On the JVihl Goal of the Alfs. 251 



each other's arms, that ihcy mav remain awake : ihefe are 

 {itiiations which none ran have an idea of hut tliofe who have 

 traverfed the rocks. I cannot here help making one reflec- 

 tion : It is amnng the inhabitants of thefe wild and horrid 

 mountains that I found the greatelt honcily and friendOiip; 

 in a word, all thoie virtues which render men worthy of 

 efteerri. 



As thefe animals afcend to the highcft regions early in 

 the morninjr, the hunters muft get to thofe places before 

 them. The goats are then feen coming to pafture, and, 

 though their fmell is exceedingly acute, they do not fmell 

 the hunters, ^ho, concealing themfclvcs behind the rocks, 

 fuffer them to approach within 30 or 40 paces before tluy 

 fire. 



The follow! no- appear to be the moft natural caufes why 

 thefe animals do not fmell the hunters : — Tn the morning the 

 fun heats and rarefies the upper regions of the air, while the 

 lower ones are Hill cold and condcnfed. From this want of 

 equilibrium thirc muft neccUiuily refiilt a current which pro- 

 ceeds upwards, and w hich conft(|uentIy carries in that direc- 

 tion the emanations proceeding from the hunter, who is 

 above the goats. This effett, indeed, muft take4;)lace during 

 the greater part of the day; for the inn, by warming the de- 

 clivities of the mountains, muft produce along them aa 

 afccnding current. JBelides, as thefe animals feed as they go 

 along, their noftrils become fdled with dew, which muft 

 have a very ^reat influence on their fmell. However, it is 

 eflenlially neceftary to get to the heights bef)re the goats- 

 reach them ; it they anticipate the hunter, they fmell him, 

 and make their efcape : it would in that cafe be of no ufe to 

 follow them ; for, when once put to flight, they never ftop 

 till thev t:et to a very great diftance, and when they think 

 they are bevond all danger *. It is Angular that the animal 

 jiever flies till it Iniells the hunter; lor if it only fees him it 



'-■ The reader will not be dilpltalcd to ("ce here an account cf tlie maniur 

 in which the iiih;.bit .nts of ihc iiland of Crete hunt the wild gnar, as ilc- 

 fcribed by Belon : — Soine of the penfants who live i)n the iuir.iTiits of rhe 

 hij^li mount-iiiit: are fucli tiextcrous f>»rotcrs wiih the bow, and jjiinclpally 

 aruund the mountain of Sp.iehia and Madara, that ihty pierce ihcm with 

 tiieir arrows at the dirt^inct of 25 paces; and, to be more lure of thtfn, 

 c'trry fcmalrs, which they have bred up and tamed from their yoiuii, and 

 ric thtm up in fome pa(r.i;^e of the mountains where the inaiis are atcui- 

 tomed to pals. The hunter conceals himfelf behind the buUus ippofitc 

 to the wind, knowing that ihc male goats have lo acute fmell, that iliey 

 could fmell them at the di(iance of 100 pace^. The male finding the fc. 

 male in his way ftops, and the pciilajit then dil'chaii^ts his arrow.— 0/y?')r. 

 jt^l. 14. verf, 



IS 



