your temper in driving pack ponies across a side hill,
or along a steep and narrow trail. Pack ponies are as mean as
— civilised words won't express their ' meanness ' — and when a
pony knows that he has another between himself and the whip,
and that the whip cannot reach him owing to the narrowness

CAMPS TRANSPORT, ETC

59*

of the trail, he will stop
and browse. If you press
the pony next you to get
at the offender, one of
them will go head over
heels down the slope,
and at every bump there
will be little puffs, one
white, one brown. This

means that when that pony
reaches the bottom of that
hill he may still be alive,
but there will be no more
cocoa and no more baking
powder for that expedi-
tion.

Some men remove packs
in the middle of the day,
and halt for lunch. This
I consider a mistake, and
a waste of time. An

■ Good-bye to the groceries '

• 392 BIG GAME SHOOTING

early camp, say at four o'clock, is better both for horses
and men.

In choosing your camp consider first these points : water,
food, fuel, and shelter from wind and from the sight of such
game as may be in the neighbourhood. As to this last point,
it is as well not to allow fires to be lighted or wood chopped
until a careful survey of the neighbourhood has been made from
some adjacent height, especially if the camp has been pitched
in the district which you mean to hunt. Not long since my
friends and myself had the mortification of seeing the largest
band of sheep I ever saw move away while we were stalking
them, not because they detected us, but because they could
hear the ringing strokes of our men's axes in the valley below.
A camp without feed for the horses is the worst of all camps,
and luckily occurs very rarely. If there is any likelihood of
such camps being unavoidable, it may be necessary to carry
grain for the horses, although many ' cayuses ' will not at first
eat it, and frequently when they do eat it suffer from lampas
and other ailments consequent upon a sudden change of diet.
Lancing the bars of a horse's mouth with a sharp penknife will
procure relief from lampas, which is probably the commonest
complaint amongst pack ponies. In camping in America,
beware of camping near burnt timber — that is to say, so near
as to be in danger from a falling tree, a constantly recurring
risk where huge trunks are burnt almost through, and high
winds are common.

Whatever you do, do not camp on old Indian camping
grounds. Indians rarely leave anything worth having in a camp,
but they do leave things worth avoiding. Again, don't be
tempted to use an old horse-blanket to put over your feet on a
very cold night. Men will tell you that the insects which infest
animals won't touch men. I remember one unfortunate party
which owned a horse suffering from the third plague of Egypt,
and owing to a careless use of one of that horse's blankets the
plague passed on to the horse's rider. The woodticks which
infest the woods in early spring arc as omnivorous as the insects

CAMPS, TRANSPORT, ETC 393

before alluded to. When once these creatures have buried
their heads in your flesh they should be removed with care.
If you leave their heads in, an ugly sore may be the result.

Arrived in camp, let it be your first care to see that the
horses are watered, hobbled and turned into the best ' feed ' in
the neighbourhood ; see that the packs are secured against
rain, and that an ample supply of wood is cut for use during
the night. In dealing with Indians don't do too much for
yourself, however competent and willing you may be. The
majority of Indians are very apt to encourage a man willing to
help himself, by allowing him to do all the work.

Give men and horses a complete rest every Sunday, and
utilise part of the day for looking through and taking stock of
your stores.

There is still another list of necessaries to be added to
those already given, but luckily it is only a very short one. As
illness may possibly visit the hunter's camp, he must be prepared
for it, and a few simple remedies for the ills most likely to befall
him are worth providing.

Quinine for low fevers, aperient medicine of some kind
(podophyllin pills for choice), and an ounce of laudanum in
case of diarrhoea or colic, together with a few mustard plaisters,
a roll of india-rubber bandaging, and some diachylon plaister
for cuts, have always proved a sufficient medical outfit for any
party to which I have belonged.

The quinine, if employed as a preventive measure, may be
taken in three-grain doses, but in case you are too late to ward
fever off double the dose.

Of laudanum twenty drops in water, when in pain or purged,
is a fair dose.

But with average luck no big game hunter ever gets ill until
he returns to civilisation and high feeding. Then, alas ! his
troubles beein.

394 BIG GAME SHOOTING

CHAPTER XIV

A FEW NOTES ON RIFLES AND AMMUNITION
By H. W. H.

Express Rifles. — These are usually made of five different
calibres — viz. •360, '400, -450, '500, and "577 — and are called
' Expresses ' on account of the high velocity imparted to com-
paratively light bullets by the heavy charges of powder used
in these rifles. Many sportsmen are under the impression
that all Expresses of the same bore are practically the same —
at any rate, as far as their power, velocity, &c., are concerned
— and look upon, say, a -500 Express as a fixed quantity. No
greater mistake could be made. Take two -500 bores, appa-
rently alike, and the one may be a powerful and effective rifle,
and the other quite uncertain, at any rate against the larger
kinds of even soft-skinned animals. The reason of this is that
the first is rifled and sighted for, and constructed to carry, a
fairly long bullet weighing about 440 grains, and having a com-
paratively short hole in front (see figs. 3 and 4), while the
latter fires the ordinary short bullet, which has a relatively
larger hole in front, light walls and a thin base (see fig. i),
the result being that when it is fired at, say, the shoulder of a
powerful tiger or bear, the whole of the bullet will probably
break up into small pieces, causing a big flesh wound, but no
part of the bullet has sufficient weight and momentum to
penetrate through the bones or powerful muscles of the animal
so as to reach any vital part. Unfortunately, the higher the
velocity of the projectile, the more the bullet breaks up ; con-

NOTES ON RIFLES AND AMMUNITION 395

sequently the short range at which such game is usually killed
tells still more against this type of bullet for such sport.

The short Express bullet may be considerably improved, and
greater penetration obtained, by having the hollow shorter and
tapered (see fig. 2).

Fig. I.— 340 grains

Fig. 2. — 360 grains

Rifles constructed for these short bullets are decidedly
inferior to those arranged for the longer projectile.

Fig. 3 shows the long -500 bullet with a heavy fuse.
Fig. 4 shows the same bullet with a small taper hole.

Fig. 3.— 440 grains

F'ig. 4. — 460 grains

It is certainly now for the most part acknowledged that rifles
firing this type of bullet are much more trustworthy, giving as
they undoubtedly do increased penetration and a more smashing
blow. The front portion of the projectile generally breaks up
in the animal shot, and the base part, having sufficient energy
remaining to pass through the body, will nearly always be
found under the elastic skin upon the other side. These rifles
have the further advantage of giving accurate shooting at

396

BIG GAME SHOOTING

comparatively long ranges where the ordinary Express would
fail.

Figs. 5 to lo show some specimens of this type of bullet
(•500 and '577 bore) taken from under the skins of tigers,
after having passed through the animals, proving the great
velocity and killing power of this form of projectile, and demon-
strating that the whole energy of the charge had been effectually
utihsed.

A double '500 rifle to carry the lighter bullet may be made

Fig- 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

Fig. 9

Fig. 10

to weigh about 9 lbs., while to carry the longer and heavier bullet
the weight should be nearer 9^ lbs. But when the increased
power and penetration obtained are taken into consideration,
probably few sportsmen will object to this slight extra weight.
A crushing blow that may be depended upon is what is required,
and reliance cannot be placed (except, perhaps, for deer stalking)
upon the short, light bullets so much used. No doubt a good
deal of game is killed with the light bullets, even up to and
including tigers, &c. ; but much has been lost, and many acci-
dents have taken place, in consequence of the bullet breaking

NOTES ON RIFLES AND AMMUNITION 397

up too soon, causing only a flesh wound, and not having
sufficient penetration to reach a vital part of the animal shot.
The above remarks apply both to "450 and "577 rifles, but
especially to the latter, so without going into further details
illustrations are here given of the light '450 and '577 bullets
generally used (see fig. 11), and the longer ones now recom-
mended (see fig. 12).

Since Sir Samuel Baker has so strongly recommended
•577 6-dr. rifles, they have become much better known, and
are now much more used than formerly. There can be no
question that when fired with proper bullets they are very
effective weapons, even against the largest kinds of game. Of

•450

•577

270 grams

455 grains

Fig.

II

•450 '577

340 grains 625 grains

Fig. 12

course for use against the latter it is necessary to employ solid
hardened bullets.

The weapon used and recommended by Sir Samuel Baker
is somewhat heavier than the ordinary '577, weighing between
1 1 and 1 2 lbs. ; it was specially made for him, and is sighted
up to 400 yards.

For soft-skinned animals, Sir Samuel used solid pure lead
bullets, and he always found them deliver the whole power of
the charge upon the animal, being generally forced into the
shape of a mushroom, and found under the skin upon the
opposite side of the beast.

Count Teleki, in his successful three years' expedition in

398

BIG GAME SHOOTING

Central Africa, also used "577 rifles against elephants, buffaloes
and rhinoceros with great effect, although he preferred his 8-bore
(shooting 10 drs., and a short conical bullet) for big game, find-
ing that at close quarters a knockdown blow was absolutely
necessary. The question of the rival bores for such game as
tiger, bear, &c., will probably never be settled, as so much
depends upon the capabilities of the shooter, the class of
country he is in, and the style of shooting, whether in a how-
dah or on foot, &c. : but it may be taken generally that for
dangerous game it is always as well to be on the safe side and
to use as powerful a weapon (in moderation) as you can con-
veniently handle.

Figs. 13 and 14. — Blocks of soft "577 bullets cut out of tigers
bv Sir Samuel Baker

In Africa, where animals of the same species as are met
with in India appear to require much more killing than they
do in the latter country, the -577 firing a solid hardened
bullet and 6 drs. of powder must always be a most useful
weapon. For lion, the largest kind of deer, &c., it is all that is
wanted, and even for elephants it is a fairly effective rifle.

For sport in India, when the sportsman is limited to one rifle,
a "500 Express, shooting a charge of 5 drs. of powder and a long
bullet, and capable of also firing, when required, the shorter
bullet and 4] drs. for the lighter kinds of game, will probably
be found the most useful all-round weapon.

If, in the first instance, the barrels of a -50.0 Express are
properly constructed for shooting the two kinds of cartridges,

NOTES ON RIFLES AND AMMUNITION 399

good shooting may be made with both, with the same sighting ;
and a most useful arrangement this will prove to be, the
heavy cartridge being very deadly for all game found in India,
with the exception of the pachydermatous animals, while for
the deer tribe and for practice the lighter charge is all suf-
ficient. Perhaps the most useful battery on a small scale for
India is a '450 Express for deer, and a 12- or i6-bore Paradox,
w^hich does well as a shot-gun, and is also most effective as a
rifle.

Ball-Guns. — One of the advantages which the ball-gun has
over the ordinary rifle is its lightness and handiness compared
with the latter, but the serious drawback to its wide use was, in
the first place, that it would fire spherical bullets only, and con-
sequently lacked penetration ; and, in the second, that it gave
but irregular shooting, except at very short ranges. This state
of things has been completely reversed by the introduction
of the ' Paradox ' gun, the invention of Colonel Fosbery, V.C.
In the * Paradox ' all the advantages connected with the light-
ness and handiness of a gun have been retained, while great
accuracy when fired as a rifle with a smashing conical bullet has
been added.

Since Colonel Fosbery's invention was brought to the
notice of sportsmen, the 'Colindian' and other systems of
ball-guns have been introduced.

The result has been quite a revolution in the manufacture
of weapons for use against game of all kinds, from the larger
kind of deer up to elephants.

Take, for example, the 12-bore * Paradox.' This weapon has
all the advantages of quickness and handiness of mounting to the
shoulder, so essential in snap-shooting, and yet fires a conical
bullet (see fig. 15), hollow or solid, up to a hundred yards or
more with the accuracy of a good Express. For all practical
purposes, and with all game up to and including tiger or bear,
a 'Paradox' weighing from 7 to 7^ lbs. has all the necessary
qualities of a lo-lb. rifle, and has, moreover, the handiness of
a 12-bore shot-gun, discharging shot quite as well as a good

400

BIG GAME SHOOTING

cylinder or modified choke. The man who uses a ' Paradox '
need not take jany other gun, a saving in the size of one's
battery worthy of consideration ; but perhaps the strongest

Hollow point Cross cut

Fig. 15. — i2-bore ' Paradox' bullets

argument in favour of this weapon is that the man who has
much snap-shooting to do (from a howdah, for instance) is
much more hkely to be successful when handling the gun

Fig. 16

he uses every day and often than he would be if trying to make
snap-shots with an ordinary rifle, used rarely by comparison,
and perhaps firing so heavy a charge as to make practice with
it 'no joke.'

Colonel Fosbery has succeeded in perfecting the ' Paradox *

NOTES ON RIFLES AND AMMUNITION 401

system for large bores, such as 10 and 8, and in 1891 one of
the latter weapons when tested before the editor of ' The Field,'
with the full charge of 10 drs. of powder, and a hardened
conical solid bullet at 50 yards range, made the extraordinary
diagram in six consecutive shots into a space i^ in. by 2\ ins.
(shown in fig. 16), beating all the records of big rifles at the
' Field ' trials.

