Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-05-25
TO be continued.)
HUNTING OSTRICHES.

HUNTING 0STRICHES.
Methods Employed by Arabs of the Desert TO
Catch the Big Birds.
With the Arabs of the desert the chase
and capture of the ostrich is the most at
tractive and aristocratic of the many di-
versions IN which they indulge, says The
Boston Herald. The first thing attended
to when hunt is contemplated is the
preparation Of the horses. They are en-
tirely deprived of grass and fed on barley
for seven or eight days before the intend
ed hunt. They are allowed to drink only
once day and that at sunset; at that time
they are also washed. They take long ex-
erciseE, and great attention is paid to the
arrangement of the harness. The Arab
says that after seven or eight days the
stomach disappears, while the chest, aud
breast, and Group remain i'll flesh. The
animal is then in condition to endure
fatigue. This training is called "teeha-
ha." Tie harness used in the hunting Is
much lighter than that in ordinary use,
esp ecially the saddle and the stirrups, and
the martingale is dispensed with. The
bride also uudergoes many changes, the
mountings and earlaps being taken away,
as they considered too heavy. The
BIZ and frontlet are made of rope, without
!
strong, are very light.
The time moss favorable for ostrich
| hunting is when there is greatest heat.
| The higher the temperature the less is the
| ostrich able to defend itself. The Arab
| says that when a man stands upright and
his shadow is only the length OF his foot
| it is the exact time to hunt Each horse
man is accompanied by servant called
| 'zemmal." He is mounted on camel
carrying four goat skins filed with water,
! and barley fer the horse, wheat flour
| for the rider, some dates, kettle in which
! to cook the food, and everything which
can be possibly required for the repair
| ing of the harness in case of accident,
| The horseman wears linen vest and
I trousers, and covers his neck and ears with
| light material called "havuli," which is
| tied with strip OF camel hide. His feet
are protected with sandals and his legs by
| light CATERS called "trabag." He has
neither gun nor pistol, his only weapon
| being wild olive or tamarind stick five
or Fix feet long, with heavy knot at one
| end.
Before starting off the hlnters ascer
| tain where large number of o5triches are
to be found. They are generally met with
| in places where there is great deal of
grass and rain has recently fallen. The
| hunters commence their journey early in
| the morning. After one or two days
| travelling, when they have arrived near
the desired spot and begin to see traces
of their game, they halt and camp. After
settling two intelligent slaves are sent out
TO recOnuoiter. They carry goat-skin
at their side and a little bread. They
walk on until they find the ostriches,
which are generally on elevated places.
As soon as the game is in view one lies
down to watch and the other returns to
convey the Information to the camp.
| The birds are found in troops, consisting
| often of as many az sixty. The horseman
guided by the scout, travel cautiously to-
ward the game. The nearer they ap-
| prOach the spot the greater Is
their canton, and when they reach
! the last ridge which hides them
from the ostriches they dismount and
creep forward to ascertain whether the
| birds are still there. if such is the case,
a moderate quantity Of water is given to
the horses and each man mounts again
and proceeds. Tue servants and camels
follow a little distance behind, carrying
| with them corn and water.
The horsemen divide and form circle
around the Ostriches at such distance
| as not to be noticed by them. The ser
wants halt when the horsemen separate,
| and as soon as they have seen their Das
| tiers in position they walk below Sheir
| prey. The ostrlches flee, but are met by
| the hunters, who at first only drive them
! back into the circle. They are made to
| run around the ring, and in this way their
| strength is exhausted. At the first sign
of fatigue in the birds the horses dash in
and the flock separates. The affrighted
! birds open their wings, which is a sign of
| great exhaustion, and the hunter, now
| feeling sure of his prey, selects his bird
| and runs it down, and finishes it with
blow on the head with the olive stick.
The moment the ball falls the man
! quickly dismounts and cuts its throat,
taking care to hold tie head at some dis
lance from the body, SO as not to soil the
| plamage. 1t lis said the male bird utters
loud means when dying, but the female
| dies in silence. When the ostrich is on
! the point of being taken by the hunter, if
| he does not wish to kill it he can easily
| drive it with the stick to where the camel
| is, il is in such Al exhausted condition.
| After the birds are bled to death they are
| carefully skinned, that the feathers
may not become injured, and the skin is
! stretched upon tree or a horse and salt
is well rubbed into it. Then a fire 10
| built and the fat of the biru is boiled for
a long time. When it ia very liquid it is
| poured into bottles made of the skin of
the thigh and leg and strongly fastened
at the bottom. The fat of one bird is
| generally sufficient TO fill two of these
cases, and it is said the fat would spoil in
| any other vessel. After the trying out
| process the flesh is prepared and eaten by
| the hunters, who dress it we'll with pepper
and flour. While all this is going on the
horses are carefully teuded, watered, and
fed with corn, and the party remains quiet
for forty eight hours to rest the animals.
After that they return to the camp or
! seek more game.
To the Arab the chase of the ostrich
has double attraction-that of pleasure
and of profit. The price obtGined for
| the skin well compensates for the ex-
| pense. Not only do the rich enjoy ths
! pursuit, but the poor, who know how to
arrange for it as well. The usual plan is
for the poor Arab to bargain with some
one wno is well to do for the use of his
! horse, camel, harness and two-thirds of
| the necessary provisions. The borrower
| furnishes the remaining third, and the
result of the chase is divided in the same
! proportion.
Nature Has Wonderful Charms for Some