The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-09
SHOOTING MARKHOR AND IBEX
RARE SPORT IN THE HIMALAYA
MOUNTAINS.
Rugged Recesses OF tho Hindu kush
Where Game Is stu Driven by Hounds
waiting with Native King for a shot
-Mystery OF the hex and tho Hunt.

waiting with Native King for shot
Mystery OF the hex and the Hunt.
It's only in few of the remotest recesses
OF the xugged Hindu kush that the old
sport OF driving with hounds still fingers,
and this mostly in glens where, says X. l..
Kennion in the CornhiH Magazine, the feet
Of few white men have trod. In other
places the arrival Of the Englishman has
been followed by game laws, the necessary
conoomita of modern rifles. These all
condemn driving, and rightly, for the man
with the weapons OF to-day stands In no
need Of fourfooted assistance to make
things easy for him. 1t is otherwise with
the indigenous sportsman armed with his
old matchbox Of prehistoric design. With
the crude weapons carried by Chitrali or
Washg gam shikaris not all the hunters
craft at their disposal nor the ownership OF
the best breeds of hounds would enable
them to exterminate game.
The theory OF the sport is based upon the
fact that markhor and ibex, wher escaping
from their natural foes. eopards and wolves,
fly to precipices where no other animal,
be it cat or dog, can venture and when
followed by the hunters hounds they
pursue exactly the same tactics. Arrived
at their supposed refuge. they are 80 intent
on staring at the bayng bounds that they
pay little attention to their deadlier two
footed foes, who can approach close enough
to use their antiquated pieces with effect
It Ia said that whole herds are sometimes
wiped out in this way; but this must be very
rare, or one would not find all grounds new
to the European sportsman as full OF game
as they usually are.
The Snort Is conducted in two ways.
There is the royal drive, as mana ged for
the benefit of the petty kings of the Hindu
Kush. in which large number OF beaters
with dogs drive the game UP to posted guns.
much as ohamois are driven in Austria.
And there Ia the humber but more sporting
way followed by the professional hunter,
with his leash of hounds, frequently entailing
toll which few but born mountaineers could
endure.
Let me a; at try to describe royal drive
as arranged for the Mehtsr of Chtral, the
premier chieftan OF the Hindu Kush.
EARLY one winter morning found myself
following Chitrali guide up gorge where
the sheer sides Of rock In places almost met
above us. Every few hundred yards the
torrent impinged against one rock wall or
the other necesstating crossing by means
OF pine pole flung across the !oaming
water. Tho nights frost had glazed such
of these as were touched by the spray
with film OF ice, which had to be busted
with sand before even my lightfooted guide
could trust himself on it. But for these,
and occasional anxious moments at points
where a crossing of the stream had been
deemed unnecessary in local opinion. and
we had to creep Ringerly around difficult
rock corners where the water below roared
a most uniuvitng summons, the track
was monotonous enough. as one could see
but short way In front owing to the turns
of the gorge
The King, whose shooting box lay some
way up the valley, had gone up the pre-
vious evening by zigzag path over the
mountain, along which Ton Chitrali pony
II was possible to ride.
The valley, which. like most ott era in
this part of the Himalayas, was gorge for
few miles above its embouchure into the
main Chitral glen presently opened out
and the shooting box came in sight. a little
wooden structure built on plateau over
hanging the stream and surrounded by
pines and jumpers. A crowd OF retainers
were lounging about outside, picturesque
Grew OF good looking ruf!ians, carrying all
manner OF arms. from matchbox to Mann
licher, and like all Chitrali crowds full of
jokes and laughter. Tho shikaris and
heaters had all been out since long before
daylight. 1t was now about O'Clock. and
80 far no news had come.
The Mehtar came out to meet me, pele
young man rather below middle height,
with quiet digni6ed manner, the difficult
ties of whose position 1t Is unnecessary to
dilate on here. Having not yet break
tion 1 found no difficulty in accepting, as
the keen morning air had long since made
my early breakfast a mere remembrance.
Unfortunately proved to be not the Oriental
repast of ceremony, with Its interminable
courses. but n comparatively light meal,
ati in of lOf IDllr di6heS
rather trays Of pillaus and such like, from
which the King and l ate direct without
the unnecessary Formally Of separate
plates, He ate delica ely with his fingers.
as the Fasteners gay, with discretion,
while had the use Of the only spoon and
fork.
As to the prospect Of sport, l learned
that a herd of riarkhor had been seen on
the previous evening with one big buck,
and the shikaris with some two hundred
to surround them on three sides for the
purpose of driving them toward the hunt
ing ground Breakfast over, our hands
were sprinkled| With rose scented water
from n great brass. alfalfa and We got on
on foot. We soon began to climb up path
newly cut in the steep hillside, and in half
nm hour found ourselves on little platform
with low wall in front some four hundred
feet above the stream. Looking across,
the opposite slopes deep in snow were
visible to helght OF 2,WO or 3,uuO 1eet above
us. they were not excessively steep and
we're scantily covered with jumpers and
holly oaks. Immediately opposite us, at a
range of perhaps ninety yards, was a pre-
cipitous face Of rock. going down almost
sheer into the water. This was the point
to which the markhor were to be driven
and where ii was hoped they would stand
long enough to be shot.
We had now to keep as still and silent
MS possible and sat ourselves down behind
the wall at points from which we could
get a commanding view. An attendant
flung over the Mehtar magnificent fur
robe which had come straight from Bokhara,
and others wrapped Themselves in sheepskin
pelisses and cloaks, for the wind was bit
ter cold. Only a few Of the Mehtar's
intimates had accompanied us to the butt,
but in elancng at the array Of modern
rifles with which they were armed and at
the rocks opposite where the beasts we're
to he shot down, half regretted coming
to what seemed likely to end in butchery,
for the combination Of ancient strategy
with modern arms seemed trife unfair
to our quarry.
The Mehtar was beguiling the time by
telling me of some wonderful battues at
this spot in the time OF his Inflated prede-
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