It should be only a matter of time for weapons made
upon this principle to supersede large-bore rifles for big game
shooting. Everything is in their favour. An
8-bore * Paradox ' weighs some 2 to 3 lbs.
less than an 8-bore rifle, and mounts to
the shoulder with the handiness of a gun.
The accuracy of the ' Paradox ' is greater
than that of an 8-bore rifle, the recoil less
(as the bullet passes freely up the barrel,
instead of having to cut its way through
severe rifling, the ' Paradox ' being rifled pig. i7.-Diagram of
at the muzzle only), and the velocity or 8-bore • Paradox '

...... bullet

stnkmg force is superior.

Several of these weapons (8- and lo-bores) have already
been tried upon elephant, buffalo, &c., in Africa and India,
with the most satisfactory results.

Small Bores for Elephatit Shooting. — No doubt some sports-
men have been successful in bagging elephants and other big
game with •450-bore rifles, firing a moderate charge of about
3I drs. of powder and a long solid bullet, such rifles giving
great penetration, but no shock to the animal unless a vital part
is reached. If the game be found in fairly open country, so
that accurate shooting can be made, this weapon may answer
in the hands of a good shot ; but in most parts, and in grass
country, particularly where an animal has frequently to be
shot at very close quarters, and where the chances of being
able to make a run for it are very much restricted, one would
much prefer to rely upon the paralysing blow given by an
8- or 10-bore loaded with a heavy charge of powder and a

" DD

4oa BIG GAME SHOOTING

conical bullet; in fact, even the admirers of the "450 warn sports-
men that such rifles are useful under certain conditions only,
and this warning is absolutely necessary, several fatal accidents
having taken place through sportsmen having misread or not
properly appreciated the accounts of the shooting made with
these small weapons and the circumstances under which they
may judiciously be used.

Systems of Actions for Rifles. — Different kinds of ' actions '
are constantly being invented for double-barrelled rifles, but
very few, if any, have the sterling qualities of the old double-
grip lever, especially when used for rifles shooting heavy
charges. No doubt snap-actions of various kinds are made
which are sufficiently sound to stand the strain of the charges
fired, especially if the ' body ' be long and deep, but none of
them have the binding down potver of the grip lever, which
is really a kind of screw-grip. Another point in favour of the-
grip lever is that, should there be a piece of cap or other obstruc-
tion between the action and the barrels, the grip lever will have
sufficient power to force the action to close and allow the
rifle to be fired ; and the same thing applies when a very tight
cartridge, or one with somewhat too thick a rim, requires 'to
be forced home. Now, under the same circumstances, a rifle
with a snap action could not be closed at all, or, at all events,
only with great difficulty and with unusual force, because all
spring bolt systems require that the barrels should close up
freely upon the action before the bolt can move into its proper
position for fastening down the barrel.

For small bores such as are used for deer stalking, &c.,
the hammerless system has some advantages ; but there are ob-
jections to these actions for weapons intended for foreign sport,
and these objections apply more particularly when big game
rifles are in question. Most sportsmen are fairly well acquainted
with the construction of the ordinary hammer gun fitted with
rebounding locks, but very few know anything of the internal
arrangements of the hammerless system, and there is no doubt
that the internal arrangements of the latter are more likely

NOTES ON R/FLES AND AMMUNITION 403

to get out of order when subjected to tne wear and tear and
the rough usage of a shooting expedition than those of the
former, to say nothing of their being more easily affected by
sand, rust, &c. They are also less readily taken to pieces and
cleaned.

Too much care cannot be given to the selection of a battery,
the minutest details of the weapons, and the ammunition for
them, and yet it is a curious fact that sportsmen frequently
spend much time and money over their general outfit, and
take but little heed about their weapons, upon which their
sport, and possibly their lives, may depend.

In ordering a battery, choose the best rifles you can afford
to pay for. The first expense is likely to appear heavy to those
who can see little difference between the expensive rifle of
a high-class maker and those supplied of a cheaper kind, but
very little experience will be needed to prove that the best is
the cheapest in the end.

Few sportsmen know the amount of money, care, and skill
that has to be spent upon a double rifle which is the best of
its kind and a really accurate weapon ; that is to say, a double
rifle which has its barrels so perfectly adjusted that even a
skilled shot cannot tell the shooting of one barrel from that of
the other. Great care has to be taken in the manufacture of all
the parts, for the failure of a striker or a spring may mean
serious or even fatal results to the shooter when after dangerous
game ; and this work has to be paid for.

The workmen employed on best rifle work are skilled men,
and can always command high wages. In some of the cheaper
kinds of double-barrelled rifles one barrel frequently shoots
some inches away from the other, rendering it impossible for
the sportsman to make good practice even at a target, much less
at game.

Great strides in the accuracy and adjustment of double
rifles have been made during the last ten years. It is impos-
sible here to say exactly what diagrams one should be fairly
entitled to expect, so much depends upon the type of rifle

D D 2

404 BIG GAME SHOOTING

required ; but perhaps as good a guide as any is to take the
diagrams made by the winning rifles at the trials of sporting
rifles before the editor of the ' Field.' For an ordinary Express
it may be accepted that a double "450 firing ten shots, right and
left barrel alternately, making a 4-inch group, viz. all tlie ten
shots in a 4-inch square, is a very fine shooting weapon, and
that one putting all its ten shots into a 6-inch at a hundred
yards is quite up to the average.

Do not depend upon diagrams shown as the record of
the shooting of a rifle. The only satisfactory plan is to go to
the maker's grounds and see the rifle fired, to fire it yourself,
or, if that is not convenient, get a competent friend to go and
see the diagrams made. Then, again, it is very desirable to have
the sights cut to suit your own style of shooting, for it is not
at all unusual for two good marksmen firing the same rifle to
make a considerable difference in elevation on the target at,
say, 100 yards range.

Recoil Heelplate. — It is not a bad plan to have recoil heel-
plates fitted to all rifles from -450 to 4 bores. They save the
shoulder very much when firing large charges. See that the
rubber is properly smoothed and varnished, so as to get rid of
the clinging feeling these heelplates otherwise have.

Spare Weapons. — In going for any length of time upon a
sporting expedition, it is always well to have reserve rifles which
should be as nearly as possible duplicates of those in the regular
battery in weight, mount, sighting, &c., so that no difference is
noticed by the sportsman should he have to fall back upon his
reserve. You may never want them, but if, when you are in
the game district, hundreds of miles up country, you smash or
injure the rifle you are depending upon, you will then fully
appreciate the advantage of having a reserve. It is a very
easy thing to break the stock of or otherwise damage a rifle,
or it may even be lost, and if you have no others to fall back
upon the sporting trip must be spoiled, or at any rate seri-
ously hampered.

A fair battery for an expedition to Africa would be a

NOTES ON RIFLES AND AMMUNITION 405

pair of 8- or lo-bore rifles or ' Paradox ' guns, shooting 8 to
10 drs. of powder ; a pair of "500 bore, 5 drs. solid ball rifles,
one '577 and a 12-bore shot or 'Paradox' gun. Also a -400
or a "450 single-rifle sighted up to 500 yards would be found
very useful in many parts.

Spare limbs should always be taken, viz. extra hammers,
mainsprings, tumbler pins, and foresights, and lessons should
be taken from an experienced gunmaker in taking weapons to
pieces and putting them together again properly. Turnscrews,
such as working gunmakers use, should be specially ordered,
and not the slight and nearly useless tools usually found in
rifle and gun cases. These are made by the gross, and are
generally well-nigh worthless. Do not fail to have a very power-
ful screw-driver to take out the breech-pin, which is always
very firmly screwed up.

With large bores and all rifles that have very much recoil
insist upon having the front trigger thick and well rounded, to
prevent its cutting the forefinger when firing the left barrel. It
is a very good plan to have the front trigger hinged or hung
quite loose, so as to give way to the finger. Also see that the
left trigger pulls at least 6 lbs., to prevent both barrels being
fired together. There is no objection to having both locks of
such weapons made with a fairly heavy pull off; the fact
being that when a rifle weighing 12 or 13 lbs. is being handled
a 6 or 7 lb. pull does not feel heavier than a 4 lb. pull does in
an ordinary shot gun. See that all your rifle stocks are made of
tough strong wood, and that the grasp or handle is left sufficiently
thick to give a good hold to the right hand. It is also a very
good plan to have the hand of the stock strengthened by having
the strap of the action made so as to extend its full length
and come over the comb. This plan was first suggested by Sir
Samuel Baker, and there can be no doubt but that it very con-
siderably strengthens the stock in its weakest part.

Try your cartridges in the chambers of your rifle or gun
before starting for the day's shooting, and carefully discard all
that will not go into the weapon freely and allow the action to

4o6

BIG GAME SHOOTING

be closed with ease. It is desirable to have cartridge-correctors
made the exact size of the chambers of each weapon.

Rebounding Locks. — Many sportsmen think that when the
hammer is at the rebound or half-cock it is in a safe position,
but sometimes it is quite the reverse. This is because some
rifles and shot-guns are made with the face of the hammers too
close to the end of the strikers ; when this is so, it will be
found that, should the hammer be pulled up nearly to full
cock and then let down again (without touching the trigger)
there is sufificient 'give,' or 'spring,' in the parts of the lock to
allow the hammer to just reach and to 'flick' the striker hard
enough to fire the rifle. The danger of this defect must be
obvious. The face of the hammer when pushed forward as

Fig. i8. — Illustration of adaptation to Sir Samuel Baker's
•577 rifle

far as it will go (without the trigger being pulled) should be
well away from the end of the striker. If there is any doubt
as to whether there is sufficient space or not, hold a flat piece
of metal or card against the face of the action, lift the hammers
nearly to full- cock, and then release them ; if the metal or
card be marked by the end of the striker, it is evidence that
the space between the hammer and striker is not sufficient.
This should not be done often, as it has a tendency to injure
the end of the scear of the lock.

Stocks, Loops, Stops, Cases. — In ordinary rifles do not have
the stocks made the same shape as in your guns. Most sports-
men miss birds by shooting under them, but with a rifle more
game is missed by being shot over. It is desirable to have the
stocks of rifles made a quarter of an inch more bent than those

NOTES ON RIFLES AND AMMUNITION 407

of guns, and in heavy bores even half an inch extra will be
found an advantage in shooting, to say nothing of saving
the shooter's face from being punished by the recoil. Also
remember that as you increase the weight of your rifle you
must decrease the length of your stock.

When loops are attached to rifles for the purpose of
enabling you to use slings, it is desirable to have flat ones,
thus —

Fig. 19

and not rings or swivels, which always rattle, and may disturb
game. The above form has the further advantage of being
stronger than the others. Always refuse to allow the gun-
maker to fit stops to the hammers of any weapons intended for
use against dangerous game. You may at a critical moment
forget that the locks are bolted, or the bolts may have got
loose and may have slipped into the hammers without your
knowledge.

For rough shooting, especially in damp climates, have your
rifles constructed for solid brass cases, or those covered with
a thin coating of brass. These are less, likely to stick in the
chambers, and are not so easily damaged as the paper ones.
Have your cartridges done up in small tins, hermetically sealed,
packing a few of each kind you are likely to use in a separate
tin, say fifty in each package. In this way you will be able
to keep the bulk of your ammunition weather-proof. The
contents of each tin should be stamped on the outside.

4o8

BIG GAME SHOOTING

It is a useful plan to have loose-fitting flannel bags made
for the barrels and stock of each weapon.

Perhaps the most convenient form of rifle case is 'The
Shikari' :

Fig. 20. — ' The Shikari ' rifle case

See that your case is made of strong sole leather, so as to be
fairly rigid and capable of resisting pressure ; for real rough
work there is nothing better than oak covered with leather.

Rifle Sights. — No absolute rule can be laid down as to the
best form of sights for sporting purposes. Generally speaking,
the wider and the shallower the V in the backsight the better
for snap-shooting, but beyond a certain point this shape makes
it difficult to ensure taking the centre of the sight. The silver
line or the ivory pyramid with which the standard is frequently
inlaid very much assists in getting the centre quickly.

l-'ig. 21.

Fig. 22.

A very good form ot backsight is a modification of the style
frequently used in German rifles, viz. a wide shallow V having
a small rounded nick and a fine line down the centre (see
fig. 21).

NOTES ON RIFLES AND AMMUNITION 409

A sloping standard has the advantage of showing up the
silver line, but in a bright light this has a tendency to ' blurr '
and prevent a fine bead being taken. It is as well under these
circumstances to black the standard, and upon occasions the
foresight ; this may be done very simply by smoking them
with a wax match. Foresights should be let in from the front
and fixed with a small screw, so that they can easily be removed
and a different form of sight inserted when required.

A spare iron foresight and two or three ivory ones should
be fitted to each rifle.

A very useful and convenient form of night sight is an
ordinary iron one having at the rear end a small disc covered
with white enamel or luminous paint (see fig. 22), and so ar-
ranged that this disc can, when required, be raised in front of
the ordinary bead. If properly constructed and placed at the
correct angle, it can be seen well when the ordinary sight would
be quite invisible.

Telescope sights are now made with elevating screws, which
enable the necessary elevations to be quickly obtained. For
stalking and deliberate shots the telescope is most useful, but
it is necessary to have the eye-piece fitted on a spring slide and
made sufficiently large to prevent injury to the shooter's eye in
case of the recoil being heavy ; but these sights for rifles firing
heavy charges cannot be recommended.

