The Pulaskian., 1920-02-13
<<Vwv HERE are times in every mans life," says Sir Robert
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 ing hook. .sIndian Memories n

mans life," says Sir Robert
 E Baden-Powell in his charm
 ing book, Indian Memories, ; when his whole being cries out for a steady spell of doing nothing in par ttcular, at least, nothing that matters. l Nowhere is this so acutely felt as in India" And at no time, one might add, as toward the middle of an h. dian hot weather, says A. L. Wright in Country Life. But though India in the plains may, at times, become well-nigh intolerable, India in the hills provides a soace such as may be enjoyed in few other countries in the world.
 There is something particularly fas- cinating about the Himalayas. Maybe 1t is their immensity or their vast si- fences; but probably it is their infinite variety that makes the greatest appeal. For there Is always some new aspect to be discovered, some new interest i; and no man can hope to live long enough to be able to say he knows them thoroughly, nor is it possible to see so much of them that they begin to grow stale. No wonder that men who have first visited them as subalterns go back year after year, revisiting old haunts or discovering new, and that some have found them so attractive that even on retirement they have set tied down in some peaceful valley to spend their declining years.
 In times of peace the army officer in India is usually fortunate enough to be able to get away from his regiment and the plains for at least a part of the hot weather, and with a month or more at his disposal, the hills provide him with an endless choice as to how he should spend his leave.
 Anything You May Wish Is There.
 Of few places in the world can it be so truly said as of the Himalayas that they cater for every taste. Do you want months sheer idleness? Under what more attractive circumstances can it be obtained than on the Jhelum river, floating leisurely along in a Kashmiri doonga. or houseboat? A l perfect climate, gorgeous scenery and everything complete for thorough lazi- ness; what could be more ideal? And should mere loafing become monoto- nous, it can always be varied with a little gentle fish-spearing, or short trips may be made into the noun tains, which come down on either side, offering tempting fields for exploration. But the average healthy young man will probably require something more strenuous. Mountaineering? One has only to read of the exploits of the Bull lock -Workmans to realize that the HImalayas provide sufficient tests of skill even for the most experienced climber. Big game shooting? Given sufficient time, there are places beyond Kashmir, such as Chilas, Astore, Balls tan and LadalSh, which are veritable sportsmen's paradises. With luck the bag may include both black and brown bear, thar, ibex, burhel, gural, the or dinary leopard; maybe the snow leopard, and possibly the wild sheep, the Ovis ammon. A shooting trip of this nature is, however, rather long and serious undertaking, but even with | tWO IlVnlHS iCdNC Ot i(oS inCiC di v many places where excellent sport can be obtained. There is, of course, the country in the immediate vicinity of Kashmir, but, as may be imagined, this has been much harried and shot over, and other places equally accessible, though less frequented, are preferable where sport is the main object. For instance, quite good shooting country can be reached both in Chamba state and In Kulu within a months leave, while little more time is required to get to the upper reaches of the Sutlej, | where the Bashahr state borders on Tibet.
 Small game shooting, being closed till the middle of September, is rarely enjoyed by the visitor to the hills un- less he specially takes his leave right at the end of the hot weather. The Himalayas. however, abound In small game. Probably nowhere in the world are pheasants found in greater variety, but, though in abundance their shooting Is often apt to prove disappointing, usually owing to the rastness of the forests they inhabit