The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-12-15
FAlCONRY
a sport That SIN Belongs to the Life
of the Earth.

| Of the Eartb.
Most persons today think Of falconry
as sport belonging to the picturesque
past-to the day when knights ana
pages and fair ladies. mounted on
stecds with rich trappings, their hood
ed hawks perched on their gauntleted
wrists. rode through green fields IN
such gaily moving iageant as poets
and painters loved 10 celebrate. But IN
ChitraI. a State on the northwestern
frontier Of India. under British Suzer-
ainty. il is still the popular pastime
and the skilled Chitrali falconers think
nothing of training a wild hawk-the
widest Of wild creatures-tO obedience
and seryicea ablenesS in fourteen days.
and have even been known to ac-
4 11mplsh the feat in five. Major H. l..
KenniOn, who went hawking with
Shuja- -ul-Mulk. the mehtar. or native
ruler. of the country, has recently de-
scribed the sport as he saw and shared
it.
The ground covered was wild and
precipitous. and the quarry, driven mp
on the approach Of the hunters by
beatcrs rOstcd beforehand, was the
chakor. a kind Of fine. large native
partridge.
almost as the first distant shouting
of the heaters reached us, n yell OF
Hal. Hair Coming. Comingo and
garments wildly waved in the air
signaled a single chakor. A stiff wind
was blowing down the valley. and ne
passed out Of gunshOt below us at n
terrific pace. As he went by. the
mehtar balanced and swung forward
the goshawli on his fist, and the bird.
with two strokes Of her powerful
wings. was launched in pursuit
"As she got under way the Chitralis
raised prolonged shout, and the excite
mpnt was so infectious we could barely
refrain from cheering her on ourselves.
We leaned over the wall TO watch the
result. and were in time to see the NY
ing chakor n brown ball 200 yards
away; but n bigger brown mass was
rapidly closing on 1t, and the two came
to earth together. A falconer at once
plunged down the hill to retrieve the
quarry and take mp the hawk.
"The mehtar Immediately turned ana
took a fresh hawk on his fist but
scarcely had he done SO when shouts
of Ham. Hani" (Many cominGD came
from the stops. and Il coyey flew down
the wind close bc!ow us. The mehtar
throw off his goShawk. and another
of the party shaheen falcon.
"And now the game was at its height.
Cries OF Hal! Hair or 'Hani. Hani"
followed each other in quick success
sion. and the chako: shot by in single
birds and coveys. One after another
the hawks were thrown off, and it
was magnificent sight to see the
great birds wheel round in the wind
and dart in pursuit As each was
thrown off. falconer dashed after
her at full speed to take up the hawk
If a kill had been scored, or to call
her off If unsuccessful
1t will be observed that these swift
hunters of the air were all "she.
Male birds, or tercelS. are also em-
ployed but never at the same time
with the female. because in the falcon
family the lady is Enthusiastically the
better man. She is larger and stronger
and at least equally fierce: and in the
excitement of the occasion Is too like
ly To mistake her neighhor's mate, or
even her own. for the quarry, and to
strike him down without allowing time
for explanations.