Many sportsmen complain that with Express rifles (in par-
ticular), and not infrequently with other rifles, they shoot over
their game at short ranges, an error which they attribute to
the ' high sighting ' of their rifles. Sometimes this explanation
of their shooting over their game is the correct one ; but fre-
quently the error is caused by the shooter, when firing a snap-
shot at an animal moving across him at a short range, taking a
very full foresight, not having sufficient time to get his eye
down to the level of the backsight, and draw as fine a bead as
he would have done had he taken a deliberate shot.

But no doubt some rifles are ' over-sighted,' and if so it is
partly the fault of the gunmakers and partly the fault of the

4IO BIG GAME SHOOTING

sportsmen themselves, who insist upon gunmakers trying for the
impossible. It is not an uncommon thing to hear a sportsman
say, 'Oh, my rifle has a flat trajectory up to 200 yards,' the
truth being that the rifle in question has been sighted to shoot
correctly at 200 yards, but the bullet at the highest point in its
trajectory (i.e. at about no yards from the muzzle) will pro-
bably have risen from four to eight inches (according to the
velocity of the bullet) above the line of aim.

It is best to have an Express rifle made with the first leaf or
' standard ' sighted for not over 150 yards, and if this is properly
done, no misses from over-sighting need be made between
thirty and 150 yards.

Again, it is within the experience of most rifle-shots that it
is exceedingly difficult to make good shooting when firing at
game very much below the shooter (ibex down hill for instance).
This difficulty is often accounted for by a theory that in shots
of this kind the bullet is less acted upon by the forces of gravity
than in ordinary horizontal shots ; but in reality the difference
in the fall of the bullet at 150 yards in down-hill shots at an
angle of 45 degrees and in horizontal shots at the same range
is very slight.

Still sportsmen find in practice that they have to aim three
to six inches below the part which they wish to hit, to ensure
success in these down -hill shots.

In this case the cause of errors in elevation is the great
difficulty there is in getting the head down to the stock so as
to properly align the foresight with the bottom of the notch or
V of the backsight.

The sportsman can easily test this theory for himself by
putting any ordinary rifle to his shoulder in a room, aiming first
at some object considerably above his head, and then at some
point or object upon the floor. Anyone who does this will find
that in shooting at the object above him it is easy enough to
align the sights upon it, that by bending the neck and lowering
the head the sights can be accurately aligned upon any object on
a level with the shoulder, but that there is very considerable dif-

NOTES ON RIFLES AND AMMUNITION 411

ficulty in getting the eye down to properly align the sights when
the object aimed at is upon the floor. In fact, if the stock of
the rifle is fairly straight it cannot be done. Both these cases
of over-shooting come from the same cause ; in the first ' hurry '
has induced the shooter to forget to set his head down properly
on to the stock, in the second his own build and his rifle's
make it very hard for him to do so. The same principle is
illustrated in rabbit shooting with a fowling-piece at short
ranges. Unless using a gun with a gooa bend to the stock it is
difficult to get down low enough to your rabbit crossing at say
fifteen yards, so that a dozen are missed by shooting over for
one that is missed by shooting under at that range.

It is as well, too, to remember that in shooting from a 'rest '
there is always an inclination on the part of the barrels to fly
upwards, and this is particularly so where the ' rest ' is of any
hard substance, a rock or a log for instance. To counteract
this tendency to fly upwards, grip your rifle firmly with your
left hand, and put a pad of some soft material (say, your cap)
between your rifle and your rest.

Assuming that any rifle-shot knows the danger of pulling
as opposed \.o pressing\}i\Q. trigger, that he will be careful to see
that his foresight neither gets bent nor shifted, that he does not
get buck fever, and can judge distance with approximate accu-
racy, there seems to be only one other hint worth giving, and
that only to those who find a difficulty in seeing the backsight
clearly ; those, that is, to whom it appears blurred and misty.

These sportsmen should have their rifles arranged with the
backsight not less than seven or nine inches from the breech,
since the further off from the eye it is, the more clearly defined
it becomes ; but of course there is a limit to the distance at which
the backsight can be put from the eye, since the closer the
backsight is to the foresight the greater the angle of error.

It is sometimes even desirable to have the barrels made of
extra length to allow of the backsight being put further from
the breech end, but long barrels are unhandy on horseback
and in thick timber.

412 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Note. — It may be added that these notes have been sub-
mitted for criticism and comment to experienced practical
sportsmen, including Mr. F. C. Selous, Col. James Baker, and
Mr. Edward Ross.

Mr. Selous wrote, ' As far as my experience goes, I agree
with what he says.'

Col. James Baker stated that, after perusing the chapter
with his friend Mr. Edward Ross, they both of them fully
concurred in the views expressed, and had nothing to alter or
to add.— C. P.-W.

4'3

CHAPTER XV

HINTS ON TAXIDERMY, ETC
By Clive Phillipps-Wolley

That ' the reward lies not in the prize but in the race we run '
is probably more true of sport than of any other pursuit, and
yet even in big game shooting there are prizes to strive after
which serve at any rate to remind the winners of the races they
ran to obtain them. To the man who has won them fairly, the
mighty antlers and fierce masks which hang in his hall or study
are treasures beyond price. As to the men who buy such
trophies, they are not of our guild, nor is it easy to comprehend
them or their motives.

When the light is waning and the flames from a wood fire
cover the walls of a hunter's den with quaint shadows of the
spolia opima of the chase, it is easy to explain to a kindred
spirit the value set upon these hardly-earned treasures. To
some they may be mere dry bones or hideous mummies ; but
out of them and their shadows the tired man, dozing by his
hearth, can call up pictures from the deep primeval forest, the
sheer snow mountains, or sweet and wild wind-swept upland ;
pictures such as no artist ever painted or poet fancied. Each
head is to that dreamer a key to some locker in his memory.
He has but to look at those antlers in the firelight, and the
past comes back vivid and glorious, aglow with the colours of
an Indian summer, or bright with the blossoms of an Alpine
spring, mellow with the beauty distance lends, and painted
by the strong happy hand of youth.

414 BIG GAME SHOOTING

If age and feebleness come, shall there be no satisfaction
to the old hunter in remembering the ibex he outclimbed, the
stag whose senses were not keen enough to detect the stealthy

When the liglil wanes

approach of those now clumsy feet tottering to their rest ; the
grim foe, tiger or grizzly, upon whom his worn-out eyes once
gazed without blenching, measuring the shot calmly, upon the
success of which hung his life or the beast's ?

HINTS ON TAXIDERMY, ETC 415

More than all the pleasures which the rich man feels as he
surveys his Murillos or his Raphaels are the hunter's, as his
eyes wander over his antlered walls. He shot the beasts whose
spoils are round him, and in the doing of it scenes were graven
on his memory which can never be effaced ; mental and
physical qualities which, but for these silent witnesses, Age
the doubter would persuade him that he never possessed, were
tried and not found wanting.

But what can bought heads be to the buyer ? Furniture
for his rooms perhaps, and, even so, misleading ; for if a house
is to be worth anything, it should represent the tastes and life
of the man who lives in it. As a rule, it is long odds that
the owners of bought trophies cannot so much as remember the
shape of the beasts whose horns they hang up, much less have
they any associations connected with them. At the best, they
are but costly rubbish ; unfortunately they are worse than that.
The demand for antlers and sheep's horns insures a supply
being secured in some way, and so it happens that in Canada
to-day every up-country trader has been supplied with a printed
list of the prices which will be paid for trophies, according to
the number of inches they measure round the base or the length
and span of the antlers.

In one trader's house which I know there are nearly a
hundred magnificent sheep's heads waiting for a purchaser, most
of which have been brought in by Stony Indians, whom no law-
can touch for shooting in season or out of season.

The damage done by this head-hunting is twofold : first, to
the sportsman, whom it will eventually deprive of his game ;
secondly, to the country, as tending to rob it of the attractions
which it possesses for a class which brings a great deal of money
into it. A fair sheep's head may be bought for twenty-five
dollars, but many a hundred pounds of good English money
has before now been distributed amongst the natives and traders
of British Columbia in the attempt to obtain such a head by fair
shooting. No doubt efforts have been made by the legislature
to protect the game ; but in those countries to which I have

4i6 BIG GAME SHOOTING

had access I have found that, though the laws were good
enough, they were rendered useless through lack of men to
enforce them.

In Canada no game laws can ever be of much avail as long
as the Indian is allowed the privileges which he at present enjoys.

But the principal business of this chapter is to instruct the
hunter in the best methods of preserving his trophies when
fairly won, until such time as he can hand them over to one
of our excellent practical taxidermists at home. In nme cases
out of ten, the head is all that a man cares to preserve, and
those who are wise will not cumber their houses with too many
even of these with the masks on. In spite of infinite pains,
moth and dust will corrupt the most carefully guarded collec-
tions. However, if you want to mount the head with skin and
all complete, let your first care be to sketch or photograph it in
profile before the skinner's knife has touched it, in order that
the man who sets up the trophy may have some idea of what it
looked like in life.

If the hunter cannot sketch decently, a kodak is a good
substitute for the pencil, or the proportions and various bumps
and inequalities in the outline may be accurately preserved by
laying the head upon a sheet of paper and tracing its outline with
a simple instrument, consisting of two pieces of metal four or
five inches in length, set at right angles to one another, with a
socket at the angle into which a lead pencil is fixed, so that the
point projects just far enough to make a mark upon the paper,
when, with the lower side upon the paper and the upright side
against the head, an outline of the profile is taken. Outlines
or photographs should be made as soon after death as possible,
before the muscles have time to sink and lose their natural pro-
minence.

In skinning a horned head proceed as follows : —

Slit the back of the neck up the middle to a point between
the horns, then make a crosscut from the base of one antler to
the base of the other. This will give you a cut shaped thus, T.
Now separate the skin from the skull round the base of each

HINTS ON TAXIDERMY, ETC 417

antler, and be careful not to cut the coat unnecessarily during
the operation. Next turn the head over and begin at the other
end, severing the inner side of the lips from the gums as high
up as you can reach, and skinning the muzzle as far back as
you can. Then peel off the whole mask from the antlers down-
wards to the muzzle, being specially careful not to slit the skin,
either at the eyes or at the nostrils, which are the tenderest
portions of it. Be careful to preserve a sufficiently long neck,
and do not let your Indian or Tartar cut the beast's throat (as
he will do if you do not watch him), as nothing looks worse than
a taxidermist's stitches showing under the throat of a trophy.

If you have followed these directions, you will have pre-
served so far the entire lips of the animal. Now take your
knife and slit the lips, separating the inner from the outer skin,
and dress the cut so made thoroughly well with powdered alum.
Having removed the skin from the skull, you may clean this
part of the trophy, either by boiling it if you have a pot with
you large enough for that operation, or if not, after whittling
out the eyes, brains, and any flesh you can readily detach, you
may hang it up in a tree out of reach of coyotes to dry, until fit
for packing. Before putting your skins and skulls apart to dry,
mark them carefully with corresponding numbers, to prevent
mistakes later on.

Should you wish, however, to skin a beast whole for
mounting in some museum or elsewhere, you must proceed
as directed by my friend, Mr. John Fannin, curator of the
Museum of British Columbia, whose directions I have slightly
altered to suit my purpose, and inserted below.

Turn the beast on to his back and make cut i, from the
point of the breastbone along the centre of the belly to the
root of the tail, taking care only to cut through the skin, and
not into the intestines. A few pieces of fine brush, laid on the
inside of the skin as you peel it off, serve to protect the skin
from any blood which may escape from the bullet wounds or
elsewhere during the operation of skinning.

Next, make a cut from the hoof of each foreleg to the upper

II. E E

4i8 BIG GAME SHOOTING

end of cut i, making the incision down tlie hitid part of each
foreleg. Make a cut from the hoof of each hind leg, along the
hinder part of it to the lower end of cut i. Now skin round
the legs ; sever the leg bones at the knee and hock joints,
leaving these bones with the hoofs attached to the skin, but
with the skin freed down to the hoofs. Now skin the animal
in the ordinary manner, using the edge and not the point of
your knife, and on reaching the neck make the T shaped cut
described above, along the top of the neck and between the
antlers. This will allow the skin to be removed entirely from
the head ; but before proceeding with the head the skin should
be removed from the body as far as the head, and the head
severed at the neck joint.

Having washed any blood off the hair and detached every
fragment of meat or fat which you can get off the skin, stretch
it out upon the ground in some airy spot where it can dry
naturally, unaffected by sun or fire. Dress the skin with pow-
dered alum, or failing that with wood ashes, and don't peg
it out. When prepared in a solution of soda by the taxi-
dermist at home, the alum-dried skin will become as pliable as
kid and will resume its natural proportions, and these should
satisfy any honest hunter.

The methods recommended in this chapter are of course
only for preserving trophies in the field. All trophies should
be sent home for final preparation as soon as possible, either
prepared with alum and packed dry, or in a tub of pickle com-
posed of alum and salt in the proportion of two-thirds of the
former to one-third of the latter. ,

Some men make a practice of carrying a saw with them to
divide antlers and skulls for greater convenience in packing,
sawing the skull right through from crest to nose ; but though
trophies are undoubtedly somewhat easier to pack in this way,
I do not recommend it, as a very heavy wapiti head of mine so
treated is constantly annoying me now by breaking away from
the rivets which should hold it, to come thundering upon the
ground.

