The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-11-11
A GREAT GAME COUNTRY.
Th;bet Will Prove Treasure to the
Daring Hunter.
London Mail.

the mysterious land OF Thibet to
civilization travellers will be able to
see at close quarters many animals
rare and curious. If Thibet offers
no attractions to the tourist who re-
quires luxurious travelling, to the
sportsman and the naturalist it is
a veritable PARADISE, though far from
Edenic in some respects can be
found here for only brief survey
of some of the more remarkable an
lrnals OF this strange land and these
are all of exceptional interest. One
OF the largest of the mammalia is
the yak, or grunting OK, Standing
between five or six feet high at the
shoulder the bulk of this strange
looking creature is not a little ex-
aggerated by the enormous growth
of hair upon the lower part of the
body and tail. Beneath the outer
coat, moreover, there is layer Of
fine wool. known as 'pushim," :"
which is highly priced for the max
ing of cloth. The extraordinary tail
is one of the most conspicuous fea~
lures of Thibetain monasteries or
lamaseries, being suspended on poles
as streamers. Throughout the east
these tails are used as fly whisks, and
in China they are dyed red and fixed
to the roofs Of summer residences
as pendants. Living near the reg
ion of perpetual snow, and of fierce;
disposition, the hunting of the yak
is not to be lightly undertaken. In
spite OF temper, however, it is easily
domesticated, and forms an invalu-
able beast of burden, being wonder
fully sure-footed and capable OF car
rying great weights. 1t is, however,
unable to eat corn, and forced
marches, exhausting alike to man and
beast, are often on this account nee
esary.
Barren and inhospitable, the high
table-lands of Thibet flarbors yet an
other hoofed animals as remarkable
IS the yak-the chiru antelope, for
example, which, like the strange
saiga, has developed an enormous
swollen nose. 1t is supposed that
this enlarged nasal chamber is di-
rectly due to the need of some special
adoption for breathing the highly
rarihed air of these regions. The lit
tie goat, or Thibetan gazelle, and a
magnificent wild sheep, the argall,
manage, like the chiru, to thrive
where in summer the sun scorches
by day and icy blasts prevail at night
and herds Of wild dogs are ever ON
the prowl. More difficult to stalk
than any other Thibetan game, the
argali still further allures the SPORTS
man by the fact that it carries SUI
purb horns, which may attain
length of forty-eight inches, and a
girth of twenty inches at the base.
Old rams will leap from height of
thirty feet with confidence.
The ibex and remarkable animal
known as the bharal, or blue sheep
Of Thibet, but which appears to be
more great than sheep, also deserve
mention here The show deer, beast
nearly as big as the great wapiti, has
very seldom fallen to the gun of the
European. No complete specimen
has yet been sent to Europe. In this
country it is represented only by FIVE
skulls and horns in the British MT
Scum, and as many more in different
private collections. The horns are
Of great size; the record in the num-
Der Of points-thirteen-is in be-
tween the tips of the horns is over
three feet and the width between
arched feet nine and three-quarter
inches.
Of the three species Of wild ass
which occur IN Asia, one, the kiang,
is peculiar to Thibet. Perhaps the
NOSE curious Of the large animals Of
Tibet te great panda, bear