The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-03-08
FALCON LYING.
A SPORT IN WHICH WEALTHY
PERsIANs INDULGE
How the Young Koordish Mobiles
Fly Their Falcons AMER Wild
Pigeons-An American BIZ
cycier's Experience.

II vi llN DAlINAL AAAl AAAA ----F--
dominions, says Thomas Stevens IN
Youths Companion, saw more OF falcons
and falconing than of all other sports
combined. Almost all the Persian no
bles and Koordish chiefs keep falcons,
and among their retainers may always DC
seen the falconer loafing about, Win one
Of these birds resting on little portaole
perch, to which ne is attached oy means
Of tihv brass or silver chain.
Beside their use in the r legitimate held
of sport, the kesPing OF falcons Is con
sidefed a sign OF nobility, ana SO many
well-to-do Persian gentlemen, who, in
these degenerate days Of their country,
are altogether too indolent to care about
sport, still keen falcons for the sake of
the prestige it gives them.
One day, on the Iabrsez Plain in
Western Persia, fell in with party of
Young Kocrdish mobiles engaged in fy-
ing their falcons after wild pigeons.
They were, Of course, greatly impressed
with my novel modeof CONVEYANCE such
a thing as & bicycle never having been
seen in their country before. They in
vited me to accompany them as long as
cared to do SO, and promised me rare
sport in return for riding back and firth
over Esmooth stretch of gravel several
times on my wheel for their amusement
Their falcons, ! observed, instead of
being hooded in the way practised by
European falconers, had their eyes
blinded in a manner that impressed me
as being cruel.
Small holes had been bored in the eye
lids and threads of silk fastened there n.
The threads were passed over the top Of
the falcons head and tied SO that he
could not open his eyes When the
European fslcOner desired to make a
fight he used to remove the hoods;
the Koordish or Persian sportsman
simply loosens the silk threads. Thus
the bird is permitted 20 open his eyes,
and ne fies after the game with the lit
tie silk threads streaming from his
pierced eyelids.
On all the plains OF Persia are miles
and miles of ancient, underground water.
bitches called Kanaats. The water is
conducted along these sabterranean
passage-ways from far-of mountain
streams and springs to the cities on the
plains, chiefly to avoid the waste BY
evaporation and absorption that would
occur in surface bitches in a hot desert
country. The course of such water
ways can always be traced BY mounds
of esrth above the surface, which repre-
sent the excavations from perpendicular
shafts. at the bottom Of which the CRY stall
water can be seen coursing along toward
its destination. The shafts are man
holes for the purpose of readily clearing
out the channel Of the Kauaats.
The Kanaats are the resort Of iocks of 1
wild pigeons, that descend the shafts in /
search Of water, as well as to fad a cool (
retreat from the heat of the Persian sun. !
1t was in quest Of pigeons thus in
rading the Kanaats that the Eoordish /
falconers we're turning their horses heads Z
toward long line of mounds when I
Joined their company.
Excitement ran high as we spproached I
the kanaat, for we had already seen
pigeons ascending and descending the
shafts IN the distance When we arrived /
near enough, two retainers were sent on (
in advance to scare the pigeons out of
their hiding-places. This they would do (
by throwing stones down the shafts.
The shafts were but a hundred Yards
apart. and swhen the farrashes threw
stones and shouted down the shaft, if
there were any pigeons there they would
autter along the water-tunnel 81 1y
the next one.
We had bot been at the Kanaat above
Eve minutes whea up few brace of
pigeons about hundred and fifty yards
sway As the pigeons rose in the air,
3 pair Of falcons. whose eyes had already
been united, were turned loose after
Ihem- With swift, eager fight they
gave chase and in a short time were
Wiugiug their way in close, hot pursuit.
The pigeons appeared TO become lie.
with terror, and instead OF
away IN stright, RAPID flight
,ircled round and mounted IN short, &C.
centric curves. Now mounting higher.
COW diving swiftly downward, fitting
lither and thither, as though in their
error they fancied themselves sur
rounded On all sides with hawks in
pursuit, the pigeons tried to
slude their falcon foes. Likee spirits
logging their every movement, how
,yer, the eager birds Of prey pursued
heir game.
sometimes falcon would seem to Us /
o have secured his victim, but the next
moment would find the pigeon again
With many yard Of blue sky between
lim and his enemy, and the falcon still
Z hot chase after him. Once or twice
We saw the feathers fly. and then we
1iesF TIE end was not far of.
Presently we saw one OF the falcons a
pske short, hurried swoop, and the
lest minute he was winging his laboIed Z
Eight toward our party, bearing in his t
ssions one Of the pigeons. The pigeon /
Tas bsrely dead when he reached us. s
,us one Of the Koords al once ripped I
lin open and fed his quivering liver to b
he victorious falcon. ?
The other falcon still doggedly pur- I
ued bis prey, but he never brought It i
lone. We saw the pigeon descend 8
With the rapidity cf q falling rocket c
tick 70 earth, and we saw the falcon n
woop after it with that rapid cycloid 0
IrTe peculiar 10 birds of prev: but he il
eturneo 10 Us without the pigeon. v
Some Of the party were Of the opinion {
par the pigeon, in sheer desperation. Z
~ mug himself rccklessiY headlong :
I'm height Of several hundred feet :
10 ono Of the KanRat shafs, AID thus .
scaped. OtllerS .thguSht tibet he had =
sl.en dead, and, falling to overtake the !
ody in is fall through mid-air, the fall I
'r had disdained to pick the carcass
p from the ground.
remaiaed with the party for an hour e
I two, and witnessed several other c
ghis, il which the pigeons were cap Il
red. TIE Boordish sportsmen, hos c
table to the last degree. urged me to
Ike half the catch, IS / babe them fare
ell to continue on my journey. In
Hing to take SO large a share, and,
borrower, not wishing to carry so many il
? my bicycle, 7 selected pair of nice, v
Jump young pigeons, which 1 had Il
,oked Tor my supper at the caravansarie I,
mere remained over that night. n