HINTS ON TAXIDERMY, ETC

419

In sending skins home from temperate regions I have
never found it necessary to use any preservative against insects
other than the powdered alum with which the skins are

Wapiti head

I, 2, and 3 indicate the brow, bay, and tray antlers respectively ; 4, indicates the line
along which a head should be measured for length ; 5, the line along which to mea-
sure for span ; 6, where to measure for girth.

dressed ; but in hot climates more elaborate precautions are
necessary, and a liberal dose of spirits of turpentine should be
applied externally from time to time.

420 BIG GAME SHOOTING

An application of spirits of turpentine put on with a liberal
hand, and brushed in, the way of the hair, with a dandy brush
at spring-time, will go a long way towards saving trophies from
the ravages of moth.

A covering of fine glazed gauze, made like a nosebag, is-
useful as a protection to heads left stored in an unused room.

Here it may be convenient to set out the ordinary systems-
of measuring game trophies amongst English sportsmen.

Skins are measured from the snout to the tip of the tail,.
and from side to side under the forearms.

There is a system of measuring bear skins upon the
American continent which may have given rise to some errors-
— to wit, measuring from the '• heel to the snout.'

In measuring the heads of sheep, ibex, and such like, the
chief points are the girth of the horns at the base, and the
length of each of them from base to point measured along
the outside edge of the curve.

In measuring stags' heads the points to note are : (i) the
number of points or tines, (2) the length of the horn measured
from the skull along the outside curve of the beam to the tip-
of the longest tine, (3) the greatest width between the horns, and
(4) the circumference of the beam between the bay and the
tray points. The diagram on p. 419 illustrates these measure-
ments, indicates the points named, and displays the normal
growth of tines in a wapiti head.

421

A SHORT
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BIG GAME SHOOTING, etc.

Since it seems impossible that any one man should have a tho-
roughly comprehensive knowledge of all forms of sport in any
given district, it has been thought well to give here a short list
of the best books known to the present writer upon most of the
topics dealt with in these pages, in order that those specially
interested may see at a glance where to turn for further infor-
mation. There are, of course, a vast number of books written upon
sport in different parts of the globe ; but it is hoped that those
quoted below will be found to cover most of the ground. Where
opinions vary it is left to the reader to compare evidence, and judge
for himself

This seems an appropriate opportunity for acknowledging, in as
brief a space as possible, but as heartily as can be conveyed by
written words, the indebtedness of those employed upon these
volumes for the invaluable assistance rendered by a host of friends
too numerous for special mention, for information given, and photo-
graphs sent. It is hoped that the use made of their contributions
will be a sufficient reward for the trouble they have taken.

Books recommended for perusal

Africa •

Anderson, C. J. Notes of Travel in South Africa. 1875.

„ „ The Okavango River. 1861.

Baker, Sir Samuel W. The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia. 1867.

„ „ The Albert N'ya/iza.

„ „ Wild Beasts and their Ways.

Baldwin, W. C. African Hunting from Natal to the Zambesi.

1863.
BouRKE (Lord Mayo). Sport in Abyssinia.

42 2 BIG GAME SHOOTING

Gumming, R. Gordon. Five Years of a Htmtef''s Life in South

Africa. 1850.
Harris, G APT. G. Wild Sports of South Aft ica. 1844.
Le Vaillant. Voyages, Chasses^ Excursions en Afrique. 1869.
Selous, F. G. a Hunter's Wanderings. 188 1.

„ „ Travel and Adventure in South-East Aftica. .

i«93.
WiLLOUGHBV, Sir John. East Africa and its Big Game.

North America

Baker, Sir Samuel W. Wild Beasts a?id their Ways. 1890.
Buxton, E. N. Short Stalks.
Caton. Antelope and Deer of America.

Dodge, Golonel R. J. The Hunting Grounds of the Great West.
DUNRAVEN, Lord. The Great Divide.
Pike, W. Barren Grounds of Northcrti Canada.
Phillipps-Wolley, G. A Sportsman's Eden.
Roosevelt, Theodore. The Hunti?ig Trips of a Ranchman.
Rowan. Emigrant and Sportsman in Canada.
Van Dyke. The Still Hunter.

Williamson, A. Sport and Photography in the Rocky Mountains.
1880.

South America
Kennedy, W. R. Sporting Sketches in South America. 1892.

The Arctic Regions

Lamont, J. Seasons with the Sea-Horses. 1861.
„ Yachting in the Arctic Seas. 1 876.

Caucasus

Phillipps-Wolley, C. Sport in the Crimea and Caucasus.
jj „ Savage Svdnetia.

Ceylon
Baker, Sir S. W. Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. 1854.

India and Thibet
Baldwin, J. H. Large and Small Game of Bengal. 1876.
Forsyth, J. Highlands oj Central India. 1871.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 423

KiNLOCH, Colonel. Large Game Shooting in Thibet, the Hima-
layas, and Northern India.

McIntyre, D. Hindti Koh: Wild Sport in the Himalayas.
1889.

Rice. Indian Game. 1884.

SandeR-SON, G. p. Thirteen Years among the Wild Beasts of
India. 1878.

Sterndale, R. a. Natural History of the Mammalia of India
and Ceylon. 1884.

Northern Europe

Lloyd. Field Sports of Northern Europe. 1830.
„ Scandinavian Adventures. 1854.

Spain and Portugal
Chapman, Abel, AND Buck, W. J. Wild Spain. 1892.

Sardinia
Buxton, E. N. Short Stalks.^

Tyrol
Baillie-Grohman, W. A. Tyrol and the lyrolese. 1875.

Taxidermy, &c.

H. C. A. J. The Sportsmatis Vadc Mecum. {Field O^cg) 1891.
Lord, W. B., and Baines, T. Shifts and Expedients of Camp

Life. 1 87 1.
Ward, Rowland. Sportsmaiis Handbook to Practical Collect-
ing. 1882.
„ „ Horn Measurements and Weights of the Great

Game of the World. 1892.

^ This admirable volume contains much information upon other beasts
besides the Sardinian moufflon, little known and not treated of elsewhere, e.g.
Capra cegagrus, Ovis traqelaphiis (the Barbary sheep) and the red deer of Asia
Minor.

INDEX

TO

THE SECOND VOLUME

' A ' TENT, the, 395
Abyssinia, 325
Adam zad (sloth bear), 186
Afghan Boundary Commission,

321
Afghanistan, 312, 315, 321
Air cushions, 386
Akershus, Norway, 125
Alaghir, Caucasus, 49
Albania, 77

Aleknanda river, India, 325
Alexander II. of Russia, 168
Alichur Pamir, 374
Allahabad, 226
Allia (elephant), 228
Almanzor, Spain, 179
Alpenstocks, 29, 57
Alpine stag. See Red deer
Alpine tent, Whymper's, 385
Altai, the, 73, 74, 75, 291
Altyn-Tagh, the, 299
American stag, the Great, 36
Ammunition. See Rifles
Amsterdam Island, Spitzbergen,

Anar (native fireworks), 189
Anay (elephant), 228
Andalusia, 177-179
Andorra, 179

Antelope, Caucasian (Antilope
saiga), 44, 45

ARN

Antelope, Indian (Antilope
Bezoartica), 345 ; native
methods of hunting, 347 ;
stalking, 349 ; pugnacity of
the bucks, 352 ; measure-
ments, 357

Antelope, Mongolian (Antilope
subgutturosa), 74

Antelope, Saiga (Saiga tartarica),
characteristics, 340; measure-
ments, 343

Antelope, Thibetan (Pantholops
Hodgsonii), 335 ; character-
istics, 339 ; measurements, 343

Antlers and horns, traffic in, 415

Ants, red, danger of, in tiger
shooting, 214

Aoula (Phyllanthus emblica),

354
Aparejo, the Mexican, 381, 382
Arakan, 234, 334
Aranjuez, 176
Ararat, 52
Araxes, the, 44
Arco, Count, 81, 116
Arcot rogue elephant, the, 233
Arctic regions, sport in the, 11 ;

walrus hunting, 3- 15; bear

hunting, 15-21
Arkar (female poli), 367
Arna (Arni), buffalo, 253

426

BIG GAME SHOOTING

ARU

Arundo phragmites (Caucasian
reed), 31

Asia Minor, 228, 321

' Asian, ' the, quoted. Sec
Measurements

Assam, game in, 221, 228, 233,
234, 240, 248, 253, 254, 258,
262, 265, 267

Astor, game in, 277, 302, 303,
3", 312, 313, 315, 368

Asturias, the, 175-178

Attock, 315

Augustus, Elector, 116

Aurochs (Bos Ijonasus), Cauca-
sian, 65 ; former range of,
65 ; hunting, 66-71 ; measure-
ments, 70 ; description, 72 ;
in Biolvitskia forest, habits,
167 ; measurements, 167 ; a
typical drive, 170-172

Austria, Emperor of, 85, 98

Austria, the late Crown Prince
of, 116

Austria, Upper, 78 ; red deer in,
112, 117

Authorities for measurements of
game. See Measurements

Baikal, Sea of, 291

Baillie-Grohman, W. A., on
the chamois, 77-111 ; on the
Alpine stag, 11 2- 122

Baker, Colonel James, on the
battery, 412

Baker, Sir Samuel W. , on lions,
cheetahs and tigers, 211 ; on
African elephants, 233 ; his
choice of rifles and bullets,
397, 398, 406

Baksan, the, Caucasus, 41

Baku, 45

Baldwin, Captain, on a tiger's
method of killing, 211

Balkar pastures, Caucasus, 42

Balkaria, 42

Ball-guns, 399-401

Balsam boughs, for camp bed-
ding, 386

Baltistan, 299

Ban bakri (gooral), 329

BEA

Ban Bhains (buffalo), 253
Banteng (Burmese wild ox), 248
Baral (Barut), burrel, 299
Barasingh (Cashmerian deer),

36, 374 ; sambur, 257 ; swamp

deer, 265
Barhamputra, 265
Barking (rib-faced) deer. See

Deer
Barse (Caucasian lynx), the, 42,

43
Battery, for arctic sporting, 3 ;
for wild boar, 35 ; for red
deer, 119 ; for elk, 152 ; for
bears, 160 ; rifles and their
ammunition, 394 ; the Ex-
press, and bullets suited for,
394-399 ; ball-guns, 399 ; the
Paradox, 399-401 ; small-bores
for elephant shooting, 401 ;
systems of actions for rifles,
402-404 ; selection of battery,

403 ; the recoil heelplate,

404 ; spare weapons, 404 ;
spare limbs, 405 ; turnscrews,

405 ; triggers and stocks, 405,
. 406 ; cartridges, 405 ; re-
bounding locks, 406 ; loops
for slings, 407 ; stops to
hammers, 407 ; lirass cases,
407 ; tins for cartridges, 407 ;
the ' Shikari' rifle case, 408 ;
rifle sights, 408-412

Bavaria, King of, 94
Bavarian Highlands, chamois
■ shooting in, 78 ; attitude of
poachers and keepers, 80 ;
shooting season, 80 ; size of
stags in, 117
Bavarian keepers, 80, 94, 97
Bear, brown, Caucasian, 40 ; his
haunts, 40 ; characteristics,
41 ; Norwegian, 155 ; Rus-
sian, 1 54; food, 154; size, 154 ;
tenacity of life, 1 54 ; methods
of hunting, 155; sporting in-
cidents with, 1 56- 1 60
Bears, Indian - Beluchistan
(Ursus gedrosianus), 193 ;
black, Himalayan (Ursus
torcjuati^s), 186; habitat, 186 ;

INDEX TO THE SECOND VOLUME

427

BEA

method of shooting, 187 ;
measurements, 194 ; Burmese
(Ursus malayanus), 193 ;
measurements, 194 ; piebald
(Aikiropus melanoleucos, 194 ;
measurements 194 ; sloth
(Ursus labiatus), 186 ;habitat,
188 ; method of hunting, 189 ;
measurements, 194 ; snow
(Ursus Isabellinus), 186 ;
habitat, 186 ; method of
hunting, 188; measurements,
194

Bear, Polar. See Polar bear

Bears, Russian, driving, 161 ;
arranging for a hunt, 161 ;
cost of same, 162 ; ' ringing,'
162 ; a typical drive, 164-167

Bears, Spanish, 176 ; hereditary
hunting, 177

Bedding, hemlock, 386

Bees, danger of, in tiger shoot-
ing, 214

Bells for pack-horses, 380

Belts for cartridges, 387

Beluchistan, 193.304, 3i5> 321,
362

Beluchistan bear. See Bears,
Indian

Bena (musk deer), 283

Bengal, 213

Bezoar stone, 109

Bhalu (sloth bear), 186

Bheria (Indian wolf), 225

Bhootan, 240, 265, 325

Bibliography of big game shoot-
ing, 421

Biddulph, Major, 342

Bielaia river, Caucasus, 38

Bielowicza (l^iolvitskia), Lith-
uania, 38, 39, 65, 167, 168

Bikanir Desert, 345, 346, 355,
362

Bind-hund (leash hound), the,
.135, 144

Bir Shumshir, Maharajah of
Nepal, 201

Bird Bay, Spitzbergen, 12

Bison. See (iaur

Black bear, the Himalayan. See
Bears, Indian

BUR

Black Point, Spitzbergen, 14, 15
Black Sea, coast of the, 32, 34,

41, 42, 44, 50
Blanford, W. T., 283; asserts

Ovis Poli and O. Karelini

to be the same species, 291
Blankets, 385
Blyth, Mr., on the burrel, 299 ;

on the colour of the serow,

334
Boar, wild (Sus indicus), 237
Boathooks, 10

Boats used for walrus hunting, 9
Bodok (rhinoceros), 234
Bombay (Presidency), tiger

hunting in, 203, 205, 206
Boom (markhor), 309
Boonji Plain, 302
Boorendo Pass, 299
Boortsa eurotia. (Pamir shrub),

373

Boots, 28

Borneo, 236

Boz Pasang (ibex), 321

British Columbia, essentials of
a camp outfit in, 378 ; sport-
ing expenses, 415

British Museum, specimens in,
221, 238, 239, 249, 260,266,
268, 283, 313, 315, 331.335,
340, 341 .

