The Big Game of Baltistan and Ladakh : a Summer in High Asia
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**' mrn wii 3 2+nr Ujnrnell Hniucrotty Sjtbcary 3tliara. Kot $nrtt CHARLES WILLIAM WASON COLLECTION CHINA AND THE CHINESE THE GIFT OF CHARLES WILLIAM WASON CLASS OF 1876 1918 Library Cornell University DS 485.L2A19 738 3 1924 023 017 Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023017738 A SUMMER IN HIGH ASIA •«$»•- •&*j»*.- -\J***1 Zhe Big (3ame of Baltistan anb Xaoaftb. A SUMMER IN HIGH ASIA BEING A RECORD OF SPORT AND TRAVEL IN BALTISTAN AND LADAKH By CAPT. F. E. S. ADAIR {LATE RIFLE BRIGADE) AUTHOR OF "SPORT IN LADAKH" WITH AN APPENDIX ON CENTRAL ASIAN TRADE BY CAPT. S. H. GODFREY. (LATE BRITISH JOINT-COMMISSIONER AT LEH) ILLUSTRATED FROM DRAWINGS BY THE AUTHOR, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND A MAP OF THE ROUTE. LONDON: W. THACKER & CO. 2, CREED LANE, E.C. CALCUTTA AND SIMLA : THACKER, SPINK & CO. NEW YORK: 67, FIFTH AVENUE 1899 All rights reserved LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, Limited, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS. — CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. SRINAGAR—MATAIYAN. Introductory, I. The dilatory Asiatic, 2. Kashmir in April and May —Start from Srinagar, May 21, 1894—Ganderbal, 3. Personnel of the expedition, 4. The Sindh Valley, 7. Kangan—Caterpillar plague, 8. Two black bears seen at Goond—Gugangair—Sona- marg, 10. Red bear wounded near Baltal—Accident to Salia, 11. Watching an ibex-stalk, 12. The Zogi-La, 13. Ibex seen Mitsahoi', 15. The Kashmiri marmot (Arctomys Caudatus), 16. Camp at Mataiyan—Difficulties of the route, 17. Three red bears seen near Pandras, 18. News of the Hushe Nalah, 19. CHAPTER II. MATAIYAN—HUSHE. Scenery at Mataiyan and Dras, 20. The Dras Valley, 21. Bear seen by B., 22. Population of Dras—The Balti coolie, 23. Tash- — ' gaum— Ibex seen, 24. Rain "'Dawai' not sharab,'" 25. B. and I part, 26. An afternoon scene, 27. Chanagand—Kirkichu, 28. Hardas—Scenery between Hardas and Olting-Thang " Parris," 29. " Galleries," 30. Olting-Thang—Indus Valley, 31. The road, 33. " Jadoo "—Tarkutty— Ibex heads from the Hushe Nalah, 34. Kharmang— " Jhula " Bridge, 35. Story of a Khit- mutgar—An ibex nalah, 37. An avalanche, 38. Tolti— Oriental etiquette, 39. Road to Parkutta, 40. Parkutta—The Shyok River and Valley, 41. Zaks, 42. Effect of "perwanas"— Kiris, 45. Kuru—Karku—A welcome note—A " drive," 46. Kapalu Shale slopes— Machilu, 47. Masherbrum, 48. The Hushe River, 49. The Saltoro Valley, 50. — CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. HUSHE NALAH. Blue rock-pigeons —Salia prospects, 51. Ibex and oorin (Ovis vignei) — " seen, 52. Oorin stalking " Pulas," 53.— Stalking my oorin," 54. Another—stalk, 55. Ibex seen—Kande " Baksheesh," 56. Hushe Village " W," 59. An amusing incident—Village and villagers of Hushe, 60. " Sahib Log," 61. Ibex-ravines, 62. Avalanches, 64. Ibex seen, 65. A stalk, 66. A "lucky expedition"— Ibex seen, 67. More ibex—Masherbrum by moonlight, 68. Sunrise on Masherbrum, 70. A lucky stalk, 72. De gustibus non est disfiutandtcm, 74. Newspapers, 75. Hushe—Kande—The un- known nalah, 76. Salia prospects—A fertile spot—Ibex seen, 78. Ibex again—A snow bridge—A stalk, 79. Kande, 80. Mountain sickness—Machilu—An interchange of courtesies— "Zaks," 81. A whirlwind—Abadon, 82. CHAPTER IV. KAPALU—LEH. The Shyok Valley, 83. Do-00—Kubaz, 84. Kustang—Marmots (Arctomys aureus)—Ram Chukore {Tetraogallus Himalayensis), 85. An unequalled panorama, 86. Thunder, wind, and rain The Chorbat River, 88. " A lovely spot "—Golf, 89. A shooting competition—Saibra arrives, 90. News from B.