Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-11-18
Hunting on the Nile.
Nineteenth Century.

ers OF the chase. l.lou hunting, We are
told by Sir Gardner Wilkinson, speaking
from the representation on the tombs, was
a frequent occupation Of the Kings, who
were proud 10 have their success on such
OCCASIONS recorded. Amunoph III boasts
OF having destroyed no less than one hun
dred and two head ia one bsttue. Elmo
pis, ia which lions abounded, was the
principal scene of this sport, but lions
were also to be found in the deserts of
Egypt Atheu9Is mentions ona having
been killed by the Emperor Hadrian
when hunting In the neigh oorhood OF A.
exsndris. According ID Sir Gardner WI.
kilson, the Kings sometimes went far TO
the South in PURSUIT. OF elephants. He
does not mention whether any represents.
lions of an elephant hunt is to be found
on the monuments. The taste for hunt.
ing. Sir Gardner tells US, was general
with all classes The arlstocracy had
their parks tor preserving game IN the
valley of the Nile, which, though on s
less extended scale than those of their
AsiatiC neighbOrs, were still sufficiently
large to enable them to fully enjoy the
sport.
The animals they chiefly hunted were
the hare, the gazelle, the stag aud other
deer, the wild goat or hex, the oryx, The
wild OK the keosn or wild sheep, aud the
porcupne. The ostrich, too, was pur.
sued for the sake of its p'umes, which
were highly valued by the Egyptians.
Oae form OF sport in whoa they in.
duged was that of pursuing the game
with dogs, which, however, do not appesr
10 have been used on such occasions for
the purpose OF finding the game, but were
kept In slips ready to b. let go as soon as
the game was started. If the dogs sue
ceeded in catching the animal, well and
good. But generally their speed WAS not
trusted to alone, though this might some
times be done. Usu lily the sportman fol-
lowed IN his chariot, ana urging his
horses to their utmost speed, d5avored
to intercept the obj ct OF pursuit or to get
sufficiently near TO 1t TO be enabled 10 use
HE bow with effect. When the nature OF
the locality prevented the use OF the
chariot, the hunter, taking advantage OF
the sinuosites OF the ground, endeavored
to get within reach OF the game as II
doubled and to bring 1t down with an ar
row The horned animals of the larger
kind such as the hex, Oryx, or wilG OK, II
wounded only, sometimes turned on the
hounds and required the spear OF the
hunter to dispa,cn them.
ed to take the animals alive for the pu--
pose OF placing them in the PARIS, they
caught them with the lasso or moose, IN
the use of which the Egyptian huntsmen
appear to have been extremely sSIllful,
throwing the moose round the neck OF the
pazelle or deer, or over the hotns OF the
WIG OK.
1t may not be undressing TO observe
that while the Egyptians had several va,
rieties of dogs, some OF them chosen,
SlrGardner Wilkinson slyly observes, "as
at tue present day, for their peculiar ugh
ess,"-probably the pet dogs of fac
Egyptian ladies, the hound, as c. o. ex-
nibited in drawing 236 OF Sir Gardner
Wlkinson's WORK, has, rs with US, It's
peculiar and unmistaksbie characteristics.
The hounds in the Egyptian painting
would give one the idea OF cross be
tween the English barrier and fox hound,
though perhaps little taller and longer
than the former, and lighter than the lat.
ter. Tne head is unmjstsk ABLY that OF the
hound The kings and great men some
times hunted with lions tanned and train.
ed, as the cheetahs are 10 lndla, EXPIRE SLY
Tor bunting La No $40 of Sir Gardner
Wilkinson's drawings Is the representa-
ton of a lion, with whidh the chasseur is
hunting, and which has just seized al
ibex.
When sport was desired on a larger
scale thu could be had in the immedis,e
vicinity OF the Nile, where the land was
cultivated and thickly peopled, It wss
sought in the neigh5oriag deserts. When
this was to be done a C considerable extent
of ground was iuclosed by nets, into
which the animals were driven by beat.
ers, the place chosen for fixing the nets
being if possible, acro:s narrow valleys
or torrent beds lying between rocky hills
Ia the Egyptian paintings these long nets
are represented as surrounding the space
in which the hunt is 20 be carried on.
The net used for this purpose Is thus de.
sclibed by Sir Gardner Wilkinson, and
The description, corresponding as II does
with that given by Aenophon, NAV be
taken as correctly describing the mes in
universal use IN the ancient world: The
iOng net IS furnished with several ropes,
and was supported on torSed poles, vary
ing in length TO correspond with the ine
qualities OF the ground, aud was so con
rived as TO inClose any space by crossing
hills, valleys, or streams, and enclrcllng
WOODS, or whatever might present itself
Smaller nets for stopping gaps we're also
used, snd q circular spafe, set round the
wooden or metal nails and attached by =
rope to a log OF wood and used for catch
ing deer, resembled one still made by the
Arabs " Being thus inclOsed, the game
WAS started by besieTs with dogs, the
sporlsm,n being SO placed as - wayay
the amin. AS or 10 get within reach of tnem
with the bow a spirited sketch of d
Chase iii the desert Of Theosid, copied by
SIR q zrtupr WILKINSON from a t.mh ~