Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1881-01-15

use OF the chariot, the hunter, taking
advantage of tie ~sin0osities Of the
ground. endcavored to get within
reach Of the game a. it doubled and to
bring it down with an arrow. The
horned animals of the larger kind,
such IS the hex, orsx Or wild OK, II
wounded only, sometimes turned on
the hounds and required the spear of
the hunter 10 dispatch them.
Sometimes, especially when they
wished TO take the animals alive for
the purpose Of placing them in the
Iurks. they caught them with the iasso
or moose, ia the Use Of which the Egyp-
tan huntsInen appear to have been ex-
treIuely skilful, throwing the COS
round the neck Of the gazelle or deer
or over the horns Of the Wild OK.
When sport was desired on q larger
scale than could be had in the imme-
diate vicinity of the Nile. where the
land was cultivated and thickly Iee
pied, il was sought in the neighboring
desserts. When this was to be closed
y: nets, into which the animals were
driven hy heaters, the place chosen for
fixing the nets being, if possible, across
narrow valleys, or torrent beds, lying
between rocky hills. In the Egyptian
painting. these long nets are repre-
c.,tat 80 < r.,tpj.,o fhn a,c1o ~
which the hunt Is to be carried on.
The net USED for this purpose is thus
described by Sir Gardener Wilkinson,
and the description, corresponding Us
it does with that given by Nenophon,
may be taken as correctly describing
the nets in universal use in the an
Gent world. The long nst was fur
ni-hcd with several ropes, and was
supported on forked poles, varying in
length to correspond with the inc
qualities of the ground, and was SO
contriytd az to inclOse any space by
crossing hills, valleys OF streams and
cncircliHg woods, or whatever might,
fi'''h +. loi y C'cl
ping gaps were also used, and a circu-
lar snare. set round with wooden or
metal nails and attached by a rope to a
log OF wood and used for catching deer,
rescmllei one still made by the Arabs"
Being thus incloscd, the game was
started by beaters with dogs, the
sportsmen being SO placed as to waylay
the animals or to get within reach of
them with the bow. A spirited sketch
of a chase N the desert of Tl1eboid,
copied 10y Sir Gardener Wilkinson,
from a tomb at Thebes, gives a vivid
representation of such hunting scene.
HareS, deer, gaZelles, wild oxen, the
lick, the orvN and ostriches, together
with foxes hNcnaS, pursued by hounds,
are Gaohing at full speed across the
plain, while in the midst of them is a
porcupint who is taking things very
cuolly, as is conscious that this rate of
speed wa. by no means equal to that
Of nimhItr associates, and that, any at
tempt to keep with them would be
vain. The slaughter on such occa-
-ious would appear to have been very
I great.
In one respect the Egyptians were
-port>lnen in the sense in which we
should use that term. Except in these
hattucs in the desert, they appear tC
have killed and taken the animols
which could be properly be called game
Only To open pursuit. They employed
no mares or traps for the purpose
The noXious animals, on the othel
hand, such as leopards, hyenas, wolves
jackals, foxes. were Lot only huntet
amusement, but might he destroyed
by the peasant, to whose herds o
tlrmyardS they were standing enc
mics, in any way by which they coul,
be taken. The poacher appears t
have been unknown.
no less striking than their huntin,
was the fowling Of the Egyptians
The lakes and nIarSllianGs Of the Delft
and the rcedv marshes which in man,
places line the banks of the Nile, hav
ever been the resort OF innumerabl
Wild fowl. Hence fowling appear
10 have hetn u general pursuit. Til
professional fowler who followed it 70
his livelihood used nets and TAPS bu
the sportsman brought the birds dow,
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