—Marmots, 91. Concerning mountain sickness, 92. Crossing the Chorbat- La, 93. Entry into Ladakh, 94. "Perwanas" again—Goma Hanoo Ibex seen, 97. A snow-leopard—A new bridge, 98. Floods at Yogma Hanoo—Babu Lai's butterfly-hunting, 99. " Mani " stones 1 and "churtens, ' 100. Acheenathang—Garb of Ladakhi women, " 10 1. Mountains . gone mad," 102. Skirbichian—Doom- khar, 103. Story of Khalsi fort, 104. Utility of sporting trips Khalsi, 106.1 Snurla —Munshi Palgez, 107. Saspul, 108. Bazgo —A prayer-wheel— Snemo, 109. Spitak— Leh, no. CHAPTER V. LEH—GYA. Leh, in. The Gonpa—The Serai, 112. A varied diet, 113. The Wazir Wazarat—Ramzahn, 1 14. The Wazir's visit—The Indus again, 117. Chushot — Golab Bagh — Machalang, 118. The " Hemisphere," 119. Upshi— Horn-heaps, 120. Miru—Gya 121. ; Scenery between Upshi and Gya, 122. Gya, 125. —A CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. GYA—KIAMERI-LA. Gya Nalah—Kayma, 127. Tubbuh, 128. Nyan {Ovis Hodgsoni, Ovis Arnmon), 132. Napoo {Ovis nahura, Burhel), 135. Stalk- ing nyan, 139-142. Stalking napoo, 142-150. A wolf trap, 146. Crossing the Kiameri-La— Nyan seen, 150. CHAPTER VII. RUPSHU. Rupshu and its inhabitants (Chang-Pa), 152-162. Mountain sickness, 156. View from above Tiri Nalah—The Kyang {Equus hemionus), 162. Lagomys Ladakensis—A slough of despond, 165. Scenery round the Tso-Kar—In pursuit of a wolf, 166. Goa, kyang, and nyan—A goa stalk, 169. Puttatuktuk and its goa, 170. An unsuccessful stalk, 171. Bower on goa—The Tso-Kar, 172. A nyan stalk, 175. Goa stalking—The Polakonka Pass—Mountain sickness, 176. A nyan stalk, 177. " H." of the Goorkhas, 178. CHAPTER VIII. POLAKONKA PASS—HANLlL Puga—A search for goa, 179. Napoo seen—" Ee," 180. The Indus again— Camping ground near Nyuma Mud—Chinese Thibet, 181. Advice to sportsmen, 182. The, Chagzot, 186. " Chang," 187. Kyang seen—Mosquitoes, 188. A varied bag—Hanld, 189. The Chagzot's kindness—Chering Doorji, 191. " H." sets out for for the Koyul Nalah, 192. Kyang and napoo seen—Nyan stalk- " ing, 193-200. A kyang stalk, 200. H." 's sport in Koyul— good spot for napoo, 201. CHAPTER IX. HANL£—GYA. Goa ground—Kyang again—Goa stalking, 202-206. Poongook— Teal and duck shooting—Napoo seen— Crossing the Lanak-La, 209. Vanessa Ladakensis—Snipe seen at Dongan—Kyang—Goa stalking, 210. The Lam Tso, 211. A useful shelter—Goa seen Ooti—sand-grouse, 212. Saibra sees a lynx—Lizards and locusts, 215. The Tso-Moriri, 216. Karzok— Shapgo and Luglang Nalahs vii CONTENTS. — Peldo Le—Bar-headed geese, 217. An adventure—Polakonka Pass, 218. A peculiar phenomenon—Thugji—A shooting expe- dition, 221. Puttatuktuk—Pongonogo—Debring—The Tagalang Pass—A lammergeier shot—Gya again—Retrospect, 222. CHAPTER X. GYA—LEH. " Shapoo ground—The Mini gorge, 224. And village—" Pudding stone —Shapoo stalking, 225-228. A " Shaitan " at Upshi, 228. " H." reappears at Machalang— Himis Gonpa, 231-234. Golab-Bagh— Chushot—Leh—The Bazaar, 234. CHAPTER XI. LEH—SRINAGAR—HOME. Snemo—Saspul—Bazgo, 236. Snurla—A good performance— Incident at Khalsi, 237. "A magnificent sight," 238. Lamayuru, 241. The Fotu Pass—Kharbu—The Namika Pass—Wakha—Moul- bekh, 242. Visit from Munshi Palgez— Shergol—Farewell to Ladakh, 243. Pushkim—" H." and " W." arrive—Baltistan once more, 244. Chanagand — Skardo — Tashgaum — Dras, 245. Mataiyan Valley—Kashmiri marmot shot, 246. On the Zogi-La —Strange accident to a pony, 249. The barasingh—Srinagar, October 18, 250. Rawal Pindi—Bombay—Home, 251. APPENDIX. THE TRADE OF LADAKH WITH CHINA AND THIBET. By Capt. S. H. Godfrey (late British Joint Commissioner at Leh), 255. LIST OF BUTTERFLIES FROM THIBET, 281, 282. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Portrait of Author with Shikaris and Trophies Frontispiece Kashmiri primulas I Looking up the Sindh Valley from Sonamarg, Kashmir 8 At the Foot of the Zogi-La Ravine, near Baltal i n Looking back down the Sindh Valley (Kashmir) from Baltal ... 12 Crossing the Zogi-La 14 The Zogi-La 15 Ladakhi Woman and Child 19 Kashmiri Iris ......... 20 A Balti Coolie 23 Balti Roadway 32 A Corner on the Indus Road 33 "Jhula" Bridge at Khartaksho 35 Jhula Bridge over River Indus 36 Indus Road, "between Kharmang and Tolti" . 38 Crossing the Shyok River on Zaks (Skin Rafts) . 43 Looking up the Hushe Nalah 49 Marmot 50 Shyok Valley from Machilu 51 Ibex Ground 52 Village in the Hushe Nalah—Dolomite Peaks . 57 Side Nalah off the Hushe Valley .... 64 Sunrise on Masherbrum 70 " The old bucks appeared " 72 " " I raised my rifle and fired at the big one . .73 View in Side Nalah off the Hushe Valley. yy " We camped in the middle of quite a wood " -78 A Snow Bridge 79 Wild Columbine (Baltistan) 83 Camp below Chorbat-La (Stormy Weather on the Glacier) 89 Crossing the Chorbat-La (17,000 feet) from Baltistan into Ladakh 95 ix b LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE "At last a new bridge was completed" ... 98 On the Road to Leh, Village of Saspul . .108 Ruined Buddhist Village of Bazgo . .109 "Mani" Stone no The Central Asian Road levding into Leh. 115 Looking up the Indus Valley from Machalang . 119 The Town of Leh 123 Camp in the Gya Nalah 128 Leh 129 Leh 137 The British Joint-Commissioner's House at Leh . 143 "We clambered down . and peeped over" . 148 Group of Yaks, Leh 153 The Cornfields of Leh 159 "We came upon a very striking scene" . .166 Churten in the City of Leh 167 Camp at the Tso-Kar—Yaks Feeding . .172 The State Dispensary in Leh 173 Anemometer and Meteorological Station at Leh . 183 Indus Valley at Nyuma Mud 185 Fortified Monastery of Hanle 190 Himis Monastery 207 "This lake is surrounded by yellow and red hills"- 213 Sunset on the Tso-Moriri 216 The Chagzot and Lamas of the Himis Monastery . 219 Churtens and Mani on the Road below Himis . 229 Young Buddhist Red Lama 232 Buddhist silver and copper shrine box, and metal opium pipe 235 " H." and the Author, with their Ladakh Trophies . 236 On the Srinagar-Leh Road : Monastery and Village of Lamayuru 239 On the Road to Leh : Village and Monastery of Chamba-Moulbekh 241 Rdungsten in the Himis Monastery ...