Brooke, Sir Victor, on the ibex,
180 ; his big tusker, 233 ; on
the barasingh, 276

Brow-antlered or Eld's deer.
See Deer

Brown bear. See Bear, brown

Bucardo (Aragonese ibex), 179

Buckskin gloves, 389

Buffalo, Indian (Bubalus arni),
habitat, 253 ; method of
shooting, 254 ; measurements,
256

Bukowina, the, 114

Bullets. See Rifles

Bunchowr (yak), 249

Burmah, game in, 196, 21 8,
228, 233, 234, 240, 248, 253,
258, 262, 268, 269, 288

Burmese bears. Sec Bears,
Indian

428

BIG GAME SHOOTING

BUR

Burmese wild ox (Gavteus son-
daicus), 248

Burrel (Capra cylindricornis or
pallasi), 64, 302 ; Barbary
(Ammotragus tragelaphus),
302 ; Ovis Nahura, vel Burhel,

299 ; habitat, 299 ; habits,

300 ; measurements, 305
Burrhel, Caucasian, 51
Buskerud, Norway, 125

Cabra montcs (Andalusian

ibex), 179
Caesar, on the elk, 123
Cambridge Museum, 186
Camp : the equipage and its
transport, 377 ; in British
Cokimbia, 378 ; buying and
hiring pack ponies, 379 ;
weight each animal should
carry, 379 ; horse furniture,

380 ; use of the horse bell,
380 ; hobbling and picketing
ponies, 380 ; pack-saddles,
380 ; sweat-pads and saddle-
blankets, 381 ; tying on packs,

381 ; the packman and cook,

382 ; manteaux, 382, 386 ;
cinches and ropes, 382 ; bags
and labels, 382 ; carrying
matches, 383 ; arrangement
of packs, 383 ; list of stores
and requisites for five men for
two months, 383, 384 ; kitchen
gear, 385 ; ' sleeping outfit,'

385 ; tents, 385 ; sleeping bags
and blankets, 385 ; air-cush-
ions, 386 ; making a bedstead,

386 ; brush beds, 386 ; char-
acter of clothing, 387 ; foot-
gear, 387 ; cartridge belts,

387 ; hunting-knife fastening,
388 ; knickerbockers and
trousers, 388 ; list of clothing
for a two months' expedition,
389 ; early starting, 389 ;
dealing with the pack ponies,
390 ; midday halts, 391 ;
choice of site for pitching,
392 ; avoidance of Indian

CAU

camping grounds, 392 ; use
of horse blankets for human
night covering, 392 ; duties
when camped, 393; medicines,

393
Campione, M. (forest ranger at

Biolvitskia), 169- 172
Canada, game laws in, 416
Cantabrian highlands, Spain,

177
Cape Leigh Smith (Storo), 9
Capercailzie, 146
Capra cegagrus, 64
Capra caucasica, 52, 53
Capra cylindricornis, 52, 53, 55
Capra pallasi, 52, 53
Capra sibirica, 74
Carnicero (Spanish bear), 177
Carpathians, the, chamois in, 77,

81
Carpeto-Vetonico mountains,

(Spain), 179
Cartridge belts, 387
Cartridge tins, 407
Cartridges, 405, 407
Cashmere, shikaris and coolies

in, 184 ; sport in, 274, 275,

277, 312, 313, 325, 332, 333,

334

Cashmere stag (Cervus cash-
mirianus ; Cervus Wallichii),
274; antlers, 275; habitat,
277 ; calling season, 278 ;
method of stalking, 280 ;
measurements, 284

Caspian Sea, 50, 196, 342

Castile, 179

Caucasian brown bears, 40-42, 58

Caucasus, sport in the, 22 ;
modes of reaching, 23 ; outfit
for, 24 ; guides, 25 ; conduct
towards natives, 26 ; sleeping
in the mountains, 26 ; camp
necessaries, 28 ; foot gear, 28;
cost of an expedition, 29 ;
language, 29; interpreters, 30;
the north-west, 30; hunting
the wild boar, 31-35 ; the
ollen, 35-37.; the roe, 37;
superstitions in, 38; thezubre,
38, 39 ; southern slopes of,

INDEX TO THE SECOND VOLUME

429

CAV

39 ; its vegetation, 39 ; the
brown bear, 40-42, 58; varieties
of bear, 41 ; the barse, 42 ;
plains of, 44; djeran, 45-47,
342 ; mountaineers of Marmis-
son, 48, 342 ; mountain game
of the, 48; home of the Ossete
and the tur, 49 ; chamois,
50; tiir, burrhel, 51 ; Hircus
segagrus, 52 ; modes of hunt-
ing tur, 53 ; clothing for, 56 ;
mountaineering necessaries in
Ossetia, 57 ; stalking tur, 58 ;
a tur shooting adventure, 59-
63 ; mountain mists, 62 ;
superstitions of natives, 63 ;
the aurochs, 65-72 ; ibex, 321

Cayuses, 380, 392

Central Alps, 117

Central Asia, 363, 373

Central India, l)ear in, 188, 190;
lions, 195; method of hunting
tigers in, 203 ; notes on game
in, 211, 213, 219, 222, 224,
228, 240, 253, 254, 259, 265,

267, 353
Central Indian horse, their
method of panther-hunting,
221
Central Provinces, India, 360
Ceumern, Governor-General de,

169, 172
Ceumern, Madame de, 169
Ceylon, game in, 196, 218, 221,
228, 240, 253, 257, 262, 288,
328
Chakrata, India, 219
Chamba, Himalayas, 219, 325
Chamois, Caucasian, 50, 51
Chamois, Spanish (Antilope

rupicapra), 175, 176, 179
Chamois, Swiss, 77
Chamois, Tyrolean, 77 ; sport in
peasant shoots, 78 ; poachers
and keepers, 80 ; shooting sea-
son, 80 ; heads and horns, 81;
preserves and peasant -shoots,
82; cost of a preserve, 83; rights
of chase, 84 ; stalking, 85 ; a
typical stalk, 86-92 ; another
stalking incident, 93-97; rifles

COR

and kit for stalking, 98-100;
driving, 100-109; jumping
powers, 105 ; history of, 109

Changchmeno Valley, 250, 335

Chanko (Thibetan wolf), 226

Chaorang (four-horned ante-
lope), 356

Charsingha (four- horned ante-
lope), 356

Chatterton, Mr., death of, 255

Chenab, the, 345

Chikara (Indian gazelle), 355

China, 331

Chiru (Choos), Thibetan ante-
lope, 335

Chita, or huntingleopard (Felis-
jubata), its method of striking
its prey, 211 ; habitat, 222;
used for hunting antelopes,
222 ; habits, 222 ; measure-
ments, 225

Chital (Chitra), spotted deer,.
264

Chittagong, 248

Choka (four-horned antelope),.
356

Chota soor (pigmy hog), 237

Christian, Norway, 125

Christiania, 123-125

Chumatung, on the Indus, 300

Chumba, Himalayas, 184, 188,.
.215, 329

Cinches for packing, 382

Cintra hills, 179

Circassia, 31, 38, 39

Clothing, for arctic sporting, 3 ;
for the Caucasus, 56 ; for the
Tyrol, 100; for North Amer-
ica, 387 ; list of, for a two
months' expedition, 389

Cobbold, Mr., 73
Cocoa, advantages of, for sport-
ing expeditions, 384
Cook and packman, in a sporting

expedition, 382, 383
Cookson, Lieut-Col. Fife, on a
tiger's method of stalking a-
bait, 209
Coolies, Indian, number required

in shooting expeditions, 183
Cooper, Frank, 37

43°

BIG GAME SHOOTING

COR

Corpse Rocks, Spitzbergen, 20
Cossack boar hunters, 32
Cossim Bazar Island, 197
Crampons, 99
Crasova, Novgorod, 164
Crimea, 38

Crocodile, Indian method of
catching, 238 ; measurements,

239
Cumberland, Major, 283, 342

Daghestan, 35, 37, 52

Danes Island, Spitzbergen, 18, 19

Danford, Mr. , his estimate of the
altitudes preferred by the Per-
sian and Sindh ibex, 321

Dashkat (Datchnar) valley, 313

Daudpore, 197

David, Pere, discovers a piebald
bear, 194 ; and the burrel, 299;
the Thibetan Capricorn, 334 ;
the Budorcas taxicolor, 335

Day's march with pack ponies,
routine of, 389-393

Deer, barking, or rib-faced. See
Deer, rib-faced

Deer, brow-antlered or Eld's
(Rucervus vel Panolia Eldii),
268 ; method of hunting, 269,
measurements, 273

Deer, rib-faced, or barking (Cer-
vulus aureus, vel Muntjac),
habitat, 288 ; characteristics,
288 ; curious clicking noise
emitted by, 289 ; measure-
ments, 290

Deer, sambur. See Sambur

Deer, Schomburgk's (Rucervus
Schomburgkii), 266 ; measure-
ments, 273

Deer, Spanish fallow (Cervus
dama), 176

Deer, spotted (Axis maculatus),
264 ; stalking, 264 ; gregarious,
264 ; measurements, 271

Deer, swamp (Rucervus Duvau-
celli), 265 ; antlers, 266 ;
habits, 267 ; measurements,
272

Deesa, 362

ELE

Dera Ghazi Khan, 315
Dera Ismail Khan, 315
Dewanna (Kirghiz hunter), 366,

369-373
Deyhra Doon, 228, 262, 265
Diamond-hitch in packing, 381,

.382
Dinapore, 236
Djeran, Caucasian (Gazella gut-

turosa), 44, 45
Djik-vee (tur), 54
Doda (four-horned antelope),

356
Dog, wild, Indian (Cuon ruti-
lans), 226 ; destructive char-
acter, 227 ; measurements,
227
Dogs, for hunting elk, 135-

148 ; Russian, 165
Dolomites, the, chamois in, 81 ;
injury done by peasant-shoots
in, 82
Donkh (Dhong), yak, 249
Dras, India, 277
Dress. See Clothing
DufF, Captain, on yak stalking,

250
Dufferin, Lord, 168
Dumba, Constantine (Secretary
to Austrian Embassy), 163, 165
Dunsmuir, Mrs., Victoria, B.C.,

18
Durand, Sir E., on tiger hunt-
ing, 200

Edinburgh, Duke of, 113
Ee (Thibetan lynx), 224

Egypt, 322

Eichwald, in the Caucasus, 30

Ekaterinodar, 34, 35

Elbruz, 23, 26, 28, 30, 31, 38

Eld's deer. See Deer, Brow-
antlered

Elephants, their treatment of
dead animals, 214 ; Indian
(Elephas indicus), habitat,
228 ; points of difference from
African species, 228 ; best
mode of shooting, 229 ;
charging, 229 ; dimensions.

