The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-03-14

Kapaats
The KanGats are the resort of floeks
OF wild pigeons, that descend the shafts
in search of watar, as well as to find a
cool retreat from the heat of the Per-
sian sun. 1t was in quest of pigeons
thus invading the KanaGtS that the
Koordish falconers were turning their
hores' heads toward a long line of
mounds when joined their company.
Excitement ran high as we APP
preached the KGsdGts, for we had al
ready seen pigeons ascending and de-
scending the shafts in the distance.
When we arrived near enough, two re-
tainers were sent on in advance to
scare the pigeons out of their hiding
places. This they would do by throw
ing stones down the shafts. The shafts
were but one hundred yards apart, and
when the faYrGSbes threw stones and
shouted down the shaft, if there were
any pigeons there they would futter
along the water-tunnel and fly up the
next one.
We had not been at the KdnGGts above
five minutes when up flew brace of
pigeons from shaft about hundred
and fifty yards away. AS the pigeons
rose in the air, pair of falcons, whose
eyes had already been united, were
turned loose after them. With swift,
eager flight they gave chase and in a
short time were winging their way in
close, hot pursuit. The pigeons ap-
peared to become bewildered with ter
ror, and instead of fastening away in
straight, rapid fight. circled around
and mounted in short, eccentric curves.
Now mounting higher, now diving
swiftly downward, fitting hither and
thither, as though in their terror they
fancied themselves surrounded on all
sides with hawks in vengeful pursuit,
the pigeons tried to elude their falcon
foes. Like evil spirits dogging their
evary movement, however, the eager
birds of prey pursued their game.
Sometimes falcon would seem to us
to have secured his victim, but the
next moment would find the pigeon
again with many yard Of blue sky
between him and his enemy, and the
falcon still in hot chase after him.
Once or twice we saw feathers fly and
| then we knew the end was not far off.
Presently we saw one of the falcons
make short, hurried swoop, and the
next minute he was winging his labored
fighttoward our party, bearing in his
talons one of the pigeons. The pigeon
was barely dead when he reached us
but one of the Koords at once ripped
him open and fed his quivering liver tc
the victorious falcon.
The other falcon still doggedly pur.
sued his prey. but he never brought il
home, We saw the pigeon descend
with the rapidity of a falling rocket
stick to earth, and we saw the falcor
swoop after it with that rapid cycloiG
curve peculiar to birds of prey; but he
returned to us without the pigeon.
Some of the party were of the opinion
that the pigeon, in sheer desperation
had flung himself recklessly headlon9
from height of several hundred fee
into one of the RdnGGt shafts, and thu
escaped. Others thought that he hat
fallen dead, and, failing to overtak,
the body in its fall through mid-air
the falcon has disdained to pick tn,
carcass up from the ground.
| remained with the party for al
hour or two, and witnessed severa
pretty fights, in which the pigeon
were captured. The Koordish sports
man, hospitable to the last degree
urged me to take halt the catch, as
bade them farewell to continue on m,
journey. Unwilling to take so large
share, and, moreover. not wishing t.
carry so many on my bicycle, selectet
a pair of nice, plump young pigeons
which 1 had cooked for my supper a
the caravanserai, where | remained
over that night.
Abbas Khan, the British politica
agent at Meshed, is very fond of hawk
ing. When / was in Meshed, he toll
me of a hawking expedition he ha
recently taken with Mardan Khan
Chief of the Timurees, and few othe
Khorassani noblemen. Meshed is
very holy city, owing to the gold
domed sanctuary of Imam Ria bein
there. The pigeons and birds abou
Meshed have acquired tho odor {
sanctity, from the probability of thei
having sometime perched upon tn
golden dome of the Imam's mesjid
And so no falconing is allowed in tn
vicinity, for fear of doing violence
the memory of the Mohammedan sair
by the destruction of pigeons that ha
themselves become sacred from settlin
on his sanctuary.
Antelope were among the game pun
sued by Abbas Khan and his friends
and in the pursuit they used Persia
: grayhounds and falcons. The Persia
J greyhound is lank but extremel
graceful animal. with ''featheredn ear
and feet. He is quite as swift and pei
! haps swifter than those of our ow