46 THE BEARDED EAGLE. 



seen on the highest part of the mountain of Lamalraon, not far 

 from Gondar, the capital of Abyssinia. Jle says, that on account of 

 the tuft of hair growing beneath its beak, the inhabitants call it Ahou 

 Duch'n, or Father Long-beard. Mr. Bruce supposed it to be not only 

 one of the largest of the Eagle kind, but one of the largest birds in 

 the creation. From wing to wing it measured eight feet four inches ; 

 and trom the tip of its tail to the point of its beak, when dead, four 

 feet seven inches. It weighed twenty-two pounds, and was very 

 full of flesh. Its legs were short, but the thighs extremely muscular. 

 Its eyes were remarkably small, the aperture being scarcely half an 

 inch across. The crown of the head was bald, as was also the front, 

 where the bill and skull joined. 



" This noble bird (says this celebrated traveller) was not an object 

 of any chase or pursuit, nor stood in need of any stratagem to bring 

 him within our reach. Upon the highest top of the mountain Lamal- 

 mon, while my servants were refreshing themselves from that toilsome, 

 rugged ascent, and enjoying the pleasures of a most delightful climate 

 eating their dinner in the outer air, with several large dishes of boiled 

 goat's flesh before them, this enemy, as he turned out to be to them 

 suddenly appeared; he did not stoop rapidly from a height, but came 

 flying slowly along the ground, and sat down close to the meat, with- 

 in the ring the men had made round it. A great shout, or rather cry 

 of distress, called me to the place. I saw the Eagle stand for a min- 

 ute, as if to recollect himself; while the servants ran for their lances 

 and shields. I walked up as nearly to him as I had time to do. His 

 attention was fixed upon the flesh. I saw him put his foot into the 

 pan, where there was a large piece, in water, prepared for boiling; 

 but finding the smart, which he had not expected, he withdrew it, and 

 forsook the piece that he held. 



" There were two large pieces, a leg and a shoulder, lying upon a 

 wooden platter: into these he thrust both his claws, and carried them 

 ofl"; but I thought he still looked wistfully at the large piece which 

 remained in the warm water. Away he went slowly along the ground, 

 as he had come. The face of the cliff over which criminals are thrown, 

 took him from our sight. The Mahometans that drove the Asses, 

 were much alarmed, and assured me of his return. My servants, on 

 the other hand, very unwillingly expected him, and thought he had 

 already taken more than his share. 



" As I had myself a desire of more intimate acquaintance with this 

 Bird, I loaded a rifle-gun with ball, and sat down close to the platter 

 by the meat. It was not many minutes before he came, and a 

 prodigious shout was raised by my attendants, 'He is coming, he is 

 coming,' enough to have dismayed a less courageous animal. 

 Whether he was not quite so hungry as at his first visit, or suspected 

 something from my appearance, I know not ; but he made a short 

 turn, and sat down about ten yards from me, the pan with the meat 

 being between me and him. As the field was clear before me, and I 

 did not know but his next move might bring him opposite to some 

 of my people, so that he might actually get the rest of the meat and 

 make off, I shot him with the ball through the middle of his body 



