Morning journal and courier., 1886-06-25
HUNTING THE BOAR.
How Sporismen, with Arab Drivers. Pursue Their Game in Morocco on Barbary Horses.

Barbary Horses.
 From the London Field.
 Up the narrow street of Tangier goes
 long string of pack of animals, loaded with tents and all necessaries of camp life. This
 is the first big meet of the season, and we are off to spend week in the come of the wild
 boar; and fine fellow he is, the wild boar here. Some years ago the boar around Tan g1er became all but extinct. At Shaf-le- Khan, our present hunting ground, about
 twenty miles ftom Tangier, certain Span iard kept large herds of pigs. For some req son he was ordered by the Moolish authori- ties to remove them. Two old sows, however. could not be got out of the bush. They were
 known to be with litter, and the Spaniard of
 fered reward for them. Sir John Drum mond Hay, hearing of this, offered to buy the two sows of him, on condition that they should be left unmolested. The Spaniard was glad enough to sell, for fla bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, a little mon- ey is worth good many half wild pigs lost in Morocco jungle. It is thus to Sir John
 Hay that the fine sport one gets now is due.
 The two old sows brought up their filters among the wild pigs. and from them descend
 the boars of Shaf-le Khan. This slight cross of the domestic pig has not only made them
 bigger, but also much fercer. There are plenty of them, and truly grand sport they give. Up the street and out by the Socco gate, our Arab drivers shouting their Balakl
 balak! to clear the way, across the Sok, or big market, and we are on the road to Shaf le-Khan. The road, or rather track-for it is nothing but little path, such thing as a road being unknown in ali Mo1occo-winds away among hills covered with the gum sis tus and white heather all in flower. Here and there one sees a quaint Noorish village, ifs Qrda T111 nf f1r-H 6ad yUIfh aloe or prickly pear hedges, it's few patches of cultivated land standing out bright green with the young wheat on the dark hiilsides. From time to time we ford stream, fairly full at this time of the year. though in sum- mer nothing but a dry ditch, and now and then we have to make little detour round a mud hole.
 Slowly we ride along, for it is but twenty miles to camp and tomorrow our horses must be fresh for their work. And now we cross the last little river and we are in the hunting grounds; for once past the river, be- tween it and the sea, tract of land some ten miles square, the wild boar is as sacred as the English fox; here no man shoots him; here by common consent he is reserved for the spearing. Tue sun shines out brightly and gives a strange look to the little party of European horsemen almost lost among the crowd of Arab beaters, dressed in their pie turesque costumes, and as it catches the spear-heads it gives most martial look to the meet. All are mounted now and the beaters and their dogs-strange looking ami mals, far more like jackals than hounds-are sent ahead of us. Then the word is given to start, and spreading out in long line for we might put up chance boar en route), we make for the first beat. Soon we are all in our places, the ladies placed on convenient sand hill, whence they can see the sport and be out of danger, the hunters all hidden be- hind the big myrtle bushes And now in Ina diStanoa wa IA cTiaa Of heaters. then shot, the signal that boar is on foot. A few minutes more and we see him coming along across the little strip of open ground right toward us. He passes by and then round go half dozen oi us and after him. The ground is not like the flat English mead ow land, but is a jungle of myrtle bushes and palmetto tufts, stones and fallen cork trees; and over this country the boar goes at tremendous pace. But our little Barbary horses are we'll used to it and will cary you over anything. Ten minutes hard galloping and the foremost spears are up with the boar. Already slight wound has made all his bristles stand straight up and he looks. double his size, as now, finding he cannot es- cape, he turns to fight for it. With a sud- den twist he charges full down on the pear- est horse, but the rider has lowered his spear and receives him on it. Round he goes again and at another, but here the spearman is not so lucky and deep gash in his horses leg shows us that our boar is not an enemy to be despised. Two or three more deep wounds has he received, but he is by no means dead yet, and he looks truly grand as he sets back on his launches ripping the l dogs, who have by this time come up and | are now daring to worry him. l
 And now the horses too fight bit shy of | him and refuse to be spurred within reach; | but at last a we'll directed thrust finishes | him and he dies without groan, almost ! without gasp, fighting to the very end. In | the meantime the beaters have sent us out l more game, and we join in pursuit of fresh | pig away over one bush, round another, | through third, until the boar | breaks out in the open. Here the ground is | a bit heavy and he can keep ahead of our | horses for while, but he finds us gaining 1 on him and back again he gets into the thick | country. At last spear brings him up and l he too now must turn and fight, and fight he | does, for with a rush he drives the nearest | horse back on it's launches, cutting a long gash up his chest and throwing the rider backward to the ground, but others are there and two or three spears are buried in him, rolling him dead. So five more are run down and added to our bag, and as the sun begins to set we make our way back to camp followed by the mules bearing the game. The next day the horses are rested and we get days shooting; round the camp are plenty of partridge and about two miles away is splendid snipe marsh. In Morocco game is not wanting. And now comes Fri day, the second day of the boar hunt. All night the beaters have slept round the pieces l to be beaten, for they have marked down the l Eoar and will keep them in there. We add six more fine boar to our bag, and no more casualties than few dogs killed and one or l two of the less experienced riders landed in | the midst of myrtle bush or a wait-a bit thorn.