INDEX TO THE SECOND VOLUME

431

ELI

232 ; measurements, 233 ;
small-bores for shooting,
401

Elias (Lapp hunter), 144

Elk, Scandinavian, 123 ; ancient
writers on, 123; Government
protection of, 1 24 ; numl^er
killed yearly in Norway, 124,
125 ; period during which it
is legal to kill, 125 ; local
enactments in Sweden regard-
ing, 125 ; comparison with
the moose, 126 ; determining
the age, 126 ; antlers, 127-
129 ; bodily measurements,
130 ; weight, 131 ; vocal
sounds emitted by, 131 ; the
rutting season, 132 ; non-
gregarious, 134 ; methods of
hunting, 135 ; driving, 135 ;
hunting with the loose dog,
136 ; with the leash hound,
138 ; disadvantages of hunting
with the loose dog, 142 ; best
stalking ground, 144 ; Passop,
the Lapp dog, at work, 145 ;
stalking, 146-150 ; intelli-
gence, 149 ; a hunting inci-
dent, 150, 151

Elk hounds, 137- 148

Ellis, Hon. C, 291

Epirus, the, chamois in, 77,
8x

Erskine, Colonel, on the habitat
of the swamp deer, 265, 266

Esquimaux dogs, 137

Estremadura, 176, 179

Europe, forests of Central and
Northern, 114

European wolf (Canis lupus),
226

Express bullets, 368

Express rifle, 98, 394-399, 409,
410. See Battery

Ealkova, Novgorod, 163
P'annin, John (curator of the
Museum of British Columbia),
his directions for skinning
beasts whole, 417

GAU

Field-glasses, 99, 147, 370

' P'ield Sports of the North of
Europe,' 135

Finmarken, 125

Fitz-Herbert, Major, on hog-
deer shooting, 263, 346 ; ad-
ventures with black buck, 351,
352

Flannel clothing, 387

Foot gear, 28, 387, 389

' Forest and Stream,' Yo's
articles on packing, 382

Forsyth, Captain, his division ot
tigers into three classes, 197,
199, 200 ; on the damage
done by them, 198 ; and their
method of killing their prey,
211 ; thinks panthers escape
in drives by taking to trees,
220 ; on the habits of the
bison in the rainy season,
240 ; on the bull nylghao,
245 ; on the habitat of the
buffalo, 253 ; on the use of
dogs in buffalo hunting, 257 ;
267

' Fortnightly Review,' quoted,
on elk hunting, 144

Fosbery, Colonel, V.C. , his
invention of the Paradox gun,
399-401

Four-homed antelope (Tetra-
ceros quadricornis), 356

Fox, 146 ; Spanish, 176

Franz Joseph Land, 8

' Freeshooters of the Alps,' 80

Gainda (Gaira, Gonda), rhino-
ceros, 234

Galicia, 175

Gamsbart (beard of the
chamois), 82

Ganges, the, 325, 329

Garrod, Professor, 248

Gartope, 339

Gat, the, Spitzbergen, 20

Gaur (GavE)eus gaurus), habitat,
240 ; characteristics, 240 ;
method of hunting, 242 ;
measurements, 246

432

BIG GAME SHOOTING

GAZ

Gazella gutturosa, 44, 45
Gazelle, Thibetan (Gazella picti-
caudata),342 ; measurements,
344 ; difficult to stalk, 345
Ghauts, Western, 245
Ghayal (gayal), or crocodile, 238
Ghor khur (wild ass), 362
Ghour (wild ass), 362

<^ilgit. 315. 319, 368

Gilgit, Yassim, Chitral.andBad-

akshan route to the Pamir, 365
Gloves, 57 ; buckskin, 389
Goa (serow), 332 ; Thibetan

gazelle, 342
Gon (Gond, Goen, Goenjak,

Gaoni), swamp deer, 265
Goolga (Ovis Poli), 299
Gooral (Nemorhoedus Goral),

329 ; best way of hunting,

331 ; Chinese, 331 ; Japanese,

331 ; measurements, 337
Gor (rhinoceros), 234
Greenaway, Major, 332
Grizzlies, 18, 42
Grodno, 168
Gulcha (Poli rams), 366
Gulf of Bothnia, 134
Gun cases, 408
Glinther, Dr., 73
Gurais, India, 277
Gurwhal, India, 184, 257, 288,

289, 325, 329, 333
Guzerat, 194

Hakke-piks (boathooks for ice

work), 10
Haldwani, India, 265
Half-moon Island, Spitzbergen,

18
Halj (serow), 332
Halleberg, the, 136
Hamilton, Dr. F. Buchanan, 248
Hammerfest, 2
Hammerless guns, 402
Hangal (Cashmere stag), 274
Hans (Tyrolese stalker), 93-97
Haramook, India, 277
Harness for leash hounds, 138
Harpooners, 12
Harpoons, 9

HOW

Harput (snow bear), 186

Hati (elephant), 228

Iledemarken, 125

Hemlock for brush bedding, 386

Henry Express, 160, 169 ;
double, 371

Heran (Thibetan antelope), 335

Himalayas, the : best weapon
for hunting in, 182 ; tents,
183; transport, 183 ; expenses,
184 ; rule regarding shoot-
ing grounds, 185 ; game
in, 215, 218, 240, 257, 261,
262, 265, 274, 299, 303, 309,

319, 325. 329, 332
Hindu Kush, 374
Hinlopen Straits, 8, 9, 18
Hinter Authal, Tyrol, 105
Hinter Riss, Tyrol, 81, loi
• Hints to Travellers,' Royal

Geographical Society's, 377,

395

Hircus gegagrus (ibex), 52, 53

Hoang-ho river, 292

Hobbles for horses, 380

Hodgson, B. H. , on the horns
of the Sikkim stag, 283 ; on
the early breeding of musk
deer, 287 ; on the burrel, 299

Hog, the pigmy (Porcula sal-
vania), habitat, 237 ; measure-
ments, 238

Hogdeer (Axis porcinus), 261 ;
habitat, 262 ; method of
shooting, 262 ; measurements,
271

Hohe Geschniirr, Tyrol, 95, 96

Hohenlohe, Prince Hermann,

105

Holland «& Holland, gun-
makers, 13, 98

Hopenoerne, 9

' Horn measurements,' Mr.
Rowland Ward's. See, largely
cited, under Measurements

Horns, different manner of
twisting, between wild and
domestic animals, 315

Horse blankets, 392

Horse furniture, 380

Howard, Colonel, 188 ; on bear

INDEX TO THE SECOND VOLUME

433

HUD

hunting, 190; on the compa-
rative measurements of Euro-
pean chamois, 331, 355. See
Measurements
Hudson Bay blankets, 385
Hungary, North, red deer in,

114, 117
Hunneberg, the, 136
Hunting-shirts, Indian, 387
Hyaena, striped (Hyaena striata),

227 ; measurement, 228
Hyderabad, 222

Ibex (Capra caucasica), 51, 55,
56, 57, 64

Ibex (Capra sibirica), 74

Ibex, European (Capra ibex),
322 ; measurements, 324

Ibex, Himalayan (Caprasibirica),
318; habitat, 319; method
of stalking, 319 ; measure-
ments, 323

Ibex, Neilgherry (Hemitragus
hylocrius), 328 ; measure-
ments, 336

Ibex, of Persia and Sindh (Capra
segagrus), 321; measurements,

324
Ibex, Spanish (Capra hispanica),

174, 175, 179; dimensions of

heads, 180; (Capra pyrenaica),

322
Imu (serow), 332
Inderoen, 125
India, shooting in: best weapons,

182 ; outfit, 183 ; transport,

183 ; rule regarding shooting
grounds, 185 ; bear, 186 ;
lion, 194; tiger, 196; panther,
218; leopard, 222; lynx,

224 ; wolves and wild dogs,

225 ; hyaenas, 227; elephant,
228 ; rhinoceros, 233 ; Malay
tapir, 236 ; wild boar, 237 ;
pigmy hog, 237 ; crocodiles,
238 ; gaur, 240 ; wild ox,
248 ; yak, 249 ; bufiFalo, 253;
sambur, 257 ; hogdeer, 261 ;
spotted deer, 264 ; swamp,
deer, 265 ; Elds deer, 268 ;

II.

JUN

Cashmere stag, 274 ; Sikkim
stag, 282; musk deer, 283 ;
barking or rib- faced deer, 288 ;
wild sheep, 291 ; burrel, 299;
shapoo, 302 ; oorial, 304 ;
markhor, 309 ; ibex, 318 ;
ther, 325 ; gooral, 329 ;
serow, 332 ; takin, 334 \
Thibetan antelope, 335 ;
Saiga antelope, 340 ; Thi-
betan gazelle, 342 ; Indian
antelope, 345 ; rifles and
bullets suitable for sport in,
398, 399. 401
Indian gazelle (Gazella Bennetti),

Indian, North American, camp-
ing grounds, character of, 392

Indus, the, 300, 303, 304, 308,
312, 315, 345.

Ingur, the, 39

Inn Valley, Tyrol, 82, loi

Interpreters, 30, 369

Irtish, Upper, Siberia, 65

Isar, the, loi

Izard (French chamois), 179

Jackals, 41

Jagla (ther), 325

Javato (Spanish boar), 176, 177

Jemtland, 125, 126

Jerdon, Dr., on snaring black
bear, 188 ; on the eyes of the
gaur, 241 ; on the spotted
deer, 265 ; 266, 288 ; on
nylghao, 353 ; on mouse deer,
360

Jerow (sambur), 257

Jeypur, 222

Jhangal (serow), 332

Jhank (spotted deer), 264

Jharal (ther), 325

Jhelum, the, 304, 325, 345

Jhula (ther), 325

Jolsva, Hungary, 115

Joshimath, 300

Jumbo (the Zoological Gardens
elephant), 233

Tumna, the, 329

Jung Bahadur, the story of his

F F

434

BIG GAME SHOOTING

JUN

clevice to secure food for his

army, 253
Jungli Bukra (rib-faced deer),

288
Jungli-kutta (wild dog), 226

Kabardah plains, Caucasus, 31

Kachin hills, 329

Kajnag mountains, 313, 325,

329
Kakur (rib-faced deer), 288
Kala Bhalu (black bear), 186
Kale (ibex), 318
Kamish (Caucasian reed), 31,

33,35

Kamtchatka, 292

Kara Kirghiz hunters, 366-376

Kara Korum, the, 364

Karakash, 250

Karatan, 291

Kareim (brigand), 52

Karelin (Russian explorer), 368

Karias, 44, 45, 46, 47

Kart (ther), 325

Kashgar, 342

Kashmir, Maharajah of, presents
Sir Frederick Roberts with
poli head, 374

Kastura (musk deer), 283

Kayeek (ibex), 321

Kharwee (a jungly growth), 243

Khatmandu, 253

Khelat, 309

Kherdecht (wild ass), 362

Khokand, 364, 365

Khyenhsen (rhinoceros), 234

Kielang, India, 223

Kilmorey, Earl of, 155 ; his
account of a bear drive in
Russia, 161-167

King's Bay, Spitzbergen, 9 note

Kinloch, Colonel, his ' Large
Game Shooting,' 183 ; on the
snow and black bear, 187-
215 ; panther, 221 ; wolves,
226 ; elephant, 232 ; disbe-
lieves in wild gayal, 248, 255 ;
thinks the Sutlej the boundary
of the sambur, 257 ; describes
the hogdeer as the rabbit of

LAD

Indian l)attues, 261 ; swamp
deer, 266 ; musk deer, 288 ;
kakur, 289 ; supports the
theory that markhor eat
snakes, 309 ; and that there
are four varieties of it, 313 ;
on the horns of the markhor,
315 ; on ther, 327 ; serow,
333 ; and the Thibetan ante-
lope, 339 ; on nylghao, 354 ;
on ravine deer, 356. See
Measurements

Kirghiz, the, 73 ; as hunters,
366, 370, 376

Kirghiz yourts, 374

Kishengunga river, India, 275,
277

Kishtwar, 325

Kitchen gear for a sporting
expedition, 395

Klapjagt (an elk drive), 135

Knife fastenings, 388

Knives, 388

Kodor, the, 39

Kolenati, cited, 44

Koulan (wild ass), 362

Kras (ther), 325

Kraus Haven, Spitzbergen, 15

Kuban river, 30, 31, 33, 35, 37,

38, 39
Kuch (oorial), 304
Kuda-ayer (Malay tapir), 236
Kuenluen mountains, 299
Kumaon, 288
Kiir, the, 44

Kurre (elk hound), 140, 141
Kutais, 30, 53
Kutch, 194, 362
Kyang (Equus hemionus) 361 ;

measurements, 362

Laba, the, 38

Labels for packs, 382

Ladak, game in, 283, 292, 293,
298, 299, 300, 302, 342, 345,
364

Ladak, Kara Korum, Shahdula,
and Yarkand route to the
Pamir, 364

Lady Franklin's Bay, Spitz-
bergen, 12

INDEX TO THE SECOND VOLUME

435

LAG

■Laga Baga (panther), 218

I^ahoul, India, 184, 223, 325

Lake Kallsjon, Sweden, 141

Xake Tsomoriri, 342

Lake Wenern, 136

Lakhar baghar (striped hyaena),

227
Lai Bhalu (snow bear), 186
Lamb, Captain, on tiger hunting,

207 ; on buffalo stalking, 254
Lamchitta (clouded panther),

221
Lamont's ' Yachting in the

Arctic Seas,' 6
Lance used in walrus hunting,

10
Langour, 332

Lansdell, Rev. Dr. H., 365
Lapp elk hunters, 130, 133,

144, 145, 147, 150, 151
Lappen (flags) for chamois

driving, loi, 104- 106
•' Large and Small Game of

Bengal,' Captain Baldwin's,

2n
■' Large Game Shooting,' Colonel

Kinloch's, 183
U^eash hounds for hunting elk,

137-148
Leh, 249, 303
Leigh Smith, Mr., 18
Lenkoran, 34, 43-45
Leopard, 43 ; or chita (Felis

jubata), habitat, 222 ; used

for hunting purposes, 222 ;

measurement, 225 ; the snow,

or ounce (Felis uncia), 223 ;

measurements, 225
Lesghians, the, 49, 52, 68-71
Licences for shooting in Spain,

Lidder river, 274
Lilghao (nylghao), 353
Linzinthung Plains, the, 250
Lion, Indian (Felis leo), almost

extinct, 194; habits, 195;

measurements, 195 ; method

of striking prey, 211
Lithuania, 167
Littledale, St. George, 22 ; on

the ollen, 36 ; his game

trophies, 52 ; tilr shooting, 55,

59-63 ; shooting the Caucasian

aurochs, 65-72 ; on the Ovis

argali of Mongolia, 73-76 ;

stalking the Ovis Poli of the

Pamir, 363-376
Littledale, Mrs., 66, 67, 68,

365, 368
Lloyd, Mr., on elk driving, 135
Lokketone, or Lokton (elk's

call), 131, 132
Lower Bengal, 355
LuUiapoora, India, a bear hunt

at, 190
Lyman rifle sight, 98
Lynx, the, 43
Lynx (Felis pardina), 176
Lynx, red (Felis caracal), 224
Lynx, Russian, 1,64
Lynx, Thibetan (Felis Isabel-

lina), 224

Macintyre, General, h;s plan
for sitting up over a tiger, 209 ;
261, 300, 330

McMaster, Mr., cited, 265

Macrae, Mr., 248

Madras (Presidency), method of
tiger hunting in, 203, 205,
206 ; 245 ; importance of the
Neilgherry ibex in, 328, 353

