American watchman and Delaware advertiser., 1827-01-30
CARRIER PIGEONS.

eu OF pigeons, as letter carriers s by Ovid. IN h
4" Meamor phoses," who tell Us that Taurssthene
by pigeon stained with purple, gave notice oi b
having been victor at the Olympic games on III
very same day to his father at Egins.
When the city Of Ptolemais. in Syria, was invest
ed by the French and Venitans, and it read
to fall into their hands, they observed pigeon 6y
ing over them, and Immediately conjectured tina,
was discharged with letters TO the garrison On thi
the whole army raising loud shout. SO confounde
the poor erial post, that it fell to the ground
ON being seized, letter was found under its wings
from the Sultan, in which he assured The garrison
that he would be with them in three days, with al
army sufficient to raise the SIEGE" For this let
ter the brssgess substituted another to this purpose
that the garrison must see to their safety, 70
the Sultan had such other ssirs pressing him, tina
it was impossible for him to come to their succour;'
and with this false intelligence they let the pgeor
nee on his course. The garrison. deprived by th
decree OF all hopes Of relief, Immediately surrender
ed. The Sultan appeared on the third day, a:
promised, with q powerful army, and was
little mortified to end the city already In the hands
Of the Christians.
Carrier pigeons were again employed, but with
better success at the siege Of Leyden, in 1875 The
garrison we're, by means Of the Information thu:
conveyed to thcm induced to stand out, till the enc
my, desparing Of reducing the place, Withdrew
On the seige being raised the Prince of Orange or
dered that the pigeons who had rendered such es-
sentipl service should be maintained at the public
expense and that at their Death they should be EN-
bsmed and preserved in the town house, as 6
perpetual token OF gratitude.
In the East. the employment Of pigeons for the
conveyance ofletters is still very common. parties
lsrly in Syria, Arabia, and Egypt. Every Basha~
has generally . basket full # them sent him from
the grand serago, where they bred, and in case
o! any insurrection or other emergency. he is en-
abed, by letting loose two more OF these extraor
dinary messengers convey intelligence to The gov
rrnment long before it could be possibly obtained by
other means.
The diligence snd speed with which these feath
cred messengers wing their course is cxtraor binary
From the instant OF their liberatioD their flight
directed through The clouds at an immense heigh,
to the place OF their destination. They believed
to dart onward 10 a straight line and never descend
except when a. loss for breath, and then they art
to be seen, commonly at dawn Of day, lying on hci
aoks on the ground, with their bills open, suckir.
in with hss,y avidi'y the dew Of the morning. o
their speed the instances related almost incred
Bile.
The Consul of Alexandra daily sends despatche
by these means TO Aleppo in hours, though cour
ers occupy the whole day and proceed with the ut
most expedition from one town to the other.
Some years ago gentleman scot carrier pigeon
from London by the stage cosrh. to bis friend ir
ST. Edmonsbury, together with q note, de,ring tina
the pigeon Two days after their arrival there nigh
be thrown up precisely when the town clock struck
nine in the morning. This was done accordingly
and the pigeon arrived in London, and Rew to the
Bull Inn, Biahopgate street, into the lot,, and
there shown at half an hour past eleven o'clock
having flown seventy two miles in two hours and a
half.
AT Antwerp. in Isl9 one OF the thirty two pigeons
belenging to that city. who had been conveyed to
London, and here let loose, made the transit back
being distance in direct line Of one hundred and
eighty miles, in six hours.
Il 10 through the attachment OF the animals to the
place Of their birth. and particularly to the spot
where they had brought up their young, that they
are thus rendered useful 10 mankind.
When young one flies very hard at home, as il
comes TO its iul strength it is carried in basket
otherwise about half mile from home, and there
turned out-after this. il is carried mile, and ther
two four eight, ten twenty, &C. till at length vii
return from the furthermost parts Of the country.
*
In an action for an assault and battery, il was
deemed proper to ascertain the size Of certain