The Pulaskian., 1920-02-13

The same cannot be said Of the chik- ore, which can give as fine a days sport and exercise as the keenest shi- kari can hope for. The fisherman will also find himself catered for, as both in Kashmir and Kulu trout have been put out in the streams and now give excellent sport.
 Wonders of the Forests.
 Shikar, though by no means the least, is however, but one of the many attractions of the hills. The botanist, naturalist or entomologist will all find plenty to occupy their time, while in few places is there greater scope for the artist and photographer. The for- ests, too, are full of interest. Get the local forest officer to show you round his jungles-he is a lonely man and usually only too pleased to see a vis- itor-and you may then begin to real- ize what is involved in the making of a railway sleeper. You may even get some idea of what is meant by forest ". You will see trees such as are rarely to be found at home, magnifi- t@Att 800 to 1000 years old, which have been spared from the ax on account of their sanctity-for the deodar is indeed the tree of the gods and no hill temple is complete without it's grove. Telling on preclpitous hillsides and floating down roaring hill torrents provide ample ex- citement for those who want it. but, marianne ynocf xuondorf,,l +I,1 o..<7s nary visitor are the primitive methods of conversion. Saving is still carried out entirely by hand, and carriage from the forest to the floating stream is nearly all done by human transport. Although wire ropeways are now be- ginning to be used in places, it is still by no means uncommon to come across sturdy hill-wOman almost running down steep mountain path with two broad-gauge sleepers on her back and a baby suspended in blanket in front.
 To the student Of folklore and anthropology the Himalayas offer a wide field of research, particularly the Hindu-inhabited tract in the eastern Punjab. It is, however, by no means an easy matter to get the people to talk of their religion and customs. The hillman is q simple-minded soul, splendid fellow when you get to know him, but he takes q lot of knowing. His inherent shyness and what is al- most a timid distrust of strangers make it next to impossible for anyone who has not lived in the hills or visit- ed the same tract year after year, to get him to speak of his religious be- hefs. But if ever you are fortunate enough to get him talking, you ara taken back at once to the days of the Old Testament and find yourself living amid gods who speak and dispense justice to their devotees, rewarding or punishing as may be necessary. You will find an explanation of every phe- nomenon of nature. The hailstorm. for instance, which destroyed one mans crop while sparing his neigh bors, is directly attributed to Kali. who, living on the hilltops, uses ice as a missile to punish anyone who of fends her. You will hear of witches with tongues six feet long; of evil spirits who enter into the bodies of men and cattle and have to be exor- cised; of scapegoats; and even of hu- man sacrifices, who before the days of British administrations were slain at the great festivals for the atonement of the sins of the community. But the ordinary visitor hears little of this, though, with luck he may come upon one of the many fairs which are held throughout the hills, generally during the rains, when the people have leisure from work in their fields.
 The hillman is passionately attached to his native highlands, and nothing will induce him to forsake them for the plains, which he regards almost as foreign country. And having learned to love the hIlrs oneself, one can we'll understand his attachment, for the call of the Himalayas is well-nigh irs resistible.