The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-26
HUNTING WITH FALCONS
To See Just How 1t should Re Done Oas
Must GO TO Persia.
yron u. 81 Jarn,,'. Ga,s~


yror, re - yaYne,s Ca,sn~
To see hawking in perfection we must 30
where It is still an every day art not As with
US mere survival To know how to catch
and train a hawk Ia. In this country. an
accomplishment an amusement. q trial OF
skill. but in many parts az the East . knowl-
edge OF fnlconry Is Indispensable Any ono
going on journey-which does not mean
reclining on cushions in a railway carriage
with refreshnent rooms at suitable intervals
but riding on horse or a camel sometime s
for days together over sand and rocks. with
nothing to eat but dry bread which In texture
and flavor is more like brown paper than any
thing else any one. If he can catch ahawk. or.
still better. bring one with him. has fresh m eat
provided for him from day to day. True. ga
zelle is insIpld food. but 1t is better than moth
ing. and even In the drlest desert birds are to
be met with. Falconry still fiourishes In Per-
ala; and here 1t was that to US as strangers
and travellers days auail-hawking was Of
On glorious September mornings and
tho autumn OF northern Persia is a thing
never to he forgotten-we started from the
great city OF Urmi in company with our host,
two talconers, each with a hawk. and two dogs
their work-that OF finding and flushing birds
admiralty. Ono was pointer. more or less.
and 0to way in black coat which had BEEN
air OF disstpated poodle We rode out OF the
court yard. through the streets and bazaar to
n%wks@s PS they WereSsst quiot It
move or bate" They were both haGGsrds.
that IS 10 say. wild hawks, caught. not taken
from the nest, and seemed much tanner than
English hawks. | suppose this may be ac-
counted for by the fact that British and Euro
penn hawks in general have been for so many
long time TO get over their fear OF man.
whereas in the East hawks are seldom II over
catch n wild hawk and teach it to lily from the
hand In five days. This may have been an
Oriental oXagGeration. for in England IL takes
The city OF Urm lies in the great plain of the
same name, and the district il one Of the most
fertile in Persia. Tho Nali River, at this season
almost dried up. waters II. and in addition
water Is brought down from the mountains by
Il series OF small canals which. when they
enter the plain. are carried under ground.
Everywhere are vineyards. fields OF clover.
lucerne and wheat; along, the river grow
villagers are full OF all kinds OF fruit
trees The extraordinary richnrss OF the
surroundings On The west AMI south are the
mountains. OF kuritstRu. bare. black. and SO
steep that snow Will scarce ne on them: On
the Dead Sea. surrounded by broad marsh
which gives of under hot sun perpetual ex-
hnlntlons OF sulphuretted hydrogen; lL,how-
ever. there are no fish in the lake, the marsh;
despite ITS sulphur. teens with animal ne All
rosy namingo and the pelican are the most
noticeable. while overhead soar many a falcon
and occasionally an eagle. .
miles across the plain and turned into held OF
lnrerne. The dogs were put IN but me crop
was very nigh. up to the horses bellies In
fact, and We could only tell their wheIeahouts
by IN" shaking and an nccaSionai gnmpso OF
sG spE me long tail The rs sn we dts s
stepped and hogan 70 wriggle. The head
idIeonsT rode UP 70 the poin,ti ana we were
rise, when the horse suddenly apparent
~ sans into the earth along with MS TideT
ana the hawk. There Was prolonged
struggle, great deal of yelling. without which
no Oriental can exert himself; AMI the three
T ra IN inquiry we ioana 'nA hr me
had given away and let them in. However, no
harm was done except FOR a lew cuts ana
unmoyed. gazing with her beautiful yellow
eyes at the spaniePs tail now alas. quite stllL
oriental birds apparently partake 81 the
apathy OF the country. TOR any European
cove e4yey would have been miles away nov; Gut IN
another point IN got louror five quail stand
ing up his slirrups, the ialroner stretShrd ms
arm lthe right one, according TO tho lnHArla-
bic Oriental custom. with the hawk on II as
lar AS possible, then bringing Il i9rWAtu anu
umMn IN, a holder ne launched ne "a nH a.. tns
streaming behind her, The guall, howGNer.was
good one ana they iiew nearly ~ yarns Heiore
mcndous Nigur. cloud OF feathers lying o"L
ana Gown they came. on RIDING np 70 VIZ
i'f'' w l"Au1 lhN nhMh IIah'l'HE, S'lh
conscious Eriie, and the quail IG,te dead in
her loot Being rewarded with the bfalhs,
she was taken IN again. This was much the
better trained bird OF the two, me second
hawk was tGwn At the next lot. and struck her
bird VERY quirEly but instead Of dropping With
IL carried II on 20 a tree IRON which shs was
only lqrei atter great deal OF trouble.
All this Time large num1er OF WIN hAMks
had assamned overhead. They seemed 70
know perfectly well what We we're doing but.
dlsdalning 10 stoop at a quail, waited patient
y. Presently a partridge got ny; OF which our
haWa t"ok not the smallest notice; away no
wont. max ins Tor some rough, rocky grounds
about nail mile on. lie had gone about 100
yards when. swish! down Ike stone from
sling came a. wild hawk, struck the pay
fridge tull and fair and. recovering him.
sell directly. sailed OF with tt ~ his tall
ons toward the mountains. =, We had many
other nights but they were all similar 10 tue
first and at the end Of the day We had twenty
auall and landraiL Other game Is hawked
in Psrsla-haTss aud rabbits with the Ros-
hawk, gaZello with the saker And the grey
hounds, aud the little bustRTd with the pere-
grtne The last 10 said 10 DO the finest branch
81 IaloonTy. but We were not fotuRats enough
10 see any Of IL