Maha (sambur), 257 ; swamp
deer, 265

Mahouts, conduct of, while tiger
hunting, 199

Maikop, 38

Mains (Ijuffalo), 253

Malabar coast, 355

Malay Peninsula, 234, 236, 240,
258, 268, 288, 334

Malo Vyschera, Novgorod, 163,
164

Mamisson Pass, 48, 49, 51

' Mammalia of India,' Stern-
dale's, 334. See Measure-
ments

Manipur, 234, 268

Mansarovara Lake, 335

Mansel, Major, adventure with
a tiger, 207

F I- 2

436

BIG GAME SHOOTING

MAN

Manteaux (waterproofed canvas

pack coverings), 382, 386
Maral (Daghestan deer), 37
Maral Bashi, 342
Marco Polo, on the Ovis Poli,

363, 364
Markhor (Capra megaceros, vel
Falconeri), 309 ; difficult to
shoot, 310; varieties of, 312 ;
habits, 313; habitat, 315;
measurements, 316
Marten, 146

Masaknaba (musk deer), 283
Mason, Mr., on the Malay tapir,

236

Matches, mode of carrying, 383

Maximilian, Emperor, 100, iii

IMeasurements of game, tables

of : Ailuropus melanoleucos,

194 ; Antilope Bezoartica,

357 ; Arakanese Capricorn,

337 ; Axis porcinus, 271 ; A.

maculatus, 271 ; Bos grun-

niens, 252 ; Bubalus arni,

256; Budorcas taxicolor,338 ;

Canis lupus, 227 ; Canis pal-

lipes, 227 ; Canis laniger,

227 ; Capra megaceros, 316 ;
Capra Jerdoni, 317 ; Capra
sibirica, 323 ; Capra ^egugrus,
324 ; Capra ibex (Tyrol), 324 ;
Capra sinaitica, vel nubiana,
324 ; Capra wali, 324 ;
Capra jemlaica, 336 ; Cer-
vulus aureus, 290 ; Cervus
cashmirianus, 284 ; C. aftinis,
285 ; C. maral, 285 ; C.
Eustephanus, 285 ; Cuon ru-
tilans, 227 ; Elephas indicus,
233 ; Equus hemionus, 362 ;
Felis leo, 195 ; F. tigris,
212, 216 ; F. pardus, 225 ;

F. diardii, 225 ; F. jubata,
225 ; F. uncia, 225 ; Gavaeus
gaurus, 246 ; G. sondaicus,
249 ; Gazella gutturosa, 344 ;

G. subgutturosa, 344 ; G.
picticaudata, 344 ; G. Ben-
nettii, 358 ; Hemitragus hy-
locrius, 336 ; Hyaena striata,

228 ; Meminna indica, 359 ;

MOU

Nemorhoedus Goral, 337 ;
Nemorhoedus bubalinus, 337 ;
Ovis Amnion, 294 ; O. Poli,

296 ; O. Hiensi, 297 ; O.
nigrimontana, 297 ; O.
nivicola, 297 ; O. Brookei,

297 ; O. Nahura, 305 ; O.
Vignei, 306 ; O. cyclocercs,
307 ; O. Blanfordi, 307 ; Pan-
olia Eldii, 273 ; Pantholops.
Hodgsonii, 343; Porculasal-
vania, 238 ; Portax pictus,
358; Red deer from Tyrol, &c.,
286 ; Rhinoceros mdicus, 235 ;
R. sondaicus, 235 ;R. lasiotis,
235 ; R. sumatrensis, 235 ;.
Rucervus Duvaucelli, 272 ;
R. Schomburgkii, 273 ; Rusa
Aristotelis, 270 ; Saiga tar-
tarica, 343 ; Tapirus malay-
anus, 237 ; Tetraceros quad-
ricornis, 359 ; Ursus Isabel-
linus, 194; U. torquatus,
194; U. labiatus, 194; U.
malayanus, 194

Measurements of game trophies,
systems of, 420

Medicines for sporting expedi-
tions, 393

Mergui, 237

Metal adornments,disad vantages
of, in sporting, 388

Mingrelia, 37

Mingrelia, Prince of, 53

Mists, mountain, 62

Moccasins, 28, 378, 384, 387,

389
Moidl (Tyrolese herd-girl), 93-

97
Mongolia, the yellow goat of,

341
Monte Rosa, 104
Mooghan, the, 44, 47, 48
Moose, American, comparison

with the elk, 126
Moravian missionaries, 223
Morier, Sir Robert, 364
Moscow Zoological Gardens,

39

Mountain spectres, 63
Moupin, Thibet, 299

INDEX TO THE SECOND VOLUME

437

MOU
Mouravitchka (Caucasian bear),

41

Mouse deer (Meminna indica),
360

Muggar (crocodile"), 238

Mundla, India, 266

Munkacs, Carpathian Alps, 115

Miinster, Count Alexander, 163,
165

Muntjac (rib-faced deer), 288

Musk-deer (Moschus nmschi-
ferus), habitat, 283 ; value of
the musk-pod, 287 ; measure-
ments, 287

Mussulmans, as servants in
shooting expeditions, 185

Mysore, 328, 346, 353

Nain, mm (gooral), 329
Nain Tal, India, 265
Naltchik, 24, 31
Namdal, 125
Namsos, Norway, 144
Nanga Parbat, Astor, 368
Napo (namoo), burrel, 299
Natural History Museum, Ken-
sington, heads of tur in, 51-

53

* Natural History of India,'
Sterndale's, 334. Sec Mea-
surements

Neilgherries, 328

Nepal, method of hunting the
tiger in the Terai, 199 ; ring-
ing tigers, 200 ; 2 1 3, 221, 233,
234, 237, 240, 253, 254, 262,
265, 267, 283, 325, 339

Nepal, Bir Shumshir, Maharajah
of, 201

Nerbudda, the, 253, 266

Nicolaievitch, Alexei ( Russian
bear hunter), 164, 165

Nicolaievitch, Dmitri (Russian
bear hunter), 164

Nicolaievitch, Ivan (Russian
bear hunter), 164

Nilghao (nylghao), 353

Niti Pass, 250, 253, 300, 339

Nordenskjold, on Polar bears,
17

OVI

Nordland, 125

Nortalash (Russian Lapps), 154

North Africa, 228

North America, clothing for,
387 ; method of transporting
freight in, 379

North Cape, Spitzbergen, 12

North Ease Land, 8, 9

North-West Provinces, India,
222, 345, 353

Norway, elk in, 124, 125, 127,
128, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136,
144, 148 ; brown bear hunt-
ing in, 155

* Nouveau voyage vers le Sep-
tentrion,' quoted, 123

Novaya Zemlya, i

Novgorod, 163

Nowgong, India, 228

Nyan (Ovis Amnion), 291

Nylghao (Portax pictus), 353;
haunts, 353; hunting, 354;
in captivity, 354

Oi.i.f.N (Caucasian red deer),
hal)itat of the, 35 ; character-
istics, 36 ; growing scarcity

of, 37

Oorial (Ovis cycloceros), habi-
tat, 304 ; measurements, 307 ;
best mode of hunting, 308

Oorin (shapoo), 302

Orissa, 265

Ossetes, the, 49, 50

(^ssetia, 41, 57

Oude, Nalxjb Vizier of, 210

Oudh, 265

Ounce, or snow leopard (Felis
uncia), 223 ; fierce enemies
of ibex, 224 ; measurements,
225

Overalls, canvas, 388

Ovis Amnion, 366

Ovis Argali, the, of Mongolia,
73-76

Ovis Blanfordi, 309

Ovis Poll, the, 38, 73-76; of

the Pamir, 363 ; Marco Polo

. on its home, 363 ; narrative

of a stalk, 366-373 ; Karelin

438

BIG GAME SHOOTING

ox

and SevertzofPs introduction
of, to Europe, 368 ; a stalk in
the Southern Pamir, 373-376 ;
head in the possession of Sir
Frederick Roberts, 374 ; vi-
tality, 375
Ox, I3urmese wild (Gavaeus
sondaicus), 248; measure-
ments, 249

Pack-ponies, routine of a day's
march with, 389

Pack-saddles, 380

Pamir, the, 73, 74, 291; Marco
Polo's description of, 363 ;
Chinese pilgrims' account,
364 ; routes to, 364, 365 ;
Russian opposition to English
travellers, 364 ; character of
the country, 365 ; stalking
the Ovis Poll in, 366-376 ;
the Boortsa eurotia, 373 ;
Kirghiz yourts, 374

Pangi, India, 224

Pangong Lake, 250

Panther (Felis pardus), habitat,
218 ; a universal nuisance,
2i8; methods of killinj, 219;
measurements, 225

Panther, clouded (Felis diardii
vel macrocelis), 221 ; mea-
surement, 225

Para (hogdeer), 261

Paradox, the, 35 note, 399-401,

405
Parfleches, 380
Pasang (ibex), 321
Passop (Lapp dog), 145, 151
Patiala, Maharajah of, adventure

with a trapped tiger, 210
Paul, Mr., 196
Peasant-shoots, 78 ; in North

Tyrol, 82
Pechinka Fiord, 156
I'egu, 334
Percy, Lieut. -Col. Reginald

Heber, on Indian shooting,

182 et seq.
Percy, Major Algernon Heber,

on brown bear hunting, 154-

PRO

169; shooting aurochs at Biol -
vitskia, 167- 173

Persia, 228, 283, 321, 342

Peshawur, 304

Phasis, the, 35

Phillipps-Wolley, Clive, on.
shooting bear and tur in the
Caucasus, 22-64 5 on the-
equipment and transport of a
camp, 377-393

Phoca hispida, 9

Picket pegs, 380

Picos de Europa, Cantabriaiii
highlands, 179

Piebald bear of Eastern Thibet..
See Bears

Pigmy hog. See Hog, pigmy

Pij (gooral), 329

Pike, Arnold, on walrus and;
polar bear hunting, I-21

Pilibhit, India, 265

Pilis Mountains, Carpathians-
US

Pir Punjal Mountains, 313, 325^

.327, 329

Pisai (mouse deer), 360

Pisora (mouse deer), 360

Plains of India, the ; best weap-
ons for use in, 182 ; tents,
183; outfit, 183; transport,*
183 ; servants, 185 ; shooting-
grounds, 185

Plastouns (Caucasian boar hunt-
ers), 32

Plaza de Almanzor, 179

Pliny, on the elk, 123

Poland, 167

Polar bear, 15 ; food, 16 ;.
habits, 17 ; size and weight,,
18; haunts, 18; phases of
hunting, 19-21

Ponie.-;, buying and hiring, in*
North America, 379 ; weight
to carry, 379

I'oti, 35

l*ottinger. Sir Henry, Bart., or>
the Scandinavian elk, 123-15;^

Prejevalski, M., 299

Prince Consort, the, 100

Provisions for five men for a two-
months' expedition, 383

INDEX TO THE SECOND VOLUME

439

PUN

Punjab, 222, 345

Purdey muzzle - oading rifle,

159
Putney Hills, India, 245
Pyrenees, the chamois in, 77, 81 ';

Spanish, 177, 179, 180

QUETTA, 309, 315

Rache (markhor), 309

Radauc, 115, 116

Rabcha, 39, 40

Radde, Prof., on the wild boar,
31 ; on the oUen, 36 ; on the
barse, 43

Rajpootana, 345, 356

Ram Hun (wild dog), 226

Ramoo (serow), 332

Rass (Ovis Poli), 291

Ratibor, Duke of, 115

Ratwa (rib-faced deer), 288

Ravi, the, India, 345

Ravine deer (Indian gazelle), 355

Rebeco (Spanish chamois), 179

Recoil heelplates, 404

Red deer, Austro-Alpine, 83 ;
modern compared with medi-
aeval bags, 113; in Northern
Hungary, 114; antlers, 115,
116; stalking, 117-122; rut-
ting season, 118; its call,
118-122

Red deer, Caucasian, 35-37

Red deer, Spinish (Cervus
elaphus), 176 ; haunts, 178 ;
measurements of antlers, 178,
179

Red Forest (Krasnoe Lais),
Ekaterinodar, 34, 35

Reech (sloth bear), 186

Reid, Sir Charles, cited, 196

Rekis-oerne, 9

Reha (striped hyisena), 227

Rests, shooting from, 411

Rhinoceros : R. indicus ; R.
sondaicus ; R. lasiotis ; R.
sumatrensis, habitat of the
four varieties, 233 ; points of
difference between the Asiatic

SAL

and African, 234 ; method of
hunting, 234 ; measurements,

23s

Rib-faced or barking deer. See
Deer

Rice, Colonel, 269

Richters, Dr. F., 322

Roberts, Sir Frederick, poli
head in his possession, 374

Roe-deer (Cervus capreolus), y] %
Spanish, 175, 176

Rohan, Prince, 115, 116

Rondu, 303

Roos (Rous), musk-deer, 283

Roosh (Ovis Poli), 291

Ropes for packing, 382

Ross, Edward, on the battery,
412

Ross's telescope, 367

Roz (nylghao), 353

Rubashevsky, Colonel, 34

Rucksack, the, 87, 94, 99

Russia, bears in, driving, 161 ;
arranging for an expedition in
the province of Novgorod,
161 ; sledging, 163 ; cold at
night, 163 ; account of the
drive, 164-167 ; the dirge
descriptive of the death of the
bear, 166

