The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1883-12-27
TRAINED FOR THE CHASE.

TRAINED FOR THE CHASE.
HOW tho Cormor..nts Work i'm China
Tho Hunting Leopard--A Fish
Which Catches Turtles. -
At the present day the dog stands as
the exponent of the highest perfection
attained in the education of animals for
economic purposes The retriever,
pointer, and setter are all so finely bred
that in many cases their training or edu-
cation is mere fern, and the desired
knowledge seems to come by intuition.
A common sight in China to-day is the
fisherman with his board of cormorants,
ready to go over al the owners word.
This practice was followed in England
in former times, and the master of cor
morants was prominent officer OF the
royal household The birds are taken
from the nest when young, and easily
trained, and so rapid are their movements
under water that rarely fish escapes
them. When taken out in boat they
are generally kept hooded by wire
mask, to prevent their utilizing the
catch for their own benefit. In China
this bird is one of the daily sights to be
seen on the canal or island streams,
especially in the ne$ghborhood of Ming
20. Here on the lake the boats congre-
gate, each propelled by single China
man, with three or four cormorants
roosting either on the rail or platform
made for the purpose. So perfectly are
they trained that they obey the slightest
word of the master; and when he gives
the word over they go, and with remark
able speed begin search under water, seiz-
ing the fish, rising to the surface, and bring
ing the victim to the owner exactly like
a dog. If large fish is captured these
intelligent birds go to each others assis-
tance. and with a combined effort bring
1t to their master, after which they are
repaid by the entrails-to them, insa-
tiate gluttons, the choicest parts. So i'm
portant are these fisheries that MANY
persons are engaged in raising cormor-
ants and training them for the fishermen.
Birds trained to bring down game
were first used in China. and Japan. In
the former country it was practiced 1000
B. c., and, according to the records of
Wen Wang, it was sport much esteemed
in his locality, 6S9 B. C. Six hundred
years before Christ il was also practiced in
Arabia, and Persia, and on the ruins of
Khorzabad bas-relief has been found
showing that it was known, 1900 B. G.
About the middle o.: the fourth century,
and probably earlier, birds were first
trained by sportsmen in Western Europe.
As hawks had natural bent in this di-
rection they were used, and out of 1t
grew the fashionable sport of falconry
followed for many centuries later. In
/ the ninth century to be good trainer of
falcons was an essential for young man
of good birth. Alfred the Great was
famous trainer, and wrote treatise on
the subject. In France during the
eighth and ninth centuries, the grand
falconer was great man, with an annual
salary of 4, 900 f1orins, and an attendance
| of fifty assistant falconers and fifty gen
.tlemen. Beside this, he was allowed to
keep 800 hawks for his own amusement,
Ind, best of all, in a pecuniary. sense, he
Tasicensed every venderi Of hawks, ,receiv-
ing a tux upon every bird sold in the
kingdom. Early in the seventeenth CEN
tury goshawk and a tassel-hawk brought
100 marks, q large sum for the time. In
the reign of James /. Sir Thomas
Monson paid SIS, 900 for cast of hawks,
and as cast means pair, the birds
brought So, 500 apiece. Various kinds
i. Of birds were used, and they were ar
ranged by the old falconers according to
rank; thus the king used the ger-falcon,
the emperor the eagle or vulture, prince
the falcon, duke the falcon of the rock,
an earl the peregrine-falcon, 9 Laron the
bastard, knight the secret, an esquire
the lancret, ladies the marlyon, youngm men
the hobby, yeomen the goshawk, poor
men the tercel, priests the sparrow-hawk,
the servants the kesteri, etc. In Eng
land to-day hawking is carried on to
some extent. and various birds are used
to capture herons and smaller game. In
Africa the falcon is used to capture the
gazelle, the birds being trained to seize
the animal by the throat, the wounds and
the beating of the birds wings so con-
fusing the poor beasts that they fall q
victim to the hunter
In Africa and Southern Asia the Chez
tab, or hunting leopard is important to
the sportsman. The animals resemble
the common leopard in their markings,
but are more slender, having long legs
and certain external caniLe characteristics
:thatare very noticeable, so that it was long
thought connecting link between the
dogs and cats. In Persia it is called the
ycuze, and they are carried to the field
in low cars, whereon they are chained.
Each leopard is hooded. When the
hunters come within view of herd of
antelopes the leopard is unclaimed, his
hood is removed, and the game is pointed
out to him, being directed in the pursuit
by his sight. Then he steals along cau-
tiously and crouchingly, taking advan-
tage of every means of masking his at
tack till he has approached the herd un-
seen, within killing distance, when he
suddenly launches himself upon his
quarry with five or six vigorous and rapid
bounds, strangles it instantaneously, and
drinks its blood. The huntsman now
approaches the leopard, caresscs him,
wins him from his prey by placing the
blood which he collects in a wooden
ladle under the nose of the animal, or by
throwing to him pieces of meat, and
while he is thus kept quiet, hoods him,
leads him back to his car, and there
chains him. If the leopard fails, in con-
sequence of the herd having taken timely
alarm, he attempts no pursuit, but re-
turns to his car with detected and NOR
titled air.
The hycna and ounce have also been
used in hunting, while the wild dog of
Africa is often in demand. In Asia
tiger-hunting would be practiced less
were it not for the elephants, who seem
to enjoy the dangerous sport as we'll as
their riders, who are safe housed on their
backs. These intelligent animals are
also used in capturing wild animals of
their own kind, and are important fac
tors in the training and subduing process
that comes later. The horse was for
mcrly used in England TO stalk animals
They were trapped so that the rider was
concealed, and SO feeding along the ami
NAL gradually brought the sportsman
nearer the game. In the inventories Of
the wardrobe belonging to King Henry
VIII. is the allowance of certain qualities
of stuff for the purpose of making stalk
ing-coats and stalking-hose for the use
of his majesty.
In Florida the writer had an acquaint-
ance-an ancient fisherman, not too spright-
l,- ,r;tbo1- yvbo poccoccn6 two foma ppli-