Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-22

fdlconry, which was brought with the
ARABS OF damascus into Africa in the CEN
Jury following the great hegira; so IL must
| be here at least a thousand years old An
! Arab, especially village dwelling one is
| Just lazy enough to devote himself to the
training of falcons for the chase, which
requires infinite patience and the art is
said to be hereditary.
The hawks, native to the region, are
elt9et taken young from the nest or SHARED,
and then hooded and perched upon their
masters shoulders, which are protected
by strips of leather like great epaulets
Ihelr captors allow no one else to feed
lnem, and after two months or so thew be-
come greatly attached to them. when they
are taken to the field, still hooded, and
given sight of the quarry, at which they
| fiercely dash. AS in ancient times the
females are considered the best, being
stronger, harder and more robust than the
males. Should enc escape she is caught
again by means of a net, beneath which is
placed hare or partridge lure. When
not engaged in the field-to which it is in
variably taken on its masters gauntleted
hand-the hawk is kept perch stuffed
with hair or fresh sod. in order not to in
Jure It's claws or feathers. If at first frac
tious, it is subdued by being placed in dark
ness and deprived of Its customary food for
few days. The ordinary run of Arabs are
not allowed to indulge in this rare sport of
the middle ages, but the high-caste Arab
or chief pursues it with all the zest and
vigor of his ancestors.
The natives of Africa, either north or
south, have never been noted for their lion
hunting proclivities. 1t is always the for
eigner like Gerard or Sir Samuel Baker
who seeks out and Stays the king, and then
the ferociouS native falls to and abuses his
mortal enemy when he cannot do any more
injury.
Monks Eaten by Lions.
While the great Gerard used to frequent
the country about Guelma, chiefly, yet the
lions of his time roamed far afield beyond
that district. From the train, even as you
journey between Constantine and Batna,
is pointed out the minaret of ruined con-
vent called Juna-el-Bechira, where brood
of lions once dcvoured the entire faculty
of this conVent-college down to the pro-
fessor of mathematics, with precious little
blood in his veins and a skin like parch-
ment. Local tradition, more or less au-
thentic, states that there We're forty learn
ed monks dwelling here when the college
was at the height of its prosperity, and one
after another, sometimes in the garden
while they were walking in meditation, and
sometimes at the spring where they went
for water, all but three of them were
bounced upon and devoured.
That these lions had most Unsuitable
thirst for knowledge is shown by the fact
that they let alone the jewellers in neigh
boring village, and confined their atten-
tons solely to the poor monks.
Having seen their companions carried
away mangled and bloody whenever they
strayed from the precincts of the convent,
the three survivors vowed never to leave
the building, but this did not avail One
was struck down in his cloiSter, another
in the refectory and the last of all while at
his prayers IN the chapel at the very foot
of the cross. So they became martyrs. ali,
and as such are still spoken OF by the peo-
pie of this region.
A strict regard for the truth compels me
to say that L myself did not have an oppor-
tunity for lion hunt, because, in the first
place, the beasts are now so shy that even
the Arabs seldom see them, and in the Sec
ond, the season was not propitious. The
best season for shooting in Algiers is In
the autumn, and If one start out early in
october armed with a good gun and a
'permis de chasse," or permit to shoot
(Which in all French countries is as pre-
requisite to hunting, a good guide and
perhaps an Arab stallion, he can bag part
ridge, snipe and woodcock galore, and
maybe get crack at a panther, if not at a
lion.
The nearest I ever came to hunting a
lion was to meet man who had been in
at the death, in that very district of
Guelma. AT the Hotel de rOasis" the
pr oprietor introduced me to the commander
of irregular Spahis stationed in the neigh
borhood, with remark aside that / should
If possible get him to tell me of an adven-
ture he once had, and which resulted in
his being adorned with terrible, crescen-
tic scar across his forehead. The '.maitre de
la maiSon" was a past master in the cult
nary art, and the champagne that followed
the last portion of woodcock on toast was
fine. My companion primed his glass anew
and under the genial influence of the
wines bouquet began his tale of adyen
ture.
A Battle With n Lion.
1t seems that he was once in loye-or
thought he was; about the same-witb ona
of the beautiful Vandalese; but we will
skip that part of it and get at the heart
Of the story. She demanded, as proof of