Russia, the Czarevna of, 373,
note

Russian Central Asia, 364

Russian Lapland, brown bear
hunting in, 154

Russian Lapps, their dread of
bears, 154, 156, 159

SAliiNE, Captain, on Polar

bears, 17
Saddle-blankets, 381, 382
Safed chita (snow leopard), 223
Saghalien, island of, 196
Saiar Mountains, the, 74
St. Petersburg, 161, 162, 163,^

172
St. Trefan's Lake, Lapland, 156
Saiga antelope. See Antelope
Sal forest, India, 266, 267, 268
Salabhir (serow), 332

440

BIG GAME SHOOTING

SAL

Salmon, 154

Salt range, Jhelum, 308

Salzburg, 120

Samarcand, 291

Sambur (Rusa Aristotelis),
habitat, 257 ; characteristics,
258 ; methods of hunting,
258 ; not prolific, 261 ;
measurements, 270

Sammlung, the, castle of Moritz-
burg, 116

Sanderson, G. P., quoted, 197,
198 ; on a tiger's method of
killing, 211; 212, 213,215,
218, 220, 221 ; on elephant
shooting, 229 ; and charging,
231 ; 232, 240, 242, 244, 248,
253. 345; on nylghao, 353.
See Measurements

Sand-grouse, 44

Sano-banel (pigmy hog), 237

Santander, 175

Saxe-Coburg, Duke of, 81, 1 13 ;
death of, 85 note ; a ' treibjagd '
in his preserves, loi

Saxe-Coburg Gotha, Prince
Philipp of, 115

Saxony, Elector George of
(1611-1656), 113

Saxony, King of, 116

Scandinavian elk. See Elk,
Scandinavian

Scandinavia, elk hunting in,

123-153 .
' Scandinavian Adventures,' 135
Schoenborn, Count, 115
Schomburgk's deer. See Deer
' Scientific Results Second Yark-

and Mission,' 342
Sclater, Mr., on Capra oegagrus,
53 ; on the shapoo and oorial,
302, 322
Scotland, 100, 114, 117
Selous, F. C. , on the battery, 412
Senckenberg Museum, Frank-
fort, 186, 322
Serow (Nemorhnedus bubalina),
characteristics, 332 ; habitat,
332 ; scarce and wary, 333 ;
measurements, 337
Seven Islands, Spilzbergen, 12

SIW

Severtzoff, M., on the habitat
of the Ovis Poli, 291 ; first*
introduces the animal to
Europe, 368

Sewalik Mountains, India, 240,

259, 329

Shahdula, 364

Shapoo (Ovis Vignei), character-
istics, 302 ; habitat, 303 ;
difficult to hunt, 303 ; mea-
surements, 306 ; points in its
favour, 361

Shaw, O. , his large bag of wild
sheep, 299 ; shoots a serow
with a white mane, 334

Sheep, wild (Oves Poli, Ammon,
&c. ), habitat, 291 ; character-
istics, 292 ; difficulty of shoot-
ing, 298 ; measurements, 294-

297, 305-307
Sheikh Budin, 315
Sher-babbar (lion), 194
Shigar, 303

' Shikari ' rifle case, 408
Shikaries, their mistake in

stalking, 320
Shillingford, C.A., of Munshye,

196
Shillingford, F. A., 196 ; on

the measurements of tigers,

212 ; on their age, 213
Shou (Sikkim stag), 282
Siagosh (red lynx), 224
Siam, 228, 234, 236
Sierra da Estrella, 179
Sierra de Credos, 179
Sierra Morena, the, 178
Sierra Nevada, 180
Sights for rifles, 98, 408-412
Sikkim, 237, 332
Sikkim stag (Cervus affinis, vel

Wallichi, Cervus Euste-

phanus), 282 ; measurements,

.285.
Sinaitic Peninsula, 322
Sindh, 321, 332, 333, 362
Sindh river, 274
Singh (lion), 194
Sirmoor Rajah, the, 233
Siwash (North American In-
dian hunter) 382

INDEX TO THE SECOND VOLUME

441

SKE

Skeen (ibex), 318

Sledging in Russia, 163, 164

Sleeping bags, 26, 385

Slings, rifle, 407

Sloth bear. See Bears

Small-bores for elephant shoot-
ing, 401

Snapo (Snamoo), barrel,
299

Snow bear. See Bears

Sooroo, India, 277

South European Alps, 114

Southern India, 188, 206, 222,
228, 240 ; sambur hunting in,
260 ; 265

Spain, large game in, 174 ;
expense of sporting, 174 ;
driving, 174, 176, 178 ; game
laws, 175 ; licences, 175 ;
close-time, 175 ; varieties of
game, 176; hunting wild boar,
176; hereditary bear hunting,
177 ; red deer, 178; chamois,
179 ; il)ex, 179 ; 180

Spiti, 325

Spitz dog, 137

Spitzbergen, 1,2, 7, 12, 14, 15,
18, 19

' Sportsman's Guide to Kashmir
and Ladak,' Major Ward's,

'Sportsman's Vade Mecum, by
K. C. A. J., 183

Spotted Deer. See Deer

Srinugger, 277

Steigeisen (crampons), 99

Sterndale, R.A., on tigers, 196;
212, 215, 218, 219, 220; on
the chita, 222 ; 224, 228, 233 ;
on the Malay tapir, 236 ; 248,
258, 265, 263, 268, 276, 287,
299) 334, 341 ; on nylghao,
354 ; on four-horned antelopes,
356 ; on mouse-deer, 360 ; on
the wild ass, 362. See
Measurements

Stian (snow leopard), 223

Stick-rests, 355

Stocks of rifles, 405, 406

Stony Indians, 415

Stor Fjord, Spitzbergen, 18

TAX

Stordal, 125

Stores, list of, for an expedition
in North America, 383

Stoves, 163

Strecke (Tyrolese venery cus-
tom), 107

Styria, 78, 117, 120

Suez, 322

Sukhoum, 35, 40

Suleiman mountains, 321

Sumatra, 236, 334

Sunderbuns, the, 234, 253, 254,
266

Sungrai (Eld's deer), 268

Sutlej, the, 250, 253, 257, 319,

345
Svanetia, 23, 27, 41, 42, 48, 50,

51, 53, 55

Swamp-deer. See Deer

Sweat-pads, 381, 382

Sweden, elk in, 124, 125, 134,
135, 136, 143, 208

Switzerland, laws to prevent ex-
termination of chamois in, 77

Syrian bears, 42

Tabatgai Mountains, the, 73

Tahr (ther), 325

Takin (Budorcas taxicolor),
334 ; characteristics, 334 ;
measurements, 338

Taman, Caucasus, 31

Tangrol (ibex), 318

Tapir, the Malay (Tapirus
malayanus), 236 ; measure-
ments, 237

Ta-ra-shu (Malay tapir), 236

Tartars, nomad, 44 ; hunting
the djeran, 46, 47 ; their jea-
lous guardianship of their
frontier, 249

Taurus mountains, 321

Tavoy, 237

Taxidermy, 413 ; price of heads,
415 ; preserving heads with
the skin on, 416 ; sketches
and photographs, 416 ; skin-
ning a horned head, 416 ;
skinning a beast while, 417 ;
drying and dressing skins.

442

BIG GAME SHOOTING

TCH

418 ; precautions in packing
for transport home, 419; pre-
servation of trophies, 420 ;
measurements, 420

Tchegem, the, 41

Tcherkess, the, 40, 56, 67

Teeb, Caucasus, 49

Teleki, Count, his choice of
rifles and bullets, 397

Tenasserim, 234, 236

Tendwa (panther), 218

Tengri Khan, 291

Tennis shoes for stalking, 28,

11^, 387 .
Tentes d'abri, 395
Tents, for the Pamir, 374 ; 385
Terai, the Nepal. See Nepal
Terek, the, 41
Thamin (Eld's deer), 268
Theodosia, 38
Ther (Capra jemlaica), habitat,

325 ; characteristics, 326 ;

measurements, 336
Thian Shan mountains, 283,

291
Thibet, 194, 249, 283, 292, 299,

334, 335, 345
Thibetan antelope, 335
Thibetan wolf. See Wolf

* Thirteen Years among the

Wild Beasts of India,' San-
derson's, 345

Thomas, Mr. (British Museum),
64

Tiflis, 30, 44, 45, 342

Tiger (Felis tigris), the, 44;
habitat, 196; of three classes,
197 ; damage done by, 198 ;
howdah shooting, 199 ;
driving, or beating, 203 ;
sitting up over kills, 208 ;
its method of attacking and
killing prey, 211 ; breeding,
212; age, 213; measurements,

215

* Tiger Shooting in the Doon

and Ulwar,' Lieut. -Col Fife
Cookson's, 209

Tlee, Mamisson valley, Cauca-
sus, 49

Tockmack, 291

VIC

Toledo, 179

Tonse river, 329

Transcaspian railway route to

the Pamir, 364, 365
Transport of camp equipage,

379
Triggers, 405
Tromso, 2, 3, 5
Trondhjem, North and South,

Trophies, the trade in, 415 ;

forwarding home, 418 ;systems

of measurement, 420
Tscherek, the, 41
Tschuddi, on chamois, 81, 104
Tsoing (Burmese wild ox), 248
Tuapse, 40

Tungmar (clouded panther), 221
Tiir, Caucasian, habits and chase

of, 51-63
Turatch (sand -grouse), the, 44,

45

Tumscrews, 405

Turkestan, 226, 283, 291

Tyrol, the, chamois in, 77 ;
poachers and keepers, 80 ;
shooting season, 80; preserves
and peasant-shoots, 82; cost
of a preserve, 83 ; rights of
chase, 84 ; chamois stalking,
85-97; rifles and kit for stalk-
ing, 98-100; chamois driving,
100-109; 282, 289, 322

Tyrolese keepers, 102

Tytler, Major, on the wild ass,
362

Unthia Bach (lion), 194
Ursus arctos (bear of Northern

Europe), 1 14
Ursus maritimus, 15-21
Urup, the, 38

Vaerdal, 125

Vaillant, M., his exploits in

South Africa, 232
Valasjok river, 154
Veerubof, Colonel, 31
Victoria Lake, Pamir, 374

INDEX TO THE SECOND VOLUME

443

VI.A

"Vladikavkaz, 23, 24
"Voroneze, 23, 24

\Va (burrel), 299

Wales, Prince of, elk hunting in
Sweden, 136

Walker, Colonel C.S., 128, 132

Walouieff, M., 168

Walrus, the, i ; wanton destruc-
tion of, 2 ; size and weight,
3, 4 ; utilisation of blubber,
4; feeding grounds, 4; tusks,
4 ; how to kill, 6 ; winter
retreats, 7 ; habits, 7 ; breed-
ing season, 8; mode of attack-
ing, 8 ; boats, apparatus and
crew employed in hunting, 9-
12; harpooning, 12- 14; a
typical hunt, 14

Wapiti, 36, 37

Ward, Major, 183, 219 ; on
sambur shooting, 261 ; on the
Cashmere stag, 276; 277,280,
282, 287, 288 ; on hunting
the Ovis Ammon, 298; 301,

319, 333> 341, 345
Ward, Rowland, 64, 233. See

Measurements
Waugh, Sir Andrew, his big

tiger, 196
Wenersborg, 136
Western Ghauts, India, 355, 360
Weyprecht and Payer's expedi-
tion, 17
Whitbread, Mr., 73
Whymper's Alpine tent, 395
Wiide Bay, Spitzbergen, 18
Wild ass, Assyrian (Equus he-

niippus), 362 ; Equus onager,

362
Wild boar in the Caucasus, 31 ;

guides for hunting, 32 ; its

ZUB

cunning and ferocity, 33, 34 ;

modes ol hunting, 34 ; habitat,

35 ; Spanish, 176, 177
Wild dog, 44, 45. See Dog
Wild ox. See Ox
Wild sheep. See Sheep
Williameenoff, General, 43
Williamson, Mr., quoted, 196 ;

on sitting up over a tiger, 210;

226, 257, 353
Wolf, European (Canis lupus),

226 ; measurement, 227
Wolf, Indian (Canis pallipes),

225 ; measurement, 227
Wolf, Spanish, 176
Wolf, Thibetan (Canis laniger ;

Canis niger), 226 ; measure-
ment, 227
Wolves, 34, 44, 45 ; distinction

between European, Thibetan,

and Indian, 226

Yak (Poephagus grunniens),
249 ; characteristics, 250 ;
account of a successful stalk,
250 ; measurements, 252

Yalta, 38

Yang-se-kiang river, 292

Yarkand, 339,. 342, 364

' Yo,' on packing, 382

Yourts (Kirghiz tents), 374

Yuz (hunting leopard), 222

Zaizau, 74

Zaruchi, Novgorod, 164

Zelentchuk, the, 38, 39

Zik (clouded panther), 221

Zillerthal, the, 95

Zubr (aurochs), 38, 39, 69, 167,

note
Zubr grass, 172

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