Class II. COMMON PIGEON. 293 



pigeon fhews to its native place, is employed in 

 many countries as the moft expeditious courier: 

 the letters are tied und^r its wing, it is let loofe, 

 and in a very fhort fpace returns to the home it was . 

 brought from, with its advices *. This pradice 

 was much in vogue in the Eaft ; and at Seaside- 

 roon^ till of late years f , uied on the arrival of a 

 fliip, to give the merchants at Aleppo a more ex- 

 peditious notice than could be done by any other 

 means. In our own country, thefe aerial meflen- 

 gers have been employed for a very fingular pur- 

 pofe, being let loofe at 'Tyburn at the moment the 



* This cuftom was obferved by that legendary traveller, 

 Sir John Maunde'vile, knight, warrior and pilgrim ; who, with 

 the true fpirit of religious chivalry, voyaged into the EaJ^, 

 and penetrated as far as the borders of Chinay during the 

 reigns of Ed^u^ard 11 and III. 



•* In that contree," fays he, ** and other contrees bezonde, 

 thei han a cuftom, whan thei fchulle ufen werre, and whan 

 men holden iegQ abouten cytee or caftelle, and thei with- 

 innen dur not fenden out meflagers with lettare, fro lord to 

 lord, for to alke fokour, thei maken here letters and bynden 

 hem to the nekke of a Colver, and leten the Coher flee ; 

 and the Coheren ben (o taughte, that thei fleen with tho let- 

 ,ters to the verry place, that men wolde fend hem to. For 

 the Col-veres ben ncryflcht in tho phces, where thei ben fent 

 to ; and thei fenden hem thus, for to beren here letters. And 

 the Colveres retournen azen, where as thei ben norifl^cht and 

 fo they don comounly. " The voiage and travaile of Sir 

 y. Maiindeuiky knight, ed. 1727. 



t Dr. ^/^/ informs us, that the pra6lice. is left off. Hift. 

 Aleppo y 66. 



fetal 



